NEWS PAGE 2 Left: Sophomore Lindsey Hoshaw, senior Peter Gritsas and sophomore Maggie McEnroe rehearse during technical week for the spring musical Catch Me If You Can.
NORTH
POINTE SYDNEY BENSON
GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
Right: Senior Peter Gritsas, junior Matt Carlsen, senior Panos Varlamos and freshman Demetri Gritsas prepare a scene for the show, which runs March 6-7.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015
SINCE 1968
MME increases test length to raise rigor By Anu Subramaniam & Dajai Chatman CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF REPORTER
Food fills landfills, not stomachs By Anu Subramaniam, Alex Harring & Lindsey Ramsdell CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & INTERNS
With updates over the past few years, the cafeteria has taken a more environmentally friendly path. Freshman Tyler Foster has seen students respond well to the initiative. “I always see kids recycling, and we have those healthy vending machines, and I like that water fountain that lets you fill up your bottle fast so you won’t have to keep buying plastic water bottles,” Foster said.
However, the problem of food waste still exists. According to National Geographic magazine, Americans wasted 31% of their available food in 2010. The result: 133 billion pounds of food waste. “(Food) is one of the top three things that we throw away along with paper and metals. By addressing food waste, you’re addressing the solid waste problem we have in this country,” science teacher and Students Against Violations of the Environment (S.A.V.E.) club adviser Chris Skowronski said. Despite the positive steps that Sodexo
Failure to productively use food leads to waste and the school have taken to make the cafeteria and school more environmentally friendly, the food that isn’t consumed is completely thrown out. According to freshman Lily Schmidt, many students don’t like the way food is prepared, and she believes that’s the reason students toss it out. “I usually (throw away) nachos,” Schmidt said. “It comes in that paper plate.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Sports Page 7
Ideas - Page 3
“High school is a time of self-discovery—a period in life when teens figure out who they are and what kind of lives they want to live, which their clothes tend to predict.” @thenorthpointe
Prior to the 2014-2015 school year, the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) consisted of three portions — the ACT, WorkKeys and Michigan component. Recently, however, the Michigan component of the test (the MSTEP) has been expanded. “I think that it makes it more stressful for students because it’s kind of something that’s constantly on their mind. I think that if it’s in one day, yes, it might really be long. But it’s easier to focus on other school work to get it done and out of the way,” junior Paige Francis said. Because the Michigan Department of Education wants to test students’ abilities, the state thought the test needed to be more challenging. “The state of Michigan felt that the ACT and the WorkKeys did not evaluate deeply enough the rigor that Michigan wanted, and so they developed these Michigan components that was run on day three,” Assistant Principal Tom Beach said. The change is a result of a push to move towards a type of testing called Smarter Balanced testing. “The past few years, there has been a movement towards, in many states, towards what’s called the Smarter Balanced, and at one point, lots of states (were) involved. And then it was approved before it was really looked into in depth as to how it was going to affect people because it was only going to test English and math. It (is) not going to test science and other things,” Beach said. Smarter Balanced Assessment is a developing system of assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards in English and mathematics for grades 3-8 and grade 11. “(MSTEP) now consists of ACT, the WorkKey and this excessive testing that is supposed to be 10 and a half hours. So total testing time is 17 and a half hours if you put it all together,” Beach said. The changes in testing times will cause juniors to miss more school than their classmates in other grades. “My first two hour classes, I’m going to fall pretty behind on, so I’m definitely going to lose a lot of school time, but besides that I don’t think my other classes will be that badly affected,” Francis said. The changes will affect the underclassmen as well. “They’re going to be doing the same thing they did last year … they used to take the PLAN test, now it call the Aspire, but really its pretty much the same test. The ACT used to have the Explore in grades 7 and 8, and the PLAN in 9 and 10 and 11. Then they created this year the Aspire which runs 3 to 11 grade and it includes individual test for each grade. But for the freshmen and sophomores, it’s going to look like pretty much like the PLAN test they were taking, and it tests grade appropriate learning,” Beach said.
Left: 2008 alumna and current math teacher Lauren Nixon now coaches varsity lacrosse.
Contents 1 2 3 4
News Calendar Ideas On Campus
5 6 7 8
Life Reviews Sports Feature
LAUREN NIXON
www.northpointenow.org
VOLUME 47, ISSUE 11
NEWS
2 – Friday, March 6, 2015 – North Pointe
Food waste CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates worldwide that one-third of the food produced is lost or wasted on its journey to our mouths. That’s the equivalent of buying a nine-slice pizza and throwing three slices away. Not only could that food be used to feed millions of people, but it eventually finds its way to a landfill where it attracts vermin and emits methane, a greenhouse gas. But this huge sum of waste doesn’t just come from careless consumption. Food is lost and wasted at every point in its path. “(It happens) at the grocery stores ... everything on the shelf, obviously they want it to look nice and pretty. They don’t want bruised bananas or apples and things like that, so the things that are a little unsightly, they actually just throw those away,” Skowronski said. “There’s waste in every single step of the process. So the production, the distribution, the storage where you buy it, and then obviously when it gets to your house.” North was named a Michigan Green School, meaning that it met many of the qualifications the Center for Green Schools deemed necessary for a school to be environmentally friendly. Some of these characteristics include the school reducing the demand on local landfills and conserving natural resources. By using paper dishware in the cafeteria, the school does both while minimizing food waste. “(Paper) is a lot better than styrofoam. Styrofoam takes thousands of years for that to breakdown. Paper plates, if you compost it, you are talking about a few months or less to break down,” Skowronski said. S.A.V.E. provides recycling and garbage bins in the cafeteria. This way the paper packaging can be recycled, fur-
ther reducing the school’s carbon footprint. Skowronski’s long-term goal for himself and S.A.V.E is to start a composting program at North as an eco-friendly way to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste. Composting is the process of letting organic waste decompose into nutrient-rich soil. “Companies pick up your compostables, and it goes to certain facilities where you can basically send it to them, and everything gets composted. Companies like that exist, but that’s a fee you have to pay,” Skowronski said. Skowronski has been using a form of composting in his room called vermiculture for about three years. Vermiculture uses worms, dirt and a little bit of newspaper to turn food scraps into soil. Skowronski then uses this soil for the rain garden in the science wing. S.A.V.E. vice president Meghan Mitchell believes food waste is still an issue. “It’s never good to waste resources that you get from the Earth. So, it’s just, we should always use what we’re given and not throw it away,” Mitchell said. “We try to promote awareness of food waste, but there is nothing we can really do to prevent it because kids are gonna throw away their food whether we like it or not.” Mitchell thinks Sodexo should donate extra lunch food. According to their website, Sodexo does encourage their outposts to “recycle” surplus food by donating to local food banks, but doesn’t state how often this is done or how much food is donated. Whether surplus food is donated or not, this does not stop the food that is bought from being completely thrown away. According to Skowronski, one way to combat food waste is simply being realistic. “I think it’s one of those things that you have to realize,” Skowronski said. “How much food do I actually eat? And do I need to buy all that?”
