North Pointe - September 25, 2015 (Issue 1)

ON CAMPUS PAGE 6

Sophomore Illeana Barragan (left) rehearses percussion along with sophomores Fiona Byrne and Hope Kujawa (right) for Pep Band.

NORTH TREVOR MIECKOWSKI

POINTE SYDNEY BENSON

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 2015

NAACP brings new chapter to Grosse Pointe SINCE 1968

By Anu Subramaniam & Olivia Robinson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & INTERN

ABOVE: The most recent meeting of the NAACP chapter in Grosse Pointe was held at Oyster Bar & Grill in Grosse Pointe Park.

NAACP. ORG, GOOGLE MAPS

IDEAS - PAGE 7

The diversity club and new local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are striving towards the same thing — an accepting environment. Nuha Mosa, senior and diversity club president, sees the institution of an NAACP chapter in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods as a positive step in the community.

“Through (the NAACP’s) youth and college division, they create a space where the youth can voice their concerns about certain issues, and they are provided with travel/scholarship opportunities,” Mosa said via email. “This chapter will bring a positive change in the community, which, in turn, will be reflected in the students. This change will create a more accepting environment throughout our school.”

The relationship between Grosse Pointe and the NAACP reached its peak in the 1960s when Martin Luther King Jr. came to speak at Grosse Pointe South High School.

The NAACP was founded in 1909 with the objective of ensuring constitutional rights to all citizens regardless of race. Detroit has had its own branch of the NAACP for close to 60 years. Their advocacy initiatives include promoting positive images of people of color in the media and cultivating policies that ensure employment equality among the public.

Greg Bowens is leading the effort to get the Grosse Pointe chapter nationally recognized. He is awaiting approval from the national board and expects to receive it by next month.

Bowens’ goal for the Grosse Pointe chapter of NAACP would be to foster greater awareness and understanding about diversity and to work together across racial, social and economic lines.

“I see a future that helps change the perception of the Pointes and Harper Woods from an old history of intolerance to a new reality of acceptance and diversity,” Bowens said via email.

He also hopes that by creating the chapter in Grosse Pointe, he will get involvement from both North and South.

“The NAACP has a very active youth division,” Bowen said.

“Young people working together across the area can have a powerfully positive impact on our future.”

Mosa thinks that having the NAACP around Grosse Pointe will help change North’s atmosphere.

“This chapter can provide resources for the Norsemen who need the support, whether it’s financially or academically,” Mosa said. “Also, this chapter will bring a positive change in the community, which, in turn, will be reflected in the students. This change will create a more accepting environment throughout our school.”

Diversity Club adviser Dan Gilleran thinks having a local chapter of the NAACP will help to create a student dialogue. He feels that every student should embrace the group’s overall mission and should join if they feel passionate. “(Open dialogue) is the key to any time there’s disagreements or misunderstandings, ignorance, fear,” Gilleran said. “Once you get to know people one-on-one, those walls come down, and you’re like, ‘oh, they’re not so scary,’ or they’re not ‘those people.’”

Senior Imani Brown feels that having a local chapter of the NAACP can help address national issues that may not be as prevalent in Grosse Pointe.

“Here in the bubble of Grosse Pointe, we tend to think that we are untouchable and that the things that happen in other places won’t happen here ... so we need to be aware of what’s going on,” Brown said.

According to www.detroitnaacp.org, the Detroit branch of the NAACP hosts charities and job fairs for impoverished members of the community. While the Grosse Pointe chapter is still in its early stages of development, Bowen has seen support grow each day. The chapter’s last community event was Sept. 23 at Rockefellers Oyster Bar & Grill and included a membership count to determine if they have the required 50 members and required dues for charter application.

In a Detroit Free Press article, Bowens said one of his goals is to add more black teachers and administrators throughout the district.

“One of the little-known facts is that the NAACP was started by the descendants of abolitionists who were tired of racism.

They were all white, and they expanded to include blacks,” Bowen said. “Today, people from all races and nationalities are working together to end racism, discrimination and its legacy.

That’s a worthy goal, especially in places where racism is punctuated by classicism and economics. Bottom line is that we are all in this together, and we should work together to make the world a better place.”

News - Page 3

“In short, students’ long-term goals are too far away, and they can’t see the point in making themselves suffer to achieve them now.”

Left: Pinnocchio cast members prepare for the fall play.

DARCY GRAHAM

@thenorthpointe

www.northpointenow.org

CONTENTS

1 NEWS 2 CALENDAR 3 NEWS 4,6 LIFE 5 ON CAMPUS 7 POPPING THE BUBBLE

8

COLUMNS

9 REVIEWS 10 IDEAS 11,12 SPORTS

VOLUME 48, ISSUE 1

NEWS

2 – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 – North Pointe

NORTH-SOUTH FOOTBALL GAME

Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at home

FALL PLAY

Saturday, Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m and 7 p.m. in the PAC

STUDY SKILLS SEMINAR Monday, Sept. 28 & Tuesday, Sept. 29 in room B312 at 3:15 p.m.

PSAT

Wednesday, Sept.

30 & Thursday Oct. 1 at 3:15 p.m. in room B312

SAT TESTING

Saturday, Oct. 3 at 8 a.m.

HOMECOMING PARADE

Friday, Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m. beginning at Montieth and ending at North.

HOMECOMING GAME

Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

IN THE PAPER

LIFE - PAGE 5

Junior Quinn Pangborn enjoys heavy metal bands like Mötley Crüe

Spanish, AP Environmental Science classes plan joint trip with South to Costa Rica

By Anna Post

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Spanish and AP Env ironmental Science teachers from North and South are encouraging students to embark on a sevenday learning experience to Costa Rica over mid-w inter break.

“We are inviting Spanish III and up,” Spanish teacher Michael Spears said, “So that means Spanish IV, V, honors and AP classes — folks who have a base in Spanish — they can get down there and really just use some Spanish in the real Spanish-speaking world as opposed to in the classroom.”

Both Spanish and AP Environmental Science students will explore Costa Rica and visit places like the Poás Volcano and the La Fortuna Waterfall, and later take a boat tour of Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. Spanish students plan to converse with Spanish-speaking people while AP Environmental Science students will study the biodiversity throughout Costa Rica.

Junior Josie Riley is in Spanish IV Honors and says the trip differs from any other vacation one would normally take.

“I was really interested in the trip because it seems like such a unique opportunity,” Riley said. “Like, when else am I going to be able to do all of these things and learn this much about the language?”

Spears sees this trip as a method to expose his students to the language.

“We hope that students can immerse themselves in some Spanish for a few days and really try to use it in the real world because immersion is the best way to learn a language,” Spears said.

“You can sit in a classroom for as many years as you want, but (it isn’t) until you go somewhere and immerse yourself in it and force yourself to speak only (that language) that you really become fluent.”

Riley considers the trip a learning exposition.

“If I were to go on the trip, I would just be looking for a fun and meaningful experience,” Riley said. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I feel like it would be so memorable.”

The total cost of the trip is $2320, which poses a financial hurdle for some families.

“The pricing is often a concern we have,” Spears said. “That’s why for many years we didn’t offer a trip at North because the trip’s cost prohibited for people, but this year, we decided to throw it out there and see if anyone can do it. It’s a concern that we know (it) isn’t accessible for everyone, sadly, even with fundraising.”

Student fundraising is an option, but according to Spears, raising that much money in a short amount of time would be difficult.

“Fundraisers that are prov ided for kids usually raise about a couple hundred bucks w ith a lot of work,” Spears said. “Raising

enough money for this trip is nearly impossible to (pay for) the whole thing.”

To Riley, the price is a concern, but it is reasonable because students w ill participate in many activ ities.

“The price is expensive, but I think it’s pretty understandable for the amount of stuff they do,” Riley said. “That’s the main reason why I’m on the fence about going on the trip, so I’d assume that would be the case for other people, too.”

Spears, AP Env ironmental Science teacher Christopher Skow ronski, South science teacher Shaw n McNamara and South Spanish teacher Scott Peltier w ill attend the trip along w ith parent chaperones. In order to have a trip to Costa Rica, there needs to be at least 12 students from both high schools.

“Right now, how many students, teachers and parents go really depends on how many students sign up,” Spears said, “ If we get 12 (students) from North, then me and Mr.

Skow ronski can both go, but if we get less than that, we w ill decide who is.”

The trip w ill be cancelled if not enough students sign up.

“That’s the thing w ith these trips, and we’ve (Peltier and Spears) both done them in the past,” Spears said. “A lot of people w ill express an interest, but expressing interest in the trip and coming to the meeting just so people can hear about it is a completely different thing than going on the trip.”

Peltier hopes to use this trip as a chance to “bring the book alive” and have students experience the language at a deeper level.

“Most of the time, students don’t have the chance to speak to native speakers, and this is a great opportunity for them to not only speak to them, but speak to them all the time,” Peltier said. “It’s not like a couple times, it’s every time you walk around, and it’s just a great chance (to) get more emotion and more connections with the language.”

Student Association implements changes to homecoming

By Katelynn Mulder STAFF REPORTER

SPORTS PAGE 12

Norsemen Nation returns to run the student section

STEWART PORTRAITS

ABOVE: Last year’s senior members of the homecoming court. From left to right, Katie Roy, Haley Reid, Anne Race, Karina Lucchese and Anna Gruber.

