Issue 12 - 4.12.13

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

A

SINCE 1968

POINTE FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013

affeinated Existence

Some students use it to get them through the day – but adverse health effects and dependency can result.

FANDOM Take a glimpse into the lives of those who are obsessed and eternally in love with musicians One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber in this in-depth feature.

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END OF THIRD QUARTER Friday, April 12.

MINI COLLEGE NIGHT Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.

CLASS OF 2013 ICE CREAM SOCIAL Monday, April 22 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria and Cooper’s Square.

HALF-DAY Tuesday, April 23, 10:55 a.m. dismissal.

BOYS LACROSSE Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. against Ligget.

GIRLS LACROSSE Saturday, April 13 at 10:30 a.m. against Regina at home.

STAFF REPORTEr

Didlyceride, sodium bicarbonate and soy lecithin – three ingredients in that trendy Starbucks cup. These ingredients, hard to pronounce but easy to miss, are found in the caramel sauce in any Starbucks drink.

For senior Savannah Ransome, her Starbucks coffee gets her through the day.

“My mom can basically drink a whole pot by herself in the morning. I grew up to the smell of coffee each and every day,” Ransome said.

“It was only a matter of time before I started drinking it. It became a regular affair over spring break junior year. It was the time I had to start studying for AP tests and needed that extra boost.”

Coffee became an essential part of her life.

Without her three to four cups every day, she began to feel the side effects. She noticed it during a school trip.

“Well, we were so busy I didn’t have a chance to drink coffee one morning, and the people in charge wouldn’t let (me) leave the meeting area to go buy coffee. I was literally on edge all day,” Ransome said. “I was even sassier than I usually am and was a complete mess without the caffeine. I was tired and going through the begin-

Teachers, District hammer out new contract

By Kim Cusmano & Anna Hopkins

ning stages of ‘withdrawal.’ I didn’t end up getting my coffee until about 4:30 in the afternoon. It was literal relief for me and for those around me.”

Environmental teacher Chris Skowronski has noticed teenagers often trying to replace sleep with caffeine.

“Too much caffeine can affect sleep. So you get on that cycle that you’re not sleeping properly, so you may need medication to help you sleep,” Skowronski said. “Then you need caffeine to help you stay awake, and that’s just a horrible cycle.”

Skowronski finds that a common problem with highly caffeinated drinks, or energy drinks, is that there are no regulations, which means anybody can buy it.

“I think there should be a certain age where people should be allowed to drink that. Is that 16? Is that 18? I don’t know,” Skowronski said. “I don’t like the idea of middle school kids drinking it. That’s wrong, I think. For them, how did they get that? That goes back to the parents, but if you’re an adult and you’re 18 years old, you have that freedom.”

Like Skowronski, many students have also noticed people’s dependency on caffeine. In science teacher Susan Speirs’ Applied Medical Research classes, students will research this topic a little more.

By the numbers 30 meetings over 3 months March 25 new contract took effect

“In Applied Med, students explore many interesting units and one of them is the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system,” Speirs said. “As part of each unit, students complete a lab inquiry project. Teams get to decide what kind of question they are interested in exploring related to the topics.”

The students took two different people, one who constantly drinks caffeine and one who hardly drinks any. Then they proceeded to expose each of the students to the same amount of caffeine and examined their reactions.

“The thought is that over time you see that caffeine increases the heart rate, makes it go faster. So a normal average is 70 beats a minute,” Speirs said. “Those who are the ‘users’ actually think their heart rate goes to a new normal.

Like if your normal was at 70, your new normal is now 80. You’re used to it over and over again that it increases your heart rate. Stress kind of works that way. Some people never get back to their initial level, it just gets higher and higher.”

Contributing: Taylor White see Infographic page 6

Dartmouth decision spurs debate over AP classes’ value

By Jordan Radke & Anu Subramaniam editor & Staff reporter

Editor & INTERN

BOYS GOLF Thursday, April 18 at 3 p.m. against South at Lochmoor.

“

By Melissa Healey

IDEAS

At the time, I was naive and thought that mental illness was the equivalent to being an absolute psychopath.

How could I possibly have a mental

“

illness?

Page 9

Please recycle after reading.

Thank you! © 2013 North Pointe Volume 45, Issue 12

After 30 meetings over three months, seven negotiating representatives for the Grosse Pointe Education Association (GPEA) and seven more for the District hammered out a new contract for teachers that took effect on March 25.

“The old contract forced pay cuts across all staffing groups, as school expenses have increased while funding and the student population have decreased,” math teacher Greg Johnson said. “This contract allows for a sharing of both changes to the budget via cuts and continued reduction in compensation to offset deficit spending.”

In spite of the teacher salary cuts and increasing expenses linked to the budget shortfall, the School Board’s biggest concern is to continue improving education. “(The School Board) did, however, vote 6-0 to approve the contract and many of them spoke of the shared sacrifices needed to maintain the excellent level of education provided to students in Grosse Pointe,” Johnson said. “They also wished that schools weren’t underfunded so they could invest more into the classroom.”

The School Board believes the changes to the contract will help make improvements in education.

“The ... School Board recognizes that changes in compensation for all employees, including teachers, are difficult,” Assistant Superintendent Jon Dean said. “The Board of Education believes that the recent changes to the contract preserve our financial good standing while simultaneously improving learning outcomes for students.”

The teachers in the District, while most were not directly negotiating, had some say. At the end of the process, the contract went to the teachers who voted whether to ratify it or not.

They needed a simple majority to ratify. The vote ended with 62% in favor of the new con-

62% of teachers voted in favor (305-161)

6-0 in favor 7& 7

Board voted

GPEA & Board negotiators tract (according to the Grosse Pointe Patch), which will last through 2017.

“Everyday, teachers are not involved in that bargaining process. They (the representatives) negotiate in good faith for us, and then they bring out the contract that we wrote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on,” social studies teacher Bridget Cooley said.

Teachers and School Board members on the negotiating team were bargained to remedy the budget deficit.

“Michigan is dealing with a major budget shortfall, and Grosse Pointe is not immune from the realities of budget issues,” Cooley said.

“So when it goes to renegotiate the contract, they have to look to savings because we’re not making as much money. This is where some of the contract issues came from.”

The new contract has many changes that will affect both students and teachers. Some of the changes include teacher compensation, staff meeting time, high school conferences, changes in the high school calendar and tutorial duties.

AP tests are rolling around and, if the trends of growth continue, more students at North and nationwide will be taking them than last year.

However, these test scores may not get them anywhere, at least not at Dartmouth University, which has ended granting course credit for AP or IB exams, starting with their Class of 2018.

The decision has highlighted the contention surrounding AP classes and the role they play in preparing students for college.

“The feedback I’ve gotten from most kids that have taken my AP class is that they are either better or equivalent to students in the college who have taken the equivalent class,” AP Calculus teacher Greg Johnson said. “I believe that the College Board curriculum and the curriculum we teach here in class does prepare kids for the next level, not just the class itself, but the next level beyond that.”

A 2008 study funded by The College Board found AP classes to be a strong indicator of college success, in terms of GPA, credit hours earned and whether or not students graduated within four years. Even after controlling for preexisting achievement and economic gaps, they found students who took AP courses saw more success in college.

Still, research findings on the topic vary, and the study has been criticized for being paid for

by The College Board, which runs the AP program. Even a former student is quick to point out that college success may not be a product of high school AP experience.

“AP courses are a good intro into college classes, but how well you do or how many you take doesn’t reflect how well you do in college,” Brett Slajus, a Class of 2012 alumnus and University of Michigan Spanish and Microbiology major, wrote in an email.

continued on Page 2 continued on page 2

news FIVE MINUTES WITH Teacher contracts Long-term substitute Rachel Butler

2 – Friday, April 12, 2013 – North Pointe

continued from page 1

By Colleen Reveley staff reporter

New long-term Spanish substitute teacher Rachel Butler caught the “travel bug” in Puerto Rico. She has had it since the summer before her sophomore year of high school and has never been cured. She has been to 10 countries so far and hopes to make it many more.

