GPNspire Talks tomorrow at 7 p.m. The GPNspire Talks will commence tomorrow night (Nov. 15) in the PAC. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event will start at 7 p.m. with a speech from co-creator and Michigan Teacher of the Year Gary Abud. Twelve speeches will be given by 13 students from North, West Bloomfield High School, South High School, Lakeview High School, Birmingham Seaholm High School, Fraser High School and Lakeshore High School. North will be represented by senior Lizzie Marck and juniors Nikki Haggerty and Jacob Kempton. “Sometimes it can be a bit intimidat-
NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
ing when a teacher attempts to inspire students. Having people who are considered on the same level as the audience can get a message across much easier,” Haggerty said. The selection committees, comprised of one administrator, one teacher and one student, looked for speeches that “...effectively convey(ed) an original and poignant message,” the event’s website stated. “School, from day to day, doesn’t really give people a chance to be expressive on a deeper level, and this would be a new connection not usually provided,” Kempton said. “I think people tend to fall
Check out these students who use the weight room to stay in shape during the off-season. page 8
BROTHERHOOD DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT
In the gym on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m.
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY COLLEGE VISIT
In the counseling center on Tuesday, Nov. 26 during 6th hour
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI PRESENTATION
In the PAC on Friday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 3:05 p.m.
IDEAS
“supposed How am I
to get my 10,000 hours of creative writing
practice if I have
10,000
hours of homework?
“
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Don’t have your ticket yet?
Purchase one by visiting https://sites.google. com/site/gpnspire/. Tickets are $10 and will also be on sale at the door. Proceeds from the event will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Kids Without Cancer.
POINTE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013
SINCE 1968
Student Union and School Store affected by new state and federal regulations
IN-DEPTH
into a feeling of loneliness when it seems like people around them don’t relate, and allowing people to see that they aren’t alone, or that there is someone inspiring that’s a peer of theirs, can be beneficial.”
If a school fails to follow these guidelines, possible consequences can include losing the federal funding, having to remove the free and reduced lunch program or having to close down any school-sponsored stores. The new guidelines exempt infrequent fundraisers. The allowed frequency of such fundraisers is determined at the state level. An example of an infrequent fundraiser is the sale of Haribo Roulettes, which make up a significant portion of the German Club’s fundraising. However, these restrictions could cause major changes in the Student Union and School Store. The Student Union may no longer be able to sell pop that is not diet or low-calorie. By Anu Subramaniam & Erica Lizza “No soda pop. It would be juice. Web manager & staff reporter And I don’t even know if I can sell zero (calorie pop), but I don’t ctivities adviser Pat Gast creAT THE FEDERAL know that for sure,” Gast said. ated the Student Union in 1995 Both locations may also as a place run by students for LEVEL Set the wider stanhave to stop selling many of students. Under Gast’s watchful dards that apply to their candy products as well eye, the Student Union has transall schools and gave because they do not meet the formed from its predecessor, The the basis for the state sugar and fat standards. Rainbow Bridge school store, to regulations “The candy (standards not a place where students can met) would be the fat and the purchase goods such as AT THE SCHOOL sugar because a lot of the chococookies and candy and AT THE STATE LEVEL DISTRICT LEVEL lates have the fat ratio,” Gast said. relax while they eat. Set the more Determines if items specific standards, follow conditions or Despite the restrictions, the However, on Jan. such as what is denot and determines regulations are vague in some 1, as a result of the fined as infrequent or removal and enforces areas. One Union cookie fits the Let’s Move camthe amount of caloregulations standards and could be sold, but paign launched by ries, if comply with two cookies exceeds the calorie First Lady Michelle federal restrictions and sugar allowance. The regulaObama, new federal tions don’t specify if the number and state regulations of cookies sold must be limited or dictating nutrition standards if cookies must be a completely will go into effect. The standards apply Calories: 200 or less removed. The ultimate goal of the to any food providers, such as Sodexo — Total fat: less than 35% of calories regulations are to improve the the District’s provider, servicing public food choices for America’s youth, schools who receive federal funding. Saturated fat: less than 10% of calories especially the options in the free Because Sodexo, the Student Union and and reduced lunch program. the School Store all fall under the juris Trans fat: trans-fat free (less than or equal to 0.5g per serving) “I don’t advocate replacing diction of these regulations, they must Total sugar: less than 35% of total weight per serving breakfast with cookies. That’s adapt to the new standards. not healthy eating. I don’t think “Because the school lunch program Sodium: no more than 230 mg it’s bad for people to have cookies is federally funded, they get to make the for lunch or even add a candy bar rules for that, but having it extend into KRISTEN KALED that’s 200 calories,” Gast said. “If other kinds of things, like bake sales and I have a 2000-calorie a day limit, so forth, that was a Michigan thing,” unless I’m an athlete, which means more, what’s wrong with 200 calories librarian Karen Villegas said. The regulations will affect fundraisers such as bake sales, which can worth of a candy bar?” Not all decisions are definite, and some of the standards for the United no longer be held on a regular basis. Bake sales are a source of funding for many clubs, which rely on the profit from each bake sale to purchase sup- States Department of Agriculture and Michigan Nutrition Standards are interim and will be extended or repealed based on feedback. plies for their meetings and support their field trips. Though the standards are vague, they would still cut the profit that the “The least amount that I’ve ever seen come in a bake sale is $60. Mostly it’s $80 to $100 on average, but it varies,” financial clerk Nancy Davison said. Union makes. Last year, the Student Union generated over $11,000 in revRegulations limit the amount of sodium, trans fat, sugar and calories enue. Aside from paying for the overhead costs of running the Union, the that an item can have to be eligible for purchase in schools. The re- profit was distributed among six groups: the Student Association, each strictions vary from state to state and from the elementary level to high of the four classes and the student activity fund, which helps defray the school, but all possess the same basic components that the food stan- cost of graduation and other school activities. dards must meet. USDA seeks comments on the standards. “If the state mandates something, they have to fund it. And the government, the federal government really, has a distant relationship with To give feedback, visit http://www.regulations.gov and search dockwhat they can demand state schools to do because schools are funded et number FNS-2011-0019 or Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in by states,” Villegas said. Schools.
