ON CAMPUS PAGE 4 A look into Charity Week, from Monday, Jan. 29 to Friday, Feb. 2. To see more, head to page 4. JORDAN CRAIGHEAD
NORTH
GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
POINTE NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG
SINCE 1968
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7, 2018
Infrastructure needs discussed at Town Hall
UPCOMING
EVENTS
ACT TESTING Saturday, Feb. 10 at 8 a.m. FRESHMAN LINK CREW SEMINAR Monday, Feb. 12 at 8:40 a.m. INTERACT CLUB MEETING Thursday, Feb.15 from 3-4 p.m. in cafeteria MID-WINTER BREAK Feb. 19-23 W
INSIDE
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE MY LIFE IN EVERY WAY, SHAPE AND FORM, LIKE EVER SINCE I WAS A KID." PAGE 7
" I FEEL HONORED TO GO AND REPRESENT
ALL THE
GIRLS ON "GET ALL MY INFORMED TEAMS AND MAKE AND TO YOUR VOICE BE SEEN HEARD. WE AS A CANNOT FEMALE AFFORD LEADER TO LOSE ATHLETE ." THEM." PAGE87 PAGE
ALEX HARRING
State revises substitute requirements in response to personnel shortage 15 percent of all classrooms are unable to find a substitute By Syeda Rizvi, Abi Murray & Michael Hartt PAGE EDITOR & STAFF REPORTERS Each year, 2011 alum Peter Cherry finds himself in a smaller pool of substitute teachers than the last. “Well, there is more frequency for work, that's for sure,” Cherry said. “It is not really as stable in pay as it used to be,
and it is affecting whether or not people are interested in education.” A new bill created by Michigan lawmakers proposes lowering the college credits required for a substitute teacher from 90 to 60 credits or an associate's degree. The Michigan House approved the bill, and it will be moving to Senate for further approval this year in hopes of making it easier to recruit substitutes. Teacher shortages are becoming a common problem in Michigan. According to the Detroit News, for every 100 classrooms that needed a substitute in 2012, 95 could find one. But just a few years later, that rate dropped 10 percent. A combination of low pay, state laws making it harder for retired teachers to re-enter classrooms and a general decline in enrollment in programs that prepare
teachers are causes of the shortage, according to Cherry. Cherry said he thinks people in the community assume that the Grosse Pointe Public School System doesn’t have sufficient substitute teachers because there are behavior issues in the classroom. He disagrees. “When we go through our education coursework at the collegiate level, we are learning techniques in classroom management, and as a substitute teacher, you should be able to implement some of those techniques that you learned,” Cherry said. “(Behavioral problems are) nothing that we are not going to deal with as regular teachers. The difference is that we will see the students more frequently.”
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Chemistry Club research to be published By Rory Angott & Arzoo Chhaya PAGE EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER Inspired by the tragedy of the Flint water crisis, alumnus Ben Sosnowski, along with senior Michal Ruprecht, alumnus Ben Sliwinski and junior Polly Fitzgerald, finally came to the successful creation of a ligand that could remove metal ions from water (like in Flint) after nearly a year of green chemistry research. This feat warranted publishing in the chemistry reference book, “Green Chemistry Processes: Developments in Research and Education.” Chemistry Club adviser Steven Kosmas named the ligand, which is a molecule that binds to other molecules, “troctopus” because of its three octopus-like arms, which act like a claw crane machine. The group worked at the University of Detroit Mercy alongside Professor and Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UDM Dr. Mark Benvenuto, who acted as a mentor for the students. “Although our first efforts are simply to test if they can take any ions from water-based solutions," Benvenuto said. Benvenuto is the author of the “Green Chemistry Processes” series and said the "Developments in Research and Education" volume will be about putting more green chemistry ideas into both class and lab work. Kosmas, Ruprecht, Sosnowski, Sliwinski and Fitzgerald will be contributing authors. “The experience was amazing, and I'm not just saying that because we were allowed to do this for free,” Sosnowski said via email. At UDM, the students had access to equipment such as a nuclear magnetic resonance machine, which allowed them to test the ligand’s magnetic properties and identity. “(Dr. Benvenuto) provided us with a lab to work in as well as all the materials we used during our research, including all reactants used, glassware, use of an NMR machine and perhaps most importantly, his time,” Sosnowski said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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SADD hosts safety seminar, driving simulator By Lindsey Ramsdell & Ben Uram EDIOTR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF REPORTER For senior Zoey Lightbody, a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions, hearing stories of distracted driving is heart wrenching. SADD is trying to combat distracted driving by hosting an augmented reality simulator on campus Feb. 7. “It impacts me so much to hear stories about teens who have passed away due to a mistake they made while driving,” Lightbody said. “Especially when those teens have other people in the car. They aren’t just risking their own life at that point they’re risking others in the car as well, and every driver is at risk when one is distracted.” Each day in the United States, approximately nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. Among teens ages 16 to 29, distracted driving is the number one cause of fatalities. To raise awareness, SADD has been passing out pamphlets and decorating their announcement board with posters related to the topic. But, today they will also be recruiting students to participate in the augmented reality driving simulator.
VOLUME 50 | ISSUE 10
News Briefs
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The simulator is brought to schools by the P.E.E.R.S. Foundation in partnership with General Motors. SADD adviser Lisa Steiner and student activities director Peggy Bonbrisco will be sending kids in tutorial down to the PAC throughout the day to experience the simulator. “A person is placed in the driver seat of a GM vehicle that is rigged to be immobile, but functional in terms of the steering wheel, blinkers and pedals,” Steiner said. “Drivers are provided a META2 head-mounted display that is equipped with (augmented reality) that presents them with incredibly realistic, simulated scenarios that the driver must react to.” The headset will instruct the student to do different things while driving such as turn on the radio, text someone or talk to their friend. At some point during a span of 30 seconds to four minutes, the driver will get in a crash. Twenty to 25 students will be at the simulator during one period, and the students waiting line will be able to watch on screens a real-time display of what the driver is seeing in the car. The opportunity came to SADD club through Bonbrisco, who received a flyer about it in the mail. Then, she brought it to the club
Editorial On Campus
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P.E.E.R.S. FOUNDATION
advisers, Steiner and foods teacher Stacy Kryzminiski. “We’re always looking for different and more advanced ways to reach kids, because signs and posters only go so far,” Kryzminski said. “But an actual experience where they can sit and talk and really feel like they crashed a car because they were looking at their phone is way more memorable than just a poster.” Steiner aims to send 100 kids through the simulator. Students will be asked to complete a questionnaire a few weeks after the experiencing so P.E.E.R.S. can assess the scale of its impact. Steiner said that if she receives positive results from the simulator, she will ask the company to come back next year. Lightbody said she hopes the simulator will provide a deeper level of awareness to SADD’s distracted driving initiative. “I hope to be able to influence students by showing how devastating distracted driving can be, and how much it could impact their life,” she said. “And to show them that their safety is more important than any text message.”
