North Pointe - May 22, 2015

FEATURE PAGE 8 LEFT: Senior Tommy Burke bats in a game against Grosse Pointe South on Saturday, April 25.

RIGHT: Varsity baseball coach Frank Sumbera with his family celebrating his 1,000th win May 9. with his family.

NORTH

POINTE

SYDNEY BENSON & WWW.GPNORTHATHLETICS.COM

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015

SINCE 1968

Extreme studying habits fail to make the grade

By Audrey Kam & Katelynn Mulder

who feel new versions of Halo warrant an all-nighter,” athletic trainer Sarah Florida said via email.

Kuhl says that nine to ten hours of sleep per night is the recommended amount for teenagers. However, she knows it’s rare for students to get that much — or any sleep at all some nights.

“Maybe sometimes it’s poor planning and budgeting of time, but I think it’s mostly being over whelmed w ith the amount of work and studying you have to do,” Kuhl said.

Sleep deprivation, also know n as sleep deficit, most commonly presents itself through slow or delayed cognitive performance such as sluggish thinking, impaired attention span and poor working memory according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine-National Institute of Health.

Students have a choice to make — stay up and finish the assignment or go to bed on time and risk a late grade.

If students are hav ing trouble focusing and remembering what they learned in class that day, their grades could suffer, but if they don’t do the work on time, it could have the same result.

According to Kuhl, a solid sleep schedule is a good tool for students to have.

“If you can make a schedule for yourself, budget your time really well and keep a good sleep routine, that w ill probably be your best bet,” Kuhl said. “Sleep is not only good for rest and recover y. It also helps you learn, so it’s important for solidif ying that information you’re studying.”

EDITOR-AT-LARGE & STAFF REPORTER

With school, extracurriculars, cocurriculars and an Internet connection, the only thing surprising about teenagers’ lack of sleep is that it’s still considered a surprise.

Freshman Blerina Berisha feels that it is not a good idea to sacrifice sleep, especially before a test.

“I wouldn’t suggest it because you obv iously need a lot of sleep to actually prepare your brain for the next day,” Berisha said.

Teengers are faced with mounting college pressures, which increase their workload. To manage their responsibilities, many are cutting into their recommended amount of sleep. As a result, teens all over the country are suffering from slower reaction times and possible long-term sleep deprivation.

“I think teenagers are kind of notorious for not getting the rest they need,” school psychologist Christine Kuhl said.

“It’s an issue for a lot of students because teenagers need more sleep than most age groups, and they probably get the least.”

In fact, according to the Center for Advancing Health (CFAH), only around 8 percent of high school students get the recommended average of nine hours of sleep on a school night. This means out of North’s 1,342-member student body, there are only around 106 well-rested students.

“I’d say there are three types of allnighters: academic procrastinators making up for lost time, academic overachievers trying to get every dot, dash and period memorized, and those special few

Q&A with new superintendent Dr. Gary Niehaus

By Caitlin Bush & Allison Lackner ASSISTANT EDITORS

North Pointe: Where did you grow up?

Dr. Gary Niehaus (via email): Farina, Illinois, population 600. My family owned grain elevators in four communities.

NP: Where did you attend college?

GN: Eastern Illinois University. B.S. in Education, Southeastern Louisiana University, M.S. in Education, Eastern Illinois University. Specialist in Education and Loyola University, Chicago, Ed.D. in Education.

NP: What did you major and minor in, and why?

GN: History, Physical Education and Health Education. I wanted to be a teacher.

NP: Have you had a crazy job in the past?

GN: Illinois Department of Transportation summer job holding and turning a stop sign for traffic. BORING. NP: What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

GN: Avid golfer, swim a mile a day, and being with my granddaughters.

NP: Do you have any pets?

GN: Bosco, golden retriever puppy, six months old.

NP: Would you consider yourself an adventurous person? Why? GN: I like to have calculated risk. Moving and coming to Grosse Pointe.

NP: Do you have any kids?

GN: Kevin, my oldest is married to Katy. They live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They’re expecting a daughter in July.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

AUDREY KAM & LINDSEY RAMSDELL

Amy is married to Brian. They live in Salem, Illinois with my two granddaughters, Sarah, 10 and Emma, 5.

R y a n is single. He lives in Broomfield, Colorado.

NP: Do you have any unique talents?

GN: Left-handed, excellent handwriting, signature (and) athlete.

NP: What has been your favorite job?

GN: Being a superintendent.

NP: What experience do you have being a superintendent?

GN: I have been a superintendent in Illinois for 18 years. Seven years at Salem Elementary School District, four years at Charleston Unit School District No. 1 and seven years at McLean County Unit District No. 5.

NP: What was your first impression of the Grosse Pointe Public School System?

GN: Grosse Pointe has an excellent teaching staff and administrators that are looking for a chance to work together to make the school system even better. I want to be a part of helping lead and guide the direction of the school district.

NP: What do you have to offer in the role of superintendent?

GN: The leadership, vision and courage to make Grosse Pointe Public School System even better.

NP: How have you felt throughout the hiring process?

GN: ExecConnect does an excellent job of making the process thorough, rigorous and comprehensive. I have enjoyed my time in Grosse Pointe visiting the buildings, meeting people and becoming familiar with the school system.

NP: What made you apply for this job?

GN: ExecConnect is the search firm hired by the Grosse Pointe Public School system. They recruited me and asked me to apply for the superintendency.

NP: How did the interviewing process work?

GN: ExecConnect advertised the position. They had 31 applicants apply, screened 11 candidates and selected three finalists for the first-round interviews. The Board of Education interviewed the three finalists for 90 minutes each. The Board of Education selected two finalists. The finalists each spent a day in the school district with multiple small group

COURTESY OF DR. GARY NIEHAUS

ABOVE: Dr. Gary Niehaus has been hired as the new superintendent. “A superintendent is the leader, visionary and planner for the school system. Listening, talking with others and bringing the best ideas forward to make Grosse Pointe a better school system,” Niehaus said. interviews, school visits, a formal presentation and a final interview with the Board of Education.

NP: What was the interviewing process like for you?

GN: The process was thorough, tedious and required focus, preparation and understanding of the school system.

NP: Did you have any strategies for the interviews?

GN: Preparation is key, researching the school system, getting to know the community, and getting answers focused. The other key is to get your experience and abilities into your answers.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

IDEAS - PAGE 3

REVIEWS - PAGE 4 Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara’s new comedy, Hot Pursuit, came out Friday, May 8.