fuels natural growth in science department CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ASSISTANT EDITOR
With four science credits already under her belt, senior Ann Marie Nicholson chose to sign up for AP Physics and an independent study in organic chemistry for her senior year. However, the course will now be offered as a class of its own. “I’ve taken, starting from freshman year on, Honors Bio, Honors Chem, Honors Physics, AP Chem, and I’m in AP Physics right now,” Nicholson said. Chemistry teacher Steven Kosmas helped students in the independent study find resources to further their knowledge. Nicholson worked with several texts and sources but deemed the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) text as most valuable. “He was the one who introduced us to the POGIL texts. That was his doing, and those were really helpful, especially for nomenclature, which is naming of compounds and stuff. And he also showed us a really interesting set of chemistry videos that have been done by a college professor, so it was sort of a crash course in organic chemistry via this series of lectures, essentially everything you’d get in a firstyear chemistry class, plus some on video,” Nicholson said. “But because he also had a class going seventh hour, which is when we had it. He wasn’t directly involved in our day-to-day learning, really.” Though Nicholson enjoyed the independent study experience, she feels taking the course as a typical class would be beneficial. “I think as a class it’s going to probably have more direction than it did as an independent study, which is probably a good thing,” Nicholson said. “It was like any class. Some of the stuff we did was really fun, really interesting, and some of the stuff we did was really confusing, and I still don’t understand it.” The class will focus on certain aspects of both chemistry and biology. “We just wanted to offer more options for students as far as science is
SPRING PLAY
Today and Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC
concerned—more electives. Especially a lot of students here decide to go on into the science-related fields, so we wanted to better prepare you guys for the college experience,” science teacher Kristen Lee said. “Basically the class is going to be learning about organic compounds. You’re looking at medicines and things like that, like large compounds and some biochemistry, so how it relates to biology.” According to Lee, enough students signed up for Organic Chemistry next year to fill two classes. Scheduling later on in the year will determine exact class numbers and sizes. “Organic chemistry is almost like a bio-
“
Organic chemistry is almost like a biological science, except more on the molecular level than biology is with the different parts of the cells. Thanos Hedglin SOPHOMORE
“
By Erica Lizza & Billy Moin
logical science, except more on the molecular level than biology is with the different parts of the cells,” sophomore Thanos Hedglin said. Hedglin signed up for Organic Chemistry next year because of his interest in science and for the foundation he will get for the class in college. “You generally have to take organic chemistry in college, so my teacher was saying that it was a good start to just take this now, then you’ll have kind of a boost when you get into college,” Hedglin said.
SAT TESTING Saturday, March 14 at 8 a.m. at North
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Even with her experiences with chemistry, Nicholson found the Organic Chemistry curriculum to be different from what she had learned. “In AP Chem, you pretty much focus entirely on non-organic compounds. It’s everything you learned in your Honors Chem class with more math and more details and exceptions to every rule you thought was true,” Nicholson said. “Essentially, organic chem is all about a very specific kind of chemistry, whereas AP is sort of this broad overview of everything about inorganic chemistry, with maybe a little bit of organic thrown in if there’s time.” However, she still feels taking AP Chemistry prepared her for the organic chemistry curriculum in the independent study. “It’s a good class to take because if you like chemistry, it’s sort of one of those classes where there’s not as much pressure per se because there’s no test at the end, besides, you know, the final. So I think it’s good in that way, but I do think you need a really solid foundation ... taking AP Chem helped me with this class just because I had an idea of how chemistry worked,” Nicholson said. Nicholson believes this class is the next logical step after AP Chemistry. “Orgo — that’s what I call it for short — organic chem you take usually as a premed class, and so it’s often considered to be a weeder course for pre-med kids. I’m not going into pre-med, but it’s definitely structured to be a class that you would sort of take after Chem 101, so this is sort of your next chem course,” Nicholson said. Nicholson sees Organic Chemistry as a good way for students to prepare for college science classes. “It’s an interesting class. It’s a fun class,” Nicholson said. “You get to do a lot more. I think that they’ll get to do a lot more experiments that you’d never ever see until college otherwise. So I’d say that if you’re going into pre-med, this is a fantastic class to take because you’re already a step ahead of everyone else.”
GPN PARENT CLUB MEETING
Tuesday, March 10 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the Student Union
CONFERENCES
Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 19 at 5 p.m. in the gym
Animal rights club hosts pet supply drive “Animals are friends, not food” is the mantra of the newly founded Animal Rights Club. Founder senior Tyler Maddox helped plan the group’s first project: a pet supply drive. “We just started it, and in our first meeting, we just kind of brainstormed the different things that we were interested in and that we wanted to do. I think what we settled on is our first project was going to be a pet supply drive where people come in and bring dog food, cat food, treats, brushes, kitty litter, that type of thing,” Maddox said. “We donate them to shelters, and it takes a huge burden off the shelters and foster pet owners who have to pay for that, and I think that’s something we all agreed would be a good cause.” The club hasn’t chosen a date for the drive, but Maddox hopes it will take place as soon as possible. Club members are still unsure about which local organizations they will donate the supplies to. “We haven’t decided yet, but we think our plan is — depending on how much we get — to split it up amongst the local ones,” Maddox said. “We haven’t really set up a date yet because it’s still in process. We want to help as many organizations and people as possible.” Maddox anticipates success and participation since it’s the club’s first project. “I hope it goes as well as the food drives go around Christmas time,” Maddox said. “I hope people are excited about helping animals, and so it really just depends on how people do it.”
Junior class sponsors dance The windy city is making its way to the cafeteria on March 27 for the annual junior-sponsored MORP dance. “It’s called ‘Chicago fest.’ It’s supposed to model a little bit of Lollapalooza with the type of music choice andthe decorations,” Class of 2016 senator C.J. Ramsdell said. “We are going to have the Chicago skyline and black lights, I believe, at the dance. The dance will be held in the cafeteria instead of the gym this year.” The student council hopes the venue change will draw in more students because the vast space in the gym makes some students less comfortable. The junior class has been planning the dance since the end of their sophomore year. “We plan with the student council, our adviser Mrs. Withers, and Mrs. Gast helps guide us ... as well as Mrs. Murray and Mr. Reed-Nordwall,” Ramsdell said. The dance’s proceeds will help pay for the Class of 2016’s prom, so the council hopes the dance will draw in as many people as possible. “We are currently in the process of ordering all the decorations, making posters, hiring the new DJ and making everything come together for the night of the dance,” Class of 2016 president Emily McPharlin said.
