North Pointe- March 20, 2015

LIFE PAGE 5 Juniors Laurel Kreuter and Sam MacConnachie landed a fashion internship at Zarkpa’s Purses and Accessories .

NORTH

“There’s this store next to Zarkpa’s that made its own Chanel sign. I’ve always wanted to take a picture in front of Chanel, so I thought this was the next best thing. Of course, I bow down to Chanel. I mean, who wouldn’t?” Kreuter said.

POINTE COURTESY OF LAUREL KREUTER

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015

SINCE 1968

C4 supplement poses health risks for teens

By Anu Subramaniam & Alex Harring CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & INTERN

With spring break only a few weeks away, gym attendance has peaked, and so has the use of preworkout supplements. C4, a product made by Cellucor, enhances physical and mental performance for those training or competing. It prepares the body to endure a longer, tougher workout and claims to make it easier to lose weight or gain muscle.

Senior Cameron Kozik is a seasoned gym-goer and has had experience using supplements like C4

by Cellucor and AGC 3 since his freshman year.

“Freshman year, on the Norsemen summer (hockey) team, a couple of guys were using it, and I gave it a try,” Kozik said. “(People hear about C4) in the locker rooms and the gym. People are always willing to try the next thing that will give them the advantage.”

Athletic trainer Sarah Florida compared C4 to caffeine use.

“Athletes report feeling a burst of energy, stamina and strength. It is important to note though that these cannot ever be directly linked to C4 autonomously. There are no miracle pills/supplements/ beverages that can ever do those things alone,” Florida said via email.

After senior Georgina Goralczyk experienced this over-stimulation, she decided not to use C4 regularly.

“I’ve tried C4, and I noticed that it definitely works, and it messes with your mindset and your limits and how much you can push yourself, but I stopped using it because it has so much caffeine in it,” Goralczyk said. “One time I drank it after school, and I was up until like five o’clock in the morning, and I had to get up in an hour for school so ... I only take it once in a great, great while, which is maybe on a Friday if I take it at all.”

Both Kozic and Goralczyk have found that C4 is an effective supplement.

“I don’t use them for any particular reason other than to help me get extra energy in my workouts and increase endurance,” Kozik said. “It wakes you up, it gives you more energy, increases motivation. There’s a greater endurance and you can do more reps.”

However, the effectiveness of the product came with an uncomfortable feeling for Goralczyk.

“It made me be able to lift more weights, more so than without it. But that’s also because there’s something in there, and I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it messes with your mindset where you’re able to go

above your limits of how much you are able to push yourself,” she said.

Florida sees minors’ usage of C4 as problematic, since it is intended for adults. She warns about carefully following the instructions to avoid serious side effects, like cardiovascular problems.

“The product itself states in all caps that this product is not intended for minors,” Florida said.

“The product has dosage instructions for a reason, so the idea that more is better does not apply. The body only accepts and utilizes a certain amount to saturate muscle tissue. As with any product, it is important to read, understand and comply with appropriate dosage.”

Kozik has experienced changes over time from using C4 but is careful to not overuse the product.

“Your veins start to open up, so you have more oxygen flowing to your muscles. So you definitely notice your veins getting bigger in your body. For first-time users, you might have a little skin tingling — that’s from the mycin — and then maybe a little bit of increased heart rate,” Kozik said. “You are actually supposed to cycle off every 30 days and then take a couple weeks to let it get out of your system. And in terms of negatives, if you do take too much, there is a chance of heart attack and cardiovascular issues. I alternate between C4 and ACG3.”

Goralczyk feels that it’s easy to grow a dependency on C4, she limits her use to one season.

“In the fall, I would probably take C4 — maybe, if I did — to gain muscle while in the fall. In the spring I would do cardio, so not much C4 would be in the spring,” Goralczyk said. ‘It’s like a drug, and people will get the thing in their head where I can’t work out unless I have C4.’ So it’s definitely addictive, and I’m lucky that I haven’t gotten necessarily addicted to it.”

Florida believes hard work and non-substance motivation are better options than C4 to optimize workouts.

“A proper diet and training plan are also key in the usual desired results of strength training. If an athlete is serious about performance enhancement, there are plenty of resources available online or via professional,” Florida said. “As a healthcare provider and having done research on the product mentioned, I recommend ceasing its use unless over the age of 18 at the very least. To recap, the product has many warnings and is not intended for minors. Also important to note, this product is not regulated by the food and drug administration, so the manufacturer is not required to list all ingredients.”

AUDREY KAM WWW.SUPERSUP.COM

IDEAS - PAGE 3

CONTENTS

SPORTS - PAGE 8

“Over and over, we have failed to be judicious with our attentions, but now is the time to learn from our mistakes.”

Senior Alexis Farrar participates in varsity soccer tryouts last week in the gym.

1 2 3 4

NEWS CALENDAR IDEAS ON CAMPUS

5 6 7 8

LIFE REVIEWS SPORTS PHOTO ESSAY

AVA DELOACH

@thenorthpointe

www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 47, ISSUE 12

NEWS

2 – Friday, March 20, 2015 – North Pointe

Students conduct Mars research projects

By Andrea Scapini & Katelynn Mulder MANAGING EDITOR & INTERN

When senior Jamie Lackner expressed an initial dislike for a Mars research assignment her sophomore year, she had no idea it would actually ignite her passion for astronomy.

“There were five of us from (science teacher Ardis Herrold’s) Radio Astronomy Team, the RATs, that were like, ‘Okay I’ll (study mars),’ and I was like, ‘Okay I’ll do this, but I’m writing. I hate science. Science is gross.’ Now look at me. I love science,” Lackner said.

Lackner joined senior Gabby Feeny and junior Joey Bejin to attend the Michigan Science Teacher Association’s (MSTA) conference on Friday, Feb. 27 in Grand Rapids.

“The thing we did ... at the Michigan Teacher’s Science Conference was really significant because this was the first year that they allowed students to be presenters. That made it really different for us because we were the only people who were probably under 25 there, but we were allowed to be there because they wanted student experiences from outside the classroom other than just videos,” Lackner said. “The scientists are so welcoming. They treat us as their equals. It’s like the nicest thing because we’re all speaking the same language of science.”

This year’s conference theme was to include students’ points of view, which differs from the traditional teacher-toteacher presentations that usually occur.

“Every year when they set up a conference, they have a call for proposals. They like to have themes, so they have different themes at the conference,” Herrold said. “One of the themes at the conference this year is they wanted to have some pre-

By Radiance Cooper, Allison Lackner & Caitlin Bush ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTERS

Every year, students travel down the hallways with required reading books tucked under their arms or crammed into overfilled backpacks. Although they may grumble and moan, those same books were once forbidden in school and still are in some districts.

Sophomore Cate Troost saw positive messages in assigned texts like The Catcher in the Rye and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. “(The Catcher in the Rye) kind of had a very transcendentalist focus of the book that made you wanna seize the day and ‘don’t let life pass you by’ moral that really impacted a lot of people that read it, I think,” Troost said.

A possible addition to the Freshman English curriculum required texts is now going through the approval process.

English teacher Geoffrey Young feels that school districts should determine whether or not books on the banned list should be read based on the needs of the community and the desires of the student body.

“If you have a student population who values being part of that larger world context that has read and experienced works like (Adventures of) Huckleberry Finn and (The) Catcher in the Rye, if they want that, and their parents want that, and the school district wants that, then I think the school should fight for that ability to have text even when they are controversial,” Young said. “If the community at large can be convinced of the value of

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that, then the school district should … go ahead and try to fight for those experiences for their students.”