Life Reviews
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By Michael Hartt & Nick Asimakis STAFF REPORTERS
For the first time ever, the Grosse Pointe Public School System is having a comprehensive analysis of all infrastructure needs that should be met for each school by holding town hall style meetings at each school. The North Town Hall took place in the Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The meetings, directed by the Blue Ribbon Committee, will include a walkthrough of the school, a discussion of future plans and a forum for community members to give their input on what key infrastructure needs should be addressed. “Our goal is to have 400-600 people attend this spring to garner input from the broader community,” Rebecca Fannon, special events coordinator of GPPSS, said. According to Fannon, key infrastructure needs that have been identified at North are the stairwells and windows. She said they will be the first items that the School Board sets aside money to fix. At the meetings there will also be items that are considered low priority and will not likely be upgraded soon. Items that are low priority for North are tablets, computers and the technological hardware. Social studies teacher Dan Gilleran said technology should be a high priority and listed as one of the critical needs addressed by the committee. “We have to upgrade the technology and they know that. I'm not saying that these people don't know that are in charge. Especially when we are talking about doing the M-STEP online and the SAT and everything online,” he said. “I lose the internet connection because the cord is so tight and heavy and old. I mean what if every teacher had a laptop? Then we could bring it home and do our work then come back.” Social studies teacher Terri Steimer agrees with Gilleran. She thinks that the quality of technology across the district does not reflect its reputation. “It is almost embarrassing that we have a premiere school district with so little technology,” Steimer said. “We definitely do not have enough computers, whether they are desktop computers or handheld. That goes without saying, and our speed of the internet has to increase, so obviously broadband has to be increased in all the schools.” The Blue Ribbon Committee has already gone through the schools to identify infrastructure needs and classify them as critical needs, deferred maintenance or property improvement. The meetings throughout the school district are to affirm the classifications already identified by the committee, and also take the community’s opinions into account. According to the Blue Ribbon Committee report that was presented to committee members on Dec. 7, the Blue Ribbon Committee has already found over $111 million worth of critical needs that need to be met throughout GPPSS. The committee plans on getting the money needed for the upgrades by looking into the possibility of raising education taxes up to two-and-a-half percent higher than what they already are. Overall, Gilleran thinks that the town hall meetings are a great idea, and that a lot of improvements will be done as a result of the meetings. “It is always important to get honest feedback on what's going on in the school, because sometimes when you are here everyday for eight or nine hours a day you can kind of lose sight of some of the big picture items that really need to be taken a look at,” Gilleran said. “I think it is important that they listen to the teachers, that they listen to the students. It is one thing to hear what people say, but then to also take their suggestions, take them seriously, and move forward with it is another.”
In-Depth Sports
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2 – Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 – North Pointe
IN BRIEF Track conditioning begins As the spring sports season draws closer, boys track coach Sean McCarroll will be using days beforehand for student conditioning, focusing on drilling runners back into form. McCarroll encourages anybody who is interested in running track to attend the conditioning. Through the drills, he explained, students will be able to continue building muscle further on into the season, as long as they perform them correctly. “Conditioning is our chance to get everybody back in shape for the season. We really work on a lot of different muscle groups. So we work on leg strength and speed and agility and endurance, and we do a lot of core and upper body,” he said. “We’re just trying to get the whole body back in shape.” Track conditioning will be from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Boys will condition Tuesdays and Thursdays, girls will meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Runners should meet at the vending machines in the A building.
Link crew holds seminar Link Crew will hold a seminar on Feb. 12 from 8-8:30 a.m. in the gymnasium. Since the date is also a late start Monday, students won’t miss scheduled classes during the time they spend with their mentors. While it’s not a mandatory meeting, Link Crew member junior Emma Martell said she encourages freshmen to attend. Martell explained that freshmen will play games and do activities similar to icebreakers with Link Crew members, and both groups will get to know one another better than before. She hopes she will be able to connect with her freshmen on a personal level by the end of the seminar. “Yeah, I just want them to know that if they need someone, they can talk to me about anything, and that we’re friends,” she said.
Library hosts lecture series Friends of the Grosse Pointe Public Libraries is presenting a series of four book lectures by college professors at the Ewald Branch of the library in Grosse Pointe Park. Starting Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., one of the four guest speakers will talk about a specific book for about a half hour, then for the remaining time, answer questions about the book. Friends of GPPL is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to supporting and expanding all programs of the public library system. According to member Tom Fentin, the idea to start the lecture series came from former Friends of GPPL president Mary Beth Smith. “The series was started over 15 years ago so that all Grosse Pointers would have the opportunity to interact with university professors in discussions about some of the great works of literature,” Fentin said via email. Though all sessions are free and open to everyone, registration for each lecture is required because space is limited. Anyone wishing to attend can either fill out a form on the Friends website or call the office at 313-343-2074 (ext. 204). For further information on dates of each speaker, call or visit any of the Grosse Pointe Public Library branches.
By Cairington Stahl & Colin Haroutunian
Follow @TheNorthPointe on Twitter for Updates
NEWS
Cyber security class to start next fall By Erin Kaled WEB EDITOR Passwords and data security will be topics covered in the new Cybersecurity class. The class will be piloted next year and was originally pitched by TV teacher Brian Stackpoole. It’s aimed at students with an interest in a career in technology. “There is a tremendous need for cybersecurity workers in the nation, but specifically here in southeastern Michigan,” Stackpoole said via email. “The cybersecurity field has seen a 414 percent increase in job openings since 2010 in Michigan.” Partnering with the Michigan Initiative for Cyber Education, the class will be a part of the Career and Technical Education program. Enrolled students can earn various professional certifications in cyber essentials, Internet of things and CompTIA A+ certification. Sophomore Michael Kehrig looks forward to the class if it runs and said he thinks it would spark an interest in North students. “With a growing dependence on technology in our society today, it’s necessary that people understand how to navigate and use the internet safely,” Kehrig
said. “Somewhere in the near future, I could see this class becoming mandatory at North, like an applied art or language credit because it is such a relevant subject.” He says he would hope to walk away with a better understanding of ways to stay safe on the internet and how to identify potential scammers or viruses. “From what I’ve gathered taking technology-related classes, most of my peers, as well as myself, enjoyed taking them and wouldn’t mind continuing to take those classes in the future,” Kehrig said. Kehrig is also interested in the certificates he could gain from the clasws. “I'm really excited about the ability for students to receive certification from classes like this one,” Kehrig said. “The application of resources will help students who are interested in these subjects prepare themselves for the real world and whatever jobs they wish to have.” Although Stackpoole originally had trouble funding the project and has faced other obstacles the past several years, he was finally able to pitch the idea. Stackpoole recently met with North and South counselors about the subject. “Cybersecurity would be a great class
Chem Club CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Without the labs at Mercy and the help of Benvenuto, Sosnowski said that the experience wouldn’t have been the same, and that this experience was new and exciting for the whole team. Junior Polly Fitzgerald, who has been a member of Chem Club since her sophomore year, agreed with Sosnowski. “I think this is one of the best experiences of being in high school,” Fitzgerald said. “This is something that high school students really never get to do and we were working with undergrad students at UDM.” Kosmas is excited about the publishing and hopes it will inspire people to increase their interest in green chemistry. “I think it is unusual for high school students to be published,” Kosmas said via email. “So I am very happy to see my students' (work) get published.”
Sub shortage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The impact of this shortage can be seen in Grosse Pointe. According to English teacher Alyssa Sandoval, finding substitutes in the English department has been a struggle. With the promotion of Geoffrey Young from an English teacher to assistant principal, a position opened up for a long-term sub in the English department. Sandoval said that she can see the notable difference in substitute ratings. Sandoval said when she was in high school, there were many more experienced teachers who would come in as the form of a substitute. But now, the English department is finding it challenging to get substitutes with enough qualifications to teach higher-level classes. When it came to finding replacements for Young, no substitute met the qualifications that the department was looking for. So far, the school has been unable to find replacement teachers, which has resulted in changes made to current staff schedules. English teacher Charles Crimando is now taking Young’s Freshman Assist course along with his fifth hour AP Language and Composition. Sandoval is taking sixth hour AP Lang, and English teachers Jonathan Byrne and Allison Dunn are taking seventh hour AP Lang and second hour Explorations in Reading, respectively. Although Crimando is new to the course, junior Zac Ozomoor isn’t
for someone who is interested in the Information Technology field but would also be useful in other fields like law enforcement,” Stackpoole said. “We were able to get the class on the course selection form.” Although the teacher who would be in charge of the class is unknown, many in the school district are CTE certified. If it’s run at North, the class would be counted as a computer credit and will be available to sophomores through seniors. Cybersecurity I will be offered first semester and Cybersecurity II second semester. In two years, Advanced Cybersecurity will be offered as a pilot class. Senior Noah Lutes wishes he would have had the chance to take the class since he uses computers every day. “I would've hoped to learn how to protect my internet footprint and navigate the Web safer,” Lutes said. “I took a lot of electives that I didn't need this year, and I wish they had (Cybersecurity) this year because it sounds pretty interesting.” Stackpoole says he looks forward to the outcome of the class after his meeting with counselors in December. “We expect the class will be very popular,” Stackpoole said. “Students have already shown a great interest.”
