North Pointe Vol. 49, Issue 10 - March 15, 2017

SPORTS PAGE 11 Senior Izzy Nguyen was named Jimmy John's athlete of the week.

To read more go to page 11.

NORTH

POINTE COURTSEY OF IZZY NGUYEN

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

SI NC E 1968

Core of the discussion

Anti-Common Core legislation proposed to the Michigan House of Representatives Since 2010, Common Core has been a matter of controversy for the Michigan Board of Education and the nation. When it was introduced, it added new standardized testing requirements to the curriculum.

Recently, an anti-Common Core bill was proposed to the Michigan House of Representatives. The bill attempts to give parents and families more control over which tests they take.

However, some students do not see the current volume of standardized testing as an issue. Freshman Hannah Hicks is among them and supports the Common Core standards.

“I feel like there’s a pretty good amount of standardized testing. It’s necessary for us so that we can learn,” Hicks said. “Every student should be able to take a standardized test to see where they are in their education and see if they need to retake something or take the test again so that they can move forward in their education."

There have been several attempts at replacing the national education standards, but this one holds more promise than past attempts. If passed, House Bill 4192 will repeal the Common Core standards in Michigan and instead adopt a set of educational standards that were used in Massachusetts in the 2008-09 school year.

Massachusetts is known for being a highly competitive state for public education, which is why the Michigan legislature looked to the state’s requirements as a guide.

Republican Representative Gary Glenn introduced the bill on Feb. 9. It includes a section that would give students’ parents the authority to opt their child out of “public school and out of any public

school activity, practice, or testing that the parent finds unacceptable with no negative repercussions.”

This allows parents to have more control over their children’s education and make it more individualized to meet a student’s needs. But, it also becomes an issue not only in assessing school-wide achievement, but in School Accountability Scorecard measures, which Deputy Superintendent Jon Dean explains is the ranking system used by the Michigan Department of Education based on the percentage of students who attend a mandated standardized testing day.

“Currently parents can elect to opt their children out of state mandated assessments such as the M-STEP. The challenge for schools is that assessments are used by schools, like GPPSS, to gauge how we are doing on our primary goal, student learning. When large numbers of students opt out, it becomes more difficult for us to gauge how our students are doing,” Dean said. “Also, certain state accountability measures such as accreditation are predicated on a school testing a set percentage of students. If too many students do not take the assessments, schools could experience negative consequences.”

English teacher Charles Crimando also has some concerns regarding the ability of parents to opt their children out of tests.

“I think that would affect education greatly because it would be removing the expertise of the teachers and the administration, essentially, a little bit from the equation of what is going to make a successful student in our century,” Crimando said. “I think that that’s a little concerning that a parent could come in and decide that this assessment or

By Lindsey Ramsdell, Amber Braker & Sofia Ketels EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF REPORTERS

that assessment is useless for (his or her) child. That would change the dynamic of the classroom greatly.

That’s going to change the way that we grade things. That would change the way that we teach things. I think it would make things far more difficult to navigate.”

This bill holds more weight than previous attempts to do away with federal e d u c a t i o n standards in Michigan because of the Trump Administration’s initiative against the Common Core and the support of newly elected Republican members to the Michigan State Board of Education.

Common Core was enacted with the prospect of creating comprehensive, consistent and rigorous standards for public education across the nation, according to Dean. It is also meant to prepare students to enter the workforce or a two- to four-year university after high school.

Crimando said most of the Common Core curriculum standards are reasonable.

He also appreciates that it gives teachers themselves room to adapt their lesson plans as long as they are providing their students with the skills that Common Core requires.

However, he acknowledges the demand for

a more localized approach.

“I think it’s hard to place common objectives on any nation-wide group of students, and I think that’s why states like to have a little more control, so I kind of understand that aspect of (repealing) it. You want to have control over what’s going on in your locality because you probably understand those students a little bit better.

So there are benefits to it, but there are also some downsides.”

The goal of localizing education is reflected in the very method of passing OM K R .C House Bill 4192. Even if it is enacted FL I C by the state, adopting the Massachusetts standards would still be voluntary to each district.

After watching the district’s smooth transition to Common Core in the 201011 school year, Dean said that whichever direction the state decides to take will not have a significant impact on district education.

“If the State of Michigan elects to move away from the Common Core, I think it will have little impact on GPPSS. GPPSS already has incredibly rigorous and extensive standards for all students,” Dean said. “I would imagine that our expectations will continue to exceed any standards adopted by the State of Michigan.”

Teachers adapt cell phone policies to meet classroom needs

By Trevor Mieczkowski & Katelynn Mulder ASSISTANT EDITORS As time goes on, technology is continuing to advance. With such advancements, we are forced to incorporate cell phones into our everyday lives. However, because of how involved technology is in the world today, some teachers restrict its use in class, and administration has taken steps to ensure students are appropriately using it.

Math teacher Julie Pappas said that when students use cell phones in class, they experience a break in concentration that hinders their learning. Pappas does not allow cell phones in her classroom.

“I've been here 15 years, and they didn't have a lot of cellphones when I first started, and I noticed that students really used their class time wisely, doing their homework and asking questions many, many years ago,” Pappas said. “Now, as the years have progressed, students are more interested in playing on their phones, or watching Netf lix, or doing anything but using the time that they are given to work on their classwork or their homework.”

Math teacher Brad Armbruster has a similar policy. He said that he expects students to put their phones in their backpacks, pockets or purses before they enter his room and keep them put away until class ends.

“Let’s put this issue in perspective,” Armbruster said. “Is it considered strict to ask my students to refrain from touching their phones for 49 minutes? If so, then perhaps my ‘no phone’ policy is also serving as a first step to phone addiction rehab.”

An article from www.edweek.com details the ‘addiction’ Armbruster refers to. It compares drug addiction to the controlling effect cell phones have on a student’s life, even though they may claim they have the ability to multitask— using a phone and listening at the same time. However, many studies have debunked that theory.

Mark Trupkovich is the head of the technology department and helps monitor what students do while on the school WiFi. He said that the school administrators have the authority to monitor and even confiscate students’ phones if the content is deemed inappropriate for school or a threat to the school’s technology system.

“We will get notifications if something like that is happening, if they are doing something illegal, or they are raising a f lag, let’s say like breaking a firewall,” Trupkovich said. “We will get their device ID, and we will report it to the principal, and again, it depends on what they are doing on the device.”

According to Trupkovich, if you are posting something that the administration sees as inappropriate, the consequences are

EDITORIAL - PAGE 9

up to them, like if a student is wearing an inappropriate outfit, they’re breaking the school rules.

“They have a right to investigate, so you’re asking why can they look through my phones, and it is because they need to gather more evidence of what was alleged,” Trupkovich said.

However, while it’s common for students to use their phones to chat with friends during class, class policies and consequences are largely left up to the teachers.

Social studies teacher Patrick Hicks said that phones are a distraction not only to the

IN-DEPTH PAGE 10

"Whether you're first class or coach, no one wants to be on a ship whose crew members want it to sink."

CHLOE RIBCO

@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 49 | ISSUE 10

News.......... 2 Calendar... 3

On Campus... 4 Life.................... 5-6

Physics held their annual cardboard boat regatta on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

To see more head to page 10.

