NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
SINCE 1968
POINTE FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013
Working it out: How some teens stay in shape By Rachel Cullen STAFF REPORTER
PHOTO Take a look at interesting facts and a few secret rooms to learn 10 things you didn’t know about North.
Armed America ANDREA SCAPINI
Students debate role of video games and rap in a pervasively violent media culture. By Andrea Scapini
PAGE 8
ASSISTANT EDITOR
NO SCHOOL
Monday, Jan. 21 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
MID TERM EXAMS
Tuesday, Jan. 21 through Friday Jan. 24 8 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Tuesday periods 1 & 2 Wednesday periods 4 & 5 Thursday periods 6 & 7 Friday period 3 (ends at 9:30 a.m.)
NO SCHOOL
Monday, Jan. 28
BOYS HOCKEY
Tonight vs. South, 7:45 p.m. at University Liggett
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Thursday, Jan. 24 vs. Romeo, 7 p.m. at home
BOYS BASKETBALL
Friday, Jan. 25 vs. L’anse Creuse, 7 p.m. at home
“
IDEAS
LIBATION
WAS ENJOYED, AND THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND ME BECAME
STEADILY HARDER TO UNDERSTAND.
“
PAGE 7
Please recycle after reading. Thank you! © 2013 North Pointe Volume 45, Issue 8
“Busting caps” and “popping glocks” aren’t uncommon terms accompanied by trigger noises and a symphony of rounds being fired in video games or today’s rap music, a genre gaining enough ground to have a course dedicated to its history offered at Yale University. But rap means a little more to junior Jonathan Bevier, who overlooks the violent descriptions and sounds because of creativity. “Personally, from the experiences of writing raps, I think that it’s the best way to express what’s really going on in one’s mind,” Bevier said. “It makes you feel like you can relate to someone even if you don’t actually know the person.” Not all teens see rap in Bevier’s light, romanticizing the violent subculture. “(Students are) always hearing things that retain maintaining going into a violence mode, and your brain has to be picking that up,” counselor Joyce Lyjak said. “Especially when students or children are hearing that at a very early age. Where do they learn that it’s not okay? … They’ve been exposed to it their whole life.” For a student who has a rough home, social or school life, the music can be misconstrued. “Some kids may have some anger problems, and then they listen to more aggressive music, and then they feel more aggressive, and then they act more aggressively towards things,” school psychologist Christine Kuhl said. “It kind of just depends on what you’re looking for when you’re seeking that release of music.” While this culture is merely an outlet for some, for others it may instigate real-life violence. A reporter for the Washington Post, Todd Lindeman, gathered data from a private study based on cases between 1999 and 2007 showing that gun homicides became the leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24. “My kids had BB guns, but they learned to shoot at a target; now people are shooting at each other. There’s a proper way to do it, but I think they need supervision,” Lyjak said.
Former member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and social studies teacher Barry Mulso agrees that guns, if handled with correct precautions, are not the problem, but the person holding the gun is. “I grew up in a gun family,” Mulso said. “You don’t see me going around shooting up school yards or hurting anything with them. … There’s a rule in my family ‘Don’t shoot it unless you’re going to eat it.’” “Shooting a gun” is now virtually possible for anyone who picks up the controller to a violent video game. “With some people that are more susceptible to suggestion, it can make them more preoccupied with violence. They can get so involved in the fantasy of it that they have a hard time getting out of it,” Kuhl said. “That’s a parent’s job because children aren’t going to monitor themselves. The parents need to guide them. A lot of people don’t know this recommendation, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time per day total for children.” The prevalence of violence in the media has been called both a reflection and result of our culture. “I don’t believe that (the games) cause people to be violent, but at the same time, I think violent people might take inspiration from them. I’m not going to go out and say that a videogame or a rap song makes somebody go out and kill somebody,” Mulso said. “I do think that the violence of images and things like that desensitizes us to it.” Like listeners use rap music, gamers use the violent video games as a release. “The majority of people know right from wrong, and I think some violent video games can be used as more of an outlet for people with anger so they can take it out on a virtual person instead of a physical person,” sophomore Michael Caruso said. “If people think for a second, they can see that they can do it in video games with no repercussions, but in real life, they’ll go to jail.” Even those who don’t have aggressive behavior see the threat these violent resources could hold. “If you’re a young kid who’s eight years old, and you’re listening to basically any rapper you can think of, and you want to be like them while they’re talking about shooting guns and selling drugs and all that type of stuff ... then that’s what you are going to do,” Bevier said. “If you’re only listening to rap, and you’re not doing anything else, then that’s the only thing you know.”
By the numbers
16,808,538 applications
for guns were processed January through November 2012, according to the FBI
370,960 of those were Michigan applications
13.45 million units of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 sold within its opening week
Through FAFSA, soon-to-be college students receive financial aid By Jacob Barry & Patricia Bajis STAFF REPORTERS
After blessed acceptance letters from a variety of universities find their way to students in the mail, anxiety can subside for a split second. Then tuition is remembered. With an average annual tuition of $14,000, seniors look to financial aid to ease the pain. Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is a senior’s tool in applying for loans and grants for college. With over 21 million applications yearly, they provide 150 billion dollars to help students pay for their education. The application can be found online and is sent directly to colleges once it’s processed. “It does take about three to five days for the information to process, then it will be available for the schools,” FAFSA service representative,
Autumn Bently, said. “From there, the schools will calculate the information, and once they’ve done (that), they will come up with a financial aid package and send a letter to the student letting them know what they’re going to offer them.” FAFSA manages the student financial assistance programs for colleges, allowing them to communicate directly with you in accordance with the university. Students can apply for the program, verify their information and receive their results all in one place. “All of my college applications were online so it was nice that this application was online, too. It was easier to check over your information and submit the application early. Any kind of financial aid is going to be helpful,” senior Laura O’Brien said. “The cost to go to college is really high, so the money I receive from FAFSA will definitely help a lot.” In addition to student loans and grants, FAFSA offers work aids, which is a guaranteed job on or off campus where earnings go straight to paying for tuition. “Federal work studies provide part-time jobs for students with financial needs, allowing them to earn money helping them with education expenses,” Bently said. “It encourages community service and work related to the student’s course of study. They can earn at least the current federal minimum wage. However, the student may
As the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31, teenage Twitter users everywhere took to their phones to wish their followers a happy New Year – and to tweet their New Year’s resolutions. While their goals ranged from academic to romantic and everything in between, one goal in particular reigned supreme: getting and staying in shape. Local gyms like Pointe Fitness and Next Level Health & Fitness aid teens with reaching their resolutions. But what about the plethora of teenagers that had gym memberships and fitness regimens in place long before they rang in the New Year? Take sophomore Emily Aziz. She joined Next Level last June and has been a regular since. Although she works out to be healthy, Aziz finds it fun and, in her own words, “addicting.” Her favorite class is the ever-popular Zumba, a Colombian dance fitness program that incorporates several different genres of dance with aerobic elements. Aziz attended her first Zumba class after several of her friends raved about it, and she can’t help but agree with them. “The dances are so much fun, and everyone is really energetic, and it’s just a great atmosphere,” Aziz said. Aziz is far from being the only student who sticks to a fitness regimen. After 3:05, on any given school day, North’s own upper gym is filled with students lifting weights, running on treadmills and riding stationary bikes. Senior Paige Micks is one such upper-gym devotee. She tries to work out at least twice a week, and mostly prefers cardio. “I’ve played sports my whole life,” Micks said. “It’s really just second nature, and I like to work out.” Senior Evan Pilot spends time doing power cleans, pull ups and dips in the upper gym because to him, exercising is a powerful form of stress relief. “Working out helps me release stress by pushing myself,” Pilot said. “It helps me unwind from a long day of school.” Sophomore football players Michael Creagh and Jeremiah Skinner frequent the gym during the off-season to maintain their strength and prepare for the fall season. Besides having similar workout preferences, they both tend to stick to curling, lifting and bench pressing as well as parents that encourage them to work out. “My dad works out, and my mom tries to eat healthy, and watching my dad get stronger makes me believe I can get that way,” Skinner said. Like Skinner and Creagh, many atheletes see working out as a crucial supplement to their sport. Senior Mandy Caruso has figure skated since she was 3 years old, and she has maintained a strict fitness regimen in order to meet the demands of the competitive sport. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