We specialize in corsages and boutonnieres 18590 Mack Ave Grosse Pointe Farms, MI (313) 881-7800

Homecoming Specials 19609 Mack Ave Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 313.881.0010

For years, it’s been tradition to elect two girls from each class to be on the homecoming court. That’s all about to change.

After discussing an idea brought up at a Student Association meeting, the council passed a motion to add boys to the court.

“It actually worked out really well,” Student Association member junior Lauren Archambeau said.

“Now we’re going to have guys on the court.”

Giving boys the same representation on the homecoming court has raised controversy.

“I’m not sure that I fully like it just because it’s been the tradition,” sophomore Eva Ciaramitaro said.

Underclassmen w ill now elect one boy and one girl for their homecoming court. Seniors w ill elect three girls and three boys for their court. W hile girls may now have a reduced chance of getting on court, Archambeau believes students w ill enjoy the change.

“I’m really excited for it. I think it’s going to be great because I’ve always wanted to vote for a king and a queen like they do in the mov ies,” she said. “I think the students w ill actually really like it, too.”

Electing both a king and a queen w ill give boys a chance to represent their classes.

“From what I’ve heard, people wanted there to be more equality between genders,” Class of 2018 adv iser Sean McCarroll said. “I think that the biggest motivator behind the decision was the fact of hav ing a king and a queen.”

Elections for kings and queens w ill follow the same process exercised in the past.

“If they work the same ways as they used to, what they w ill do is that they w ill send the slips up to their third hour teachers, and the third hour teachers give them out by grade,” McCarroll said, “Then kids just w rite names on them, and the Student Association goes through and totals them up.”

Archambeau said the social equality should be a good thing for North.

“Guys get put dow n (on ballots) as a joke, so now it’s for real now. They got what they wanted.”

Visit www.northpointenow.org to read the interview with Lauren Archambeau.

NEWS

3 – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 – North Pointe

Statewide charity collaborates with Student Association for fundraiser Lindsey Ramsdell & Abbey Cadieux ASSITANT EDITOR & INTERN

Sta rting t his yea r, Student Association w ill be tea ming up w it h t he cha rit y Big Fa mily of Michiga n to a id foster children.

“Big Fa mily is a n orga nization t hat works w it h foster children and ot her children t hat have pa rent problems,” Student Association president Nicoletta Va lenza no sa id. “They help t hem get t hrough (t he foster ca re system), a nd t hey prov ide t hem w it h a bunch of dif ferent resources.”

The non-prof it orga nization based in Macomb Count y was founded in 2000. It reaches out to foster children t hroughout Michiga n by assisting t hem while t hey a re in t he system.

“They provide items for children when they’re first being put into foster care,” Student Association adviser Jonathan Byrne said. “Items that will make them feel more comfortable, like children who are under 10 (get) a stuffed animal, toothbrushes — things

that get lost a lot in transition — so that when they’re moving from one home to the next, it will feel a little bit more like home.”

Along with these commodities, Big Family equips children with all things from school supplies to birthday parties. They also work with adoption agencies and caseworkers to help the foster kids get adopted.

To recognize foster children a nd Big Fa mily, Student Association made pla ns to join forces w it h Sout h, t he chamber of commerce a nd t he Grosse Pointe News to get a ll of Grosse Pointe involved. They pla nned on holding a cha llenge at t he Nort h-Sout h footba ll ga me to ra ise donations for t he cha rit y.

The initia l pla n has been postponed due to t he unexpected deat h of Big Fa mily’s founder, Jea nne Fowler. Fowler founded Big Fa mily af ter grow ing up in t he foster ca re system herself.

“To honor her memory, we want the organization to be able to grieve her loss and also figure out where they’re going in the future,” student activities director Pat Gast said.

W hile Student Association expects to proceed w it h t he unif ied f undraiser a round Ja nuar y, t hey w ill still support Big Fa mily t hroughout t he year beginning w it h a return of penny wa rs during homecoming week. As each class competes for spirit points, t he money raised w ill be donated to t he foundation.

According to w w w.AdoptUSKids.org, t here a re approx imately 14,000 foster children in t he state of Michiga n. Not ever y child gets a foster family t hat prov ides him or her w it h a ll t he tools needed to prosper.

“Some k ids are ver y luck y a nd get beautif ul foster fa milies, a nd ot hers a re not so luck y,” Gast sa id.

To help support those foster children and Big Family’s efforts, Gast says Student Association still plans to hold joint fundraisers with South.

“It was our intent to have Northand South in a cooperative effort because, as I always say, we’re partners in the community, rivals on the field,” Gast said. “Sometimes we overlook that.”

WWW.DBUSINESS.COM

DETROITNEWS.MYCAPTURE.COM

ABOVE LEFT: Jeanne Fowler, founder of Big Family of Michigan collects donations for foster children.

ABOVE RIGHT: Fowler speaks at a charity event in Plymouth Township.

Pinocchio takes the stage

Students utilize technology in Digital Seminar

With one show down and two to go, Pinnochio, offers new twist to a classic tale.

“This play is a simple story. The play is easy to follow, and there’s a whole bunch of entertaining bits. It’s good for all ages,” junior Grace Guthrie said. “The play is about a whole bunch of painters who stumble upon an audience and happen to be on stage. They figure out the audience is there to see Pinocchio, so they decide to put on the show for them, and then it’s all about the story of Pinocchio.”

Sophomore A lta Daniel is the stage manager and sees a unique quality w ithin the plot.

“We do it differently than you’d expect. It’s kinda like a play w ithin a play. It’s not the traditional stor y,” Daniel said. “In the original, people think of Pinocchio whose nose grows when he lies, but that only happens once in the show.”

“It’s a fun, creative play,” stage manager Jackie Veneri said. “There’s lots of drama but lots of comedy and a lot of audience interaction. There’s a little bit of everything.”

The play’s new set raises the bar for the drama program.

“The set is really exciting. There’s a million ladders. There’s about two really high levels, and it’s kinda scar y,” senior Jarell Cunningham said.

The show has appeal for adults and students alike.

“Kids will really enjoy the magical aspect of the show, and adults will too, it will really bring them back to their childhood,” sophomore Caitlyn Mayernick said.

The next performances are Saturday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior tickets and can be purchased at the door.

Technolog y is an essential part of daily life. Classes are now geared towards teaching students the ins and outs of the newest gadgets. Digital Seminar is one of those upgrades. It is taught by social studies teacher Sean McCarroll, and it gives insight on technolog y skills needed for college and work environments. Senior Andrew Nurmi is taking the class and believes it will help him in everyday life.

“I think technolog y can be a great way to learn and get you to complete projects and assignments. Nowadays, lots of teachers and the lessons they give move more toward technolog y in terms of hav ing homework on the computer or internet based stuff,” Nurmi said. “I think these are valuable skills to learn for the future and the way that society’s going.”

The class offers high-tech dev ices such as Apple T V’s, Chromebooks, and a new 3D printer. Digital Seminar is offered to all grades, and there are no tests or quizzes given. Instead, McCarroll assigns projects to mimic ever yday tasks. He feels the class w ill encourage students to use technolog y in ways beyond tweeting and using Instagram.

“The main goal of the class is to equip North students w ith the technolog y and general work skills that they w ill need in the 21 centur y. I don’t teach any particular technolog y in a ‘you have to memorize this’ sort of way because technolog y updates so quick ly, so instead we focus on learning how to learn technologies and apply them to real-world situations,” McCarroll said v ia email. “A lot of the course is focused on using technolog y to create prototy pes for solutions to unique and challenging problems in the real world.”

By Darcy Graham

By Erin Kaled

INSTANT NORSEMEN UPDATES FOLLOW @NORTHPOINENOW ON TWITTER

LIFE

4 – North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

FIVE MINUTES WITH

German teacher grows a family tradition

By Montana Paton INTERN

A tradition of passing the family house down to the oldest son resulted in German teacher Susan Sipos’ family owning a house from the 1400s. It’s one of the only remaining historical houses to survive the war in Germany.

“It’s a big farm house and there’s a giant amount of land around it that is covered with apple trees,” Sipos said via email.

“It has a historical monument sign in front of it.”

Not only does the oldest son get the house, but also that company comes with it. There are 55,000 apple trees that cover the land around the farm house and these apples are supplied to major supermarkets in Europe.

Sipos stopped by the farm house many times when she ran a student exchange program in the area. Before that, she and her family used to visit every two years.

“I ran the program since 2007,” Sipos said. “I was excited that the partner school happened to be 30 minutes away from my family’s house.”

Sipos’ family history connected to the farm is one of legend in her household. Since only the oldest son has claim to inherited property, Sipos’ great-grandfather was forced to move to North Dakota with her great-grandmother.

“That was at the time when there was not a lot of work in Germany and he had no other choice, he had to leave,” Sipos said. “So the people that are in the house are really like my cousins. We call them cousins, I’m not sure how exactly closely related we are.”

Generations of German-speaking family members have impacted Sipos.