On Pointe... 7 Reviews.... 8

ALL PHOTOS BY TREVOR MIECZKOWSKI

student, but to others around that student.

He deducts responsibility points (part of a student’s grade) and may even confiscate their phones if it becomes an issue.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

FLEX - PAGE 6 “Everyone was so friendly and accepting, whether you’re from a Democratic or Republican family, like it was very open and really cool.”

Editorial..... 9 In-Depth.... 10

Sports...11-12

NEWS

2 – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – North Pointe

Cell phone policy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“It’s distracting to them. It’s distracting to me. It’s distracting to other students around them. It’s just a basic courtesy when you are in a group situation. You have to

understand that your actions have consequences beyond yourself, and it’s a tough lesson for some students to learn, but it’s important,” Hicks said. “I would say that cell phone rules, with regard to the school, each teacher is entitled to make their own policy.”

Junior Elijah Manson said that he feels students should take responsibility for when or when not to go on their phones.

“It’s basically on the student whether they are listening or not. Like everyone in the class should not be on it, but I

think most kids can manage when they should be on their phone or not.”

However, according to a study from www.slate.com, it isn’t so easy for some students to put down their phones.

While high achieving students with self discipline have the ability to know when it is time to work without phones, many low achieving students don’t have the ability to know when it is time to put down phones.

Harbinger brings back revamped Poetry Slam contest

By Ritika Sanikommu & Chloe Ribco EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & INTERN Poetry Slam Night is making a revamped return.

Harbinger, North’s literary magazine, remodeled the event that premiered in December to create a month-long competition to showcase the school’s literary talent. It started March 1.

“In December, we had almost like an openmic-night type thing where we just invited people to come and read their poetry,” Senior Shannon Gabriel, harbinger’s editor said.

“It wasn’t a competition. It was just sort of a ‘come here and share it, and let us just hear what you have.’”

Club members reconstructed slam poetry to exhibit topics relevant to students. In groups or individually, students will choose the topic of their poem. Gabriel included examples like politics, stress or any other themes inspired from published works of literature.

The winners will receive a pizza party and their poem will be presented in some way.

A main aspect of slam poetry is that it is meant to be performed. Co-adviser Charles Crimando said that is a main difference between traditional and slam poetry.

“You have to think about the performance if you’re writing the slam poem as opposed to if you’re just writing a poem that is meant to be read on the page. Slam poetry lends itself a lot more to that performance aspect. I mean, all poetry in its essence is meant to be heard ... it’s about sound in a lot of ways,” he said.

“But slam poetry in particular is about how you perform that sound, how you deliver the work on the page.”

Harbinger is designed to present a variety of works by students, including literary and visual arts.

“Harbinger is the literary and art journal, so many of the visual arts things like drawing and sketches, painting, photography anything that can be produced on a page, published on a page, we incorporate that as well,” coadviser Geoffrey Young said. “So we want students who are writers, certainly, but across the range of writing, too, from poetry, to short stories, to comics, to one act plays. We like to publish it all. But then we also need the artwork, too, that compliments that.”

Sophomore Ramsha Rizvi participated in the event in December. She enjoyed the overall experience and atmosphere of presenting her poem to an accepting audience.

Although she hasn’t planned on it, if Harbinger were to bring slam poetry back next year, she would consider performing again.

“My poem was from the perspective of an older girl who writes an informal letter to her younger self,” Rizvi said. “Basically the idea behind my poem was that the older speaker wants the little girl to know her life will be full of really good, but also really bad, obstacles, and she should still keep her head up and her heart full of love and go out and conquer it all.”

Club members decided a poetry slam contest would attract more students. Poetry on the internet or in the media is generally

JALA DANIELS

POETRY | Harbinger’s editor, Shannon Gabreil, reads her portry during the Poetry Slam in December. Gabriel hopes different participates to compete during the new Poetry Slam and wants students to write about topics that interest them. “We’re going to give some examples when we announce it stuff like maybe politics, or maybe stress, or whatever they’re passionate about,” Gabreil said. spoken word and most of it would fall in the category of slam poetry. The contest is designed to not only advertise for Harbinger and collect submissions, but to give students an opportunity to take the time to create art in a way that’s interesting and relevant to them.

“Slam poetry we think is accessible. It’s

something that a lot of students can do if they gave themselves a little bit of time to think about it,” Crimando said. “It’s a way of expressing yourself very emotionally (and we’re) ... hoping we can get some interesting submissions.”

Balance of dieting, excercise leads to best weight loss results

By Caitlin Bush, Michal Ruprecht & Tarun Sanikommu EDITOR, ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER While exercise is usually associated with weight loss, it’s not the only way to trim extra pounds.

According to a Fortune Magazine article published in March, diet is also an important aspect of weight loss. A meta-analysis found similar results. Weight-management programs that incorporate exercise with diet can lead to more constant weight loss over a year than either diet or exercise alone.

Another study shows an increase in percentage of people who are physically active from 2001 to 2009. However, the percentage of Americans who were obese also rose. The problem comes from food choice.

To prepare for his hockey season, senior Brian Moody decided to start a diet. Instead of eating excess calories, he focused on vegetables and lean meat, like chicken and steak. Moody said this gave him more energy to continue exercising.

“I needed to get bigger for the hockey season coming up, so I decided to eat healthier, and that really helped me, too, when it came to getting bigger and stronger, and also gave me more energy so I could go to the gym more,” Moody said. “It ended up allowing me to gain more muscle mass, get a little bit bigger and definitely made me a little bit stronger.”

Although registered dietitian Julie JohannsenWilk, who works at St. John Hospital and Medical Center, said teenagers can diet, she recommends they see a dietitian before starting.

“The best way for teenagers to lose weight is to control their carbohydrate intake and to make sure they have a protein source and or healthy fat source with each meal,” she said via email. “Watch portion sizes. Scheduled meal times (are) also important.”

According to studies in the monthly journal Obesity Reviews, people in exercise programs ended up burning less energy with exercise than anticipated and boosting their caloric intake.

Because exercise increases appetite, physical education teacher Bruce Bentley said keeping track of calorie consumption in a journal is beneficial. He also said gradual weight loss is important.

“For behavioral modification, instead of taking a big plate, eat on a small plate,” Bentley said. “A lot of it is psychological, too.”

Diets with controlled carbohydrate intakes, protein and fat sources with each meal, scheduled meal times and portion sizes are beneficial, Johannsen-Wilk said. In addition, for a dieting to be effective, teenagers should eat breakfast, eat meals

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every four to five hours and snack two and a half hours in between, twice a day.

“Teenagers are growing and a bad diet can cause problems with growth and development,” Johannsen-Wilk said. “A bad diet is any diet that eliminates any of the macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fat. We must have all three.

Another bad diet is one too low in calories or too restricted or limited in foods.”

However, there is a limit to exercise while on a diet.

“The negative effects are losing weight too fast, which results in our bodies breaking down muscle or tissue for energy, which results in taking away metabolically active tissue,” Johannsen-Wilk said. “Then when you go off the diet, because you can’t live on this forever, you gain fat back, which in the end lowers your metabolism.”

Although too much exercise isn’t healthy, just the right amount can boost immunity from diseases. According to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, physical activity is a “miracle cure” because it decreases an individual’s chances of getting musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, neurological diseases and depression.