Family Center holds event about drugs, alcohol The Family Center of Grosse Pointe sponsored Drugs and Alcohol: What Parents and Professionals Need to Know on Feb. 26. “There were about 200 people from the community — teachers, faculty from the schools, parents, other educators in the community as well as interested people,” counselor Milissa Pierce said. At the event the main speaker was Debra Jay, a wellknown writer and author of It Takes a Family: A Cooperative Approach to Lasting Sobriety, who has appeared on shows like Oprah and Dr.Oz. “She talks about recovery and what happens when there’s substance use in the family,” Pierce said. Other speakers included Grosse Pointe Farms police detective John Walko, Macomb County detective Ken Krygel and Grosse Pointe South counselor Catherine Zatkoff. The event included these speakers in three different break-out sessions that were aimed to educate the community about the risks associated with substance abuse. “They talked about what the consequences were of having ... a drug and alcohol problem in school if you got caught with it in school, what the consequences might be, how it would affect your college applications, how it affects your insurance rates,” Pierce said. Detective Ken Krygel, who works for Macomb County Drug Enforcement Agency, presented two sessions. “One of them was current trends and drug use. He also talked about narcotics and heroin and pharm(aceutical) parties, and he showed a lot of paraphernalia and how students, children, adolescents and adults hide drugs and talked about the consequences of drug use and how to know and identify drug use in others,” Pierce said. By Gowri Yerramalli, Josie Bennett & Dajai Chatman
IDEAS
North Pointe – Friday, Mar. 6, 2015 – 3
It’s the scrub life for me There was once a time when ‘scrubs’ only re- mind. I’m sure that when most people rememferred to the clothes worn by health-care work- ber me, I’ll be wearing baggy sweat pants and ers in an operating room, but now those loose, a faded t-shirt. I’ve hoarded over 20 pairs of comfy clothes are the entirety of my day-to-day sweatpants and 50 different t-shirts as well as “Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers countless sweatshirts. While many girls may attire. are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of hope to win “Best Dressed” for mock elections High school is a expression and freedom of the press for all students, rein the yearbook, I’ll be disappointed if I’m not at time of self-discovgardless of whether the ideas expressed may be considered least a contender for “Biggest Scrub.” ery — a period in unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.” There are different ways to scrub. One could life when teens figBOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY wear baggy sweatpants and t-shirts, but there ure out who they are less vagabond-looking methods (yes, I just are and what kind MY TURN called myself a vagabond) where one could of lives they want OLIVIA ASIMAKIS Erica Lizza Anu Subramaniam Haley Reid CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CO-MANAGING EDITOR wear yoga pants or leggings and an athletic top. to live, something I dress this way quite frequently, and I rarely their clothes tend to predict. Preppy kids are exOlivia Asimakis Brittney Hernandez Wendy Ishmaku NEWS EDITOR LIFE EDITOR BUSINESS MANAGER wear jeans. When I’m in jeans, which is appected to be in neatly pressed button-downs and proximately once every couple months, people will most likely attend law school, and the fashDora Juhasz Jennifer Kusch Kaley Makino comment. It’s that big of an occasion. However, ion mavens and risk takers are anticipated art WEB NEWS EDITOR IDEAS EDITOR WEB IDEAS EDITOR I view such remarks not as observations of inmajors. I can apply this same principle to my life. Ritika Sanikommu Emily Martinbianco creased effort on my part but rather that I’ve I’ve chosen a path lined with stretch cotton ASSISTANT EDITOR WEB LIFE EDITOR deviated from my predicted personal style. and oversized hoods: scrub. Ah, it’s a scrub life Comfort is key. The phrase “dress for sucOur editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board for me, and I enjoy every second. cess” drives my attitude towards my clothes. consisting of the editors above. Members who have a conflict of interest with an The term ‘scrub life’ has recently become Most people believe that if you’re “dressed up,” editorial topic do not partake in that meeting or vote. somewhat of a phenomenon. Its origin is unyou’ll be more confident, thus more successful known, but that hasn’t limited its rapid use. Urban Dictionary defines it as a lifestyle choice on a given day (or in your life). But dressing up selected by the individuals in society who re- doesn’t always give me confidence. There are certain occasions when looking fuse to do much of anything outside of watchpresentable is unquestionable, like a job ining TV or playing video games. There are some terview. But during school, as long as it’s apaspects of the scrub life that include laziness, propriate, the best way to dress is in a way that but I would take issue with that. feels safe, comfortable and productive. For me, The Urban Dictionary phrase is a little off in that’s scrubbing. colloquial terms. To most teenagers, the scrub I can focus most at school when I’m snug life means dressing in baggy sweatpants and and cozy. And when I feel good, I know I pert-shirts. How does this impact my quest of self exploration? Well, I’ve learned that clothes may form well. represent me, but they don’t define me in a People shouldn’t feel obligated to dress a cernegative sense. If anything, they make me bet- tain way to impress others but instead should ter, sharper and more myself than any J. Crew dress in a way that makes them happy. Whether it’s faded skinny jeans and a penny tee or a blouse ever could. Those types of clothes make only the rare flirty flowered skirt and a nice scarf to match, appearance in any physical memory of me. I everyone makes their different style choices to know when I look back on my friends in high best suit them. Dress for yourself, and success Desolate. Broken. Untouched. school, I’ll have a certain vision of them in my will follow. For the last 15 years, our tennis courts have disintegrated to an ugly space that is of no use to tennis players or community members. A recently proposed solution would renovate the courts and provide the school with new courts in another location on campus, but the necessary funding won’t be supplied by the district. This financial situation places the plan’s forward movement in jeopardy. The teams’ goal is to raise $100,000 to restore the courts and petition the Board for more funding to construct four additional courts between the faculty parking lot and the soccer field on Morningside. If they aren’t granted additional funds, the only improvements accomplished will be the rehabilitation of the present courts. Years of use and poor maintenance have left the “I don’t just leave water “Yes, because I pick up my “I do consider myself courts cracked and unusable, resulting in their abanbottles everywhere. My car trash, and I don’t litter or environmentally friendly donment since 1999. They haven’t seen renovation is pretty eco-friendly, too.” anything.” because I like take care of since. Players have had to commute either to Lake the outside.” Front Park for play in mild weather or Wimbledon Racquet Club on stormy days. Andrew Kane Ardie Milwrick Blerina Berisha The teams should be responsible for fundraising SOPHOMORE JUNIOR FRESHMAN a large portion of the $100,000 because they do have access to facilities, but using Lake Front Park brings a host of issues. Frequent use of the courts at Lake Front Park inconveBy Billy Moin, Alex Harring & Lindsey Ramsdell niences Grosse Pointe Woods residents who wish to play during those times. Although two courts have been set aside for residents’ use, they don’t have access to them during matches, when students occupy all of the courts. The current situation is unfair to taxpaying residents who support their park’s facilities even though they can’t always use them. Additionally, players aren’t transported to these locations on the district’s dime. They must rely on parents and teammates to get to their mandatory functions. This inconvenient arrangement and lack of space has spurred action among the tennis community but failed to gain monetary support from the school district. The district has thus far declined to bite at the expensive proposal, leaving the teams to advocate for themselves. “It’s the right thing to do. “I do consider myself “My family loves recycling. It’s a responsibility that we Having functional courts on campus would eliminate the environmentally friendly We try to recycle as much as all have to each other and to need for almost daily transportation to practice facilities. because I recycle both at we can all the time.” even the future generations.” Yes, $100,000 is substantial to allot, but that’s why home and at school.” the program needs some assistance. While 11% of the Paula Staperfenne Maria Fisher Patrick Hicks funds have been collected from donors, the remaining RECORDS CLERK SENIOR SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER 89% needs to be produced in a timely manner for current students to reap the benefits. By the time players raise enough money, their contributions won’t be of INTERNS: Conner Bott, Alex Harring, Nathan Lonczynski, Lindsey Ramsdell, Lauren Sexton, much use to them. Sarah Wietecha Most importantly, it’s not fair to place such a large organizational and monetary burden on students and EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: The North Pointe is edited and produced Erica Lizza, Anu Subramaniam by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse their families. And it’s not just tennis. Other teams such Pointe North High School and is published as synchronized swimming, golf and hockey must make MANAGING EDITORS: every two weeks. It is in practice a designated travel arrangements to off-site practice facilities. The Haley Reid, Andrea Scapini public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student School Board should also consider assisting them. SECTION EDITORS: Olivia Asimakis, Katelyn editors, who make all final content decisions. The Board could install a fixed form of transportaCarney, Brittney Hernandez, Audrey Kam, The views expressed are solely those of the tion so these teams can consistently convene and travel to Jennifer Kusch authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe their practices or matches together. This would elimiWEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma Puglia Public School System. nate added costs for individuals. The Board should also consider subsidizing the amount of money necessary for WEB MANAGING EDITOR: Mora Downs We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press frequent indoor court time, especially considering our Association, National Scholastic Press WEB SECTION EDITORS: Dora Juhasz, Kaley fickle Michigan weather. The Board already allocates Makino, Emily Martinbianco Association and Student Press Law Center. We funds to pay for the hockey teams’ ice time — the same subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information BUSINESS MANAGER: Wendy Ishmaku Services and iStockphoto.com. consideration should be extended to tennis players. If the district were to find the funds, the tennis team One copy is available free to all community PHOTO EDITOR: Alanna Sparks could continue fundraising to reach the required amount members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertisASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR: Sydney Benson and could work with the Board to combine funds for ing rates are available online at northpointetransportation and indoor court time. now.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100% ASSISTANT EDITORS: Josie Bennett, Yena Should the total amount of money not be raised, the Berhane, Emma Brock, Radiance Cooper, Billy recycled paper. Moin, Thomas Remenar, Ritika tennis teams should practice on the four renovated courts CONTACT US Sanikommu, Gowri Yerramalli and just travel to matches at Lake Front Park, whose 10 707 Vernier Road courts can accommodate the many concurrent games Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 STAFF REPORTERS: Caitlin Bush, Dajai Chatman, Allison Lackner, Luke Sturgill, Addison Phone: 313.432.3248 that must take place during a match. Toutant Email: northpointe@gpschools.org The district should try to ease some of the fundraising Twitter: @thenorthpointe burden that rests on the shoulders of players and their Website: NorthPointeNow.org families and instead make an investment in the campus FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE that would not only benefit the present tennis program but generations of Norsemen to come.
