North Pointe - Dec. 19, 2014

ON CAMPUS PAGE 4 Left: Varsity cheerleaders support the team at the North-South basketball game.

Right: Senior Tim Herd fights two defenders for the ball in the annual NorthSouth basketball game.

NORTH

POINTE SYDNEY BENSON

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

FRIDAY, DEC. 19, 2014

SINCE 1968

Marketing students advertise, sell sandwiches at The Big Salad The Fourth Thursday

The North Express

“Get back into the Thanksgiving mood with our delicious Thanksgiving wrap, hand-crafted with our savory turkey cranberry salad, crisp apples, croutons and sweet gherkin pickles. You’ll be thanking us for our wrap.”

“Take your tastebuds for a ride on the North Express. Experience the sweetness of cranberries and raspberry vinaigrette with a crunch of walnuts, apples and a light dusting of feta, all topped off with our signature edible holly.”

John Huskin, Ethan Jerry, Mychael Furman, Jordan Gray, Alex Haddad & Colson Hagedon

Molly Marcin, Tania Anderson, Jacob Kahn, Victor Negron & Tim Bowers

The Big League

Aphrodite’s Wrap

“If your eyes are bigger than your stomach, come enjoy the Big League. With a hearty load of meats and vegetables ranging from tomatoes and cucumbers to salami, turkey and ham, topped with Italian dressing and a ‘walk off’ ciabatta bread, this sandwich strikes out all the competitors. Come enjoy the Big League today and experience the grand slam of sandwiches.”

“Take your taste buds to Mount Olympus with Aphrodite’s wrap, filled with tangy banana peppers and favorite Mediterranean flavors. This crunchy ambrosia is a meal fit for the Greek gods.”

Collin Cantrell, Luke Drieborg, Vickie Blaine, Caleb McIntosh & Amber Garnder

Joe Alexander, Max Ertzbischoff, Chris Bahr, Kayla Barnes, Alex Batts & Eva Cermack

El Fuego Verde

Spicy Ranch Trio

“Like heat? El Fuego Verde is for you! With crisp lettuce, delectable turkey and bacon, topped with jalapenos and sweet honey dijon, all stuffed in our fresh french bread, it will have your taste buds sizzling.”

Danny Palmer, Nathan Robinson, McKenzie Obermok, Anaijah White, Hayden McGraw & Joe Guido

“Stay full and satisfied with a delectable, mildly spicy, meat-filled wrap paired with banana peppers and savory cheeses. The innovative spicy bacon ranch dressing will have your mouth watering for more.”

LU KE ST U

RG IL L

By Olivia Asimakis NEWS EDITOR

With Christmas right around the corner, senior Molly Marcin and her Marketing I group decided a Polar Express themed salad would be the ideal way to go for their Big Salad project. Business teacher Michelle Davis created a new assignment that not only requires her students to create a salad or sandwich, but also market and sell the item at The Big Salad.

Marcin is planning on pursuing packaging engineering after college, so she took Marketing I as a senior elective. Marcin saw the task as the perfect segway into the business world.

“I thought it was a great project mostly because when you have a big project, you’re not going to get other little tedious assignments, and this was going to teach

Woods fireworks moves to Lakefront Park

By Addison Toutant STAFF REPORTER

The fireworks display over Parcells Middle School in late June experienced its rowdiest year with over 13 fights breaking out in the crowd.

Sixty-five sworn-in police officers were on duty during the show to manage the crowd, but their numbers weren’t enough. The growing trend of violence at the fireworks has resulted in the Grosse Pointe Woods city officials moving the location to Lakefront Park. After attending the fireworks the past few years, junior Ava DeLoach understands why the city moved the display.

“I’ve gone in the past, and it was kind of dangerous.

There were a lot of out-of-towners,” DeLoach said.

The fireworks display draws a number of nonWoods residents and has been the site of gang activity in recent years , according to City Administrator Alfred Fincham.

“We’ve had some violence in the last several years, and it really escalated to the point where two years ago we called in additional resources,” Fincham said. “Last June, we had the worst of all ... We had identified two active gangs that were present from the city of Detroit, one of which was known to be very violent.”

The city office weighed multiple options before

us more—because it was a hands-on experience—than any worksheet or lecture ever could,” Marcin said.

Davis wanted her students to have an experience that taught them what it is like in a real-world business atmosphere.

“We’ve never done anything reality-based where the kids actually did the project and then took it out into the community and implemented what the project was. So we do the same types of things in past years in class, but this year what they did was work with a business in the community,” Davis said. “They actually developed a product, marketed CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

deciding to officially move the event.

“We just looked at it and said, ‘You know, this is just such a concern. We’re not going to risk anyone’s injury by attending this event.’ So it was either cancel the event entirely or look at other options,” Fincham said. “We looked at (the) feasibility of moving it to the Lakefront Park and determined after talking to the St. Clair Shores police, St. Clair Shores fire department, the Coast Guard, DNR (Department of Natural Resources), the Edsel Ford property. We reached out to them and asked them if we can use their additional parking along Lakeshore. They graciously agreed to allow us to do that. And that’ll hold up to 900 cars (in addition to) parking in our Lakefront park for about 782 cars.”

DeLoach sees the move as a benefit to residents and those who work at the park during the summer.

“This allows not only for better safety, but more work for park employees,” DeLoach said. “I work at the park. I’m a lifeguard, so I’ll get more hours.”

Freshman Colin Gudenau doesn’t think the move will decrease the chaos.

“It will really crammed in there, a lot of accidents will be prone to happen, and Parcells is really in the middle of everything,” Guadenau said.

The city plans to have the fireworks shot off from a barge in the lake, so residents can make full use of the park.

“People can come down and swim and enjoy the day, and there will be barbecues (so people can) just enjoy the fireworks,” Finchman said.

Contributing: Lauren Sexton & Anu Subramaniam

GP Nspire returns to Pointes

By Erica Lizza & Kaley Makino CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & WEB EDITOR

After a successful first year, GP Nspire is returning with a few minor modifications and a new charity to donate the proceeds to. Senior Nikki Haggerty was one of last year’s speakers and found that it gave her the opportunity to talk about the impact one individual can have on others’ lives.

“I mostly talked about Mr. Aulph, who was my seventh and eighth grade Spanish teacher at Parcells, and he taught me that you don’t only get inspired by one person ... Some people think that once you’re inspired by one person, that it means that you have to keep going back to that person for inspiration and for help,” Haggerty said. “But once you get inspired by one person, you can inspire others and yourself.”

English teacher and event coordinator Jonathan Byrne sees the change in location as a way to widen the appeal and expand outside of the North community.

“Instead of at North this year, it’s going to be at Brownell. We did that for a couple reasons,” Byrne said. “One, the multipurpose room at Brownell is a little more modern. It seats more people, but it also is right in the center of the community. So we wanted it to have more of a Grosse Pointe community feel than just a North event.”

Haggerty, despite feeling anxious before speaking, overcame her uneasiness and enjoyed the opportunity.

“I was really nervous because ... you had to submit a video—that’s what we had to do to audition. And even though they said you could change your speech a little bit, I was kind of freaking out about how it needed to be memorized perfectly, and how my pauses and everything had to be perfect,” Haggerty said. “But then, when I got up there, I think I maybe said half my speech I wrote down.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Contents 1-2 News 3 Ideas 4 Reviews

Jared Jordan, Christian Seabrooks, Ryan Kolp, Joe Lucchese, DeNishia Driver & Andrea Scapini

Reviews - Page 4

5 Life 6 On Campus 7 Sports 8 Feature

“LET’S JUST PUT IT THIS WAY: IF YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO SERIAL, YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON SOMETHING HUGE.”