Although books on the banned list often tackle difficult topics, English teacher Kristen Alles sees great value in students reading these novels in school.

“A lot of times (the) issues that these books discuss and show are touchy and sensitive for a lot of students. But I think that if you are able to talk about it and read it in a safe and comfortable environment, then it make it easier to understand and easier to comprehend,” Alles said. “Where as if you read it on your own, it might be a skewed view, or a myopic view, where as in a classroom, somebody’s there to sort

“

Reading something with questionable content does not make a reader do something questionable.

Amanda Pata

“

Controversia l books banned in districts

sentations that involved some teacher-student teams where students had experienced doing research in school.”

The conference was an opportunity for Lackner, Feeny and Bejin to share their intensive research experiences.

“The teachers in the audience listening to them really enjoyed and appreciated the fact that they were hearing the student side of the experience instead of just a teacher talking to teachers,” Herrold said. “I think they were really appreciative, and I think they enjoyed the students’ presentation.”

Bejin also participated in the Michigan Science Fair with freshman Michelle Bridges and sophomore Adam Gellert on Wednesday, March 11 at COBO Center.

“It has made me a better public speaker,” Bejin said. “It’s helped show me the applications of science in real-world uses, and it’s just opened up opportunities.”

The project earned second place in the science fair. Because of prior commitments, Feeny and Lackner chose instead to be mentors during this process, a new experience for the pair.

“It’s kinda nice ‘cause I already know what I’m doing, so I’m not panicking and running around like, ‘Mrs. Herrold, what do I do?’” Feeny said. “Now I can kinda just take the lead and just go with something ‘cause I know what I’m doing now.”

Both Feeny and Lackner felt prepared to speak at MSTA, as they’ve presented numerous times in the past.

“I have presented at least four times. Like to planetary mappers, planetary scientists, astronomy club people and science fair judges,” Feeny said. “I was like ‘I was ready. I have done this like a million times.’”

Lackner finds comfort in the relationships that she has formed with scientists during her high school career. She credits this research with molding her plan to study planetary geology.

“What they do is so different, and it’s so new, and it’s so cutting edge. I just think that’s so nice, and I think the fact that I’ve found a community — even though they all come from different backgrounds — they all found this one niche that they like, and I like it, too,” Lackner said. “Just knowing that it could be a possibility to work with them is the coolest thing.”

LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST

of guide you through this and help you understand this. I think there is a tremendous amount of value from that.”

Young believes that because these books are among classic literature, they hold certain experiences the larger community shares. He said when students are not allowed to share the same experiences, they are locked out of the larger conversations within the community.

“So when students don’t have those experiences, when they can’t say that they know what Mark Twain was doing, or what he was up to and how that text works, or when they don’t have the cultural references to say ‘Oh, I understand J.D.

WINTER SPORTS AWARDS

Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in the PAC

Salinger’s novel and what Holden Caulfield struggled with and why, then they’re kind of locked out of this larger conversation that I think we always want our students to be a part of all conversations,” Young said.

Sophomore Rachel Joy thinks students’ maturity levels makes books on the banned list acceptable to read.

“We’re in high school. We should be able to handle a book,” Joy said.

Alles feels no book should be put on the banned list because there is value in reading and understanding some of the themes and issues that arise in the stories.

She provides alternative books with similar themes for students that may feel uncomfortable with the nature of the material so they aren’t left out of the experience.

“As long as teachers and students in a classroom can be a honest and open and safe supportive environment, then you can read those and be confident in understanding them or talking about them. And for some students that feel more uncomfortable with it, hopefully the student can come to the teacher and say, ‘I don’t feel comfortable with this,’” Alles said.

According to library media specialist Amanda Pata, controversial books can provide good exposure for high schoolers because they can often give advice for the future.

“Reading is often the best exposure to controversial topics. Reading something with questionable content does not make a reader do something questionable,” Pata said via email.

Troost thinks that books offer a look at humanity, and when certain books are shunned, students do not have the chance to have a full glimpse of the world.

“You have to be exposed to literature, and life is portrayed through literature, and if books like that are banned, then you’ll never be able to take in what’s around you,” Troost said.

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Innovation Lab to launch kickstarter campaign Innovation Club is creating a video to launch their Kickstarter campaign. Kickstart is a way of crowd-funding projects or campaigns and even organizations. The campaign will be directed towards the community to receive publicity and donations.

“The video is going to be mostly about what they do in the club. So it’s gonna focus on the concept of students having the opportunity to create and turning their ideas into actual products,” Innovation Club adviser Sean McCarroll said.

The idea and filming of the video started in late February.

“We began a couple weeks ago, and we are still working on finalizing it on how we want to lay it out, how it’s going to look like and also trying to get some of the stuff in the physical space prepped for filming, but to limit a couple weeks,” McCarroll said.

Film production contributors are juniors Tyler Scoggin, Jeffrey Valentic, Chris Collins and senior and Innovation Club founder Trevor Joy. “I would think it is going to be a series of interviews, and basically I’m actually going to be the guy narrating the whole thing. I’m going to be talking about all the cool stuff we will be doing,” Collins said.

The film will show how the machines and computers work and will give reasons as to why people should donate to the club.

“I am supplying the camera to record the Kickstarter video. I think I’m going to be the main interviewer. I am going to talk to Mr. McCarroll, getting the information so we can publish the Kickstarter and get the word out,” Valentic said. “I’m trying to get a wide range of types of themes, just different scenes of kids being productive in the workspace.”

According to Joy, the ultimate goal of the video is to have people donate money.

“A Kickstarter is a campaign to promote the club. I really think there is a future in technology at North, and I really wanted to expand like on that. I knew that there was a lot of people that liked technology and was involved, but nobody really got together and made a group for it. I started the club so people could talk openly and collaborate their ideas,” Joy said.

The video will be released sometime in April, and Scoggin anticipates the rest of filming to be enjoyable.

“I’m looking forward to it ‘cause then making the video … will be a lot of fun and then it will kind of move the club forward by getting it out there to people who can donate money, and they can help improve our club,” Scoggin said.

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BELOW: Sophomore Adam Gellert, freshman Michelle Bridges and junior Joey Bejin showcase their Michigan Science Fair project at the COBO Center.

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IDEAS

North Pointe – Friday, Mar. 20, 2015 – 3

Knowledge doesn’t come cheap “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 Erica Lizza CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Anu Subramaniam CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Haley Reid CO-MANAGING EDITOR

Olivia Asimakis NEWS EDITOR

Brittney Hernandez LIFE EDITOR

Wendy Ishmaku BUSINESS MANAGER

Dora Juhasz WEB NEWS EDITOR

Jennifer Kusch IDEAS EDITOR

Kaley Makino WEB IDEAS EDITOR

Ritika Sanikommu ASSISTANT EDITOR

Emily Martinbianco WEB LIFE EDITOR

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above. Members who have a conflict of interest with an editorial topic do not partake in that meeting or vote.

OUR EDITORIAL

Bathroom repairs stem from abuse

My parents have been making me save money for college for as long as I can remember. I’ve had a savings account since I was five.

I’ve added a few birthday checks to it every year, MY TURN but now that I’m CAITLIN BUSH in high school, it goes beyond just that. Every time I walk through the door after babysitting or mowing a neighbor’s lawn, I have to forfeit half of my profit to the piggy bank.

I don’t want to worry about college yet.

I should be enjoying my three remaining years of high school, not stressing about how many jobs I will have to get to pay for college. But rapidly rising tuition rates force me to think about these things right now.