earn more depending on the type of work they do and the skills required for the position.” Counselor Jill Davenport says FAFSA is the best way to access student loans because they are often deferred until after college graduation. “In most cases, it is able to cover all of, or almost all of, your school expenses, so it makes it less stressful worrying about finding ways to pay for college. Usually with a loan, you are expected to pay that back,” Bently said. By using FAFSA, one’s application for financial aid is guaranteed to follow all federal laws and regulations. Once the application is filled out, FAFSA will send a confirmation, ensuring students that their information has been received, processed and is about to be reviewed. “If you have what you need, it’s simple,” senior Logan Hart said. FAFSA is only one type of application for financial aid. If an application is submitted through another program, the student will not be allowed to fill out the FAFSA form. The deadline for federal student aid varies on a state-to-state basis. For Michigan, the deadline is March 1. After applying, the FAFSA needs to be refreshed each year a student plans on attending college. SEE INFOGRAPHIC ON PAGE 2
NEWS
2 – Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 – North Pointe
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Band-O-Rama showcases students, young and old
Math teacher Laura Distlerath By Melina Glusac & Brigitte Smith STAFF REPORTERS
By Erica Lizza
When people need time to think, they may crawl onto the couch or surf the Internet. Math teacher Laura Distelrath runs. “I really like to run, either in the evenings or the weekends just to spend time outside or process through everything that has happened throughout the day,” Distelrath said. After graduating high school, sans any hard-core running experience at all, the college student was persuaded by her friend to take up the sport. “It was something that I never really thought I could do. When I was in middle school and high school, I wasn’t very athletic,” Distelrath said. “And then after college, I had a friend, and she had run a half-marathon. I was like, ‘Oh I could never do that,’ and she said, ‘Yes, you could. If you trained for it, you would totally be able to.’” On a whim, Distelrath enrolled in the Free Press Half-Marathon, a whopping 13 miles. Despite her anxiety and inability to complete a single mile at first, she trained and accomplished her goal. “It’s really cool being in that atmosphere with all of the people running,” Distelrath said. “I realized that even though I have the attitude of ‘Oh I don’t want to run today,’ once I’m out and running, for the most part, I really enjoy it. I just find it as a great way to escape from everything else.” In addition to teaching classes at North and South High School, she is also the activities director at the latter. She considers herself both blue-and green-blooded. “I get really excited for both teams,” she said. “I know ... you guys want me to pick a side, but all my interactions with kids from both schools have been great.”
INTERN
COURTESY OF LAURA DISTLERATH
Math teacher Laura Distlerath began running in college. Since then, she has participated in several marathons.
What type of music do you like to run to? Definitely something upbeat. My roommate will run to slow music, and I don’t know how she does that. I really just like to mix it up, so a lot of what’s on the radio now. So kind of a collection of everything. Is there anything you eat before or after you run? Usually Cliff bars and Gatorade. Depending on how long my run is, like if I’m training for a marathon, I’ll stop at like CVS or Walgreens and pick up a Gatorade while I’m running. I don’t like to eat a lot before I run. Is there a particular brand of shoe you wear? I’ve had Asics or Saucony.
What is the coolest thing about teaching? When kids will use math or math-related concepts in instances that aren’t related. Like in Geometry, when we’re looking at congruency or writing proofs, when they are just joking around either before, during, or after class, and they’ll be like “These two people are congruent,” or “Ms. D., we shouldn’t have homework. Let’s write a proof about it.” That really shows that they get what we’re talking about, and it’s becoming a part of the way they think, even if they don’t do it intentionally or don’t like to think that they like math.
STUDENT AID Types of aid:
Band-O-Rama, led by North band director David Cleveland, took place on Jan. 15. The concert showcases the instrumental talent of students in fifth through twelfth grades in the district. “All the other concerts are pretty much just high school concerts that we do. This one has everybody in it, from beginners to the best players at the high school level,” Cleveland said. Junior Pearce Reickert has played in Band-O-Rama since fifth grade. Reickert sees Band-O-Rama as different from any other concert because of the grade and skill ranges of students. “You really get to see the progression of students from a very early stage to a very experienced high level, almost collegiate stage,” Reickert said.
Students keep in shape CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, I do resistance training, so a trainer comes in and works us, then Tuesday and Thursday is ballet,” Caruso said. “And Friday, I take a Zumba class. That’s all at the rink, so then we have a session before working out, then after. I also do cardio during the week like running and doing the elliptical.” In 2011, CNN and the Center for Disease Control reported that just 51% of all students worked out regularly. That means that almost half of all high school students don’t adhere to a fitness regime, though many students say they already participate in sports that fulfill their exercise requirements. Junior AJ Owens says he doesn’t work out partly because, as he jokes, he is “lazy,” and partly because being a member of the swim team already keeps him in good shape. Junior Uribi Beaumont skates for the
20.8% – Federal Grants: These grants are often need-based, but you may also have to meet other criteria to qualify. 44.5% – Federal Loans: This aid must be paid back with interest, like any other loan. Interest rates are fixed and often lower than private student loans, though. Federal loan terms will also be more flexible than private loans. Since the goverment lowers the cost of education by paying interest on Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans while students attend school, these loans count as a form of student aid.
4.7% 17.8%
You must complete the FAFSA to be eligible for these forms of aid.
The Free Application for fafsa.gov Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will require you to provide personal and tax information.
SAR
Your Student Aid Report (SAR) summarizes the information in your FAFSA, which helps your college determine the aid you’re elibible for.
EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER
20.7%
The federal government provided for 73% of the total aid allotted in the 2011-2012 school year.
7.7% 0.4% 44.5%
Student aid over time A
How to receive this aid: 3
By Jordan Radke & Audrey Kam
4.2%
0.4% – Federal Work Study: These programs afford students the opportunity to earn money through part-time work to fund their education. About 3,400 institutions participate nationwide.
Recieve an SAR.
Contributing: Chris Elliot, Erica Lizza, Sean O’Melia & Anu Subramaniam
Includes federal, state, institutional, private & employer sources
4.7% – Private & Employer Grants: These are grants may be awarded by your employer or another private party based on your future occupation, heritage, athletics, etc. 7.7% – Education Tax Benefits and Deductions: If a you puruse a college education, the federal goverment offers whomever pays for your education tax credits and deductions. Like grants, these are direct subsidies that don’t need to be repaid.
2
Darlings of Destruction, a roller derby team in Rochester Hills. Beaumont, like Owens, says she gets enough of a workout from the weekly conditioning her team provides. While the rigor and regularity of their exercise schedules certainly vary, North students are all in agreement about one thing: staying active provides plenty of benefits. For Caruso, the biggest benefit of working out is seeing all of her hard work translate into her skating. “Skating a clean program is the best feeling,” Caruso said. “And when I do all the extra stuff, I know that I’m doing everything in my power to be the best skater I can be.” Beaumont focuses less on the physical benefits of staying active and instead praises the positive effect it can have on her state of mind. “The biggest benefit for me is that I can break away from technology and really be present; you only worry about the moment when you’re active. I like that.”