@myGPN

www.myGPN.org

VOLUME 47, ISSUE 7

© 2014 North Pointe

NEWS

2 – Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 – North Pointe

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

So I was nervous at first because of that, but after I was on stage and I just started speaking from the heart and with my own words—besides the ones written on the paper—I just felt so much more comfortable up there.”

Senior Alicia Brown attended GP Nspire last year and enjoyed the event.

“I’m a (person who wonders) how you perceive the world and why you perceive it that way ... I wasn’t really going to be inspired per se, I was going to see what inspires others and why,” Brown said.

Haggerty shared that mindset.

“Sometimes it’s life changing, hearing what people want to say. It can change how you live your own life,” Haggerty said.

Brown appreciated the variety of voices represented on stage during the event.

“Last year there were so many different point of views.

Somebody might talk about college, somebody might talk about struggles they went through during school or (their) personal lives,” Brown said. “It opens a door that some people are scared to open, and I feel like when

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the product, pitched the product, put the advertising campaign together for the product and then got the chance to sell the product in the store.”

The Big Salad franchise owner John Bornoty agreed to let students sell their products at his restaurant.

“We (Davis and Bornoty) were sitting around talking about how she wanted to do some sort of apprentice-style reality show program,” Bornoty said. “We bounced around a lot of ideas, and after she gave it some thought, we decided the seal-the-deal type program would work, but she wanted to come up with some type of reality-based learning, hands-on.”

After their initial agreement to carry out this project, the two got together and created a list of criteria.

“Mr. Bornoty and I sat down and came up (with) some guidelines for the project. But I wanted to have the kids to have as much freedom as they did in development, so what we did was he met with them, he gave them all of the items that he has in The Big Salad with relation to food and relation to like food prep, like what kinds of ovens and those kinds of things,” Davis said. “Then the kids had to use that in small groups to create and design a product that’s not on their menu currently. And then once they did that, they had to come up with a 10-second pitch. Then they worked in groups to do their advertising campaign.”

Students were not just working towards a grade. Their goal was to be the winning team that will have its product sold at The Big Salad for six months. The winning team will also get this picture and names on the wall.

“Each of the kids also had to journal. So throughout the process (they had to) journal about what they knew when they started, how much have they learned to this point, the reflection of the project, the reflection on the process of the project,” Davis said. “It’s actually called Seal the Deal. There’ll be a trophy and everything, so the winners are gonna be the ones that seal the deal.”

The Big Salad project required creativity, individuality, appeal, taste and business savvy, things Marcin needed to apply to her product.

“At first it was a little tricky because

WINTER BREAK

Begins Sat. Dec. 20.

School resumes Mon. Jan. 5

we saw all the ingredients that they had and to narrow it down to a couple and to find the right flavors that worked was really hard, but once you start talking, and they just told us that if someone says an idea don’t just shut them down because the weirdest ideas can spark inspiration, and I think that’s what really helped,” Marcin said. “It’s just throwing whatever comes to mind out there and then going from there.”

The students had the opportunity to work individually with Bornoty in developing their products.

“You sometimes never know when you’re working with kids what it’s going to be like, but they have been great.

They seem to be enjoying the program,” Bornoty said. “They are very polite. They are following the rules. They are doing everything that’s expected of them. It’s great, great experience.”

On the student side of the relation-

“

We’ve never done anything reality-based where the

kids actually did the project and then took it out into the community and imple-

“

The Big Salad

you’re sitting there in the PAC, and you’re listening to these people tell their stories, their struggles and what really matters to them, you have a better perception of the world and how things work and how people think and feel.”

Byrne was pleased with the talks’ success in their first year and hopes to attract a larger turnout.

“We thought the event went really well (last year). We had students from 12 different schools throughout metro Detroit—Bloomfield, Birmingham, Fraser, Lakeview—all here at North, and they gave their speeches,” Byrne said.

“They all went really well. We thought it was a great event.

There was about 300 people in attendance. We’re hoping to sell out the multipurpose room at Brownell this year, so that would be about 800.”

Last year’s talks inspired Brown to consider auditioning.

“I think that what really motivated me to want to do it this year ... to just give people a different way to look at things,” Brown said.

Brown plans on taking part in the experience whether she’s a speaker or part of the crowd.

“I already took the day off from work so I can go. I think everyone should at least witness it. Just like how teachers say that everyone should go to Challenge Day because Challenge Day brings us all together. You see your teachers as individuals and not as authority. I think that GP Nspire does the same thing—but with your peers and not adults.

You see how your peers feel and what matters to them, so I would recommend it to say the least,” Brown said.

Beyond an inspirational opportunity for students, GP Nspire has a larger goal of benefiting the community.

“The proceeds this year are going to go to the Michigan Eye Bank, so that’s kind of why our theme is ‘What’s your vision?’ The tickets are $12 apiece for adults and students, I think, are a little bit less than that. They’ll go on sale in January for the event that’s on Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m,” Byrne said.

mented what the project was.

Michelle Davis

ship, Marcin was able to work with a business professional.

“He came in to have meetings with us and to go over strategies and touch base with us on our product.

And so each group had their own individual time with him,” Marcin said. “We all thought he was telling us all the same things, but then it turned out our products are all so different and he has specific needs and wants for each group, that I think it’s really interesting to see how there’s so many different varieties of marketing, and when we are finally going to be done with this project, we’re going to have a sit down and talk about who the winner is.”

Marcin feels this project has helped her grow not only as a businesswoman, but as a classmate as well.

EIGHTH GRADE ORIENTATION

Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center

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“It’s been amazing. I mean, I work with a group of four other students, and our grades range from freshman to senior, and I’ve gotten to know my classmates so much more than I ever thought I would,” Marcin said. “There’d be days where they’d read off the attendance, and I wouldn’t know the names, and now I think that I know everyone in the class.

So not only is it, educationally, but also socially ... to connect with other people.”

Bornoty hopes what the students have learned will directly help them in their futures.

“I love working with kids. I love education, and I think reality-based learning is the way teaching should be moving forward. I absolutely love the idea because I think that’s the way people need to be taught nowadays,” Bornoty said. “What I hope they learn is how the real world really operates. Sometimes there’s a disconnection between education and how things really are, and the ultimate goal is that they can breach the two ... what you have learned in school and how to apply it in the real world.”

Because the students are working to appeal to a much larger clientele than their classmates, Marcin’s group has decided to campaign outside of the school in a creative, fun way.

“We actually created little Polar Express tickets that say The North Express and we’re going to pass those out to elementary school students, and the first 60 people that bring in their ticket will receive an authentic reindeer jingle bell just like in the movie,” Marcin said. “So hopefully by the kids bringing those home, it will bring awareness to the parents, and they’ll be begging their parents to take them there to get a free jingle bell. But also, we’re going to post posters throughout the school and also in local businesses.”

Davis plans on doing this with her future students, and Bornoty hopes this will evolve into a larger program.

“We hope it will be an ongoing thing and hope it won’t just be the Grosse Pointe store,” Bornoty said.

“We are hoping some of the other school clubs will be interested in it and maybe make this a regional competition. Not just students competing against each other, but maybe we could have schools competing against each other.”

Contributing: Conner Bott

KINDERGARTEN INFO NIGHT

Thursday, Jan. 15 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. in district elementary schools

PARENT CLUB MEETING

Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. in the Student Union

Freshman Assist aids Food Gatherers Freshman Assist mentors and mentees completed an annual community service project with Food Gatherers of Ann Arbor on Friday, Dec. 12. Students helped sort and pack fresh produce that would later be served to senior citizens during the holiday season.

