ON CAMPUS PAGE 6 North students volunteer as models in the Green and Gold fashion show on April 30 at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. LEFT: Senior Ann Marie Nicholson, junior Nicoletta Valenzano and senior Lexi Ciaramitaro prepare and perform in the show.
NORTH
DALANEY BRADLEY
GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
POINTE FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
SINCE 1968
Study reveals IQs can change in teen years The ventral striatum can control:
By Emma Puglia & Katelynn Mulder
video game addiction
The amygdala can control:
speeding alcohol & drug abuse dangerous stunts teenage angst
WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & INTERN
The hypothalamus can control:
insatiable hunger dire need to sleep sex drive
The prefrontal cortex can control:
The cerebellum can control:
teen anxiety poor judgement lack in empathy
balance coordination
WHAT PARTS OF THE BRAIN MAKE TEENS DO WHAT THEY DO? SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITORS & INTERN
Compare your average freshman to your average senior. If you look beyond the obv ious physical differences, you w ill see ev idence of endless disparities in maturity level, behav ioral patterns and decision-making skills. W hy and how is this so? Researchers have been asking that ver y question. A revealing book published by neurologist Frances Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt shows that through teenage years, a person’s IQ is malleable — meaning it is subject to f luctuate based on indiv idual choices. In “W hy are teens so obvlious to the pile of dirty clothes on the bedroom f loor? ” Jensen explained her study of the enigmatic teenage brain. She discusses science previously known such as the incomplete development of the prefrontal cortex and the decision making center of the brain, which makes teenagers’ behavior more erratic than that of adults. She then debunks the traditional belief that IQ is fixed and unchangeable, which is what makes this study so important. “We do have control over IQ,” AP Psychology teacher Jennifer Weisbrodt said. “I think that a lot of students come into this thinking you either have it or you don’t — some people are just giving this wonderful genetic combination that allows them to be ‘smart,’ you know, and that’s not the case.” Jensen’s study emphasizes the effects of destructive behavior such as abusing substances like marijuana and alcohol. These are the most detrimental and most common cause of IQ decline. Combating these influences is at the forefront of the neurologist’s goal in publishing her findings.
“The teenage brain is developing rapidly, and disruptions to that development, including tox ins such as drugs and alcohol, may be detrimental. Changes in the course of teenage brain development may result in addiction problems lasting into adulthood. It may also result in other mental health issues and/or learning difficulpsychologist Christine Kuhl ties,” school psychol-ogist said. “Being under the inf luence of any drug also increases risk-taking behav-
“
The teenage brain is
easily influenced — it’s
easily influenced by drugs, but likewise it’s easily influenced by what’s going
“
By Kaley Makino, Britteny Hernandez & Michal Ruprecht
on around it and that’s the
beauty of being a teenager. Jennifer Weisbrodt
Board appoints superintendent
PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER
iors, which may lead to injuries, legal problems and even fatalities. Teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 are six times more likely to die as a result of injur y than their 10- to 14-year-old counterparts.” Pediatric neurologist Iqba l A lla ra k hia wa nts students to ta ke away from t hese f indings t hat it is never too late for t hem to promote hea lt hy bra in grow t h, a nd it’s not as ha rd as one may t hink. A ny t hing from traveling to reading ca n positively a f fect
HALEY REID
your bra in activ it y a nd potentia lly increase your IQ score. Hea lt hy practices such as getting adequate sleep a nd exercising reg ula rly ca n promote bot h emotiona l a nd menta l well-being, A lla ra k hia sa id. Likew ise, Weisbrodt took a positive v iew on the stor y. She feels its purpose is to highlight students’ potential more than threaten them w ith the possibility of their intelligence decreasing. “The teenage brain is easily inf luenced — it’s easily inf luenced by drugs, but likew ise it’s easily inf luenced by what’s going on around it,” Weisbrodt said. “That’s the beauty of being a teenager.” Weisbrodt doesn’t think the study overemphasizes the brain’s malleability. “That’s the joy of teaching teenagers … your brain is open and ready to learn and to go into multiple pathways,” she said. Allarakhia believes that not all teenagers know that their behavior may affect their intelligence and that these findings will help decrease ignorance among teens so they can become more conscious of the lasting effects of their actions. “Some of them may know, but the majority including teenagers and young adults are unaware of this association,” A llarak hia said. “Therefore they continue to engage in such behaviors which negatively affect them and their well-being.” In the heat of being young, teenagers sometimes forget the overarching consequences their actions can have on their brains.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
After five months of lengthy interviews, Dr. Gary Niehaus was elected superintendent, finally allowing the school board’s pursuit for a leader to come to a close. Niehaus had previous experience as a superintendent in multiple districts in Illinois. Since 1996, he has held a superintendent position, giving him a total of 18 years of experience. “I look forward to getting to know the community and (working) with the School Board to continue to offer excellent educational opportunities for all students,” Niehaus said. Previously, the process narrowed down two possible candidates: Dr. Gary Niehaus and Dr. Steve Matthews. “I would define a superintendent as a person who provides leadership to the school community as a whole and guides the district in a positive direction,” junior CJ Ramsdell said. Ramsdell was one of two students asked to be a part of the district’s superintendent search process which began in December 2014. The process of finding a superintendent consisted of multiple thorough interviews with a variety of groups. Groups such as the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), special needs groups, parents, support groups, the student council and even seven principals took part in the extensive interviews along with the school board. “Any parents of any of the students or any other community member that wanted to come were available to meet them ... and ask a series of open-ended questions,” Assistant Principal Tom Beach said. “People could express their concerns about how they would handle this issue or that issue.” While term length varies among superintendents, the average time in office is five years. However, since the last superintendent search four years ago, the school board has updated the search process. “I think this time around, it’s a little more transparent. We hosted all the documents online on the district homepage under superintendent search,” school board president Judy Gafa said. “We have televised or livestreamed all the board meetings surrounding the superintendent search.” A new superintendent was chosen Monday, May 4 after the final voting day. Communication, leadership and experience were all taken into consideration. “We need someone with confidence and charisma and good speaking skills,” PTO council representative Christie Scoggin said. “We also need someone who’s knowledgeable about the education in general and has had administrative and leadership experience in the world of education.” Through a system of trickle-down leadership, the superintendent has the ability to advance the school’s education system and consolidate the School Board. “We need leadership in this community, so I feel strongly that the new superintendent and what he brings to the table — it’ll filter out to the students and the teachers and his administrative staff,” Scoggin said. “If we have a good leader at the top, it will filter down and our students will become better because of it.”
IDEAS - PAGE 3
PHOTO ESSAY - PAGE 8
“If a woman can stage a serious run for president and win, we’re supposed to feel we’ve won the war against sexism and achieved gender equality.” AVA DELOACH
@thenorthpointe
www.northpointenow.org
Senior Michael Sachetti pitched during the varsity baseball game against South at Comerica Park on April 28.