Johannsen-Wilk and Bentley both recommend teenagers exercise 20-30 minutes a minimum of three to five times a week. Bentley emphasizes cardiovascular exercise.

“Make sure you get some exercise in a given week, and hopefully cardiovascular is better,” Bentley said. “In certain sports, you’re going to lose more calories than you would doing something else.”

Moody said he tries to keep a balance between exercise and diet to reduce negative results.

“If I am not working out while playing hockey, I go down in weight, and it’s hard to build it back up,” he said. “That is when I have to start eating healthier and doing stuff like that to get back to where I was.”

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NEWS

North Pointe – Wednesday, March. 15, 2017 – 3

Model classroom recieves grant for updates Fluorescent lights, metal desks, plastic chairs—the same classroom, day in and day out.

Once teachers begin to feel the need for a change of environment, they can opt for a new workspace. The model classroom, located on the first floor, is a room that has been personally renovated by teachers to promote student involvement and increase comfortability.

This classroom is unlike any other, and includes flexible seating arrangements, such as bean bags and fluorescent lights that are covered in film which help to create more naturally-appearing ambiance.

The teachers in charge of this room, including math teachers Catherine Vernier and Devin Cox, English teachers Allison Dunn, Geoffrey Young and Jonathan Byrne, media specialist Amanda Pata and special education Learing Resource Center teachers Rebecca Ruth and Sheryl Russell, were recently given grants from Student Association, Parents Club, Student Union, and the Foundation for Public Education.

Last year, the teachers were given a larger grant that will be combined with the recent money. The funds will be used to help pay for furniture and supplies like Chromebooks.

Creating a comfortable environment for students is the main focus. Dunn is not only a part of the teachers committee that put the room together, but she uses it frequently.

CALENDAR

“It’s nice for my students to have a new environment once in a while. They feel like they’re taking a mental break,” Dunn said.“The space is much more collaborative. I think that students always learn more when they feel engaged, and I think they feel more engaged when they’re able to work with their classmates.”

Sophomore Elizabeth Torakis promotes the idea of the model classroom and thinks it can have a large positive impact on students academically.

“I think if you’re more comfortable in your environment, you feel you can succeed better because you can share out not only who you are as a person, but your work more freely and being wrong doesn’t matter or scare people as much anymore,” Torakis said. “ I get tired of the same thing everyday and I’ve been sitting at the same desks for a while now, I’m ready for a change because that would be more exciting to me.”

Byrne brings his students down to the room when they are working on projects. “(The classroom) facilitates collaboration, student-directed learning and a fresh environment,” Byrne said. “All of these are authentic 21st-century skills that will apply to both college and future careers."

By Syeda Rizvi & Elizabeth Ballinger

BAND & ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT & DISNEY TRIP MEETING

Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. in the PAC

GPN ATHLETICS/ SPRING MEET THE COACHES Monday, March 20 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria

WINTER SPORTS AWARDS

Monday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 21 at 7 p.m. in the PAC

CONFERENCES Wednesday, March 22 and Thursday, Mrach 23 from 5-8 p.m. in the gym

LAUREN SEXTON

MODELING COMFORT | The grant will pay for new furniture and supplies for the students to enjoy. "What’s special about the classroom is that it has some amenities that are different from a normal classroom," Dunn said. "So it has flexible seating, so there are some desks in there, but there's also benches and chairs and beanbags."

Biology, Environmental Science students study in Florida Over mid-winter break, science students left the frigid Michigan winter for a week of learning in Florida.

AP Biology and Environmental Science students from North and South High School went to Sea Camp in Big Pine Key, Florida, when they learned about marine biology while there.

Science teacher Chris Skowronski chaperoned the six North students and seven South students that went. He said Environmental Science classes have gone in the past, but this was his first time going. “(A South teacher) approached me back in September and we essentially thought it was a great idea to resurrect the trip, And get the students excited about environmental science and marine biology and just learning science outside of Michigan," Skowronski siad.

Senior Owen Galligan went on the trip. Galligan said his dream is to be a marine biologist and this camp offered hands-on learning opportunities.

“The trip did offer me a sample of what I might want to go into,” he said. “A sample of what I would do as a marine biologist—collecting samples, studying the fish life, studying the biodiversity, keeping the oceans clean and safe.”

Students on the trip performed labs on hermit crab behavior, learned about and discussed fish, visited coral reefs and snorkeled. They also looked at the mangroves and did labs to understand what is in the seagrass. Their days started at 7:30 a.m. and ended at 10:30 p.m. Attended different 3-hour programs throughout the day.

Junior Evan Nyquist said he liked the trip because he was able to apply what he learned in science class to the activities at Sea Camp.

“We learned a lot about how everything is working together, and how the coral reliefs provide a habitat for organisms. And everything that lives there and how they are all working together at the same time,” Nyquist said.

Skowronski said he was impressed by how engaged the students were.

A popular activity was snorkeling. Galligan said he felt free and alive while snorkeling. He said it’s important to interact with the wildlife and that humans should take care of it. Galligan wants to protect what he saw on trip so others can enjoy the wildlife.

“I want to have future generations still be able to have fun and see the beauty and the bright colors (in the reef)—the same kind of feeling I had on this trip for the future,” Galligan said.

Monday, March 27 from 6-8 p.m. South High School gym

SPORTS INVESTIGATING | Students investigate ecosystems from Big Pine Key. “It’s impossible to learn about your world if you stay inside a classroom, and especially in Environmental Science there is so much going on right now and so many things changing,” science teacher Chris Skowronski said.

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER

Scrimmage 10 a.m.

Saturday, March 18 vs. multiple opponents

GIRLS JV LACROSSE

Friday, March 24 at 5 p.m. vs.

Ann Arbor-Huron High School ORGANISM | Students observe the marine life system. “Everything you're talking about in the classroom you get to see how it's all working together, and how it’s actually in practice and you get a hands on approach and it’s not just in your head,” Nyquist said.

Countywide change disconnects spring break and Easter Starting this year, spring break will not coincide with Easter.

Every county used to what dates the schools will take off for break. This year, the state changed its rule so all schools have the same dates off.

This is the first time Grosse Pointe Public School System won’t have spring break correspond with Easter. Because of this change, there is only one day off for the week of Easter, then everyone returns to school on Monday.

Deputy Superintendent Jon Dean, explained one reason for the change was because of the complications teachers were facing because their workplace is located in a different district than where they live.

“We started to bump into some challenges with our employees because some of our employees have kids themselves that live in Macomb County or Oakland County, and that’s the same to some degree for some of our parents,” Dean said.

According to Principal Kate Murray, the calendar is set by the district administration through a negotiation process with the teacher bargaining unit.

This change in dates affects students and staff in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties.

“I liked it better when it was with Easter because you had more days,” counselor Jill Davenport said. “I would go to my family and have Easter with my family, and so now that won’t happen because now, I can’t go to Arizona or Boston or any of these other places for the weekend.”

In GPPSS, the way the calendar set up depends on the teachers. Now that Wanye County schools have switched courses from last year’s break to the new dates, the calendar will remain the same from now on, mostly for consistency.