“It was a chance for all the Freshman Assist kids and the mentors to give back to a community and work on some community service, which I don’t think a lot of the kids have done before,” senior Karina Lucchese said.

Lucchese has been a Freshman Assist mentor for two years, and although she has done this service project before, she still sees how it impacts the mentees each year.

“I think every year they come out of it being very appreciative for what they have and feeling really good about themselves for helping other people to have other opportunities,” Lucchese said.

For junior Mara McMann, it was her first time participating.

“I loved seeing the kids outside of class, and I really bonded with a couple of them. They got to see me out of class, not being one of their mentors, just kind of being their friend,” McMann said.

Afterward, the group also toured University of Michigan’s campus. Lucchese saw this as an added opportunity for the mentees.

“They got to see what a college looked like and how college students acted, which I think will hopefully inspire them to want to do that in the future,” Lucchese said.

Red Cross hosts annual blood drive Red Cross Nurses drew vials of blood from students and community members as a part of the annual American Red Cross Blood Drive held Monday, Dec. 8 in the Performing Arts Center. Senior Michael Sacchetti, who chaired the blood drive, felt satisfied with the event this year.

“I would say the blood drive this year was a success. We beat our goal by ten (donations),” Sacchetti said. “The North attendance office said it was the most organized blood drive ever, and the Red Cross staff was very efficient.”

However, the wait time was a minor complication that prevented some donors from donating blood.

“The only concern was the wait time during lunch to get blood drawn,” Sacchetti said. “Some donors that wanted to donate were short on time and had to leave.”

Many people still believe this blood drive was successful, including senior Michael Marchiori. Marchiori was one of the participants and volunteers who assisted people during the drive. He felt that his experience was life-changing.

“Giving blood is an unusual experience, as nothing feels different until the process is over,” Marchiori said. “After donating blood, however, is when you’ll start to feel a little dizzy or tired, but no amount of lightheadedness will tear down the satisfaction of knowing I just saved three lives.”

Choir concert traditions continued Ending all debate, choir teacher Ben Henri reaffirmed that the freshman choir would be performing at the concert on Thursday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 12 along with the rest of the choir at the holiday concert.

“There was a point when I was saying I don’t know how we were going to get everyone on stage to perform the ‘Hallelujah Chorus,’ so there is the possibility that only Pointe Chorale and the graduating seniors will be singing it on stage, but I changed my mind, so everyone is singing it,” Henri said.

To alleviate the situation, Henri decided to change the order in which the freshmen would stand. All of the other traditions remained the same.

“The biggest (difference) between this year and the years past is not in terms of the music we’re singing. It’s simply in terms of one formation that we’re standing in,” Henri said.

The choir’s concern in the past has been the limited amount of room on stage, and the growing freshman class size, it hampers the organization of the performance.

“In the past when we sing our final song, which is the ‘Hallelujah chorus,’ we would have everyone on stage, and it was very crowded because we’d always invite the alumni to sing with us ... When you add those bodies up there, it becomes even more cramped on the stage. So this year, we’re going to have students out surrounding the audience singing out in the aisles,” Henri said.

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IDEAS

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 -3

Reason for the season “Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.”

BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY Erica Lizza CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Anu Subramaniam CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Haley Reid CO-MANAGING EDITOR

Olivia Asimakis NEWS EDITOR

Brittney Hernandez LIFE EDITOR

Wendy Ishmaku BUSINESS MANAGER

Dora Juhasz WEB NEWS EDITOR

Jennifer Kusch IDEAS EDITOR

Kaley Makino WEB IDEAS EDITOR

Ritika Sanikommu ASSISTANT EDITOR

Emily Martinbianco WEB LIFE EDITOR

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

OUR EDITORIAL

JENNIFER KUSCH

Dear Grosse Pointe Woods City Council, When we were little, the popping of firecrackers, the smell of smoke in the air and the delighted screams and gleeful laughter of kids used to echo down the blocks during the Fourth of July fireworks display in Grosse Pointe Woods. However, at last year’s fireworks show, these sounds were replaced with their more sinister counterparts: gang activity, drug use and violent conflict. The violent behavior at last year’s fireworks prompted the show to start 20 minutes earlier than planned.

High beam lights illuminated the field so police officers could maintain order, but residents were afraid for their safety, and the event no longer felt family-friendly.

Your sensible solution was to move the launching of the fireworks from Parcells Middle School’s athletic field to Lake Front Park in response to growing safety concerns and complaints lodged by residents.

This change in location limits the event to only Woods residents and their guests, whereas in past years people from the other Pointes and neighboring communities freely flocked to the fireworks display. Similarly, other shows in Grosse Pointe don’t open their firework shows to the general public. Grosse Pointe Farms launches fireworks from Pier Park, which is open only to Farms residents. The Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, located in Grosse Pointe Shores, also launches fireworks, but their show is easily viewed by scores of non-members who fill up Lakeshore Drive.

When the show was at Parcells, people could also view the fireworks from North, Lochmoor Club, and Mason Elementary. Lake Front Park, while available only to Woods residents, is actually in St. Clair Shores. The park’s location makes the fireworks harder to view, as some residents enjoyed the past festivities from the comfort of their own backyards.

Although moving the fireworks to Lake Front Park was necessary, it shouldn’t cut off access to the vast majority of people who have attended the once-public event for years. Grosse Pointe Shores and Harper Woods—two municipalities without their own fireworks shows— constitute a large portion of the north part of the Grosse Pointe school district. Their residents attend Parcells Middle School, the fireworks’ previous launching location, as well as Mason Elementary School and North High School, the show’s two other prime viewing locations. Instead of allowing only Woods residents and their guests into the show, residents of the North district with valid school identification should be permitted to enter the Lake Front Park for the fireworks.

However, they shouldn’t be allowed to bring guests, as the resulting crowds would balloon to uncontrollable sizes. This modification will still allow Woods families to view the fireworks, while preventing the same problems with congestion that plagued the event when it was held at Parcells.

While parking at Lake Front Park and the nearby vicinity could clog Lakeshore Road and the neighboring residential streets, we believe it’s a necessary evil. Families from the Pointes and beyond have enjoyed the fireworks for years, yet last year’s chaos threatened to discontinue the event.

Instead, spectators will be able to enjoy the performance from a more comfortable, safer environment. The area around Lake Front Park is predominantly private property, which will dissuade uncontrolled groups of bystanders from gathering.

We shouldn’t have to worry about gang presence or fighting at a family event. You were right to face the facts: such crime and risks have increased steadily as the event’s popularity (inside and outside the Pointes) has grown. With limited, controlled crowds, the amount of conflict, crime and chaos will decrease. Changing the annual fireworks’ location, while inconvenient for some, is the best alternative to cancelling the event altogether.

Sincerely, North Pointe Editorial Board

CORRECTION The editorial on page 3 of issue 6 failed to mention that the portion of juniors achieving satisfactory scoring levels on the science section of the MME increased from the past school year by 3%, from 34% to 37%.

In the hunting picture on page 5 of issue 6, Dimitri Tsakos was misidentified as junior George Mourtos. In the accompanying story, Mourtos was incorrectly identified as a sophomore; he is a junior.

We regret the errors.

Christmas. What does that word bring to mind?

Do you think of crazy-eyed soccer moms wielding overflowing carts as battering rams?