CONTENTS 1 2 3 4
NEWS CALENDAR IDEAS REVIEWS
5 6 7 8
LIFE ON CAMPUS SPORTS PHOTO ESSAY
VOLUME 47, ISSUE 15
NEWS
2 – Friday, May 8, 2015 – North Pointe
SPRING CHOIR CONCERT
Wednesday, May 13 and Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m. in the PAC
ANNUAL FLOWER SALE
Saturday, May 9 at 8 a.m. in the Grosse Pointe Woods City Hall
PROM
Saturday, May 16 from 7-11 p.m. at the Roostertail
GPN ART SHOW
Wednesday, May 13 and Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m. in the PAC
Brain study CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Knowing the background and research of this study and others like it can shed light on how changing aspects of their lives can promote healthy brain growth. “It kind of makes me want to really focus on learning my language, like learning French right now,” senior Sara Fresard said. “And I want to tr y to learn more languages maybe, or just travel more because I’ll be able to pick it up more easily since my brain is so malleable.” Because IQ is extremely impressionable until a person is in his or her mid-20s, high school isn’t the defining moment in one’s intellectual capacity. There’s still time to broaden one’s horizons in college and beyond and even see measurable increases in IQ. “I’d say I just would want to
make the most out of my 20s ... I just want to make the most and just strive for greatness in my early 20s,” senior Joe Ciaravino said. “(The study) just makes me think more about what I’m gonna do, like what I need to do early in life, and just make those critical decisions early in life.” Through better understanding of how the teenage brain develops, students can feel empowered to have an impact on their intelligence. They aren’t stuck w ith one IQ score. “The good news is it’s good for all teenagers,” Weisbrodt said. “We’re not defined by our IQ, but we could certainly increase it if that’s something, you know, that you think is important. So, bad decisions don’t define us, poor test scores don’t define us, we have control over that, and I think that’s a really good feeling to know that and to know that it’s actually backed up by science a nd brain research.”
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HALEY REID & MONTANA PATON
Peace and Unity Walk held to memorialize slain students O v e r 1,000 people gathered to honor the deaths of Paige Stalker and Christina Samuels, both v ictims of shootings, at the Unity Walk, Saturday, May 2. Detroit mayor Mike Duggan made an appearance as the keynote speaker, promoting the message of the event. “The goal of the walk was to bring communities together in a unity celebration. To bring awareness to violence and peace — peace for our communities,” Stalker’s mother, Jennifer LawrenceStalker, said. Lawrence-Stalker, along with the Samuel family and other volunteers, founded Save Our Children’s Future of Michigan, a foundation dedicated to campaigning for public safety awareness. “What happened is, when Paige passed away, we decided that we were going to make a foundation called Save Our Children’s Future of Michigan,” Lawrence-Stalker said. “What we are doing is that we are working towards making different events and working on school programs to try to increase safety, education for children and neighborhoods in the area, so that other people won’t lose family members the way we did.” The walk was the first event planned by the foundation and was led down Mack Avenue from Cadieux to Alter Road. The foundation director, Jennifer Steinhebel, saw it as an opportunity to unite communities — both Detroit and Grosse Pointe. “The goal of the walk is to bring awareness to the people of Grosse Pointe and the people of Detroit that there is a huge violence problem, and people are committing random acts of violence, and as a result innocent people are being killed,” Steinhebel said. “And instead of staying in your homes and ignoring the problem, we are asking people to get out and to be aware and help their neighbors and get to know their neighbors, and then if they see a crime they need to speak up and tell the police about it.” The foundation is planning to make the walk an annual event and establish supplemental programs aimed at children. “What we hope to accomplish is we want to keep all of our children safe,” Lawrence-Stalker said. “All of our children, in all of our communities safe. Safe from harm, safe to go out on their streets and play, safe that they feel comfortable going anywhere.”
MIPA awards showcase students’ works North Pointe and Valhalla and T V production brought home awards from this year’s Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) spring conference held in Lansing Monday, April 20. Because so many experienced Valhalla staff members graduated in 2014, current seniors worried that the publication would not rank as well this year. However, they placed in each categor y that they entered and brought home higher awards than last year. Co-Editor-in-Chief Karina Lucchese is confident this year’s new staff members can easily assimilate into staff. “The beginning of the year can be a little scar y be-cause you have people who don’t even know what yearbook is join into the staff. Really, by the time second quarter starts, we’re really on the same page doing the same work, and ever yone is just as good as anyone else.” Submissions begin as soon as the yearbook arrives in May, but the staff has to wait until the follow ing year to receive critiques from the MIPA judges because they are judged against schools who distribute their books in the fall. “It’s extremely stressful because when the book comes in May, the editors pick what they want to submit, but ty pically you don’t get to submit until the next Januar y, so the seniors from the year before don’t get to submit and know what they won,” Lucchese said. “And it’s scar y because you want to know. There’s nothing you can do about it.” MIPA also presents the opportunity to showcase works for students of various skills. “A lot of people get represented when we submit for MIPA,” Lucchese said. “It’s actually impressive how much of our staff does.” By Yena Berhane & Ritika Sanikommu
Marchiori Catering Services for Your Special Occasion
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Girlie Girl Salon Call us for your prom appointment. 19838 Mack Avenue Grosse Pointe Woods 881-4475
GirlieGirlSalon.com
(586) 443-5426
Walk-ins Welcome Monday-Saturday: 9:30am-7:30pm 21532 Harper Ave. St. Clair Shores, MI 48080 PLAZA 1 (Between 8 Mile & 9 Mile)
IDEAS
North Pointe – Friday, May 8 , 2015 – 3
Not so ready for Hillary “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 Olivia Asimakis CO-MANAGING EDITOR
Yena Berhane IDEAS EDITOR
Katelyn Carney SPORTS EDITOR
Radiance Cooper ASSISTANT EDITOR
Mora Downs LIFE EDITOR
Billy Moin NEWS EDITOR
Katelynn Mulder INTERN
Emma Puglia WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ritika Sanikommu WEB MANAGING EDITOR
Anu Subramaniam EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANAGER
Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the staff above. Members who have a conflict of interest with an editorial topic do not partake in that meeting or vote.
OUR EDITORIAL
Even Ferraris have finite capabilities Dear students, Most of you have probably heard the phrase “Children are like sponges — they absorb everything.” The phrase isn’t typically applied to teenagers, but we shouldn’t be left out. The recent book The Teen Brain, co-authored by neuroscientist Frances Jensen and journalist Amy Ellis Nutt, shows that an individual’s IQ can increase or decrease during high school and even into one’s 20s. Specifically, a third of students will increase their IQ 10 points, a third will decrease 10 points, and a third will remain the same. Jensen likened the teenage mind to a Ferrari without brakes. Each of us is responsible for keeping our own gleaming power car in the best shape possible. That means we should take the smart roads and know our car’s capabilities. In today’s educational world, the idea of selecting courses based on interest was thrown out the window as colleges replaced it with the word “rigor.” However, this recent study shows that the rigor we put ourselves through, or don’t put ourselves through, actually has a long-term effect on us. Our fate isn’t set in stone. Teenagers are more spongelike than originally thought. High school has now been deemed the time to push ourselves to reach that possible 10-point IQ growth instead of watching the points fall out of our heads. Besides the obvious causes of IQ loss, a wrong course load could also be the culprit. This study’s revelations emphasize choosing wisely to optimize our own potential. However, when there is a constant pressure to push ourselves to take the harder classes, it also becomes harder to make the right choices. There’s a push for that honors class. A push for that Advanced Placement class. A push for straight A’s. A car without brakes can only be pushed so fast before it spins out of control. To keep our Ferraris in the best shape possible, educational researchers recommend that we strive to find the right balance of mental stimulation. Our choices in high school can actually reduce our IQ and lower our capacity for the remainder of our lives. This is a call for us to have honest conversations with ourselves about our limits. If our classes are too easy, we risk an IQ drop. If they’re too hard, we risk an IQ drop. If we’re not interested and engaged, we risk an IQ drop. Students are sorted into the honors, regular and remedial tracks fairly early on. It’s a double-edged sword in the American education system. The system to help sort us into classes that will best suit us. However, the label we receive in fifth grade isn’t an excuse to over or under-achieve in high school. To maintain our personal growth and the healthiest mental state, we need to know what classes are too much, what classes are too little and what classes interest us most. We need to make decisions that will benefit us not only during that school year but in the grand scheme of things. Colleges can see a course drop or an upgrade. They know if we are challenging, stimulating or stunting ourselves. C’s and D’s in middle school aren’t an indicator of high school performance, and we shouldn’t let them discourage us, just like we shouldn’t let straight A’s overinf late our sense of capability. Growth is gradual, as is decline. We won’t suddenly lose or gain 10 IQ points worth of intelligence. We may not even grow at all. But, as teenagers, we should be setting ourselves up for success. With this new study, a bad choice means more than just a bad choice. The consequences extend over a lifetime. There are hundreds of studies done with IQs. A high IQ correlates with a high income, lower levels of depression and lower levels of divorce. With the knowledge that we can have some inf luence on our own brain development that so directly impacts our future, our job as students should be to maximize growth. A gleaming Ferrari is no good crumpled at the side of the road or hidden under a tarp in the garage.