A
What standards have to be met in the “other” food category
Seniors organize donation event for troops overseas By Andrea Scapini & Kaley Makino News editor & intern
The crayon-scribbled, misspelled handwriting in a letter from a kindergartener brought a new, more jubilant atmosphere to Colonel Benjamin Stinson’s unit when he was deployed in 2004 and 2005. “You know that not only is it very genuine for that little kid, but his family or his teacher that took the time to let them write those letters, that they also appreciate what we do,” Colonel Stinson said. “It’s a good feeling and helps you realize that people haven’t forgotten about you from halfway around the world, and it gives you little bits of home.” Senior Marissa Stinson and South High School senior Christy Tech teamed up with the War Memorial and Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) to
@myGPN
begin a donation event to create care packages for their families’ troops. These packages vary in items from hard candy and beef jerky to playing cards and magazines. The event ran Nov. 4-11, but according to YAF president Grant Strobl, the drive is expected to launch again at some point in the year for more units. Tech’s brother, Chad, is currently enlisted in the Marine Corps and is deployed in Afghanistan. The first 50 packages collected and assembled will be sent over to his unit. “Her brother, Chad, is over there right now, and my brother, Josh, is deploying early next year, and we’re collecting packages for everybody in their unit, so it’s not just for that single guy,” Stinson said. “We’re sending personal packages for 50 guys that they’re there with and then a personal package for their whole group so like sports equipment, video games, all those types of things that they can use together in a group box. That’s basically what the drive is, we’re collecting those items.” With the shared experience of having military family members, the Techs and Stinsons became friends when the Stinsons moved to Grosse Pointe during summer 2012.
Diversity Club visits Denby High School for organized school swap
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www.myGPN.org
VOLUME 46, ISSUE 5
By Emily Martinbianco & Dora Juhasz Staff reporters
When the students of Denby High School and North stepped into each others’ environments, they proved that proximity does not define diversity. Traveling a mere four miles to Denby, senior Jasmine Thomas took a walk in the shoes of a Denby student during the Diversity Club school swap on Monday, Oct. 28. “My favorite part was seeing the different environments because going there is something totally different from being here,” Thomas said.
© 2013 North Pointe
2 – Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 – North Pointe
Seniors launch Support Our Own care package event
news
Along with the War Memorial, YAF stepped in to assist in the event too. “YAF’s mission statement is to advocate for the ideas of free enterprise, limited government, traditional values and a strong national defense, so it’s part of our mission to support our troops that protect our freedoms,” Strobl said. “It was all coordinated through the War Memorial. Marissa and I were friends, and Christy and Marissa were friends, so it all kind of came together. We teamed up with the War Memorial, and we are trying to support fifty service members in each of the brothers’ units.” Strobl emphasized that a focus of this program is the supporting of full units, not just the Grosse Pointe residents . In his unit from Grosse Pointe, but some of those guys don’t get packages, so to know that somebody Continued from page 1 cares enough just to send lip balm or some“We both needed a serthing, something that vice project to do just for you think is so easy to go senior year ... and it’s someto Kroger and get, they thing that’s both close to us, don’t have any of that we both have brothers who there since they’re not in are going through this, so we the main area where all thought that this would be the mail comes in,” Stinthe best thing to do,” Stinson said. “Sometimes son said. they won’t get their mail A similar event took for a month, even though place through the Stinsons’ it’s there, so think about church in Virginia when how hard it is to get simColonel Stinson was deple things like reading ployed there. Since she was material, some of the involved in this collection things they wanted like at that time, Stinson’s mothbeef jerky, hard candy. er has helped her and Tech They’re there for six to in organizing this event and nine months without Photo courtesy of the War Memorial in reaching out to the War any of that stuff.” Senior Marissa Stinson and South senior Christy Tech initiated a care packMemorial for their sponsorThey hope to have age event to support their brothers’ militarty troops. “ Sometimes they ship. more care package drives won’t get their mail for a month even though it’s there so think about how “My mom helped me since hard it is to get simple things like reading material, some of the things they in the future to send to she knows a lot about this stuff. wanted like beef jerky, hard candy. They’re there for six to nine months with- other Grosse Pointe serWe did it through the War Me- out any of that stuff,” Stinson said. vice members and their morial, so they’ve helped get units. publicity out,” Stinson said. “We’ve gone to several papers. They got “It’s better than just writing a check,” Strobl said. “We’re acus on a television show, you know, the War Memorial channel.” tually doing something.”
Ja’Ron Nelson
LEFT: Seniors Jasmine Thomas and Jayla Hubbard are shadowed by a Denby student. RIGHT: Senior Jamal Hawkins reaches to return an old yearbook to its shelf while being shadowed by Denby senior Hakeem Weatherspoon.
Diversity Club participates in school swap
rience was beneficial because it developed a greater appreciation for the opportunities North offers. Spending time with the Denby students also allowed club members to create bonds that will last outside of the school environment. The students exchanged twitter accounts and phone numbers, and several students have spent time together. “We’ve only known these people for probably like eight hours and for me, I felt like I knew them for my whole life, so we all became close in a matter of seconds,” Thomas said. Thomas continues to keep in contact with her new friends Continued from page 1 from Denby and is grateful for their relationship. Thomas and 20 other Diversity Club members explored a “They bonded pretty quickly,” said Gilleran. “It might different form of education at Denby for a day by shadowing have been on a different level and some of the issues they their students. It was an opportunity to see what high school have to deal with are certainly different than our issues. But is like in a different setting. you know, it’s kind of tough being a teenager sometimes, and “They spent the day there and followed the students they can bond over that.” around with their schedules, talked to them, got to know Before becoming close with the Denby students, Hubbard them, all of that,” social studies had anticipated their reactions to teacher and club adviser Daniel the Diversity Club. Gilleran said. “Then last Wednesday “I think we all have a couple (Oct. 30), the same students came preconceived notions like, ‘Oh here to North and shadowed stumaybe they won’t like me,’ but it dents throughout their day.” was a very chill experience,” said On Wednesday, Denby students beHubbard. “We were able to learn came a part of the North environment, things from each other.” and traveled around with their North Along with the students keeppartner to attend each of their classing their friendships, Gilleran es. They were introduced to teaching plans on keeping the communitechniques that are not used at their cation between North and Denby own high school. High School and possibly doing “It was good to be able to be exposed community service with them in to a different kind of educational systhe future. tem, but I think that the most ben“The goal was to create beteficial thing (for them) was that they ter communication between the were able to go back and know that suburbs and the city and we will they need to push themselves more,” want to do some community serJasmine Thomas senior Jayla Hubbard said. vice aspects,” said Gilleran. “It’s senior After both shadowings, all of the not just a one time thing; we’re students had an hour-long debriefing really committed to maybe dursession where they shared thoughts about the experience ing the holidays doing a community service act.” and talked about major differences they discovered. Gilleran hopes to have another school swap in the future. “What some of the kids got out of it was that the expecta- Whether that be with Denby or another high school, he sees tions are different here at North, and many of the North kids the importance of exposing the Diversity Club to different were really appreciative that they go to North,” Gilleran said. high school situations. Denby was taken over by The Education Achievement “(The Denby students) are good kids in a bad situation. Authority (EAA), a government-run program for struggling There’s a lot of potential and it’s all about geography; the schools, due to their low test scores. Their school day goes opportunities that exist between crossing that line and not from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and they do not have any elective crossing that line,” Gilleran said.“Their motto is ‘Accepting classes. Their summer break doesn’t start until early August. all, rejecting none.’” Seeing these differences, junior Jamie Cook said the expe-
only known these “We’ve people for probably like eight hours, and for me, I felt like I knew them for my whole life, so we all became close in a matter of seconds.