Fitzgerald said, as a team of just four students, the work was tough. But, it gave her a valuable experience that taught her more than she imagined. As a result of the research, Ruprecht was awarded the 2017 American Chemistry Chemistry Society CIBA Travel Award and a letter of recognition from Gov. Rick Snyder celebrating his victory. Ruprecht was also the first high school student in America to receive this honor. Ruprecht will travel to the ACS National Meeting in Boston this August to present the research. Previously, the team presented their research at the ACS Regional Meeting at the Henry Ford Hotel in Dearborn. Going into the process, the team had no intentions of getting their work published. Rather, they looked to learn and were grateful for the experience. “The doctor we were working with realized that the stuff we did could be something, so he sent it to a referee journal. They started editing it and then they decided that they could publish it,” Fitzgerald said. “We went in with the intent of just having the whole experience of the situation, not to get our work published.”
concerned about having him as his substitute for AP Lang. Ozomoor said students prefer teachers they already have a sense of familiarity with over newly hired subs. “Some people like that we have a shortage in (substitute teachers) because we get some of our old teachers back from sophomore and freshman year that we already know,” Ozomoor said. Sandoval, who has never taught an AP class before, is a little worried over how she will be able to adapt to the new position. “I think I’m more nervous because the students are nervous. They want to get the highest scores,” Sandoval said. “But, this group of students in AP were the kids I taught my first year. That’s nice, and I haven't seen them since they were freshmen, and to see them grow is amazing.” Cherry sees the substitute shortage as a quantitative problem that involves all of Southeastern Michigan, Grosse Pointe included, but doesn’t believe that it has affected the quality of the pool. He said that although teaching and subbing is a job that, paired with changing pay and inconsistent work, may deter people from the field, the people who do chose to sub know what they signed up for and are ready to do what is asked of them. “We are not seeing as many people taking substitute teaching as a part time job because they are going and pursuing other avenues to make a living,” he said. “Teachers have a hard time, substitute teachers have a hard time. We are dealing with teenagers. We know what we signed up for.”
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EDITORIAL
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“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 Abbey Cadieux EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Lindsey Ramsdell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alex Harring MANAGING EDITOR
Rory Angott PAGE EDITOR
Sofia Ketels PAGE EDITOR
Syeda Riviz PAGE EDITOR
Arzoo Chhaya STAFF REPORTER
Michael Hartt STAFF REPORTER
Caitlin Bush MANAGING EDITOR Zoe Graves PAGE EDITOR Hannah Zalewski PAGE EDITOR
Amelia Nowicki Charles Bernas STAFF REPORTER INTERN 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.
ZOE GRAVES
OUR EDITORIAL
North Pointe – Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 – 3
Park pass policy alienates outsiders Sitting by the pool and having fun with friends was just one of the few things MY TURN that I enjoyed doing MICHAEL during the summer HARTT when I was younger, and doing it with my friends from Harper Woods made it all the more fun. But, with the newly implemented policy going into effect this spring, children above 8 years old have to get a photo taken upon recieving a park pass. With this revisioned policy, residents of Grosse Pointe Woods will no longer be able to enjoy the facilities at the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Park with their friends from Harper Woods as often, because the act of sharing park passes will no longer be possible. I don’t like this new park pass policy. Let me tell you why. The creation of the new policy was put into motion after incidents were reported at the Grosse Pointe Woods Park. Many non-residents were using park passes to gain entry, and also caused property damage and assaulted park employees. It is important to note, however, that there have been equally unsettling incidents involving property damage from residents who have their own park passes. My concern stretches beyond the basic summer get-together. It worries me that children from Harper Woods that are in the Grosse Pointe Public Schools would not be able to hang out with their friends from Grosse Pointe as regularly. This could result in children from Harper Woods that are in GPPSS feeling left out of activities with their friends all summer long. A solution to the problem would be to allow homeowners in Harper Woods that live within GPPSS boundaries to buy park passes for a set amount, or for the average amount that Grosse Pointe Woods taxpayers pay in taxes to the park. This would allow for people in Harper Woods that live within the GPPSS and pay taxes for the
GPPSS to fairly purchase park passes and assure that their children will not be excluded from activities in Grosse Pointe city parks. Also, it is important to note the alarming privacy concerns that could arise once the city of Grosse Pointe Woods has photographs of almost every citizen in the area. People’s pictures and personal information could be used for different purposes, or even be stolen. The city could use the pictures in conjunction with a photo identification software and security cameras to identify citizens movements in Grosse Pointe Woods without their consent. Or, if the photographs were left in an unsecured database, hackers could potentially access and sell them on the dark web resulting in the creation of fake IDs. Although these security threats may seem like a stretch, similar incidents have happened in our own backyard. During the Summer of 2016, hackers accessed personal information such as pictures, telephone numbers and full names through the Archdiocese of Detroit’s database of teachers who taught at Catholic schools in the area. The stolen information was believed to have been sold on the dark web. While these incidents occur around us, it is important that we don't minimize the possible threats photo ID’s raise. These are factors that need to be taken into consideration, especially before stripping citizens from their recreational freedoms. The next step for the Grosse Pointe Woods City Council should be to find a solution that addresses the security concerns of the city, while only keeping necessary information and allowing non-residents into the park. Totally excluding Harper Woods residents, who attend the same schools as Grosse Pointers, from the park is the wrong solution to a minor problem, and the proposed solution has more issues than it solves.
Students self-sabotage when it comes to substitute teacehers Our school district is one of the best in the state of Michigan. We’re rated number one in both “Districts with the Best Teachers” and “Best Places to Teach,” and we are the fourth best school district in Michigan on Niche. Yet, we’re still drowning in a lack of substitute teachers. Recently, there has been a statewide shortage of substitute teachers that education officials credit to the longtime enrollment decline in teacher preparation programs, low pay and a Michigan law that makes it difficult for retired teachers to reenter the classroom. In an effort to have more people qualify for substitute teaching positions, the Michigan House of Representatives approved a bill that would lessen the number of college credits required for substitute teacher from 90 to 60. However, lowering the requirements to qualify for a substitute teaching job isn’t enough to solve the problem. Substitute teachers can make anywhere from $8090 a day, which results in a yearly salary of around $15,000 for the year, if a substitute manages to teach in a classroom every day of the school year. Even then, this hits close to the poverty line for educators and their families. They also have the added responsibility of a classroom full of children who view them as nothing more than a stranger watching their class for the day. The few subs remaining in the pool have a choice of which districts they want to teach at, and treating them disrespectfully when they come to North has the potential to exacerbate our worsening sub shortage. As cliché as it sounds, we only get one first impression, and substitutes will remember how students acted the last time they taught here when — or if — they are asked back. If all they remember is being berated and blatantly ignored by students, there’s a slim chance they’ll come back anytime soon, especially on short notice. Students constantly complain about the quality of our substitute teachers yet never consider changing their attitudes or behavior when their regular teacher is gone. It’s unintentional self-sabotage, and students don’t even realize it. This isn’t a lost cause for students at North. While there are other factors leading to the shortage of substitutes, we as students can do our best to respect the ones who do choose to come to North. Our behavior towards the substitutes in any classroom environment ref lects all of the students, teachers and employees in the district. By making a bad impression on substitutes, we could potentially jeopardize another classroom’s ability to find a sub for the day. More specifically, the teachers in this building can be directly impacted by this shortage. When a substitute can’t be found to teach a class, another teacher can be pulled out of their own planning period in order to cover for the teacher that was out that day. This takes away not only their break from teaching a class, but also the valuable planning time for the other classes that they teach. We as students represent our school, and therefore we represent our district. We’re unintentionally tarnishing our district when we disrespect substitutes, and at the same time lowering the quality of substitutes available to us. Our actions have consequences, and one way or another will come back to haunt us. If we want better substitute teachers, we need to start acting like we deserve them.