“Everyone makes the unknown seem like such a scary place, but there is a particular beauty to uncertainty.”

CONTENTS 1 2 3 4

NEWS CALENDAR IDEAS REVIEWS

5 6 7 8

LIFE ON CAMPUS SPORTS FEATURE

WWW.POWER983.COM

@thenorthpointe

www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 47, ISSUE 16

NEWS

2 – Friday, May 22, 2015 – North Pointe

Sleep deprivation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Short-term memory is encoded and stored in long-term memory banks during sleep.

Psychology teacher Jennifer Weisbrodt says that while students who opt for all-night cram sessions “often do fairly well on exams,” their assessment grade isn’t ref lective.

“The real test is if they retain the information over time,” Weisbrodt said via email.

“We know from research that they don’t retain the information without ‘sleeping on it.’”

Pressure to get good grades only increases throughout high school. According to the Center for Advancing Health, nearly 20% more seniors have sleep deficits than students in ninth grade.

Junior Kayla Selbmann knows that she is an outlier, getting an average of eight hours of sleep a night.

“I’m a junior, but when I was a freshman, I probably got more sleep because I got less homework,” Selbmann said.

According to Weisbrodt, anything that prevents a person, and especially a teenager, from completing or entering REM sleep cycles can have an extremely negative effect on them, both psychologically and physically.

This includes alcohol and certain medications for psychological conditions and anxiety disorders.

“Even sleeping pills can shorten REM cycles, which directly affects memory and our state of mind,” Weisbrodt said.

There are many types of sleep deprivation, and while everyone knows about “allnighters,” another variety that may be more widespread is chronic partial sleep depri-

vation. Chronic partial sleep deprivation is when sleep is consistently restricted. This results in a large sleep debt, which is the total hours of sleep lost.

“The important thing is that you are studying hard and that you are getting the grades that you want, and if that’s what you need to do, that’s kinda what you need to do,” Kuhl said.

While pulling all-nighters has its negative effects, it’s worse to get consistent low levels of sleep. It has been theorized that people suffering from chronic partial sleep deprivation can take more than two weeks to fully recover.

Without a healthy amount of sleep, the body will continue to suffer, harming the student’s reaction times and other mental capabilities.

A lack of sleep has also been associated with teenage driving incidents.

“You know how you see a lot of signs on the road or even public service announcements saying don’t drive sleepy?” Kuhl said.

“It’s because it’s just as dangerous as driving drunk or driving texting.”

Driver fatigue is responsible for an estimated 100,000 motor vehicle accidents and 1,500 deaths each year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drowsiness is the last stage before falling asleep, which makes it one of the most dangerous states a driver can be in.

However, when it comes to attending school, it seems like being up all night isn’t such a bad thing when done sparingly.

“One here and there, especially when you’re young, are bound to happen,” Florida said. “I myself have some fond memories of pulling college all-nighters with study groups, and I think I turned out just fine.

However, I am not recommending making it a regular part of life.”

Superintendent Q&A CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

NP: What changes do you want to make?

GN: Special education, meeting the needs of the special education students. NorthSouth tradition, rivalry and needs, technology, digital content, one-to-one implementation and infrastructure to support (it) and enrollment, keeping what we have and recruiting more young families to Grosse Pointe.

NP: What change are you most excited about?

GN: Technolog y, digital content, infrastructure and getting towards one-toone implementation.

NP: What are you most looking forward to while you’re superintendent?

GN: Meeting the community, getting into the school buildings and spending time with the teachers, students, administrative team.

NP: What put you ahead of the competition?

GN: Doing my homework on the school system, being focused with my answers and bringing previous experience.

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SYDNEY BENSON

ABOVE: Freshmen John Godoshian and Zoey Lightbody sell their “Big Crujido” to a customer at the Big Salad as part of a project for their Marketing I class.

BELOW: Sophomore Justin Rheaume and junior Adam Hilu present their “Game Changer” wrap to a customer.

SYDNEY BENSON

Marketing I classes return to The Big Salad to sell products

By Lindsey Ramsdell & Emma Brock ASSISTANT EDITORS

Over the past two weeks, Marketing I classes have returned to The Big Salad for another partnership opportunity. The students’ tasks were to work in groups to develop, pitch, advertise and sell an original product at the salad shop. Junior Tommy Heinemann and his group created an Asian salad called the Samurai Salad.

“Their Asian salad is their number-one selling item at The Big Salad,” Heinemann said. “So we figured that if we could alter that a little bit, we’d have the most people vying to buy it.”

Whichever group sells the most product gets its salad, along with its members’ names, on The Big Salad’s menu through next fall. In order to win, the students will have to come up with the most effective marketing strategy for their product. Heinemann and his team are using social media and flyers to advertise the Samurai Salad.

The first semester Marketing I class was business teacher Michelle Davis’s first class to undertake this assignment, and after receiving good results, Davis decided to turn it into a tradition.

“It went really well the first time through,” Davis said. “I think that the kids were hesitant in first semester at the beginning because it seemed like it was gonna be a lot of work. And it was, but it was all in-class work for the most part ... we got to put the book away and actually take the curriculum and turn it into something real, something reality-based. So second semester, I think the expectation was more there for the kids, they were a little more excited because they had already heard about how much fun the (first group) had from first semester.”

Davis noticed that as the students became less hesitant, they were more proactive in the creation of their product. The product and advertising development went more quickly than it did first semester.

Each group sold its product on an assigned day. Heinemann and his group soldtheir salad on May 19. Team member Samantha Lopiccolo said she enjoyed the preparation. During this part of development, students sampled their own products and made adjustments to find the right taste.

“My favorite was taste-testing it and seeing the product come to life,” Lopiccolo said.

Although the concept of the assignment was the same as first semester, Davis shortened this semester’s project schedule to increase efficiency.

“I gave myself a lot of time the first time to make sure we covered everything and realized I didn’t need quite that much,” Davis said. “So second semester, we condensed the time frame so that we could get it done, still stick with curriculum and maybe add some more things but not have to spend four weeks.”

Despite having only three weeks for design and marketing, the students were not negatively affected. In fact, the first three groups to sell made more than the first three did last semester. Davis credits some of this success to increased awareness of the project throughout the community.

“I think that the community was more aware than the first time around,” Davis said. “And it’s nicer. It was December (during the first trial), and now it’s May, so people can get out more.”

The project has not only helped Heinemann notice the possibilities of marketing as a career, but it has also benefitted all of Marketing I. As a result Interest in marketing has increased at North.