Student aid in the 2011-2012 year
17.8% – Institutional Grants: This is more free money, but from your college or university. Qualifications and rules will differ, but most colleges offer them.
Apply online.
Contributing: Anu Subramaniam & Jennifer Kusch
In the 2011-2012 school year, graduate and undergraduate students recieved $236.7 billion in financial aid, from the federal and state governments, schools and other sources. This equates to $13,218 per the equivalent of a full-time student. Below, these sources and how much aid they account for are broken down.
4.2% – State Grants: Grant aid is just free money that pays for your education, as long as you continue to meet eligibility requirements.
1
He enjoys and appreciates Band-O-Rama now more when he was younger. “I think in fifth grade, it was kind of just like any other concert. We sat in a big rectangle, and we all played the same 16 notes, and everyone clapped for us, and we felt good,” Reickert said. While Ferry Elementary School fifth grader Darshana Subramaniam preferred the holiday concert over Band-O-Rama because it was shorter, it sparked her interest in North’s pep band. She plans to continue in band through high school. “I want to be in pep band and regular band (in high school) so I can play things like they did,” Subramaniam said. The concert ended with North’s symphony band playing the musical piece “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Senior Evelynne Smith enjoyed the finale most of all. “My favorite piece was probably Narnia ... because it was so exciting at the end. I think it was better than we ever played it in class,” Smith said.
250,000 200,000
Recieve an award letter. Your award letter explains the federal aid package a college has decided to offer you.
150,000 100,000 50,000 0
01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12
Driver’s Road Skills Test
$5.00 COUPON MICHIGAN DRIVERS LICENSE TESTING Automobile Tests: $45.00 Rental Available: $20.00 GROSSE POINTE MOVING CO. 11850 East Jefferson, Detroit CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT 313-822-4400
Grant aid has increased substantially in the past several years because of increased enrollment, policy changes and economic conditions.
ON CAMPUS National Art Honor Society paint North-themed fish Champs Rotisserie & Spirits, Beaumont Hospital and some of Grosse Pointe’s elite art enthusiasts have one. Now even North will have one. Members of the North chapter of the National Art Honor Society have been working on it. That is, designing a North-themed fish statue for the school. A different statue was donated to Grosse Pointe South, so Charles Gabel donated one to North so that both schools would be able to have a statue of their own. “National Art Honor students worked together to make a design plan that represents Grosse Pointe North. This took the students quite a few meetings before winter break,” art teacher Susan Forrest said. “The fish has been cleaned and lightly sanded for the paint application, but the painting has not started yet. The project will resume in January after students complete the National Scholastic Art competition submissions that they have been working so hard on.” Once completed, the fish is promised a home in front of North. “We are planning to put the fish near the front of the school where it will hopefully stay,” treasurer Jamie Lackner said. While the location may be common knowledge, the actual design of the fish will remain an intriguing secret. Junior Nicole Fletcher said, “It will be green and yellow, but I will have to make the rest a surprise.”
Norsemen reveal their lucky charms Whether it’s a special item of clothing, treasured jewlery or even a favored pencil, superstitious students have faith that something is bringing them good karma. By Emily Huguenin & Amanda Berry ASSISTANT EDITORS
Robotics team prepare for competition The North-South robotics team has commenced their build season in preparation for the 2013 competitions. Through the months of January and February, the schools assemble to craft their robot. “Build week is a six-week period to design, build, and program and work on our robot,” junior Thomas Lombardi said. “Then we put it in the plastic bag. Once it’s in the bag, we can’t work on it anymore because the six weeks is up.” Each year, the robot must complete a different game or task to earn points and advance the team’s ranking. “This year, the game is called ‘Ultimate Assent,’” Grosse Pointe South senior Ruth Karcher said. “The design plan is just a robot who can go around and shoot frisbees for the most part and just making it able to work well.” Though the team lost its seniors from last year, the underclassmen are carrying on their legacy. “We are really looking to build on last year’s success and continue to build an excellent robot that competes at the highest level,” team instructor Don Pata said. By Sarah Schade, Katelyn Carney, Caelin Micks, Miranda Barry & Diajah Williams
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FACES IN THE CROWD Jayla Hubbard
Junior Jayla Hubbard hopes to have a career in the medical field someday. Hubbard expands her knowledge of the medical field by doing research beyond the walls of North. “Outside of school, I’m involved in a group called Eco-techware. I do research at Wayne State,” Hubbard said. Eco-techware is a international science laboratory that does research worldwide. They do a wide range of research, from cardiovascular research to ethology. Hubbard began doing research with Ecotechware in seventh grade after her initial interests were triggered. She says her involvement with the group will definitely help her get a job in the medical field. “That is the plan ... because college is the next step for me,” Hubbard said. “I’ve been doing a lot of college programs, pre-med programs, and Eco-tech has furthured my knowledge ... to prepare me for pursuing a career in the medical field.”
Cameron Shreiber
Freshman Cameron Schreiber discovered his love for art nine years ago as a kindergartener. He draws people, landscapes and other things. Schreiber has worked hard to improve his skill but doesn’t mind the work. “I mostly did it for fun, so it wasn’t really work, but it did take awhile (to improve),” Schreiber said. Schreiber says he primarily works in pencil and sometimes pen. He has taken a class at the War Memorial and plans to pursue his art after high school, possibly pursuing a career in animation. “I’ll maybe do animation, like at DreamWorks or something like that,” he said. His favorite animated movie is DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon. If all goes according to plan, Schreiber will be making animated movies like How to Train Your Dragon, that will be other kids’ favorites.
Incoming eighth graders visit for orientation Members of the incoming Class of 2017 familiarized themselves with the school at freshman orientation. It was a night where the soon-to-be Norsemen and their families got to meet some potential teachers, visit their future classrooms and discover many of the extracurricular activities North has to offer. “They had an opportunity to get to know North and get to know the building and get comfortable here and get to know the people that are going to help them in the future,” Athletic Director Ben Banfield said. The administrators gave students a presentation about the credits they will need to graduate and electives they can take that they may not have heard about before. “I learned more about electives and the (credits) you need to graduate,” eighth grade Parcells student Lolly Duus said. National Honors Society members led tours around campus, lending their best tips with some key checkpoints throughout the school. “I learned that North is not as scary as I thought it would be,” eighth grade Brownell student Erin Haggerty said. With a possibility of the freshman first day being eliminated this upcoming school year, this orientation day became even more valuable to students according to Banfield.
North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 – 3
Peter Gritsas TOP: Junior Vince Bruno won’t take a test without his lucky pencil. “I like Ticonderogas because the grip is good. I like the material it’s made out of and it’s just a quality pencil all around. This is my favorite pencil because it helps me on tests, most of the time.” ABOVE: Junior Cait Gaitley keeps her mom close to with this heart-shaped necklace. “She gave me this necklace for Christmas a couple years ago. It’s a heart with a cross in it, and it’s probably my most prized possession. My mom and I are really close and I wear it everyday and without it I don’t feel like myself.” UPPER LEFT: Junior Greg Lazar religiously wears his cross necklace. “My grandfather gave it to me and I wear it in his memory. It used to be his and now it’s mine. I wear it all the time and if I don’t I have a bad omen in my head.” LOWER LEFT: Senior Alison Locricchio dons this blue and white tie-dye bracelet every day. “I got it two years ago and I’ve never taken it off since. It’s not exactly lucky and there’s nothing really special about it, I just always wear it.” BOTTOM: Sophomore Thomas Goffas never goes without his lucky basketball bracelet. “This is my University of Michigan basketball bracelet and I got it at the camp I went to. I wear it everyday and I definitely think it brings me luck.”