“It’s probably not a good thing because most teachers will have to find somebody who’s not ordinarily a substitute teacher, so the kids might not get as great of a learning experience.” Daniel Vogler FRESHMAN
“It’s not good because when a teacher needs to be off, whether it’s maternity leave or sick leave, teachers are people too, and I think that more people should apply for substitute teaching jobs.” Mia Mattaliano SOPHOMORE
“When teachers aren’t here, it leaves the students without anyone to be in charge of them, and they’re just getting random people to watch them.” Deborah Lagos JUNIOR
YOUR TURN: What is your opinion on the substitute teacher shortage? By Brooklyn McWhorter
“I don’t have a lot of substitute teachers, so it doesn’t affect me as much. I feel like most teachers have a pretty good attendance rate.”
Julie Pappas
Elijah Manson
MATH TEACHER
SENIOR
NORTH
“I think it's sad that we don’t have enough people to substitute for teachers, and I think we need to do whatever we can to find more.”
POINTE
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Abbey Cadieux, Lindsey Ramsdell MANAGING EDITORS: Caitlin Bush, Alex Harring EDITORS-AT-LARGE: Anna Post, Michal Ruprecht BUSINESS MANAGER: Allison Lackner WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR: Sonny Mulpuri WEBSITE EDITORS: Erin Kaled, Billy Steigelman PAGE EDITORS: Rory Angott, Amber Braker, Zoe Graves, Sofia Ketels, Katelynn Mulder, Syeda Rizvi, Katie Thomas, Hannah Zalewski STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Marina Gabriel, Jillian LaPere, Rachel Malinowski, Alyssa McLarty, Ashley Sexton, Nya Tatum, Kennedy Williams STAFF REPORTERS: Nick Asimakis, Elizabeth Ballinger, Arzoo Chhaya, Jordan Craighead, Michael Hartt, Sophie Kehrig, Mariah Loper, Brooklyn McWhorter, Taylor Mitchell, Abi Murray, Amelia Nowicki, Adam Schwartz, Sarah Shanley, Cairington Stahl, Benjamin Uram, Emily Widgren INTERNS: Amelia Abraham, JoAnna Alexander, Charlie Bernas, Aundrianna Boles, Savannah Burguron, Maggie Carron, Nadia Fama, Colin Haroutunian, Donald Hightower, Raven Jason, Cheryl Knorp, Emily
“It’s unfortunate that the number of people going into education has gone down to a point that we are unable to fill the needs that the schools have.” Andrew Taylor HISTORY TEACHER
McCloskey, Preston Rossignol, Katlyn RoodBallard, Amelia Schock, Sydney Semack, Jonathan Smith, Cordy Wettstein The North Pointe is edited and produced by journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Readers are encouraged to write letters to the editor. Letters are edited only for length and are screened for libel and obscenity. We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online. The North Pointe is printed on 100 percent recycled paper. CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Email: gpnnorthpointe@gmail.com Phone: 313.432.3248 Twitter: @TheNorthPointe Website: northpointenow.org FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE
EDITOR'S DESK KATIE THOMAS
The exclusivity of feminism
Women and men across the country came together to fight for gender equality during the anniversary of the Women’s March on Saturday, Jan. 20. As the media coverage for the event increased, I noticed there were different subgroups within the feminist movement that seek the same goal but achieve it with different methods. The march also shed light on the exclusivity and lack of representation of minority women in the movement, which could be toxic. White feminism is the most covered form of feminism in the media. This leads people to believe that Caucasian women are the only demographic supported by the movement, and that it’s the only type of feminism. The truth is, feminism can sometimes be a misunderstood movement. While some members incorrectly represent the entire movement, others, usually minorities, are overshadowed and are left without a voice. When people are asked to think about a feminist, many think of a white, upper-middle class woman. Even Google agrees. When you search for "feminist," the majority of the images are of Rosie the Riveter. While Rosie is certainly an icon in the women's movement, it's hard to believe that she embodies the struggles of women of color, LGBTQ or poor women. In this fight for the equality of women, it should be the goal of all feminists to include every type of female in the fight. Fact is, within the community of women, we all have different backgrounds, demographics and struggles. When the “face” of feminism is a singular identity, it’s clear that the needs of all women are not being met. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a white or Asian woman is paid 83 cents to every dollar that a man makes. However, women of color make significantly less than that. In fact, they make 59-65 cents per dollar. It’s true, all women face some form of a wage gap compared to men, but, within the female demographic, there is also inequality that is rarely addressed or advocated by the feminist movement as a whole. It’s contradictory to be a feminist who only believes in the progression of equality for some women. The struggle of a young, Muslim woman is very different from an elderly, gay woman or a middle-aged Latina woman. Feminism should reflect the diversity of every woman in the world, meaning it should include all endeavors and lifestyles. And when it doesn’t, it could become unappealing. This is where the concept of intersectional feminism becomes important. This concept basically serves as a reminder that people go through different shades of obstacles or struggles in their lives that are unique to their background and the way that society reacts to them. Intersectionality accounts for additional bigotry of different types of women, including racism, homophobia or discrimination of one's religion, class or physical health. Tr u t h f u l l y, m a j o r i t y demographics in the feminist movement will probably never truly understand the different obstacles that their minority peers face and vice versa. However, being a feminist means making the effort to learn about the struggles of other females and becoming an advocate for tribulations that don’t even apply to ourselves. That is how this movement will progress—how women can truly become a force to be reckoned with.
ON CAMPUS
4 – Wednesday Feb. 7, 2018 – North Pointe
FACES IN THE CROWD Ava Taylor
Charity Week Student Association runs a week dedicated to raising money for the I Love Lucy foundation
By Hannah Zalewski & Jordan Craighead PAGE EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER JORDAN CRAIGHEAD
BAKING HOPE| Sophomore Clare Loch frosts sugar cookies for Student Association’s Cookie Monster Day during Charity Week. The purpose of Charity Week was to raise money for the I Love Lucy fund. “It eases the financial burden that cancer brings because some families don’t have proper health care coverage to pay for their kids’ treatment,” Loch said. “So this just eases their burden and can help families pay to get their treatment and battle childhood cancer.”
JORDAN CRAIGHEAD
JORDAN CRAIGHEAD
SWEET TOOTH | Senior Ruth McCuen distributes cookies to students in Jonathan Byrne’s first hour English class. “(Charity Week) is combined with South this year so that we can both get a feel of what it's like to be a part of something like this,” McCuen said. "(North has not done this before), I’m a senior so for the four years that I have been here they have not."
ICING ON THE CAKE| Sophomore Claire Yee decorates some of the cookies that were sold on Cookie Monster Day. Yee’s been working with Student Association on Charity Week since the beginning of the year. “Everyone has been really generous with their helping and their donations, so we really appreciate it all,” Yee said.