Un less you’ve been h i b e r n a ting under a rock the past several years, EDITOR’S DESK you’ve heard ERICA LIZZA Hillary Clinton is running for president. Surprise. But not everyone is so enchanted with the esteemed woman warrior. Clinton’s cronies greeted the official campaign kick off with glee and pledged their allegiance, but the reaction from bystanders has been more tepid. Why the lukewarm response? Let me elucidate. Even before she announced her candidacy, the HRC Super Volunteers, a social media group unaffiliated with Clinton’s campaign, pledged to root out any “coded sexism” in media coverage. Unacceptable, misogynist words and phrases include, but are not limited to: ambitious, entitled and being willing to do anything to win. And here I thought all of the above were required of politicians. Silly me. Apparently, these adjectives convey only prejudice toward Hillary Clinton, not substantive objections. But there are actually a number of rational reasons to be less than “Ready For Hillary.” While Clinton was nearly universally lauded as Secretary of State (until the very end), the skeletons have begun to sashay out of her closet: the embassy fiasco in Benghazi, the deliberately nonexistent emails, the Clinton Foundation’s donations from foreign governments who have a questionable — at best — track record on women’s rights (I’m looking at you, Saudi Arabia). To top that, The Boston Globe recently reported the Clinton Health Access Initiative, another affiliated charity, never provided the State Department with promised information about foreign donations during Clinton’s tenure. Grants from foreign governments just happened to soar by tens of millions of dollars during this time. Oops.
Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate is inevitable. But so are death and taxes, and you can guess how enthusiastic the public is about those. Remember Mitt Romney? He was inevitable back in 2012. And while he won the Republican nomination, he didn’t fare as well in the general election. Hillary’s other hurdle? She’s got baggage. Millennial voters may be fired up for Hillary (47% of them, according to a recent Harvard poll), but their parents — who lived through Bill’s presidency — may be less enthralled with reminders of the scandal-plagued years of yore. What impropriety, say you? Filegate, Travelgate, Troopergate, Pardongate, Hairgate — in addition to two insignificant indiscretions known by the monikers “Monica” and “Whitewater.” Despite these legitimate concerns, much of the conversation about Hillary’s campaign centers on her perceived likelihood of becoming the first female president. Clinton’s candidacy reveals a paradox about being a successful woman in America: we’ve come far enough that a woman can succeed, but not far enough to dismiss gender. Hillary is held as the paragon of professional women and progress, much as how Obama’s presidency is interpreted as the culmination of the civil rights movement. If a woman can stage a serious run for president, we’re supposed to feel we’ve won the war against sexism and achieved gender equality. But real victory will come when we can dislike, disagree with and vote against a female candidate without it being seen as a bias against her gender. If being “feminist” or “pro-woman” or “un-sexist” means condoning actions we’d otherwise condemn, we still haven’t overcome that bias. Hillary may be a qualified candidate, but she’s a flawed, unethical one. I, a newly registered, female, millennial voter, am ready for an admirable, principled woman to be president. I’ll vote for one when I see her.
“Getting on my phone at the dinner table ... or I’ll slouch a lot.”
“Probably borrowing money from my parents. Whenever I go out, I take a few bucks and never pay them back.”
“I think being obsessed with Netflix is a stereotype, just not wanting to do anything except watch Netflix and go to sleep.”
Tamara Forestry
Garrett Clark
Maria Familara
FRESHMAN
SOPHOMORE
JUNIOR
YOUR TURN: What’s the most sterotypical teenage thing you do? By Sydney Benson
“The most stereotypical thing I’ve done is reckless driving on Lakeshore — that I got a ticket for.”
“I wasn’t a very good driver, like how most teenagers tend not (to) be. I drove really fast , and I got pulled over a lot.”
“I listened to music my parents didn’t like. Back in that day it was rock’n’roll.”
Ben Washington
Sean McCarroll
Susan Forrest
SENIOR
SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Anu Subramaniam CO-MANAGING EDITORS: Olivia Asimakis, Jennifer Kusch SECTION EDITORS: Yena Berhane, Katelyn Carney, Mora Down, Audrey Kam, Billy Moin WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma Puglia WEB MANAGING EDITOR: Ritika Sanikommu BUSINESS MANAGER: Gowri Yerramalli PHOTO EDITORS: Dalaney Bradley, Ava DeLoach, Alanna Sparks ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR: Sydney Benson ASSISTANT EDITORS: Emma Brock, Caitlin Bush, Radiance Cooper, Allison Lackner, Lindsey Ramsdell, Lauren Sexton, Sarah Wietecha STAFF REPORTERS: Josie Bennett, Alex Harring, Nathan Lonczynski, Anna Post, Addison Toutant INTERNS: Conner Bott,Harris Bunker, Abbey Cadieux, Maria Cody, Darcy Graham, Camryn Harris, Erin Kaled, Trevor Mieczkowski, Katelynn Mulder, Sonny Mulpuri, Joey Parison, Montana Paton, Michael Ruprecht,Asia Simmons, BillySteigelman,Tommy Teftsi
ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY TEACHER
SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITORS: Brittney Hernandez, Wendy Ishmaku, Dora Juhasz, Erica Lizza, Kaley Makino, Emily Martinbianco, Haley Reid, Thomas Remener, Andrea Scapini, Luke Sturgill 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
MY TURN TOMMY TEFTIS
World Cup watchers Every four years, something occurs that over 46% of humans watch. A recordbreaking 3.4 billion people viewed at least one minute of the 2014 World Cup. One of the most prominent soccer countries in the world, Brazil organized an outstanding tournament that drew billions of soccer outsiders into this wonderful sport. Russia will host the next World Cup in 2018. Russia is not a soccer country and was not present in Brazil last year. Expensive club teams from Russia are beyond rare. Should such a country really be hosting the largest individual sporting event in the world? I think not. World events in Russia have been huge in the last two years. It just hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. It wouldn’t be right to host another major world event in such a frigid place – both in climate and demeanor. Last year, Russia was one of the most isolated countries in the world. Citizens of Russia are displeased by Putin’s ongoing regime.In February, Putin’s opponent was gunned down. Was it out of coincidence? The Malaysian flight controversy, the invasion of Ukraine, and the fight against human and gay rights have been major examples of why Russia is not morally fit to host a World Cup. Gays have been discriminated against with homophobic propaganda and even hate crimes.Russia is clearly not capable of celebrating humans around the world with a major sports event, and to have the World Cup there would reward bad behavior. Russia, along with many other European countries, also has racism issues. World soccer star Yaya Touré alleged that he was abused by racist chants when playing a game in Russia against CSKA Moscow. Touré even threatened FIFA with a boycott, saying if Russia didn’t clean up its act, black players “wouldn’t come.” Issues of this magnitude could cause problems for the Cup. This shows Russia cannot be an exceptional place to house the 2018 World Cup if it keep showing problems of this seriousness. The privilege of hosting the World Cup should not just go to the highest bidder. Host cities see a positive economic impact, from the $9 billion Japan earned in 2002 on up. Last year, the World Cup was hosted in the largest soccer country on earth. Brazil has won five World Cups, making them the best national soccer team. Meanwhile, Russia has won none. Although FIFA might be trying to expand the World Cup to nations which soccer is a minority sport, the FIFA organization needs to shine a light on other countries that love soccer more than power. There is a strong vision of how one of the largest sports events should be handled. The World Cup of 2018 should be held in a soccer-rich country that is not known for popularity with money and power. The next World Cup should have been held in a country such as Greece, Portugal or Italy. They are known for soccer, but not riches in money or political power. Russia is not the correct location for the next World Cup, and while it may be too late to change the 2018 location, FIFA needs to look to the future and not associate the game of soccer with a country’s desire for power.