“Two years from now, the first week of April, that Friday, will be Good Friday, so Easter will be at the end of that week,” Dean said. “It will only be a five-day break because you won’t have to have that Friday off because it’ll be Good Friday.”

Tuesday, March 27 from 3-6 p.m.in South High School's gym

COLLEGE NIGHT

COURTESY OF CHRIS SKOWRONSKI

By Allison Lackner

SAT PREP SEMINAR

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SOFTBALL

Tuesday, March 28 vs. L'Anse Creuse North High School at 4:30 p.m. at Macomb Community College

BOYS LACROSSE

Monday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. vs.Notre Dame Preparatory

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GIRLS TENNIS

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GOLF

No School Good Friday

Easter 23

Monday, April 10, 12 p.m. vs.

University Of Detroit Jesuit

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By Emma Brock & Asia Simmons EMMA BROCK

ON CAMPUS

4 – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – North Pointe

RATZ holds Starnival for community

By Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANAGER

FACES IN THE CROWD Ethan Flannery

Engraving the imprint of his snowboard on the fresh snow in the wintertime is what resembles freshman Ethan Flannery’s passion the most. After many years of skateboarding, Flannery decided to ditch the cement and hit the slopes.

Flannery enjoys snowboarding the most because of the serenity he experiences.

“Riding down a mountain carving in the snow is a very peaceful thing to do,” Flannery said.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Flannery started snowboarding when he was 6-years-old.

His dad had snowboarded for 20 years and thought Ethan could adapt easily to the new environment.

“I go up north as much as I can, and if I can't then I go to Pine Knob on Friday nights,” Flannery said.

In the future, Flannery would love to pursue a career in any area that involves the activity.

“If I could become a snowboard instructor or even a videographer for a snowboard magazine I would happily do it,” Flannery said.

FOR THE KIDS | A kid plays one of the games RATZ had set up. Senior Adam Gehlert, the president of RATZ, walked around ensuring that all the events were running smoothly. “This is for children mostly in elementary school and it’s supposed to be some sort of education and fun festival for children,” Gehlert said.

“I think one of the best parts is having the children learn about astronomy and everything.”

FACEPAINTING | Freshman Presley Powder painted children’s faces with pictures of stars and galaxies. “We just wanted to do something to give back to the community and we felt like this was something that we were capable of doing,” Powder said. “We also wanted to educate the kids too about science and try and get them interested at a young age.”

FAMILY FUN | Senior Steven Dean was another volunteer helping out at the Starnival. He believed both the kids and parents that attended enjoyed the experience. “It went really well. Kids were enjoying themselves,” Dean said. “Parents were having fun too because they got to spend time with their kids. So it’s kind of fun for the entire family.”

HELPING OUT | Senior Eve Feldman helps a kid at an arts & crafts table. Freshman Alex Jakubiec was in charge of the Star Bright event and enjoyed seeing kids’ smiling faces and the atmosphere. “My job is to run this event here, called Star Light, Star Bright,” Jakubiec said. “It’s an event where kids look through spectroscopes at different colored lights and just watch things happen.”

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Italian teacher Roberto Vezzani

By Lyndsay Kluge STAFF REPORTER

ROBERTO VEZZANI

ITALIA | Italian teacher Roberto Vezzani (right) with his twin brother wen the were babies.

In a small historical town not far from Florence, children play soccer in the calm streets of Pescia, Italy. This was the life Italian teacher Roberto Vezzani led before he moved to America.

“It is a town of 20,000 people, so not many people,” Vezzani said. “It is a typical medieval Italian town because the origin of the town was in the Middle Ages. There is like this small square in the town, and so basically the town grew around the square.”

While he lived in Pescia, Vezzani would spend time with his family and friends and enjoyed learning new things.

“I liked to play with my brothers and went to school. I have a twin brother and an older brother. I played soccer a lot. Soccer is very much popular in Italy, so I used to play all the time,” he said.

As Vezzani became older, he moved to other parts of Italy, soon making his way to the United States. Vezzani applied for his Ph.D. at multiple schools. He had originally moved to Wisconsin but was accepted into the University of Michigan, so he moved to Ann Arbor in September of 2010.

As he attended U of M, a piece of Vezzani’s home town followed him. When he applied to speak at a conference, the professor he contacted was from his town of Pescia. This was an important step in Vezzani’s career, and he is glad he got to connect with someone that lived the same lifestyle as he did.

“It’s an incredible coincidence,” Vezzani said. “So I arrive in the U.S. from the other side of the world, arrive to this professor by chance, and he replies back to me that we are both from Pescia.”

Christian Schwartz

Traveling to the Neighbourhood Club for high school league basketball games, scorekeeping has been one of freshman Christian Schwartz’s jobs for many months.

Schwartz started the job last year and keeps the score every weekend.

The procedure of scorekeeping plays a vital role in keeping spectators immediately updated on the teams’ statuses, without the hassle of calculations. Beyond this, Schwartz also has personal connections to the game.

“Outside of school, I like to participate in sports, especially basketball and baseball. Although I'm not very good at sports, it's something fun that I like to do,” Schwartz said via email.

While he prefers participating in recreational sports over competing, Schwartz does enjoy the idea of an active career in some alternative aspect in the sports industry. Through scorekeeping, he not only strengthens his knowledge of the game, yet also uses his role to better prepare himself for future jobs.

Despite his ambitions, Schwartz views his role on the sidelines and preparation for the future in a modest manner.

“I’m just the guy that controls the clock and puts the score on the scoreboard,” Schwartz said.

Clare Loch

Since freshman Clare Loch’s debut in acting, she’s had her eyes set on Broadway.

“I started plays when I was in sixth grade,” Loch said.

Along with musicals, Loch has been in choir since fourth grade and has earned many awards.

“I participated in Solo & Ensemble and I qualified for states,” she said. “I’ve also gotten a lot of solos in choir.”

Loch hopes to take her success into a career on a bigger stage.

“One of my dreams is to be on Broadway, something about it pulls me towards it,” Loch said.

To make it to that level, Loch has set a goal to attend a performing arts college.

“I’m planning on attending a performing arts college,” Loch said. “I would love to go to Juilliard or Northwestern or Wesleyan and just book as many auditions as I can.”

By Adam Schwartz, Colin Haroutunian & Rory Angott

FAVORITE MOVIE "Citizen Kane"

FAVORITE BOOK “Catcher in the Rye.” It’s a very famous book in my country, Italy. I read it when I was younger. In Italian, the title was as simple as “Younger, Older,” so it had a completely different title. It is a novel that was very much important when it was published, and it’s about the adventures this young character.

It’s kind of a character that people can identify with, so I was also interested to learn about this character.

FAVORITE VACATION I went to a Greek island called Kythira. I went there with some friends, and the island was very nice to visit. I like the beautiful sea and the beautiful weather. it seems like a fun place to go.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I am from a town called Pescia, which is not far from Florence in Tuscany. I lived in a town called Bologna in Italy where I took my first degree at university. I lived in Madison, Wisconsin for one year. I also lived in Ann Arbor, here in Michigan for a few years, and of course I lived in Pescia, my hometown.

LIFE

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – 5

revive sneakerhead community The most popular way to sell the shoes according to Nyquist is StockX or Ebay. StockX itself is a sneaker buying and reselling platform. The shoes on the site usually sell for over $100 and include all types of brands. The GOAT app offers authentic sneakers with verification on whatever type of shoe you order, so nobody gets ripped off while using the app.