Since she was a child, freshman Ava Taylor has followed her dreams of playing football. “I followed my dreams,” Taylor said. “I love that sport so much. I just wanted to play football from when I was 8 years old. I finally did it.” She first began playing the sport with her friends at recess when she was in elementary school. Though she loves football, it’s been a struggle getting to where she is today. Being the only girl on the freshman team, she felt alienated by most of the guys. “I loved it, and I still really love it so much, but it was really hard because the guys on the team were jerks to me,” she said. “Now I got over it, and they stick up for me, and it's cool. It's hard, but it's easier now.”
Karina Hartley
Freshman Karina Hartley has had the opportunity to travel the world ever since she was little. Last summer, she went to Denmark and has also been to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Canada and Costa Rica. Hartley often travels with her family but also goes with a program called Children's International Summer Villages. This program lets her travel with other people her age. “Im hoping to go to Brazil this year and maybe take a year abroad in South Africa,” she said. Hartley’s favorite place she’s traveled to was Paris because of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, Hartley wasn’t able to go to the top because the lines were too long. Hartley enjoys seeing how the cultures are in new places. “(In America) you can see people on the street and if they’re a different race you don't think much of it. In other cultures they are a lot more similar. Like in Denmark a lot of them have blond hair and blue eyes more so than any other race.”
Coy Catrett
CAIRINGTON STAHL
ALL IN A DAY'S WORK | Teachers Dunn, Crimando and Andy Montague enjoy some pancakes after finishing their chef duties. "I thought that (the pancake breakfast) went well and had a strong turn-out," Dunn said.
Music has played a significant role in sophomore Coy Catrett’s life. At the age of 10, Catrett began playing the saxophone and later picked up the drums and piano. Catrett likes playing saxophone the most because he enjoys all the possibilities he can experiment with. “There's so many ways you can bend the notes and have fun with it and cover other artists,” Catrett said. This summer, he had the opportunity to play with a band at a live performance in Detroit. The late-night show included covers of Stevie Wonder and a solo by Catrett. Aside from working on his instrumental skills, he has recently been exploring his lyrical capabilities. “We went on this really long vacation to South Dakota,” Catrett said. “So during the car ride, me and my cousin were really bored and just started free styling. I was like, ‘Hey, I’m not too bad at this,’ and then I started writing. I just wanted to see how far this goes.”
MARIAH LOPER
FLIPPING FLAPJACKS | Teachers Charles Crimando and Allison Dunn serving up some batter on the griddle. "Charity week is a chance to give back, as a community, to our community, and have a positive effect on those around us," Dunn said.
By Ray Jason, Charlie Bernas & Abi Murray
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Social studies teacher Ben Winn By Donald Hightower STAFF REPORTER
BEN WINN
LONG-RUNNING LEGACY | Social studies teacher Ben Winn poses for his school picture. "I've been swimming since the age of three. My brother and sister (were) both swimmers since before I was even born, so I was like a baby on the pool deck," Winn said. "I started swimming at the Romeo Dolphin swim club. I swam there from ages 3 to 17. I also swam for Romeo High School (and) Twin Lakes Club. I swam at Romeo High School, I think I have three records (in the) fifty free, the 100 breast, and the 400 free relay."
Teacher by day and coach by night, Ben Winn is the second long-term sub for social studies teacher Pat Hicks, who’s been out on medical leave since the beginning of the year. When Winn isn’t in the classroom, he’s coaching the varsity swim team here at North. He has been swimming for the past 23 years, but this is his first year as head coach. Winn started swimming around the age of 3. He became interested in the sport after watching his brother and sister swim. He chose to stay with swimming through his childhood and started to swim for the Twin Lakes Club in Oakland Township. He enjoyed it there but said he wanted more, so he started swimming in high school as well. After graduating from Romeo High School, Winn moved to downtown Detroit and started attending Wayne State University. He was at Wayne State for four years, and got a degree in social studies with a minor in Spanish. Coaching helps Winn feel like he’s giving something back to the swimming community and helps him
build relationships with athletes. Additionally, when Winn began coaching at the Lochmoor Club three years ago, his coaching experience there helped him to build relationships with students at North before he considered coaching or teaching here. He said it has additional benefits, too. “It also hones my own craft and my own skills as I was competing,” Winn said. “It’s something I’ve really grown to do, and I really enjoy seeing.” When Winn isn’t doing anything school related, he likes to spend time with his dog Olive, a YorkieChihuahua mix with an abnormally long tongue. “My favorite thing to do with my dog is walk her, cuddle with her and watch (her) chase the laser from the laser pointer,” Winn said. Winn is looking forward to mid-winter break. He plans on relaxing and preparing for the swim team’s league meet. He said he’s really looking forward to all the hard training they are going to be doing. “That’s going to be a very crucial point in our training,” Winn said. “To kind of start resting and start getting prepared for our fast swimming that weekend.”
DO YOU PREFER BOOKS OR WATCHING TV? Both, typically. I really like if there’s a story coming out about a book. I always like to read the book first. I'm a really avid reader.
FAVORITE FOOD?
I'm a huge fan of tacos, no matter what's in them. I used to have this place next to my apartment that would make tacos all day and night, really authentic. It’s one my favorite foods.
WHATS YOUR DREAM VACATION? Machu Picchu. It’s a very mystical place, and the architecture there is amazing, especially on the mountain side, and it’s a culture that I'm really interested in. I think it would be a once-in-alifetime vacation.
FAVORITE BOOK? “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. My favorite part about “Of Mice and Men” is the story. I like how it’s the two of them working together and traveling from place to place and really like their relationship... even though Lennie is sometimes rude, he still has George’s back, and I like that it’s a gripping tale, and I think that it’s just a classic American story.
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LIFE
North Pointe – Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 – 5
The su ge of SoundCloud rappers
By Katie Thomas & Sydney Semack PAGE EDITOR & INTERN
For many rappers, SoundCloud is the first stop on the journey to rap superstardom. The popular app has launched such stars as Chance the Rapper, Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty into the mainstream. Not only is SoundCloud a free platform for artists to upload their music to, it is also free for listeners as well, providing more opportunity for musicians to gain popularity and be discovered. Along with thousands of rappers around the world, students have taken a liking to the platform as a way to create their own music.
Taylor Purnell
Will Baxter
Senior
Senior
When did you start rapping? “I started rapping a few months ago, for no other reason than entertainment. It’s fun to make music, and hear your peers listen and vibe to it.”
When did you start rapping? “I’ve always been rapping, but I started putting it on the track like a year ago, and I started because my brother kind of put me on to it. He was like, ‘you might as well,’ so I started.”
Why SoundCloud? “SoundCloud is efficient and easy to use, and I also use YouTube to broadcast my music.”
TAYLOR PURNELL
Do you plan on pursuing rap as a career? “I’m just rapping for fun right now. If a career unfolds somehow from it, then I’d gladly pursue it.”
Why SoundCloud? “It’s a free platform market, and it’s easy.” WILL BAXTER
Do you plan on pursuing rap as a career? “I would love to if I was given the opportunity to. I do it for fun, but I would love to be able to do it as a job.”
Influences? “My rap influences are really everyone in the industry today because I think everyone is bad. Being my competitive self, I believe that I can create better and more meaningful music.” What is the process of making a song like for you? “When creating a song, I find a beat that I like, take it to the studio, and record it. It’s actually very simple. The uploading process isn’t really difficult either. I basically just grab the audio from my computers and choose the website or platform I want to upload it on. Usually I just go to the studio and record. I don’t always write down lyrics. I feel the beat and just rap on it.”
Influences? “The people around me, Migos and Big Sean.” What is the process of making a song like for you? “My engineer/day one (brother) makes the beats, and sometimes we will give him a beat idea or a song idea, and he’ll just go in and cook it up. I actually give more respect to the producers and engineers because there is a lot of work for them to do.”
Scan here to visit his SoundCloud.
Scan here to visit his SoundCloud.
Chloe Redeye
Tony Golia
Senior
Senior
When did you start rapping? “About a week and a half ago, I started because it was midterms week, and I was super bored so I just thought that I would try something new.”