“The numbers for the marketing class increased from this year to next year, and I think part of the reason it increased is because people were talking about how we get to do this cool thing and leave school and actually sell something we made,” Davis said.

This type of reality-based learning has become such a positive asset to marketing that Davis would like to begin a similar activity in her advertising class. The advertising students would design ad campaigns that they would present to a local business.

For Heinemann, the reward is in the experience.

“I think that we’re learning a lot, and that’s what matters the most,” he said. “(I like) that it’s all up to us. We have freedom to do what we want.”

NO SCHOOL

Monday, May 25

SPRING SPORTS AWARDS

Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. in the PAC

SENIOR’S LAST DAY

Wednesday, June 3

SAT TESTING

SENIOR ATHLETIC BRUNCH

Sunday, June 7 at 12 p.m. at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club

BLOOD DRIVE

Sunday, June 7 at 12 Saturday, June 6 and Saturday, June p.m. at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club 13 at 8 a.m. at

North

IDEAS

North Pointe – Friday, May 22 , 2015 – 3

Undeciders united “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 STAFF REPORTER

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

Unschooled in the unexpected

I used to envy the kids that knew.

W hether MY TURN they were OLIVIA ASIMAKIS the kids on the robotics team that have a passion for science, technology or physics and who want to go on to work for NASA or help build the next solar powered car. Or my fellow journalists in North Pointe that have a deep passion for writing and wish to attend renowned journalism schools and continue down this path.

It’s not that I don’t love science or journalism, I just don’t know if these are the right choices for me. I looked at these kids, and I wanted to be like them. I wanted to know. Now I’ve finally realized something. It doesn’t have to be as cut and dry as it appears. Let me tell you why.

As soon as his fingers were long enough to reach the keyboards, my brother has been glued to our piano. When he’s not driving me crazy playing his original songs 15 times a day, he’s barricaded in his room with his giant computer system getting ready to hack the CIA. Okay, not really, but the kid knows what he’s doing.

With a combined passion for technolog y and music, he knew he wanted to get a degree in computer science and design. This past fall, he packed his bags and boarded a three-hour f light to the University of Utah to be enrolled in the Entertainment Arts and Engineering program.

Three months later, he was back home.

Nothing is definite, nor does it have to be. According to the Daily Princetonian, 80 percent of college students nationwide change their major. So even if

we think we know, we never really know until it happens.

The stress of applying to a school and having to figure it out immediately is unnecessary. Instead of giving ourselves anxiety over applications, we should use that time and energy to find things we like, especially if we are trying to find a school that can accommodate that.

In about three months, I w ill be w riting my college essays and sending my transcripts to schools, and I hope one of the schools I apply to w ill become my future. Applying to colleges isn’t the same as choosing one, but it’s more about the notion behind it. I am putting the past three years dow n on a piece of paper, hoping that same sheet w ill get me accepted and help me find a “dream school.”

Ahh, the dream school. You hear about it from the select few who have their decisions made. The idea of the perfect school for an individual sounds nice. But for me, it’s not a reality yet.

Not only am I completely confused about which schools are worth applying to, but I have no idea which career paths to consider.

My brother thought he knew. He probably still knows, but his college career didn’t start the way he anticipated. He changed his mind. He’s taught me that even if you have specific dreams, everything doesn’t go exactly as you hope.

Everyone makes the unknown seem like such a scary place, but there is a particular beauty to uncertainty. I’ve always been confused about my future, but aren’t we all in some way? Right now I’m up in the air, and I think I’ll be there for a while. At least now I know that’s okay.

ANU SUBRAMANIAM

Tornadoes whipping across the Midwest. An earthquake rippling through Kalamazoo. Two bomb threats at North.

Every year, administration dutifully carries out the required number of state-mandated emergency drills.

And every year, students try to maximize time away from class by dragging through them.

However, this year brought a few unusual events, and students revealed through social media that they don’t really know how to respond.

Following the bomb threat, there was a string of tweets expressing confusion. Students weren’t sure whether to return home or wait at the First English Lutheran Church across the street.

Following the earthquake in Kalamazoo May 2, North students tweeted about the rumble they felt.

Instead of taking the proper safety measures during an earthquake, they took to their phones.

Thanks to consistent practice and reinforcement over the course of our school years, we know fire, lockdown and tornado routines. Staff are well-versed on procedures and are able to efficiently guide their students to safety. But, the severe situations that have arisen this year aren’t as routine and reveal a gap in our preparedness.

We don’t practice earthquake drills, and despite the two bomb threats this year, the procedure isn’t commonly known by students. The administration meets the minimum number of drills required, for fire, tornado and locdowns. But with new situations presenting themselves, it needs to adapt.

Admittedly, conducting drills takes away from classroom time. It’s hard to coordinate them, and they’re an inconvenience to the educational environment. But, in the light of recent events, we need more drills to prepare students and staff for all the possibilities.

For students to feel safe in their learning environment, they should prepare for events that have become a possibility. Though it would take away from time in class, extra drills, such as earthquake drills or in-school bomb threat drills, can help make these events less confusing. Establishing a procedure and having kids repeatedly practice would make students less likely turn to Twitter in event of a bomb threat or earthquake.

The goal isn’t to make extreme situations less unusual. That’s not realistic. It is to help make students feel safer. Following the bomb threats, there was disorganization and unfamiliarity. Sutdents were confused, so many didn’t return to school.

While taking class time for extra drills is inconvenient, having students who don’t know what’s going on and having low attendance as a result isn’t any better.

Setting aside a portion of freshman orientation to run through all the drills can help students feel that they are safe in the place where they will spend the next four years. Going over multiple scenarios, can give students a peace of mind, that will improve the learning environment and also not take time away from classes.

However, once is not enough. Every year, students should get refreshers on these less common drills. Staff should also be debriefed on a more set protocol. If staff is better able to instruct students if a situation does come up, there will be less confusion, less tweeting and more effectiveness.

Michigan’s unpredictable weather is always the point of jokes. However, when that unpredictability begins to include things beyond sudden rain showers or bouts of humidity, we have to be able to handle them. The more versed students and staff are in case of emergencies, the more productive and safe a learning environment can be. Unpredictability should be left to the weather, not to safety routines.

“I’ll probably distract myself or watch a bunch of movies or just talk to my friends.”

“I entertain myself and not lay down. I watch TV and play video games.”

“We just watch a bunch of movies and eat a lot of candy. We didn’t really mean to, but it kind of just happened anyway.”

Kylee Banaszewski

Jack Thompson

Elaina Emig

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: What do you do to pull an all-nighter?