“It was a school Spanish trip. My Spanish teacher created this field trip, basically. We had a lot of chaperones, probably more chaperones than students, actually. I went with my parents and my sister, who was in a different grade, but it was a lot of fun,” Butler said.

The six weeks she spent studying abroad in Spain completely submerged her in a new culture Sean o’melia and created a passion for teaching Rachel Butler switched from student teaching at South the language. to long-term subbing three classes at North and one “ (In) Spain, the food is phenom- class at Parcells. enal, the weather was great, and the What is your favorite food? people there were super friendly. I love spaghetti. I really love cookies. I know that may It’s just such an experience to help not be a food, but I love cookies. you grow as a person when you speak another language,” Butler said. “You kind of muddle your way through it and make so many mis- What is your favorite Spanish food? takes, and you just get over it and Las papas fritas. A lot of people are going to say have wonderful experiences, and churros ... That wasn’t for me. I just loved the french fries my madre would make. They were really bad for you meet such great people.”

Butler says her travel experienc- you, but so good. es have opened her up to culture on What’s your favorite movie? a more global scale.

“You have to know nuances about That’s so difficult. I really love North and South, which is the culture that maybe you are not from 2005. It’s a BBC adaptation because I love British familiar with. (Traveling) widens television. your horizon and gives you a better global understanding of everyone,” Butler said. “You see how different- Do you ever plan or want to move to Spain? ly people do things, but then you I seriously considered staying there and postponing realize that if you are in New York, my degree ... and teaching English. I definitely want to you are going to see a mom fight- go back, but I don’t know for how long. Maybe just a ing with her teenage daughter, and trip or to live. if you are in Spain, you are going to Do you have any siblings? see the same thing.”

“Everyone is the same. These I have an older sister. She is two and a half years older people are similar all across the than I am. She is going to law school next year. She has world. That’s such a great thing to a masters from Oxford University and a degree from figure out naturally, organically, MSU. through traveling.”

One of the “more emotional changes,” according to Cooley, is the altered policy about teacher sick days.

“Teachers used to have unlimited sick leaves, and now that changed to a much smaller window. So, basically for the next two years, teachers get 12 paydays where they can take sick or family leave days, which is a big change from unlimited sick days,” Cooley said.

Maternity leave was also another issue in the contract. Cooley had a child in April.

“For a lot of people, they’re worried if there was a serious illness in the family or if they became seriously ill or (are on) maternity leave. That’s all definitely changing now. (My maternity leave) is not affected this year. The contract, when it is ratified, takes effect in March, the provisions about sick leave or maternity leave – they don’t take effect until the (next) fall.”

The calendar for high schools has also been revised. The half-days in October,

November, December and April have been eliminated. In their place, there will be two days of no school for students in December and April. Grades will now be given in tutorials, and four parent-teacher conferences will be held throughout the year.

Social studies teacher Dan Quinn thinks the elimination of half-days will positively affect teachers and students.

“Professional development for teachers is essential to making our school a professional learning community,” Quinn said.

“Moving to full-day professional development from half-days allows teachers more time to work together and practice what they learned.”

Quinn also believes that the elimination of half-days won’t have any “distinct difference” for students, and that the contract will not instantly affect teachers or students.

“The immediate impact will not be felt today or tomorrow, but because of the contract and less money coming in from the state of Michigan, there will likely be some form of cuts,” Quinn said. “The teachers have agreed to take a pay cut in order to maintain current services.”

Effects of AP classes on college success debated teacher Jennifer Weisbrodt speaks to their value.

Indeed, a 2009 study published in “The AP Psychology exam scores generSouthern Economic Journal corroborated ally reflect that amount of effort the student the College Board’s finding that AP class- has put forth in the class. Students that see es are predictive of college success, but the course as applicable to their personal doubted that “AP participation imparts a lives, participate, read and ask questions positive causal impact on college perfor- tend to do extremely well,” she said. “I bemance for the typical student.” In other lieve this holds true in college as well. words they accepted the correlation, but “So yes, doing well in this course is not argued the causation. due to some ‘innate’ ability, but rather efOnce taking into account the other ac- fort. It all really goes back to the nature vs. ademic and demographic characteristics nurture debate. In this case, I believe nurof students, the high-achieving, motivat- ture outweighs nature.” ed students do better in college anyway.

Slajus argues it is this “nurture” (i.e., So, the murkiness among studies may challenging yourself with multiple, rigorstem from the fact ous classes), not the that student ability AP classes themand motivation are selves, that breeds difficult to quantify. success in college.

Still, Slajus found “Taking multiple these were the skills ones at the same he harbored taking AP time lets you decourses in high school. velop better taskThough The College management skills Board touts the classes and prioritizing as “college-level,” their skills,” he said. real benefit may be “It definitely does college-preparatory. matter, I wouldn’t “When you have have the work ethic multiple tests or paI have if I took stanpers due around the dard classes.” same time, or exHigh school pertracurricular things Brett Slajus formance, at least of importance, you North alumnus and current University of Michigan student in terms of GPA and know how to pick and sta nda rdized-test choose which to do scores, predicts first,” Slajus said. “Also, it helped me to de- college success fairly well. To the extent velop a ‘suck it up, get work done’ mentality, that the correlation between in-class and where you just grind through a lot of work AP exam performance is readily visible at in one sitting.”

North, the link between AP exam and colDartmouth announced its decision to lege success is apparent. stop offering course credit for AP classes “Very, very little have I ever been surafter a study by the psychology depart- prised (with AP test results). A majority of ment found that, among incoming stu- my students are consistent through the dents, 90% who had earned a 5 on the AP year, and the AP test score is a reflection of exam failed a Dartmouth-issued Psych their scores throughout the year,” Johnson 1 equivalency test; though Dartmouth said. “I think there is a pretty good correlastressed afterward the experiment wasn’t tion in my class with how they do in class “undertaken to be a general statement versus how they do on the AP test versus about the value of AP courses.” how they will continue to do in college.”

Even if the exam scores will no longer earn Dartmouth credit, AP Psychology Contributing: Emma Ockerman

continued from page 1

“When you have multiple tests or papers due around the same time ... you know how to pick and choose which to do first. (AP courses) helped me to develop a ‘suck it up, get work done’ mentality, where you just grind through a lot of work in one sitting.”

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ELECTIONS

3 – Friday, April 12, 2013 – North Pointe

Student Association President

I want to increase participation in our school events like sports games, spirit days, fundraisers and dances.

With three years of experience on SA, I’ve learned a lot about the qualities that make for a good leader. I always ask for students’ ideas to improve our school.

vice president

Member of SA for the last two years, captain of both North’s JV basketball and JV field hockey team this year, member of WILLOW, member of SADD, member of Norsemen Session Council

I want to make the student body more spirited as a whole and encourage Norsemen pride in everyone that is a part of this community.

I lead by example and I have experience with our student government. I’m reliable, responsible and receptive to the concerns of others, especially my peers.

vice President

Willow CEO, Student Association, Student Council, NHS, North Pointe, symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra

It is my goal to help preserve an already successful government and improve upon areas with the input of students at North.

Communication is key! In addition to fulfilling my duties to the best of my ability, I will ensure your voice will be heard. That’s what this organization is all about.

Gabby Burchett

Student Council, HCIC, WILLOW, NHS, Impact Club, North Pointe, swimming

My goal is to unite students by increasing participation and to expand the activities available in order to improve our school’s environment.

I have been a senator for two years and have one year of experience as Class of 2014 secretary. I will also continue to bring ideas forward that will help change our school for the better.

Varsity basketball captain, varsity tennis, Editor-inChief of North Pointe, Junior senator, Freshman Assist mentor, Norsemen Session Council, SADD

I’m going to work to involve every class in school-wide goals – whether it be enhancing dances, or offering/ promoting volunteer and community activities.

I will be an avenue of communication between the student body and Student Association leadership by reflecting any individual’s desires in meetings and decisions.