4 – Friday, May 8, 2015 – North Pointe
REVIEWS
Hello Kpop: an introduction to Kpop By Josie Bennett STAFF REPORTER
LIRIKLAGULAGUKOREA.WORDPRESS.COM, WWW.BTSDIARY.COM WWW.IMGARCADE.COM, HANISAH SYAHIRAH AT GOOGLE+
Kpop. Its seems simple and self explanator y. It’s Korean music w ith colors and animelooking themes, but what others don’t know is it’s a little more intricate than that. Korean Pop is a relatively unknow n ty pe of music that hails from South Korea. It has a follow ing of millions of fans that are part of multiple fandoms from all over the globe. Kpop also has “idols” who train for years in entertainment groups to hone their vocal, dancing and acting abilities before they debut as solo artists or in a group. It also contains various music from pop to hip hop and beats that tend to be more inv igorating than general pop music. It’s a subtle but important difference. Once listeners are accustomed to the style, they can identif y Kpop even before the lyrics begin. Kpop also encompasses groups that are just as different as the music they produce, w ith concepts that var y from cute to sex y and change w ith ever y new album. Each album’s theme emulates the feelings of the song, changing the whole character and feel the group or band brings to the kpop profession. Performers also sport different hairstyles and wardrobes to distinctly mark the timing of the albums. This keeps fans in constant anticipation throughout the group’s music career. Like any other music genre,
Kpop has stereoty pes. One of the more prevalent ones it battles is that all male idols are gay. Many of the male singers wear makeup, but it’s not a symbol of sexual preference. It’s part of their culture. In South Korea, it’s not unusual to find a guy who wears makeup. They do it to make themselves look more handsome and groomed, not more feminine. South Korea is one of the most competitive developed countries, a place where getting a job is an extremely cut-throat proposition. Having an upper hand in looks doesn’t hurt. It’s the same for Kpop idols. They are constantly busy and have insane work hours that would leave any person ragged. If idols aren’t performing a concert or filming a music v ideo, they are tied up in inter v iews, T V shows, mov ies or on the treadmill of performance, never stopping the constant dance practice. That’s their life 24/7, so idols wear makeup to make themselves look cleaner and less ragged, especially since they’re so frequently in front of a camera. Another struggle Kpop idols face is the language barrier. The vast majority of popular singers and celebrities speak the same language and live w ithin the same countr y as their fans. However, Kpop fans don’t all speak Korean. W henever a new song, drama or inter v iew comes out, there’s always a delay before subtitled versions
are available in other languages. There are bilingual idols in some groups who can facilitate communication w ith international fans. Mark Tuan from Got7 and Amber J. Liu from f(x) both speak English as well as Korean. This does definitely help when these idols perform in a different countr y or are featured on a foreign show, but fans get used to relying heav ily on the skills of translators on websites like YouTube and DailyMotion. Kpop may break from American pop music traditions, but the variety it offers opens a door to a whole new culture and way of thinking. And, while they may not fall fullforce into the Kpop obsession and begin watching Korean dramas or live-tweeting into After School Club, American pop fans can definitely find worthwhile beats to expand their playlists.
Link to playlist:
ALBUM
APP
ALBUM
MOVIE
LOVE STORY
DOES NOT COMMUTE
HANDWRITTEN
THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Blend Kendrick Lamar’s sound with Eminem’s depth and an occasional hint of acoustic sweetness, and you have Yelawolf. The 35-yearold singer/rapper WWW.HIPHOPDX.COM has a style incapable of being described, highlighted in his new album Love Story. This album shows no fear of diversity and variety. It’s truly a beautiful mess. Songs like “Have A Great Flight” have an acoustic country twang, unheard of in hip-hop, that smoothly and slowly transforms into an atmospheric, powerful rap. “American You” is an upbeat, summerstyle anthem that completely contrasts with the moody feel of the rest of the album. Rarely is there a song on a rap album that could also appeal to a campfireloving Kid Rock fan. Songs like “Change” and “Empty Bottles” have an acoustic Eminem-esque style. Yelawolf spits intense, bone-trembling raps over an airy guitar riff — something rarely heard in the rap game today. Yelawolf may not present perfection within every single track, but if he has one thing, it’s brilliant variety within his album. While his rapping voice is almost identical to Kendrick Lamar’s, he’s been in the game just as long, and he’s anything but a copycat. Yelawolf is far from underground — he’s even collaborated with Ed Sheeran — but his creations have yet to hit the mainstream. However, that time may be approaching. Yelawolf proves to be both an impressive singer and rapper on Love Story. His two voices contrast strongly, showing versatility and the ability to appeal to more than one audience. Yelawolf debunks the stereotype of the Macklemore-esque white rapper without trying to be an Eminem doppelganger.
The seemingly simplest things can sometimes be the hardest. Does Not Commute perfectly embodies this idea. While the game’s controls WWW.APKTHING.COM are easy to use, the gameplay is the opposite. Does Not Commute is a 70s-themed driving game. The player sees the map from a bird’s-eye view, and the job is to drive the character to its objective before time runs out. At first, this is appears to be an easy task, as the streets are empty. Once the first character arrives at its destination, the user switches to another character, but the game is a temporal paradox. Cars continue to follow their routes even after the player becomes new characters, and the player must try to avoid them as they follow the path the user took. As play progresses, it becomes continually more difficult to get to the objective in time. Any crashes will damage and slow the car.Remaining time can be increased by driving over time bonuses that appear on the roads after enough routes are completed. There are two main features in the game. The first is a rewind button, which, for the cost of one second, lets the user rewind the route and timer. The other is the car upgrades, which can make the car faster, indestructible and can increase its traction. However, the car can only have one upgrade at a time. The game contains seven levels, and each has about 15 drivers. The beginning of each map is a checkpoint, but the player needs to pay a $2 fee. Without this upgrade, every loss means a complete game restart. But this is the game’s only drawback. Overall, Does Not Commute provides a fun challenge that makes players work to win.
When Shawn Mendes dropped his debut album Handwritten on April 28, the Ontario native made an impressive contribution to WWW.ITUNES.APPLE.COM the music world. The album opens up with slow ballads such as “Life of the Party” and “Never Be Alone” that tug on the heartstrings. Songs like “Stitches” and “All the Strings Attached” give listeners a break from the emotional side and give them something to groove to. Mendes doesn’t rely on auto-tuning to make the album sound better, and it’s evident he poured his heart into this work. But while it’s good for a first album, there are some flaws. A sequence of soft, acoustic melodies start the album off. They’re adequate but don’t stir the listener in any direction. The songs on the album are nothing unique, but Mendes seems to present a sense of authenticity. Musical inf luences such as Ed Sheeran are evident on the album with tracks like “Kid in Love.” Although there are some nice slow songs, there is an abundance of them, outnumbering upbeat tunes. After several slow melodies in a row, listeners will become restless and waiting for something more lively. And, as beautiful as some of the songs on the album are, they mirror each other too much, leaving the album lacking variety. Handwritten doesn’t present much that separates it from the usual top 40 but does have some promising moments that put Mendes’ future work on the radar.