Sophomore Peter Gritsas couldn’t imagine his life without performing. From choir to theater work, Gritsas is always focused on pursuing his stage dream. In the beginning, it was just a hobby he enjoyed, but as he grew older, it stopped being just an after-school activity. “As a kid, I was very shy,” Gritsas said. “I think it was that wanting to get out of my shell, but what made me want to do professional theater is I saw Hansel and Gretel in sixth grade, and it gave me a drive to go do actual professional theater.” Having already been in six productions, Gritsas has no doubt that he wants to have a job on Broadway in the future, no matter what the struggle. “I know that my odds of just becoming a star on Broadway are very slim, but if I were to be in chorus … on Broadway, I think I would have accomplished my dream,” Gritsas said, adding that Broadway combines the three things he loves: acting, singing and dancing. “I see a lot of people today in our economy get up in the morning and hate going to work, and I want to do something I love doing.”
Leslie Jacobs
Ever since choir became an option in third grade at Ferry Elementary, junior Leslie Jacobs knew that music was for her. Jacobs has been in choir since then and is an avid member of Pointe Chorale, the top ensemble here at North, as well as Counter Pointe, the women’s a cappella group. “My favorite part about the North choir program is something that people don’t really realize,” she said. “It’s the level of connectedness that we have. We do like each other, and I’ve made a lot of friends in this program.” Along with the feeling of camaraderie Jacobs gets from singing in an ensemble, she also enjoys “being able to share a gift that I have with others who also have it and just the audience who’s watching” as a solo performer. Jacobs’ experience as a soloist began in sixth grade, and she has been featured in numerous concerts since then. “It was really nerve-wracking the first time and throughout middle school because I was shy, but it’s gotten a lot easier.” By Radiance Cooper, Jennifer Kusch, Brittney Hernandez & Carrie Rakowicz
SPORTS
4 – Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 – North Pointe
QUICK HITS
Norsemen host wrestling classic By Sean O’Melia & Emma Puglia STAFF REPORTER & INTERN
North hosted the Norseman Classic Saturday, Jan. 12, competing against Walled Lake Central, East Detroit, Eisenhower, Romulus, Seaholm, Stevenson, Wood Haven and Ferndale.
BOYS HOCKEY FACES OFF AGAINST A PAIR OF RIVALS
SEAN O’MELIA
The boys lined up for the national anthem. “Both (Liggett and South) games will be great games. It’ll be a great atmosphere. We’re going to try and get both W’s, but it’s not going to be easy, and we’re going to have to play our best hockey,” senior captain Jack Stander said.
This weekend, Liggett High School will host a tournament between North, South and Liggett’s varsity boys hockey teams. Last year, Liggett won the championship. “I’m more pumped to go against Liggett because they won the state championship last year,” senior forward Patrick Lane said. “But that doesn’t intimidate me.” North will play South today at 7:45 p.m. and Liggett on Jan. 19 at 3:30 p.m. “It’s exciting to go against South, because it’s our rivalry school, and we’ve already beat them before, so it’d be cool to beat them again,” sophomore Jamie Keller said.
TOP LEFT: Junior JaRon Nelson attempts to pin his opponent, surmounting the pressure of an individual win. “It feels better for the team, and I’ve got to get the win for myself,” he said. TOP RIGHT: Michael Bennett takes down his oppenent in front of the home crowd. “Being home with friends and parents gives you more motivation,” he said. MIDDLE RIGHT: Senior Paul Menth wears a protective face mask while wrestling. “I broke my nose twice in the beginning in the season,” he said. “It intimidates other players – the first time I wore it, my opponent didn’t even step on the line.” MIDDLE LEFT: The referee raises junior Andrew Lock’s hand for a victory. ”I’m looking forward to districts,” he said. “Getting complacent is how you lose.” BOTTOM LEFT: The referee slaps his hand on the mat, signifying a pin and deeming Nelson the winner of the match.
To prepare for the games, the team will go through their pre-game practice including running through their many systems and power plays. “We’re planning on creating as many plays and scoring opportunities as we can,” Lane said. “I’m very excited to be playing in front of a big crowd,” Keller said. “The more excited they are about the game, the more excited we get.”
Spring athletes train
FRESHMAN SYNCHRO SWIMMER STEPHANIE GODOSHIAN Freshman Stephanie Godoshian always hoped her summer days spent at the pool would pay off. “When I was little, I loved to swim and was at the pool all the time,” Godoshian said. “My mom pointed out the synchro girls dancing in the water to a bunch of songs I really liked.” “The next summer, I signed up for synchro.” Godoshian was never a dancer but was attracted to synchro because of her time spent in the pool. “I’m not the best dancer,” Godoshian said. “But I love music, so that got me very interested in the sport.” The girls competed against Troy on Wednesday. Godoshian performed a duet to a mashup of “PYT” and “Thriller.” “I’m also in a team routine, and we are performing to a Prince mashup,” she said. After four years of dancing in the water, she decided to compete for North. She plans to continue throughout high school but hasn’t made any plans to continue afterwards. Godoshian hasn’t received any awards this season but has high hopes. “Not yet, but I’m confident and hopeful our routine meets go over well.”
By Wendy Ishmaku, Matt Stander & Melissa Healy
EDITOR’S DESK KIM CUSMANO
SEAN O’MELIA
“Boys in general are less likely to get injured because of the way that their body is built, but they will have less injuries if they are running more in the winter,” girls track coach Elizabeth Michaels said. The boys track team runs everyday, and plays tag every Friday - “fun day”. By Izzy Ellerly & Taylor White ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER
For some Norseman spring athletes, hitting the gym (or the pavement) a little early is making a difference. Since December, junior Pearce Reickert has been running a few times a week with fellow teammates to prepare for the upcoming track season. He says he notices how training earlier improves his mental stamina. “One of the hardest things to do is just wake up in the morning and say ‘Oh, I’m sleepy. Time to run!’” Reickert said. “It lets me come back to the team and be as good a runner as I can and keep as much of the ability I have from cross country and move it over to track.” Other athletes, including seniors Ali Scoggin and Corey Pierce, find their own benefits from training off-season. “My dad said if I play a sport, I have to train really hard because if I wanna make it to the next level, I have to step my game up and workout,” Pierce said. “I don’t really know how it helps when you get to the season, but I’d say it keeps you prepared for what’s coming up, and it keeps you ready so you don’t have to adjust to new training methods when the season starts.” Scoggin agrees early conditioning makes for a better athlete. “It teaches me responsibility a little bit because I have to go out and want to do it and have the motivation to go out and play that long,” Scoggin said. “Just getting into the season, it feels
really good when I’m already at a really high level.” However, Reickert says starting so early creates more opportunity for injury. “Sometimes there is trouble with injuries that can occur due to overuse of running,” Reickert said. “But then also there can be problems with conflicts and just not having enough time to run.” Girls track coach Elizabeth Michaels disagrees in regard to injuries. After the girls track team suffered from several injuries last year, she hopes that getting her girls in the weight room early will decrease this problem. “Every time you take a step, you’re putting 10 times your body weight on your legs and putting stress on your muscles and bones in your legs,” Michaels said. “So going from doing nothing to running that hard, you’re just going to get hurt because your body isn’t prepared for it.” “So the reason we’re trying to get our girls in the weight room and running earlier is so that we can ease into it a little bit more, so that by the time we want to do our heavy training, they’re not pounding on their legs and injuring themselves.” Junior softball player Dana O’Donnell says training in the off-season generates togetherness. “It helps with team bonding because we’re all working together, especially with new players who just joined,” O’Donnell said. “We’re getting used to them and playing with them, so it makes us more of a cohesive team.”