OUR EDITORIAL
Funding imperative for improvements to tennis courts
YOUR TURN: Why do you consider yourself environmentally friendly?
EDITOR’S DESK
HALEY REID
Mother knows best
Dear Mom, In kindergarten, you bought vegetable-shaped stuffed toys to persuade me to eat my veggies. I distinctly remember their plush faces singing to me and nudging my greens closer. I was the kid nobody wanted to trade sandwiches with at lunch because whole grain bread and reduced fat peanut butter were incomparable to the taste of sugary, white Wonder Bread. I was inferior. My eyes would widen at the sight of a classmate’s Doritos bag across the cafeteria table, its cheddar cheese dusted on the face of the chip like powdered sugar on a stunning pastry. But Mom, you packed me celery. My Yoplait yogurt, marketed to older women working to lose their tummies was an embarrassment in the shadow of the gleaming tube of purple mixed-berry GoGurt in the hand of the boy seated next to me. Though my 9-year-old self showed no appreciation for your health concerns, my lens has changed. You knew better, as you usually do. Saturated fat and high fructose corn syrup were meaningless words to me then. But as I near adulthood, I fear for those who unloaded Hostess cupcakes from their lunches every day. You could hear the ticking time bomb hidden in one innocently swirled cake: 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 21 grams of sugar. Heart disease runs in our family. If this pattern continues, I’ll be next in line for that dreaded throne. Let’s face it. I used to think you were completely neurotic. But Mom, you’ve gone out of your way to caution me of clogged arteries. The more I protested my salad, the more you combated my nutritional negligence. I’ve watched Dad battle genetics his entire adulthood. I was baffled as a child when I offered him a taste of a sugary treat, and he told me that he would rather live to see my wedding. I’ve developed self-discipline. I don’t need you to remind me to eat my four servings of fruit anymore. But I’m not so sure I would be so health conscious today if you hadn’t been so persistent. My id screams yes, but my ego flares every time I contemplate plunging into a Cheetos bag. Mom, I know that life is too short to skip out on indulgences — I don’t always stray from delicacies. But I also know that life is too short to spend all of my tokens in one place. Without good health, my opportunities to see the world and start a family would be slim. The feel of smooth Hawaiian sand between my toes someday means more to me than a Hershey’s bar. So I thank you, Mom — not just for keeping my metabolism fast and my waist trim — but for protecting my heart and organs despite the burden you knew it would impose on an uninformed little kid. You kept me healthy before I knew what a calorie was. You’re an inspiration to parents who struggle to find a balance between pleasing their stubborn young ones and providing healthy meals. You’ve proven it to be quite simple. All you need are plush veggie dolls and a kind heart.
ON CAMPUS
4 – North Pointe – Friday, March 6, 2015
Musical catches attention Students prepare for the spring musical Catch Me if You Can, which will be performed on March 5-7 By Emma Puglia & Sydney Benson WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & PHOTO EDITOR
FACES IN THE CROWD
Lauren O’Shee
Freshman Lauren O’Shee has always been inspired by her two role models: her mother and Beyonce Knowles. Now, with three younger sisters, O’Shee has had to become a role model herself. “I try to set a good example by schoolwork and respecting my parents and being helpful and nice to my parents and sisters,” O’Shee said. But her influence doesn’t stop there. She wants to inspire her younger siblings, Kate (13), Maddie (8) and Molly (5). “They do (copy me), the younger ones,” O’Shee said. “One’s two years younger, she doesn’t.” O’Shee admits that being the oldest of four sisters can be both good and bad. O’Shee has found her sisters listening to her music and poking around when she hangs out with her friends. Life might be crazy, but her favorite thing about it is experiencing everything first. “I get everything first. I get my license first, I get all the clothes, I get the first phone. Everything.”
Fiona Byrne
ABOVE: Senior Panos Varlamos rehearses for the preformance with his fellow cast. “[My] favorite tradition definitely has to be the wobble that we started in Brigadoon. We usually warm up by doing the wobble. Also, the cast party after our closing night show is probably the best time ever. Seniors have our own little traditions where at the end we all get together ... and they play ‘American Pie,’” Varlamos said.
Shiny glass spheres gleam from the shelves of freshman Fiona Byrne’s large display of exotic snow globes. Byrne started collecting snow globes at age 5. She has more than 30 of them, and her collection is still growing. Most of her snow globes are simple, containing little people dancing in the snow. “I have them from Frankenmuth and Ireland and Italy and Hawaii, all these places my family members have traveled to,” Byrne said. But there’s one in particular that stands out. “It’s from Italy, and it has Mount Vesuvius in it,” Byrne said. “My mom used to be an archaeologist, and she went to Italy on a dig, and she brought it for me from a gift shop.” Byrne hopes her family’s travels let her add to her collection. “I want my next snow globe to be from Africa,” Byrne said. “I want to have 100 snow globes one day.”
Alyssa Dall ABOVE: Senior Peter Gritsas runs through a musical number with his fellow cast members. Despite the challenge and fatigue that being a lead presents, Gritsas regains his energy through the audience’s reactions. “As much fun it is to be on the stage … it can be a challenge because I really have to watch what I do vocally and keep good vocal health and good health overall,” Gritsas said. “But other than that, it’s been amazing. This is a dream role of mine, and it’s an amazing show. I can’t wait for audiences to see it.” LEFT: Freshman Lee-Lee Daniel has worked behind the scenes since seventh grade, which helped her land her current position as stage manager. “It’s kind of whatever needs to be done — making sure actors are backstage before their cues, organizing props, making sure set pieces get on stage. It just varies a lot depending on the show we’re doing and what we’re doing at rehearsal that day.”
ABOVE: Rehearsing since winter break, senior Katherine MacDonald and the rest of the pit join the cast, allowing the musical to have live accompaniment. “I truly enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun getting working and starting from the beginning and knowing nothing, then seeing the final product. We put our effort into it.”
RIGHT: Sophomore Ashley Carroll and senior Peter Gritsas practice their scene together. Out of all the musical numbers, Carroll is a fan of the highenergy dances. “My favorite part is probably the dance number ‘Someone Else’s Skin’ because it’s just a lot of hype, and I like dancing and singing, and we get to do everything basically all in that number.”