”
Grants awarded to supplement student programs Parents Club awarded monetary grants to teachers to supplement student programs this fall. “We’re using the money for Link Crew,” Link Crew adviser Joe Drouin said. “Basically the Link Crew members need to be easily recognized. So, it’s very important that they have a uniform, much like a sports team or anything. We purchased t-shirts for the Link Crew members. I applied for a grant from the Parents Club to basically pay for the t-shirts.” Not only did the grants aid in funding extracurricular activities, they also benefitted classes. “It’s [the grant] for Student Center,” Nicole Westfall, Student Center teacher, said. “How we’ve used the money is to buy supplies for the kids, so like folders and stuff like that. We want to make sure they have everything that they need.” The grants also fill a financial need for Challenge Day. “We received $2,000 for the expensive Challenge Day,” adviser Steiner said. “It’s between $10,000 to $12,000 and there are some students who can’t afford to pay $35, which doesn’t cover the full cost.”
Students with health problems join together in SCIM club Students with health problems ranging from brain cancer to diabetes can share their experiences with their peers who experience similar medical struggles in a brand new program this year. Students with Chronic Illness Meeting (SCIM) is a specialized group for select students within the school who are battling chronic illnesses. Counselors Jill Davenport and Barbara Skelly are coordinating the program and are still working out the kinks of how the group will be run throughout the year. Meeting once every two weeks, students will be able to talk about their differences. “We want students to know that there are like situations and that they aren’t the only ones suffering,” Davenport said. This program, Davenport said, will be able to give each student a chance to express their emotions with their peers who can relate. Davenport said it is a chance during the day for students to be there for each other without forcing them into having to say things that embarrass them or make them uncomfortable. “You can choose to share whatever you want. We don’t force anything,” Davenport said. SCIM was created to give students a sense of encouragement and the knowledge that they are not alone. Through various exercises and verbal expression, students will be able to feel welcome within their own group of peers who understand what it’s like to have these medical struggles.
Quiz Bowl continues to win throughout season Senior Harrison Campion sees improvement from last year in the Quiz Bowl team as a whole. “It’s just gratifying to know that we’re so much better than we were last year,” Campion said. After demolishing both Grosse Pointe South and Stevenson High School, the Quiz Bowl team added two more wins to the record, making them 8-0. “We’re really proud. I can’t say that I’m really surprised. I knew that our team was going to be strong this year,” coach Jonathan Byrne said. The team needs only three more wins to surpass the previous 10-6 record from last year. “In the league, we have (nine games) left, plus the playoffs, and various tournaments throughout the year,” team member junior Harris Bunker said. “Later in the year there will be a league tournament, and then there will be a state tournament. But there’s also state-wide tournaments that happen once a month that we go to. And then there’s a national tournament in May,” Byrne said. “I would say the two key players are Harrison Campion and Harris Bunker.” The team practices twice a week, along with one or two games. “We pretty much just read questions, and we, if we need to, focus on a topic that we need to study, especially if it’s a hard one. You could have a list of 16th-century painters, or Italian painters that we would study and just memorize those,” Bunker said. The team hopes to keep progressing through their season. “It’s good to beat South, a rival, and Stevenson is a really good team. We have nine games left so we can’t go easy,” Bunker said. By Maya Sewell, Jenna Belote & Billy Moin
IDEAS An adopted perspective “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 Izzy Ellery life editor
Andrea Scapini Gabby Burchett NEws editor Managing EDITOR
Melina Glusac ideas editor
Colleen Reveley Lauren Semack Sydney Thompson sports editor web content manager business manager
Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Erica Lizza and Jennifer Kusch.
OUR EDITORIAl
That’s not the way the cookie crumbles The exclamation “No more union cookies!” has been plaguing the halls of North in recent weeks. Many thought it was just a sick joke. It looks like the joke is on us now because according to new regulations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on both nationwide and statewide levels, students will have to bid a tearful goodbye to their beloved union cookies and other sugary treats on Jan. 1. The only way this sugary death-sentence could change is if the regulations are overturned. According to the Food Research and Action Center, 31.8% of U.S. children are overweight or obese. According to PBS, our obesity rate is 28.5%, making it the highest among the 34 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Most everyone is aware of America’s obesity problem. We’re fat. We get it. The government’s efforts to suppress this epidemic are reasonable, especially for elementary and middle schoolers, where the school leads young minds by example. Healthier choices provided for this age group are beneficial – younger children will take what is in front of them, so if they see a portion of fruits and vegetables in their school lunches, they will most likely be happy to accept it. Elementary and middle schools need these government regulations for food because young kids will learn healthy eating habits, which will carry on through their lives. But this isn’t the case for high school. At this age, students have already formulated their decision-making abilities and are aware of the consequences that can arise from eating junk food. Chances are they know the difference between salad and Skittles. At this age, students need to make their own decisions. Providing strictly healthy foods will only drive students off-campus for lunches, where they can visit an array of greasy fast food restaurants that are far worse than the cafeteria. The idea for these regulations isn’t bad; obesity is a problem, and making efforts to stifle it is good, but the regulations go too far. State regulations prohibit bake sales 30 minutes before and after lunch and take away teachers’ abilities to pass out candy during class. One fun-size piece of candy a student receives from getting a question right isn’t going to make him gain 10 pounds. Bake sales raise funds for clubs, charities and classes, and taking these away would not only ruin an integral part of lunch for students but also reduce the amount of money going toward these worthy causes and groups. Bake sales aren’t just about handing out calorie-filled cupcakes and brownies. There’s meaning behind the desserts. Not only are these regulations unreasonable, but they are difficult to regulate. How will state officials know if a teacher is secretly passing out candy during class? “Regulation” is practically a waste of time, since there is virtually no way to know if rules are being followed. And the fact that bake sales can’t be held 30 minutes before or during lunch provides an easy loophole, like holding them after school. What ever happened to portion control? The government seems to have gone overboard. Junk food or sugar, like most things, is fine in moderation. It’s the large amounts that will pose as a deeper threat toward the obesity rate. Those who made these regulations could have eliminated certain junk from schools and kept things that are too hard to control, like bake sales and candy in class. Keeping a few unhealthy choices would be fairer. The good news is that according to PBS, the pace of the obesity rate seems to be slowing. This could foreshadow a decline in obesity, although it may be too early to tell. But implementing regulations in elementary and middle schools, where the children are developing their decision-making skills, could be beneficial. Enforcing these rules on high schoolers is a lost cause. They should be able to make their own decisions, and these unreasonable government regulations will only disenchant them.