The Avengers re-assemble in the highly anticipated sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America WWW.TIME.COM (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Bruce Banner a.k.a Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) all return. New to the scene are Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). After Hydra compromises S.H.I.E.L.D.’s ranks, the Avengers are the only “stable” force that can end Hydra’s terror. While meddling with Loki’s scepter, Stark and Banner create an artificial intelligence, Ultron. Although his original purpose is to keep world peace, Ultron soon comes to believe that requires human extinction. Avengers: Age of Ultron is no doubt an action movie. Even though the action sequences could never happen in real life, they look unbelievably realistic. As opposed to The Avengers, which only had a few action scenes, this movie is filled with battles. It exciting to see the lives characters live both with and without the Avengers. However, director Joss Whedon strayed from their paths in the comic books, which could upset hard-core comic book fans.Though this movie has minor f laws (most barely even noticeable), it is far better than The Avengers. Age of Ultron also didn’t feel as rushed and was better put together. This is definitely W hedon’s greatest film. Just like of the rest of the mov ies in Mar vel Cinematic Universe, it has to be watched on the big screen and nothing less.
Does Not Commute, Mediocre AB, 2015, Apple, Android, Free
Handwritten; 2015; Shawn Mendes, IslandRecords, $9.99
Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015, Directed by Joss Whedon, PG-13
By Billy Moin
By Radiance Cooper
By Lauren Sexton
Yelawolf, Love Stoy, Interscope Records, 2015
By Haley Reid
LIFE
North Pointe – Friday, May 8, 2015 – 5
AUDREY KAM
Change in generations institutes change in modern social events By Anu Subramaniam, Radiance Cooper, Emily Martinbianco & Dora Juhasz EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ASSITANT EDITOR & SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITORS
Seniors use promposals to secure dates Spring. Flowers bloom. Seniors commit to colleges. Testing winds down. The weather swings a 30-degree range. And prom fills the air. Prom may be a senior event, but the rest of the school lives vicariously through promposals. Scrolling through Instagram or Twitter during the months of March or April, one is bound to see at least one neon poster or a plate of food with “prom” written on it. However, this wasn’t always the case. Elaborate and public prom asks are a more recent trend, as is the word “promposal” itself. During English teacher Diane Montgomery’s time spent teaching in high school, prom asks have never been as big as they are now. Montgomery feels that promposals have the potential to set girls up for disappointment with their wedding proposals, as it is hard to top the elaborate nature of today’s prom asks. In addition to potential disappointment down the road, Montgomery also sees added pressure on both guys and girls
to make a big gesture and to say yes. Senior Alex Blunden thinks there is pressure on the guy to do something big, but part of that guys put on themselves. “I feel kind of like the girls really, really like big prompsals, and they all say ‘aw’ over all of them, so I feel like every guy wants to make the girl that they are asking feel that same way,” Blunden said. “I didn’t want to make (my promposal) entirely private, but I did it at her house. I made it a little less than if it was around all of our friends.” For senior Michael Buterakos, who broadcasted his ask over the big screen at the Tigers game, there was pressure, but the uniqueness of prom justified it. “I think girls like it if it’s more public. Everyone sees, and because it’s a onetime thing for most girls, make it special,” Buterakos said. Senior Jack Muschong waited until all the customers had left TCBY and then promposed to his girlfriend, junior Erin Armbruster, with the help of the TCBY staff. Armbruster was thrilled, as she isn’t a fan of crowds but loved the thoughtful and private nature of the way she was asked. Armbruster feels that guys have more pressure when asking a girl to prom because most girls at least know if a guy will ask them. The girl knows that the guy is going to ask them before they do it, and I think it’s really hard to come up with them,” Armbruster said. “I would be nervous if I was a guy, so I think they feel pressure.”
Upperclassmen shatter date preconceptions
COURTESY OF ALEX GREENE COURTESY OF LEXI CIARAMITARO
ABOVE: Senior Alex Blunden asked his girlfriend, senior Lexi Ciaramitaro to prom using an idea he saw on the Internet. “I saw similar ideas that weren’t as good on the Internet, and I kind of added on to it and put a bunch of things together and came up with the idea,” Blunden said. BELOW: While at the Tigers game, senior Michael Buterakos asked his girlfriend, senior Gabby Ermanni over the big screen.
Breaking the mold of traditional prom culture, students today decide to forgo the ty pical couple pairing and opt to attend w ith friends. “I think it’s a change socially, but it’s fine. I don’t think we should think much of it. Most people are going as platonic friends, and I don’t see a problem,” senior Ashley McLarty said. “I’m excited for just being w ith friends and hav ing fun.” McLarty and her date, senior Georgina Goralczyk, decided to go as friends. “I think for prom, whether or not you have a date, it’s a good idea to go. So I definitely recommend going w ith friends versus not going at all,” Goralczyk said. “Find someone you can go w ith because you’re going to miss out on a good memor y.” W hile platonic pairings w ill be more common this year, same-sex couples, which were prohibited in the past, w ill be making their debut. “If there were rules, and if you’re going as a couple of the same sex, then that’s just religious beliefs,” Goralczyk said. “I mean, I’m gay, and if people say I shouldn’t be going out with a girl, you just have to ignore it.” Counselor and Class of 2015 adv iser Jill Davenport says this is not an issue for this year’s prom. “I think that prom is a rite of passage, and it’s a great thing to remember of high school,” Davenport said. “If you would rather go w ith your friends, and if that is more comfortable w ith you, then as long as you’re hav ing a good time, that’s all that matters.”
COURTESY OF GABBY ERMANNI
ANU SUBRAMANIAM
Long dresses dominate style From the layers of tulle and princess-cut bodices of the 1950s, to the form-fitting, skin-showing dresses of today, prom styles have undergone massive transformations throughout the decades. “When I graduated, our prom dresses were very long, and the most revealing was an open shoulder,” lifeskills teacher Stacy Krzyminski said. “So it’s just becoming more ‘show everything that you have.’” Though dress style is more universally accepted, length is often debated between seniors and underclassmen. It’s often expected that juniors wear short dresses and seniors wear long dresses to prom. Junior Mara McMann is wearing a short dress to prom, but she feels that everyone should wear whatever they want.
“I think it’s whatever you’re like comfortable with,” McMann said. “I picked a short one because I thought it should be the senior special time to wear long dresses.” Senior Kayleigh Gehlert, who bought her long prom dress early this year, also believes that girls should wear any style. “I don’t think it matters if juniors wear long or short dresses. It’s not like it’s threatening or upstaging the seniors and you don’t get a lot of opportunities to wear a long and elegant dress,” Gehlert said via email. Krzyminski advises girls to ignore any social rules and choose what they look and feel good in. “Try on everything. Don’t look at magazines because they give you the ideal height and the ideal size. You wanna look exactly what works for your body type,” Krzyminski said. “I say wear whatever you want. Look good. Be comfortable. Just keep it classy.”
Students attend prom prematurely
COURTSEY OF ERIN ARMBRUSTER
ABOVE: Junior Erin Armbruster was surprised at TCBY by her boyfriend, senior Jack Muschong. TCBY is a frequent hangout for the couple. “I thought it was a really creative idea by Jack. I was really surprised, and I loved it,” Armbruster said.
Seniors are getting ready for prom, and so are a handful of underclassmen, including sophomore Veronica Albo. “I already have my dress, and shopping for it was really fun but also stressful because there were so many dresses that I loved,” Albo said via email. Although prom is usually reserved for seniors, underclassmen may attend as the dates of upperclassmen. Though this gives more students the opportunity to attend prom, social studies teacher Dan Gilleran does not think it is a good idea because he feels most seniors would want to celebrate with other seniors. “Obviously the prom is for seniors, right? And the vast majority (of attendees) are seniors. If a senior is dating somebody who’s an underclassman or out of school, I can certainly see why they should be allowed, but I don’t think it should be encouraged,” Gilleran said. Albo thinks that allowing underclassmen to attend prom offers them a hint of what they can look forward to. “I never thought that I would go to prom as a sophomore, but when my boyfriend and I started dating, I considered it a possibility. But now it’s really happening,” Albo said. “I think it’s cool that younger kids who aren’t seniors are allowed to go because they get a taste of what’s to come their senior year.”