NHL lockout ends at a nonmonetary cost A Red Wings game is an experience, not just a game. From the moment you squeeze into the arena, from the biting cold into the surprisingly warm, hot-dog scented Joe Louis, it’s an event. It encapsulates winter. So picture the disappointment on my face, and that of all other die-hard Wings fans when they announced at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, that the season wouldn’t be happening. That the NHL was in a lockout. No more chanting “Where we gonna go? All the way to the Stanley Cup!” with the homeless guy as we walk out of the tunnel; no more getting beer spilled on me, compliments of extra-rowdy fans; no more sitting with my mouth gaping wide as Pavel Datsuk dangles around player after player; and especially no more biting nails, jumping off my feet, throwing my hands in the air, cringing, shouting, screaming as Detroit’s pride and joy shows off what Hockeytown is. I have consciously seen changes in Hockeytown, like the end of dancing Al between periods and losing our favorite captain Stevie Y, but nothing so drastic. And after the Lions’ season, I think we were all looking forward to the success that is always present in the Joe. And if anyone was awaiting a great season, it was my hockey-cultured family. My sister, brother and father are all players. And you might ask: if I’m surrounded by hockey players, why am I a mere enthusiast? Don’t get me wrong, I tried to play.
But I was always more comfortable in the stands. And with a plethora of hockey players in my house and our location in Hockeytown USA, there was never a lack of opportunity to observe. The crisp, pure sound of skates carving ice relaxes me. A white and black striped arm up in the air for an unfair penalty riles me up. I can explain all the nit-picky rules, differentiate a “bar down” from a “five hole” and smell a hockey bag from blocks away. Maybe I was just destined to watch the sport, as others were destined to play. The purity and simplicity of the game I took in from spectating drew me in, rather than the exhilaration of playing. You can only imagine the collective distress in my household when a lockout was announced, my favorite spectacle gone. But lo and behold, the hockey gods granted Detroit a late but long-awaited Christmas present. On the morning of Sunday, Jan. 6, after a 16-hour negotiating session, the season was back on. The NHL lockout was over and christened the new year. Sure, it seems like no harm, no foul. We still have half a season to enjoy hockey, right? But what was lost in the 113 days without it? My spirit. The whole fantastical experience now corrupted. It has become obvious that not all hockey players want to play merely for the love of the game. That players and owners can fight tooth and nail. That our players would give up the enjoyment they provide fans for their own pocket books. My heroes have fallen – just a bit. And no doubt I will still be at the games, I will still be chanting on my favorite boys – but in the back of my mind the enchantment dampened. A minion of this harsh, greedy world has sneaked its way into Hockeytown and left, snatching magic on its way out.
LIFE
North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 – 5
Student exercise their right to stay fit By Kristen Kaled & Marie Bourke ASSITANT EDITORS
Why should people go to Pointe Fitness?
“Locally owned, rival corporations owned gyms. We have a close atmosphere compared to other local gyms,” employee Blake Bownan said.
Student-eye view
“I really like it because I know a lot of people who belong there, so I never have to go by myself. It’s close, so I’m able to go every day, and it has stuff for everyone and a lot of classes,” junior Stephanie Walworth said. “I guess you
could say I’m really comfortable there, and it’s a good environment to work out in.”
Features: Half basketball court,
cardio area, circuits, weights, variety of classes and Artificial Tuff Training Area.
Cons: No pool. Price: $39/mo for one-year contract $50 for less than one year
Why should people go to Next Level?
“People are always gonna feel comfortable, people are always gonna feel welcome here. That’s why we say we’re The Cheers. When you walk in, we’re gonna address you by name, will make a joke with you, we’ll do something to try to make it more personal,” manager Mike Fox said.
Student-eye view
Why should people go to L.A. Fitness?
Features: Offers a variety of classes, Olym-
“Despite history, 30 years of being here, there’s a lot of features such as an indoor running track, pool, jacuzzi, sauna and a great training staff,” Rachel DeVootht, L.A. Fitness employee said.
Student-eye view
“L.A. Fitness is the best gym in the world! It’s my second home! I love it when you walk in, and you see all these huge meat heads, and you have all this determination to get huge,” senior Dylan Ermani said.
It’s a “cataclysmic noise explosion” or maybe just “soundwave and just bass,” alumnus Marco Leggett said, but it’s all dubstep: the medium of innovation that he and junior Hadi Shehadeh listen to and perform. “Well I never really liked electronic music, but then he (Leggett) showed it to me and I thought it was really cool,” Shehadeh said. “It’s not structured. We don’t set everything out. We don’t really practice. We kind of just do it, and we have fun, and that’s how we learn how to do it. We’re always having a good time doing it.” “You could be the most technical person in the world. If you don’t have fun doing it it’s gonna go nowhere,” Leggett said. Leggett and Shehadeh look to artists such as DJ Shadow and Benny Bennassi to stay original. “DJ Shadow is very ahead of his time. He was just kicked out of a nightclub for playing music that was too future for the world. In a nightclub, where people are looking to listen to just generic party music, he started off his set with a cello-percussion song. He’s like a pioneer,” Leggett said. “Benny Benassi, he’s almost 50 years old and he still deejays.” The immensity of musical combinations is what kept them stuck on disc jockeying once they discovered it. “Just that anything can happen. A song is just making a song, but we can do millions of different things,” Shehadeh said. “You can throw stuff together like Linkin Park and Excision, and it just goes together. It just happens. I like to throw in hip-hop and alternative music and indie and stuff like that to break it up,” Leggett said. “If you’re just playing the same pounding noise the whole time, it’s gonna kill you. You can’t do that. Some of the best artists I’ve seen who play purely dubstep music will play the Beastie Boys or ‘Paris’ by Kanye West and Jay-Z.” Shehadeh and Leggett’s difference in styles is, to them, what makes deejaying together so riveting. Shehadeh leans more toward pop music, while Leggett gravitates to more hardcore.
circuit, variety of classes, fresh fruit delivered daily, Precor cardio theater, most experienced personal trainers in area
Cons: Cater to a more serious gym-goer,
much larger and is typically crowded. The more basic equipment can be outdated, and the room with cross trainers and stationary bikes is typically bustling and small. More devoted to someone looking for a serious work out environment, caters more to adults.
Cons: No pool, smaller facility Price: $42/mo
Student and senior rates (one-year agreement) $38/mo $10 initiation fee and an add-on $28 per month
Price: $39.99/mo (average)
Typically depends on program and season
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
STAFF REPORTER
Features: Full-body 36-minute
pic-size pool and jacuzzi, three rooms devoted to strength training and experienced trainers. Large, clean locker rooms and a kids club.