Most kids grow up knowing exactly where they come from. Most kids know their blood lines—maybe not down to the exact percentages, but pretty close. This was never really the case for me. I know the Olson and Key bloodlines, but those aren’t really where I came from. But I My TURN do have a pretty Amy olson (Guest) good idea. I was adopted when I was only three days old from a very tough situation. My birth mother and father were still very young and had already had four kids prior to me. With not much to live off of, they decided that it was best for my sister and me to be put up for adoption. My sister, Lisa, is only 13 months older than I am, and my other brothers and sisters—Kevin, Jacob and Danielle—were not much older than she was. My birth mom, Michele, was afraid to tell her parents that she was pregnant again. She hid both her pregnancies, mine and Lisa’s, from her parents, as well as our other brothers and sisters, but made the decision with my birth father, David, that if she found out that she was having a boy, they would keep the baby. Her reasoning: Boys are easier to take care of. We found that out when we had Danielle. So, they proceeded to look for adoptive parents. With both Lisa and me, they chose their adoptive families very quickly. However, they decided to leave out that they would want to keep the baby if it happened to be a boy. Michele received no prenatal care for Lisa and me. She took no precautions of keeping us healthy so it wouldn’t be obvi-
“I think that it’s cool, something different, like a different experience to see how other schools work and meet different students.” Meagan Lauers freshman
North Pointe – Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 – 3
ous that she was pregnant again. When she knew she had gone into labor, she told her family that she had been suddenly called into work. With me, she arrived at the hospital at 6:00, and I was born at 6:04. The minute she was cleared to leave that hospital, that was exactly what she did. Technically, I have an open adoption. My birth father’s parents know about Lisa and me and have done their best over our lifetimes to send us both pictures of our other brothers and sisters. A few years after I was born, we received news that Michele was pregnant again. A little less than nine months later, my younger half-brother, Nathan, was born. A few years after that, I had another half-brother named Ronnie. Neither of them were put up for adoption. As the years went by, we sent and received more pictures from my grandma. Lisa and I traveled to see her, trying to squeeze in some time with her. That whole time, she was keeping framed pictures of us up on her walls. In the middle of December last year, my mom got a call from a Kevin Herwig, who desperately wanted to meet his younger sisters. He had been taking his own son over to see his great-grandma and finally convinced her to tell him about the two girls that had pictures all over his grandma’s house right alongside his own. The day Lisa and I got to meet our brother filled a gap in both of our hearts that had been vacant for years. He told us about his own family that he had started. I have a niece and two nephews, and my birth mom got remarried. He told us about our other siblings and how much they wanted to meet us, too. That hasn’t happened yet, but we’re planning it soon. For most people, it’s a matter of simply asking relatives about their history. For me, it was 16-year journey.
“The more people that come here can see how cool it is.”
“It kinda allows students from different schools to see what it’s like at other schools and stuff.”
Asia Simmons
Jimmy Cwiek Sophomore
freshman
YOUR TURN: What do you think about the school swap? By Diajah Williams and Dajai Chatman
“I didn’t really get the point of it, but I guess it’s okay to see how our curriculum and their curriculum is different and how our classes and theirs was different.” Troi Jackson senior
“The student that came in my room was very, very sweet. They laughed at my jokes – they got points for that. I thought it was a wonderful thing.” Cynthia Kyriakoza living on your own teacher
“I don’t know a lot about it. It’s a good idea to see a different perspective, for the kids to come here and for the North kids to go there – that’s what it’s all about.” Eric Vanston Math teacher
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 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane public forum without prior review. ComMANAGING EDITORS: Gabby Burchett, Dayle ments should be directed to the student Maas editors, who make all final content decisions. SECTION EDITORS: Andrea Scapini, Melina The views expressed are solely those of the Glusac, Izzy Ellery, Colleen Reveley WEB CONTENT EDITORS: Marie Bourke, Lauren authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Semack WEB MANAGERS: Emma Puglia, Anu Subrama- School System. niam We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic BUSINESS MANAGER: Sydney Thompson Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press STAFF DEVELOPMENT EDITOR: Patricia Bajis Association, National Scholastic Press AsDESIGN EDITOR: Kristen Kaled sociation and Student Press Law Center. We ASSISTANT EDITORS: Haley Reid, Wendy Ishmaku, Jennifer Kusch, Audrey Kam, Katelyn subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. Carney STAFF REPORTERS: Jenna Belote, Radiance One copy is available free to all community Cooper, Dora Juhaz, Erica Lizza, Emily members. Additional copies may be purMartinbianco, Brittney Hernandez, Malika chased. Our editorial policy and advertising Kanneganti, Caelin Micks, Diajah Williams, rates are available online at myGPN.org. The Brigitte Smith INTERNS: Dana O’Donnell, Thomas Remenar, North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper. Emma Brock, Mora Downs, Kristina Kowalski, Kaley Makino, Isabella Meteer, Billy Moin, Ritika CONTACT US Sanikommu, Addison Toutant, Calix Waldrop, 707 Vernier Road Olivia Asimakis, Alex Batts, Josie Bennett, Yena Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Berhane, Dajai Chatman, Claire Dalian, Lia DeCoste, Erin Haggerty, Lawrence Lezuch, Kayla Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Luteran, Lillian Rancourt, Josie Riley, Stephanie Twitter: @myGPN Roy, Maya Sewell, Gowri Yerramalli FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, CJE
Editor’s desk Lauren Semack
Lauren’s choice Any student who has gone through the AP Language and Composition course has had the phrase, “Become students of your world,” drilled into their heads. This is a phrase coined by former teacher, now principal, Kate Murray. I attempt to rise to this challenge, perusing the New York Times when I can and watching the news, again, when I can. “When I can,” though, has become the new phrase I’m forced to ink my mind with this year. As I capped off my thirteenth high school quarter, it’s become painfully obvious to me the hobbies I had freshman year dissipated as the workload thickened. The sad reality is I used to be a practicing, strong, creative writer. Now, I write objective news pieces and crank out papers – making sure to drive down Purpose Place, Audience Avenue and Strategy Street. Though I enjoy interpreting passages, and reporting is second nature to me, the process of writing has become rigid, and the “flow” that once radiated through my 14-year-old self has become a narrow path. The witty screenplays I would focus on in my spare time haven’t seen my face in a while. They sit in the dark of my desk drawer, patiently awaiting my attention, and all I can guiltily respond is “When I can.” Guilt because I have left a positive passion in the past. Guilt that I am not giving myself the opportunities I deserve to develop as a writer, but how else am I supposed to respond when Mount Kilimanjaro resides across the room in my backpack? A homework load that presents multiple ultimatums a night. One option is to choose one assignment over the other, resembling Sophie’s Choice, a film where Meryl Streep had to choose whether to spare her son’s or daughter’s life. I am forced to choose which class I can allow my grade to suffer. There is never enough time to do everything. Another common decision I must make is to choose sleep over smaller assignments. Is there something I can do at lunch tomorrow? It is already an ungodly hour when I go to bed due to the work. Fifteen more minutes won’t hurt. How am I supposed to get my 10,000 hours of creative writing practice if I have 10,000 hours of homework? I’m surely not looking for a life of tedious math assignments nor one of cell color-coding. Maybe this is reality telling me subtly that a career in screenplays is unrealistic. Maybe it’s trying to make me realize that I am good at classes I take, like physiology. Maybe I should look into that instead because it’s easily applicable to real life, and more research jobs are out there, rather than positions for women screenwriters in Hollywood. You’re supposed to reap the benefits of education, but being on my final leg, all I have received from this four-year marathon is exhaustion and being told that I’m not book-smart enough to compete against teens from other countries – not smart enough by American standards to be a student of my world. What degree do I get with that?