When did you start rapping? “About three months ago. I started rapping just kind of to express myself and to express some sort of creativity.”
Why SoundCloud? “I like it because of the fact that I don’t have to put my face out there if I don’t want to. I can just let my words speak for themselves.” Do you plan on pursuing rap as a career? “No, I just do it for fun.”
CHLOE REDEYE
What do you enjoy most about rapping? “Honestly, I just like to see how many people are listening to my stuff. Like, that’s pretty cool.” What is the process of writing a song like for you? “Actually, it’s kind of relaxing because I just put my thoughts on paper, and I feel pretty chill about it afterwards. There’s a couple that I’ve just freestyled, like I haven’t written anything down, but for the majority of them, I do. (I) write them down, practice them once or twice, and then record them.”
Scan here to visit her SoundCloud.
Why SoundCloud? “It’s easy for people to get ahold of your music, and they can download it whenever they want and listen to TONY GOLIA it whenever they want, as opposed to YouTube, (which is) not so easy. On the YouTube app, you can’t just go in and out of your phone and listen to music, so it’s easier that way.” Do you plan on pursuing rap as a career? “Not necessarily. I just kind of do it to get my thoughts not necessarily on paper, but just out there.” Influences? “Definitely a lot of Detroit rap, like Eminem, obviously. I like more lyrical rap. I’m not down with the mumble rap. I like hearing a good message or a story being told.” What is the process of writing songs like for you? “I usually just listen to anything that inspires me. Like I’ll listen to it, I’ll sit down and write some notes on my phone and see how it sounds on recording, or I’ll hear a beat, and I’ll want to do it.”
Scan here to visit his SoundCloud.
REVIEWS
6 – Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 - North Pointe
Eden manifests a masterpiece on 'vertigo' By Zoe Graves PAGE EDITOR
Making music is easier than ever, and there’s a declining need for high-tech studio equipment and trained professionals to make songs worth listening to. The evolution of music is led by Grammy-winner Chance The Rapper, who won three out of his eight 2017 nominations without the backing of a major label. A lesser-known member of the movement is Irish singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer Jonathan Ng — better known by his stage name, EDEN. From age 7, Ng was classically trained in violin and later taught himself to play the drums, guitar and piano and then introduced himself to the digital audio workstation. From there, he began making music as The Eden Project, which later transformed into EDEN. The artist released his first full-length album, “vertigo,” on Jan. 19, and was the sole songwriter and producer throughout its entirety. The only part of the 52-minute album that he didn’t create himself was a dialogue sample from the 2000 Disney movie “The Emperor’s New Groove” featured on the track “falling in reverse.” Unlike many albums, the lyrics — as dreamy and virtuosic as they are — come second to the instrumentals and production of the album. The clash between the heavy electronic and alternative vibe the songs give off, combined with EDEN’s vocals, make the album a hypnotic experience and puts listeners a trance-like state. Despite the substantial production on each song, everything still ends up sounding effortless, bringing out the overwhelming beauty of both the production and EDEN’s voice. The album “vertigo” strays away from the overused theme of a relationship gone wrong, a message he told Earmilk he was tired of hearing. Instead, most of the album is a message to himself. The album opens with “wrong,” a minute and four seconds of EDEN’s vocals layered over each other in harmony with minimal backing. It embodies the tone of the album — a mix of disappointment towards the past and a glimmer of hope for the future. In the first few lines of “take care” (“Yeah, how could you be so careless? I sweat this I swear,”) he further explains that he’s actually talking to himself. In his interview with Atwood Magazine, EDEN shared that he is always asking himself how he could be so careless. He also talks about how he’s changed since he discontinued his previous alias, The Eden Project. On “gold,” he says, “Yeah, been chasing kairos with those scapegoat eyescan’t
you realize?” and references “Kairos” — one of his older songs as The Eden Project. The music Ng’s made under EDEN and The Eden Project differ immensely, despite small similarities in his personal production style. The Eden Project was much more electronic oriented, the music more similar to dubstep than anything else. The brief acknowledgment of “Kairos” is an ode to his roots, but the mention of “scapegoat eyes” afterwards makes it seem more like a final goodbye more than anything else. He closes out the album with “falling in reverse” — a five-minute farewell message to fans. The first half of the song is minimalistic, filled with mesmerizing high notes and messages of hope, EDEN referring to himself as “the voice in your head.” The background instrumentals pick up only slightly in the middle, but leave room for a soft violin and piano exit. The song is the perfect end to the album, slow but filled with messages of hope and encouragement, a change from the negative mindset heard at the beginning. “vertigo” is a masterpiece. Every beat, every note, every lyric is hypnotizing, entrancing the listener. EDEN’s self-production pays off, making the album seem more personal than it would have if it had been traditionally worked on by a multitude of different writers and producers. It’s a step in the right direction for the future of self-produced music, and Ng doesn’t seem to be changing anything about his production style anytime soon. If fans have anything to do about it, EDEN will be a name heard about for years to come.
"vertigo" (2018) iTunes, $9.99
EDEN
APP
ALBUM
BLUE MADONNA
Michigan born singer Garrett Clark Borns, nicknamed BØRNS, released yet another hypnotic mix of love songs. Just left of contemporary pop, the 26-yearBORNS.COM old’s album “Blue Madonna” brings techno vibes with synth and inexplicable style. On the album cover, Borns poses in a caramel Gucci suit, emblazoned with thick red and green racing stripes. Somehow he channels an homage to several different decades: an Old English font popular in the 1990s and a 1970s-inspired suit against a bluetinged tableaux straight out of a 1980s mall portrait shop. This strange amalgamation is perhaps the best description of the contents within. A duet with Lana Del Rey, “God Save Our Young Blood,” is the perfect first track to break the twoyear silence since his first album “Dopamine.” It’s an obvious contender for a radio single: smooth and melodic, yet upbeat enough to catch the attention of the masses. “Faded Heart” is saturated with a contrasting energy, rises with an animated drum beat and eases down with mesmerising vocals. Intermittently, violin cues up fluxuations with flourish. “Blue Madonna” feels more a midpoint between “Dopamine” and some new turning point he has yet to reveal. Although more or less satisfying, this album lacks the cohesion of the last. It seems Borns is testing the waters of more lyrically condensed pop music, which is characteristic to the radio waves typically coursing through the air. In the interim between “Dopamine” and “Blue Madonna,” Borns has become somewhat of a fashion icon. According to Vogue, a gig for Rebecca Minkoff’s Spring 2016 show soon sparked interest in the ultimate luxury brand Gucci. This may explain his newfound rhythm, evocative of catwalks and freshly-minted velvet. All artists change, but it always begs the question as to why. Has Borns shifted to become more palatable to the pop world, or is this modification indicative of stylistic growth? Can those two things be synonymous, or is the deterioration of the individual necessary to produce and package the BØRNS brand for mass consumption? Only time will tell. For now, sit back and let the ethereal refrain of “Bye-bye Darling” ease you into a stupor. "Blue Madonna"; 2018; Available for $9.99 By Sophie Kehrig
HELIHOPPER
Precise timing and understanding trajectory are vital skills for the app Helihopper, which allows users to move a helicopter from one platform ITUNES to another at different ranges and heights. Users face distractions like gusts of wind, which slow down the player and make it difficult to reach the required distance because the helicopter may fly too far or fall short of the platform. While users play this game, they must take into account the distance from the other platform. Helihoppper is similar to the app Temple Run. In both games, players will encounter distractions while playing. Although Temple Run offers fast-appearing obstacles that are easy to solve, Helihopper presents more complex tasks at a lower rate. This allows players to form unique strategies. Two game options make Helihopper standout from other apps. There is a normal story or mission mode, which requires players to reach platforms at different distances. The other option is endless mode, in which platforms continuously appear until the helicopter falls. Story mode has specific tasks, while endless mode tests consistency. As gamers advance through the required levels in both modes, they win gems at random platforms that are used to upgrade their helicopter. Improvements to style, size, shape and agility could help players advance in story and endless mode. Even though the game presents multiple obstacles, it would be beneficial to have a live competition mode where gamers play each other to showcase the skills they’ve learned. It could also help gamers improve their strategies. Another downfall to the app is the rate at which players receive gems. Instead of gaining gems unpredictably, players should gain gems after advancing through each platform. This would incentivize players to continue playing and eliminate thoughts of giving up. While traditional games focus on gaming skills, Helihopper forces gamers to have their own strategy. If you enjoy a challenging and nontraditional game, this app for you. HeliHopper; 2018; Available to download for free. By Adam Schwartz