“When I feel like playing more dancey music, I call Hadi. That’s what he does,” Leggett said. However, Shehadeh’s interest in creating dance music doesn’t lead him to the Top 40 Countdown. “Like popular music, like what you would hear on the radio. It’s garbage, I don’t like it. I deejay dance music for everybody. I try to deejay heavier stuff, but it doesn’t work,” Shehadeh said. “I’m the people’s deejay.” When Shehadeh is in the mood to create more intense, different music, he turns to Leggett and fellow North alum Patrick Salazar to step away from the “people’s music.” “Me and Pat (Salazar), even if people don’t enjoy it, are fine with playing music purely for ourselves. What we’ve been working on is incorporating live instruments. We’re incorporating a violin, a guitar and a piano and microphone modulations into our performance,” Leggett said. “What we do is more niche, deep and underground.” Both Leggett and Shehadeh hope to eventually make careers out of the art of deejaying even with the awareness of the difficulties and restrictions it can put on the personal touch to their music. “It’s very hard to do. You’d have to be a house deejay,” Shehadeh said. Leggett and Shehadeh have had around four official gigs and a multitude of unofficial performances as well. “We’ve deejayed college parties all over, and we’re working on deejaying downtown at this place called The Works and Temple Bar and Electricity,” Leggett said. Contributing Melina Glusac, Brigitte Smith & Mallika Kanneganti
To hear Marco and Hadi’s musical creations, visit their Soundcloud account, at http://www.soundcloud. com/gun-6 or use your smartphone to scan this QR Code.
SEAN O’MELIA
North alumni Kickstart online cake kit business
Alum teaches junior the way of spinning By Sydney Thompson
“I like that it’s not that big. I like the trainers there, and I like all the classes that they have, especially Zumba. I’d rather go to the gym than other sports because I like to work at my own pace to stay fit,” sophomore Annie Armbruster said.
By Libby Sumnik & Colleen Reveley ASSITANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER
Five years after graduating from North, high school friends and alumni Andre Ahee, Stefan Ahee and Jessica Malouf are running their online cake company, Brys and Edgewood Cake Company, full time. North Pointe caught up with Stefan and Jessica to query about their new business. North Pointe: Who started the business? Malouf: Stefan went to MSU and studied Business Management, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship. He used this idea as his capstone project prior to graduating. He worked closely with his professor, who is also a marketing consultant, to develop the idea. NP: How did you start your business? Malouf: After graduating, Stefan’s professor encouraged him to keep going with the idea. He asked his twin brother and I if we would come on board. We took the idea to Kickstarter, a social crowdfunding site, to market our idea. We exceeded our goal by 281% and were recognized as the most successful food projects on Kickstarter by Bloomberg Businessweek. From there, we invested in our website and inventory. Most recently, we have been a part of Bizdom, an entrepreneurship accelerator program founded by Dan Gilbert. Bizdom provides us with seed funding, intense mentoring and access to expertise from the Quicken Loans extensive network and family of
companies, in a dynamic, engaging and collaborative workspace. Our office is in downtown Detroit’s Madison Building, recently named one of the Top 20 Offices Spaces in the World by INC Magazine. NP: Did anything or anyone at North impact your decision of starting your own company? Malouf: I took Economics with Mr. Quinn and Accounting I & II with Mrs. Schmidt, so I always had an interest in business, but never thought I would start a business immediately after graduating college. Going into college, none of us knew we were going to work together, let alone start a business right after graduating. We were either going to go to grad school or apply for jobs. However, the three of us always knew we didn’t want a conventional career path. We were all very design oriented, but also had a very strong business acumen. Stefan: I had so many incredible teachers at North, who all inspired me to work hard in life. Never take North for granted; it provides every opportunity to reach your goals in life, and puts you far ahead of most people. To not take advantage of that is a huge waste. I took a lot of business classes with Mrs. Davis and participated in DECA. I went all the way to DECA internationals which provided me with a lot of business knowledge and experience, giving me a huge advantage when I started my bachelor’s degree. Any careers path you want to take, or are considering taking, there is something for you to get involved
in at North. My senior year, I was Business Manager of the North Pointe. That gave me great experience, taking a newspaper that was lacking ad sales, creating a system, and gaining dozens of new clients for the paper, selling hundreds of ads. Besides the business classes and experience that I took, I was able to learn a lot about other interests creating a complete education in a variety of subjects. I had a lot of favorite teachers, too many to name, some of which I still see around the area from time to time. NP: Why cake fondant kits? Why not make the cakes yourselves and sell them? Malouf: WIth the D.I.Y. revival well underway and an increased popularity with fondant cake shows, many people are attempting to make fondant cakes at home or buying them from a bakery. There’s so much coordination involved with making a fondant cake that it can be very overwhelming. Between engineering the design, hunting down quality ingredients, finding the right baking mold and finding a fondant that tastes good and is easy to work with, most people give up before they even begin. Buying a fondant cake from a bakery usually starts at about $80, and even more if online. After spending hours in the kitchen, we learned all the tricks and shortcuts that simplify working with fondant. We created designs and instructions that are easy enough for anyone to make a cake that looks as good as it tastes.
LIFE
6 – Friday Jan. 18, 2013 – North Pointe
New app ‘Pheeds’ the need to socialize Pheed, a new social networking app, combines traits from popular blogging sites and takes individualism to a whole new level. By Haley Reid & Anna Hopkins INTERNS
The need for online status reaps Internet gold. It plagues the Internet – whether it’s being so famous that your page has over eight million “likes” on Facebook, or having a glorious blue checkmark next to your name on Twitter, implying that those without this checkmark are insignificant and friendless So when the social networking app Pheed was introduced, naturally, it was vastly popular. The app gained about one million users in the first two weeks after it was launched on Oct. 12, 2012. The iPhone and an Android app is currently in the works for an early release this year. After some remodeling, Pheed is preparing to climb to the top of the social media ladder. On the app, you may choose to “love” a pheed (a post) or keep on scrolling, stopping to add your input with a “pheedback,” Pheed’s equivalent to a comment. Pheed also permits the user to rewind posts, a concept similar to a retweet. It will then reappear on the user’s own page. CEO and co-founder O.D. Kobo and the Pheed creators picked their favorite features from social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, to create a $2.5 million soon-to-be social media giant. The app could be considered Instagram on steroids. It allows the user to express themselves in a
The evolution of apps By Marie Bourke & Brigitte Smith
ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER
This social network site launched Feb. 4, 2004 at Harvard and opened to the public August 2005. People can post pictures and statuses with “friends” around the world.
plethora of ways not usually located on just one app. Through Pheed, users can post audio and video without time restriction, offering the possibility of demos being released by upcoming music artists. Photos and text can also be posted, while photos are currently proving to be the sites most popular medium so far. One of the more original ideas of the app is the option for users to monetize their channels. It has been deemed “Tw itter w it h a business pla n” because of its premium feature, which allows the user to set a subscription price on their Pheed. Charging your fellow “pheeders” for viewing your uploads is optional, however, and most users do not attach a price tag to their content. Pheed has gained a small but dedicated following, which includes socially-savvy Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton and Slash. Their accounts are expected to be the app’s main source of income and subscriptions. Not all “pheeders” join to follow their favorite celebrities behind the scenes. This site has also become a haven for skateboarding enthusiasts, musicians, and artists to promote themselves and share ideas, photos and footage. Just a few days after the release, over 300,000 users signed up for Pheed accounts. The Pheed staff has recently blocked any new members from signing up, to take to time rebuild the product and prepare for a wave of signups. Eager new users are relying on an email to notify them when the app reappears in the iTunes Store. However, they’re rumored to be opening back up to the public soon.
It was released to the public in July 2006. People tweet their thoughts and ideas and the app is used by businesses and citizens alike.
The site launched April 27, 2007. Tumblr functions as a blog with picture and text posts.