By Abbey Cadieux, Michal Ruprecht & Katelynn Mulder
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Special needs assistant Daniel Taylor By Emma Puglia & Ritika Sanikommu WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ASSISTANT EDITOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF HTTPS://WWW.PAWSWITHACAUSE.ORG/WHO-WE-ARE/STORIES
In the top photo, special needs assistant Daniel Taylor poses with his family and his dog, Lewis. In the bottom photo, Lewis comforts Taylor’s son while he gets ready to go to sleep.
For as long as she can remember, freshman Alyssa Dall has been captivated by the theater. “I kinda always loved singing and musicals, and it has always just been a huge thing for me,” she said. Dall began performing in middle school when she auditioned for Parcells’ musical, 13. “I decided to try out in sixth grade, and I kinda just fell in love with it.” She prefers to perform as part of an ensemble. “Have you ever seen it where there’s people with leads, and then they sing, and then the people in the back dance and sing?” Dall said. “Those people in the back are ensemble.” She prefers a role in ensemble because it allows her to sing, which she loves to do. “I like minor roles the best because I like singing more than acting. I like more those little small roles that get to sing a lot.”
Through his son’s sleepless nights and stressful times, special needs classroom assistant Daniel Taylor’s service dog has been a source of comfort. Taylor’s work with service animals began when his oldest son Elliot was diagnosed with autism at 28 months old. The search for a furry friend led to Lewis, a golden Labrador who was part of the Paws with a Cause organization. “Back in 2009, I was out with my wife one night and happened to see a service dog in training out in Rochester, and I began thinking, ‘I wonder if they train service dogs for kids with autism,’” Taylor said. Service dogs are trained for special situations. If a child with autism has a meltdown, the dog acts as a calming force by lying down on top of the child, or vice versa. For younger children, service dogs act as a safety feature. As a trained service dog, Lewis works whenever he wears his vest, but his time on duty never exceeds six to eight hours a day. After hours, Lewis returns to being the beloved family pet. “There are days when he never has to put his vest on, and he is a very dif-
ferent dog when he is working or not working. It’s like an on/off switch for bad behavior. He never wears it at home, so anytime he’s at home, he’s our regular family pet and misbehaves accordingly,” Taylor said. Taylor’s 9-year-old son Elliot had trouble sleeping until Lewis came. “He loves Lewis. In fact, the two of them sleep in bed together every night. Paws with a Cause did an entire story on Lewis and Elliot several months after we got Lewis and at the end of 2012,” Taylor said. Taylor has seen positive changes over time within the school district, but he has one goal in mind for the future. “I would love to see a service dog in every special ed classroom in the district. I think these dogs, they would bring something to the classroom that (there is) no other way to get (that) kind of that interaction with another living being who is going to behave and respond predictably,” Taylor said. “They don’t have baggage like people do ... Every time they see you, they smile, they wag their tail and they want your attention, that’s what a lot of our kids need.”
How did you choose the name Lewis? Actually I didn’t. His foster family named him. And all the dogs from each litter at Paws all have a name beginning with the same first letter, so it will be the L letter or T.
How many people ask you about your dog every day? Generally, kids don’t. By kids, I mean high school and younger. They all know the rule is to not pet Lewis while he’s working with his vest on. Generally, adults tend to be the ones to pet without asking. If we’re out in public, at least half a dozen times a day — if not more. What’s your favorite memory from working here? I think my favorite moment was the last day of senior finals (when) the first group of students I met working at North five years ago graduated, and that was cool seeing those guys walk across the stage. That to me is a huge accomplishment for them, and having been along for a little bit of the trip, I think all teachers feel that way. I think whenever you see the kid walking, you feel like ‘Oh, I had a little piece in that,’ and I guess because of my job, I get to spend a little bit more time with these kids. How did you start working with kids with special needs? I actually began working in Grosse Pointe in the summer program in 1995. I got hired fulltime in 1997, and I’ve been here for the last 18, almost 20 years.
LIFE
North Pointe – Friday, March 6, 2014 – 5
Students weigh salary, passion in choosing a career By Brittney Hernandez & Kaley Makino LIFE EDITOR & WEB EDITOR
Despite the long-standing stereotypes of which professions bring home the bacon, many students are still led by their passions more than their paychecks. Junior Emily Brown Baker aspires to combine her love for science with her passion for helping others. “My mom is a social worker, and she has always made me really in tune to social issues, and my dad is a scientist, so he has always kept me really in tune to the natural world and the way it interacts with people,” Brown Baker said. “My parents told me that I couldn’t be a social worker because of the emotional drainage it causes, so I’m basically being the next best thing and being a sociologist because it combines both scientific study and making the world a better place, which is pretty cool.” Though wealth is not always a determining factor when choosing a future career, salary can be a concern for someone like Brown Baker whose profession is not currently in high demand. For junior William McNelis, money was one of the
last things he considered when planning his future. Science classes fueled his desire to become a biomedical engineer. “I’ve never actively taken (salary) into consideration whenever I was thinking about what job I wanted to do, but it might have subconsciously been something that kind of pushed me into that field,” McNelis said. “Everyone wants to make a lot of money when they get older, so it might have been something that, like I said, subconsciously happened, but nothing that I actively thought about.” Entering a field where a set salary isn’t guaranteed could lead to financial instability. For class of 2014 alumna Meagan Curran, art had been a beacon of her dreams for years. But when it came to applying her aspirations to her goals, she had to step back and view her dreams from an economic standpoint. “A good deal of the time, artists can make it big time and support themselves and do wonders with painting and drawing, but I wanted something a little more stable,” Curran said.
After careful consideration, Curran has decided to take her graphic design skills to advertising. “Wherever this job takes me in life, I’m going to go with that. I mean, I do want to be able to support myself. I do want to be able to have the best life possible and have a future and kids and a family. But it’s really about what I want to do,” Curran said. Brown Baker doesn’t envy those entering fields with work in high demand. Though her interests mainly drive her, Brown Baker understands that there are many reasons to pursue a career. “I don’t really think there’s anything inherently wrong with choosing a career where you make a lot of money because a lot of people find happiness not in their career, but in their outside lives,” Brown Baker said. “A lot of times it takes money to do the things that make people happy. So if you make money and do no harm, and then you go make yourself happy, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.”
Lessons in profession Which jobs are in demand, provide the most income
Dentistry is ranked the numberone profession in friendly hours and pay. Truck driving is the most common job in 29 states as of 2014.
01
Physician is the highest paying in-demand job in America.
01
29
There are 5.6 times more tool and die makers in Michigan than the national average.
5.6
Popular professions and average salaries
Lawyer
Doctor Doctors earn an average of $156,000 - $315,000 per year.
In 2013, the best-paid lawyers earned more than $187,199, while the lowest-paid made less than $55,170 per year.
WHERE THE JOBS ARE Highest paid lawyers
Highest paid artists
Highest paid doctors http://www.forbes.com/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ http://healthland.time.com/ http://www.medscape.com/ http://money.usnews.com/ https://www.recruiter.com/ http://www.npr.org/ http://money.usnews.com/
Artist Artists, including painters, sculptors and illustrators, earn an average of $53,200 per year.