Exhausted salespeople forced to work on national holidays? Empty wallets and drained bank accounts? Or, my EDITOR’S DESK personal favorite: JENNIFER KUSCH scroll-like wishlists bestowed on tired parents struggling to make rent and ward of Christmas morning tears?

Thanksgiving is already a casualty of this materialistic mindset. Will Christmas be spared?

This year, big-box behemoths opened on Thanksgiving because scores of people would rather be assaulting strangers over discounted microwaves at Walmart than devouring sweet potato pie with friends and family.

Camping out in day-long lines on Thanksgiving is now acceptable. It puts a price on a holiday, quantifies family bonding as less worthy than saving $200 on a Dyson vacuum. This thought process has become so widespread that Thanksgiving will never be the same. Christmas is now left in consumerism’s crosshairs.

Somehow big business has gotten us all to forget the fact that this holiday isn’t a celebration of ourselves, of our own generosity and of our own wants and wishes.

How many people even think of the reason for the holiday?

Does the image of a shivering baby surrounded by only sheep, cows and his frightened teenage parents come to mind when you hear the wrapping paper being ripped off of a new pair of Uggs? Excuse my contrived argument.

I like gifts and maybe have gone to battle on Black Friday myself. Everyone loves the anticipatory rattle-and-listen of a shiny, bowed box.

But it’s come to dominate a religious celebration to an embarrassing degree.

I don’t mean to preach or lecture or condemn you for wanting things (we all do). Just please hear me out.

The point of the holiday season is to bring people of all different walks of life together. But if I were to suggest that everyone cast aside their pompous shows of financial capability, ignore the expectations of gifts and instead focus on cheer and love, the world would throw a hissy fit.

Gift giving is a tradition, yes, but that tradition is strangling the pure intentions behind the most commercialized day of the year. People want to feel good on Christmas but are going about achieving those good feelings in the wrong way.

We strive to be generous, but the unnecessary connotation of the word creates more anxiety than joy.

Does “generously” spending hundreds of dollars on gifts for friends really serve a purpose?

Yes, I know Jesus got gifts on his birthday, but would you greet your God empty handed?

Nowadays, frankincense has morphed into Chanel perfume, myrrh into Beats and gold into, well, gold. There’s an expectation that we all deserve exorbitant gifts on Dec. 25. But there’s no obligation to celebrate ourselves in boundless ways on the day meant to honor the birth of the man that 2.18 billion people believe to be their savior. How does spending hundreds of dollars on toys and clothes at all mirror the message of love and change that began that night?

I’m not asking you to cast aside all of your gifts and devote all of your time to thoughts about God (if you’re religious). I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and I too love presents under my tree, Secret Santa and games of White Elephant.

But I don’t think that the tangible aspect of the holiday should outweigh the most important, priceless aspects of Christmas.

So please put away your credit cards and— excuse my cliché— think about the reason for the season.

“I live close to Parcells, so I could just walk to Parcells. Now, I have to go all the way to the Woods park, and not all of my friends belong to the park.”

“It’s kind of good because it’ll help eliminate the fights, but then ... it kind of makes it feel a little segregated from the rest of the community.”

“I don’t have a pass to go to the Grosse Pointe Woods park, so I don’t think I’ll even be able to see the fireworks, but it does seem like a good idea.”

Brendan Berger

Olivia Randazzo

Elijah Jennings

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: What do you think about the Woods fireworks moving?

By Sydney Benson

“It’s really sad because I live right where the fireworks usually happen, so I never have to leave my house, but now I have to.”

“I’m disappointed. I’d to be able to go, but I don’t live in Grosse Pointe Woods.”

“They are going to lose out on some of the people being able to attend because I don’t know how many people that park can hold, and where is the parking overflow going to be?”

Hope Haynes

Susan Forrest

Tom Zaglaniczny

SENIOR

ART TEACHER

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

SUPERVISOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS

The North Pointe is edited and produced

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MY TURN MORA DOWNS

Fangirl forever Fangirling (v): The reaction a fangirl has to any mention of the object of her “affection.”

These reactions include shortness of breath, fainting, highpitched noises, shaking, fierce head shaking as if in the midst of a seizure and endless blog posts—at least according to Urban Dictionary.

But how accurate is this typical definition?

Fangirling isn’t just pastime.

It’s a lifestyle. It’s falling in love with people who aren’t aware of your existence and being willing to recklessly spend your college fund to meet them for less than 10 seconds.

Fangirls aren’t born. They’re made. Once they find one thing to obsess over, they find another, and another, until crying over celebrities takes up every ounce of their beings.

I diagnosed myself as a fangirl at age ten. I was obsessed with the Jonas Brothers. I mean, what fourth grade girl wasn’t infatuated with Nick’s floppy curls and Kevin’s extensive scarf collection?

And like an alcoholic’s first drink or a gambler’s first win, my addiction started off small and snowballed.

I spend my days listening to One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) on repeat and binge-watching American Horror Story ( I mean, have you seen Evan Peters?) This celebrity-centric lifestyle affects me in many ways: My social life. I alienate myself from friends and family by screaming at them while my favorite band is performing or my favorite show is on.

My health. I don’t think freaking out about Harry Styles and Dylan O’Brien is really benefiting my mental health. One time I even stepped on something sharp while obliviously jamming out to 5SOS, and I’m sure that my body won’t tone itself while I’m skipping my workout to watch a YouTube video in bed.

My sleep schedule. I’ve accepted the fact that I’d rather finish a season of Teen Wolf than get enough sleep. However, when I wake up, I immediately regret it. This ongoing cycle is tiresome.

Grades. I usually decide that whatever TV show I’m behind on takes precedence over studying for tests. The amount of times this occurs on a weekly basis is sickening.

Most importantly, my bank account. It’s a fact that fangirls spend too much money on their beloved artists. I spent $1300 for three tickets when that could’ve paid part of a hefty college tuition. Another $65 spent on music and $70 on t-shirts could have been put to better use. The cost of my fandoms is $1435. It’s ridiculous.

I read once online that people with limited social interaction tend to fill the void with obsessing over celebrities.

Is that what I’m doing? Substituting fiction for real life?

Psychologically, fangirls have similarities to people with diagnosed addictive personalities. Who knows, maybe in a few years fangirling will be categorized as an addiction.

Until then, I’m calling for “Fangirls Anonymous.” I need to eventually face the facts.

Addictions help us escape from the real world. When it feels like there’s no one to turn to, a celebrity is there. They temporarily fill a void in your life, but one day they won’t.

Like a baby sucking on its’ binkie, we hold on to these obsessions even when we don’t need them anymore. In 10 years, we won’t be the same people. Let’s hope we won’t have the same pointless obsessions.

4 – Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 – North Pointe

REVIEWS

122K likes 102K followers

WWW.FANPOP.COM

Not paying attention to podcasts? Now would be the time to start.

By Haley Reid

CO-MANAGING EDITOR

Podcasts are obsolete, right? Maybe not. Throw away that preconceived notion, that idea of a boring, middleaged man droning on about one thing or another without any visual stimulation.

Listen to Serial. Yes, listen—no visuals.

Serial is host Sarah Koenig’s telling of her investigation into the 1999 murder of 17-year-old Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Lee’s ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed.

Let’s just put it this way: if you’re not listening to Serial, you’re missing out on something huge. This thing is really trending. It’s an emotionally investing, nail-biting spinoff of NPR’s This American Life, and it’s blowing minds worldwide.

Forget your fictional Netflix crime drama. The unexpected format is contrasted by the sheer familiarity of the timeworn tale: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy kills girl.

Or does he?