College tuition in the United States puts more than 66% of students in debt. I find this ironic since we pay the university to teach us how to succeed in a job, but instead we end up using the money we make to pay off that debt. It’s a self-serving idea, if you ask me — the more we succeed, the better job we get, the more money we make, the faster we can pay off our loans.

Getting into college is stressful. Attending college is stressful. Paying for college shouldn’t be. It’s a completely unnecessary stress, and the government could help.

Maybe it’d be smarter to move to France so I don’t have to worry about my future debt. The plane ticket would be a lot cheaper than the thousands I’ll have to pay off.

France, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden all provide free college and even offer many courses in

English. These countries put their students’ needs first, and that’s what education should be about. The U.S. should join those ranks and start making college tuition free.

Not only would our government be helping students as individuals, but it would also keep our country safer and improve everyday life.

A study conducted at Pennsylvania State University by Dana Mitras, an Education and Theory and Policy program professor, showed that the more formal education a person receives, the less likely he or she is to engage in crime, especially violent crime.

Levels of criminal activity within a community are generally lower when the average level of education is higher. College education lowers crime rates, so the government should support that in any way it can.

In countries where college is free, citizens pay more in taxes. The U.S. would most likely be willing to pay a bit more as it would lower crime rates.

College prepares you for many things to come in the future, and everybody should have the chances to experience that. Many can’t because of the money factor so the best way to solve that problem is the government making college free or easing the burden on students. College should be a memorable, awesome experience, not a time to have numerous jobs and be freaking out about debt the whole time. Stressing about those things can make people a bit of a buzzkill.

Nobody should have to live with tens of thousands of dollars of debt hanging over their shoulders. If the government would help, I would be able to spend my piggy bank money on more important things, like myself.

JENNIFER KUSCH

Pardon the bathroom humor, but we need to get down to business.

Bolting up three f lights of stairs or rushing to another building to find the nearest open bathroom is a hassle, not to mention you could be missing the important lecture notes in AP U.S. History or the fact that you might be late to Spanish. The warning bell just rang, and the bathroom has a line out the door.

You can barely hold it in.

Closing multiple school bathrooms within the past few weeks sparked an inf lux of rumors and frustration.

Students are spreading stories like wildfire. Their annoyance is evident.

Here’s the truth: It’s a maintenance issue. It may not be as stunning and controversial as some would like to believe, but it’s a problem that concerns every student using our bathrooms each day.

Broken pipes, sinks and stalls. Dismembered paper towel dispensers. You name it, and we — along with years of use — have most likely taken part in the wreckage of it. It’s an unspoken truth: We, as students, have treated our bathrooms with the utmost disrespect.

Despite the small percentage of us who suffer from bladder shyness, the vast majority of students use the bathrooms here. So what are we doing? Who is breaking all of the sinks? How does one even break a sink?

Then there’s the vandalism. It seems bringing sharpies to the bathroom has become a fad. But please, leave it to social media to provide the hashtags and positivity quotes. Conversations on bathroom stalls can be easily moved to Twitter — a place where we can read other people’s business while we aren’t doing our own.

The bathrooms have been deteriorating for years, and they have finally reached their breaking point.

Some bathrooms have only one or two stalls with doors that lock or even remain shut. The majority of them aren’t even functional.

It’s terrifying to imagine the state we leave our bathrooms in at home if this is how we treat our school.

Students: It’s time for a change. We must treat our restrooms with respect. Hardworking custodians spend hours doing their best to make our battered bathrooms look a little less ancient and grotesque. And when we vandalize and carelessly abuse the restrooms that are open, we give administration reasons to close more of them.

Behind every word written on a stall, every tile damaged, there is someone who must sacrifice precious time to repair and clean. People have to clean up after us, and it’s not our mothers. Be mindful.

Administrators: Students had no idea why doors were locked and when they would be reopened.

Closing the science building bathrooms during lunch has brought an added inconvenience. Yes, they are closed for a viable reason — lack of adult supervision and classroom disturbance — but an inconvenience none the less.

To avoid rumors and agitation, administration should have clearly announced the circumstances. It could have been a powerful lesson to students, letting us know that the bathroom debacle is rooted in our own poor behavior.

Meanwhile, administration should have offered alternatives. Cleaning is a necessary evil, but when bathrooms are limited, it should be restricted to before and after school or during times when it is vital.

The need to pee is never going to go away. We need our bathrooms, but we also need to be informed before they suddenly disappear.

“After reading To Kill a Mockingbird ... you can definitely look back at history and see how people have changed over time.”

“I was the only black kid in my class, so it made me feel uncomfortable, and everyone looked at me.”

Danny Morrison

Camille Burke

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

“They’ve made me think differently a little bit, but the storyline, I love the storyline.

They have interesting plots, and there are different twists and turns.”

Kayla Selbmann JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: How have controversial books affected you?

By Sydney Benson

“They give you different points of view on how different people see things, and you might not pick up on without having that perspective. ” Dan Sosnowski SENIOR

“Anytime someone ... makes us more aware of how people think and feel differently, it can be a huge gift to help us think more, explore more and learn more about others’ perspectives.”

Melissa Pierce GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Erica Lizza, Anu Subramaniam MANAGING EDITORS: Haley Reid, Andrea Scapini SECTION EDITORS: Olivia Asimakis, Katelyn Carney, Brittney Hernandez, Audrey Kam, Jennifer Kusch WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma Puglia WEB MANAGING EDITOR: Mora Downs WEB SECTION EDITORS: Dora Juhasz, Kaley Makino, Emily Martinbianco BUSINESS MANAGER: Wendy Ishmaku PHOTO EDITORS: Dalaney Bradley, Ava DeLoach, Alanna Sparks ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR: Sydney Benson ASSISTANT EDITORS: Josie Bennett, Yena Berhane, Emma Brock, Radiance Cooper, Billy Moin, Thomas Remenar, Ritika Sanikommu, Gowri Yerramalli STAFF REPORTERS: Caitlin Bush, Dajai Chatman, Allison Lackner, Lauren Sexton, Luke Sturgill, Addison Toutant

“If we don’t consider the various viewpoints then we can’t ever arrive at a holistic conclusion that ... makes us have a better understanding of ourself.”

Brendan Williams ENGLISH TEACHER

INTERNS: Conner Bott, Alex Harring, Nathan Lonczynski, Lindsey Ramsdell, Lauren Sexton, Sarah Wietecha The North Pointe is edited and produced

by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review.

Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions.

The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System.

We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com.

One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at northpointenow.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper.

CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Twitter: @thenorthpointe Website: NorthPointeNow.org FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE

EDITOR’S DESK

JENNIFER KUSCH

Let’s keep up with something else TV is in a golden age. Between Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Jinx, 2015 is a great time to be tuning in — yet the Kardashians the only thing people can talk about.

Recently, Keeping Up with the Kardashians has morphed from a trashy reality sideshow into an international spectacle documented on every screen and magazine within reach.

The end of their saga seems unreachable, as the family just signed a four-year, $40 million contract renewing their show.

They can now continue to mirror our culture’s most indulgent qualities for the world to see.

While I don’t count myself among their devoted viewership, I’m a bystander and have witnessed their metamorphosis with simultaneous awe and disgust.

Let me elaborate.

Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the clan, is one month older than I am. Peanuts, really. Yet she has augmented lips so large she looks like she is going into anaphylactic shock, and she recently bought her own home for a cool $2 million. Did I mention she is just 17?

Instead of talking about Kylie’s inflated lips and Kim’s ballooning derriere, one could have listened to the hit podcast Serial in its entirety, or viewed all of the Oscar nominated films from the past decade.