The app was released in October 2010. App users can edit and share photos with followers while following other users.
Newly introduced on Oct. 12, 2012, it features a combination of Facebook posting, tweeted thoughts, blogging like Tumblr and posting photos.
GRADE: A-
REVIEWS
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS; BURNED
ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN
Sara Shepard continues to add to her New York Times bestselling series Pretty Little Liars with Burned, the twelfth book in the six-year-old PRETTYLITTLELIARS.COM series. Burned continues to follow the lives of Hanna, Aria, Spencer and Emily as they depart on a cruise for the Caribbean for a class trip. They’re unaware that their long-time stalker “A” is somewhere on the boat as well, until they, once again, start receiving menacing messages. Like previous novels, the girls have new secrets that “A” uses as blackmail, pushing them over the edge and causing them to almost turn themselves into the police. Shepard makes it so readers believe there are many possibilities of who “A” could be, but leaves readers hanging at the end of the story, as usual. Although Shepard knows how to craft a good story, the series is being dragged on and should have ended after the second arc of books (unless she can create an even more twisted ending than the eighth book.) If you’re a teenage girl who’s intrigued by romance and mystery, murder, blackmailing and/or stalking and you haven’t read Pretty Little Liars, this is a time-consuming series that will leave you wanting more — always.
Ellie Goulding, the widely known British pop singer, has brought her soprano voice back to the music industry. In “Anything Could ELLIEGOULDING.COM Happen,” a track on her newly released album Halcyon, Goulding uses her voice as the dominant instrument instead of the music itself. She has sought out inspiration from the silver-lining motto to formulate lyrics that are bubbly and lively. “Anything Could Happen” is one of Goulding’s fun and less chaotic hits, which is an advantage for her. Teens will love this song not only because of the inspirational and uplifting lyrics, but also the stress-relieving rhythms of the music itself. Even though it is a bit repetitive, a wider range of notes and beats help make the lyrics better to dance and sing along with. As with her other songs, Goulding talks about everyday happenings. Through her creatively crafted lyrics, she illustrates the lesson that ups and down happen, and you need to be thankful for whatever is thrown your way. While this song is catchy, listeners will notice the repetitive lyric choices over time. The purchase of this single would be worth it for a while, until it becomes just another skipped over song on your iPod.
R u n n i n g through the woods as a cartoon animal has never been more intense. Fun Run, a deceivingly named app for iPhone, iPad PLAY.GOOGLE.COM and Android is far from lighthearted. It’s a mad dash to the finish line, complete with lightning bolts, speed boosts and maniacal laughter. This addicting game allows users to register via Facebook or email, and has multiple gameplay options. You can play with friends, strangers or the computer if you’re in an area without Internet. In order to keep things interesting, there are 12 different courses. Players earn points depending on their place in races, and those points can go toward “purchasing” a new animal or accessories for an existing one. You can also buy them with actual money if you want. The app’s main problem is that it can suddenly disconnect if you’re playing through the Internet, a rage-inducing scenario. Another problem with the app is that you can only earn points by playing against other people, not the computer. Also, you need Internet access to play against those other people. Overall, though, Fun Run is definitely a winner (despite the rivalries it may cause).
Texas Chainsaw 3D is another failed attempt at a remake of the long-last i ng massacre. Director John Luessenhop atTEXASCHAINSAW3D.COM tempts to show a more personal side of Leatherface (Dan Yeager) but leaves out the necessary horror-filled details in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Texas Chainsaw 3D takes place years after the events from the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Heather Miller (Alexandra Daddario) has recently lost her grandmother and inherits her home. Miller and her friends decide to take a trip down to Texas to further investigate. During their trip, they discover that the house used to be owned by the Sawyers, a family known for murdering people. Luessenhop made pointless changes in the series. For example, Leatherface is now Jed for no reason at all. If his attempt was to make the film more horrifying, changing the killers name to Jed definitely did the trick. The only half-decent attribute of this movie would be that it’s in 3D. Just like every other horror film, this movie has a few scares, but becomes more predictable as the movie goes on, and didn’t impress this horror film fan.
By Libby Sumnik
By Jenna Belote
By Courtney Veneri
By Melissa Healy
B+
B
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TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D
A-
Pregnancy Aid 17325 Mack Ave.
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IDEAS My pilgrimage to the adult table
North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 18, 2012 – 7
“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
EM
M
A
K OC
ER
M
AN
Ah, the joy of spending the Christmas season with a whole roost of relatives that you didn’t even know existed. Such is my blessing. Usually, the holiday season will find me sitting at a card table, or at one of those folding camp tables, by the television in my aunt’s house. This year would be different. This year I was going to Nevada to stay with my grandparents and I figured that such a big change in tradition could mark a new era in seating arrangements. MY TURN I would finally take the AUDREY KAM leap and sit with the grownups. I had no idea what I was getting into. The first dinner that I attended was on Christmas Eve and was hosted at my grandparents’ house. Hors d’oeuvres were prepared and bar snacks were set out. My sister and my cousin were allowed to hide in one of the bedrooms and wrap party favors. I tried to join them. But as an “adult” I was required to mingle and “be social.” Hah. Challenge accepted. Dinner was cooked, so we migrated to the table. Except when I answered a few polite questions about what sports I played, if I was enjoying Nevada, and what the weather was like in Michigan, I spent the entire dinner in silent observation. Libation was enjoyed, and the discussions around me became steadily harder to understand. One end of the table was exchanging cheerful banter about gender roles in the home. My dad had evidently found another engineer and both of them were laughing at some mechanical joke, and my mom was talking about San Francisco with anyone who would listen. My relative peace didn’t last for very long. As more drinks were poured and talk turned
to cars, someone began to imitate the engine noises so they could compare how “sexy” their cars sounded. You can imagine my confusion since, at the time, I hadn’t been following the conversation. All I heard was “whwhehwhw brbrbrbr bwah bwah bwah.” I was quite relieved when the noisiest of the bunch decided to take their party to a local bar (where I later learned that one of the carnoisemakers was actually refused) and I could finally get to sleep. It was 3 a.m. Michigan time. The next night was Christmas, and instead of playing host again we went to my uncle’s house. And I had to leave my camera at home. I had no choice but to join in the conversation. One of my uncles pulled out a set of electrodes to help his dad’s back pain. Soon it became a party trick. Electrodes electrify your muscles and can make you move without you doing it. I had them attached to my arm for around two minutes. I’m not sure if the adults had been taking notes when they were at the bar earlier, but they seemed to be reviewing for a test. The first half of dinner was them remembering what happened and imitating each other’s drunkenness. One thing led to another, and just a few speaking-of’s later they were reminiscing about all the trouble they got into when they were “my age.” I’m not even sure they know what “my age” is. I certainly don’t throw ragers, drive tractors to school or use backhoes as catapults. Maybe it’s just me. Meanwhile, it started to snow. Yay! I hadn’t noticed that my grandma was slightly tipsy. Well, not until she stood up from her chair, walked out the kitchen door and proceeded to make a snow angel. I definitely noticed that. The car-noise makers resumed. Suddenly a card table and some cartoons didn’t seem so bad.