Koenig analyzes every shred of evidence, every motive, every testimony. She’s one of us: a human filled with raw emotion and an obsession with this case. She has no background as a detective, lawyer or judge. She’s simply a journalist with a remarkably clear speaking voice looking to piece together a puzzle that doesn’t fit.

That’s the best part: none of it adds up. One episode has listeners screaming that Adnan Syed is a murderous villain.

Then, suddenly, Koenig plays a phone conversation she has with the convicted killer.

He’s charming, sweet and somewhat eloquent, and it makes you want to rip your hair out. It totally skews any prior beliefs about his character and is so beautifully frustrating.

This is no real-life episode of Law and Order. There’s no find-out-who-really-did-it moment at the end of the series.

It’s wholly analysis and honest opinion, Koenig’s stream of consciousness and personal process as she struggles to wrap her head around the seemingly impossible case, and listeners tackle it with her.

If we were to analogize, it’s like a High School Musical sing-along special in which viewers attempt the lyrics and dance moves alongside Troy and Gabriella—only a lot more gruesome.

Sticking with the Disney theme, the nature of Serial fans can be summed up in a Miley Cyrus lyric: “We can’t stop, and we won’t stop.”

Serial listeners are typically diagnosed with obsession when exhibiting the following symptoms: lack of sleep, addictive behavior, antisocial personality and disregard of any and all responsibilities.

I’m not advocating pushing aside a week’s worth of math homework to binge-watch five episodes of Serial in one week, but once you’re hooked, it’s inevitable. The constant on-edge, I-have-to-hear-the-next-episode feeling is addictive in the best way possible.

This series is a game changer in the world of media. Podcasts have a future here. Serial has a rapidly growing fan base that has already funded the second season in hopes of continuing Koenig’s godly narrations.

However, many question if Serial’s exploding popularity has tainted the series. Trust me, the majority of us aren’t listening to Serial because everyone else is doing it. The incessant need to be a media hipster doesn’t trump the quality of this podcast. Five hundred fans or five million fans (it actually has more)—Serial is just good.

Jump into the conversation. It’s happening everywhere.

Seriously. The myriad back-and-forth theories and arguments over the case are just as entertaining as the podcast itself.

Is Adnan Syed really a sick, psychopathic liar? What really is the deal with Jay? And why would Adnan’s lawyer, Cristina Gutierrez, potentially throw the case?

Next time on Serial.

Download Serial on the Podcasts app or find it online at www. serialpodcast.org

Serial National Public Radio (NPR) 2014 Online, iPhone, Android Free

Have more time? Check out these Serial supplements:

SLATE SPOILER SPECIALS: A PODCAST ABOUT A PODCAST

ON REDDIT: /R/SERIALPODCAST

ON TWITTER: # SERIAL #SERIAL PODCAST

MOVIE

APP

ALBUM

BOOK

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR

STICK HERO

THAT’S CHRISTMAS TO ME

VICIOUS

One of the hottest movies of the season ironically starts in the coldest place on earth—Antarctica.

In Penguins of MadagasWWW.IMDBCOM car, the hilarious foursome have finally taken over the movie theater. This was the last frontier for the penguins to conquer, as they’ve already had both a movie and TV show on Nickelodeon. The show began its six-year run in 2008.

Penguins of Madagascar has definite visual appeal for children. It also has a simple, predictable storyline that has been the formula for other movies. There is a classic villain with his heart set on revenge and heroes who stop him. However, the movie isn’t bound to a cookie-cutter mold.

There’s a twist to the stereotypical hero storyline when the story’s heroes, the four penguins—Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private joined by another set of heroes. Four agents from the North Wind compete against the penguins.

Throughout the movie, viewers not only experience the struggle between hero and villain but also the difficult, dynamic relationships among the heroic teammates. This adds a good amount of complexity to the story.

While parts of the tale have been done before, it’s executed nicely. Penguins of Madagascar utilizes a lot of clichés but in a way that doesn’t seem redundant or stupid.

Viewers will find the story’s content hilarious. The movie incorporates a lot of quotes, puns and names that can be recognized by audience members young and old.

All in all it is, as the penguins would say, “high one.

The next quick, fast-paced game is here.

In Stick Hero, the player is a stick figure who builds bridges to cross land gaps. To build playWWW.XN--H49AK52A5LIHSJ.NET bridges, ers must hold their thumbs on the screen until the bridge is the proper length. The goal is to cross as many gaps as possible, and crossing each gap earns a player one point.

The catch? The bridge is built vertically and kicked down. So it’s critical, to build bridges precisely and perfectly. If a bridge lands on the red mark at the next land area, the player will be rewarded one bonus point. However, if the bridge is the wrong length, the character will plummet to his death.

While crossing gaps, there are often cherries under the bridge. To collect these, the player taps the screen, and the character will hang and continue crossing. Tap again to get on top of the bridge. If the figure is still hanging when the bridge ends, he will die and lose the cherry. Cherries accumulate and can be used to buy new characters.

It seems like a simple set of tasks, but it’s harder than it looks. The game is fastpaced and merciless.

Make the bridge one pixel too long, and the player is forced to restart. Also, cherries tend to be placed right before the cliff at the next land area. The risk: death.

Aggravating ads pop up frequently during game play. After every few games, an ad will pop up, getting in the way of the game, which can be a turnoff for many gamers.

Overall, Stick Hero is an entertaining, challenging game for passing time.

Thinking back to the time of Pitch Perfect and Glee, the movies’ most memorable scenes were when the a capella groups randomly broke into WWW.AMAZON.COM song, locked in intricate harmonies. If you’re a fan of this kind of music, Pentatonix’s That’s Christmas to Me is the perfect holiday album for you.

Released Oct. 17, That’s Christmas to Me was a little too early for the Christmas cheer. But now that it’s closer to the holidays, the album is timely and would make the perfect holiday gift. It is completely composed of a capella songs that provide listeners with unique experience and incentive to buy the album.

Each song in this album puts a poppy twist on a classical Christmas song. The complex vocals the group produces make the songs seem like they are accompanied by instruments when it is actually just singing, and the beatboxing in the background adds a nice upbeat rhythm that everyone can jam out to.

Although the group may pull in listeners with their smooth voices, their album has one flaw—the classical Christmas songs are often unrecognizable. This gives the album a less “personal” feel. However, the detailed harmonies are still enough to intrigue listeners.

That’s Christmas to Me made the Billboard 100 as the third best-selling holiday album.

Its popular songs include “That’s Christmas To Me,” “Silent Night” and “Let it Go.” This album offers great insight into the world of a capella. So whether you’re exploring the genre for the first time or are a die-hard “a cafellar,” this is your portal to a musical world.

Sara Shepard’s 8-year era of Pretty Little Liars has ended. Vicious is the last in the 18-book series and provides a perfect ending.

T h r ou g h ou t WWW.IMG4.WIKIA.NOCOOKIE.NET the series, protagonists Aria Montgomery, Emily Fields, Hanna Marin and Spencer Hastings were plagued with so much bad luck that the story had become less and less believable. The tide eventually turns in this book.

Vicious starts as the girls are convicted of a murder they didn’t commit and takes readers through a rollercoaster of emotions— pity, shock, grief, disbelief and happiness.

Complex storylines had previously dominated each installment in the series, but it becomes much clearer in Vicious.

Characters’ actions that seemed crazy before seem completely sane compared to the events of this final book.

In typical Pretty Little Liars fashion, twists occur with every turn of the page, which makes it worth the read.