Other social media outlets used to sell shoes include; KIXIFY, SNKRS, and SUPREME. “I will always sell the pairs until I find it affordable to own a pair myself,” Nyquist said. “While the shoes do seem very attractive to wear and own myself, I won’t wear them because I would rather sell them, then use that money to try and get more pairs and grow. I sold my two pairs for $475 on StockX.” Even though the brand is expensive, according to the buyers the popularity associated with the shoe makes it worth it.

“If there wasn’t as much hype there wouldn’t be nearly as much demand for Adidas to keep on pushing out more colorways and silhouettes of the Yeezy line,” Nyquist said.

E

RI

BC

O

Contributing: Chloe Ribco

LO

In 2016, Kanye West’s collaboration with Adidas shattered the fashion industry. Since the first time Yeezys were sported during Kanye West x Adidas originals Yeezy season 1, all 9,000 pairs priced at $350 were gone in minutes.

With all the popular shoe designs coming out every year, the biggest brands are forced to battle each other over sales. Whether that means adding different textures, patterns or prices, it’s always difficult to predict what comes next.

Each brand embodies its own design. Vans are skateboarding shoes. Nike’s known for sportswear. Toms are known for giving profits back to the community. Mostly a collectors’ item, West’s brand is still deciding where to fall.

The exclusivity and limited supply of Yeezy’s makes them a must-have among sneakerheads. This has prompted some students to find different methods of obtaining them, or even selling them themselves. Senior Mikey Carron, junior Evan Nyquist and sophomore Frankie Bush have all gotten into the buying and selling game.

“They are very exclusive shoes that not many people can get a hold of,” Carron said. “It’s an investment because the resale value is high, and I can make money off them.”

On the Adidas website, Yeezys start at $220. But because of the shoe’s high demand, other retailers sell them for well over $1000.

“I got my pairs through a raffle and an add-to-cart service. The ATC allows one to pay someone else to secure their pair and then have them check out on Adidas, Yeezy supply or other retailers with that person’s information,” Nyquist said. “There are other ways to get pairs which usually depend on a customer having a program (a bot) that will automatically check out, a very fast computer to use the program on (a server), and other computers (proxies) if one desires to check out multiple pairs. It sounds easy in theory, but in practice, when millions of people are trying to get a very limited amount of shoes, many will inevitably fail.”

Although expensive, Yeezys sell well because they have a variety of styles including 350s, 350 V2s and 750s.

“The last few releases of Yeezy 350 V2s, the low top silhouette from Adidas, has been produced in seven different colorways so far, have all retailed for $220,” Nyquist said. “The two pairs I bought, I sold in the first week after release, but depending on how they are doing after release, I will sell them over a different time frame. For example, if the community greatly overestimated how easy it would be able to purchase a pair, it would be good to hold on to the shoes because of their inflating values.”

The thing that draws so many people to the brand is the hype.

Plenty of celebrities flaunt Yeezys like the Kardashian Family, Desiigner, Calvin Harris, Jay-Z, The Game, Bella Hadid, Ryan Lochte, Snoop Dog and French Montana.

“My favorite thing about them is how different they looked compared to most shoes and the attention they bring,” Bush said.

Since the shoes cost so much, buyers discovered different ways to sell the popular shoes in order to make a profit.

“I sell them for a similar price that I bought them for, usually a little less to friends or people I know,” Bush said.

There are multiple ways of getting the shoes.

Bush uses an app called GOAT, while Carron repurchases the shoes off of friends.

Any buying method used, the prices remain the same.

“The cost all depends on who or where you get them from,” Carron said. “Or if you plan on selling them after a while.”

CH

By Erin Kaled EDITOR

FLEX

6 – Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 – North Pointe

ANNA POST

FAMILIAR FACES | The Close Up group met North alumnus, Rob Curis on Wednesday, March 1, who now works as Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s staff aide.

ANNA POST

CAPITOLIZING ON THE OPPORTUNITY | The junior group poses in front of the United States Capitol.

Using the Capitol as a campus The Close Up group returns to Washington, D.C. on annual trip

By Sonny Mulpuri, Sofia Ketels & Zoe Graves EDITOR & STAFF REPORTERS

KATIE THOMAS

SIGHT SEEING | The Close Up group visited the Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday Feb. 28.

ANNA POST

CLOSE UP ALUMNAE | The current seniors on last year’s Close Up trip (Beth Montagne, Maggie McEnroe,Molly Bunker, Olivia Randazzo, Olivia Allen and Erin McSkimming) pose in front of the United States Capitol.

While most North students were coming back to school after mid-winter break, a select 13 were in Washington, D.C. They spent a week learning how the government is run and how different political viewpoints interact.

These students were attending a program by the Close Up Foundation aimed at juniors who have an interest in civic participation. North has sent representatives to Close Up for the past 35 years. Participants were recommended by their social studies teachers from last year.

“I was really hoping to get a better understanding of our government. Like in government class, you kind of only learn one side of it, and that’s really from a citizen’s viewpoint, but on this trip, we kind of went inside and in-depth into the government and saw kind of how it works from a senator’s viewpoint, and I learned a lot about other people’s viewpoints,” junior Reagan Bastien said. “Personally, I’m a conservative, and I learned a lot about different conservative viewpoints because we all think differently, like there are different levels of Republicans and Democrats. Not everyone is a certain type of Republican, and I thought that was really interesting.”

All of the activities the students participated in on the trip revolved around how the government worked and the different perspectives of government officials.

“Each day, we had to do some sort of workshop,” Bastien said. “So we just got different topics, like the role our government should play in our lives, or we did this little debate on whether or not schools should provide classes for pregnant teens.”

Other activities students participated in were analyzing and practice editing proposed bills, like a congressional committee would when trying to pass or alter a proposed bill. For Bastien, one of the highlights of the trip was being able to experience a debate between two opposing political parties.

“We heard a conservative versus liberal debate one night. It was really fun. I got

ALEX HARRING

to experience different viewpoints from other people, and how they feel that our government should work. It was nice.”

Government teacher Barry Mulso has chaperoned the trip for the past 20 years.

He hopes that students take away how crucial the role of individual citizens are in our government.

Mulso said his favorite activity is Capitol Hill Day. “Hands down,” Mulso said via email.

“That is where we spend the entire day on Capitol Hill, in the place where it all happens. We do a Capitol tour, the students get to sit in on Congressional Committee hearings, and walk the halls where the action is.”

Capitol Hill Day was also a favorite for junior McKenzie Obermok.

Students got a chance to meet and talk to both of Michigan’s senators and met one of congresswoman Brenda Lawrence’s staff members, Alex Huang. Lawrence is the representative for the 14th Congressional District.

In addition to visiting Capitol Hill, students also visited different monuments and memorials, discussing their symbolism and importance.

“We looked at a ton of the monuments, my favorite being the Lincoln Memorial, and then we also did workshops with

our groups,” Obermok said. “We got into random groups, and we did a mock congress, where we had to debate over issues that are actually going on in the senate right now, and we got to edit bills like a committee would. It was just a really fun experience.”