ON CAMPUS
6 – North Pointe – Friday, May 8, 2015
Students strut their style The annual Parent Club fashion show took place at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club on Thurday April 30 By Olivia Askimakis & Dalaney Bradley CO-MANIGING EDITOR & PHOTO EDITOR
FACES IN THE CROWD
Kailah Martin-Turner
No day is a bad hair day for senior Kailah MartinTurner. Martin-Turner is currently attending cosmetology school. “We learn a little of everything from how to properly blow dry to ends trimming, dying hair and the proper protection of hair,” Martin-Turner said. Martin-Turner took the initiative to enroll herself in cosmetology school after discovering a natural talent for styling. “I like cosmetology school because I have a weird obsession with hair, like I love playing in it.” Although Martin-Turner is planning to pursue early childhood education, she hopes to continue cosmetology as a part-time job. “My favorite part is being able to come home and actually do something to my hair when I don’t have the time to go to the salon,” Martin-Turner said. “I would love to open my own salon sometime in the future as a parttime job.”
Evan Olzem
Alongside his brother and friend, junior Evan Olzem visits Schoolcraft College monthly to take part in a battle between animated characters. Olzem has been participating in Super Smash Bros. competitions since 2013. “In a competition, every participant is put into pools, and the top two make it out,” Olzem said. “Everyone plays matches with each other.” Olzem decided to participate after watching a professional Mario-themed match. “I have always been playing Smash Bros. ever since the first game on N64, when me and my brother duked it out against each other,” Olzem said. “In 2012, I watched a pro match that inspired me to play competitively.” Olzem believes the tournaments have sparked his competitive nature. “I have always been competitive,” Olzem said. “It was just finding the one thing that I wanted to go competitive in, and that was Super Smash Bros.”
ABOVE: Junior J.P. Navetta walks down the runway with a personalized outfit. TOP RIGHT: Senior Ann Marie Nicholson does her makeup while waiting for her turn on stage. “Getting ready for the show was actually pretty simple,” Nicholson said. “There were stylists from Edwin Paul to help us with our hair and makeup.” BOTTOM: Junior Julia Babcock smiles as she shows off her dress. “My adrenaline was pumping when I walked the runway, and I love to smile so that was fun, too. I also love getting all glam, so that was awesome,” Babcock said.
ABOVE: A makeup artist applies junior Meghan Mitchell’s makeup as she gets ready to walk the runway. “We got to pick out our outfits from the store that we were assigned to, and then we got to have a shoe fitting, and then on the night of ,we had people doing our hair, and it was just a lot of fun to walk on the runway,” Mitchell said. BELOW: Senior Chris Bahr takes charge of the microphone with senior Alisha Quain as he announces and describes the models’ dresses. “For me, I didn’t walk at all. I was just up at the podium with my partner Alisha Quain, and it was like quick,” Bahr said. “It was fast and everything, so we had to be ready. All we really had to do is turn up and down the music when we were speaking. It was fun, and the moms were all excited, so it was a good time.”
Caitlin Mayernik
A new color and design embellish freshman Caitlin Mayernik’s nails every week. Mayernik gets her inspiration for her nail designs from various media sources. “I like to do my nails. I have a bunch of different colors and stuff, and do different designs on my nails,” Mayernik said. “I watch Youtube videos, and Instagram posts and just copy the nail polish onto my nails.” Mayernik started to paint her nails to get rid of her nail-biting habit, and believes it has worked. “When I was younger, I used to bite my nails and so I was like ‘How can I stop?’,” Mayernik said. “So in order to stop, I just started painting my nails all pretty and by doing that, I kind of just stopped biting my nails.” The selection of a different pattern every time she does her nails is what fascinates Mayernik. “I think it’s fun to have all the different colors and stuff,” Mayernik said. “I think it’s fun to choose your favorite color and choose a new design every time you do them.” By Gowri Yerramalli
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Spanish Teacher Tamara Shepard
COURTESY OF TAMARA SHEPARD
Spanish teacher Tamara Shepard and Hope Closet vice president Emily Baker sit with new dress donations. “I volunteered there a few times for the week boutique, and then it took off and got pretty big, and I kept coming back every year, and I would donate bridesmaids dresses I didn’t need anymore and help out,” Shepard said.
By Haley Reid & Dora Juhasz SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITORS
Though her prom dress has long been tucked away, Spanish teacher Tamara Shepard keeps a connection to the quintessential senior dance. She spends one week every year volunteering for a nonprofit organization called Hope Closet, where prom dresses are donated for girls with financial constraints. “Anybody can come in. It can be somebody who, instead of putting a couple hundred dollars towards a prom dress, wants to put it towards college textbooks or something like that,” Shepard said. “It’s fun, you get a lot of different people that come in.” Shepard sees hundreds of dresses each year, both modern and outdated. There are designated volunteers to sort through donations and they often predict which dress will be the first to leave the rack. “Most dresses that are donated are beautiful, you know, recent. Some that are are donated are a little bit less ‘prom,’ like they’re velvet, vintage — I might say,” Shepard said. “So it starts out going through a lot of donations,
and if it’s not one that we can use for our organization, we can donate it to a different group.” A long-time friend of Shepard’s took over the organization in 2006 and introduced her to the boutique. Since then, Shepard has seen an increase in media coverage and clientele. Hope Closet was recently featured on Channel 4 and W WJ 950, and has an active Facebook page. Although the turnout is different every year, Shepard feels the same sense of satisfaction when helping girls find their dream dresses. “It’s pretty fun when you see students come in who are going to prom, but this is maybe their first formal dress. They come in in their softball or practice clothes, or coming in sweatpants ... and they come in, and they’re princess-y for the first time,” Shepard said. “And then the girls who knew that there was no way they were going to be able to afford this, looking for a fancy dress, they come in, and they’re like ‘Oh, this is kind of cool.’ They can pick one out, and they don’t even have to worry about it.”
What was your prom dress like? Actually, my mom made it. We went out shopping one day at Somerset, and we went to Neiman Marcus and tried on a bunch of dresses, and Saks, and in the fitting room, my mom would draw sketches of the ones I really liked, and she would sew them for me. It was kind of plain. It was navy blue, and it had sheer sleeves at the top. How long have you been skiing? I first skied when I was 3, so like 34 or 35 years. Do you have a favorite travel spot? I would always love to go back to Spain. Like, no matter how many times I’ve been there, I never get tired of it. It’s been several years since I’ve gone. I would always go back. Knowing the language, being familiar with the culture, it doesn’t get old. I studied abroad there in college. I was there for four months, and I’ve traveled there with students twice, in 2006 and 2008. Do you have any other interesting hobbies? I love skiing. This was the first year that my family took a run down a slope as a family of four, so my sons actually went up a chairlift, a 5 year old and 3 year old. It was a little nerve wracking. Skiing has changed since having kids. It’s more time-investment skiing, making sure they know what to do and making sure they’re okay.