But I digress.

Between Kim’s distended rear and her pompous parenting, the entire clan is a sellout to America’s taste for the ridiculous. We may not have the most refined palate, but we sure do have a taste for babies named after airlines who also sport couture Balenciaga instead of Gymboree or Carter’s.

And what have they done to earn their spotlight? Kim may have shown her own unique set of moviemaking skills with ex-boyfriend Ray J, but the family has yet to contribute anything to society besides a line of cheap clothes, a brand of hair extensions and a gaming app as pointless as Kim going blonde.

Their show is like a car crash, and we cannot look away.

We allowed them to hijack our culture simply because we found their “reality” more entertaining than our own. It’s like Frankenstein — we created a monster, and we just can’t ignore it.

But the saddest part is what we pay for every minute of their ridiculous lives. The millions of dollars people have thrown away watching Kim go clubbing are overwhelming and provide no real benefit to society. Our need to escape our own realities has allowed this family to craft their contrived life. They aren’t actors retiring to beds after a long day of filming but people making millions off of a commercialized existence.

Their lifestyle is escalating in ridiculousness, just so that they can maintain the only thing that they have left — notoriety. We fostered their addiction, indulged every attention-grabbing whim (North West? Really?), and now we’re reaping what we’ve sowed.

Over and over, we have failed to be judicious with our attention, but now is the time to learn from our mistakes.

Although they may have secured four more seasons of this manicured trainwreck, let’s look away from the carnage and give our attention to shows more worthy of our time. TV is brimming with deserving tales just waiting to have their 15 minutes. Let’s change the channel and give it to them.

ON CAMPUS

4 – North Pointe – Friday, March 20, 2015

Chicago meets Grosse Pointe Junior class student council sets up display for Chicago Fest dance to take place March 27

By Dalaney Bradley PHOTO EDITOR

FACES IN THE CROWD

Danielle Roman

For freshman Danielle Roman, art is more than a way of relieving stress or killing time.

“Drawing doesn’t really move my emotions, my emotions move my drawings in a sense,” Roman said. “Whatever I feel, I draw.”

Roman didn’t discover her talent until seventh grade when she was assigned a landscape project. Her painting turned out so well that a faculty member asked if she would redo it for him to give his wife for Valentine’s Day. “I spent a lot of time with my art teacher, and we really bonded. She taught me a lot of things, and then she was like, ‘You know what, can you illustrate the cover for the yearbook?’” Roman said. “It was a Van Gogh piece of ‘Starry Night,’ and instead of the village, it was the school.”

Adam Weinkauf Since sixth grade, freshman Adam Weinkauf has been interested in cars. He knows what his favorite engine is (N54’s twin turbo inline six).

“It’s got a really flat powerband to it, so the power is always there. It’s quick, but not too quick for the cars,” Weinkauf said.

More specifically, he is interested in European models.

“My favorite car is a BMW E28 535 IS 1998,” Weinkauf said. “I like that it’s a six-cylinder and the engine. It’s a classic BMW. I want to own [it] when I’m older.”

When it comes to classic cars, Weinkauf prefers the style of the 1980s Mercedes, Audis and BMWs. “I kind of like the round headlights and the boxy body style of the 80s like the Mark One Rabbit,” Weinkauf said.

Weinkauf went to his first Woodward Dream Cruise in 2008. Although he never saw a car that suited him at the shows, he sometimes spots them at random.

“It makes you stop,” Weinkauf said. “I like it when I see them on the road.”

ABOVE & RIGHT: Senator Nikki Stein helps trace the skyline in the showcase.

“To make the skyline, I traced out buildings and made sure I included some iconic buildings, like the John Hancock Center,” Stein said. “After the skyline was painted black, I had to draw windows. That was the hardest part because they were small and detailed. I used different paints and tape to add dimension.”

Kade Callaway BELOW: President Emily McPharlin and Senator George Mourtos set up decorations in the showcase. McPharlin hopes to get many people to attend the dance. “We are working hard to get people interested in the dance. We changed the location of the dance and have a new DJ,” McPharlin said. “We hope everyone gets excited and there is a big turnout.”

LEFT: Senator Sydney Eger was one of the members that set up the staircase. Eger believes that this will remind students everyday about the upcoming dance. “I think it is a simple way to consistently remind people that the dance is coming up,” Eger said.

While German metal band Rammstein and Grosse Pointe may seem an unlikely pair, senior Kade Callaway combines the two through his guitar lessons.

Callaway is learning how to play from a long-distance friend.

“He’s in Pennsylvania … but when he was here, we got together at least once a week and just jammed out on guitar,” Callaway said.

Callaway’s music lessons have allowed him to learn a variety of songs from different bands and genres.

“I know how to play some Arctic Monkeys songs, Green Day and the song ‘Animal I’ve Become’ by Three Days Grace and a bunch of Rammstein,” Callaway said.

While Callaway sometimes uses guitar tablature to learn the notes, he can also learn organically.

“I do play by ear. I’ll listen to the song first,” Callaway said.

By Trevor Mieczkowski, Sonny Mulpuri & Harris Bunker

FIVE MINUTES WITH

English teacher Kathy Sexton

By Emma Puglia & Gowri Yerramalli WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ASSISTANT EDITOR

LAUREN SEXTON

Kathy Sexton, her husband Casey and daughters Ashley and Lauren, pose for a photo in front of Walt Disney World’s railroad attraction. “Anything Disney, when I talk about Disney, I just get happy. We’re Disney-ified. We’re absolutely Disneyified,” Sexton said.

Journeying from Grosse Pointe to the happiest place on earth, English teacher Kathy Sexton has made it a tradition to travel to Disney World annually with her family.

“We took Lauren to Disney when she was 2, almost 2 and a half years old — that was in May. We got a really good deal or something, and we went again in February the following year,” Sexton said. “We took Ashley, and we saw how much the kids enjoyed it and how much we enjoyed watching the kids have fun, so we just started going more often. We started going once a year. We always felt like we don’t have to rush to get through things because we know we’ll just come back.”

Since they’ve visited the resorts so often, Sexton and her family have become Disney Vacation Club members, meaning they’ve stayed in vacation clubs like the Grand Floridian villas and received MagicBand fast passes.

These passes allow more flexibility for her daughters and more relaxation time for Sexton and her husband, Casey Sexton.

“Now our girls are old enough to where they can hang out together. My husband and I don’t have to go on all the rides anymore. We can just sit back and chill while the girls go do their thing. Last year, as a matter of fact, they were at the age where they were just able to meet us,” Sexton said.

Although Sexton appreciates different attractions and aspects of the trip today, she often reminisces on the times when her children were young and experienced the theme park for the first time.

“I tell people — they’ll say, ‘My kid’s too young to go’— and I’ll say, ‘No, you take them when they’re little, for you, and you take them when they’re older, for them’ because those memories of those little two-and-ahalf-year-old faces and the pictures, they’re worth everything. They’re priceless,” Sexton said.

Sexton hopes to continue the tradition for years.

“It’s a different frame of mind — you’re just happy. Disney does everything the right way. Everything’s top-notch. They treat you like royalty no matter who you are,” Sexton said.

“We’ve never been disappointed.”

When did you know you were a Disney family?

I knew that we were a Disney family when Lauren was really little, and one of her friends had not told her parents the truth about something, and she asked Lauren for advice, and Lauren told her, ‘Let your conscience be your guide.’ I thought, ‘Okay, totally Jiminy Cricket.’ We started calling her Jiminy Cricket for a while.