On Campus
4 – North Pointe – Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013
Teachers grow beards to fundraise for men’s cancer The race for the longest beard is on as male staff members compete against one another this month to raise money for men’s cancer. The teachers all raise money in their classes by selling various items to students, and all profits go toward the cause. By Dalaney Bradley, Olivia Asimakis & Dajai Chatman photographer & interns
Faces in the crowd Ryan Lockhart
After about two years of hard work and hours alone in his room writing tirelessly, freshman Ryan Lockhart finished his novel, The Company of Slag. “I start out by developing a world and certain regions and religions and a language, and then I start flushing out the specific details of the world,” Lockhart said. Due to legal reasons, Lockhart wasn’t able to publish his work. “I found this site called Teen Inc. and decided to publish through there. However, I decided to read back through the contract and saw that as soon as the book is published, I would lose all the rights to it. So I decided to stop partway through.” Though he was unable to publish his first work, Lockhart is already working on his next novel, The Dragons of Mok and has written a short story, “The Samurai of Bvitchago.” “It’s a lot of work, and hours of isolation, but the end result is worth it.”
Alec Bessette
Social studies teacher Brian Degnore likes the fun aspect the fundraiser adds to the month of November. “(It’s) a fun way to break up the monotony of the day and do something fun in an otherwise dreary month,” Degnore said. Although he finds it to be entertaining, he’s not sure if he likes his growing look. “I think it looks interesting, I don’t think it looks all that great but we’ll see how it ends up turning out,” Degnore said. “Growing out a beard can be painful, can be itchy and can be hot.”
Social studies teacher Sean McCarroll likes the awareness of other cancers that the fundraiser is bringing. “I had a beard to start with, so I wanna have the best, but it’s important to raise money, so we’re doing that. Usually you hear a lot about breast cancer and stuff like that, so we’re in it for the men’s awareness,” McCarroll said. McCarroll has had a beard in the past, so the fundraiser allows him to compare his past experiences with his current predicament. “It’s a lot easier than you think. I’m really digging the whole not-shaving-every-morning thing.”
Junior Alec Bessette is finally back in the “Grosse Pointe bubble” after three years of being away. Bessette moved with his family to Pennsylvania after seventh grade because his dad decided to branch out his business. “I moved to Mars, Pennsylvania, a small town outside Pittsburgh,” Bessette said. “It was very different than North. Since much of the area around the school was farmland, the area and the people had more of a rural feel.” The differences between the suburbs of Grosse Pointe and the rural land of Mars was made obvious after Bessette moved back. “At first it was very strange because I was used to the suburbs and I was in a small town with farmland surrounding it. However, once I got used to it and started making friends, it started feeling like home pretty quick,” Bessette said. Although Bessette’s experience was positive, the difficulty of moving after rekindling new friendships is too much for him to be open to moving again. “I wouldn’t make that huge of a switch again, especially now that I’m in my junior year, it’s easier to move when you’re in middle school, it gets a lot tougher once you’re in high school,” Bessette said.
Matt Stander
English teacher Joe Drouin had a good start to fundraising, collecting $15-$20 of spare change from students in his classes. His strategy for the next round? “I can’t give away my secrets for the rest of the tournament,” Drouin said.
English teacher Andy Montague decided to participate because he saw how it could benefit men’s cancer, but sees no other perks to growing a beard. “Mr. Drouin asked me and it was connected to Link Crew, and I thought this was a great idea to raise awareness,” Montague said. “I hate it. It’s itchy. It’s gross. My wife hates it. She won’t speak to me. There’s very little about this that I like.”
Junior Matt Stander plays the guitar, violin, piano and drums – a talent, he says, that came with ease. Influenced by his father to take up these instruments, drums and guitar are more recreational for Stander, while playing violin for the school orchestra is where most of his time is dedicated. “In fifth grade, my dad wanted me to play violin for school ... and that was the start of my violin career. And when I was five, my dad had me take piano lessons from my aunt, but I only took them for a year or two,” Stander said. Even at a young age, it didn’t take Stander long to catch on. “My dad was always pretty musical, and when I was in third grade, he bought me a guitar (and) started to teach me chords and stuff,” Stander said. “And then from there on, I just kind of picked it up myself.” Moving between first and second chair violin, Stander wishes to continue playing the violin past high school, into college and then pursue it further as a hobby. By Addison Toutant, Colleen Reveley & Kaley Makino
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Athletic trainer Sarah Florida
By Caelin Micks Staff Reporter
Dalaney bradley
Athletic trainer Sarah Florida didn’t play sports in high school. She spent over 10 years studying ballet. “I was always the outside looking in not being on a team, but it’s a whole different mindset than ballet, which is why I love the team atmosphere to it, and the competition aspect is always fun.”