TV SHOW
GROWN-ISH
“Black-ish” spinoff “Grown-ish” stars Yara Shahidi reprising her role as Zoey Johnson, the eldest and favorite child of Andre Johnson (Anthony FREEFORM Anderson). It’s her first year at the fictional California University of Liberal Arts and her first time living on her own. Through her attempts to traverse the landscape of her new life, Zoey learns valuable lessons and makes a few friends along the way. In the premiere episode, Zoey is obligated to take a midnight marketing course. While in class, she meets a motley cast of characters that will eventually become her closest friends. When tasked with answering a survey about why they took the class, each tells a story reflecting on the events that made them late to registration, leaving it as their only option. This is a clever means of introducing the new characters and initiating their respective arcs. Vivek Shah (Jordan Buhat) is the ungrateful drug-dealing immigrants’ son, Nomi Segal (Emily Arlook) is the bisexual Jewish-American princess, Luka Hall (Luka Sabbat) is the aloof Jaden Smith type, Aaron Jackson (Trevor Jackson) is the sophomore social activist, and Jazz and Sky Foster (Chloe and Halle Bailey) are the twin track stars from the wrong side of the tracks. However, without the obvious hints earlier in the episode, one wouldn’t realize at first glance that this is a “Breakfast Club” tribute. While it has the same basic premise — a group of teens who otherwise wouldn’t socialize meet in a situation which forces them to bond — the episode’s plot seems a little forced. And the class, taught by Andre’s wacky colleague Charlie, comes across as overly cheesy. “Grown-ish,” maintains the same poignant social commentary that viewers have come to expect from “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris but has a broader relatability. The series is one of a handful of shows with a predominately minority cast which doesn’t focus purely on racial issues. It also addresses topics like drug abuse and sexuality, making it more accessible to a larger audience. Through relatable and thoughtful story lines,“Grown-ish” successfully portrays the struggles of growing up and being on your own for the first time. Grown-ish; 2018; TV-PG By Amber Braker
BOOK
IRON GOLD
“Iron Gold” by Pierce Brown proves to be just as complex and action packed as the previous three novels in the Red Rising series PIERCEBROWNBOOKS.COM The story begins 10 years after the end of “Morning Star,” when main character Darrow overthrew the Sovereign. Still caught up in the tides of seemingly endless war as he attempts to defeat the Ash Lord, Darrow finds himself a fugitive on the run from the new Republic that he created. With three new points of view alongside Darrow, readers will get to see the consequences of Darrow’s victory. From Lyria, a red from Mars trying to survive, to the gold Lysander au Lune and the conniving grey thief Ephraim ti Horn, each new point of view allows the reader to further understand the realistic c o n s e q u e n c e s t h at c a me w it h D a r r ow’s a c t io n s. By including the new set of characters with the old, fans of the Red Rising Trilogy will not get bored reading this extension of the series. Instead, the chapters from Darrow’s point of view next to those from the new characters allows for fans to feel nostalgic and invested in the story. The only downside to this is that many major past characters such as Virginia au Augustus are pushed to the side and are rarely seen. The plot of this story is also a little hard to get invested in. The dozens of long chapters filled with the new characters doing seemingly unrelated tasks on entirely different planets makes it hard for a reader to get interested. However, once characters begin to run into each other, it’s easy to get absorbed in the plot twists and futuristic action. Overall, fans of the old series will find themselves feeling nostalgic as they see many of their favorite characters with families of their own. Fans new to the genre will find themselves captivated by Darrow’s ingenious strategies and the interesting and complex world Brown has constructed. "Iron Gold" by Pierce Brown; 2018; Available for $14.99 By Katelynn Mulder
IN-DEPTH
North Pointe – Wednesday, Feb. 7 – 7
Studies reveal connection between handedness and learning styles By Anna Post & Sofia Ketels EDITOR-AT-LARGE & PAGE EDITOR
One wouldn’t be able to tell from the small elephants drawn in the margins of her notebook, but senior Kate Wozniak is a nonlinear learner, an individual who processes information she takes in using both of her brain’s hemispheres. For Wozniak, the signs have been persistent throughout her years in school, but she didn’t know about the concept of nonlinear learning until asked to hold a pencil. “That sounds like my life in every way, shape and form, like ever since I was a kid,” Wozniak said. “I’ve always been involved in creative clubs, and that’s really helped me get that part of me out, but putting it down on paper can be really difficult sometimes.” A person’s handedness indicates which hemisphere of our brains we use the most. According to Indiana University, a left-handed individual relies on the right hemisphere of the brain when it comes to language specialization, creativity and speech production. Right-handed individuals use the left hemisphere of the brain to help them in mathematical, analytical and logical processing. While many studies reveal the correlation between our cross-wired brains and handedness, Chair of Elementary Vocal Music and standardized test tutor Glen Hipple, has found that many lefthanders and right-handers utilize both hemispheres of the brain. Individuals who process information using both brain hemispheres are considered right-handed and left-handed flips. These factors can often be overlooked because there is hardly any visible difference in right- and left-handed flips, nor is it commonly recognized. Although one’s handedness is seemingly unimportant, it poses many difficulties when it comes to academics or language processing as students struggle to finish tasks, follow directions and pay attention. Flip learners can be detected based on the way an individual holds his or her pen or pencil, and typically, students will write upside down or turn their paper at least 45 degrees. According to The DANA Foundation, hemisphere dominance does not mean that one side of the brain controls the other side, but rather a person’s dominant hemisphere is the one side individuals use to process language and to facilitate speech. In a flip learner, individuals use both brain hemispheres to function, and causes them to use twice as much adenosine triphosphate (ATP) compared to regular learners who are dominant to a specific hemisphere.
Hipple was inspired by his own struggles with standardized testing as a student and has been conducting research to support his interpretive phenomenological analysis on how the high stakes of testing impact non-linear learners. Through his observations, Hipple has been able to detect signs of a flip learner at ages as early as 6 and to as late as 18. He first pays close attention to an individual’s pencil grasp and then can draw parallels between one’s handedness and the reasoning behind the seemingly complex thoughts and behaviors the person exerts. Since she started school, Wozniak said she has struggled conceptualizing in math and science, as well as keeping up with her fellow classmates. According to her, it took her several years to catch up to her classmates in all of those subject areas, and nonlinear learning offers a good explanation. “I couldn’t take reading seriously until I was in the third grade. I was always drawing on my papers. I always have something creative going on,” Wozniak said. “Ask all my teachers. I struggled a lot with paying attention.” Although being a nonlinear leaner poses many academic and behavioral challenges, Hipple believes that there are benefits to being a flip learner in the long run. After observing the effects handedness has on many of his students, Hipple began to realize that the common behavior in nonlinear learners wasn’t a coincidence, but a trend that fueled his pursuit on making sense of this learning phenomenon. “I keep saying ‘don’t let me see it again,’ and I see it over and over and over again. It’s crazy how many people that struggle in one way or another to adapt themselves to what the school wants them to be, while having some sort of a difference in writing and processing,” Hipple said. ‘It doesn’t make them … terribly impacted, but it’s just harder for them to get through the day in school and nobody understands why. Well, this is a new understanding of the possibility of why.”