Students on the trip also met other government students from around the country. Each North student went in blind for their rooms. They were paired with one fellow North student and two students from another part of the country whom they had never met.

Throughout the trip, students from across the country collaborated in workshops to help them understand the government and how it functions. Each day, they participated in discussions, such as the role Capitol Hill plays in their lives and sat in on congressional hearings to experience the reality of politics.

“I met people from New York and from Texas and Oklahoma, and I’m friends with them now, I got their numbers, and we’ve been texting constantly,” Bastien said.

“The environment was great. Everyone was so friendly and accepting, whether you’re from a Democratic or Republican family, it was very open and really cool.”

LINDSEY RAMSDELL

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – 7

IDEAS

ON POINTE

1

Top 10 things we're talking about this week

Movie

THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

2

By Lindsey Ramsdell EDITOR

If you are a fan of classic Disney tales, then this non-animated remake of “Beauty and the Beast” is a must-see. Starring Emma Watson as Belle, it hits theatres tomorrow, Thursday, March 16.

Show

ROYAL WINNPEG BALLET The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is putting on a ‘50s-style adaptation of “A Cinderella Story” at the Detroit Opera House on Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19.

Tickets start at $134.

WWW.RWB.ORG

WWW.STXMOVIES.COM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST TWITTER ACCOUNT

3

After “Daredevil,” “Luke Cage” and “Jessica Jones,” Netflix is premiering another Marvel series based on the character Iron Fist. Finn Jones stars as the martial arts expert with superhuman abilities in the first season.

The season is available for binge watching starting Friday, March 17.

Show

IRON FIST

4

Monday, March 29 the band will be stopping in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena as part of their “Revolution Radio” tour.

The show starts at 8 p.m.

Concert

REVOLUTION RADIO

WWW.GREENDAY.COM

WWW.PBS.TWIGM.COM

5

6

Album

BLOSSOM Four years since their debut album containing hit single “Stolen Dance,” the band Milky Chance is set to release their second album on Friday, March 17.

Event

DIRTY DANCING A theatrical adaptation of the classic 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing” is coming to Fox Theatre in Detroit.

Shows begin on Friday, March 24 and last until Sunday, March 26.

Times vary and tickets start at $55.

WWW.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

WWW.PBS.TWIMG.COM

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8

Game

Sports

RED WINGS

Watch tonight as the Red Wings take on the Colorado Avalanche at 10 p.m. Then tune in tomorrow, March 16 to see the Wings play the Arizona Coyotes at 10 p.m.

WWW.TICKETM.NET

The Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament returns to Joe Louis Arena from Thursday, March 16 to Saturday, March 18. All six teams will play through a five-game, singleelimination bracket for the conference title that qualifies them for the NCAA championship.

RED WINGS TWITTER ACCOUNT

9

10

The up-andcoming rap group and artist will perform together at Masonic Temple in Detroit on Concert Saturday, March YO GOTTI 25. Get tickets for AND MIGOS the 7 o’clock show for the chance to see Migos’ hit “Bad and Boujee” performed live.

WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM

The f-word MY VIEW JAMIE BREWER The idea of strengthening women's rights has been a prominent idea throughout the history of our country, however, it has emerged as a prevalent topic of discussion in today’s times. Feminism has become a great part of United States controversy.

So what exactly is the problem with feminism? People often have a construed view on what women being “equal” to men actually means. Women have different strengths, weaknesses and abilities in comparison

to men, but that doesn’t imply inequality.

Women and men are different for a reason.

Feminism is defined as “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men.” Although unfortunately in today's times, the word has become synonymous with the idea of “manhating” and the idea that women should have the same standards as men. That needs to stop.

Feminism and gender equality should not be perceived as only a female issue and should not be connected to the idea of hating or lessening male strength. Gender equality is an issue for males and females alike.

A study done by the American Association of University Women states that a woman makes 90 cents for every dollar a male makes for the same amount of work. However, men accounted for seven out of every 10 suicide deaths that occured in 2015 according to the American Foundation

BIG TEN MENS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

Movie LIFE

This chilling science fiction tale of a team of astronauts discovering life on Mars premieres Friday, March 24. It is directed by Daniel Espinosa and stars Jake Gyllenhaal.

WWW.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

for Suicide Prevention, mostly due to the fact that men feel like they can’t share their feelings without being ridiculed or feeling like “less of a man.” Gender stereotypes not only occur against women, but against the male population also.

People often talk about how only women are affected by beauty standards in the media, but that is definitely not the case. In today’s society, women are supposed to have the perfect, toned modelesque body and flawless skin and hair. On the other hand, males are supposed to have the perfect chiseled jawline and the body of a professional athlete.

The idea of being a good person on the inside is constantly becoming less important for both males and females and unfortunately, inner beauty has become overshadowed by outwardly appearance on both sides of the gender spectrum.

As Emma Watson said in her He for She United Nations speech, “we don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes, but

I can see that they are, and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.”

I hope that in the future, “throwing like a girl” won't be such a bad thing and that the role of a father won't be considered less important compared to a mother. I hope that in the future equal work will result in equal pay. I hope that all people will feel free to be complete and true versions of themselves.

People have been fighting for these rights throughout history—from Harriet Tubman in the Underground Railroad to Emma Watson and her He for She campaign—and I believe it is important we all continue to fight and work towards not only the end of female inequality, but for the end of male stereotypes as well.

REVIEWS

8 – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – North Pointe

New franchise shakes up Detroit Chloe Ribco INTERN

Customers waiting for up to an hour. A long line. Lots of free gear. A view of all the lucky customers already chowing down. A posh Woodward Avenue location.

Waiting on Woodward was well worth it to get into the grand opening of Shake Shack on Thursday, Feb. 23. Customers looking for the traditional Shake Shack experience should order the original shack burger, crinkle fries and a classic chocolate milkshake.

The cashier station is set up in a fashion similar to McDonald’s, but nicer.

After ordering, the customer gets a buzzer and sits for about five minutes.

T h e burger, though, wasn’t earthshattering, but good would be an

understatement. All of the ingredients come together beautifully to create a one-of-a-kind whole mouth experience. The lettuce and tomato were crunchy and fresh, which cuts down the amount of grease from the burger and the cheese.

The bun was sealed on one side so none of the deliciousness falls out. All of the main ingredients are what make the burger but the true factor that takes this burger from ordinary burger to culinary masterpiece is the house made sauce. It's not like most places, where the secret sauce is just thousand island dressing or some variation slapped all over the bun, it's unlike anything else in Detroit. A blend of mayo, ketchup, mustard, a few spices and get this: pickles. Yes actual real pickles, the same kind they put on your burger. The sauce definitely made the whole opening day endeavor all worthwhile.

As far as French fries go, Shake Shack fries did not disappoint. Crinkle cut, with just the right amount of grease, possibly the best fries ever made. Didn’t even need ketchup.

The shake, although amazing, was just a bit too rich. Shake Shack serves hand-spun vanilla, caramel, black and white, strawberry, peanut butter, coffee Fair Shake and chocolate, as well as seasonal flavors that vary between locations. If you want a shake, maybe skip the fries as it could be a bit too much.