Despite the twists, Montgomery, Fields, Marin and Hastings all find happy endings. It may seem cliché, but they deserve happiness after years of being stalked and blackmailed, almost murdered and falsely accused of murder countless times.

Considering all of this, it’s hard to believe the girls are only recent high school graduates. Admittedly, it’s a little farfetched to think all this happened to them during, yet they all still managed to get into college.

Vicious made reading the entire Pretty Little Liars series worth it. For fans who have read all of the books, reading this will be a no-brainer. Those who haven’t read the series: start at the beginning or face the risk of being extremely confused.

Penguins of Madagascar; 2014; directed by Eric Darnell & Simon J. Smith; PG.

Stick Hero; Ketchapp; 2014; Available for Apple and Android; Free.

Pentatonix; Thats Christmas to Me; RCA Records; 2014

By Josie Bennett

By Billy Moin

By Gowri Yerramalli

Vicious; Sara Shepard; 352 pp.; HarperTeen; $17.99.

By Mora Downs

LIFE

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 – 5

Choir carols around community Choir students take time out of their schedule to sing Christmas carols on Nov. 25

By Dora Juhasz & Brittney Hernandez WEB SECTION EDITOR & LIFE SECTION EDITOR

ALANNA SPARKS

Senior Katelyn Carroll sings in City Hall with her fellow choir members. “Usually people give donations to the choir, but sometimes we just volunteer. It’s volunteer based. I like it a lot,” Carroll said.

As t he Grosse Pointe communit y begins to embrace t he Christmas season, students in Pointe Chora le, t he highest level of choir, sign up to ca rol a round tow n for churches a nd dif ferent gat herings.

“Ever y place of fers somet h i ng new, a nd no ca rol i ng event is qu ite t he sa me. I love bei ng able to si ng a nd lend my voice to t he Ch r ist mas season,” ju n ior Josh Lupo sa id. “I may not have t he best voice of t he choi r, but it doesn’t mat ter because I’m just w it h my f r iends.”

T he ca rol i ng ca n ra nge f rom goi ng on “r u nouts,” where st udents wea r t hei r choi r t u xedos or d resses a nd leave school to per for m, to volu nta r i ly per for m i ng a f ter school a nd spend i ng t hei r f ree t i me si ng i ng.

“We usua l ly get requests f rom people a rou nd tow n by ema i l to Mr. (Ben) Hen r i, ot her w ise neig h-

bors or coworkers ask st udents, l i ke me, i n choi r,” sen ior Kately n Ca r rol l sa id. “T hen we relay it to ou r teacher, who t hen sets up t he g ig.”

Many of the participants this year caroled last year as well and are happy to be singing for others again.

“We d id t hat last yea r, a nd I love get t i ng to si ng for people I k now. My favor ite t h i ng about ca roli ng w it h t he choi r is t hat I’m able to si ng w it h my peers,” Lupo said. “Sure, there is choir class, but singing Christmas carols really gets you in the spirit.”

Sen ior Ol iv ia R itch ie feels t hat ca rol i ng is a good way to con nect w it h d i f ferent generat ions a nd f i nds joy i n t he ex per ience.

“My favorite thing about caroling is seeing how happy it makes the people we are singing for,” Ritchie said.

Lupo credits some of his most memorable choir exper iences to ca rol i ng.

By: Anu Subramaniam & Radiance Cooper CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ASSISTANT EDITOR

Senior Olivia Ritchie enjoys her time as she volunteers for choir. “It was really cool singing at the tree lighting. There were a lot of kids there, and it was really cool seeing the kids sing along,” Ritchie said.

“My fondest moment of ca rol i ng w it h t he choi r was act ua l ly a n out-of-school event where we got to si ng for a ‘Home Tou r’ event on Loch moor. Me a nd a few of my fel low choi r members a l l got toget her a nd, w it h pret t y much one or t wo on a pa r t, sa ng i n a sta i r wel l at someone’s home,” Lupo sa id.

T he ca rol i ng, a mongst ot her i nt i mate per forma nces, is a n oppor t u n it y for Poi nte Chora le to excercise t hei r abi l it ies a nd ga i n a w ider aud ience.

“We a lw ay s had someone l i sten i ng , a nd it w a s i ncred ible to be able to ex per ience somet h i ng l i ke t hat. I w a s t he person to g ive pitches to t he rest of t hose si ng i ng a nd cou nt ever yone i n for t he songs, a nd wh i le I was probably t he worst pa r t of t he ent i re event, ever yone st i l l ma naged to pu l l it toget her, a nd it was a huge success.”

ON CAMPUS

6 – North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 19, 2014

Blue Devils narrowly defeat Norsemen The varsity basketball team went head-to-head with South on Friday, Dec. 12 at South. They lost 54-58.

By Alanna Sparks & Sydney Benson PHOTO EDITOR & ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

ABOVE: Senior Jack Reith (second from right) cheers on the team from the student section. During the second quarter, Rieth felt optimistic about the game. “I think it’s good.

There’s a lot of energy. All the fans are getting really into it.

We get the boys going,” Rieth said.

RIGHT: Junior Mitchell Zacharias heads towards the basket.

He was upset about the loss. “I’m a little disappointed, but we played hard,” Zacharias said.

FACES IN THE CROWD Ben Sliwinski

While he was learning how to add and spell, sophomore Ben Sliwinski was also learning how to play the piano.

“My mom played piano when she was little, so she has kind of continued that tradition,” Sliwinski said.

Sliwinski has been playing for 11 years and loves that the piano has many facets.

“I like that it’s a really versatile instrument, in that you can pretty much play any kind of song written for any kind of instrument on it,” Sliwinski said.

By playing the piano, Sliwinski feels he has expanded his musical abilities.

“I think ... that once you know how to play the piano, you can play so many other instruments. I can play the clarinet and the saxophone just by playing piano,” he said.

Sliwinski says he plans to pass this tradition down to the next generation in his family.

“I’ll think I’ll have my kids do it when they are in kindergarten, too.”

Kammie Berns What started as a fun summer camp experience sparked junior Kammie Berns’ devotion to horseback riding.

“I decided to try camp, and I liked it and continued to ride after that,” Berns said.

Berns has been training as an equestrian for about nine years. She rides four times a week and competes at state and national competitions. Berns takes training seriously.

“I feel like when I was younger, I did it for fun. Now it’s like an actual sport—I’m actually an athlete,” Berns said.

Horseback riding is difficult because of the devotion and endurance required, yet Berns is determined to continue.

“I’d like to do it for school. You can be an NCAA riding team, so I’m going to try to do that and keep riding and just keep doing what I like to do,” Berns said.

BELOW: Juniors Ben Arnold, Nick Ellery and Tristan Richardson react to the final score. “It was great ... unfortunately we lost, but I still had fun,” Ellery said.

Marissa Brown

ABOVE: Sophomore Jared Jordan defends in a check. “Right now I’m (angry) because we just lost. We made a lot of mistakes we usually don’t make,” Jordan said.

LEFT: Senior Tim Herd prepares for a free throw. Herd saw the loss as an opportunity to improve.“It was a tough loss, but we can pick it up from here.

Better to reverse it,” Herd said.

The iconic style and music of the late Michael Jackson have been the source of sophomore Marissa Brown’s obsession for years.

“The first time I heard about him was listening to his song called ‘Human Nature,’” Brown said. “It really just kind of hit me hard.”

She idolizes Jackson’s perseverance when facing challenges.

“I just really respected how strong he was,” Brown said. “Not usually a person can turn from different races, have a bunch of plastic surgery and still be the number one entertainer and number one artist of all time.”