By Sydney Benson

“I don’t do all-nighters because I don’t believe in cramming and stuff.”

“I haven’t pulled an all-nighter in 30 years, and I only pulled one or two. I would take a nap during the day (and) have a bunch of coffee.”

“I’ve had to make sure I get up frequently and move around — play loud music, open the window up, let cold air come in.”

Trevor Joy

Andy Montague

Ann Starinsky

SENIOR

ENGLISH TEACHER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Anu Subramaniam

HEALTH 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 SECTION EDITORS: Yena Berhane, Katelyn Carney, without prior review.

Mora Down, Audrey Kam, Billy Moin Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma Puglia views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect WEB MANAGING EDITOR: Ritika Sanikommu the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School BUSINESS MANAGER: Gowri Yerramalli System.

CO-MANAGING EDITORS: Olivia Asimakis, Jennifer Kusch

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, Katelynn Mulder, Montana Paton, Anna Post, Addison Toutant INTERNS: Conner Bott, Harris Bunker, Abbey Cadieux, Maria Cody, Darcy Graham, Camryn Harris, Erin Kaled, Trevor Mieczkowski, Sonny Mulpuri, Joey Parison, Michael Ruprecht, Asia Simmons, Billy Steigelman,Tommy Teftsis

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 RADIANCE COOPER

Shunning a stereotype A few weeks ago, my mother sent me a link to a video that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. It was footage of a relatively unknown poet named Ernestine Johnson appearing on Arsenio Hall’s late night talk show. Wearing a black and purple laced dress, this beautiful, cocoa-colored woman with long, black braids recited her poem ‘Not the average black girl’ and in those four minutes and 37 seconds, I had a revelation.

If we look closely at the dominant view we have of black women, unfortunately it will overwhelmingly come to this: loud, angry, opinionated, disrespectful. This common thread is regurgitated every day in the mainstream media and has left a stain on the image of dark girls.

This stain has led to a message that gets woven in between the lines of everyday life as a message that these women are lesser. This message has the potential to stunt self-confidence and create preconceived beliefs that are incorrect.

It’s no secret that negative stereotypes about any group of people can have detrimental effects, but this one in particular could be what is contributing to the internal self-hate of brown-skinned girls across the world.

The worst part is while this negative idea is highlighted, the mocha-colored girls making real strides towards success, the real majority, goes unseen and unheard most of the time.

Now let’s take a different look at black women: Strong.

Beautiful. Educated. The average black girl that I know is the first lady of our country.

She’s created some of TV’s most legendary shows. She’s a soloist in the American Ballet Theatre. She has graced the cover of magazines. She’s the director of an Oscar-nominated film. She’s a self-made billionaire who has her own TV network. She’s a member of the most educated group of people in 2014 according to the National Center of Education Statistics.

The average black girl that I know has a big heart, passion, talent and, a boatload of beauty to last her an entire lifetime. When people say, “You’re not the average black girl,” to me, they don’t know any better. They don’t know about Ava Duvernay, Shonda Rhimes, Ursurla Burns or Deborah E. Lee. They only say that because they’ve haven’t yet heard of Anna Tibajuka, Shirley Chilosm, Karen Bass, Misty Copland or Cathy Hughes. These women and all who are like them are, in fact, are the average black girls we have in the world today.

There is an abundance of black women who are incredible in each and every way. Take a good look at them because this is your average black girl. That’s why I’m writing this right now: I want to sink this myth and make sure it never resurfaces.

I don’t want us to continue to go around in circles, making the same mistakes over and over again because we cannot understand that different doesn’t mean bad. It doesn’t mean evil. It doesn’t mean low class. It just simply means different. Once we learn to accept people for the things that make them different, those unfortunate phrases like, “You’re not the average black girl,” can finally fade away.

As Ernestine Johnson said in her poem’s final line, “I say no, I’m not the average black girl, I can only aspire to be.”

4 – Friday, May 22, 2015 – North Pointe

REVIEWS

Hot Pursuit is a hot mess Despite A-list celebrities and Detroit native Anne Fletcher directing, the highly anticipated film ended up a dissapointment

By Lauren Sexton ASSISTANT EDITOR

WWW.TECHFOODLIFE.COM

In only the second week of official summer movie releases, the season has gone from hot to cold. Hot Pursuit shrieks “Been there, done that.”

Let’s just break this movie down to size. It has two award-winning actresses cast in their usual stock roles, an unlikely duo of a high-strung goody-two-shoes and a bad girl. It also has a distinctive location, action scenes and, of course, a common drug problem. Does any of that ring a bell? It has been done over and over again the past four years and is a gaping wound to one of Hollywood’s most anticipated blockbuster seasons.

Since the day she was born, uptight Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) has been destined to be a cop, but after an impulsive move, she ended up off of that gloried path and became a sad desk jockey. As she begins to regain the precinct’s trust, Cooper gets the chance to protect a witness’s trophy wife, Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), while Riva’s criminal husband testifies against a drug lord.

Sadly, things change for the worse when Cooper and Riva are targeted for Mr. Riva’s actions. On top of that, the duo gets betrayed by the police and have to live with each other while on the lam.

This movie is pretty sexist, so it’s shocking to learn it was directed by Detroit native Anne Fletcher, a seasoned veteran of the film industry. She directed 27 Dresses, The Proposal, Step Up and The Guilt Trip. All of those films have powerful female roles, so it’s suprising she picked up Hot Pursuit (or at least that she had such little apparent input).

With an Oscar-winning actress and a reigning Golden Globe winner on board, it was assumed that this movie would be a success. Both Witherspoon and Vergara have played beloved char-

acters in the past, but have often been type-casted into typical cliche roles of beautiful, dumb women. Witherspoon was Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and Vegara currently plays Gloria Pritchett on ABC’s Modern Family. Unfortunately, this film doesn’t help them break away from their usual roles. It would be more refreshing to see Witherspoon in more varied roles, like her critically-acclaimed turn as Cheryl Strayed in Wild or Vegara breaking her mold as she did in the film, Chef.

Speaking of breaking molds, Hot Pursuit should have done that too. Remember The Heat, The Ride Along, 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street? All were much more efficient, most were rated R, and all were about drugs. It’s like 60s Hollywood glorifying prohibitions, but in this case, it’s drug cartels. Hot Pursuit should have been better.

Perhaps the only right thing with this movie is what can sometimes be so wrong. It’s cheesy. Some people like that, and there’s a ton of cheese in the countless clichés in Hot Pursuit. It’s hard not to laugh when everything is done so over the top. When it’s all said and done, those factors almost make up for all of the uncomfortable, racist and sexist jokes.