WILLOW, Impact, NHS, HCIC, Freshman Assist mentor, yearbook Photo Editor, varsity swim team, varsity lacrosse

I want to make the most out of our money by creating successful and effective fundraising.

I will offer a fresh perspective and new ideas. I work well with a team and have the leadership skills needed for a successful Student Association.

Treasurer

Madison Vens

Allison Fly

Secretary

Melina Glusac

Lexi Ciaramitaro

Colleen Maher

WILLOW CEO, Yearbook Editor, NHS , Student Association, Competitive Irish step-dancing, Performance Irish dance team 1

Secretary

Vote for me

Maria Liddane

Goals

Treasurer

Activities

Varsity lacrosse, National Honors Society, Norsemen Links, Norsemen Session Council, Impact Club, HCIC

My main goals for student government this year are to help break down social barriers, help others become more involved, and get to know more students.

You should vote for me because I’m a good listener, honest, dedicated, and involved.

I am hard-working, dedicated and honest.

I will ensure that North events are not one person’s vision but a union of everyone’s ideas. I will speak for the students.

Senator

Lacrosse, field hockey, Interim council, student council, Student Association

My goal for student government is to come up with fun activities that would fundraise for the Class of 2016 and make school events like dances more fun.

People should vote for me because I’ve already had a year of experience being a senator and would like to continue working with the Grosse Pointe North student government.

I have many goals for student government, including getting all School choir, church youth students involved and to choir, church young drama get their voices heard. I ministry, Boy Scouts will also strive to do my best to represent all freshmen.

I am a responsible, well-known, outgoing, and caring person who will never let you down. I will get your voice heard, and am very involved at GPN.

I am a diver, a student council member, a student Association Member, a Brotherhood member, a basketball player, and middle school diving coach.

If elected, I not only plan to bring a male influence to an otherwise female dominated student council, but I also hope to establish more freedoms toward the student body.

You should vote for me because I would be a great representative of the sophomore class, and I will keep all individuals of the class in mind while making decisions.

I play basketball and currently the varsity soccer goalie. I participate in Student Association, WILLOW, and Student Council.

I love being a part of such a Norsemen spirited Student Association. I will voice the class majority opinion at meetings and put my best effort into get students involved in out of school activities.

Vote for me because I am an involved, responsible, honest and dedicated leader who would represent your sophomore class well next year.

I am currently a senator on the freshman student council. I am also a part of Student Association, so I have experience. I play ice and field hockey for North. I can contribute a lot to our student government, but continuing to bring new ideas to the meetings.

Senator

Senator

Stephanie Godoshian

My goal for student government is to make sure everyone’s voice and input is heard before planning school events to maximize all students’ happiness.

Jennifer Kusch

Senator

I participate in Student Association, Student Council, WILLOW, and SADD. I volunteer for many charities. I am a student athlete and play soccer and field hockey.

People should vote for me because I am motivated and creative. I would do a great job doing things like organizing dances and designing homecoming floats.

I focus heavily on school and extra curricular activities. I am very active in the school as I participate in WILLOW, Student Association, basketball, volleyball, and tennis.

My goals for the school and student council include having fundraisers and dances that will be fun for students and make money for the school at the same time. I will always bring my ideas and my classmates’ ideas to the meetings to ensure that everyone’s thoughts are expressed and the school can benefit.

Senator

PRESIDENT Vice president Secretary Treasurer

I will work hard to meet all of our goals and make everything we do as a student council beneficial to the student body.

Senator

Olivia Bloomhuff Anu Subramaniam

My main goal in office is to help make high school a great experience for everyone, and to get the students more involved.

Jarell Cunningham Delaney Bradley

I enjoy participating in clubs, sports, and the newspaper as a way to be involved with the school and my classmates. They are great experiences to have.

I want to continue to increase student involvement in school events like dances and sporting events. I will help make things like the homecoming parade and spirit week even better.

Lauren Lesha

Hi, my name is Sydney Eger. This year I have participated in Grosse Pointe North swim team and am currently on the junior varsity lacrosse team. During student council I strive to improve Grosse Pointe North to make it more fun for you!

As a senator this year, I understand the commitment and dedication necessary to make student council successful. I will seek input and suggestions and make certain they are considered by the student council.

I play field hockey and ice hockey. I run track. I am Pavel Datsyuk’s biggest fan! I’ll have a lot of time on my hands when The Office is over...

Senator

You should vote for me because I have experience of freshman year and I have been a great participant in school activities. I hope to see you voting for me Victoria Blaine for your class vice president.

I will listen and work with others to plan exciting events for everyone. I hope to use my experience as senator to bring classes together and make GPN the best place possible.

Will McNelis

My activities consist of softball, student council, Willow, and SADD

My goals for vice president are to support the president in her decisions and create fun fundraisers for our school.

Vote for me

Freshman senator, student council, WILLOW, Impact Club, SADD, JV field hockey, varsity synchronized swimming, worked Student Union, piano

Senator

As a genuine president I will work for a high school experience you’ll never forget! I have the important qualities of leadership and determination to represent!

Our vision, our future!

Goals

Emily McPharlin

As president my main goal is to make our high school experience phenomenal!

I would like to increase fundraising and attendance at student functions, while sharing and representing student ideas.

Senator

I participate in student council as president, Willow, Strong Girls, Impact club, Interim council, Young Life and sports.

Activities

Tessa Urlich

Vote for me

Vickie Blaine

Activities Yena Berhane

Goals

Sydney Eger

Class Of 2016

ELECTIONS

4 – Friday, April 12, 2013 – North Pointe

GPN Student Association, member of Student Council for the Class of 2015 for Sophomore and Freshman years, member of Young Americans for Freedom

Current Student council, senator, WILLOW, Cross country/track, Musical/ choir

Field hockey, lacrosse, WILLOW, Student Association

My goals are to fundraise efficiently to support our senior prom to help balance spending according to the funds available.

People should vote for me because I have been treasurer for two years. I understand my responsibilities and I love being included in the student council.

My goals are to have the junior class to have more influence in the student government, more opportunities for volunteering, and to be able to provide new school experiences.

I’m hardworking, trustworthy and a good listener. I have attended all of the Student Association meetings and the sophomore and freshman only meetings along with their functions for both years.

My goals include strengthening the school spirit and community, and having fun fundraisers to raise money to have great dances like prom and homecoming.

My goals for student council are to get our whole class more involved, and to make North an enjoyable and safe place for everybody.

I would be a good senator because I have already been on the council so I know how it works and I have great ideas for our school.

You should vote for me because I’m easy to talk to and open to new ideas.

Also, I’ve been a senator the past two years, and love representing our school.

senator

Lexi Ciaramitaro

senator

Karina Lucchese

Member of SA for the last two years, captain of both North’s JV basketball and JV field hockey team this year, member of WILLOW, member of SADD, member of Norsemen Sessions Council

I want to make the student body more spirited as a whole and encourage Norsemen pride in everyone that is a part of this community.

I lead by example and I have experience with our student government. I’m reliable, responsible and receptive to the concerns of others, especially my peers.

My goals for student council are to raise more money to make our prom memorable and to make class events fun for all students.

People should vote for me because I’ve been a dedicated senator for two years and I’ve been a part of all class activities including homecoming, our annual dodge ball tournament, and prom decisions.

For our student government, I hope to mainly get more kids involved.

The more voices heard from our class, the happier everyone will be with our council’s actions.

People should vote for me because I can communicate with a wide range of students, and I’m vocal. I’m committed and will do what’s best for the class as a whole.

Varsity field hockey, varsity ice hockey, Norsemen Sessions, Yearbook, Student Association

I participate in many activities here in school as well as outside of it. I play soccer, basketball, am in Norseman Sessions and Brotherhood, and presently Student Council.

I am currently a class senator and a member of Brotherhood. Plus, I am also on the JV lacrosse team. My goals are to continue to bring school spirit to North and encourage the entire class to participate in Norsemen activities. I am very dedicated to this school and feel I have the leadership qualities and commitment to continue to get the job done.