“When I was little my German grandpa sometimes tried to teach me German, but I didn’t know him that well so it didn’t really have that much of a meaning to me,” Sipos said.

Years later, a friend from South and his father strengthened her decision to continue a career in German by sharing the same interest in the language.

“The most important thing about the house is not the structure. It’s just a house, after all,” Sipos said. “The most important thing is that the people who live there keep the stories of our family alive.”

COURTESY OF SUSAN SIPOS

Q & A with Susan Sipos NP: If you could have any pet what would it be?

Sipos: A bird because I’m allergic to animals, but I used to have a Quaker Parrot that was totally crazy and could talk, but he escaped.

NP: What’s your favorite thing about North so far?

Sipos: The students, I think the students are awesome. I think there’s a lot of talent and also they’re nice. So that’s the most important thing.

FACES IN THE CROWD

SYDNEY BENSON

Elizabeth Lemanske

The new Apple Watch is the “apple” of junior Elizabeth Lemanske’s eye. After wearing a Fitbit, a pedometer tracker, she fell in love with the new innovation and decided to buy one for herself on Sept. 14.

“I fell in love with having some sort of technolog y on my arm,” Lemanske said.

Despite its low battery life, Lemanske likes how convenient the Apple Watch is to use, as it syncs information from her phone to her watch.

“The Apple Watch is useful in my daily life because if I get a text I can read it on my watch and decide if it’s important or not to reply,” Lemanske said.

Advocating for the advantages of the watch, Lemanske praises the benefits of the popular device.

“I would recommend the watch to people familiar with Apple products looking for something convenient,” Lemanske said.

Moving isn’t easy, but for freshman Hunter Williams, tennis served as a way to cope. Williams moved from Topeka, Kansas at the end of last school year and played tennis throughout the summer.

“It helped me get to know people, and it was really a fun way to spend my summer. It made everything seem fun,” Williams said. “The stress of moving would all go away when I played tennis.”

Having spent the last weeks of the summer practicing with the varsity team, Williams was able to start the year with a few familiar faces.

In addition to meeting new friends, Williams is also adjusting to a larger school environment. For the last four years, he attended a private school in Topeka that was much smaller, so this year brings many new opportunities.

“I do like the public schools,” Williams said. ”It’s a lot more fun ‘cause there’s more people so you get to know more people.”

BUISSNESS MANAGER & INTERN

SYDNEY BENSON

SYDNEY BENSON

Jeffrey Redd

As the only boy on the step team, senior Jeffrey Redd steps to his own rhythm. Redd doesn’t believe this affects the way his teammates perceive him.

“They (my teammates) actually were surprised and excited seeing me stepping on the team last year,” Redd said.

Redd began stepping with his sister, senior Ja’Myre Redd, when they were kids, but had to quit stepping due to conflicts with football. However at the beginning of Redd’s junior year,

he rejoined the activity.

“One day my sister was talking to Mrs. Gast about step, and Ja’Myre told me I couldn’t step,” Redd said. “I said, ‘What? You’re so wrong. I will show you,’ totally not seeing that my sister

tricked me. I stepped and Mrs. Gast loved it.”

Redd admires how the team’s synchronization unites them.

“My favorite part of being on the step team is when everyone learned the step and we perform as one,” Redd said. “It’s like you only hear one person stepping.”

Michaela Cosgrove

“Cuts,” “lifts,” and “overs,” are typical moves freshman Michaela Cosgrove performs in her local and international Irish step-dancing competitions. This year, Cosgrove participated in the North American Irish Dance Championship and qualified for the 2016 world competition in Scotland.

“It was very exciting, I’ve never qualified before,” Cosgrove said. “Leading up to it, I was really, really practicing hard. I had a lot of lessons, (I spent) a lot of my own time practicing, and I was also in the top ten on the continent in my age group.”

Cosgrove started Irish step-dancing at the age of four, when her mom took her to a Riverdance show. Since then, she has enjoyed her time costumed in dresses, wigs and makeup, dancing at festivals and competitions.

“It takes a lot of work, but once you make a goal for yourself and reach it, it feels really good,” Cosgrove said. “Once you reach it you never stop. You just keep setting goals for yourself and want to achieve them.”

SYDNEY BENSON

SYDNEY BENSON

Hunter Williams

By Gowri Yerrammalli & Michal Ruprecht

Olivia Peruzzi

Through her father’s job, freshman Olivia Peruzzi spent a year introducing a Saudi Arabian family to America. The family traveled from Dammam and spent a year living in Michigan.

While introducing the family to American life, Peruzzi simultaneously learned about Saudi Arabian culture.

“We got to learn more about their culture, and we learned more about the different things they celebrate and how they live back at home,” Peruzzi said.

The Peruzzi family took the visiting family to a Red Wings Game, the Henry Ford House and even Florida.

They are still in contact and FaceTime each other.

“I feel like it’s just changed me because, I mean, I have never experienced it before, and it feels kind of cool teaching someone you know that’s foreign essentia lly English and show them around America,” Peruzzi said. “We just introduced a whole new world to them.”

SYDNEY BENSON

Kitty Clark

Nursing homes are typically associated with the elderly and not melodies. However, sophomore Kitty Clark has been able to combine the unlikely pair through volunteering.

Clark started singing at senior centers and Meals on Wheels events when she was 12. She was first introduced to the idea by her dance team and has continued to volunteer since then.

“I just really liked how it felt and just knowing that I’m making people’s year, it’s just really nice to just do it,” Clark said.

She hopes to further pursue her passion of helping others by continuing to volunteer.

“My grandma was just always someone who just said, ‘give back and just do as much as you can,’” Clark said. “I try my hardest every day to just help others in need because I know I would want someone to help me if I were in their place, so it just feels good to do it.”

ON CAMPUS

5 – North Pointe – Friday, Sept.25, 2015

Peptacular Pep band brings back the beat on Sept. 18 at the varsity football game.

By Emma Brock, Alex Harring & Trevor Mieczkowski ASSISTANT EDITOR, STAFF REPORTER & INTERN

ABOVE: Pep band conductor David Cleveland leads the band during a football game. “At the games, the hardest thing is watching the plays and knowing when to start a song and when to end a song, and you’re not allowed to play music when the football is in play,” Cleveland said.

“As the music’s playing, I have to turn around and watch what’s going on on the field and then cut the band off when they get ready to hike the ball because we’ll get penalized if the music is going on when the football is actually in play.”

LEFT: Practice is a crucial part of pep band. Cleveland leads reshearsal for the football games. “I just love all of the sounds of the instruments and the variety you can make with all of them. It’s just — it’s exciting.

Music excites me as much as it ever has, and there’s always some new piece coming out, some new popular song that the students really like, and it’s just music is constantly changing, and it is just — it’s great,” Cleveland said. “There are so many students that are there to create the music ... I always find that very exciting that it all just falls together.”

BELOW: Junior Lily Adzigian practices her baritone to prepare for games.

“My favorite part of pep band is getting to meet new people and the songs we get to play,” Adzigian said. “I would recommend pep band to others because it’s a fun group of people and provides extra practice over the summer, making band class easier in the beginning of the year.”

BELOW: Junior Chloe Walters practices a piece for the game on her trumpet. “I definitely recommend pep band to other musicians, it’s so fun whether that means playing fun music, painting our faces for games or just rehearsal. I love it,” Walters said. “Being part of something that hypes up the games and the pep rally is super fun.”

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? GO TO NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE PEP BAND. DON’T FORGET TO CHECK THEM OUT TONIGHT DURING THE NORTH VS SOUTH GAME, AT 7 PM.

LIFE

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 – 6

INKED Musical inspiration and witnessing the struggle for sobriety led junior Quinn Pangborn to make her pledge permanent

By Olivia Asimakis CO-MANAGING EDITOR

A tattoo is a lifelong commitment. So is sobriety. Junior Quinn Pangborn has taken on both.

Pangborn has been infatuated with Mötley Crüe, an 80s heavy metal band, for as long as she can remember. What really hooked her wasn’t the hard rock but lead bass player and lyricist Nikki Sixx.

“I love the way he writes, and I love the things he stands for,” Pangborn said. “I like to write music and stories and poems, and I just really connect when I understand lyrics. I just love diving into the meaning of songs.”

Pangborn tattooed “SIXX” on the inside of her left wrist.

The tattoo isn’t just representative of her love for Sixx. It’s her vow to remain sober for life. Pangborn knows firsthand how one person’s strug-

gles with addiction impacts a family.

“It’s going to be a constant reminder for me why I’m doing it and why it’s so important to me,” Pangborn said. “Addiction has been a part of my life, and it’s been so ugly, and I want to cut it out of my life as much as possible.”

Sixx has been free from heroin for 14 years. His journey has inspired and helped motivate Pangborn. She feels his battle over addiction is a feat worthy of celebration, and he speaks to her life experiences.

Pangborn experimented with the design and placement of her tattoo before she got it inked. She would write “SIXX” on the inside of her wrist to see if she could handle the permanent marking.

After getting the tattoo, Pangborn posted it on social media in hopes that Sixx would read her post and understand the significance behind it. Not

only did Pangborn’s idol reach out to her by responding to her Facebook post, but Mötley Crüe’s production manager, Sam Morris, got in contact with her.