Favorite memory or specific moment?

Ashley— when we were at Epcot and we were near the tanks she got really afraid of a fish hurting her sister, and she was trying to pull Lauren away, just little things like that. When they were little, going and seeing the princesses and all that, it was just the way they reacted.

When do you usually go to Disney?

We usually go mid-winter break in February and then spring break. We’ve been there in May and in June. Everybody’s been there on their birthday at least twice because they really treat you special on your birthday.

We want to go in October, so we can do the not-so-scary Halloween, and then we plan on going for Christmas on Christmas Day at some point ... those are the times of the year that we haven’t gone yet, but we want to go.

What’s your favorite restaurant when you go there?

Favorite restaurant is probably Narcoossee’s — Narcoossee’s or Teppan Edo, and they’ve got something for everybody, and we always prefer to do nicer dining, like for our dinners.

LIFE

SAM MACCONNACHIE

SAM MACCONNACHIE

ABOVE: Juniors Laurel Kreuter and Sam MacConnachie pose in front of a wall of art in Detroit. “Sam and I were taking photos of models in that alleyway, and it’s an alleyway with all this artwork, and when we were done with the photo shoot, we wanted to go back and take pictures of ourselves. So we did that, and we took pictures of our outfits, too, because we wanted to post pictures to Instagram,” Kreuter said.

North Pointe – Friday, March 21, 2014 – 5

SAM MACCONNACHIE

ABOVE: Zarkpa’s Purses & Accessories boutique in downtown Detroit opens its storefront.

“People are too afraid to go into the inner city ‘cause they think it’s just like the outer city, but it’s not. It’s completely different. It’s so safe, and they have the coolest stores and the coolest restaurants and the coolest coffee shops. Laurel and I get to experience that and tell people and show them that it’s not bad at all,” MacConnachie said.

Juniors root fashion dreams in Detroit Sam MacConnachie and Laurel Kreuter take on internship at downtown accessories boutique

By Yena Berhane & Emma Puglia ASSISTANT EDITOR & WEB-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It was a happy accident that led them to a new opportunity that would impact their futures. Zarkpa’s Purses & Accessories, a new boutique in downtown Detroit, just opened its doors to interns juniors Laurel Kreuter and Sam MacConnachie.

“Basically, it was kind of a luck thing. I was downtown for a concert, waiting in line, and I went to go get some coffee from this place called Urban Bean, and I was just there, and this person came up to me, and she’s like ‘I really like your bag,’ and I was like ‘Oh, thanks,’” MacConnachie said. “She was like ‘I own a little store over here,’ and I’m like, ‘Really?’ And we just got to talking, waiting for our coffee, and she was like, ‘What are you going to school for?’ and I was like, ‘Well, I’m not in college yet, but I’m in high school, and I want to go into fashion journalism,’ and she was like, ‘Really? Well, I need some interns,’ and so I just exchanged numbers.”

Zarkpa’s opened in Jan. 2014. Owner Tracy Garley had the idea for the business when she was a sophomore in college. Her goal was to inspire young girls to feel comfortable in their own skin. She has created campaigns like “PurseSonality” to encourage customers to purchase items that match their personalities.

“It sounded really shady at first — a random woman that comes up to you and says that. I didn’t want to do it at first, but Sam pushed me into doing it, and I’m really glad she did because it’s really fun and a great learning experience,” Kreuter said.

Needing manpower to help with her rising business, Garley chose five interns to work alongside her for a six-

month period that officially begins later this month.

“We were looking for determined, hard-working students that were interested in the fashion world. Just people that want to learn more and want to get into the fashion industry and that have a great work ethic,” Garley said. “And somebody, when I have to tell them to do something, they can just go above and beyond,” MacConnachie’s and Kreuter’s responsibilities include styling models, choosing themes and accessories for photo shoots, and helping set up the lighting and location of each shoot and commercial. The two predominantly work downtown on weekends, as they have other commitments during the week. Macconnachie also works at Which Wich.

“I’d say it’s hard (balancing school and the internship) because I have my other job, too. So it’s kind of hard balancing it all together,” Macconnachie said.

Although nervous at first, Kreuter’s parents realized this opportunity would help steer the girls towards their aspirations to work in the fashion industry.

“I think it’s great. I think they’re very responsible. I think they’re creative ... they met this person on their own and they took it upon themselves to get involved.

It helps that they both really have a passion for it. I was very impressed and quite proud of them,” Kreuter’s father Michael Kreuter said.

By interning at Zarkpa’s, MacConnachie and Kreuter have learned lessons about business, Detroit and fashion.

“I’ve learned definitely a big thing about the fashion industry is the people in it and being very good social-

wise. You need to make friends with them. You need to not butt heads with them. I also learned that photographers can be really picky, really annoying, but you just got to work with them ‘cause they’re the ones that know their vision,” Kreuter said. “Because Tracy’s a young business owner, and she never gives up, even with how everyone talks about with how Detroit is, it’s kinda run down. She believes that it’s literally coming back, and I do believe it, too, now that I work for her. She’s just a very brave, hard-working girl, and I hope to be like that one day.”

Since their internship officially kicks off later this month, MacConnachie and Kreuter are not yet paid. To them, what really counts is the experience they’ve been able to receive so far.

“I just know every time I do this, it’s gonna help me get forward in my dream job, also for college applications. Basically my favorite thing is just working with other people who understand my love for fashion and the creativeness and stuff like that,” Kreuter said.

MacConnachie has a similar sentiment towards the line of work.

“I like, once we have a wrap of a shoot, how accomplished you feel. But I also like going down there and getting a fresh start of each new photoshoot. We have a fresh canvas almost. These ideas that you always have, they can just keep going.”

YouTube opens doors to animation future

LEFT: Cubillejo sees his future as unpredictable. “I always change my mind of what I want to do, but right now, I’m probably going to stick with this channel.

I’m not exactly sure how long I want to do this, but I want to keep it for as long as I can without running it into the ground,” Cubillejo said.

By Anna Post INTERN

From making LEGO films at age 9 to creating detailed animations, aspiring animator and filmmaker Sebastian Cubillejo has been creating YouTube videos to express his creativity for the past three years.

“My friends started making videos one day, and I asked if I could be in one of them, and they’re like ‘Sure,’” Cubillejo said. “I just started to make my own after that.”

With 1,181 subscribers as of March 16, Cubillejo is creating action-packed videos to upload on his YouTube channel, FilmStrife. He handed out business cards with his channel’s logo and made t-shirts to promote his videos and saw 100 subscribers in his first year. FilmStrife now features 60 videos with views ranging from 200 to more than 80,000.

“This was kind of his thing,” Cubillejo’s sister senior Isabella Cubillejo said. “We used to do this thing where we would animate on this one online platform, and I stopped doing it, and I guess he just kept doing it and got more interested in film and went on from there.”

Isabella was shocked to see the number of viewers and subscribers her brother has gained the past three years.

“At first I didn’t even believe him, but then he showed me the numbers, then I was like ‘Oh, wow. I guess people actually like to watch his stuff’,” she said.

Videos like “Banana Warfare” originally sparked Cubillejo’s idea of working with film and animation. Using Brownell Middle School’s field and a camera, he and his friends put together an action video using bananas as weapons.

“It was really crude, but it kind of sparked that sort of ‘Hey, I can do this,’” Cubillejo said. “And if I just keep on doing these kind of videos, then maybe I can get better.”

Grosse Pointe South freshman Teddy Sweeney finds Cubillejo’s channel to be different from others.