Two orchestras (Symphony & Pit), Student Association, Class of 2015 Council, Science Olympiad, JV baseball, IMPACT Club, Spirit Committee

senator

I go into everything with an open mind. I want to listen to the ideas that some students have for our class and turn them into something big.

Vote for me

Chris Bahr

Varsity ice hockey, varsity softball, student council

My goal is to get everybody involved who wishes to be. We need a larger variety of voices expressed in order to find the best ideas or fundraisers and events.

Vote for me because I am a hardworking, creative, and determined leader that is willing to put in the time and effort so that our class may excel.

senator

Current class of 2015 secretary, Assistant Editor in North Pointe, SADD, WILLOW, Norsemen Sessions, volleyball, lacrosse

My goals for student government are to keep the Class of 2015 well informed about upcoming events and to increase school spirit.

Goals

Jack Reith

Student council, WILLOW, drama Club, varsity tennis, piano, choir, winter musical, fall play, spring one-acts

Vote for me because I will do whatever I can to get our class involved.

Vote for dedicated, experienced leader, who has been in this position before.

senator

My goals are to get everyone involved in the class.

I’ll help GPN become an improved place to learn. I want to make the dances more enjoyable for everyone.

Activities

Michael Sacchetti

Sophomore student council president, member of Norsemen Session, JV basketball team, JV lacrosse team, member of GPN band

Vote for me

senator

Goals

Marie Tsakos

Activities

Francesca Florance senator

Secretary

senator

Emily Aziz

Senator

Shannon McEnroe

senator

Ricky Kent

Treasurer

Nicole Haggerty

Andrea Scapini

Katelyn Carroll

Vice President

President

Thomas Goffas

Class of 2015

SADD leader, tour guide for GPN Respected Alumni, I like to sing, show my school spirit, and spend time with my family, I help with float building and pom-pom fluffing, and I love traveling

Pep Band, Pit Orchestra, Ratz, Mackinac Island Governor’s Honor Guard, music competitions

My goals for student government are to host successful fundraisers that not only benefit us but also help the community as well and promote class support/involvement.

Vote for me because I will continue to maintain a strong, dedicated, and positive influence for the class and council as I have the past two years as a senator.

My goals for student government are to unite our class and make the rest of our high school career as successful, enjoyable, and exciting as possible.

Vote for me because I want to involve different people and help make the Class of 2015 the best it can be by contributing my own new, creative ideas as well as all of yours!

My goals for student government are to be able to plan homecoming and prepare for senior prom, and to be an active and helpful member of our class.

You should vote for me because I was a senator freshman year and Homecoming Coordinator last year, so I have plenty of experience as a productive member of student government.

Vote for me

Though a common goal, I want more ideas heard.

Instead of appealing to one type of student and hoping that they recruit participation. School functions should contain interests of every type of student.

I have two years of experience and will commit fully to the position. I want to have all students involved and will work to ensure that everyone is included in a way that they enjoy.

Brainstorm new fundrasing ideas and events so we can raise money for our class. Help get everyone involved so each person in our class has a voice in what we do.

I know how student council operates and I am willing to help our class in any way so we are successful in raising money for prom next year. I will try to help everyone get involved so each student is contributing to our class’ goals.

My goal is to improve North.

Unlike some, I am not one-dimensional. A vote for me is a vote for you.

Matthew Kain

I play varsity tennis and am currently the manager of the girls varsity tennis team. I’m in Quiz Bowl, and I am also a People to People student ambassador.

I will take people who feel like their voices aren’t being heard to meetings and make sure they can express their ideas to the student government directly.

If you really care that much about why you should vote for me, contact me and I can tell you properly because 30 words isn’t enough. I’m a wordy guy.

I am a member of Student Association, class of 2014 student council, and SADD club.

I have been on SA and student council since my sophomore year. I have the experience needed to help lead our class through our senior prom and school year. My goal is to make our senior year the most successful and enjoyable year it could be.

You should vote for me because I am motivated and organized, and I will lead our class into a great senior year.

I participate in NHS, DECA, impact club, North Pointe, and play tennis. I am a part of GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) which is a volunteer club through my church

Involved with school-wide recycling, cross country and track

My goals I aspire for are a great senior year for all and not just for a select few. Everyone will have a voice in student government.

You should vote for me because I’m not your average Norsemen, I’m different. Somethings being different is good and in this case, it reigns true.

Varsity basketball, varsity soccer, student council current senator, Student Association memeber, HCIC member, Norsemen session, Yearbook

School secretary (2011, 2012), Fundraising manager (2013), HCIC, DECA, NHS, Impact, Norsemen Session, WILLOW, cross country, basketball, lacrosse, band and full orchestra, cofounder of Spanish club.

HCIC, YAF, Science Olympiad, IMPACT, Spanish club, varisty football, YAF, NHS, former student government

treasurer

Susan Hartzell Mariah Herfi

secretary/Senator Senator

Vince Bruno

WILLOW, impact club, secretary of HCIC, choir, tennis, piano, volunteer at Hnery Ford cottage hospital, NHS

I want to get the whole class involved in activities and have their opnions heard. Everyone’s opinion is valuable and new ideas will only benefit the class and the school.

My experience in other activities and volunteering have shown me how to be a good leader. I really want to help our school and class be the best it can be.

Brotherhood, HCIC, NHS, founder of the Spanish club, student council, Student Association, varisty soccer

I will work hard and contribute to the class of 2014 and the whole school. With one year of experience in student government, I believe I will be able to make a difference in the school.

People should vote for me because I will improve Grosse Pointe North High School.

Senator Senator Senator

In the 2013-2014 school year I hope to continue fundraising for our class, and ensure an excellent senior year.

I have experience as our class tresasurer and have successfully aided the class in fulfilling financial goals, especially pertaining to prom.

Senator

If elected, I would welcome the opportunity to help the class of 2014 idenify the best way to leave our mark on GPN.

Senator

Captain of Varsity wrestling, varisity baseball and varsity academic clubs and organizations

I am interested in representing the class of 2014 and making our last year a great one. I have always been acknowledged for having good leadership skills, being a good listener, conscientious and agreeable.

Senator

I will strive to make all my classmates feel involved; even those not participating in council and will take into account ideas that my peers present while continuing to have a positive attitude about my class.

Caroline Schulte

My goal for student government is to increase class involvement and also create high energy while helping get my peers excited about the future of the senior class.

Gabby Burchett

WILLOW, Impact, GPN figure skating team, Student council & Student Association, NHS, St. Clair Shores Figure Skating club atheltes committee, captain of synchronized skating team, French club

Carter Bock Senator

PRESIDENT

Donovan Holmes

Grant Strobl

My goal is simple – YOU. I am dedicated to integrate your ideas, keep you invovled and make your senior year memorable.

Andrew Lock

GPN YAF chairman, DECA, Yearbook Business manager, your representative current class of 2014 VP.

vice president

VICE PRESIDENT

If elected vice president, I will continue to work on improving the atmostphere and student experience.

Jessica Gabel

to get involved, have fun and contribute to our high-spirited Norseme pride. I will not only raise more money to decrease cost of senior year, but most imporantly organize fun activities that will better the school experience.

vicepresident/Senator

Brigitte Smith

I feel it is important for students

For many in student government, it’s about the title, it’s about the college apps, it’s about their ego.

For me it’s never been about any of those things – it’s always been about YOU.

Varsity swimming, girls varsity lacrosse, HCIC, impact club, Norsemen sessions, NHS, student council.

Senator

My goals are to keep the class informed and involved so we can have a successful homecoming and prom and have many volunteer opportunites for our senior year.

Michelle Austin

Class student council president for freshman, sophomore and junior year, WILLOW and Spanish club. Organizing homecoming, MORP and planning fundraisers

Patricia Bajis

Goals

Phoebe Dodge

Activities

Ken Elkin

Vote for me

PRESIDENT

Goals

vice president

Activities

Robert Nesom

Class of 2014

NHS, Student Association, student council, WILLOW, North Pointe, GPN swim

I want to make our class finish high school in the best way possible. I will make our spirit week, prom, graduation, and overall senior experience the best it can be.