“Nikki saw Quinn’s post and loved her tattoo along with her amazing story, and that’s why he decided to respond to her,” Morris said via email. “I reached out to Quinn after I read her amazing story on Facebook.”

Pangborn’s friend, junior Will Berdnt, shares her love of rock. Berdnt feels Pangborn’s new contact can help open up doors for her anticipated career in music production.

“I’m really happy for her,” Berdnt said. “It makes her happy, and she always talks about producing music and everything, and now she has this opportunity.”

Pangborn plans to get another rock-inspired tattoo. Another one of her favorite bands,

Led Zeppelin, has a symbol on their album cover, The Fourth Album, for each band member.

She would like to get each emblem on the inside of her upper right arm.

Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t just music for Pangborn. It’s an escape.

Rock has given her a way to break free from mundane days and let loose.

“Sometimes you have so much going on in your life, and it’s nice to just let out all of that aggression and anger in a positive way,” Pangborn said.

“I can just lose myself in the music, and I know it’s something productive. It’s almost therapeutic, and I just love everything about it.”

To see Pangborn’s tattoo and more photos from rock concerts she has attended visit www. northpointenow.org.

ABOVE: Pangborn’s second favorite artist, Alice Cooper, opened for Mötley Crüe at the concert she attended.

LEFT: Lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe performs on stage.“I’ve always been into rock ‘n’ roll, like my whole life, but I first became obsessed over this one band (Mötley Crüe ) like three or four years ago,” Pangborn said. “It hasn’t been too long, but once I became obsessed, I became obsessed. “ RIGHT: Pangborn’s idol and lead bass player, Nikki Sixx speaks prior to a performance “This sounds so dorky, but I would write ‘SIXX’ on my wrist all the time to remind myself why I wanted this tattoo, and if I could really commit myself to having this lifelong thing on my wrist,” Pangborn said.

“It’s gonna be a reminder for me, in my life, I’m going to stay sober my whole life from drinking.”

POPPING THE BUBBLE

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 -7

“My experience working here is very pleasant, I love my job, and, yeah, like I said, sometimes they feed me and let me outside, like today’s a great day and they let me out today. For serious though, I love this job, and it’s full of a lot of ums, and ahhs, and ums, so it’s good here. I’ve been working here for nine or ten years, but I also kind of unofficially started working here, I unofficially started working at some booths, and do some juggling, and help them out with their sales and stuff like that. My favorite part about the job is that we are encouraged to have a good time and encourage other people to have a good time and joke around, and have fun.”

-Flec, Juggler -Flec

PHOTOS BY JOSIE BENNETT

GOOD OLDE TYMES

“My experience working here is very pleasant I love my job, and, yeah, like I said, sometimes they feed me and let me outside, like today’s a great day and they let me out today. For serious though, I love this job, and it’s full of a lot of ums, and ahhs, and ums, so it’s good here. I’ve been working here for nine or ten years, but I also kind of unofficially started working here. I unofficially started working at some booths, and do some juggling, and help them out with their sales and stuff like that. My favorite part about the job is that we are encouraged to have a good time and encourage other people to have a good time and joke around.

-Flec, Juggler

Fun, games and turkey legs, The Renaissance Festival held in Holly, Michigan hosts events that bring a bit of medival magic to everyone.

By Ritika Sanikommu & Josie Bennet EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

As soon as we stepped foot into the ticket area of the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly on Sept. 20, it was as though we had left the modern world. Instantly, the exhilarating sound of bagpipes, an array of mythical costumes and excessive use of old English surrounded us.

We were enveloped in the era, and we weren’t even in the actual festival yet.

When we got through the jumbled ticket line, we were surprised at the amount of effort put into the setting. The place looked like a scene in a medieval movie, save the people dressed in jeans and tennis shoes.

Walking around was a blast. There was a variety of shops that sold things from cosplay merchandise to soap.

The venders were all unique and interacted with their customers. On many occasions, we were pulled aside and asked if we wanted to try on a corset, the vendors saying things like, “it’s good to know your size just in case.”

In addition to the animated vendors, the festival had its fair share of performers. Their shows varied from fire stunts to musical performances. The audience was included in even the most death-defying aspects, like when a comedian blindfolded an audience member and then juggled daggers around his head.

The biggest performance was the joust. With a parade leading up to it and a queen to mediate the competition, the joust was by far the most important part of the festival.

Now, watching four guys on horses dressed as knights is pretty amusing on its own. But this show didn’t rely solely on action. The knights jested as they jousted, throwing witty one-liners, often suggestive, at the audience. The humor did not detract from the spectacle at hand, and watching the feats these men did while on horseback was awe-inspiring.

The Renaissance Festival is a place where people can let their inner childhood fantasies loose, and holds appeal for all age groups. It’s family-friendly and perfect for a fun weekend adventure.

CHECK OUT NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG FOR MORE PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF THE RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

“We are from many places this day, perhaps all over the world. We live from our passions and speak from our heart, we are all the same thing. So in this day of all days, in this place, which is as good as any other, live from your passions, speak from your heart. We are all indeed familia.”

-Peter Suarez, Fire performer

8– Friday, Sept. 25 2015 – North Pointe

COLUMNS

Citizens of procrasti-nation

Strive to be Stuck between a rock politically incorrect and a hard class

By Audrey Kam

By Radiance Cooper

By Jennifer Kusch

Dear Teachers, I’m very sorry I didn’t turn that assignment in on time.

I’d promise never to let it happen again, but you’re nobody’s fool.

I can, however, promise that the amount of late work I sheepishly hand you does not translate to any lack of respect. I can promise you my very best effort to turn in my best work on or before the day it’s due. But otherwise, no promises.

Dear fellow students, The list of outrageous reasons I’ve missed deadlines has grown steadily since sixth grade and is reminiscent of a Buzzfeed “Top Ten Excuses for Missed Work” list. But after three years, I’ve finally gotten with the program. Let’s approach this scientifically.

Observation: I frequently turn work in late.

Hypothesis: I’m too busy for my own good, or there’s something we’re doing wrong.

Any student can tell you that, in order to preserve your own steadily eroding sanity, you must give yourself enough time to finish a task. Whether that means starting early, staying up late or taking a tutorial, it seems simple.

Just do your work, do it on time, turn it in. Easy peasy.

Unfortunately, life is not so cut-and-dried.

If this advice were a book (Don’t Procrastinate, 3rd Edition) it’s sitting on my desk, next to my lamp of midnight oil, barely opened. I routinely laugh in the face of “bedtime.” I scoff at the suggestion that any time of night (or morning) is too late to be doing work. This could be avoided.

I know I’m not alone in this. Most students (regardless of mental health and maturity level) procrastinate, and when “next time” runs out (as it tends to do), good, bright students end up handing in slipshod products — if they hand them in at all.

Research: A study by Harvard professors Todd Rogers and Max Bazerman (2006) revealed the reason we procrastinate.

Most people are familiar with the concept of delayed gratification (giving up pleasure in the moment to reap a larger reward later on). However, when it comes to homework, students who have spent an entire day at school, sports practice, rehearsal and work may have trouble seeing past their immediate desires for sleep and fun.

Focusing on long-term goals may seem like the solution, and while focus on the future payoff is helpful to the habitual procrastinator, it doesn’t completely do away with the reason we avoid doing homework. The fact is, some goals (i.e. good grades) are so far in the future students cannot actually imagine their perseverance now can have any foreseeable benefit and decide to sleep or play games instead of using that time to work.

In short, students’ long-term goals are too far away, and they can’t see the point in making themselves suffer to achieve them now. You know the benefits of whatever unproductive nonsense you’re dying to do right now won’t last more than a day, but you still like it more. But the pleasure of getting an extra hour of sleep quickly pales in comparison to the pain of watching your grade drop like the bass in your favorite song.

Proposed solution: Reward yourself for good behavior.

Finish your math? Go get yourself a raspberry yogurt, you studying demon!

C’mon Norsemen, fall is here. Let’s turn over a new leaf.

Let’s pick up the slack.

“Taylor Swift ‘Wildest Dreams’ video racially insensitive” “Kelly Osbourne apologizes for racist comments” “Liam Payne slammed for homophobic comments” Woah. Let’s all just slow down for a minute. I think people should get called out on their ignorance as much as the next person, but when did the movement turn into a witch hunt?

This year saw some big names get called out on their comments, and rightfully so, when you think about it. We’ve seen dozens of injustices scrutinized in the media, from the Charleston shooting to the debate over the confederate flag. The blowback has left our society raw and over-sensitive. Tensions are boiling. The radar for scoping out the next poor soul with the wrong choice of words is on high alert. With that, we have witnessed plenty of innocent names get dragged through the mud for a slip of the tongue.

Kelly Osbourne tried to call Donald Trump out on his racist views. Then when she screwed up, the whole country went in for the attack.

This infatuation with bleeping out potentially offensive ideas has even found its way onto many college communities across the country. The Atlantic reported that students are increasingly moving towards removing all words or ideas that could possibly be deemed offensive. Students at Harvard asked their professors not to teach rape law or even use the word violate for fear it might cause the students distress. Authorities investigated a professor at Northeastern University after she wrote an essay describing the campus politics about sexual paranoia. Other instances have led to the classroom becoming increasingly institutionalized. The list of what’s considered acceptable is growing shorter.