Brown sometimes receives negative reactions for being a “moonwalker,” but she doesn’t let it bother her.

“I always tell people, ‘Well what about like your grandmother or grandfather? They might be passed on, but you still love them,” Brown said.

By Anu Subramanium, Yena Berhane & Josie Bennett

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Special education teacher Aimee Weinkauf What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are reading and writing. I do actually like to do some embroidery, but I haven’t done that in a while ... I enjoy embroidery, reading, writing, yoga, and I love going for a long walk every day.

How long have you been volunteering?

I think I did that about maybe seven years ago ... and the amount of volunteering is dependent on what you choose to participate (in).

What’s the last book that you read?

It was called Song of Sound by Toni Morrison.

What is your favorite song?

My favorite song of all time ever is, I would say, “Ave Maria.”

What would be your dream vacation?

It would be to travel to Istanbul.

By Gowri Yerramalli ASSISTANT EDITOR

While onlookers contemplate the various displays of artwork and their meanings at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), special education teacher Aimee Weinkauf prefers to show her love of art by volunteering.

“The process of becoming a volunteer at the DIA is that you have to interview and qualify, I suppose in some capacity, to represent the art institute,” Weinkauf said. “It’s somewhat of a professional sort of a position not only because you’re representing the Institute of Arts, but also every day with the public.”

Weinkauf’s love for art, her familiarity with the DIA and the museum’s peaceful ambience influenced her decision to volunteer there.

“I have a deep devotion to maintaining the public access to art, and I think that it’s something really important to me,” Weinkauf said. “I always took my kids there when they were little, so it was a place that feels really comfortable

for me to spend time volunteering.”

As a volunteer, Weinkauf guides visitors through the DIA and makes sure they respect the art on display.

“I would rotate around the entire art institute on a Friday morning,” Weinkauf said. “I would cover each section, where basically, I would stand and make sure that the art was being respected, that people weren’t putting gum on it or touching any of the artwork, and helping people to the bathrooms and helping people find their way around so they could navigate the place.”

Weinkauf’s favorite part about volunteering at the DIA is the calm atmosphere.

“I find a lot of meditative qualities to the environment and the atmosphere and the space of it,” Weinkauf said. “There are a lot of times where I would just be alone in a room, and I would not only be SYDNEY BENSON able to enjoy the artwork, but do Special education teacher Aimee Weinkauf used to volunsome private thinking, and I re- teer in the DIA in the past but doesn’t do it as often anymore. “Now I don’t do it very often because I am working ally enjoyed that.” full-time here at Grosse Pointe North,” Weinkauf said.

SPORTS

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 – 7

It’s all in the neighborhood North’s boys basketball teams are getting into their season, but they aren’t the only ones hitting the courts

By Dora Juhasz & Emily Martinbianco

The Cavaliers

WEB SECTION EDITORS

The Rockets

The Neighborhood Club’s Cavaliers uphold their NBA namesake with North students filling the roster. Sophomore Nate Campbell is one of these players.

“It’s good because it’s kind of more laid back. Instead of a hard coach running it, it’s your friends,” Campbell said.

Although Neighborhood Club teams are not as competitive as high school teams, Campbell still feels like they are building skills efficiently. Despite the laid-back vibe of the teams, the competition can heat up.

“None of us are really all-star athletes, and you can play against kids that aren’t really either, so you’re improving still,” Campbell said. “It’s pretty chill for the most part, but sometimes there’ll be smack talk, and it gets kind of intense from time to time, but usually it’s laidback and fun.”

In the Neighborhood Club high school basketball league, most teams are coached by a student similar in age. Sophomore Alex VanDoorne coaches the Cavaliers, and although it’s much different than having an adult coach, Campbell says there are benefits of having a student coach.

“He (VanDoorne) coaches our team and runs plays and decides who’s going to go in our game and who’s not. It works pretty well. He takes it pretty seriously, and he wears a suit and stuff. As long as you kind of respect him, it works out pretty well.”

Because they don’t have an adult coach, the players have to take the initiative to plan their own schedules and take care of financial aspects.

“It’s not really easy because it’s handling money and deciding who’s going to be on the team and who’s not,” Campbell said.

Despite the time and effort the boys have to put into organizing the team, the friendships they create make it very worthwhile.

Sophomore Ryan Mazzola, who also plays for the Cavaliers, said his favorite part about the team is making more friends from North and from other schools like University of Detroit Jesuit High School and University Liggett School.

As friendships strengthen and the season continues, Campbell explains some of the teams long-term goals.

“Our main goal is probably (to) win the championship,” he said. “Try and take it all home this year because last year we didn’t go that far, so SENIOR TOMMY BURKE we’d like to win it all this year.”

Freshman team

ALANNA SPARKS

Sophomore team

SENIOR THOMAS GOFFAS

The Rockets, a team of North freshmen, rally a fanbase of other North students for their coachless Neighborhood Club basketball team.

“We have a lot of fans. Our friends that are not even playing come and watch the games,” Rees said.

Because the team members are close friends, freshman Nick Marchiori, another Rockets player, thinks it makes it much more fun.

“I like it a lot. I didn’t like playing for an actual serious team or a serious league. I just like this more because it’s more fun when it’s with people I know,” Marchiori said. “The players and I are all best buddies since elementary school. It’s competitive for bragging rights, but it’s really nothing too competitive.”

Rees agrees that playing with people he knows makes the game less challenging and more enjoyable.

“Playing with my friends is easier because we’ve known eachother for so long, so when we go to play, we know how we work,” Rees said.

Freshman Jared Rees, who plays for the Rockets, enjoys the fact that everyone gets playing time, something that does not always occur on a regular high school basketball team.

“There are no coaches, so we decide when we go in to play, so everyone gets playing time,” Rees said. “It’s not by ability.”

Although the team is laid back, the Rockets still make time to practice several times a week and improve their skills.

“Sometimes practices are just messing around and fun, but other times we try to be productive,” Marchiori said. “We go to the woods park rec center, and if we don’t get the court one day, we get it another day, and we usually have three or four practices a week.”

The Golden State Warriors Senior team

After playing on a Neighborhood Club team last year, senior Thomas Goffas decided make his return to the Golden State Warriors, or the “Grosse Pointe Warriors”.

“Last year I couldn’t play school basketball because I was out, but I decided to play Neighborhood Club,” Goffas said. “I thought it was fun last year, so I joined this year and played it again. I brought some other friends to play with me.”

Because of the growing number of North students playing for Neighborhood Club basketball, Goffas said it allows competing against other teams more enjoyable.

“I think because more people did it last year, it just caught on, and everyone thinks that it’s really fun. You can compete against people that you like or maybe don’t like so much, and that makes it fun,” Goffas said. “Competing against people I know makes it more fun because you know how they play, and you can set your mind to beating them.”

Senior Tommy Burke also plays for the Golden State Warriors, and it is his first year ever playing on a basketball team.

“It’s our senior year, and it’s another competitive thing to do with my friends,” Burke said. “I didn’t really know much about it until I was asked by a few friends to play, but I definitely made the right move and enjoy it a lot.”

Because there are many former North basketball players on the team, Burke believes it is to their advantage, and it will allow them to win more games.

“Being with my good friends and playing basketball is my favorite part. Also, taking how we progress in practice to the games and just being with my friends,” Burke said. “We have a lot of talent on our team with former North players as well, so it’s good playing with them.”

Burke’s main goal is to keep improving and make it to the playoffs.

“I’d say our team has a good shot at winning the whole league. We have a few tougher games coming up, but it shouldn’t be a problem with our talent,” Burke said. “We are just going to take it one game at a time, focusing on what we need to do. Long-term goals are to make it to playoffs and win the entire league.”