I”ve been on student council for the past three years so I have the experience and motivation it takes to make our senior year the most fun it can be.

Student council, HCIC, WILLOW, NHS, impact club, North Pointe, swimming

My goal is to unite students by increasing participation and to expand the activities available in order to improve our student’s environment.

I am an experienced memeber of student council, having two years of experience as a senator, and one year of experience as class of 2014 secretary.

I will continue to bring ideas forward to help change our school for the better.

NHS, impact, brotherhood, strong boys, SCS hockey, golf, soccer, roller hockey

My main goal is to create more student involvement in school events including sports events, club activities, and school dances along with representing the student body.

I’m an outgoing individual that has held many leadershiop positions before.

I always keep my mind open to others but I’m also not afraid to share my opinion.

SPORTS

5 – Friday, April 12, 2013 – North Pointe

QUICK HITS

Soccer, lacrosse turn up intensity

By Rachel Cullen

staff reporter

skating competition For the past four months, every 6 a.m. practice and four-hour competition brought the skating team closer to their performance March 24, in Farmington for the state championship ice skating competition.

Kaylee Dahl

“We compete as a team. We get a score for jumps, moves, and spins and then they average the places we got in each category for our final score,” freshman Mary Emerick said.

The C-Team, composed of seniors Kaylee Dall and Kamela Kanneganti and freshmen Mary Emerick and Julia Barnes, did not go unnoticed. They proved themselves to be more qualified than all of the other skaters in their category from various schools which gave them their slot in the competition.

Prior to the event, these ladies met every Wednesday and Saturday for an hour. They are practicing new routines for competition, while the rest of their team has ceased practicing for this event.

“It is different from what I did before,” Emerick said. “It makes you practice more since you have something to go for.”

For the competition, they competed as a team and were scored on jumps, moves and spins. Out of the 13 teams that competed, they ranked 11th.

“I was impressed with my team because our goal wasn’t to win states. It was to make it there, so I’m really proud of my team for making it that far,” Emerick said.

New Track Coaches This year’s boys track season brings some fresh faces to the coaching staff.

Social studies teacher Sean McCarroll is one of the latest members to join and is excited to be working with such an experienced staff.

“I started coaching track when I was in high school. I started off as a coach at Star of the Sea because it looked like they needed help when I went to pick my brother up from practice one day,” McCarroll said. “I have been coaching ever since. This is my seventh year as a track and cross country coach.”

Team members have been adjusting to the new coaches and their different methods of training and practicing.

“I was a bit concerned this year about having a new distance coach.

I was worried that there would be no one who could measure up to Coach (Pat) Wilson’s omnipotent coaching abilities. However, I’m glad that we have someone as experienced as Mr. (Frank) Tymrak to replace him,” senior Danny Ciaravino said.

Another current coach, North alumnus Peter Cherry, juggles college with coaching to share his knowledge.

“I only have classes two days a week, so the other coaches and I have worked it out. It’s actually helping me stay focused with a tight schedule,” Cherry said.

The new coaches hope to improve the track team’s skills and maximize each runner’s individual strengths.

“I like interacting with the kids and helping them push themselves to go past their limits and strive for more. I am setting the goal for the athletes to break all of their personal bests,” Cherry said.

“The most rewarding feeling comes from seeing athletes’ reaction to their improvement,” McCarroll said. I have seen tremendous improvements in hundreds of athletes and love seeing how excited they become when their hard work pays off.”

By Brigitte Smith & Danae DiCicco

Emily Huguenin

The temperature is rising, AP tests are looming, March Madness has come and gone, and spring sports have begun. This season, two spring sports are especially turning up the heat for their players.

The girls varsity lacrosse team saw a few key players getting cut from the team, and a new coach is leading the girls varsity soccer team.

Girls varsity lacrosse

Lacrosse coach Bill Seaman, however, is no stranger to the game.

“This is my 38th season, when you count the years coaching, playing and refereeing,” Seaman said.

Seaman has spent 16 of those seasons, a total of 250 games, with North’s girls varsity lacrosse team.

This season, for the first time, seven players (five seniors, one junior and a sophomore) were cut from the team. While the reasons behind the cuts were unique to each player, a common theme was a player’s prior commitment to a job conflicting with their commitment to the team.

“You have your whole life to work,” Seaman said.

“If you pay attention to the national debate about our federal budget deficit, your generation will be working until you’re about 70 years old. You have just two or three years to play a high school sport. Why do you want to miss that experience for a few extra dollars per week? Do you need an expensive telephone? I don’t mind anyone working. I do care if it interferes with practice and games.”

While Seaman’s stance on full participation is unyielding, he recognizes that his players have busy schedules.

“Many girls at North are multitaskers. They work, are in a lot of clubs and play sports. But to compete effectively against the teams we play, it’s impossible or nearly impossible to do it with parttimers,” Seaman said.

“We have always been fortunate at North to have great athletes on our girls lacrosse teams. We still have many athletic, fast, tough kids on the 2013 team. I think any coach would say that students now are more overscheduled than they have been in the past.”

The evidence that his attitude has paid off is reflected in the team’s record.

“My most successful teams (’99-‘02, ’05, ’07, ’09’11) showed up on a consistent basis. Those teams averaged more than 12 wins a season. Last year we won eight games, lost seven and tied one.”

Junior Susan Tomasi, who plays on the varsity team, admits that the cuts came as a shock to most of the people on the team, but, like Seaman, believes that participating in a sport requires complete attention.

“I think that it’s unfortunate that people got cut because of a job, because a lot of times people aren’t able to quit because they need the money for college, which is completely understandable. But doing

a sport requires full dedication,” Tomasi said. “I have a job, but it doesn’t interfere with lacrosse at all, and if it does, I get a sub.”

Cuts aside, Tomasi doesn’t perceive a significant surge in intensity this season, at least, no more so than usual.

“It’s nothing more than anyone would expect for a varsity sport. We take things pretty seriously at practice, but we always have fun,” she said.

Junior Cait Gaitley, also on the varsity team, sees the fragile balance between sports and work in a slightly different light.

“I think that players should be given a chance to try and balance work, sports and school, but once it interferes I think they should choose one or the other,” Gaitley said.

Moving forward from the cuts, Seaman reflected on how he wants the season to play out.

“We want to win more games than we lose.

We want to beat South. We want to do well in the state playoffs. We don’t want cliques or ‘drama,’” Seaman said.

“Mostly, however, we want to play the right way.

In addition, probably the most important quality is a person’s work ethic. Every day you need to make the conscious choice to come to practice, ready to work.

Despite a bad day in school, despite having a cold, despite not feeling 100%.”

Girls varsity soccer

While the soccer team hasn’t seen any surprise cuts, their team has seen its fair share of change-ups.

“Soccer is getting more intense this season. One reason being that our team wants to make it far this year. We are more determined to win games and make a good playoff run,” sophomore varsity soccer player Lexi Ciaramitaro said. “It’s a senior-heavy team too, so a lot of our hard work is for them to make their last year their best and most memorable.”

Many players attribute their improved level of focus to new head coach Skip Mukhtar.

“High school soccer has always been pretty intense, but (Mukhtar) has brought another level of intensity to it,” sophomore varsity soccer player Ryane Pangborn said.

Pangborn praised the way Mukhtar talks to the team, stating that it gave them a new drive to win.

“He’s reminded us that we all have to work together to be successful, and we depend on each other. I think this has really brought our team closer,” she said.

“Skip is really knowledgeable when it comes to formations and scouting teams we play,” Ciaramitaro said. “He wants to win just as badly as we do, so it makes us work even harder so we can win it for him.

It’s not as hard as I thought it would be adjusting to a new coach this year because he’s a really nice guy and believes in our potential as a team.”

Grosse Pointe Driving School Spring/Summer Classes Seg 1: M-Th (3 wks.) 6-8 p.m.

April 29-May 16 May 20-June 6 Seg 2: M,T, Th 4-6 p.m.

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Classes held at Grosse Pointe War Memorial Call 313-881-7511 to register for classes.