Hot Pursuit had the potential, but it was sadly unsuccessful, making viewers question the judgment of its leading actresses and its director. Let’s hope it doesn’t put a damper on the entire summer blockbuster season.

Hot Pursuit (2015) PG-13 87 min.

Directed by Anne Fletcher

ALBUM

GAME

ALBUM

GAME

5

TERRA BATTLE

WILDER MIND

GRIM FANDAGO

Ed Sheeran’s diehard fans have been forced to illegally download demos and unreleased tracks for the past few years. With the release of 5, the redheaded heartthrob WWW.JOSEPVINAIXA.COM formally made those songs available to fans. Additionally, the album includes refurbished versions of tracks from previous albums, live performances and eight new rap collaborations.

For the most dedicated “Sheerios,” this release is nothing entirely new, but for fans who have yet to delve into his less mainstream hits, this album is rich with new lyrics to feel and hear. It mixes Sheeran’s sweet, sincere style in “So” with his unexpected word-spitting talent in “Homeless.”

Songs like “The City” are re-released with an additional live version. Sheeran’s genius freestyle ability and skillful guitar picking are highlighted best in these live performances.

His artistry shines not in the studio, but rather in his improvisation. 5 includes a ten-minute live version of “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” in which Sheeran raps at light speed — a talent unheard in his popular ballads, but equally as impressive.

The album contains a slew of fresh rap collaborations with British artists, like Devlin, who have been briefly affiliated with Sheeran before. These songs are darker, flow harder and have more intense lyrics than many of Sheeran’s lighter tunes.

5 is a peek into the singer-songwriter’s past.

While the majority of the album offers nothing new to most of his devoted fans, the 32-track collection reminds us that Sheeran was constructing wildly creative raps and melodies before he was music’s most famous redhead. He clearly didn’t need fame as a muse. The album proves that Sheeran’s talent is as innate as his trademark orange locks. 5 is simply a reminder of his irresistibly, a spark of excitement to tie fans over until the next big hit.

With an interesting twist to most mobile role-play games, Terra Battle is a s t ra t e g y- b a s e d game with an interesting story.

The narrative WWW.TWITTER.COM centers around a group of travelers looking for the Maker. With their world collapsing around them, contacting the Maker is the only possible way to fix it. The only problem with the story is that in sequences in which characters are conversing in the style of written quotes, it’s not clear who is talking. A few characters, who a player is guaranteed to attain, are mentioned by name, but otherwise it’s just anonymous quotes.

Game characters are obtained in a way similar to Brave Frontier in that the weaker characters can be accessed through missions, while the strongest characters are obtained using energy units purchased with real money. The way characters are recruited is thematically interesting. Basically, the player leaves a notice at a tavern, and the recruit signs a contract with the group.

Gameplay takes place on a 6-by-8 grid. Enemies appear in set locations depending on the mission and are defeated when players execute a pincer attack, surrounding them with two of their characters. There’s a rock-paperscissors style weakness system, in that swords beat bows, bows beat lances, and lances beat swords. It’s very simple to learn but tough to get good at. One gameplay problem is that enemy units have better options to attack.

They can pincer, but they have other attacks that can be used while they’re by themselves.

However, it makes sense because otherwise single enemies wouldn’t be a threat.

Terra Battle is an interesting combination of gameplay and story, which isn’t common in mobile games. There aren’t many large problems. Some of the smaller ones may hamper the experience as a whole, but not by much.

Ed Sheeran, 5, Antlantic Records, 2015

Terra Battle, Mistwalker, Free

Mumford and Sons, Wildermind, Glassnote Records, 2015

Grim Fandango Remastered, 2015, Double Fine Productions, Prices vary

By Haley Reid

By Addison Toutant

By Emily Martinbianco

By Thomas Remenar

WWW.ITUNES.APPLE.COM

Mumford & Sons’ fresh new tunes spark more than just a hint of alternative rock in the 12-track album Wilder Mind. This much-anticipated third album redefines their folk

tone.

The unmistakeable Mumford & Sons sound of banjos and acoustic guitars paired with perfectly trembling vocals has vanished. In its place, the new album boasts bass and drum-heavy tracks, slowed down by husky, smooth vocals. Keyboards and electric guitars swarm the ballads as if they’d always been there.

If trying to conjure up this unthinkable swap of musical entities, think low-toned Arctic Monkeys paired with a trace of Coldplay, and add the usual Mumford and Sons sound in the far background. The whispy, sweet tunes of previous album Babel and the bright, clever music of Sigh No More have given way to a brave alternative rock sound.

When the shock clears, an undeniable fact presents itself: Mumford and Sons has somehow found a way to have a two-fold niche in the music industry. This level of chameleonism, mastered only by the likes of Taylor Swift and a few, rare others, is breathtaking.

On a dime, the artists have strummed their way in and out of musical genres. The album’s anthem “Believe” is rising on the charts with its vast vocals and a trace of their previous sound. Haunting tunes like “Snake Eyes” and “Ditmas” perfectly embody the shift in their sound. Ironically, “Ditmas” bares the lyrics “don’t tell me that I’ve changed.”

Despite the new vibe, the band’s music, lyricism and sound remain brilliant. The riddling lyrics and foot-stomping, airy music have been successfully masked under a more electric, echoing sound. Mumford & Sons has created another trademark sound as distinctive and beautiful as the last.

Grim Fandango is a computer game from 1998 that was highly acclaimed for excellence in game design. However, as computer technology progressed, WWW.EX.UA the game became incompatible with most hardware and was lost. Until now.

Nearly 17 years after its initial release, it’s been remade by its original director and rereleased for nearly every platform available.

Grim Fandango Remastered follows Manny Calavera, a travel agent in the Aztec afterlife, the Land of the Dead. After Calvera uncovers corruption within his agency and gets an innocent girl in trouble, he must embark on a journey of his own to redeem himself.

The gameplay is standard point-and-click adventure game fare. Calavera picks up various items he finds around the environment and uses them to solve puzzles so he can progress. Most of the puzzles are rather intelligent and require a combination of commonsense and creativity.

Occasionally the puzzles become less about creativity and intelligence and more about tedium. Some devolve from thinking outside the box to trial and error, and the game starts to feel more like a patience test.

However, those kinds of puzzles are few.

Where the game really shines is in the writing. All the characters exhibit their own personality and are genuinely entertaining.