“I can’t breathe.”

By Katelyn Carney SPORTS EDITOR

People love sports. It’s a natural, undeniable fact.

We invest our time into watching the games. We empty our pockets for the prized memorabilia donned by our favorite athletes. We throw extravagant parties for big games. Our children only dream of aspiring to be half of what they’ve become. Truthfully, we all—in some way or another—idolize the figures televised on ESPN’s nightly highlights, whether we admit it or not.

The power of this popularity is often underestimated, even forgotten, until our heroes decide to promote something more than the launch date of their next overpriced Nike shoe line.

But today, we face the unity of an athletic force who is powerfully promoting human rights through the use of a simple black t-shirt with three white words plastered boldly across the top: “I can’t breathe.”

Once Eric Garner was put into a chokehold by New York Police Department officers, he gasped for air, desperately repeating those three short syllables. He died of a heart attack shortly after.

What was intended to be a literal phrase has now evolved into a slogan promoted by the athletes. All-stars like the NBA’s LeBron James and the NFL’s Reggie Bush have banded together by sporting this label in the pre-game warm-ups to bring awareness to what James calls a “worldly problem.”

This problem is not a new concept. They say history repeats itself, and in this case, it does.

It’s not the first time athletes have harnessed their popularity to power a protest. During the 1968 summer Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, both African Americans, stood on the podium, black-gloved fists raised during the national anthem.

This was Smith’s and Carlos’ act of protest. They were representatives for those whose voices weren’t heard. They were the microphone to amplify a voice. Sound familiar yet?

PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMAS GOFFAS

LEFT TO RIGHT: Seniors Tommy Burke, Addy Doetsch, Nick Cusmano, Christian Sottrel, Jack Rieth, Chris Bahr, Alex Blunden, Thomas Goffas and sophomore coach George Goffas pose for a Golden State Warriors team photo. “Our team takes it seriously even though it is Neighborhood. It’s a lot of fun being coached by George. He knows a lot about the game, so it all works out for us,” Burke said.

The situation today is the same as it was 46 years ago. In the debate surrounding human rights, some fans support athletes’ good intentions, while others criticize them for what they’re standing up for.

When should sports stars simply be athletes? Where should the line be drawn? We ask for the sake of our beloved games, of course. But on what grounds can any of us make this call?

Athletes constantly use their popularity as a platform. It’s not like this is some newfound idea. However, now that athletes are wearing their beliefs rather than hiding behind the curtain of social media, the public can’t seem to handle it.

The limelight can create a reverse effect when an action, interview or social media post goes terribly wrong. When one of these instances causes damage to a celebrity, and vicariously their team’s reputation, it is not surprising that teams take matters into their own hands.

Owners and managers draft morality clauses into contracts to ensure some ownership and control over athletes’ social media accounts. After all, we are talking about teams reaching into the billion dollar stratosphere, and a social issue can devalue that in the blink of an eye.

These morality clauses are usually deliberately vague, often referring to conduct that may bring the athlete into public disrepute, contempt or scandal. If it shocks, insults or offends any group of people or reflects unfavorably on the sponsors, they may invoke it.

Leagues and clubs want to protect their brands. That’s understandable. But it doesn’t make it right to curtail someone’s freedom of speech.

Just because their athletes have the ability to reach a wide audience and are more influential than many of us does not mean owners should minimize those voices when controversy arises.

Does it mean that the athletes’ views are necessarily correct? No, not for everyone.

But that does not mean the voices should be silenced simply because of their chosen profession. No one is forcing anyone to hear or be persuaded by what the athletes have to say regarding the current situation, but we all deserve to speak up for our beliefs.

If we don’t like what a player has to say, we shouldn’t be outraged at an athlete’s audacity to speak up. They have that right. We have the right to ignore and walk away.

If I haven’t made myself clear, we cannot penalize those who use their popularity to promote their beliefs when we are the ones who give them their star power in the first place.

FEATURE

8 – North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 19, 2014

RECAST Pictured is senior Matthew Stander with his family. He was adopted from South Korea but his brother and sister were not.

Vic Sonaglia’s family (immediate and extended) gathers for a group photo. David is in the front row second from the left.

Pictured is senior Charlie Delaney with her mother Anne-Lee Vandenbussche, sister Aly Delaney and father Frank Delaney.

the nuclear family

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE STANDER, SONAGLIA AND DELANEY FAMILIES

RECASTING

The stereotype for defining family is changing with the times, but the “recasting” of familial roles has not.

By Wendy Ishmaku BUSINESS MANAGER A typical nuclear family: mom, dad, sister and brother. These traditional family roles, however, aren’t always cast by traditional players. There’s no longer a definitive mom or dad. Children aren’t necessarily raised by their biological parents. More and more, the definition of “family”is becoming something less concrete. “(It’s) a group of people that love each other,” senior Matt Stander said.

Stander was born in South Korea and was adopted by his parents prior to his birth.

“I was adopted before I was born, so I didn’t come over to America until I was six months old, but I was never put into a foster house kind of thing,” Stander said.

Though Stander isn’t representative of a nuclear family, he doesn’t believe being adopted has hindered him in anyway.

“It’s probably made me more grateful for my situation, ‘cause I know that there’s a lot of people that are without parents,” Stander said.

According to www.pbs.org, over 100,000 children have been adopted from South Korea by families in the United States since 1958.

Not all adoptions, however, are as smooth as Stander’s. Stander’s parents adopted a healthy baby, which is not always the case. Sophomore Vic Sonaglia has

an adopted younger brother whose circumstances are much more unique.

“My mom is an OB-GY N, and she delivers babies, and Dav id (Sonaglia’s younger brother) was born in Florida. His mom abandoned him right after he was born, so my mom felt bad and didn’t want to just leave him at the hospital, so we adopted him,” Sonaglia said.

Dav id was born w ith developmental complications due to the state his mother was in during her pregnancy.

“Most of the time I love hav ing him around, but it’s a normal brother-and-sister relationship. Sometimes you love him. Sometimes you hate him. I don’t know what I would do w ithout him,” Sonaglia said.

The my th that adopted children are ostracized by society can be debunked.

“They (Stander’s parents) don’t give me any preferential or different treatment towards me or my siblings,” Stander says.

W hile adoptive children are filling more roles in the “traditional family,” parental roles are also in f lux.

Sonaglia’s mother is a single mom who takes care of Vic, Dav id and their cousin Kimberly, who stays w ith them.

“I love my mom. She does a great job supporting us, and she is a really strong person, and I don’t re-

ally mind not hav ing a father figure because of her and how strong she is,” Sonaglia said.

W hile traditionally the term “parents” nods towards married couple, senior Charlie Delaney’s parents have broken that mold. Though unmarried, they have been together 24 years and have two children.

“I think parents are probably closer when they’re married, but I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Delaney said.

Though it varies from the expected norm, having unmarried parents changes the family dynamic slightly for Delaney.

“I think my family is unique because both of my parents are ver y independent and don’t rely on one another. I feel like when people are married, they’re like, ‘Oh this is your responsibility, you do it for me,’ and then (Delaney’s parents) are like, ‘Oh, I’ll do it myself,’” Delaney said.

“Family” has drastically shifted from the cookiecutter image of a family to one focused on the actual connection between people and their devotion to one another.

“Being a family is hav ing a good support system and lov ing you regardless of things that happen,” Delaney said.

CONTRIBUTING: Emily Martinbianco & Brittney Hernandez

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