6 – Friday, March 6, 2015 – North Pointe
REVIEWS
RE W W W.B
By Jen Kusch
A K IN G B
A D.W IK
IA .CO M
Like a sleazy, slimy cockroach, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) just can’t be squashed. Odenkirk has returned to AMC to reprise his role of Jimmy McGill, later known as Saul Goodman — the role that catapulted him to fame during Breaking Bad’s historic television run. The spinoff was highly anticipated, as this prequel is an encore to arguably one of the best TV shows ever aired. The premier clocked a total of 6.9 million viewers, making it the highest-rated premiere for a scripted series in U.S. cable history. Better Call Saul dished out thrills, laughs and suspense just as pure as Breaking Bad once did, and its product is equally potent. Viewers will remember Saul Goodman as the savvy lawyer behind Walter White’s meth empire. But as this show proves, there is so much more to the greasy-haired lawyer than cheesy commercials and one-liners. McGill, although a huge player in the Albuquerque underworld from Breaking Bad, managed to scuttle away unharmed into the shadows of Omaha, Nebraska after the season finale. The show gives a glimpse into his new life before backtracking into his past in New Mexico, where the rest of the episodes take place. Better Call Saul focuses on McGill, who was a broken down, dirt-broke lawyer from New Mexico at the end of his rope. Viewers observe McGill at the beginning of the end, as the seduction of corruption and cold hard cash was only beginning to take root in the poor lawyer running
shop in the back of a nail salon. The opening, a black-and-white teaser of McGill’s bleak post-Breaking Bad life, was even better than fans were expecting. McGill, who now goes by Gene, has dissolved his entire bigshot persona and works in a Cinnabon bakery. He resides with the fear that his enemies in Albuquerque will finish the job he didn’t let them complete when he left White’s empire. He relishes his former notoriety and spends his nights rewatching the old commercials for his seedy stripmall law office. This peek into McGill’s future provides a seamless segway into his past, as his commercial (in glowing technicolor) sucks him into reveries of his good ol’ days where he danced with the law and had yet to cross the line from desperate to deranged. The show artfully balanced the humor of McGill’s pitiful situation and witty repartee with the heavy tones of familial responsibility and desperation tainting the otherwise standup guy. While McGill’s brother wastes away after seeming to have had a mental break, McGill fights tooth and nail to preserve his brother’s share of a law empire laying to waste in the wake of his brother’s personal crisis. This, along with his predictable lack of monetary success as a public defender, creates a
man not hungry for a con but just starved for a feeling of success and fulfillment. All of this produces a perfect storm, like a car crash we cannot look away from, as McGill begins to dabble in white lies and shady dealings out of sheer necessity — and later out of pure greed. All of this backstory gives the Saul Goodman viewers had loved to hate a cast of humanity that seemed lacking in the money-hungry lawyer. The man was willing to reconstruct his life around success, changing his name from the clearly Irish Jimmy McGill to a more Hebraic Saul Goodman. The move was for the “homeboys” who would trust a “member of the tribe” (as said in Breaking Bad, when McGill was introduced as Saul Goodman). This obvious WWW.IGN. and life-altering COM change further illustrates the complete metamorphosis McGill/Goodman undertook in his past to be depicted in Better Call Saul. While the plot maintains a fine balance between humour and violence, creator Vince Gilligan uses the same filming techniques he employed in Breaking Bad. The show’s similar plot (boy meets crime, boy loves crime, boy loses crime) does not seem overused or boring despite our knowing that of the death of McGill’s mo-
rality, self respect, and hairline is looming just over the New Mexico horizon. The cherry on top of this cinematic success? The return of Breaking Bad’s beloved supporting castmates. The crazy drugpin Tuco, Mike (the retired private investigator who kills more frequently than he cashes in his social security) — they all make a return for the series. Their presence does not feel desperate or forced, but instead paints a background for a man who would soon have a “guy” for everything and more targets on his back than anyone could sleep soundly with. The Jimmy the audience grows to know in this new show is a polar opposite from the Saul that fans knew so well, and that growth is what keeps viewers hooked. Although the audience knows that Jimmy McGill never dies in a literal sense, they know they are watching an average man waste away into a corrupt scumbag willing to murder his own associates. The tribute to McGill’s future demise via cinnamon rolls in Omaha was artful in the sense that it completely acknowledged that we are observing everything he loved and lost. Millions of fans can now witness his path split and watch his life go down in expensive, meth-fueled flames as he chooses the road less legal.
MOVIE
APP
TV SHOW
GAME
THE DUFF
SHAZAM
EYE CANDY
COLOSSATRON: MASSIVE WORLD THREAT
Teens, there’s a romantic comedy geared towards you. The film is called The DUFF, meaning “designated ugly fat friend,” an acWWW.IMDB.COM ronym used frequently throughout the film. The movie’s theme is simple. It follows high school student Bianca and her trials in battling stereotypes, complicated love and friendships — something that is not a relatively new concept. It’s basically the plot of any TeenNick movie. Though this premise is overused in film, the movie combats it well. It’s up to date with the common slang, which is a surprise. Movies centered on teenagers can have trouble keeping up with current lingo, but The DUFF does not. There was one scene in particular where the main character had a fight with her friends, resulting in a social media “unfollowing war.” It was comical and representative of typical high school behavior. Though the story offers a different take on a high-schooler’s feelings of awkwardness, it’s still predictable. Viewers can easily guess the movie’s outcome after seeing the trailer. But even though viewers may have an inkling of what is going to happen, their attention won’t waver throughout the movie. The actors were casual and realistic. Mae Whitman was phenomenal and relatable as the designated, ugly fat friend, and Bella Thorne was excellent as the quintessential “mean girl.” The cast’s remarks were identical to the type of banter in a typical high school hallway. The DUFF, although predictable, is well done and a must-see for high school viewers.
New updates to the wellknown music app Shazam promise to make a music lover’s experience easy, simple and fun. There may be ways to PLAY.GOOGLE.COM other identify a song, but the new Shazam update brings a score of added features to the table. When the app first opens, there is only a center button on the screen. Once a song is playing, the user can press the button, and within two seconds Shazam has not only presented song title and artist, but other features too. Its simple design makes it relatively easy to navigate, and the clean layout is very eye-catching and straightforward. Once a song is identified, Shazam presents a preview of the song, lyrics formatted to bold for the listener to follow along, the album name, release date, genre, music video, artist bio, concert dates, the option to buy the song instantly on iTunes and even the option to start an iTunes radio station based on the song. There is also a discovery button that shows the album that the song is on in addition to a preview of all the other songs on that album. The best feature is the 20 songs Shazam suggests that are similar to the one identified. It can create new playlists and offer new songs the user may like based on the one it finds. Shazam will continue finding popular music for the user even when the app isn’t in use. So, while Shazam can recognize a song and artist quickly, its true value lies in its ability to widen listeners’ horizons.
Former Nickelodeon superstar Victoria Justice is making a new name for herself in the growing cybercrime television niche with her new show Eye Candy. The show is cenWWW.PINTEREST.COM tered around Justice’s character Lindy and a hunt to find a serial killer threatening New York via the Internet. Lindy endures twists and turns while helping New York’s cyber crimes unit, which makes for an interesting and addicting plot. Each episode leaves the viewer wanting more. Justice plays the role well — surprisingly. Eye Candy has a much more mature theme than Justice’s former shows Zoey 101 and Victorious. Her new role has proven her worthy of stardom. The other actors are more than mediocre but hardly memorable. Part of this could be due to the random appearances of characters. New characters are introduced in every episode, which can be confusing. The show’s only glaring flaw is its overuse of computer lingo. The complicated jargon is nearly impossible to understand for an audience not familiar with techsavvy slang. Eye Candy is not for everyone, especially the faint-of-heart. Murders are a frequent occurrence and are often gruesome. Also, because of the show’s more serious theme, it lacks the comedic relief that defined Justice’s former sitcoms. For those itching for TV’s newest thriller, look no further. Eye Candy is suspenseful enough to leave viewers at the edges of their seats during each commercial break, anxiously anticipating the next jaw-dropping plot development and willing to stick around for seasons to come.