“He doesn’t go with the trends except for maybe the parodies. But for the most part, all of his content and videos are really unique,” Sweeney said.

Sebastian uses his YouTube channel as a way to practice his animation skills.

“I always wanted to be an animator,” Cubillejo said. “You grow up and watch all of these different animated movies … then it’s like, well, I have the skills partially to make one right now, so why don’t I just do it?”

Working with animators across the globe, Cubillejo collaborates with other channels, helping with editing and voice-overs. Using an online voice acting forum, he can connect with anyone in the world. The ability to connect with different channels and people is something that Sebastian believes shows how far technology has come.

“If I wanted to get someone to do the music, and they’re from Nebraska, then I can get someone’s voice from California, and then I can get like someone to help me edit from like Russia,” Sebastian said. “When the whole world can kind of like collab on something, that’s kind of cool because it brings everybody from different parts of the world together.”

One of Sebastian’s most recent videos, “Those Who Fight: (Final Fantasy 7 Parody)” includes special effects and the use of Flash animation, which is an animated film created with Adobe Flash animation software.

“What you do is that you basically draw the frames. Like if I’m going to draw a stick figure moving, then I’ll draw the stick figure on one frame, then on the next frame it would be like slightly to the left or to the right,” Cubillejo said. “So basically, you keep drawing these pictures, then you put

AVA DELOACH

YOUTUBE

LEFT & ABOVE: Screenshots show Cubillejo’s YouTube channel and the logo he uses. “I used to have all of these little business cards that had my thing on it. I actually have a shirt, and I have shirts and stuff that have the link on the back,” Cubillejo said.

YOUTUBE

them together and speed it up. It looks like they’re walking or something, like there’s movement.”

Depending on the length of his videos, they usually take a couple of days to film, and some take months to edit before they are uploaded.

Cubillejo says he hopes, through his YouTube channel, that he will improve his filmmaking. The more he learns about making more compact videos and dialogue and improves his ability to “make better stories and tell better stories,” Cubillejo will eventually delve into short films with more advanced animation.

As for FilmStrife, Cubillejo will continue using his channel as a way to pursue his passion in filmmaking and considers his YouTube channel a hobby that will help him later on in his potential filmmaking career.

“For now it just kind of builds the foundation,” Cubillejo said.

Isabella supports her brothers plans of becoming an animator in the future.

“I think he’s pretty good at it (his videos), and I think he could actually succeed and yeah, possibly become famous,” Isabella said.

6 – Friday, March 20, 2015 – North Pointe

C

REVIEWS

inderella

WW

W. Z EO

NM

EN.C OM

Old classic gets new dress

By Dora Juhasz & Kaley Makino WEB SECTION EDITORS

In 1950, when Cinderella’s twinkling glass slipper first proved to be a flawless fit, children and adults alike fell in love with the classic Disney princess. Over the last 65 years, the story of Cinderella has captured the hearts of millions and has become a symbol of Walt Disney’s legacy.

The 2015 version of the beloved animated film was released Fr id a yMarch 1 3

and brought back childhood memories through the stunning visuals, solid acting performances and special effects that embodied the magic of the original film. However, the plotline of the story was altered very little, keeping the movie safe and showed a lack of risk-taking, making the film overly predictable.

After losing both of her parents to unexpected illness, Ella (played

by Downton Abbey’s Lily James) must endure the careless, demanding nature of her stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and step sisters (Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger).

Although viewers can quickly recognize the original nature of Ella, this version of Cinderella does emphasize a concept that was not-sodominant in the 1950-version: the idea of resilience.

Parents of young viewers will appreciate the moral of the film, to “have courage and be kind.”

This important, albeit very repetitive, message is clearly por t rayed t h roug h Ella’s continued

positive attitude, even after losing the most important people in her life.

While these messages may have a positive influence on the developing morals of the younger generation, teenagers and young adults are left craving edginess throughout the film. A plot twist, some unexpected action, a subplot — anything that will prove to be divergent from the 65-year-old storyline. But after about an hour, director Kenneth Branagh made it clear that he was sticking to the basics.

And while the timeless ideas of courage and kindness are undoubtedly important for children to learn in this day and age, stories including a helpless girl rescued from an unpleasant situation by a generous, good-looking man are an outdated concept.

In the recent Disney hits, characters like Merida from Brave and Anna from Frozen were able to rely more on themselves for a happy ending than their male counterparts. Compared to these futuristic, strong women, Cinderella seems weak and old-fashioned. The movie could have benefited from taking notes on this century and tweaking Ella into a stronger female lead.

There were, however, some changes to the cast that enhanced the film. One of the better adaptations was the role of the fairy godmother played by the well-versed Helen Bonham Carter. Carter’s acting includes classic screenplays such as Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland, and her larger-than-life stage presence suited her perfectly for the role. She added a quirkiness to the godmother that varied from the other personalities nicely.

In some cases, the revival of a classic storyline creates a new and interesting take on a beloved tale, but with as many spin-offs as a story such as Cinderella has, it’s hard to recreate it scene-by-scene and accomplish any sort of wow factor for the viewer.

Branagh’s 2015 version of Cinderella relied too heavily on picturesque scenery and superb costuming to add that flare in the plot one is looking for when watching a remake.

Without straying from the original path and taking some cinegraphic risks, Cinderella felt stuck in earlier era (with better film quality).

Cinderella (2015) PG 1 hr, 52 min.

WWW.THEWRAP.COM

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

ALBUM

APP

MOVIE

TV SHOW

ARCHIVE SERIES, VOL. NO. 1

FARMVILLE 2: COUNTRY ESCAPE

MCFARLAND, USA

BLACK-ISH

Falling back to his roots, Iron & Wine revives his whispered lyrics and fanciful tales in his newest release, Archive Series, Vol. No.1.

Samuel Beam, by his WWW.ITUNES.APPLE.COM known stage name Iron & Wine, has been strumming out hazy, daydream-inducing songs since he began, but his more recent releases wandered away from his soft, low-fidelity sounds. With this mystic album, he floats back into the lush sounds of his first releases.

The American singer-songwriter’s vocals paired with an array of instruments give this folk album an irresistibly unmatched, unique sound. Banjos, pianos and guitars float behind the nearly whispered vocals.

The album’s sound mirrors that of a lullaby with an undeniable folk rhythm.

The album’s charm reverberates from the years the tracks spent collecting dust.

Most songs on the album were recorded over Iron & Wine’s career and he has now pulled them from the archives (hence the title) and placed these beautiful traces of the past on one album.

The surprising hit on the album “Everyone’s Summer of 95” is a nostalgic relic of the sound that brought Iron & Wine into the indie music spotlight.

“Two Hungry Blackbirds” rings out with the bizarre tales of love that the artist has been known to conjure in the past.

The album is laced with tales that tantalize the listener into a calming, nostalgic state, but the stories’ abstract qualities hold constant intrigue.

The warm, welcoming sounds that parallel his original music are contrasted by the cool, naturalistic sound of this new album, creating the perfect mixture. The return to Iron & Wine’s whispered lo-fidelity sounds has been long awaited.

Wide-eyed animals scuttle about, and crops are growing everywhere in a small, isolated rural setting.

The new update of the Farmville WWW.ITUNES.APPLE.COM app is not only bustling with plants and animals but is also filled with significant flaws. Updated March 2, Farmville 2: Country Escape is available for Android and iOS devices.

The game is set in a rural county where the player owns a farm and has to buy and sell items to maintain it. Users are introduced to the game through a step-by-step tutorial and are left on their own to experiment with their property.