Calavera especially, through his actions in the story and his running commentary on the world around him, feels like a funny and surprisingly deep character.

Grim Fandango Remastered is a fun, intelligent game. It’s clever and humorous, though does require some patience. It’s clear to see why it’s remembered as the classic it is, and remastered is certainly the right word.

The

LIFE

North Pointe – Friday, May 22, 2015 – 5

ost of

uccess

By Mora Downs, Billy Moin & Gowri Yerramalli LIFE EDITOR, NEWS EDITOR & BUSINESS MANAGER

Students spend money to reach superiority

Senior devotes future to music What does it take to be the best? For some, it’s talent.

For others it’s about character. But for senior Nathan Doss, it takes practice.

Doss has been playing the French horn since sixth grade and also plays the trumpet. As Doss’ passion for music has grown, his parents have provided opportunities for him to improve and play outside of school.

Doss has partaken in several things over the years, ranging from camps to lessons.

“I went to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp over the summer four times, and Interlochen Arts Camp for two years,” Doss said. “I’ve had … two years of French horn lessons and a year of trumpet lessons.”

These extra activities have not only helped Doss to become a better player, but they have also helped him to develop a more serious approach to music.

“The Blue Lake (camp) was only 12 days, so the first couple years I did it for fun,” Doss said. “But Interlochen was definitely just to learn, get ready for college.”

As Doss grew more serious, he made sure to use these opportunities to improve his skills. He said that at Interlochen, the other players are all very dedicated to playing and will practice more than the average band or orchestra player. Doss said this allows for them to play more complex music and improve while at the camp.

However, this extra training hasn’t come without a cost.

“The lessons are about 40 to 50 dollars a lesson,” Doss said. “Blue Lake is usually 1,200 dollars for each summer and Interlochen is 8,000 dollars.”

Doss believes that the investment has paid off.

“I will be going to Michigan State (University) for French horn performance,” Doss said. “My goal is to play in a symphony someday, but that probably won’t come until after grad school.”

LAUREN SEXTON

Athletic success comes with hefty price tag Success comes with a cost, and for sophomore Brian Moody, success has not come without significant investment on the ice.

Moody has been playing hockey since third grade and has continued to play extensively through his participation in both North’s hockey program and extracurricular teams.

He teaches younger kids how to play hockey and develop their new skills. While he may have the intent of helping others improve, Moody also benefits from the training.

“It kind of shows the type of drills that the Red Wings do, I guess,” Moody said. “So it shows what I need to work on and that kind of stuff.”

Moody also requires a number of components for his hockey gear, which can cost $1200-$1500.

“You’re going to need ice skates, a hockey stick, some pucks, gloves, shoulder pads, all that stuff,” Moody said. “I mean, there’s a lot of equipment in hockey.”

Like Moody’s passion for hockey, freshman Meredith Kraus’s passion for volleyball has required her to invest time and money into it.

Kraus started playing volleyball when she was in fifth grade and has played for club teams

and the school’s own volleyball team. Kraus started to play volleyball because of her mom.

“She didn’t tell me that she was going to take me to practice, and then she just brought me to Brownell,” Kraus said. “I started at the Neighborhood Club, and so that’s how I started, but I liked it.”

Kraus also pays for private lessons to improve her hitting skills.

“It switches on and off, but I work with a coach named Faja and a coach named Neil usually,” Kraus said.

In total, Kraus spends seven hours each week on volleyball and plans to continue playing in college.

“My goal is to get a scholarship for college through volleyball,” Kraus said. “The extra stuff is to make me play better.”

Like Moody and Kraus, senior Gyanei’ Johnson has sought outside training to improve her skills in gymnastics. Johnson was a part of the school’s gymnastics team and spent up to a total of 12 to 15 hours each week on training.

Johnson feels that this outside training has helped ease the transition into the gymnastics season.

“Well, when the season starts you’re already in shape (with practice), so you can just jump right into things,” Johnson said. “I prefer practicing outside of our season as well.”

Johnson not only pays $200 a week for g ym time, but also $25-$40 for each component of her costume.

“You need leotards (and) spandex,” Johnson said. “We use a lot of tape and prew rap, pony tail holders.”

HUFFINGTON POST

LAUREN SEXTON

ON CAMPUS

6 – North Pointe – Friday, May 22, 2015

Marketing makes munchies Students from Michelle Davis’ Marketing 1 class return to Big Salad to compete for a chance to get their item on the menu

By Sydney Benson

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

RIGHT: Junior Adam Hilu and his group named their wrap the “Game Changer,” as they believe it differs from the regular wrap. “We dressed up as referees, part of our whole marketing thing, to go along with our name,” Hilu said.

BELOW RIGHT: Selling her group’s sandwich was easy for senior, A’vierre Todd. “It’s not that hard you just have to tell them exactly what you’re selling and you have to keep it short and sweet,” Todd said.

BELOW LEFT: Freshman John Godoshian holds the “Big Crujido” while waiting for customers to file in.

“Our market strategy is that we’re giving out samples and we’re telling the people about it and we’re explaining how we came up with it,” Godoshian said.

FACES IN THE CROWD

Chloe Ribco

It’s common for adopted children to be given to their adoptive parents right after birth. But sophomore Chloe Ribco was 10 months old when she was adopted from Amarillo, Texas.

Ribco found out she was adopted from a friend who is also adopted.

“In fourth grade, Lily Adzigian came up to me and said, ‘My mom told me you were adopted, too,’” Ribco said.

Ribco was confused at first but later grasped the concept.

“I didn’t really believe her,” Ribco said. “I was just like, ‘No, I’m not. You’re crazy.’”

When Ribco came home and described the situation, her parents were nonchalant.

“They didn’t really seem upset at all,” Ribco said. “They just told me that if I had any questions, I could always ask.”

Ribco came to the conclusion that they were still her family, and being adopted wouldn’t change that.

“Honestly, I don’t even think about that these aren’t my real parents,” Ribco said. “It has always just felt the same.”

Branden Evans

Transferring to a new school was tough for junior Branden Evans, who switched from De La Salle Collegiate High School this year.

Evans’ prior knowledge about North and attending St. Paul Middle School prompted his transfer.

“There’s girls here, which is kind of fun,” Evans said. “It’s a safe environment, (and I have) lots of friends here.”

Evans found the hardest part of changing schools was not knowing very many students besides his middle school friends. But he said joining clubs and activities such as choir helped ease the transition and made the adjustment easier.

“My favorite part would probably be choir,” Evans said. “I met people easily.”