Athletic trainer Sarah Florida wanted to be on top of her high school career by accomplishing all her credits before her second semester of senior year. Florida wanted to find a valuable co-op program that would suit her best. “When I was a senior in high school, I developed a program allowing me to volunteer for hospice during the school day,” Florida said. “I approached the school faculty about taking a first-hour class and sixth- and seventh-hour classes by leaving to volunteer the other hours in the day. I went to visit and care for hospice patients at the nursing home in my town.” Caring for the sick was the program she felt most connected with, and that would be her home for her last semester of high school. With much gratitude after finishing high school and following through with her co-op program, Florida hoped this would stick at her high school for future students. “It was extremely rewarding and also the focus of my senior AP English project. I proposed more programs like this being available to other seniors in the future,” Florida said. “I compiled surveys and statistics on willingness and readiness of the senior class
to do such a thing and presented it to a committee of school faculty.” After putting so much work into this new opportunity and creating a “high school thesis” for English class, Florida wanted to make it unique and valuable for herself; she knew this was something that was possible. She worked with her hometown nursing home, which had hospice, to create the new co-op program. “When I presented all the research from the class wanting to do it, (the school board) was like ‘oh my goodness, we think you are probably five years ahead,’” Florida said. “I proposed more programs like this being available to other seniors in the future.” Florida is not afraid to do something out of the ordinary or create something new as she yearns to make herself known in everything she tries. Her new opportunity of being the athletic trainer has been and easy adjustment. “My job is independent, and I have to make decisions and not be able to be afraid to change how things are done, since I am coming here being alone,” Florida said. “The morale of the students, really caring about their future and what they are going to do with themselves is incredible out here. That is the one difference.”
What is your best quality? “My ability to care about the people in my environment, be it work, home, or wherever. I truly care about everyone’s backstory, present circumstances and where they want to be. I make a point to help in any way that I can and to take the time to do so in the ways available to me. My athletes are a great example of being here at North and getting to care about so many wonderful students. They all have personalities worth getting to know, funny stories to tell, and hearts bigger than any other bunch of high schoolers I’ve ever worked with – they make caring about them easy and I’m blessed to have been added to the GPN family. “ What is one thing nobody knows about you? “I can be very competitive. Most people are surprised when my competitive side comes out. It’s good that I work in athletics. I get to be one big super fan for all of our teams. I want to win just as badly, if not more than, you all!” Did you play any sports? “I have never. This is kind of the weird thing about me. Most athletic trainers were in athletics. I was always a dancer, and I didn’t even know what athletic training was until college.”
life
North Pointe – Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 – 5
Mind-gobbling:
These Thanksgiving facts may make you think twice about indulging on Turkey day By Luke Sturgill & Dayle Maas Staff Reporter & managing editor
Black Friday -Began in the 1960s -Name came from accounting term for when a business is making a profit, which is known as being in “the black” -Record spent reached $59.1 billion in 2012 Sources: www.money.cnn.com, http://news.cnet.com, http:// www.fatwallet.com
Cyber Monday
After the meaL
-Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving -Online shopping is at its peak -Sales reached $1.465 billion in 2012
reviews
North Pointe – Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 – 6
GUESS WHO’S BACK By Melina Glusac ideas editor
Shady’s back. And it is strongly advised that you tell a friend because he’s back with a bang. A true Detroiter knows at least one Eminem song by heart. Even if that’s not the case, Mr. Mathers has given his loyal audience great material to work with on his new album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, which dropped Nov. 5. The album is dripping with passion – passion for recovery, love and, of course, the D. Samples of classic, catchy songs fuel the emotional rollercoaster of an LP, and a lot of previously unanswered questions have, on this album, had the answers yelled back with Eminem’s signature wrath. Whatever happened to Stan? Is his tea still cold, and is he still wondering why he got out of bed at all? Listen to the deliciously bitter “Bad Guy” for an answer. Why does Eminem always give his mother such a hard time? Download “Headlights” feat. Nate Ruess, aka the apology song. Ruess’ pipes are irresistible, and the contrast of his fragility and Eminem’s power plays a good kind of game on the ear. There are a few clunkers, like the pointless “Brainless” and “Legacy.” These songs sound a bit amateurish, which is surprising coming from a seasoned rap artist like Eminem. Other than that, the album is consistently listenable.
Zombies’ eerily stunning “Time of the Season” (circa 1968) to Joe Walsh’s timeless “Life’s Been Good” (1978). Choices like these illuminate the LP, in a way. They soothe the listener with crooners of years’ past for a few seconds – like a siren call – then the listener snaps back to reality with Eminem’s gritty rhymes. The hooks created for this album, like the slamming background guitar in “Survival,” are completely satisfying and work with the song, as well. The hooks are the album’s best asset.
The lyrics Eminem is so clever. Underneath his tough exterior is an even darker comedian. And at his core? A real human being. He is able to convey all of his layers on this LP with some flair along the way. His cruel comedic streak shines like a beacon of insult in “So Much Better.” This is the kind of song you’d blast when your friend steals y o u r
The hooks Hooks can make or break a rap record. If there’s a weak one, like the random piano backdrop in “Legacy,” the listener gets bored. Thankfully, almost all of the samples on the album can be summed up in one word: sick. Eminem has hand-picked an eclectic set of melodies to rap over, everything from The
iPhone. It’s hysterically violent, showcasing the real Slim Shady, Eminem’s up-to-no-good alter ego. “Love Game,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, is cutesy (in a thug way) – two men chanting about the tricky game of that four-letter word. It’s refreshing to hear some romance in Mathers’ rhymes. And it’s impossible to talk about lyrics without mentioning “Rap God,” Mathers’ 6077-word, 6-minute and 5-second epic. A song like this can easily become a mumbling, klutzy, heavy cluster of words that are hard for even native English-speakers to understand. But it’s not. Eminem enunciates; each lyric is written with more irony and wittiness than the one before it, and that keeps the listener interested.
The flow It all goes together, for the most part. The songs, the lyrics, the hooks – they work well. Yet, the album as a whole does feel a bit heavy, weighed down by seriousness. With the exception of “So Far…” and “Love Game,” the rest of the songs are hard, cold. One can’t help but reminisce about the carefree days when “My Name Is” or “The Real Slim Shady” were played on the radio. The videos and the vibes of those hits were hilarious and smart at the same time. Eminem’s sense of humor has become buried a bit as he’s matured – it’s there on this album, but it’s not out there like it was before. That can only be expected, though. Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers and Eminem have been through a lot. But he still goes berserk when he needs to. And that’s typical Slim.
Grade: B+ Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2 Interscope 2013
.bil ww .com ar d lb o
iTUBE APP
REFLEKTOR
MTV ARTISTS
With so many music videos coming out from One Direction and other hot music artists, it’s no wonder why iTube is on the market. www.iosnoops.com iTube is the new app for people to stream videos, and it’s workings are based on YouTube itself. All the contents of the app come from YouTube, so videos can be watched just as they are on the site. The app though, comes along with a few extras. It allows users to take the videos they watch and put them into playlists. It works the same as putting songs into playlists on a phone or iPod. Unfortunately, users can’t listen to them wherever they are. Without WiFi, the app is just another thing that takes up space. Along with this annoyance, users also sometimes have to deal with pesky commercials displayed on the bottom of the app. However, iTube makes viewing videos less of a hassle for the users. Instead of always having to search the same videos repeatedly, users can favorite their most-watched, and whenever they want to watch them, they’re just one click away. Playlists can also be put on shuffle and repeat, which is much more convenient than users having to press play constantly. Despite the minor inconveniences that come along with the app, iTube is an efficient and easy way to stream videos.