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Now Hiring There will be open interviews for the job on April 20 from 1-5 p.m.

infographic

North Pointe – Friday, April 12, 2013 – 6

By Lauren Semack Editor

www.webmd.com easel.ly www.talkaboutcoffee.com www.dailyinfographic.com www.energyfiend.com www.popsci.com www.cspinet.org www.nytimes.com

in- depth

North Pointe - Friday, April 12, 2013 - 7

Fan-mily

welcome to the

Justin Bieber, One Direction, Ed Sheeran? Oh, my! To some students, these obsessions can seem a little bewildering. But for these Lady Norsemen, it’s all a part of being a fan.

By Emma Ockerman Managing Editor

the

beliebers

What was once a flowing mass of dirty-blond hair became a half-shaved, gelled, manicured masterpiece. Clad in a white tee-shirt and purple designer sneaks, Canadian-native Justin Bieber always does his country proud – besides those few incidents his fans don’t care to mention.

Loyal “Beliebers” cite Bieber as “down to earth,” and choose to accept his recent illegalities as part of an all-too-common teenagedom.

“People only see what they want to see in him, and he’s so much more than what they make you believe in magazines or on TMZ,” senior Emma Abessinio, fan of four years, said.

“I think he’s just growing up, and all the stuff he’s gotten into ... it happens,” sophomore Mackenzie Frame said. “People are comparing him to Lindsay Lohan now, but he’s just going through stages where he makes mistakes.”

North’s collection of Beliebers pride themselves on staying loyal every step of the way, including senior Bieber buffs Stephanie Saravolatz and Meghan VanCleve.

“Stephanie Saravolatz and I, we went to the Justin Bieber movie Never Say Never, and became absolutely obsessed,” VanCleve said. “We had never really listened to him before.”

Saravolatz also recalls where their “Bieber Fever” began.

the

“We went to see the movie again,” Saravolatz said. “She already had one of his CDs, and she let me borrow it. Then we bought all of them and listened to them all the time.”

It wasn’t too long before a handful of Britishaccented, floppy-haired teens came to contest Bieber’s long-standing fame.

“His fanbase is dying a little I’d say, because of One Direction and all that,” Saravolatz said, who is also a fan of One Direction. “It’s always moving on to the next big thing. Music is changing.”

Frame said his fan population has leveled out, but cited that “real fans” are fans for an eternity.

She believes, however, that fans who participate in “Cut for Bieber,” an internet craze involving selfharm to discourage Bieber from drugs, detract from the true fanbase.

“It’s a little crazy, just because he’s doing that stuff doesn’t mean you should cut yourself,” Frame said.

There are many reasonings for a fan’s decision to stick beside Bieber. Frame can think of a couple, but one really comes to mind.

“He’s like, gorgeous.”

numbers

WENDY ISHMAKU

24% of students prefer Justin Bieber 37% of students prefer Ed Sheeran

39% of students prefer One Direction

the

directioners Take sculpted cheekbones and poreless skin, accents that melt the radio waves like liquid gold. Add talent that is certain to deliver chart-topping sales. Multiply by five.

These aren’t just any boys. These are the boys.

“They’re all really attractive, but they’re all so talented. It’s funny, because they’re all just normal people. We all went through the process of knowing them as normal people, while they were getting popular,” sophomore Nikki Haggerty said.

Those who knew of One Direction (1D) when the band started to circulate throughout the boy-band maelstrom, affectionately coined “Directioners,” blossomed into fullfledged followers.

The Fletcher sisters experience the “Direction Infection” first-hand.

“We get to be proud of them, and now they’re doing what they want to do. They were just small-town boys before,” junior Nicole Fletcher said.

Both agree the match that ignited their 1D flame was five levels of hot.

“We liked them for their sound, but then we watched the music video and were like ‘Oh,’” freshman Natalie Fletcher added.

the

lingo

Enchantment with 1D started early for some fans.

“It was the summer of 2010, and I was on Tumblr and saw a picture of them, so I looked them up and saw them on YouTube when they were still auditioning on the X-Factor,” junior Kaylin Causley said.

“At first Harry was my favorite, because I thought he had the best voice. And he’s just perfect-looking.”

Others were quick to feed on the One Direction hype.

“There’s two different types: One is the people that just started listening to them, which bothers me. I’m kind of creepy obsessed with them, I have a different Twitter for One Direction that just follows One Direction accounts. Then there’s the people that know everything about them,” Causley said.

With more fans, contention to occupy the boys’ hearts strengthened steadily.

“There’s only two that are single now, so there’s more competition,” Nicole said.

Haggerty said some fans can take affection to another level.

“There are some people that I know who have thought that someday that, ‘Oh, once his fame has subsided he will love me.”

the

sheerios

When Ed Sheeran crooned that he could do without a tan on his left-hand ring finger in “Wake Me Up,” the female population promptly declared “Challenge accepted,” and fought for the position.

With an adorable mop of red hair and slight stubble, Sheeran accumulated a following at North.

“To be honest, I didn’t think he was cute at first.

I thought he was weird-looking, but I really liked his voice,” sophomore Juliet Sonaglia said. “As soon as you start listening to him you can tell he’s a good singer. I just listened to more songs and it grew on me. I can’t even explain it; he’s just perfect to me in every way possible.”

With a more singer-songwriter image, Sheeran attracted those who were searching for deep meaning in their playlists. Junior Alison Fly, a fan of six months, said that Sheeran’s musical talent earned her allegiance for the London bloke.

“I’m a big person for the lyrics and the meanings of the songs, along with how it actually sounds.

His music to me is a perfect combination of both. I love how his voice is so raw and they don’t have to do anything to it,” Fly said. “I have a whole playlist dedicated to him.” photos by kaylee dall

By Emma Puglia staff reporter

Fandom (noun)- a group of people who obsess over the same person, television show, book or movie ASDFGHJKL (noun)- expressed through typing, an interjection of extreme excitement, glee, or surprise over something the person has recently read and/ or seen about the fandom AU (adjective)- Alternate Universe; what could happen in the fandom Canon (adjective)- a fact that’s been confirmed by an author, director, or publicist I’m so done (expression)declared when the fandom has reached a high or low point to express overwhelming emotion I can’t even (expression)- a phrase to convey utter speechlessness

Sonaglia has experienced Sheeran’s glory twice in concert, but feels that perhaps this glory should be reserved for true fans.

“I don’t like his growing popularity, I get bothered by it really easily, especially from people that go to our school that like only one song and nothing else,” Sonaglia said. “People know that I like him a lot, so my friends used to send me screenshots of people on Twitter talking about him and I’d be like ‘No, no’ and then I’d see them at school, and I’d just be like ... ‘No.’” Sheeran is also set to tour with pop-star Taylor Swift, which could increase his fanbase substantially.

“I’m not a huge fan of Taylor Swift, I wouldn’t be able to deal with her. I just liked seeing him when he was the central part of the concert,” Fly said.

Sonaglia agrees, but holds another concern – that Swift could whisk Ed away into a relationship.

“I can’t stand looking at her. That whole thing with Harry Styles? It just bothered me because she continues to be stupid about it. Now she’s touring with Ed, and she’s known for having all those boyfriends and everyone’s saying that he’s going to be her next one.”

Feels (noun)- emotions based on something the person obesses over Shipping (verb)- the act of wanting two people the fandom supports to be in a relationship OTP (noun)- One True Pair; a favorite ship

Photos from top to bottom: sophomore Mackenzie Frame, freshman Natalie Fletcher and junior Nicole Fletcher, and sophomore Juliet Sonaglia.

reviews

8 – Friday, April 12, 2013 – North Pointe

Is The 20/20 Experience really a new experience?

By Sarah Schade Staff reporter

After seven years, five appearances on Saturday Night Live and one wedding, Justin Timberlake has ended his hiatus from his pop career with his new album The 20/20 Experience. This time around, R&Binspired anthems, with a touch of cool electronic effects, take the place of his previous club-banging hits. While these songs are musically interesting to listen to, many are disjointed and too long.