One instance involved a list of microaggressions being conjured up by the 10 University of California schools. Offensive remarks that made list were things like “America is the land of opportunity” and “I believe the most qualified person should get the job.” If you’re just as shocked by this as I am, we’re going somewhere.

Our hearts are in the right place when we want to create a world where no one can get offended by anything, but that whole idea is just too naive. And when this paranoia about what can and can’t be said starts to infect a place where we should be able to speak freely, we have taken things a little too far.

While there are some rightful cases in which people do need to be corrected for their ignorance, there is a huge difference between someone who is truly prejudiced and someone who simply suffers from a severe case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. When you do meet that genuinely prejudiced person, believe me, you will know. We have Donald Trump as proof.

When you have a society where people aren’t allowed to openly speak their minds, that is just as bad being in a society that censors its news outlets and jails people for telling the truth.

The thing is, our society needs political incorrectness. We need to be able to respect each other’s opinions without whipping out pitchforks and torches. We need to confront the uncomfortable truths because we need to deal with them. If we don’t have anyone willing to say what is true even if it hurts, we will fall deeper into this false sense of reality of what the world is really like.

As hard as it might be for some to admit, the movement has lost its footing.

He who takes offense when offense is not intended is a fool, and he who takes offense when offense is intended is an even greater fool.

Political correctness has become less about correcting the ignorant and more about ignoring the realities of the world that we live in. We cannot turn our heads away from things simply because they make us uncomfortable or we disagree with them.

And if you’re offended by what I just wrote, you’ve missed the point.

Shakespeare may once have asked “to be or not to be,” but I believe that the phrase should be rephrased to “To B or not to B.” Our worth as students has always been quantifiable. For me, it was the glittering A+. My desperation for perfect marks began in elementary school. I was reduced to hysteria when my three-year streak of perfect spelling tests was broken. (Friends? Freinds? I will never remember that one.)

I always took school—and grades—in stride. I bounded ahead of my classmates, soaking up the accolades and praise I received. Parents beamed at me as they predicted my future successes. Friends and family would boast of my prowess, citing ACT scores and AP tests as things that came naturally to me.

My GPA was nearly as high as my ego, and I soon set my sights on the Ivy League.

But then, there was Honors Pre-Calculus. My academic sprint turned into a tumble as I struggled with the material.

While my grade of a B- was far from detrimental, I was urged to drop the class, expunge the grade, and move on. My GPA would suffer if I didn’t switch, and I couldn’t have that. Before I knew it, I deviated from the honors math track I had been on since middle school and was once again earning near-perfect marks in a less rigorous class.

No harm, no foul.

While I was grateful at the time, and my GPA continued to soar, I now question this decision and our country’s to education.

If I had remained in that challenging course, I could have learned a much more rigorous curriculum. I likely wouldn’t have ended up in the Academic Hall of Fame on the first floor, my goal since freshman year, or ended up in the top percentage or two of my graduating class.

But I would have learned.

The funny thing is, now that I am applying to colleges, I see how little that means. Grades are king, and learning is secondary.

Everything about ourselves has been quantified, and our processes, personalities and motivations are chump change. When I have posed this question of rigor or success at the admissions directors of elite institutions, they choose to waltz around the question, saying that they want students to “take a hard class and get an A” rather than choose one or another. Failure isn’t an option.

Trial and error is a process that isn’t allowed in high school.

It may be encouraged, but in the long run, we aren’t truly allowed push ourselves or learn from our mistakes. Universities expect our learning to come at a breakneck pace, yet be executed perfectly, no matter what our learning styles be. Juggling 5 or 6 college-level courses can burden the most stellar of students, but straining under that weight—and gaining strength, perspective, and experience—shows nothing but weakness. In this dog-eatdog world of admissions, you’re left as nothing but a victim of natural selection, simply for being human.

Shouldering these expectations is nearly impossible, and I have now begun to embrace my own academic failure.

I recently decided to enroll in AP Calculus, despite the concerns from my counselor. I have chosen to forgo an easier route that would undoubtedly maintain my pristine record and instead am in a class where I stare at numbers that seem to belong to a foreign language.

No matter what the subject matter is, we all have room to fail.

I spent my summer at Northwestern University surrounded by kids who were better. Better at what? Everything.

Calculus, journalism, you name it and it came easily to them.

I, however, buckled under our rigorous journalism curriculum.

I tumbled through five of the most difficult weeks of my life. My stories were covered in red ink, but my missteps, whether they be in lede writing or reporting, led me down a stronger journalistic path. My failure led me to growth, but if my stories had been graded, my statements analyzed for succinctness and my photography critiqued on the rule of thirds, well, I would have failed in the alphabetical sense.

That low grade may have very well pushed me to stop pursuing a passion, yet again.

I have now embraced my inadequacy, and am enjoying every second of my fall from graded grace. I am learning and becoming better at not being better. However, I often hear my classmates explain their reluctance to take challenging courses not because of the work involved but because of their fear of a lower GPA. All I have to say is this—life is short, and we are given incredible opportunities to challenge ourselves. Take every second you have in this place, and make yourself better. You can take so much more away from your time here than an immaculate GPA. You can push yourself to do things you’ve never thought possible. You can go to college prepared for collegiate curriculum, and you can know that you are more intelligent than any letter can say.

So to answer your question, Shakespeare: To B or not to B- I’ll take the B.

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Follow us @northpointenow

CO-MANAGING EDITOR

REVIEWS

9 – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 – North Pointe

ALBUM

WILD

By Emma Puglia WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sequels rarely live up to the original, and Maze Runner: Scorch Trials is no exception.

Although the addition of some talented actors boosted the quality of the movie, the plot, chocked full of explosions and zombie-like creatures, was just one long chase scene.

A group of teenage boys (plus one fierce girl to add diversity) are scarred from their experience of being trapped in a giant maze, escaping death by robot spiders and murderous cellmates.

Beyond the countless hedge walls, the gang discovers a company named WICKED has been testing their skills.

The inhumane company is searching for a cure to a f lesh-eating disease that leaves its victims savage, undead monsters. To find a cure, they must harvest enzymes from immune youths, sacrificing one generation to save another. Thomas, the unspoken leader, and his friends from the maze run away from the company’s advances in search of a rebel army.

All action and no character development makes for a slightly dull movie. My quickly beating heart was hardly given a break with so many neardeath moments, from being struck by lighting to almost being eaten alive by zombies. Although these almost laughable creatures (known as Cranks)

had an impressively disturbing makeup job, their continuous “gotcha” moments lost their effect quickly.

W hat rev ives the reduced version of the plot is the actors. The emotion that celebrities such as Dylan O’Brien and Thomas Brodie-Sangster poured into betrayal and death scenes was remarkable, considering these actors are known for their more sarcastic, witty performances. One of the new characters, Aris (Jacob Lof land), a sweet boy from a separate all-girl maze, added intelligence and security to the rebellious group. Lof land’s perceived innocent demeanor and intense loyalty was refreshing throughout the serious danger.

There’s one common aspect of all dystopian sci-fi/fantasy movies that never loses its zest: the set. An abandoned city, with crumbling buildings, bullet-ridden cars and sandy streets always proves to be a terrifying glimpse of what the future could hold.

The amount of detail that goes into the physical (and the editing of ) the set is admirable.

However repetitive the plot seemed to be, with the amount of cliff-hangers, unanswered questions and lingering feelings of attachment to the characters, there’s no doubt that fans of the series will remain hooked.

Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (2015) Directed by Wes Ball 132 Mins PG-13

Among a sea of new artists striving to make it as the next Lorde or Ed Sheeran, Troye Sivan emerges victorious. Prior to his music career, Sivan starred in the South African movie franchise Spud and gained international fame through YouTube.

Sivan’s dive into the music inWWW.TWITTER.COM dustry began with a few singles and an EP, TRXYE, last August. His most recent musical endeavor, WILD, dropped Sept. 4.

This new EP has gained a much-deserved celebrity following since its debut, including social media shoutouts from pop giants Taylor Swift and Sam Smith.

However, WILD isn’t Sivan’s first EP to score media buzz. Both of his EPs sold well, earning spots in the top 10 albums on iTunes after their release and staying on the charts multiple weeks. WILD was promoted through teasers on Sivan’s YouTube channel, which helped him advertise to his over 3.5 million subscribers.

Songs featured on WILD have the same feel and style as TRXYE but with brand new lyrics and a more alternative sound.The Aussie’s silky, airy voice meshes with funky beats similar to those in Swift’s 1989 to form six ear-pleasing pop anthems.

Unlike on Sivan’s first EP, these songs feature other underground foreign artists. “EASE,” which features brother-sister indie pop act Broods from New Zealand, showcases a gorgeous harmony throughout the entire track. Australian hip-hop artist Tkay Maidza’s rap in “DKLA” (which means don’t keep love around) takes Sivan’s tranquil song and adds some edge to it. This creates a perfect blend of silky smooth pop and a more piercing rap sound.