Similar to the classic indie-rock group MGMT, upcoming Canadian husba nd-a ndwife duo, Arcade Fire, and their new album, Reflektor, put a unique spin www.arcadefire.com on an old sound. The lesser-known but talented psychedelic, indie-rock group is bringing back a classic-rock vibe mixed with a synthesized sound for their fourth album. Released Monday, Oct. 28, Reflektor has already hit number one on the charts in the United Kingdom. This album, compared to its predecessor, has less of an old-school sound and a stronger electro-tone. Along with their catchy songs, Arcade Fire has produced equally interesting, eyecatching music videos to help promote their new release. Their most recent hit, “Reflektor,” inspired the name of their new album and already has almost 5 million views on YouTube. The chaotic music video matches the group’s dynamic well. Though their sound is evolving, their creative aesthetic has stayed the same. Their lyrics, which can be easily misunderstood, are a point of debate for some, but with the band’s strong instrumentals, the combination works. Co-lead Singer Régine Chassagne, a Quebec native, puts her local French influence to use in several songs this album. With their fresh take on a traditional style, and their incorporation of the cultural advantages accessible to them, Arcade Fire has added a new sound that is appealing to the masses. It will allow them to stand out in the crowd of upcoming artists.
Looking for new music to jam to? The app MTVartists allows users to discover and learn about new music and different artists. www.itunes.apple.com Users can find songs by typing in an artist’s name or a few lyrics of the song, unlike the app Soundcloud where music is found only by genre and by following other users. MTVartists also includes a Sound ID feature which lets users identify a song by the sound of the music. Unfortunately, Sound ID can be glitchy and isn’t always able to identify the song. Once users enter in a musician’s name, MTVartists provides information ranging from the music genre to how many years the band has been together. Once an artist has been chosen, users are given a biography and timeline of the band’s career along with interviews and exclusive clips. The app is easy to navigate. The home screen is separated into three simple tabs: Trending, Collections and History. On the Trending and Collections tabs are a display of musicians to learn more about. The Trending section of the app shows users the most searched-for artists. The Collections page has artists separated into different categories such as MTV’s “artist to watch.” When a category is chosen, users are given artists to listen to. The app also includes free music videos along with free streaming of MP3 tracks. Although the app can be limiting in some areas it is a solid resource for music lovers.
Captain Phillips follows the surprisingly true story of the 2009 Somali pirate attack on the ship MV Maersk Alabama. Phillips, played by Tom Hanks, sails www.captainphillipsmovie.com around the horn of Africa with his crew and is well aware of the dangers. However, none of their precautions could help them evade their attackers. As their ship is hijacked, Phillips is flung into a seemingly endless game of survival as he attempts to protect his crew and himself. The thrill factor of this movie keeps it moving. With moments of eerily close calls and chilling predicaments, it’s bound to keep viewers on the edges of their seats. To feed the fear, the movie is filmed in a way that makes it seem incredibly realistic. It displays both sides of the story, from daily life on crew to the Somalis setting out to attack. Hanks plays a key part in portraying the extreme anxiety of the situation. He effectively shows all of the struggles Phillips faces as he tries to remain composed in such a terrifying turn of events. His performance completes the picture. On the other hand, certain points in between the action tend to drag. There are scenes when the audience might get bored waiting for elaboration. Fortunately, things start to step up a notch as problems and solutions arise. Overall, Captain Phillips is, for the most part, an entertaining and eye-opening movie that warns of the dangers at sea.
iTube; Dmitry Taoubes; Nov. 4; Apple; free
Arcade Fire; Reflektor; Merge Records; 2013.
MTV Artists; MTV; Oct. 31; Apple; free
Captain Phillips; 2013; Directed by Paul Greengrass; PG-13
By Josie Bennett
By Kaley Makino
By Radiance Cooper
By Josie Riley
B
A-
B+
CAPTAIN PHILlIPS
A
Sports QUICK HIT
North Pointe – Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 – 7
Freshman follows family’s footsteps Competitive dancer freshman Carmen Abdella began dancing to continue her family’s legacy
By Colleen Reveley
you are doing it for a good reason,” Abdella said. “We aren’t allowed to have pop. We have to be healthy, like Twenty-three. That’s the number of no junk food.” hours that freshman competitive dancAbdella has a specific routine she er Carmen Abdella spends at the Turn- performs before competitions to ease ing Pointe Dance Studio in one week. her nerves. Abdella comes from a family of danc“We get there and we are all in the ers; her mother was a cheerleader, and dressing room. We are all nervous, but her sister, junior Paige Abdella, dances we know we will do well. Then we do at the Turning Pointe as well. our team warm-ups and team-building “All the girls in my family danced, stuff, and then we go on stage, then we then me and my sister do awards,” Abdella started. This year I got said. “If we do well, moved up (to my siswe all go out to dinter’s team). It’s good, ner or something,” but Paige doesn’t like Dance is a huge it. I’m younger than part of Abdella’s her, and she doesn’t life, but because of want to be on the the time commitsame team,” Abdella ment, she misses said. out on certain acThe dance studio tivities with her offers Abdella many friends. different styles of “I can’t hang dance, which has alout with them lowed her to widen during the week,” Carmen Abdella her horizon, but she Abdella said. “I am Freshman has selected a few as there every day her favorites. from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. I can’t really “I like jazz or hip hop; I like solos and hang out with my friends as much, but duos and trios because the judges can I see them in school.” actually see you rather than the whole Although Abdella is only a freshgroup,” Abdella said. man, she is already thinking about Abdella, along with her teammates of the career paths she could take with 20 competitive dancers, spends weeks her dance background. before competition preparing through “I want to go to L.A., but I don’t constant practice. know if that’s going to happen. If it The dance teachers enforce a strict doesn’t, I’ll probably just go to Michidiet and routine to keep the girls in shape. gan,” Abdella said. “I could be a chore“Every single day we have hard, long ographer. There are a lot of auditions rehearsals. The teachers aren’t nice for being a background dancer for like anymore. They are yelling at you. It’s celebrities.” very stressful. But then you realize that
Sports Editor
Jeffrey Valentic
Meet Lauren Gross How does swimming make you feel?