One of the first things that stood out to me on this album was the length of most of the songs. Seven out of ten songs are over seven minutes long. That alone isn’t a problem, but most have an intro and ending with a different vibe than the rest of the song. Two minutes of a completely different sound stuck on the end of many prime songs cheapens and muddles their unique sounds.

“Strawberry Bubblegum,” a serenade, is beautiful and immersive. However, it drags on needlessly for eight minutes and focuses on a girl “popping that strawberry bubblegum,” which kills the romantic feel of the song. Another song that fell short, “Don’t Hold the Wall,” starts out with an engaging tribal feel and beat. But repetitive lyrics and background effects prolong it for seven boring minutes.

The award for strangest song goes to “Spaceship Coupe,” about “ making love on the moon ... wrapped up in a space lover cocoon.” This is followed by a full minute of bizarre moans and wails added to the background track. It was painful to listen to; I skipped the last three minutes.

However there are some enjoyable tracks to listen to. The first single, “Suit and Tie,” is engaging, and has some really captivating horn and xylophone effects. It’s upbeat and lets Timberlake’s smooth vocals glow.

My only complaint about this song is Jay Z’s rapped bridge, which takes away from the suave and refined feel of the rest of the song. Plus, I don’t want to be serenaded by a rapper. It makes the song boring and just upsets the flow.

“Mirrors” is also catchy and fun to listen to. While it isn’t an upbeat dance anthem, it’s romantic and sophisticated, highlighting Timberlake’s great vocals and underlining the soulful feel of the album.

Overall, the idea for this album is stimulating and refreshing. However, as a whole, it seems too ambitious and tries too hard to make complex songs. Overwhelmingly repetitive music and boring lyrics don’t let Timberlake’s vocals shine and make the songs seem to last an eternity – not in a good way.

Grade: C+

justintimberlake.com

iconmania

how to destroy angels

Cocoppa

A

B

Light ‘em up

Hopefully, you have watched television long enough to see all the brands and characters presented in the game. It’s the play.google. com only way to beat all the levels of Icomania. It is an app you can download on your Android or Apple device with a pop-culture icon placed in front of you, and you must type in the correct name.

At first, I expected it would be a multiple-choice quiz and I would regret the $1.29 spent. Actually, the quiz shows pictures of not just company logos, but also icons of U.S. cities, movie/TV characters, etc.

This is a unique game because it keeps you guessing; and you have to deduce what your answer will be based on the number of characters a word contains.

However, it can be aggravating. If you don’t type in the correct answer, you have to restart the current level you’re on until you get all the answers correct to get to the next level.

At the first few levels, the game seems a little bit too easy at times. For example, if anyone saw the icon of a clown fish, you could guess it’s Nemo.

Ever hear of How to Destroy Angels? Probably not. Ever hear of Nine Inch Nails?

Now there’s a recognizable name.

How to Destroy Angels is the side howtodestroyangels. com project of N.I.N.’s front man, Trent Reznor, and his wife, Mariqueen Maandig.

Together, the two sound like the ambient aroma of industrial music that is N.I.N. with an Evanescence-esque singer.

The mix is all you could want.

After N.I.N. disappeared in 2009, How to Destroy Angels emerged as a supplement rationed out by Reznor and Maandig to help soothe the pain of the fans with an E.P. or a few short songs. But, with the release of their new album Welcome to Oblivion, it’s changed the game; it seemed they’re no longer here to fill a void, but to create one.

Honestly, the only drawback was that the album was a bit more techno-heavy than I’d hoped. It was still very well-composed, and it even seemed like Reznor tried to rectify this techno majority on the acoustic song “Ice Age.” The rest of the album did nothing but infatuate me. I had been dying for more of Reznor’s stuff, and the female voice really puts a fresh twist on it. Well worth your time.

There is an app for everything: games, social networking, and anything else you can think of.

Now, there is even an app ... cocoppa. com for your apps.

CocoPPa allows you to customize your app’s homescreen icons.

Like Twitter or Instagram, your account can follow friends who use the app and they can follow you. You can choose from a wide variety of preset designs or add your own photos. It enables the user to customize the entire home screen of a smartphone, tablet or iPad. Users are also able to create their own unique designs and share them with the CocoPPa community.

To explore the world of CocoPPa there is one stipulation – you must make an account. There are thousands of different styles and themes to choose from; I prefer the animal print or themes with vibrant colors. CocoPPa is certainly a fun, innovative way to make an app look better and give your home screen a little more personality, but it is definitely an application you could live without. It can keep you entertained for a little while, but it gets old fast.

It was only grossly cliché for Fall Out Boy to release single “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘em Up)” days after announcfalloutboyrock. com ing the band’s reunion, igniting delight in any teenage girl who once experienced seventh grade.

Unfortunately, if this is Fall Out Boy’s imminent future, it’d be best if they retreated back into hiatus, touring occasionally like any good sell-out would have.

Somewhere between their debut album and releasing a greatest hits record, Fall Out Boy lost themselves to guy-liner and drum machines. A three-year hiatus only allowed these unfortunate qualities to stew.

Pop punk is dying; there is not much left we can do to save it. Fall Out Boy’s new single only salts the wound, with lyrics like “I’m in the details with the devil/So now the world can never get me on my level” and a slightly disturbing chant in the introduction.

Fall Out Boy went down, down, and not swinging in the slightest. Their newest single affirms that in overly-synced, produced tones.

By Anna Hopkins

By Jacob Barry

By Sara Villani

By Emma Ockerman

B+

D

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IDEAS

North Pointe – Friday, April 12, 2013 – 9

Age is just a number “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

Maria Liddane Editor-in-Chief

Dayle Maas NEws editor

Jordan Radke Editor

Emma Ockerman Managing EDITOR

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Melina Glusac, Audrey Kam and Jacob Barry.

OUR EDITORIAl

jordan radke

Advanced Placement Breakdown

Ranking schools by AP exams is unrepresentative Those who are set to succeed in AP classes most likely contain the tools to receive impressive grades regardless. Typically, these students have an economic advantage and greater work ethic. AP courses, compared to a standard classroom experience, are already catered to these students who are extraordinary to begin with. So that makes any school rankings a half image of the full photo – blurry, too. Isn’t a truly successful school one that takes the D students and makes them C+ students, and the B- students to A students? Call it cliche, but the growth and “small” improvements are impressive and a sign of educating. So the rankings or statistics aren’t a valid measurement of an entire school’s success.

North was “successful” AP-wise: In May of 2012, 565 AP exams were completed, and 77.4% of grades were 3 or better. This is impressive; it speaks to the advanced level a portion of students are excelling at. And there are so many other facets in our curriculum that show truly advanced educating. Yet, they’re left unconsidered through the process of ranking and rating.

According to goodbadstats.com, Oxon Hill High School, a school with 45% low income, made a desperate push for students to take AP classes and exams.

They jumped from 490 to 754 AP tests taken; its passing rate increased from 15 to 17 percent. Is that true success? No. It’s clear that taking a greater quantity of advanced placement tests is not an accomplishment in itself. A feeble attempt to improve in what shouldn’t be the way of quantifying schools.

And the bigger question becomes: Does passing the AP exam translate to college success? Dartmouth University clearly found it hasn’t in their Psychology department, where 90% of students failed the course entrance exam. So the motivation behind emphasizing and encouraging high school students to take AP classes, and take the expensive exams, is not well placed.

AP classes have a greater purpose than a grade boost or false qualification of a school With Dartmouth slowly pulling the plug from the wall of AP exam course credit (they will stop granting course credit for AP exams in five years), it’s easy to question the point.

Inevitably, some are drawn to AP classes strictly “for colleges,” meaning the AP label is the reason for taking one, or two, or five of these classes. Others believe they can get credit for pre-requisite classes before attending college; perhaps to save money, or time, or both.

Our favorites, however, are those students enrolling in specific AP classes because they desire a rigorous education in those areas. The classes you want to push yourself in, perhaps ones leading to a future path, are the APs to enroll in. Or, the inverse: Enroll in a class you recognize as a challenge – but one you’ve sought out and embraced.