SPORTS
North Pointe – Friday, May 8, 2015 – 7
Replacing the “X” in X-gaming By Katelyn Carney
SPORTS EDITOR
DeA ndre Lev y, linebacker for t he Detroit Lions, had t he brilliant idea to ta ke up biplane w ing wa lk ing in t he off-season. Lev y clung to t he side of an aircraft as it barrelrolled t hrough t he open sk y, t he only safet y conf ig uration a t hin belt tet hered frailly around his hips in case of a mis-step. The only t hing truly hanging in t he ba lance was t he likelihood of Lev y liv ing long enough to pursue his recent ly signed t hree-year, $ 9.75 million contract. Tom Brady, Super Bowl-w inning quarterback of t he New England Patriots, dove into t he dept hs of Costa Rican waters from a rock y plateau hundreds of feet above sea level. But it was a ll just for k icks of course because w inning four championship tit les obv iously can’t quench t he natura l t hirst for t hrill. This natura l t hirst a lso led 35 mountain climbers to t heir deat hs when an eart hqua ke in Nepa l summoned a frea k ava lanche near Mount Everest’s base camp April 29. Like climbers before t hem, t hey’d hoped of reaching t he top of t he mammot h formation. W hat would cause bot h successf ul pro footba ll players and lovers of t he great outdoors a like to attempt wa lk ing on planes, jumping off cliffs or sca ling summits of t he world’s ta llest mountains? A re t hey just anot her handf ul of adrenaline junk ies cast off t he island, merely tired of t he monotony of t heir ever yday lives? Doubtf ul? Me too. We, as a societ y, tend to brush off t he dangers of t hese acts w it h t hat same excuse — blaming it on t he adrena line rush or Generation Y lay ing claim to a unique sport to ca ll t heir ow n. But when t he issue is examined w it h a dept h t hat goes beyond t he na ked eye, it becomes plainly clear t hat t here should be more to t he stor y t han is at hand. First, let’s ta ke a look at t he dy namics of t hese extreme sports. Clearly, t here is a higher level of inherent danger which appea ls to t he t hrill-seekers of t he world. These sports initia lly require less coaching and render a more creative mindset t han can be found in traditiona l sports. Our world once saw team sports as more t han suff icient, but now we tend to seek extreme sports’ solitar y st yle. But most important ly, t here is next to no structure in t he world of irrationa l X-gaming. In t he world we live in, ever y t hing seems to have structure. Schools ta ke levels of disciplinar y actions to develop structure, t he government is broken into compartments to maintain structure, and t he work ing class is tiered in order to demand structure. But, in t he midst of traditiona l at hletic events, “structured sporting” has ta ken one giant step in t he w rong direction, gearing our at hletes to lash out in baseless stunts despite t heir over whelming success. The subt le but effective re-design of our perception towards team sports like basketba ll, baseba ll, footba ll and volleyba ll has decreased t heir va lue to t he point of t heir extinction as recreationa l events. Gone are t he days of play f ul pick-up games on t he street corner. Left behind are t hose who hope to tr y out “just for f un.” Missing are t he coaches w it h t he decency to pursue t heir at hletes’ best interests instead of t he paychecks t hat follow. The pressure to be elite has risen well beyond a safe boiling point. Parents no longer care about t he wellbeing of t heir children, and rat her test t heir brea k ing points to get t hat scholarship opportunit y. Today, at hletes have built up a t hick enough sk in to endure t his relent less lifest yle, but eventua lly t hey a ll begin to scribble outside of t he lines, ta k ing more risks because t hey have had enough w it h play ing it safe. Muhammad A li once said, “He who is not courageous enough to ta ke risks w ill accomplish not hing in life.” There is trut h in t his statement, but t here is a f ine line bet ween ta k ing a risk to better oneself for t he f uture and simply risk ing it a ll in order to stick it to t he man for screw ing you over in t he f irst place. They say t hat strict parenting raises rebellious children. Well, let me be t he f irst to tell you t hat t he iron grip our nation has on structured sports w ill raise even more troubled at hletes t han just strict parenting. We need to loosen t he reigns, or maybe next time t he risk won’t be as harmless as cliff div ing. Remember, it’s just a game. We’ve heard our parents say it, had our teachers lecture it, and even had our coaches engrain it into us. But until we apply what we are hearing on t he sidelines to t he f ield, we continue to subject ourselves to t he ta x ing nature of competition. W hen championship-w inning and million-dollar-contract at hletes are turning to t he extreme, it’s a sign t hat we, as a nation, have fa llen out of friendship w it h f un.
COURTESY OF HENRY BURGHARDT
Junior Henry Burghardt fishes for salmon on Lake Michigan with his cousin.
FISHING FREELY
As the fishing season begins, students recount both recreational and competitive time on the water
By Billy Moin
groves every year,” Burghardt said. “We go for redfish, snook, snapper, stuff like that.” The other side of fishing is competitive. Tournaments are held all over the country. Michigan alone has 195 tournaments scheduled from May through the beginning of July. Winners catch the largest or longest fish. “We do tournaments up north in Lake Michigan,” Burghardt said. “They’re not that competitive, but you can win some stuff.” Of all of her memories from fishing, Sexton’s favorite is when she was the only one out of her family to catch anything. “I remember all of my brothers and my sister and I, we were all fishing, and none of them could catch any, and then every single time I put my rod back in, back down, I just could keep catching them. It was really funny,” Sexton said. “I caught like 12 in a row, and they just gave up, and they’re like, ‘we’re done.’” One of Rieth’s favorite memories is actually from when he didn’t catch a fish. “Last year, we were fishing at the Shores Park, and I had a huge muskie on the line that ended up snapping my line,” Rieth said. Rieth and Sexton both enjoy different aspects of fishing. On one side, Rieth said he enjoys simply spending time with friends outside and relaxing, and on the other, Sexton enjoys her uniqueness in the sport. “It’s a peaceful sport,” Sexton said. “It’s pretty cool, and I guess you wouldn’t really think of a girl fishing ... ‘cause a lot of girls are like, ‘Ew, it’s slimy and gross.’” For Burghardt, fishing is more than a recreational activity. “Fishing is freeing. There’s nothing like being out on the water waiting for a fish to bite,” Burghardt said. “It’s where I go to turn around a bad day or if I want to make a good day better.”
NEWS EDITOR
The water is still, and all is quiet. Suddenly, one of the lines becomes taut, and a rush comes with the realization that a fish is within reach. From the age of 5, fishing has been a part of junior Henry Burghardt’s life. “It’s kind of a family thing,” Burghardt said. The fishing season began on Sunday, April 26 and will continue until mid-fall. Fishing has also been a major part of senior Jack Rieth’s life. “I’ve been pretty much fishing my whole life. I used to (go) with my dad when I was a little kid,” Rieth said. Both Burghardt and Rieth have been fishing for a majority of their lives. Sophomore Grace Sexton, on the other hand didn’t start fishing until fifth grade. Sexton said she first went fishing at Lakefront Park with her sister and brothers on Labor Day. While she originally didn’t want to go, Sexton has grown to enjoy the sport. In nearby Lake St. Clair, there are a several types of fish to catch, from walleye to round goby. However, Lakes Huron, Superior and Erie host even greater varieties. “All I’ve gotten are lake trout and sunfish,” Sexton said. “It’d be cool if I could go up north sometime and look for the bigger ones.” However, fishing doesn’t always necessarily require the use of a boat. “We go to Lakefront park and then just go on the boardwalk,” Sexton said. “But last summer, my parents got us a boat, so then we would go out on Lake St. Clair and fish there.” One recreational aspect of this sport is charter fishing. On a charter trip, a ship captain is paid to take passengers to copius fishing spots. “Down in Florida, I go on a charter trip in the Man-
Sophomore engages in recent Canadian hockey league opportunity By Olivia Asimakis & Ritika Sanikommu CO-MANAGING EDITOR & WEB MANAGING EDITOR
A life-long infatuation for ice, pucks and skates has lead sophomore Chris Cameron to discover new hockey possibilities, like the opportunity to play for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). “I think he became interested in hockey as early as 18 months. We took him to a Red Wings game, and he was hockey-on ever since. He used to sleep w ith the little foam pucks. It was really cute, and he was totally into it,” Cameron’s father Todd Cameron said. “I got him on skates when he was 3. We’d go to open skates and get him used to it. He was skating himself when he was 3 years old, and when he turned 4, he started playing hockey.” The OHL is a major junior ice hockey league for players ages 15-20. Chris drew attention from different teams, but ended up getting drafted for the Barrie Colts, a team based out of Barrie, Ontario. If Chris commits to the Colts, he w ill have to move to Barrie full-time. Chris currently plays for a U16 A A A team, the Junior Oak land Grizzlies. He believes being drafted for the OHL has given him some insight regarding his hockey future, but he is unsure if committing to the OHL w ill benefit him overall. “If I played there (OHL), I couldn’t play in college, so I mean, it’s kind of a cool thing to know that they look at you, but I don’t think I want to play there,”
Cameron said. “I mean, I might, but it’s not my primar y thing. I want to play in college. If the OHL is looking at me, then hopefully other leagues are looking at me.” The OHL has 15 rounds of drafts, and Chris was drafted in the tenth round. Fellow Junior Oak land Grizzle’s player sophomore Hugh Anderson moved from Wisconsin to Michigan to play on Chris’s team and currently lives w ith him. “I was pretty happy for him that he got drafted,” Anderson said. “It’s cool to get drafted, (but) it’s not your end result. You can play for them, or you can play in a different league. It depends.” Chris’s goal is to tr y the camps offered by the OHL out first because committing to the Colts would mean signing off his rights and therefore taking away his chance to play in college. “I’m gonna go to all the camps and stuff, like the rookie camp, and see how I do,” Chris said. “If it’s something I do decide I want to do, then I could tell them, whenever I wanted, ‘Yeah, I’ll play there.’” Todd feels Chris’s accomplishment is important, but he wants him to stay centered on education as well. “In the future, yeah he’d love to (play professionally),” Todd said. “But he’s studying hard because the chances to go pro are so slim that the only reason we’re letting him do all this stuff is because he’s been doing ver y well academically.”