The cute chicken on the cover will definitely entice users to download this app. Once they start to explore, they’ll notice the game’s clear and animated graphics — the characters and scenery in the app aren’t pixelated. Tasks constantly need to be completed, which will keep players engaged. Most chores are easy to complete, since they only require a few taps to finish.

Unfortunately, the app’s negatives outweigh its positives. Even though there are plenty of tasks to finish, they’re often repetitive or boring. Many of the “errands” can be completed in a couple taps, which makes Farmville 2 far too simple for players.

The game also tends to glitch or slow other functions on the user’s phone. Most annoying, though, is the irritating tune played every time a task is completed.

Overall, this app is a fluke. It has more defects than strengths. It’s better to chicken out before downloading this game in the app store.

Running Cross Country takes endurance. In the new Disney movie McFarland, USA endurance is all that keeps the audience from getting bored and WWW.IMDB.COM leaving.

The movie begins with football coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), who has just moved his family to McFarland, California after being fired from a teaching job. This small town consists largely of Mexican heritage and is a culture shock to the family.

White is a teacher and assistant football coach at the local high school. As his team keeps losing, he realizes football is not the appropriate outlet for the boys and forms a cross country team instead.

As the team of rag-tag boys are molded into state championship winners, the hard life of Mexican immigrants in California is revealed through the families’ cultures and lifestyles.

The boys are all employed as pickers for fruit and nut companies and har vest produce from fields ever y day. W hite’s eyes are opened to how difficult working in the fields is when he goes picking w ith three of his runners. The mov ie sheds light on stereoty pes and breaks dow n cultural barriers in a mov ing way.

Even though the storyline has potential, the plot drags out longer than it needs to be. The beginning of the movie serves as the build-up to the team’s first race, and it takes about an hour to get to the conflict and hook the audience.

Regardless of the emotional impact McFarland, USA makes, its length makes it tough to bear without leaving to get more popcorn.

ABC’s new series Black-ish is a lot like your typical family sitcom. The show focuses on an upper-middleclass family who navigates its way through raising BOSSIP.COM kids and growing up in the suburbs. But, unlike the stereotypical sitcom, Black-ish brings a funny and refreshing twist to its 9:30 p.m. slot.

The show follows husband and wife Dre and Rainbow “Bow” Johnson (Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ross) as they expose their AfricanAmerican family to their ethnic history and the role it plays in daily life, all while dealing with the modern struggles of raising four kids.

Black-ish successfully uncovers and defeats racial stereotypes that are still present in our society, yet isn’t heavy-handed. The show remains entertaining and funny. It balances a light-hearted mood and serious topics with a considerable amount of black history.

Dre Johnson has a cliché perspective on black culture and enthusiastically encourages his children to embrace their background with pride. Bow, on the other hand, is a sophisticated, mixed-race doctor who takes a more nuanced approach. Ross and Anderson fit together perfectly as an amusingly playful couple.

However, the supporting characters lack the individual creativity of Ross and Anderson’s characters. The Johnson children — Zoey, Andre Jr. and twins Jack and Diane (yes, really) — sport classical cliché personalities line the basic, popular teenage girl and the slightly awkward middle child. Their stereotyped characters make for cheesy scenes that aren’t remarkable.

If you’re looking for a show that provides comedic relief but also communicates a solid moral message, Black-ish easily meets that criteria. Despite needing originality in the younger cast, it confronts the flaws in our world but stays light, good-humored and hilarious.

Iron & Wine; Archive Series, Vol. No.1; 2015; Blue Cricket Recording Co.; 2015

Farmville 2: Country Escape, Zynga, March 2, 2015, Android and Apple, Free

By Emily Martinbianco

By Gowri Yerramalli

McFarland, USA; 2015; Directed by Niki Caro; PG

By Sarah Wietecha

Black-ish; 2014; TV-PG; ABC

By Lindsey Ramsdell

SPORTS

North Pointe – Friday, March 20, 2015 – 7

MAKING THE CUT The science of Bracketology

By Katelyn Carney

SPORTS EDITOR

Big Dance. Sweet 16. Selection Sunday. Pools. Automatic Bid. Play-in-Game. Elite Eight. Bracketology.

This strange vernacular, overheard in conversations from hallways, offices, cafeterias, fitness centers and even street corners, is indigenous only to its participants. What is this jargon everyone is using? Is this some secret code? Has the biggest social event of the season come and gone so quickly? Could it be an automatic invitation to a spectacular Sweet 16 dance on a Sunday?

Fret not, those of you who have been dwelling in a cave or a monastery. It’s March Madness, the catchy nickname for the NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament that has become one of the most famous sporting events in the United States. The 68 chosen teams are divided into four regions, and each team is seeded or ranked based on record, strength of schedule and selection committee bias. The field is narrowed through a single-elimination until a champion is crowned.

The tournament is wildly popular. I could give a long history lesson on its miraculous evolution, but there’s really no need. Crowded college gymnasiums flood with roaring fans. TV remotes click from channel to channel as users frantically search for their much awaited rivalry matchup. The energy electrifies the nation and spreads like wildfire.

But the main reason for the tournament’s unprecedented popularity lies in the brackets — everyone has a chance to be involved in Bracketology, the science of attempting to pick the winners of all 67 games. From office pools to classroom competitions, we all fight to be the bracketologist.

Making the perfect bracket is almost impossible.

According to CBSsports.com, there’s a one in 9.2 quintillion chance of predicting the winner of every game, to call every upset and know every potential Cinderella story. Which is why it only makes sense that last year, Warren Buffett and Dan Gilbert offered a billion dollar prize to those who could defy the odds and successfully foretell the entire NCAA tournament.

It’s a pretty daunting task if you ask me, yet every year I proudly step up to the challenge. Some guess, some pray, others research doggedly before writing out their picks.

As for me, I typically go for the underdogs. No, not a number 16 seed because as great as that would be, I have to put some logic into my predictions. But a sixth or seventh seed or maybe even fifteenth isn’t completely unrealistic. Understanding that a number 16 seed has never defeated a number one seed allows four automatic correct picks, one step closer to banking that billion. For most, that might just be enough to win the pool or bragging rights as friends compare brackets.

For me, it goes a little further. Unlike President Obama, I don’t rely upon experts like Andy Katz to assist me. May I present this year’s perfect bracket selection process, brought to you by yours truly.

For the round of 64, I discovered the algorithm to the first set of the tournament by flipping a coin, and it’s amazing how many times underdogs can win in this tourney.

Now, when we get down to the all-important round of 32, I found that choosing the best looking uniforms (or the guys who fill them) completes my perfect first weekend of the tournament.

Down to the Sweet 16, my strategy shifts slightly to rooting for home teams and colleges I might think about attending. Since they are vying for my presence at their prestigious universities, I know that I am set all the way down to the Elite Eight.

To get to the all-important Final Four, I pick the teams with the best point guard sporting my own number 12. That leaves me with Kentucky, Arizona, Gonzaga and Belmont.

To get to the championship, all roads go through Kentucky, and Belmont is the pick that will set me apart from all of you other losers.

Alas, poor Kentucky. One step away from a flawless season, denied by my relentless Belmont Bruins.

Following the conclusion of America’s first ever perfect bracket, I have my outfit all picked out, my hair and nail appointments set, and after finishing this column, I will begin polishing my acceptance speech.

I can see it now as they hand me that big cardboard check with its nine zeros in all their glory. “Thank you, Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Buffett,” I would graciously convey. “My intense research gave me the insight to predict Belmont upsetting undefeated Kentucky in the championship game.”