Breakout hits from WILD are “FOOLS” and “BITE.” These songs emulate the best song off of TRXYE, “Touch.” “BITE” places more emphasis on Sivan’s voice rather than the synthetic beats in the background. Its minimal sound gives the track a slightly haunting vibe.

In “Fools,” which feels the most personal of all the songs, Sivan expresses his regret of falling in love with someone who could not love him back. The title track “WILD” is by far the most upbeat. Think Lorde’s lyrics in “Tennis Court” to the beat of Swift’s “Bad Blood.”

WILD is chock full of unique songs. Sivan’s gorgeous lyrics and soft voice work with each song’s exclusive sound to make the EP worth every penny.

Troye Sivan; WILD; Universal Music Austrailia; 2015 Available on Itunes for $4.74

By Mora Downs

TECHNOLOGY

ALBUM

APP

VOCALOIDS

BADLANDS

IMPOSSIBLE CAVES

People, holograms, software, singers. Vocaloids are all of these things.

Except they aren’t exactly people.

Vocaloids is a type of software that emulates the human voice. Each character is represented by a different voice with a unique range. Songs aren’t written by any one company or recording studio. Rather, they are WWW.ROSSCUTH.DEVIANTART.COM user-generated. Participants have created thousands of songs in varying genres and by different Vocaloids, such as Kagamine Len, MEIKO and Megurine Luka.

A few songs in particular stand out. “The World is Mine” a pretty energetic pop song, is one of the most recognizable songs from Hatsune Miku. “Unhappy Refrain” resembles the sort of grunge/heavy metal style of music with a strong emphasis on the drum set and bass guitar. “Paired Wintry Winds” uses traditional Japanese instruments, such as the Koto and Taiko, to great effect. “Rolling Girl” is a piano-based song that’s a sharp contrast to most other Vocaloid songs because of the choice of instruments.

The other thing that’s notable about Vocaloid music is that the lyrics, despite being dark, are a sort of social commentary. “Online Game Addicts” despite the extremely energetic instrumentation, is about losing sight of society and getting caught up in a world that doesn’t exist. “Depression of Cybernetics” explains the endless cycle of the creation of weapons and fighting wars, and the things that were lost in the fighting.

The difference between instrumentation and lyrics cuts both ways. Some may think that the contrast is appealing, others think that the difference impairs their enjoyment of the songs.

Also, language barrier is a problem. Most, if not all, of the songs are in Japanese, and the translations aren’t always exact. Two different websites with the same song’s translated lyrics may not match each other. And the large difference between the Japanese and English languages can leave listeners lost on what the singer is trying to say. Listening to the songs as a whole, not just the lyrics, is a more fulfilling experience.

There’s also the fact that the singers aren’t actual people, despite their appearances. They’re holograms. It’s rough to try and connect to these people and follow them, because there isn’t anyone to actually follow.

Vocaloids aren’t exactly an easy thing to get into, especially because of the language barrier, but the listener will be rewarded after getting past the initial difficulties.

Breakout star Ashley FrangiEasy to learn, hard to master. pane, known by her stage name This phrase is common throughHalsey, just released her first out the game industry, and it ceralbum, BADLANDS. Famous for tainly applies to Impossible Caves. her covers and original songs on In Impossible Caves, the playYouTube, Halsey’s newest album ers are white squares descending is already a hit. With subtle elecdeeper into the cave. As they fall, tronic undertones, Taylor Swiftthey have to avoid spikes that are esque harmonies, brooding and both on the ground and the ceilWWW.TRENDIO.US.COM WWW.NEOSEEKER.COM ing. The goal is to fall as far as posmysterious sound and deep bass tones, BADLANDS has something for everyone. sible, which requires both quick thinking and good judgeBy using new recording tactics, such as 3D sound ment. and catchy lyrics, Halsey keeps listeners coming back The game is extremely easy to learn. To avoid the spikes, for more. Each song has its own unique feel to it and is the player simply taps the screen to jump. Quick decisionas enjoyable as the next. making is imperative when jumping, as the player has to The album strays from Halsey’s first EP, Room 93. time jumps to not only miss the floor spikes, but the ceiling While Room 93 has a more rocky edge to it, this album spikes as well. But be wary, oftentimes taps won’t register, has a more acoustic vibe. However, the two are con- leaving the player helpless to do anything but be killed. nected through hits “Hurricane” and “Ghost,” which There is no limit on the number of jumps the player can make a second appearances on the album. do at one time, which is a double-edged sword. The nice asAnother major difference between the EP and album pect of it is that if one jumps too early before a spike, there’s is that Room 93 has 3 extra editions of the tracks, in- still have a chance to make it over. However, if the player cluding a commentary album, a set of remix tracks, and jumps too many times, when the cube lands, it sometimes a set of live copies of each song called “One Mic, One stops (not because of a glitch, but because of how it lands).

Take”. This different twist Halsey took is an original Despite the seemingly easy task and controls, it’s called move and separates her from the competition.

Impossible Caves for a reason. It’s far harder than it looks, A few of the most popular songs on BADLANDS are as it’s difficult to advance without memorizing parts of the reminiscent of Halsey’s individualistic sound. “Colors” map. This constant need to remember causes the player to brings to mind Taylor Swift’s single “Wildest Dreams” die frequently. with similar harmonies and tones. Another lovable Impossible Caves is set in specific levels. The paths never single, “Drive,” is one of the most alluring to listen to. change, which, when coupled with the fact that it’s so easy Throughout the song and especially in the last 30 sec- to die, can lead to the game becoming boring. However, if onds of the piece, the revving of a car motor draws the the player gets stuck and can’t get past an area, there is the listener back into the title of the anthem. Another wild- option of skipping it. To do so requires watching a video ad, ly popular single, “Hurricane” describes a wanderer but afterwards, it’s on to the next stage. While this feature who can’t find her way as a teen, which resonates with seems like a good idea, it only cheats the player out of the many of Halsey’s listeners. experience of actually achieving something in the game.

Halsey is one of the newest artists to join the ranks One big knock on the game is the ads. Free games like of the alternative genre, and she does not disappoint. Impossible Caves usually have ads, but they’re especially With captivating lyrics and beautiful melodies, BAD- annoying in this one. Ads pop up constantly, one after evLANDS brings something to the table for everyone and ery few deaths, sometimes even in the middle of a run. is sure to have lasting relevance.

Overall, Impossible Caves is a fun game at first. But as time goes on, the repetitiveness of the levels and the maddening ads slowly ruin it.

Vocaloids; 2015; Yamaha Corporations.

Halsey; BADLANDS; Astralwerks; 2015.

By Addison Toutant

By Sarah Wietcheta

Impossible Caves; Appsolute Games LLC; 2015; Apple & Android; Free.

By Billy Moin

IDEAS

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 – 10

Anu Subramaniam EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Olivia Asimakis CO-MANAGING EDITOR

Katelyn Carney SPORTS EDITOR

Billy Moin NEWS EDITOR

Mora Downs LIFE EDITOR

Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANAGER

Emma Puglia WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ritika Sanikommu IDEAS EDITOR Katelynn Mulder STAFF REPORTER

Yena Berhane WEB MANAGING EDITOR

Radiance Cooper ASSISTANT EDITOR

Top Tweets Adam Schade, junior

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

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Anu Subramaniam MANAGING EDITORS: Olivia Asimakis, Jennifer Kusch SECTION EDITORS: Katelyn Carney, Mora Downs, Audrey Kam, Billy Moin, Ritika Sanikommu WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma Puglia WEB MANAGING EDITOR: Yena Berhane BUSINESS MANAGERS: Jillian Berndtson, Gowri Yerramalli PHOTO EDITOR: Sydney Benson ASSISTANT EDITORS: Emma Brock, Caitlin Bush, Radiance Cooper, Lindsey Ramsdell, Lauren Sexton, Sarah Wietecha STAFF REPORTERS: Josie Bennett, Abbey Cadieux, Alex Harring, Nathan Lonczynski, Katelynn Mulder, Anna Post, Addison Toutant INTERNS: Darcy Graham, Erin Kaled, Bella Lawson, Trevor Mieczkowski, Sonny Mulpuri, Joey Parison, Montana Paton, Olivia Robinson, Michal Ruprecht, Asia Simmons, Billy Steigelman, Tommy Teftsis 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.

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PHOTO BY: AUDREY KAM

It’s all fun and games, but no one is there to see it Dear students, We go all-out — decked in school colors, faces painted, horns, whistles, screaming, chants, the whole package — every year for the the North-South game. The stands are packed and the atmosphere is alive.

This is not the case when it comes to our student section at other sporting events or even other football games. Not all of us can represent Norh on the field, but we can show support for our school and community by cheering in the stands.

School spirit isn’t something to be embarrassed about. Most of the time, students only stay for a portion of the game, if they show up at all. Sometimes the away team, even if they drive over an hour to get here, has more bodies in the stands than we do.

This doesn’t make us look very good. At the white-out on Sept.

18, the student section lacked numbers and white. Around half-time the crowd dispersed, leaving the stands bare with only a few students remaining.

The D Zone, a news source for Michigan high school sports, has a running list of top student sections in Michigan.