The only thing that was troublesome was the atmosphere. There were hardly any decorations, two paintings and one flower pot, to be exact. It just didn’t look right. Maybe the owners were shooting for a minimalist look, but it just seemed bare. The music was unnecessarily loud and made conversation a hassle, on top of the fact that every five minutes a manager or worker interrupted to check on you or take some trash off your table. It was a little overboard.

However, taking into account that it was opening day, they were still getting used to running the store and wanted to make sure everything was going smoothly.

Other than the loud music, Shake Shack was nothing but great. It's a great place to grab a quick bite if you’re looking for fresh ingredients and killer milkshakes. It was worth the wait during the grand opening, and will be a perfect spot for famous fast food once all the initial hype dies down.

Shake Shack 660 Woodward Ave (313) 672-0501 TWITTER @SHAKESHACK

APP

ALBUM

GAME

ALBUM

HIDDEN FOLKS

NO PLAN

LIVING WITH MONOLITHS

DIVIDE

Fans of “Where's Waldo” will find that "Hidden Folks," created by Adriaan de Jongh and Sylvain Tegroeg, takes the I-SPY game to a whole new ITUNES.APPLE.COM level. With moving characters and hidden objectives, it requires a little more skill than just a good eye.

"Hidden Folks" is a puzzle game that has players scour a hand-drawn scene of objects and folks, to find specific characters or items, using vague clues to find them. It seems simple enough, and, in a sense, it is. However, it's a little more complicated than that.

The game has many moving components and actually requires the player to move certain obstacles to find a folk or object, which adds a layer of complexity.

Considering the graphics of the game make everything black and white, characters and objects look, at first glance, remarkably similar.

Its soundtrack adds a pinch of comedy.

When users click items in the game, the sounds are clearly human imitations. For instance, touching the ground earns users a “puff” sound. Unzipping a tent gets a “zip-zip-zip.”

One downside to the game is its $3.99 price tag. The content just doesn’t warrant the price. The game is fun to play, but only has four levels, and only two have all of the challenges available. The others say challenges are “coming soon.”

The game does seem to still be under development considering the unfinished levels, so users can expect more fun and challenging levels in the future. Also, since each level takes a considerable amount of time to complete, the game will likely last for most players. One can only hope that the developers can keep up with demand.

All in all, the game is pretty well done, and if buyers are willing to pay for a four dollar game, it's worth the money. "Hidden Folks" is fun to play and engaging enough that anyone could easily get sucked into.

Most posthumously released albums serve as incomplete looks at artists who chose to rage against the dying light. David Bowie’s “No Plan,” however, acts as a thorough look ITUNES.APPLE.COM inside the artist’s battle with cancer, which ultimately ended up taking his life. Bowie’s pain and inflection are ingrained in his distinct croon on every track, making the listening experience deeply moving for any longtime fan.

“No Plan” gives listeners one last chance to enjoy Bowie’s magic. He and his band maintain a dynamic that is unlike that of any other artist. The album provides listeners with a more natural look at Bowie and his music, as it feels more intentional and purposeful, more introspective.

Listeners can hear how Bowie’s voice is the same, yet also subtly withered with age. “No Plan” is an excellent biographical addition to Bowie’s discography. In title track “No Plan” Bowie questions his place on Earth, showing a more vulnerable side of himself in his last days. Remarkable tracks such as “Lazarus” and “Killing a Little Time” dig deep into the inner workings of Bowie’s mind throughout his struggle.

Unlike “Blackstar,” which was released one year before, Bowie seems more subdued on “No Plan,” maintaining a more stripped-down feel on the tracks.

The latter is less poppy and boasts a more low-key production. Bowie does not experiment much on the album, letting the instrumentals speak for themselves.

“When I Met You” is an example of the understated sounds the entire EP reflects: a more bare-bones approach, just Bowie and his band. While it is free of the glittering gimmicks that marked his early career, the track still shines with Bowie’s same old heartrending lyrics and vocals.

While the album only boasts four songs, the short trip that “No Plan” takes listeners on is bound to make a lasting impression. It enshrines Bowie’s genuine talent, offering a sincere nod to the late star’s natural abilities.

“Living with the Moonoliths” is an exceptionally atmospheric walkingsimulator computer game in which you explore the moon for various alien structures.

Gameplay is bare WWW.YOUTUBE.COM bones, consisting of the player holding down the “W” key on the keyboard for the majority of the game. The objective is to collect 40 orbs strewn about the map to unlock the ending, where the mystery behind the orbs and the behemoth structures they call home will finally be disclosed to the player. It is right on the precipice of what can actually be considered a game, the only gameplay objective being the retrieval of these orbs. The protagonist cannot die, only venture out into the dusty wastes of the lunar horizon.

Presentation is what sells this title. A first-person perspective with a grainy, dirty, black-and-white filter makes it seem like the player is controlling either a lunar rover or seeing through the lense of a helmet-mounted camera. This coupled with the photorealistic graphics gives a sense of immersion that is part awe-inspiring and part terrifying, especially when coming across the monolithic, as the name suggests, alien structures that litter the landscape. These installations are simply breath-taking. The only gripe with the presentation is that some of the rocks on the ground are noticeably copy-and-pasted as some of the same assortments tend to be seen together and some will even hover off the ground on a fixed plain. Surprisingly enough this does little to break the immersion effect.

Sound design is also something that, when coupled with the visuals, creates a euphoric and immersive experience. From the muffled contact of boots on the lunar surface as the protagonist gallops across the map to the haunting musical cues that sprout up after finding an imposing landmark, the audio in “Living with the Moonoliths” is something that should be experienced.

That goes for the game as a whole. Few games like this can honestly give as haunting and mystical an experience as this one does— and all without a single spoken word of dialogue.

After a year-long hiatus from music, Ed Sheeran has made his triumphant return to limelight.

His newest album, “Divide,” showcases his many talents and ITUNES.APPLE.COM makes the listener hit repeat time and time again.

From hit singles like “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill” that captured pop audiences to Celtic folk and hip-hop mash-ups like “Galway Girl,” Sheeran proves he is capable of making music for everyone’s tastes.

With 12 songs on the normal album and 16 on the deluxe, Sheeran gives listeners a plethora of car sing-alongs, dance-until-you-drop numbers and poignant ballads. This album is special in particular because it has a raw and emotional edge that is different than its predecessors, “Plus” and “Multiply.” The complex emotion behind each lyric transports the listener into the complicated inner workings of relationships and heartbreak.

The pop side of the album is quintessential Sheeran. Anthems like “What Do I Know?” and “New Man” are throwbacks to Sheeran’s original sound from his first album. His trademark layering of guitar chords and backup singing using a loop pedal makes these songs instant hits.

On the other hand, the album's acoustic side provides a challenge, setting aside the gimmicky background beats for more of a focus on the depth of the lyrics being sung. “Hearts Don't Break Around Here” and “Happier” give a look into the good and bad sides of relationships.

Not only does Sheeran tackle everyday problems in his music, he also takes on more emotional issues that relate on a deeper level than previously. In the song “Supermarket Flowers,” Sheeran immortalizes his grandmother and sings about her death and her maternal relationship to him. This heart-wrenching tribute gives fans a side of Sheeran they haven’t seen before and makes the album all the more likeable.

Sheeran also showcases his wide array of talents.