Videogames aren’t the culprit Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of The National Rifle Association (NRA), an organization known for its creed “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” blamed the video game industry for the recent plague of U.S. shooting sprees. LaPierre cited videogames such as Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Combat, deeming them the “filthiest form of pornography.” So now guns don’t kill people – video games and violent media kill people? A study conducted by SurveyUSA found that out of 1,050 parents polled, 75% blamed videogames and easy access to guns equally accountable for violence in America. The only higher culprit they cited was lack of parental supervision. Sure, it’s easy to use “violent media” as a scapegoat for bizarre, inexplicable events, like the recent shootings, but it’s not right. These catastrophes are not directly correlated to video games. Violent crimes have become less and less frequent in the past twenty years according to the NRA, which states that violent crimes have decreased by 70% since 1990, when most gun laws were relaxed. Yet, these past twenty years have marked the crescendo of the video game’s dominance in American culture. According to studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control, homicide rates have steadily decreased in the teenage-male demographic since 1991, the audience presumably targeted by violent video games. Furthermore, gun ownership, according to a Gallup poll, is at an all-time high. If video games were influencing gun violence, now would be the time for a Battlefield-enthusiast to commit a crime. But this isn’t the case. On Jan. 11 Vice President Joe Biden met with video game representatives to address what he considers a growing problem. This was only a day after the NRA rejected President Obama’s proposal to limit highcapacity ammunition magazines and continued to voice its opposition on banning assault weapons. Violent video games already come with a convenient “M for mature” rating. A 12 year old may not purchase Grand Theft Auto without the consent of an adult. Meanwhile, Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources website states someone under the age of 14 can wield a crossbow on public or private lands with proper licensing, and hunt waterfowl, turkey and deer by 9 years old. Pinpointing the causes of violent youth is an understandable goal, but denouncing video games puts empty blame on something that just does not correlate with gun violence. There are other measures that should be taken to prevent the tragedy that is gun violence, measures that don’t include intervening in the affairs of the gaming world.
“I’ve had a lot of fun so far. I like high school a lot better than middle school.”
“It went good. I’m really liking my classes and that is resulting in good grades. I’m really enjoying this year.”
“The beginning of my semester went okay, grades were pretty good as well.”
Tony Guarini
Emily Surzyn
Justin Kennedy
FRESHMAN
JUNIOR
SOPHOMORE
YOUR TURN: How did your first semester go?
By Kaylee Dall & Ashley Brown
“First semester hasn’t been too bad; students have been like they are usually. You have the ones who are good, the averages, and the ones who don’t do so well.”
“It was good. I’ve had a lot of fun so far. I have the musical coming up, so I’m also excited for that. I was happy with my grades, too.”
Stephanie Saravolatz SENIOR
Christopher Amore SCIENCE 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
“Students have been much better overall, I have really noticed a difference.”
Joyce Lyjak COUNSELOR
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 LAUREN SEMACK
Teen mom gone right
They are 18 years old, this couple who just graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School. The year is 1991, and my parents just found out that they will be getting a package from the stork on April 22, 1992. Instead of bailing on the baby, my dad stands by my mom and their child is born. They name her Ansley, after a family friend. They’re teen parents and intend to raise her as well as they’re capable, still children themselves. Ansley’s circumstances were lucky; her family wanted to accept their most recent responsibility. Often, there’s more turmoil than happiness in teen parents’ lives, not to be confused with the occasionally semi-romanticized programs like 16 and Pregnant. The show where 16-year-olds end up facing the dilemma where they can’t decide whether to name their child Spyder or Tiffany, instead of figuring out how they’re going to send their kid to college, or themselves for that matter. But my sister was no Tiffany, or Spyder, for that matter. She progressed through Poupard Elementary School, being placed into “honors” math in third grade, was elected student council treasurer in fourth grade She was in honors orchestra and was also the role of Helen Keller’s interpreter, Anne Sullivan, in a production of Hero’s All. Throughout middle school and high school, she made academic honor roll with highest honors. I remember cutting out her Detroit Free Press’ Student of the Week article from the paper. Ansley earned herself a place in the Academic Hall of Fame with an overall grade point average of 4.12, meaning when I came to North I would see her face plastered on a board. But she wasn’t just a bookworm. I remember every year freezing my buns off at games where she captained the varsity field hockey team and won State All-Academic Honors for field hockey and softball. I remember her forgetting her cleats and quickly buying a new pair when she was a member of the 2008 North district championship for field hockey. I remember when she became a Freshman Assist mentor in the program’s fetal stages, which prompted me to want to get a piece of the action. So, it was no surprise to me when she squealed late one school night after receiving her University of Michigan acceptance email. While she was at college, we all crowded into the auditorium when she was awarded the William Branstrom Prize. She is now currently on a pre-med course, while holding a place on the executive board for the Michigan sailing team. She talks my ear off about her work in a research lab aiming towards a cure for cancer. Yet, with all this under her belt, she thinks her biggest, most difficult task is “being a good sister and a strong role model for my sisters.” She wasn’t a mistake baby, and if she hadn’t been born, my parents wouldn’t have had me and my other sisters. I hope this sheds a light back to these Spyders and Tiffanys of the world. They may be the offspring of some unprepared adolescents, but they have a fair chance.
PHOTO
North Pointe - Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 - 8
10 things know about North you didn’t
By Caroline Schulte, Emily Huguenin & Colleen Reveley PHOTO EDITORS AND STAFF REPORTER
1. 1. In the PAC, there is a planetarium used for the RATZ club and astronomy classes taught by science teacher Ardis Harrold. “A music room was converted for the planetarium,” Harrold said. “I find it interesting that sponsor Mr. Long was willing to invest in such technology (before the buildings even had computers), even though he had no children who attended our schools.” 2. Ever wonder why the sophomore lockers don’t look like the rest? TV production teacher Brian Stackpoole has the answer. “They originally didn’t have lockers in the now sophomore hall,” Stackpoole said. “At the beginning, they didn’t think they were going to have this many kids, so that’s why if you look, these lockers are on the outside of the wall, where if you go to B-Building, they are built in.” 3. North has a mysterious room, the Blue Room. This room is now Room B-236 and is used for technology purposes by the library. “One of the librarians that was here at the time was a tech-y guy and he made this video way back then about the mystery of the Blue Room. They talk about it like the Bermuda triangle almost,” media specialist Mrs. Viegas said. The video can be seen by scanning the QR code below on a smart phone. 4. In the science building, there aren’t three floors, but four. This floor is mainly used for storage. 5. In the hallway in the A-building where the TV production, photography and technology classes are located, each room is a letter followed by 21. But the letters used to have a more meaningful purpose than you’d think. The A once stood for auto, the D stood for drafting, and the E stood for electronics.
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3. 6. After students finish their finals and are enjoying their first day of summer, some of the teachers participate in a chair race relay. There are third floor and a second floor teams, and, according to social studies teacher Terri Steimer, the second floor always wins. “They’re probably still practicing now,” Steimer said about the third floor. 7. The Green Room, located between the B-Building and the Science Building, used to be a smoking lounge for teachers. It’s now used for teacher meetings on PLC Mondays. 8. Before North was built, there was a farm in its place, as this painting (located in the library) shows. “This was the last working farm in Grosse Pointe. That’s why this land was here. In 1968, everything else was built up,” social studies teacher Dan Quinn said. 9. Cooper’s Square is there in honor of Richard A. Cooper, who was the student activities director and took many photos of North students and events. A pine treewas planted in the center in remembrance of him. But, five years ago it was chopped down by two alumni vandals in the middle of the night. Now, a new tree has been planted in its place.
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10. While walking through the maze of hallways in the PAC, students may see this stairwell, which leads to North’s basement. “This is underneath the stage. Students in the pit orchestra will come down this way to get to the pit. There are a ton of things left down here from shows,” choir teacher Ben Henri said. “This is one of my favorite places in the C-building because of the sound. I will bring choirs down here to sing every once in a while. It really reverberates down here.”
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