Although the choir program differs from De La Salle’s, he believes it’s still an enjoyable course. “(I like the) bigger groups. Concerts are more fun overall, and it is awesome.”

Ruth McCuen

On a typical shopping day, freshman Ruth McCuen automatically beelines straight to her favorite store, Francesca’s.

“They have my sense of style,” McCuen said. “They have bright spring-ish colors and warm sweaters, which is what I like.”

McCuen also likes Francesca’s boutique atmosphere.

“They have a great variety of clothes there,” she said. “I got a pineapple shirt that’s blue.

It’s cool.”

Although McCuen frequents the shop at Partridge Creek, she also likes to order from Francesca’s website and is always looking for money saving alternatives.

“They have pretty high prices, but they have sales all the time, so I always get a deal,” McCuen said. “(I) never pay full price for anything.”

RIGHT: While the project was difficult at first, junior Ian Evo learned some helpful tips on how to sell a product in the future. “The hardest part is getting people to buy it when they already decided what they want,” Evo said. “If we already know we want to go into marketing it helps us … learn more about what we need to do to advertise things and what we need to do to sell to people and what we need to do to get them to buy our product.”

By Alex Harring

FIVE MINUTES WITH

By Anna Post

Long-term sub Chris Didio

STAFF REPORTER

ALANNA SPARKS

Long term substitute teacher Chris Didio in Mrs. Cooley’s classroom. “Probably since like fifth grade I always said I wanted to be a teacher,” Didio said.

Social studies teacher Bridget Cooley’s long-term sub Chris Didio, a former college tennis player at University of Detroit Mercy, transformed his love for teaching tennis into a passion for teaching in the classroom.

“I’ve been teaching tennis since I was about 15 and just transitioned naturally into teaching kids in social studies,” Didio said.“I coached locally at Warren De La Salle and Warren Regina.”

His coaching experience has given him a better understanding when it comes to working in a classroom environment.

“It has definitely made me a lot more patient and has helped me have the ability to teach students at the highest level down to the lowest level or beginners,” Didio said.

Since Didio was in fifth grade, he had dreamed of becoming a teacher. Despite his parent’s encouragement of pursuing alternative careers, his passion for teaching prevailed.

“I think (teaching) just overtook me and I had to go with it,” Didio said.

Studying history has always been an interest for Didio who considers social studies one of his favorite subjects.

“I just love the idea that we can learn from our past and make better decisions from that, and if you don’t look at the past or ref lect you can’t make better future actions,” Didio said.

His fifth grade teacher also inspired him to venture into the teaching world.

“She was amazing, she went over the top, and I really realized that I wanted to do that for people as well and help people a lot, not just inside the classroom but outside too,” Didio said.

Besides providing students with learning opportunities, Didio’s experience as a substitute has taught him something about himself as a teacher.

“I definitely learned a lot as a teacher, a lot with classroom management and just becoming a teacher myself,” Didio said. “You learn a lot in college but until you are actually in the field or in the experience you can’t really try anything until you’re there.”

What do you do in your free time?

I have a couple other jobs — I actually manage a fashion line for toddlers (Baby Beast) which is pretty cool. I also like to keep busy. I love to read.

I love movies. They’re one of my biggest things.

Who are your favorite music artists right now?

I’d have to say Keys N Krates and Big Sean. I’ve been listening to Big Sean since he was on the lower end. Now I’m seeing him blow up. It’s interesting. It’s different seeing someone you have followed your whole life.

What was your favorite thing to do growing up?

My favorite thing to do would probably be going up to my cottage and play golf up there with my parents and my dad, and we used to go there every weekend every Friday up in the thumb by Lexington.

What’s the difference between playing college tennis and high school tennis?

The biggest difference is the crowd its more energetic, there’s actually more yelling rather than in high school where (the games) are more quiet and follow more by the strict rules.

What’s your favorite restaurant?

Luciano’s. It’s my dad’s favorite restaurant, and it’s easily mine. They’ve got the best Italian food in Clinton Township.

SPORTS

SCOREBOARD GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE COACH LAUREN NIXON 3 -9 -1 “MVPS ARE JUNIOR MIDFIELDER CAROLINE BOCK(#3), JUNIOR MIDFIELDER AMANDA ALBRECHT (#25), JUNIOR DEFENSEMEN MELISSA GUEST (#7) AND JUNIOR DEFENSEMEN ELIZABETH GALLAGHER (#2),” NIXON SAID.

BOYS TRACK COACH FRANK T YMRAK MAC RED RECORD 3 - 2 LED BY CAPTAINS SENIOR JOE CIARAVINO, JUNIOR JAMES SHELTON, JUNIOR MARK AEL BUTLER AND JUNIOR TOMMY HEINEMANN. “THE SEASON IS GOING PRETTY WELL OVERALL. WE’VE HAD A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS ON BOTH TEAMS, A LOT OF PR (PERSONAL RECORDS) MADE AND SOME PRETTY GOOD VICTORIES. BOTH TEAMS ARE PRETTY COMPETITIVE,” POLE VAULT COACH SEAN MCCAROLL SAID.

SAILING COACH DAVE BALCIRAK “I THOUGHT THAT THE TEAM DID PRET T Y WELL. THE SECOND HALF WE WERE MATCHED UP WITH OTHER TEAMS PRIMARILY ON OUR LEVEL, AND WE WENT 5-0 AND WON OUR BRACKET, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRET T Y GOOD,” BALCERAK SAID. THE NEXT EVENT WILL BE THE BAKER QUALIFIER FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, THE MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS FROM ALL AROUND THE REGION.

North Pointe – Friday, May 22, 2015 – 7

MISUSING MEDICINE

New studies warn athletes about the dangers of misusing common pain killers

Anu Subramaniam & Jen Kusch

BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-MANAGING EDITOR

The sound of rattling pills is a familiar one to many high school students. Whether it’s for headaches, athletic injuries or general aches and pains, many reach for over-the-counter medications like Advil as a means to end their discomfort.

Sophomore Jared Jordan is familiar with the cycle that comes with anti-inf lammatory use. While he used such substances to medicate injuries based on a prescription, Jordan also uses them preventatively.

“During basketball and football season, I use it every game day, like right before the game,” Jordan said.

“I actually recently used it a lot because I just hurt my shoulder, and I was using that to take the pain away, so I’ve used it pretty often this year.”