However, all joking aside, the brackets — despite their endless methods to stump me — serve a purpose. Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal argues that tournament bracket pools are filled with office fools who haven’t watched the game since, well ever.

But isn’t that the beauty of Bracketology? Just as children cling to their favorite ball, society binds itself to the tournament, craving the madness which it successfully provides to its viewers. The tournament intrigues us while the bracket offers us an opportunity to join together, uniting once-unlike groups with a magnitude no other sporting event could ever compare to.

Be honest, when was the last time you fought a sibling over which golf or tennis match you should be watching? Exactly. The madness is what makes it happen, but the bracket is what will always bind and build us all stronger together.

The dream lives. Get your billion back, America.

By Anu Subramaniam, Emma Brock & Radiance Cooper CO-EDITOR-IN CHIEF & ASSISTANT EDITORS

Class of 2014 alumnus Andrew Lock never associated w restling w ith the constant worr y of making weight.

“I’ve been w restling since I was probably six or seven, and I’m still doing it right now ... (Citadel University’s) season just ended,” Lock said. “I never was forced to cut weight in high school. It was always just a choice of my ow n to be more competitive. I have been blessed to have the great coaches we’ve had at Grosse Pointe North — they want you to be as comfortable and healthy as you can and just focus on hav ing fun w ith the sport.”

In sports such as w restling and crew, athletes are div ided into weight classes for competitions. Crew has two categories — lightweight and open weight — and high school w restling in Michigan has 14 classes ranging from 103-285 pounds.

Athletes who w restle can move around the weight classes w ith a little more freedom than athletes in crew, who must stay below 135 pounds to be considered a lightweight.

“It’s constantly in the back of your mind. You’re thinking about making sure you’re at weight. But it’s also a good thing because it makes sure you are eating right, staying hydrated and exercising a lot,” junior and lightweight rower Emily Truss said.

Truss’ coach A lijah Dillard helps the girls monitor their weights but feels it is ultimately the indiv idual’s responsibility to meet her goal.

“W hen we cut weight, we focus on diet other than any thing else. We don’t tell them to stop eating. We tell them adjust their calorie intake because usually people take about 2,000 calories a day, and we usually have them adjust it to about 1,500,” Dillard said. “I ask them to do this, and then come race day, they make weight or not. It’s more of an indiv idual responsibility than anything else.”

Similarly, Lock assumed a responsibility to cut weight during his sophomore and junior years to increase his competitive edge. He felt that losing weight would help his performance when he competed nationally.

“I did it for the first 10 years of my life, and in the first 10 years that I w restled, I wasn’t cutting any weight at all, and only when I got into my junior and senior year of high school that I was getting competitive outside of Michigan and on the national level is when I had to start cutting actual weight,” Lock said.

Lock also feels it’s a misconceived notion that w restlers have to cut weight.

“In high school, I felt great because it wasn’t that much weight. Now that I’m in college, it’s a lot worse,

Student athletes forfeit weight to gain competitive edge

and you feel horrible all day. But high school, really w ith the coaches that we have at the high school now, they don’t make people cut weight, they let you do it if you want to, and they let you do it in the healthiest manner possible,” he said.

Lock’s former coach and boys varsity w restling coach Eric Julien emphasizes that athletes get accustomed to the sport their freshman and sophomore years. Julien also feels that when the upperclassmen do cut weight, it’s a learning experience for the whole team.

“For the first two years, their freshman and their sophomore year, we don’t do a lot of weight cutting. I more ask them to learn what w restling’s about and all that, actually learn the moves and things like that. But there is a time here and there where they have to lose a little bit of weight for a match,” Julien said.

It is not the task of losing weight that causes a problem but rather how fast it’s lost that can be unhealthy. Cutting weight too fast can be detrimental to a teenager’s health.

The state of Michigan has taken steps towards reducing weight-cutting related injuries by developing a weight monitoring program. Dr. Kenneth Bollin of St. John Hospital & Medical Center believes that to reach a desired athletic condition, an athlete has to lose fat safely.

“W hen you’re carr ying a lot of fat weight on you, that’s not helping you. That’s not muscle weight, that’s not contributing to your strength, that’s just like running a mile w ith a 20-pound weight belt on. Fat is like dead weight and is not helping you improve your performance level at all,” Bollin said.

Bollin one should maintain a healthy lifestyle when losing weight and shouldn’t eliminate nutrients in order to avoid a drop in athletic performance. He sees diets that leave out key food groups such as carbohydrates as counterproductive for an athlete.

“You need to do it by cutting dow n 500 calories a day, and most people would have absolutely no problem doing that. Or you can burn it off,” Bollin said. “The problem w ith both of them (the Atkins and Ornish diet) is that you’re not getting the right blend of nutrients completely — if you do it long-term — to really compete effectively at the most efficient level.”

To avoid compromising their athletic abilities or health, the girls varsity crew team uses their collective need to maintain weight to help each other.

“Us girls, when we go out to dinner and stuff, I’ll be supportive about watching calorie intakes, and we’ll be conscious of what each other is eating and support each other about that,” Truss said.

ANU SUBRAMANIAM

8 – Friday, March 20, 2015 – North Pointe

Spring training goes beyond the bases Tryouts and training began March 9 for upcoming season

By Lauren Sexton & Ava DeLoach STAFF REPORTER & PHOTO EDITOR

LAUREN SEXTON

LEFT: Senior captain Joe Ciaravino leads the track team in a warm up jog around the gym before practice with juniors Daniel Brady, Connor Sickmiller and Ryan Kolp. Brady says he is excited for the rest of the season and looks down the road to upcoming meets. “This season is going well, and I look forward to competing against South and competing at regionals,” Brady said.

ABOVE: Head boys track coach Frank Tymrak talks to the boys before practice begins.

BELOW: Senior Alicia Quain and junior Chrissy Martin fight for the ball during a soccer drill. Martin expressed concern about how the team will do when placed in typical conditions. “I thought tryouts were okay, but it’s hard to tell how good someone is at soccer in a gym,” Martin said.

LAUREN SEXTON

LAUREN SEXTON

AVA DELOACH

AVA DELOACH

AVA DELOACH

ABOVE LEFT: Sophomores Rachel Mourad and Frankie Leone help each other tighten their nets during a break at lacrosse tryouts.

ABOVE MIDDLE: Senior Nikki Haggerty swings at a teed ball during batting practice at softball tryouts.

Teammate junior Vickie Blaine anticipated a better season than last year judging from this year’s tryouts. “We’ve seen a lot of new girls who have potential to become very good and help us throughout the year,” Blaine said. “The last few years, it’s been a little tough, but the freshmen and sophomores that have been coming in have been really good and hopefully (will) make our season better.”

ABOVE RIGHT: Junior Dalaney Bradley throws the ball to a partner as she warms up for the rest of the lacrosse session.

AVA DELOACH

ANU SUBRAMANIAM

AVA DELOACH

LAUREN SEXTON

LAUREN SEXTON

LAUREN SEXTON

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: The varsity boys lacrosse team huddles together to take instruction from their coach before beginning practice for the evening.

Juniors Josh Fischer and James Shelton and senior Joe Ciaravino lead the track team in stretches as they prepare for their workout.

Junior Markael Butler runs his warm-up laps around the team, iPhone in hand, as he prepares for the first day of track practice.

Senior Joe Ciaravino and sophomore Ryan Race get ready for their run.

Junior Elaina Emig and sophomore Megan Lowers fight for the ball during a scrimmaging drill during varsity soccer tryouts. “I really like the way tryouts were run this year. They were kind of tough, but I am looking forward to a great season this year,” Emig said.