North has never been among them. Each week the updated rankings are posted and usually involve the same contenders. Schools like Chippewa Valley, Rochester and Stoney Creek dominate the top few spots. These schools have student sections with overf lowing stands, themes that everybody participates in, and props including cornstarch, signs and anything that makes noise.

We aren’t saying that it’s easy to attend every game in green and gold. Students have lives.

There are other sports that have practices and games, there’s homework, and there’s other things to do. We are saying that not having a student section doesn’t accurately display the levels of school spirit we have, and it’s possible to change.

“Hey are we allowed to bring cornstarch or signs to the game? I didn’t think we could. I also heard that body paint wasn’t allowed.”

False.

Cornstarch and signs are allowed. So is body painting as long as it maintains a standard of decency that would be expected at school. The main goal administrators have for the student section is for us to be safe and represent North well.

Imagine if we took the enthusiasm we have during spirit week and the North-South game and applied it to other sporting events.

We could become a serious contender for one of the top student section slots. And while having a strong student section isn’t just about being number one on a list, a supportive student body would build a stronger sense of community here. Sporting events would be more fun if people were more willing to participate. Leaving at half-time or just talking about having a “hype” student section isn’t enough to make it happen.

It’s unreasonable to assume that our student section will transform overnight. But next time there is a game — be it football, basketball, softball or any other sport — we, as students, should take a moment and consider how our participation could help. Not only would we be supporting our fellow peers on the field, but we’d be creating a more positive school environment.

We are the example for future classes, and our legacy shouldn’t include a lackluster student section. School may not be the place we want to be for seven hours a day, five days a week, but we might as well approach it with the best attitude.

School spirit isn’t something to make fun of or turn your nose up at. It’s a display of our Norsemen pride, and making our student section one to be reckoned with is an easy way for us to show our spirit.

Check out The D Zone on Twitter @The_DZone or online at www. thedzone.net.

@IAMADAMSCHADE

Colleen Squillace, senior

@COLLEEN_MS08

Ben Sliwinski, junior

@ BENHOLLAAAA

Erin Kaled, sophomore

@ ECKALED

FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE

YOUR TURN: How do you feel about boys being on homecoming court?

“I think it’s great because everyone is equal.

I think having guys on homecoming court will make the pep rally more hype.”

Natalie Wietecha FRESHMAN

“I feel like it’s good because it should be equal between the two genders.”

“I thought that homecoming court was a female position, but I think it’s fine that they’re going to be elected.”

“I think that boys running in the homecoming court is actually a pretty good idea, especially because I hope I win.”

Emily Cherry SOPHOMORE

Chloe Walters JUNIOR

Darion Brummitt SENIOR

“I think it is a good idea.

It will get more people involved. When I was in high school, boys were involved on homecoming court, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t be here at North.”

Eric Vanston MATH TEACHER

“I know many schools that have a court that includes a king and a queen in their attendance, and I see nothing wrong with that, and if we’re going to do it, I’m in favor.”

Barb Skelly COUNSELOR

Ausmus held responsible for Tigers’ “unsuccessful” season

By Katelyn Carney

Katelyn’s Korner

SPORTS

Fresh faces find the field

EDITOR

Professional baseball’s major league consists of 32 teams, all seeking one single ultimate prize: a World Series championship.

But let’s be honest with each other. The odds of any single team making it to the World Series are stacked against them.

Even the best of the best face uphill battles and unavoidable feats that force them to stray from the path of victory.

As history tends to prove itself repeatedly, there always has to be a fall guy for the 31 teams who aren’t fortunate enough to be singing “We are the Champions.” And heaven forbid the players signing multi-million-dollar contracts to be on the field, playing the game, be the ones to blame. Instead, the organization puts the pressure on their General Manager, who never touches a bat or catches a ball, for not bringing home the gold.

Rumors flew this week that Brad Ausmus, manager of the Detroit Tigers, would be fired at the end of the season. This didn’t come as a shock to anyone. Finishing last in your division is rarely paramount in obtaining job security. The Tigers, who have been perennial contenders, were seen by most pre-season pundits as serious prospects to get to the World Series. Falling far short of expectations, particularly with 86-year-old owner Mike Ilitch, who is desperate to see his baseball team win a championship, is a recipe for “pink slip” written in bold.

We expect success, we have standards, and if you can’t live up to them, then you have to be shown the door. But how would we fare if measured by these standards?

There is no arguing that Brad Ausmus was qualified to be hired as a major league manager. He played 18 years in the bigs, was a three-time Gold Glove winner and an AllStar in 1999. He ranked third all-time with 12,839 putouts as a catcher. Ausmus was a terrific student of the game and was known as a cerebral player not just because of the intricacies of the position he played but because he graduated from an Ivy League school, Dartmouth, in 1991. Ausmus was highly regarded by teammates, lauded for his baseball smarts, was bilingual (an absolute plus considering the influx of Latin American players), had an engaging personality and was widely considered managerial material once his playing career was over.

His only drawback when hired by the Tigers was his lack of experience.

Ausmus is on the chopping block because of the Tigers’ win-loss record this season. Currently, they sit 10 games under the .500 mark.

Terrible job, right?

Well, a deeper look at the team reveals that the team diverged on a path seemingly created by the devil himself. Verlander and Cabrera were both injured for two months of the season. Victor Martinez was basically playing on one leg, hitting only nine home runs in comparison to last year’s 30.

Our primary closer, Joe Nathan, was out for the season after the first game of the year.

These events, among others, led the organization to believe that Ausmus was not cut out for this job’s requirements.

In 2008, coach Gary Bennett led our girls basketball team to their first state championship. By this time, Bennett had been coaching the team for well over a decade.

Despite not achieving a championship in that time, he was given the opportunity to continue to mentor and train a team which in the professional world would have been deemed unsuccessful because they hadn’t “won” yet.

Had Bennett been fired after one season for not making it to the state finals, then he would not have been successful in attaining a championship in the future.

The point is that Ausmus is being evaluated unfairly. He was hired last August and given a broken team. Now the club’s ready to give him the swift kick of its boot, straight to the curb because in their eyes, his team couldn’t rise to the challenge under his care.

Would teachers ask a student to ace a class when he’s only given half of the material? Would parents deem their child’s high school career a failure if she isn’t valedictorian? The world of sports may only see through the lens of victory, but little do we realize what a narrow viewpoint that can be.

The Tigers may not have been successful this year, but we shouldn’t send Ausmus to the guillotine quite yet. He has yet to fail us under reasonable circumstances. Let’s not forget that.

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 – 11

LAUREN SEXTON

As the fall season progresses, the field hockey team learns to cope and bond with the newly hired coaching staff.

By Lauren Sexton & Bella Lawson ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

LAUREN SEXTON

Fall brings more changes than just the color of the leaves. It also brings new classes, clubs, players and, in this case, coaches. Both the varsity and JV field hockey teams got new ones this season.

Shelby Stone was hired to coach JV while Alexa Quinlan and Paula Cornwall took over varsity as co-coaches.

“I played field hockey and lacrosse in college, and I knew I wanted to stick with it after graduating from college,” Stone said. “When I got contacted about this opportunity, I got really excited not only because it is a way to stay involved, but to do new things and have some fun. And it’s worked out.”

Searching for experienced coaching staff wasn’t easy, but Athletic Director Brian Shelson said he lucked out when three skillful college graduates showed up to his office.

“We had a search going on for a little while. We posted out to the website through the district, and that goes out to different search engines, as well as I had a couple emails sent to all staff up in the whole district,” Shelson said.

The process of seeking out the new coaches involved lots of work. Grosse Pointe South had heard about North’s search and recommended Paula Cornwall, Quinlan and Stone. After Shelson’s interview process, the three were divided into their various roles.

Stone is very pleased with the progression of the team’s athletic ability and their overall attitude in the game.

“I’m looking forward to a lot this season. We have gotten better as each game has progressed. They’re really climbing each game and implementing things we are doing in practice, which is really awe-

FAR LEFT: The varsity team watches the game from the bench.

LEFT: Junior Carmen Castronero jogs off the field toward the LAUREN SEXTON team’s bench. some to see. I really just look forward to every game, because I get to see them play and how much they have improved since the last,” Stone said. “As of now, my plan is to come back next year. Things could change when I go to France to teach English, but as I see it now, I will hopefully be back, which I’m excited about.”

Last season, both teams felt they struggled. But with the arrival of the new coaches, team skills and morale have improved.

Since the coaches are so young, they’re able to relate betterto the players, which the team believes has made the team more successful.

“I would say the team is closer because some of the girls that didn’t play last year came back this year, and so we all get to play with them again. And so, I think we’re better,” junior Jackie Veneri said.

“This year’s coaches are a little younger, and they can relate to us better. They played all through high school, so they know what we need to learn and how we can improve and stuff. And relationships are a lot better this year.”

Veneri is not the only one who agrees that having a younger coaching staff is beneful for the teams.

“I think being a younger coach is nice because we can kind of share some, things to joke about whether it’s online and stuff,” Quinlan said. “I have a good connection with the team, (and I) like to crack some jokes every now and then.”