95 percent of left-handers have right-hemisphere dominance, this hemisphere is used for language specialization, creativity and speech production.
r e h t o e h t n O
d n a h
ANNA POST
Possible is everything. Lawrence Technological University isn’t for just anyone. We want the future designers, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs who will create the innovations of tomorrow. What do students think of LTU? Watch our video! ltu.edu/studentstories
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95 percent of right-handers have left-hemisphere dominance, this hemisphere is used for logic, science and mathematics.
88%
students employed or registered for graduate school at commencement
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SPORTS
8 – Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 – North Pointe
Leading the pack
Female athletes chosen to attend MHSAA leadership conference By Caitlin Bush MANAGING EDITOR Female coaches and players from North will be representing our teams during the biennial Women In Sports Leadership conference held by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. The event took place in Lansing Feb. 4-5. Senior Lauren Sickmiller, who runs cross country and track and also plays soccer, was one of the students nominated to attend the event. “I feel honored to go and represent all the girls on all my teams and to be seen as a female leader athlete,” Sickmiller said. According to MHSAA, the WISL conference is the first, largest and longest-running conference of its type in the country. It is designed for current middle school or high school female athletes who are interesting in becoming a high school coach, administrator, official or athletic trainer. In previous years, the coaches were able to pick players whom they thought exhibited leadership qualities to attend the conference. But, because registration for the conference was completed late this year, the athletic office chose girls from each team instead. English teacher and girls track coach Diane Montgomery has attended the conference when it has been held in previous years, and finds the event very beneficial for the athletes. “They will hopefully walk away with real tools as far as not only leading their teams, but being more confident in not only athletics, but I think it is something that carries over to the rest of life,” Montgomery said. “It helps to develop young women and young leaders in every area.” Junior Evelyn Zacharias, who plays basketball, volleyball and softball enjoyed seeing all the female leaders come together and to learn how leadership is important in not only sports but in society. “I think it would be a good opportunity to see different girls from around the community and see what it provides and how leadership is important,” Zacharias said.
Numerous seminars are available for the girls to attend led by a variety of speakers. Sickmiller wants to put her focus towards learning more about team building because she said having a close-knit team is very important during her soccer and cross country seasons. “It is really important to have that support from all your teammates and to just know that everyone is there for you and supporting you,” Sickmiller said. Sickmiller also enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with different leaders to get ideas of what skills to bring back to North and to expand her knowledge of what it takes to be a leader in all aspects of life. “I think it’s really important to be a leader in school and in all your teams, and I think that this would be a really good opportunity to learn some new leadership techniques to bring back to my spring sport teams,” Sickmiller said. Montgomery said the conference is great in many way because it provides the chance to focus on issues that are significant to female athletes, and she is glad they will become aware of those things. “It is important for them, and they have really enjoyed it,” she said. “They have enjoyed the variety of topics that they get to do and meeting other people.” Montgomery also was a presenter for this conference the last time she attended. She did a couple of sessions on goal setting and adjusting. At the time of her speech, she had just finished her 50th marathon, one in each state, and so she related her presentation to that. Sickmiller believes attending the confrence was an exciting opportunity because she thinks leadership is an essential characteristic not just in athletics, but in life. “I feel like leadership is a pretty integral aspect to everything in life,” Sickmiller said. “It is important for everyone to be able to take charge and set the pathway for their team to follow and be a model for their peers.”
COURTESY OF DIANE MONTGOMERY
PROUD MOMENT | Track coach Diane Montgomery presents at a previous Women in Sports Leadership Conference. Montgomery has both attended and presented at confrences in years past.“It has been great in at least 2 areas. One, it is a great chance to focus more on issues that are significant to female athletes,” Montgomery said. “The other way that it is great for me personally is that I get to network with a lot of other female coaches and female athletic directors in the state and I get to see people that I haven’t seen since the last conference.”
UPCOMING GAMES BOYS VARSITY HOCKEY Home game Wednesday, Feb 7 against St. Mar y Preparator y School at 4:55 p.m
WRESTLING
Team invitational on Thursday Feb. 8 at 5 p.m.
GYMNASTICS
Meet against Dearborn High School on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at Dearborn
BOYS VARSITY SWIMMING
Home against Dakota High School on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL MAC Tournament game on Friday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.
BOYS VARSITY SWIM
Home meet Tuesday, Feb. 13 against Ford High School at 6 p.m
BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL
MAC Tournament game thurs, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m at home
ZOE GRAVES
Painkillers can become addictive with chronic consumption By Sonny Mulpuri & Billy Steigelman WEB EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER Athletic trainer Lizzy Landa is not allowed to give or treat students with opioid drugs, unless prescribed by a doctor and with parent and school consent. But that doesn’t always stop students for getting them. For some athletes, pain is something they have to deal with and overcome on a near everyday basis. The use of “painkillers,” a frequently used type of drug that contains opioids to help block out pain, has risen among athletes, according to www.alpinespringsrehab.com. Common “painkillers” used by student-athletes include Advil, Ibuprofen and Tylenol. Landa said she tries to take a more holistic approach to treating athletes, such as cryotherapy or heat therapy when treating student athletes dealing with pain, rather than jumping to medication, but also sees a need for medication in some cases. “When injuries happen to the point where surgical intervention is needed, if surgery is needed a physician would most likely prescribe medication, whether it’s opioid or some other pain killer without opioid in it. I could see it being necessary for a high schooler to take,” Landa said. “However, I don’t feel like it is necessary for someone to take it just because they are having pain or soreness after a hard workout, practice or game.”
Junior Nik David is a combination of a pitcher and outfielder for the varsity baseball team, and said he has a very busy athletics schedule during the season. On top of icing and doing arm and shoulder exercises, David takes three Ibuprofen pills before each game he pitches, and two pills before non-pitching games and practices. “I started using them when I got to high school and baseball got more serious and I started pitching more and my arm started hurting,” David said. “I can pitch longer in games and play in back-to-back games (if I take painkillers). I've seen it help me in double headers because I could play the field in the first game and pitch the second without any trouble.” Landa views painkillers as a last resort. Whether it’s putting ice on something, taking a whirlpool bath, passive stretching or using heat therapy with a moist heat pack or bath, Landa recommends athletes pursue these methods first. For senior Mario Lorelli, who plays varsity lacrosse and hockey, every game brings bruises and headaches. He uses over-the-counter medication like Advil or Ibuprofen. Staying loose and not worrying about the pain during each play is what makes Lorelli take two pills before each game, but he understands the consequences of over-using painkillers. “I take them before games and when I get bad headaches. I use them to get rid of pain so I can stay focused on my game,” Lorelli said.
Possible side effects to any painkillers are hallucinations, chronic fatigue, nausea, fatigue and potential allergic reactions. There’s also been research showing that the central nervous system becomes involved when opioids are used. Opioids bind to the opioid receptors in the brain which are what blocks out the pain, so basically once the medication wears off the need for the medication comes back. It then can become an endless cycle and people can unfortunately become dependent on them. Landa has seen some cases where athletes can become addicted to painkillers, and need them even when they aren’t in pain. Even though she carries Ibuprofen in her kit, Landa still has to get written or verbal consent from the athlete’s guardians to use it. However, Landa stresses to the athletes that walk into her door that they shouldn't become dependent on any medication. “As an athletic trainer it’s not in my scope of practice to prescribe, administer or treat student athletes with opioid drugs, however it is another story if the opioid drug is prescribed to a student athlete,” she said. “I like to take more of a holistic approach, which just means I like to do everything I can do prior to giving out medication.”