It’s the experience, not the product. The AP undertaking is beneficial for the appropriate students like any high learning experience is.

Let’s not forget cost; paying for your multiplier Only got $20 in your pocket?

Sorry. Not enough for a college credit. That 1.1 multiplier? Forget it. Can’t get that either. The AP exam store is no thrift shop; you’d better hope you have $90 in your wallet.

A student must take the AP exam to receive the multiplier for the course. This is a misplaced incentive for students to take the test. It sends the message that learning and experience must be quantified, and worse, to receive an already-deserved reward. The 1.1 multiplier should be applied for taking the class. By liberating the grade enhancer from the test, the emphasis is then properly placed on growth – the real gain.

My rebellion against the numerical norms Whenever I am told to act my age, I am left to wonder what age that might be. But, there’s an obvious answer. I turned 15 on March 20, at 1:30 p.m.

I should act 15, naturally. But I’m still not used to being 15 yet.

Assuming the asker wants me to act older, I will respond accordingly.

Okay, I’ll listen my Turn more carefully Audrey Kam and inject an intelligent comment now and then. Politics?

Heck yeah!

Am I being admonished? If I’m not acting my age, then what age do you think I’m acting in the first place? What about the way I am acting right now makes me seem to be an age I’m not?

Is the speaker referring to my style? Because, if I had hair, I would see no problem with high piggy-tails. In fact, that might go well with my overalls and my pom-pom socks. I honestly have no issue with wearing clothes that fall within the range of “out of style” or that most people stopped wearing around the same time as light-up sneakers. I don’t see this as immaturity. I think I’m just wearing clothes that won’t expose or injure me when I climb around. (I’ve always been a climber; it transcends my age.)

Maybe this is what people are referring to when they recommend that I conform to the social norms of my peers. Maybe they have a problem with a 15-year-old girl sitting underneath a desk. Or climbing on things.

We are the reflections of our environment, and our age is a timeline that stretches back to

“Ed Sheeran: I don’t like him.

He’s not a very attractive person, like in general. And then there’s One Direction.

I’m pretty sure most of them like each other. I’m a die-hard Justin Bieber fan, of course.”

Michael Lemanski freshman

birth and tells the story of our life through experiences. Therefore, however I act, whenever I act that way, I am acting my age – the age that I’ve so far accrued. Any immaturity I show is probably because I have always been pushed to achieve what older kids are achieving, to be in their math classes and to get the same grades and understand the same concepts as they do.

I am expected to be the rock for my little sister, an example for her to follow. I am supposed to be the older one, the one who tests each age before her sister gets there.

I am supposed to be able to handle my life as an adult and manage my time, and not fall apart.

So I rebel at the only place where I am not the oldest, not the first daughter, and not someone that anyone looks up to for an example – school. I wear the clothes that I like and that fit me. I don’t have contacts. I talk in class, tell unfunny knock-knock jokes, sit with my knees tucked up, do cartwheels at random times, act like a dinosaur, spout random facts about dinosaurs, and occasionally I’ll fixate on dinosaurs too.

I am not 15 years old. I am a 15-year-old who grew up with a precocious little sister. I have the attention span of a far younger person. I have been teased for being short all my life, then having baby fat when I was nine, and now for being too skinny. I spent most of my life thinking that there was something wrong with me. When I was 10, I actually went to see a psychologist to see what it was. I am a 15-year-old who is now the sum of all of this.

I am acting my age. I am 15 AudreyYears old.

That’s old enough for me.

“I don’t really understand why they’re so obsessed because, I don’t know, I don’t see the talent.”

“If that’s what they like, then I’m not judging them.”

Katie Russo

Maddie Gafa Junior

sophomore

YOUR TURN: What do you think of Justin Bieber’s, One Direction’s

and Ed Sheeran’s die-hard fans?

“I’m tired of reading the lyrics that people tweet. But I suppose it’s just another generation’s big thing, like the Backstreet Boys. Every generation has their thing that they’re manic about.”

“I think that they’re silly, but I mean everyone’s got their thing that they like. It’s cool that they’re obsessed with something, but I don’t like it.”

Joe Dueweke senior

By Melina Glusac & Jeffrey Valentic

Diane Montgomery English teacher

“I don’t find any meaning in the screaming of young people. They can express their likes or dislikes in a different, much more civilized way.”

Albina Trumza Italian teacher

Martinbianco, Erica Lizza, Erin Armbruster, Katelyn Carney, Miranda Barry, Olivia Pullen, Radiance Cooper, Mallika Kanneganti, Matt Stander EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane EDITOR: Jordan Radke MANAGING EDITOR: Emma Ockerman SECTION EDITORS: Dayle Maas, Kim Cusmano, Lauren Semack, Gabby Burchett ASSISTANT EDITORS: Kristen Kaled, Andrea Scapini, Libby Sumnik, Amanda Berry, Marie Bourke, Izzy Ellery STAFF REPORTERS: Patricia Bajis, Colleen Reveley, Melissa Healy, Natalie Skorupski, Sara Villani, Rachel Cullen, Jacob Barry, Danae DiCicco, Sydney Thompson, Taylor White, Audrey Kam, Brigitte Smith, Melina Glusac, Jennifer Kusch, Courtney Veneri, Chris Elliott, Haley Reid, Sarah Schade, Jenna Belote, Emma Puglia, Jeffrey Valentic, Wendy Ishmaku, Anu Subramaniam PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caroline Schulte (Photo Editor), Emily Huguenin (Assistant Photo Editor), Sean O’Melia, Kaylee Dall INTERNS: Anna Hopkins, Brittney Hernandez, Caelin Micks, Carrie Rakowicz, Cydni Newman, Daijah Williams, Dora Juhasz, Emily

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 School System.

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my turn Haley Reid

Dealing with anxiety: a daily battle It wasn’t until I stepped into my first therapist’s office, at the age of 13 and in desperate need of help, that I realized I needed to recognize what my reality had become. What was once a little nervousness had spiraled into full-on anxiety attacks that could occur in any environment – including school.

The disorder began to become more apparent after I turned 12. At the time, I was naive and thought that mental illness was the equivalent to being an absolute psychopath. How could I possibly have a mental illness? I was sociable, and I was certainly not going to group myself with people the likes of Lindsay Lohan.

To move past this state of denial, I had to find out what exactly my diagnosis meant.

The formal definition of anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. No, this does not mean that you can diagnose yourself with an anxiety disorder because you’re nervous about an upcoming exam or start to shake before talking to some boy you’re crazy about. The amount of overly dramatic people who fake the disorder seem to outnumber those who actually suffer from it.

The uncomfortable stomach churning, trembling fingertips and pounding heartbeat don’t just unexpectedly take over the average person.

Triggers are everywhere.

Misreading a text from a friend for example, can set off a flood of anxious thoughts.

I find myself worrying that my friend secretly can’t stand me – and suddenly it seems like the end of the world. Obviously, I know that this isn’t true, but when the anxious thoughts take over, my perception changes.

School is the real difficulty. How do I go about telling a teacher that I physically couldn’t finish my homework because my mind was racing?

I don’t. A sob story about how I couldn’t focus wouldn’t save my grades.

Test taking is especially agonizing when my anxiety is acting up. My focus is usually on everything but the piece of paper that my final grade depends on.

Unlike a physical injury, you can’t just bandage up the problem and wait a few weeks for it to heal. It’s a daily battle and something that I’ve had to come face to face with.

Having to drag my body into school moments after a panic attack isn’t always an ideal situation, but I do it anyway. In the recovery process, my attitude has had a complete makeover. I’ve started to stand up for myself and for others who have had similar obstacles to overcome.

Having anxiety or any other mental disorder doesn’t make me a psychopath and certainly hasn’t stolen my life away from me.

I can’t say that I’m perfect, or that I’ve even come close to being completely healed.

Recognizing that you have a problem however, is the first and most important step to a healthy recovery.

North Pointe – Friday, April 12, 2013 – 10

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