Senior Caroline Bock is on the varsity team but had to opt out last year due to a busy travel hockey schedule. She feels the improvements since her sophomore year are great.

“I really like the new coaches. I think they’re really experienced, and they know what they are doing,” Bock said. “I think everyone’s individual skills have improved, and we’re also really close because we all appreciate the new coaches, so we’re all determined to be better players and win.”

SYDNEY BENSON

Sports facility developments delayed for fall season

By Sonny Mulpuri & Billy Steiglemen

INTERNS

This summer, three fall sports teams experienced new changes to their programs,. Tennis, football and swimming all received funds for new facilities. The projects started on July 1 and were intended to be finished before the start of their fall seasons.

“It was new budget year, and it was just time. We needed these new facilities on our campus,” Athletic Director Brian Shelson said.

The biggest project was the building of the new tennis courts along Morningside. For the past 16 years, the boys and girls tennis teams have played at Lakefront Park, commonly referred to as the Woods Park, but this summer the tennis program was relocated back to the school’s campus.

“I think just when we have our own courts, we’ll feel at home because right now, we don’t really feel at home at the Woods Park. It’ll be more like a home and something we can protect,” senior co-captain Tyler Scoggin said.

The tennis team now has the chance to play in front of a home crowd for the first time. Because all their matches happen in a private park off of campus, the tennis team lacks many student fans supporting and cheering them on.

The last time the tennis team played on campus was 14 years ago.

“We can have more people watching us, which will be a good change,” Scoggin said. “And now people can come watch us for regionals. People can watch and cheer for us more than at the Woods Park because it’s out of the way. No one really comes there to watch.”

However, the new courts are running behind schedule, and the boy’s tennis team is facing difficulties. They may not be able to play as much on the new courts, which may affect their preparation for regionals. Newer courts won’t have the wear that those at Lakefront Park do. “(Morningside) is an old farming area, and being close to the water, it was also a swamp area. They found a lot of old farming equipment, and it also needed a city inspection, which also put the courts behind schedule,” Shelson said. “It will be done in the next month, though.”

Other teams’ renovations haven’t fared much better.

When football tryouts took place in August, the new turf on the football field wasn’t finished, and the football teams were forced to have their tryouts on the baseball field.

“For varsity, it was a minor inconvenience because they usually use (the football field) in the preseason, but it was

SYDNEY BENSON

something that needed to be done, and they did it and did it right, so it’s in good shape now,” freshman football coach Jason Hill said.

Over the years, weather gradually wears out the turf of a field. The artificial grass gets shorter when it gets worn out.

The field becomes stiffer, making it harder to run on.

“There’s a big difference now. It’s a lot softer, a lot greener and easier to run and cut on,” Hill said. “ I don’t think it was really bad before, but it was time to get a new turf.”

In addition to the football team, the soccer and field hockey teams will also benefit from the new turf.

“Our old turf had a warranty of 10 years, and it was up for schedule anyway,” Shelson said. “We expect the new turf to last for that long, hopefully even longer.”

Alongside the new courts and new turf, the pool has received a major facelift.

The construction of the pool began over the summer when there was a leak in one of the pipes. The girls swimming team was forced to train for their season elsewhere.

Driving from pool to pool is not how sophomore Angelina Cavaliere envisioned the start of her swim season.

“It took me a lot more time to get to my practices at Lochmoor, Yacht Club or Brownell as opposed to swimming at North,” Cavaliere said.

Besides the travel, getting acclimated to a familiar setting was an issue.

“It usually takes about three practices to get used to a new pool,” sophomore Angelina Cavaliere said.

When she heard of the news that the pool was done, Cavaliere was looking forward to swimming at North.

“I was really excited because we didn’t have to swim outside as much, where it’s really cold,” Cavaliere said.

Once the pool was complete, it was quicker for the girls to get to their practices and get accustomed to the pool for the first time.

“It was easier to swim in North’s (pool) because I got used to it more. It felt normal to be swimming there again.”

The turf, courts and pool are making their impression on not only the teams and students, but also the community.

With these renovations to the facilities, North expects to draw more interest and awareness to each sport and bring out more fans to each event.

“We hope our teams can focus more on their season and not have to worry about the field or place where they play on,” Shelson said.

SPORTS

12 – North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

Norsemen Nation has been ressurected after years of inactivity, and is gaining momentum in the stands. The group’s social media is growing, especially with the anticipation of today’s rivalry game

By Yena Berhane & Tommy Teftis WEB MANAGING EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

On Fridays “Give me a green, give me a gold,” can be heard echoing through the brisk breeze at football games. A lively student section can give a team the support it needs to push through a tough rival game, so Student Association is working to enhance the student section.

Norsemen Nation is their effort to revive the spirit at sporting events by encouraging more people to attend and make the student section a favorite throughout the year. Since planning an enthusiastic crowd doesn’t happen overnight, preparation began this summer.

“We have a basic T-shirt design that we’re going to probably team up with the North store to sell,” Norsemen Nation co-chairman junior Lauren Archambeau said. “Then we’re going to choose themes for different sports games, not just football and soccer. We’re going to do field hockey, volleyball, things like that. Then we’re planning on buying different things to pass out at the games and do raffles and stuff.”

Arriving in the winter season, the shirts will be unisex and sold for $10. For now, Norsemen Nation has planned themes for upcoming games such as a white-out, green-out and an American theme to unite students. Along with the creation of shirts and themes, Norsemen Nation intends on having additional items to boost the spirit in the student section.

“We’re going to pass out T-shirts, and we’re probably gonna get the colored powder stuff that you

NORSEMEN NATION can throw and a whole bunch of fun stuff that you see on the Twitter accounts,” Archambeau said.

Twitter has become a popular venue to showcase student sections, generating the term “student section goals.” Norsemen Nation uses Twitter for ideas to improve the crowd and has also created their own Twitter account (@norsemen_nation) to keep students informed of sporting events.

“We’re going to get more students involved in the student section at the games and more spirit at the games ... and make sure everyone feels welcome and comes to the games and has a lot of fun,” Student Association webmaster sophomore Maddy Martinbianco said.

Student Association’s goal to revive the bleachers will not only impact students, but unite the community, boosting both the student section’s and the school’s reputation.

“I think it’s great. I think it’s good for the teams to know that they are supported,” Student Association adviser Jonathon Byrne said. “I think it’s good for the community to see that North cares about its athletic teams, and I think it’s good for North because it brings students together, and that’s always a good thing.”

The beginning of Norsemen Nation creates a sizeable impact on student participation and spirit. Norsemen Nation co-chairman senior Emily McPharlin has a positive outlook for the future of the program.

“I believe that it will make North a more spirited and energetic school,” McPharlin said. “This is our first year, so I think the years to come will grow from our foundation.”

FREEPSDFILES.NET

One-on-one with the QB Sophomore Bjorn Bjornsson now leads the Norsemen as the starting quarterback.

We sat down and got to know him.

By Lindsey Ramsdell ASSISTANT EDITOR

After playing for the freshman football team last year, sophomore Bjorn Bjornsson has moved up to varsity and is the new starting quarterback.

North Pointe: When did you start playing football?

Bjorn Bjornsson: When I was 6 years old. Back when I first moved to North Carolina, when I first moved to the U.S. (from Iceland).

NP: How did you get into the sport?

Bjornsson: My stepdad showed it to me, and I just liked it. I guess I wanted to try it.

NP: What was your first team called?

Bjornsson:Camden Bears.

NP: Have you always been a quarterback?

Bjornsson: Yeah, I’ve played quarterback my whole life. That’s the only position I’ve played.

NP: Were you surprised that you made varsity and made starting quarterback?

Bjornsson: Yeah, somewhat, but I knew that I had a step up because (former senior quarterback) Dan Robinson left, so they only have two other guys playing at my spot.

It was just normal, I guess.

NP: Are you intimidated at all to be playing with the upperclassmen?

Bjornsson: Somewhat. It’s somewhat scary because they’re like really big, and then there’s me. I’m a sophomore.

NP: Do you get nervous having so many more people watch your games now?

Bjornsson: Yeah, it’s a huge size difference from last year, and there’s a lot more people, so there’s more pressure.

NP: Do you do anything to cope with the pressure?

Bjornsson: I just take deep breaths, and I know that my teammates have my back, so I don’t really get too nervous.

NP: Do you have any pregame routines?

Bjornsson: I throw routes to my receivers, and then we go over plays. Then we’re

ready to go.

NP: When you’re not playing football, what do you like to do?

Bjornsson: In my free time, I usually like to hang out with friends.

NP: Do you play any other sports?

Bjornsson: Yeah, I play basketball.

NP: What position do you play in basketball?

Bjornsson: Point guard.

NP: Who would you say is your biggest supporter?

Bjornsson: I would probably say my mom.

NP: Are you thinking of playing football in college?

Bjornsson: Maybe, if I have the talent to play in college.

NP: Do you like any schools in particular?

Bjornsson: (Michigan) State is like the only school that I really like.

NP: What are you most looking forward to this season?

Bjornsson: I’m really looking forward to playing South and getting closer with my team.

SYDNEY BENSON

SYDNEY BENSON

SYDNEY BENSON

SYDNEY BENSON