The mobile gaming scene is filled with arcadestyle games that don’t have a definite end. Created by Halfbrick Studios, Colossatron: Massive World APPADVICE.COM Threat embodies that interesting style, but a few core problems hamper the experience as a whole. Players take control of the massive robotic monster, Colossatron. The design of the monster is inspired by kaiju: massive monsters often seen in Japanese movies. Its only goal is to destroy the various cities throughout the world while facing resistance from the military. The game is portrayed as a live action news report, which is creative and charming. The robotic kaiju moves on its own, while players instead control the various colored powercores that float around during stages. Each powercore has a different weapon, and players can swap between them after levels. Weapons are bought using prisms, which can be purchased using real money or found during stages. The game provides players with a set of six weapons to use, but this is one of the main problems. Sometimes the weapon sets provided don’t synergize, such as when both healing powercores are active at the same time, leaving only four attack options instead of five or six. The other problem is the huge difficulty spike come the last stage. It forces a more defensive playstyle, which isn’t easy to immediately switch to. It’s like suddenly facing a mountain. Colossatron: Massive World Threat, while entertaining, isn’t the best representation of an arcade-style mobile game. The inconsistent difficulty and uncontrollable factors hinder the experience as a whole.
IDEAS EDITOR
The DUFF; 2015; Ari Sande; PG-13
Shazam; Shazam Entertainment Ltd.; Updated Feb. 9; Apple; Free
By Josie Bennett
By Olivia Asimakis
Eye Candy; 2015; TV-14; MTV
By Mora Downs
Better Call Saul (2015) TV-14 AMC
Colossatron: Massive World Threat; Created by Halfbrick studios; Released Dec. 5, 2013; $0.99
By Addison Toutant
Home is where the heart is
SPORTS
North Pointe – Friday, March 6, 2015 – 7
FAR LEFT: Alumna and math teacher Lauren Nixon poses next to the Division I lacrosse trophy with her former coach, Bill Seaman, her coach during her 2008 season. “It is very rewarding coaching at my former high school,” Nixon said. “ When I played lacrosse here at North, I never imagined I would be the varsity head coach when I got older.” LEFT: Nixon sets up for the next Alumnae Olivia Stander and Lauren play. “I started playing lacrosse Nixon return to North to coach my freshman year in high school their old high school teams COURTESY OF LAUREN NIXON and honestly just fell in love COURTESY OF LAUREN NIXON with the sport,” Nixon said. By Anu Subramaniam “My main inspiration was my lacrosse coach here at know about in general, what it means to be a women’s CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF soccer coach. In that aspect, we found that Ms. Stand- North, Bill Seaman. I had never played lacrosse before, er, both being on a state championship basketball team and he told me to come try it out. I fell in love with the Photos of state-recognized athletes line the hallway with coach Bennett back in the day with basketball, was sport, and that’s where it started. Bill was an amazing outside of the gym, marking their high school achieve- a very good athlete. She played soccer here at Grosse coach. He knew how to train and push athletes to their ments. One of the few students recognized for multiple Pointe North as well as at Michigan State and coaches fullest potential yet make the game fun and enjoyable at years in more than one sport at the all-state level is Olivia youth soccer in the community, knows the community the same time,” Nixon said. “When I first got hired back in Stander. 2013 as an assistant coach, I was completing my student and was our top candidate.” A 2009 alumna and now a nurse, Stander returns to her Both coaches found that their involvement with North, teaching, and I wanted to get involved in coaching girls home field to try to give the girls varsity soccer team an both past and present, made them better suited for their lacrosse, and so I called up my old coach, and asked him advantage as new head coach. jobs. For Stander, it was girls varsity basketball coach, if I could volunteer my time with the team. He said, ‘Bet“It’s obter yet, you can viously an be an assistant honor to be coach,’ and that back at Grosse is how I began Pointe North. coaching here When I gradat North.” uated from As an assisMichigan tant coach, NixState, I always on bonded with had the idea in players and bemy mind that came comfortI was gonna able with the try to coach team and her for Grosse leadership role. Pointe North “My freshif the position man year, we became availhad Bill as the able,” Stander head coach, but said. Lauren was the Stander assistant coach. isn’t the first She was the deNorseman to fense coach, return to their so I’ve had her former stompwhen I was a ing ground. freshman even COURTESY OF LAUREN NIXON COURTESY OF VALHALLA YEARBOOK Math teachbefore she was a er and 2008 LEFT: Nixon runs toward the net during a game in her 2008 lacrosse season. teacher,” junior RIGHT: Stander shoots a contested three-pointer. during her 2009 basketball season “I just feel really blessed to be back at this school and be alumna Lau- “I have been coaching girls lacrosse going on three years now, and every time Caroline Bock able to represent Grosse Pointe North in a little different fashion now as a ren Nixon has we play a home game on the North turf, it reminds me of when I used to play,” said. “I’m lucky Nixon said. coach, but I’m excited,” Stander said. taken over as with Lauren behead coach for the girls varsity lacrosse team as well. Gary Bennett, who taught her the qualities that a strong cause I’ve had her since I was a freshman, but some of “I have been coaching girls lacrosse going on three coach embodies. the other girls are just getting to know her unless they years now, and every time we play a home game on the “I played four years for him, and I just really admired had her as a teacher.” North turf, it reminds me of when I used to play. Brings the way that he was able to get the girls so passionate By conditioning and spending time with the girls, Nixme back to my glory days. I can imagine myself playing about basketball and excited to come every day and on and Stander have initiated relationships with players in the games and how fired up I used to get playing other practice, and I can only hope to instill those values in my and created a team-like atmosphere before the start of teams. I get just as excited about the games now being girls with being competitive, respectable young adults,” the season. the coach,” Nixon said via email. “Since she’s so young, we get along with her really well Stander said. For both Nixon and Stander, their alumnae status Bennett believes that Stander’s vast experience in ath- because she understands, and she’s played before. It’s helped them understand what North was looking for in a letics and her competitiveness as a player will bring her great,” senior varsity soccer player Olivia Cook said. “The coach and made them more familiar with the programs. success as a coach. way she talks to us, she doesn’t talk like we’re inferior However, both coaches feel that their sports knowledge “Olivia was one of the best competitors we’ve ever had to her. She talks like she wants to help. How she’s been ultimately landed them the positions. here, and that’s what I think the big difference maker for running conditioning has been great. She has different “For lacrosse, we looked for someone who knew the her (was),” Bennett said. “I think being a great competi- workouts planned every time. So she’s super organized sport because it’s a very niche sport. I don’t know that tor, that drives you. I think she’s going to be driven to and just knows what to do.” much about lacrosse other than watching it. Specifically have a good team, to try to instill some of that competiBock sees Nixon’s approach as a positive change for with the women’s side of the sport, we wanted some- tiveness into the kids on her team. She’ll be a great lead- the team. body that could relate to the girls. That’s what Ms. Nixon er. She was a great teammate, so I have no doubt she’ll be “She’s already here, and I think she wants to be here brought as well as being a teacher in the building and be- a great leader. She’s had a lot of great coaches, and she’s which is a difference we had from last year. She wants to ing an alumni,” Athletic Director Brian Shelson said. “For probably gonna bring something from all of those coach- coach us, and she wants to make us better,” Bock said. the girls soccer coach position, we had a very deep can- es into her coaching.” “She’s really nice and funny, but she’s also really comdidate pool. We interviewed everybody and asked them For Nixon, it was her former coach Bill Seaman who petitive and takes things seriously.” specific questions about what they knew about soccer, not only inspired her to be a coach but helped prepare what they know about Grosse Pointe North, what they her with an assistant coaching position. Contributing: Andrea Scapini
Tennis team races to match minimum monetary point for new courts By Gowri Yerramalli ASSISTANT EDITOR
Walking past North’s tennis courts, the sounds of balls bouncing and students playing are seldom heard. These courts have not been put to use because of their degeneration over the years. To fund the needed improvements, the girls tennis team started a sponsorship fundraiser program that will end at the end of March. Tina Allor, head of the tennis booster club, is managing the fundraiser. “Basically what it is is just a sponsorship opportunity,” Allor said. “There’s different levels, and the higher the amount, the more opportunity you have. For $6,000 you can name a court, so your family name could be on there. There’s six different levels of donation, and names will be displayed.” The plan to construct new tennis courts will consist of two phases: replacing the four current courts now and building four more courts in the near future. However, it may be subject to change depending on how much money is raised. Allor and the team hope to build the eight courts at once. “It’s ver y likely that we’ll be able to get four, but we need to raise the money in order to get eight because we can’t really have matches and tournaments and what not split on each court,” A llor said. “We’re still tr ying to raise the extra money to take to the board and say, ‘We have this money and we’re hoping that we can contribute, and we can do eight courts instead of four because it’s cheaper in the long run. Our plan is to do two phases: do four courts now and then maybe four courts dow n the road, but it would cost more money in the long run to do that.” Junior Lauren Lesha, a member of the tennis team, hopes the new courts will allow them to practice on North’s campus. “The tennis team needs new courts because the ones at school have too many cracks to be used. Instead we have to drive to the Woods Park right after school, which can be a pain,” Lesha said. “The courts at school are so embarrassing, and it
AVA DELOACH
Though currently snow-covered, the cracked tennis courts have been unused for years, even during fair weather. The girls tennis team continues to fundraise to renovate the courts.