According to the New York Times, about 70 percent of endurance athletes take pills to prevent soreness before competitions or practices. However, preventative pills like ibuprofen can actually have no effect on pain if overused and can cause damage in the body. “(If ibuprofen is taken too often or misused) heart or circulation problems can develop and put one at a greater risk for heart attack or stroke. Stomach and intestinal damage can also occur and become highly serious. Overall, ibuprofen is a blood thinner so its use should be appropriate and only for the necessary time needed,” athletic trainer Sarah Florida said via email.

After taking an anti-inf lammatory, the blood that would usually f low to the small intestine is redirected to labored muscles during exercise, damaging cells in the small intestine. High and frequent dosage levels of anti-inf lammatory drugs can prolong this damage to the small intestine and cause major problems in the intestinal tract. However, few students are aware of the risks associated with such a widely dispensed medication.

If taken in the proper dosage for the correct duration, ibuprofen and other anti-inf lammatory drugs can help many athletes. For freshman Abby Kanakry, taking a pill once or twice a week helps alleviate the injuries she has dealt with both on and off the track.

“One of my ribs is misplaced, so it just gives me a sharp pain every once in a while when I’m doing a strenuous activity,” Kanakry said. “I always try doing ice baths and stuff. After track, I usually do ice baths.

That’s another thing I do to prevent injuries on my ankles. But for my shoulder, I just kind of like massage it, and ice it.”

Florida recommends a maximum dosage of 800 mg a day for teenagers. For athletes with injuries, Florida usually recommends 400-600mg (2-3 pills) per dose to be repeated every 4-6 hours.

Working with a professional, such as Florida or a doctor, can help prevent misuse and can establish a timeline for using anti-inf lammatories. “(Ibuprofen is recommended) when an individual is experiencing fever, injury pain or injury inf lammation that cannot be dealt with without medicine intervention. Many times I recommend ibuprofen therapeutically to help the tissues heal after a new injury, or to athletes with f lares of tendinitis/chronic pain,” Florida said.

Jordan and Kanakry feel that athletes are developing a more casual attitude towards taking anti-inf lammatory drugs.

“It’s like a cancer. Once one person does it, the whole team starts doing it. And then, once that happens, if they play another sport, they’re going to do it for that other sport,” Jordan said. “And then, that team, their sport is going to do it, and then it’s just going to spread around, and that’s how other athletes get to know it, or get popular with it.”

For many athletes, popping a pill can seem to be a safe and effective route to pain management. However, Florida encourages several pain-management paths for athletes.

“I work with our athletes daily to ease pain and inf lammation,” Florida said. “This could mean taping or bracing techniques for activity, changing training surfaces for our runners, manual therapy for swelling/bruising, physical therapy exercises, or complete rest when necessary.”

If students feel that they do need ibuprofen, Florida recommends that they ask an adult.

“Ibuprofen is never recommended to minors without them first making an adult aware of the reason they feel they need it,” Florida said. “In the case of our athletes they have me. Other students however need to keep their parents/teachers/whomever they trust in the loop about what’s going on.”

BOYS VARSITY LACROSSE COACH MARK SEPPALA 9-6

MVPS ARE SENIOR CAPTAINS PETER LUNDY, RICHIE FILIPELLI AND MAX YOSHIDA. “WE HAVE A YOUNG TEAM THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO IMPROVE QUICKLY AND WORK ITS WAY INTO A SITUATION WHERE IT WILL FIND SUCCESS. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT,” SEPPALA SAID.

GIRLS TRACK COACH DIANE MONTGOMERY 3 - 2 IN MAC RED DIVISION “WE DID GREAT, BETTER THAN EXPECTED. THE HIGHLIGHT WAS THE REGION MEET. WE QUALIFED 11 GIRLS TO THE STATE FINAL,” MONTGOMERY SAID.

GIRLS TENNIS COACH JOHN VAN ALST

3-6-1 SEVEN FLIGHTS PLACED FIRST AT REGIONALS ON MAY 15 “SO EXCITED FOR THE TEAM’S FIFTH STRAIGH REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. LOOKING FORWARD TO AHVING THE TEAM PLAYING WELL IN THE STATE FINALS TOURNAMENT,” VAN ALST SAID.

BY YENA BERHANE & ALEX HARRING

Come in and try our new shake stations and ask about our catering for graduation parties.

Elite Driving School 586.778.4934

State of Michigan Approved and Certified for Classes & Road Tests ROAD TESTING given by ELITE DRIVING SCHOOL Private Lessons available for Teens and Adults *No Down Payment Required* Payment Plans available “A Driving Experience that’s Priceless” Visit our web page www.elitedrivingschool.org

Learn to Drive New Segment I and II Classes Form Monthly Teens 14.8 to 18 years of age Pick Up and Drop Off available for Driving Six hours of ‘on-the-road’ driving 23804 Harper Ave., between 9 & 10 mile Rd., St. Clair Shores. MI 48080

Congratulations class of 2015! Have a great summer Norsemen!

17045 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe, MI 48236 313-469-8494

8– Friday, May 22, 2015 – North Pointe

19 League Championships

42YEARS OF NORTH COACHING Won 2 State Championship titles outright in 1980 & 2006

+.500 record against local rival Grosse Pointe South

“I tried to put a lot of fun in the program,” Sumbera said. “When you’re working in automotive, there’s a lot of work in there, too.

Not only giving the kids the technology skills, they’ve got to wrench. They’ve got to get in there and do brake jobs and tune-ups and adjusting carburetors back then, and front-end alignments and the whole ball of wax.”

1 of 3 high school coaches in state history to achieve over 1,000 wins in a career

Championships

12 District Championships

8

REGIONAL

Numerous players drafted to college teams from his team

Varsity baseball coach Frank Sumbera

1990

School

Baseball

Coaches

Association Hall Of Fame

High School Coach

Beat rival South 6-3 in Battle of the Pointes at Comerica Park in Detroit May 5

of the Year

“One of the things I like about baseball is you’ve got something to do on every pitch — it’s not every out, it’s every pitch,” Sumbera said. “There’s always something going on.

It’s amazing.” Inducted into Michigan High

Two-time Michigan

2007 4 Final Four Appearances National Coach of the Year in

“When you see a kid excel, you have this rapport with them.

A lot of times you just look at each other, and you know what they’re feeling and how they feel good about themselves for doing something they’d really been working at to excel and do the best.”

“It’s the whole point of being able to work with the young kids and communicate,” Sumbera said. “If you see them playing hard for you and enjoying the game and smiling — it’s all coaching. It’s sticking with things and what you really believe in and the discipline.”

Dedicated to Grosse Pointe North baseball since 1973

EMMA PUGLIA