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8– Friday, May 8, 2015 – North Pointe
AND THE RIVALRY CONTINUES...
A wrap-up of face offs against South By Ava Deloach & Sydney Benson PHOTO EDITOR & ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
SCOREBOARD GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE COACH LAUREN NIXON 3 -6 -1 THE NEXT GAME IS AGAINST GROSSE POINTE SOUTH ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 6. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND GAME AGAINST THEM THIS SEASON. “MVPS WOULD BE JUNIOR MIDFIELDER CAROLINE BOCK, JUNIOR MIDFIELDER AMANDA ALBRECHT, JUNIOR MIDFIELDER SYDNEY EGER AND JUNIOR DEFENSEMEN MELISSA GUEST,” NIXON SAID. “THE SEASON HAS HAD ITS UPS AND DOWNS, BUT THE TEAM HAS REALLY COME TOGETHER, AND THEY WORK HARD AND NEVER GIVE UP DURING GAMES. I AM VERY PROUD OF HOW THEY HAVE PLAYED THIS SEASON,” NIXON SAID.
BOYS TRACK SYDNEY BENSON
ABOVE: Junior Caroline Bock attempts to score during the North-South game for cancer research. “It’s fun that we can bond together and that it’s not always so strict and serious. We can do what we need to on the field yet have fun together off the field,” Bock said. “I always want to win, yet when you’re playing against South, there is so much more motivation because you know so many of the girls on the other team.”
SYDNEY BENSON
ABOVE: Juniors Daniel Brady and Connor Sickmiller run on the track determined to beat South. “My effort and along with my team’s really got us to states. I was happy with that,” Brady said. Brady believes there is more movation when the team competes agaist South. “For track, we demolish them in distance. That was really fun,”Brady said.
LEFT: Lacrosse coach Lauren Nixon motivates her team. “My mindset as a coach before any game is to motivate my players to play their hardest and to never give up even when we are losing. I tell my players to play competitively, smart, with good sportsmanship and to want to win more than the other team does,” Nixon said via email. “The team’s greatest accomplishment this season has been our comeback victory against Lake Orion 6-5. We were down at halftime with a score of 1-3 and didn’t give up and played very well second half coming back to beat them by one goal.”
COACH FRANK TYMRAK MAC RED RECORD 2 - 1 LED BY CAPTAINS: SENIOR JOE CIARAVINO, JUNIOR JAMES SHELTON, JUNIOR MARKAEL BUTLER, JUNIOR TOMMY HEINEMANN “OUR EVERYDAY GOAL IS TO IMPROVE ON OUR LAST BEST PERFORMANCE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEETS IS THE STATE REGIONALS — OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE TO THE STATE FINALS,” TYMRAK SAID. “WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE TEAM AND LOOK FORWARD TO DEVELOPING OUR YOUNGER ATHLETES FOR THE FUTURE.”
GIRLS ROWING SO FAR THIS SEASON, THE DETROIT BOAT CLUB CREW HAS ATTENDED FOUR REGATTAS IN OHIO AND MICHIGAN.
SYDNEY BENSON
SYDNEY BENSON
ABOVE: Junior James Shelton on a starting block. “Before a race, I would always have to tap the blocks three times on both sides before I get ready,” Shelton said.
RIGHT: Freshman Bella Gallant prepares to serve. “My greatest accomplishment this season was my very first tournament this season, Gallant said.”(While playing) against South there’s the number one singles girl (Raven Neely), she plays all year round and my main goal (was) to hang in there and try to keep the points going,” Gallant said. Gallant always remembers to have fun.
BELOW: Senior Maddy Dension runs in several distance relays aganist South. They took 20 seconds off the 800 (meter) relay. “I get super pumped because they’re really fast and I know a lot of the girls,” Dension said. Dension will continue her running at Albion College.
THIS WEEKEND, THE TEAM WILL COMPETE AT A REGATTA IN INDIANA. “WE ARE ALL BUSY SPENDING ALL OF OUR TIME WORKING TOWARD MAKING IT TO NATIONALS AT THE END OF THE SEASON,” JUNIOR EMILY TRUSS SAID.
SAILING “THE SEASON IS YOUNG RIGHT NOW, LIKE OUR SAILORS. WE ARE DOING SURPRISINGLY WELL. I THINK WITH THE NEW GROUP OF FRESHMEN THAT HAVE COME IN THIS YEAR, A TOTAL OF SIX, THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME WE WILL BE A FORMIDABLE TEAM,” DAVE BALCERAK SAID. THE NEXT EVENT WILL BE IN TRAVERSE CITY FOR THE CHERRYLAND TEAM RACE REGATTA. THERE WILL BE 12 DIFFERENT TEAMS THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN COMPETING IN A TEAM RACE EVENT.
VARSITY BASEBALL 17 - 9
AVA DELOACH
SYDNEY BENSON
LEFT: Sophomore Sam Cross runs to the next base in oder to beat South while on North’s home Cross got to play at Comerica Park against South. “It was an amazing experience. It was a dream come true because I have always wanted to play there (since) I was a kid,” Cross said. “I just have never played in a stadium filled with so many people before, and it was an amazing feeling.” Cross’s greatest accomplishment this season was making the varsity team after playing on the freshmen team last year. Cross played pitcher, outfield and infield aganist South. “It’s always different when you play against your rival because you try extra hard to beat them,” Cross said.
THE NEXT GAME WILL BE WEDNESDAY. MVP: SENIOR TOMMY BURKE AND SOPHOMORE SAM CROSS “WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT WE’RE DOING. WE JUST HAVE TO TRY A LITTLE HARDER. WE HAVE GREAT COACHES, AND EVERY PLAYER CAN DO GOOD THINGS FOR THE TEAM,” SENIOR DANIEL ROBINSON SAID.
GIRLS VARSITY TENNIS COACH JOHN VAN ALST 3 -6-1 JUNIOR LAUREN LESHA HAS THE BEST INDIVIDUAL RECORD FOR THE TEAM. THE NEXT MATCH FOLLOWING THIS WEEKEND’S TOURNAMENT WILL BE THE REGIONAL MATCH, WHICH IS THE STATE QUALIFIER. BY YENA BERHANE SYDNEY BENSON