would be nice if our school could get some usable courts.” The lack of courts on campus is what junior Kayla Gallant, another member of the tennis team, believes discourages underclassmen from joining. “It’s a struggle for underclassmen to get to practice, and it makes people think tennis is too much of a hassle to join,” Gallant said. “We all agree that if we’re able to put in the new courts, it’ll be great for the school and our school’s tennis program overall.” The team has already raised $11,000 with commitments from other families pending. Lesha believes that while a generous number of people have donated so far, it is not enough to support their project. “So far, we have had a decent number of people donate but nowhere near where our numbers need to be,” Lesha said. “We are counting on many more people to generously donate so we can reach our goal. Just a little support from a large group of people can really help us bring in the funds we need for the courts.” The team spread the word by distributing flyers and emailing parents and students. “We sent out a flyer to about 180 people, and we sent the emails out to all of the classes, all the parents. We sent them to Parent Club, to each class and just people that we know in the area,” Allor said. “The goal is a minimum of $100,000 by the end of March.” The members hope this fundraiser will be successful in raising enough money to build the new courts. “The other members of the team are also very supportive and hopeful for the fundraiser,” Lesha said. “We all would love to play tennis on our school campus and to make the school look nicer altogether.”
8 – North Pointe – Friday, March 6, 2015
Traditional
FEATURE
Virtual
Hashtags pepper the Internet with issues ranging from police brutality to gender equality, elevating topics from vital to viral.
“It’s a really quick way to get everyone together and rally the troops a little bit faster rather than a news post or something, because it involves the teenagers more,” senior Katie Roy said. “They can get more involved and hear about the news faster.”
Regarding a recent news report from Fox 2 News that portrayed North negatively, Roy used online tools to try to professionally respond to the online chaos.
“Positively, students or kids feel that they can express their opinions more freely, which is good. Negatively, though, sometimes we have a culture of oversharing, where people say things that are either misinformed or that will later come back to hurt them in a lot of ways. I think that’s what we’re going to start to see within the next ten years,” McCarroll said.
Social studies teacher Sean McCarroll believes that social media activism became prevalent during the 2008 presidential election by targeting younger voters through social media. Since then, humanitarian crisises like Kony 2012 and #bringbackourgirls have blown up over the Internet. While social media has often proved to be a powerful tool in facilitating activism, it has also caused rapid hysteria.
“Activism means fighting for the causes you believe in and actually doing something about it instead of being a bunch of big talk.”
“I emailed them telling them that they were wrong and that their reporting was subpar and that they needed to get their facts straight because they were dissing my school, and I wasn’t going to just let that happen,” Roy said.
Although McCarroll has participated in physical protests during college, he sees the value in protesting through social media as well.
“I think either one is good, and I always encourage becoming more involved as long as you’re informed. A lot of times people channel the opinions of their parents, which is not exactly the best way to receive information,” McCarroll said.
But when social media is used correctly, McCarroll feels it’s a useful tool to take advantage of.
Twitter - 1 billion+ Google Plus - 1.6 billion+ Pinterest - 70 million+ Facebook - 1.28 billion+ LinkedIn - 300 million+
Total number of users:
“So as long as you’re informed, and you know what you’re talking about, and you do it in a productive way that’s not going to come back to bite you in the future, then yeah, absolutely,” McCarroll said.
A digital age
of internet users are active on social media
75%
Senior
Katie Roy
BUISNESS MANAGER & WEB EDITORS
By Wendy Ishmaku, Emily Martinbianco & Dora Juhasz
With social media providing a new outlet for protests, #activism is trending
is it just #slacktivism? Protesters wore shirts emblazoned with “I can’t breathe.” They initiated marches with
Class of 2013 alumna
Shelby Winn
shouts of “hands up, don’t shoot.” Standoffs arose nationwide. Physical protests have been “Marching together with a group a hallmark of activism for decades and are still alive today. They span the world and attract of people, in whatever weather, young activists like Class of 2013 alumna Shelby Winn. screaming until you can’t hear “When you stand equally next to somebody who is fighting for the same thing as you it gives you this insane feeling for self-worth and meaning. You do not feel like just another your own voice anymore ... blank face,” Winn said via email. “It empowers people and helps them realize what is important, what has meaning. And as the lead species on this planet, I think we need to underthat’s important. That gives you stand what has meaning. I think we need to fight for the safety and rights of ourselves and a sense of purpose. That makes the people we share our home with.” you see how painful the topic History teacher Terri Steimer also sees the power in physical protesting and actually feels that it is more effective than digital campaigns. you’re standing for is. But on the other hand, I think smearing your outrage over Facebook and Twitter is equally important.” “Number one, I think that there is power in numbers, and usually two heads are better than one or a group of people, and I think they’re more inf luential. Sometimes people hide behind the screen, so to speak, and they can lash out their tongue and don’t have to look at anyone face-to-face, and so their bravery is sometimes rooted in their own fear. And so to me, real activism is working as a group and trying to accomplish a goal,” Steimer said. “If it’s peaceful activism, I think it’s much more effective, and then you reach larger groups of people (rather) than just little individuals.” For Winn, physical activism is a perpetual process that will help foster change and development.
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“I think protesting and activism is going to last as long as the human race does, because we will never be satisfied,” Winn said. “There will always be evil and ignorance and disagreements. I’m pretty confident that things will change.”
Protestors marching in Ferguson on Aug. 14, 2014.
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