It always makes me feel so proud. I like being proud of myself because I’m good at swimming. I’m talented. It’s fun. What’s your favorite part of swimming? I achieve my own goals like any other subject or any other elective. (I’m) always making up goals to get better and better. What other sports have you previously played? I already did soccer once a long, long time ago, and now I still do swimming. Does your coach help you? Alison’s my coach, she helps me a lot. She helps me get in the pool, although sometimes it’s kind of easy for me. What’s your favorite stroke? Breaststroke makes me swim like a frog. Sometimes the backstroke is fun, I’m always so good at it. The backstroke is my favorite because I do that a lot.
By Dora Juhasz
Homecoming Starts Here
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I could be a choreographer. There are a lot of auditions for being a background dancer for like celebrities.
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Sports
North Pointe – Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 – 8
Students utilize upper gym after school By Kristen Kaled & Colleen Reveley design editor & sports Editor
RIGHT: Senior Michael Bylski spots senior Greg Lazar during some after-school weight lifting. The boys switch off spotting each other between sets. LOWER RIGHT: Senior Justin Clayton works out three days a week after school to keep in shape. Clayton enjoys coming to North’s weight room instead of purchasing a membership somewhere else. “Free is always better, all your friends are here too,” he said. Clayton’s favorite workout is the wall climb. LOWER LEFT: Freshman Justin Jackson comes up to the weight room every Monday and Friday; he works out for an hour and a half. He can’t come every day because often after school he feels dizzy. Jackson’s favorite exercises are lifting weights and doing crunches, his least favorite is benching. Jackson has been mentored by upperclassmen at times to improve his techniques, and plans to continue with his workouts throughout the school year.
Q & A with teacher aid Chris Vernier Question: What is your job? Answer: I make sure everyone is safe. I make sure everyone is lifting correctly, make sure their technique is where it should be. I set up programs if needed. I have a basketball workout, a football workout. If coaches get in contact with me through email or phone, I can put something together for their team. Q: How did you get familiar with the equipment? A: Experience-lifting myself throughout high school and college. Q: Do you ever get new material? A: We actually just got some new dumbbells. I just put in a grant application for the Booster Club, and they granted us some more money for the weight room to get some new stuff. We are going to get some bumper plates. You could drop them to the ground without them making a big sound because it’s rubber instead of steel. We are getting some new racks for the weights. We are getting decals throughout the room, like Norsemen heads, ‘Go North,’ ‘Go Norsemen.’ Q: On average, how many people come a day? A: Honestly, it depends ... between 20-40. Friday’s going to be the lowest number because the kids wanna get out of here. The winter is busiest season of the year. Q: What is the ratio of guys to girls? A: Ten to one. I think (girls) can get intimidated. When they walk in, they see a bunch of guys, and they are usually lifting heavier weights, and they might grunt or make a noise when they lift. That might turn off girls from coming. It’s definitely maledominant. Q: What would you say to someone who has never been to the weight room? A: The weight room is open to all students Monday through Friday right after school until six. Feel free to come on up. It’s free. Not a lot of schools have opportunities like that. By Colleen Reveley
Meet sophomore Georgina Goralczyk
Meet senior Greg Lazar
Assistant Editor
Senior Greg Lazar goes to the upper weight room for about an hour, four to five times a week. He first started lifting free weights the summer before his senior year. Power cleans, bench press and squats are some of the components Lazar includes in his daily weight room routine. Over the past year, Lazar has noticed many changes as a result of his daily workout routine. “You have a lot more energy, you’re sore a lot and you’re obviously stronger,” Lazar said. He sees the weight room and working out as a way to relax. By working out daily, Lazar also prepares for his seasonal sports. “It’s relaxing, and it gets me ready for my sport, lacrosse. And then there’s the whole aesthetic part to it,” Lazar said. To train for his specific sports, Lazar works on different parts of his body different days to avoid straining one area and to spread the benefit of his workout. “I basically split it up. It’s like a fiveday split, where you do pretty much a different body part, every single different muscle group, every single day so that you can rest enough because if you don’t rest, you can’t do anything,” Lazar said. “And then, depending on what day it is, you try to mix it up and just do certain exercises that involve that.”
By Katelyn Carney
In the upstairs gym, sophomore Georgina Goralczyk runs on the treadmill for 10 minutes, maxes out (or becomes fatigued) after a few reps of chin-ups and then moves on to the rest of her routine. This is Goralczyk’s daily after-school workout regimen. Starting at the age of 12, Goralczyk discovered her love for lifting and has pursued her passion through repetitive workouts in the upstairs gym. “It’s a great way to release anger if I have any,” Goralczyk said. “It makes me feel good about myself because I’m getting exercise. And I find it fun.” When she began training in the gym, Goralczyk learned by following the example set by upperclassmen. Entering the upstairs gym for the first time as a freshman, she was inexperienced and uncertain, but she watched attentively to learn proper exercise techniques. “I mainly watched the juniors and seniors use the machines and learned that way,” Goralczyk said. Not afraid to stand out amongst the guys in the gym, Goralczyk knows that she has one purpose there: to work out. At 17 years old, Goralczyk can regularly bench press 130 pounds and can bench a maximum of 190. “I love lifting weights because I’m a girl that has a lot of energy, and working out burns a lot of my energy. I love just working out and
having an awesome body,” Goralczyk said. The gym is not a place where Goralczyk finds it acceptable to waste time, socialize or just go through the motions of her workout. “I have my music that I listen to, and I’m too busy working out. I don’t really want to be get distracted by talking,” Goralczyk said. As she works toward being in shape and staying healthy, Goralczyk always tries to ensure that she will reach her goals of gaining muscle, even if that means choking down protein products. “I always have either a protein drink or a protein bar to eat because I want to gain muscles, even though the drinks taste really bad, it’s worth the results in the end,” Goralczyk said. Goralczyk enjoys her time spent at the gym. Walking through the door and knowing that she is going to work out excites her. Working all muscles in her body almost everyday of the week is not something she forces herself to do, but something that makes her feel the most comfortable. “I really love the working out at the gym because the gym is something I enjoy doing, the weight room to me is my second home. It always makes me happy when I walk through the doors and I can work out,” Goralczyk said. “I have to admit I’m a gym junkie.”
By Kristina Kowalski Intern
During his workouts, Lazar also socializes with other students in the weight room. “Most of the people I already know, but I have made a couple new friends,” he said. Lazar finds the most support from fellow student-athletes and also enjoys talking with trainer Chris Vernier. “Chris hasn’t helped me that much. Maybe with a few things, but it’s usually kids helping each other with things. Chris trains a few girls that are there for basketball or something. But he motivates me, and he’s a nice guy, like if you go up there, he’s a good guy to talk to,” Lazar said. Lazar prefers using free weights instead of machines. He is dedicated to this activity, although he admits it’s hard to explain why he enjoys it. It’s just a process for him. “Yeah I love it. There’s no really goal that I’m trying to go for, it’s just a process, and it’s enjoyable for me.”