The first track, “Eraser,” boasts Sheeran’s hip-hop and rap abilities, with an upbeat phonic guitar rhythm in the background. Sheeran’s rapping skills can be likened to those of Big Sean or Lil Yachty, by using simplistic vocals that bolster captivating lyrics.

Sheeran's new album is a smash hit and sure to fit anyone's taste.

"Hidden Folks"; 2017; Adriaan de Jongh ; Available for Apple and Android for $3.99

“No Plan”; 2017; David Bowie; 18 minutes; Available for $6.59 on ebay

“Living with the Monoliths”; MOSHE LINKE; 2017; Available on Steam

“Divide ”; Ed Sheeran; 59 minutes, 2017; Available for $10.99 on Itunes

By Josie Bennett

By Abbey Cadieux

By Giuseppe Parison

By Sarah Wietecha

IDEAS POINTE The curious case of Michael Flynn

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 15, 2016 – 9

NORTH

“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 Lindsey Ramsdell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mora Downs MANAGING EDITOR

Ritika Sannikommu Alex Harring EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WEB MANAGING EDITOR

Billy Moin MANAGING EDITOR Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANGER

Caitlin Bush NEWS EDITOR

Abbey Cadieux IDEAS EDITOR

Anna Post SPORTS EDITOR

Michal Ruprecht ASSISTANT EDITOR

Amber Braker ASSISTANT EDITOR

Josie Bennett 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

RITIKA SANIKOMMU

Lack of caution on social media diminishes school reputation

We live in a world where a simple click of a button is a catalyst. What we post could completely alter our lives, and we need to make sure that we are more responsible when it comes to social media.

Snapchat stories and live videos on Instagram are supposed to showcase our lives to others, but we should only be showing the positive. Filming fights and posting them online projects a negative image of our school and broadcasts it to the world. As students, we cannot control how our school is perceived, but we can change our image.

What we post on social media does impact on our school and community. Local news organizations can easily find our posts and report about issues in our district.

We think when we post an offensive picture or prank video gone wrong that the scope of our viewership is the number of followers we have. That’s not always the case.

We represent the Grosse Pointe community, and our community sees all.

In addition to giving our school a bad reputation, what we post online can attack people personally. Everyone makes mistakes in high school. However, we live in an age where our mistakes can be documented and posted for the world to see Our blunders are no longer erephemeral—they are immortalized. Furthermore, the people who star in the photos and videos posted are not the people who post them. These people fall victim to their peers. We need to stop caring about retweets and make sure we are not harassing peers.

Even if you are not the focal point of an inappropriate post, you can be associated with it. The slip-up going viral around the school may not be yours, but your reputation can still plummet. Being the collateral damage to a scandal can be as detrimental as being the center of one.

Not everything posted online is technically public.

Even the most private accounts are not safe. Fake Instagram accounts (“finstas”) use to vent about problems and gossip about others. Posts can be screenshoted and shown to others. What you post is not locked in a vault on a private account. A finsta is not the equivalent to a diary, and any one of your followers can expose your secrets publically.

Not only will comments about other students get out.

Anything said about teachers can and will get out, and will result in a real-life consequence. When it comes to a school-related matter, we cannot hide behind our screens.

What we say online does not stay there.

At a time when we are trying to market ourselves to colleges and future employers, we shouldn’t be airing our dirty laundry online for all to see. Any affiliation with illegal activities, violence or bullying is a huge red f lag.

A need to get a reaction from our peers should not eclipse the need to maintain a good image.

We are lucky to have access to Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram while on school Wi-Fi, and that is a privilege our administration can easily take away. In order to maintain this liberty, we should depict North as a safe space, not ridicule other students and the staff.

The mistakes we make in high school don’t have to haunt us forever, but if we aren’t careful about what we post, they will.

Be wary of your social media habits. What you do and say is accessible by a quick Google search. It will follow you.

It was the phone call heard around the world.

Last month, now former national security adviser Michael Flynn handed in his resignation following reports of classified phone EDITOR’S DESK calls with Rus- ALEX HARRING sian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, during which they allegedly talked dropping sanctions. Then, Flynn misinformed Vice President Pence about the situation.

That’s definitely not good. And with earlier chatter of possible conflicts of interest with Russia, it could be true.

Let’s make one thing clear: I’m no fan of Flynn.

When he led “lock her up” chants at the Republican National Convention or tweeted about how being fearful of the Islamic religion is rational, I knew I would never drink the Kool-Aid. But he could be the worst national security adviser ever, and I would still notice that there’s a problem with his resignation. I would have to be blind not to.

As Damon Linker mentioned in his column in The Week, it is important to not only look at what is happening in government, but how it happens as well. Flynn is no longer the national security adviser. That’s the what. But analyzing how it happened is where the situation gets murky.

Our government intelligence agencies should be reporting information to the executive branch, not the press core. They had a recording of the highly classified phone call, yet somehow a story about the call made its way onto Washington Post’s website before actions were taken against Flynn.

Funny how that works.

This isn’t an Olivia Pope-esque “Scandal” moment or an Anonymous Operations-type case. This was an unelected figure employed by the government to do work for central intelligence that played judge and jury and leaked information that wasn’t theirs to leak—a political assassination (or “soft coup”) by a silent but deadly soldier that went rogue.

It is not the job of intelligence agencies, or their workers, to give the truth to the public, nor is it their

“I feel like they’re pretty good. You get to use them for a fair amount, not too much, not too little.”

duty to target cabinet members who have done something bad. Their job is to analyze, watch and report up the chain of command—the top being the executive branch. The job description doesn’t include ousting cabinet members who are in the wrong. That’s one of the roles of our elected officials.

White hats should only be worn by those voted into their titles. When situations like Flynn's occur, they should be handled within our legislative and executive branches. I’m definitely not crazy about the tweeter-in-chief’s social media presence, but he was spot on when detesting leaks from Washington. If we want our government to get anything done, the people on the inside of the system can’t be working against it.

The United States is not a police state. We shouldn’t want nor expect the deep state to be feeding premature information to the press.

I know it can be hard. In what seems like an ocean of “alternative” facts and governmentcentric news, it can be difficult to place trust in a highly contested administration. But just like how the Benghazi situation with Hillary Clinton was handled with a congressional investigation, our elected officials should’ve been the ones probing Flynn’s case, not unelected members of government agencies.

A free and vibrant press—which I’m a proud member of—is embedded into the Constitution, and journalists are not at fault in this situation.

The Washington Post and other organizations were simply doing what they were created for: reporting the news.

The real problem lies with the intelligence workers who think they don’t report to the government—their employers—and think that classified information is theirs to give away. In a bureaucracy, rules and procedure are important.

What happened is clear, but how it happened in this case is something that should be a bipartisan concern. Government workers who think they’re above the law? Sounds bad for both sides of the aisle.

Whether you’re first class or coach, no one wants to be on a ship whose crew members want it to sink.

Zach Doerr

“I feel like you should be able to use them only if the teacher allows it and when the teacher’s giving instructions you shouldn’t be on it.”

James Dodge

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

“I feel like if there wasn’t any phones ... then the students would be paying more attention in class and they would be having better grades."

Grace Howard JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: How do you feel about phones in school?

By Asia Simmons & Alyssa McClarty

“I’m really attached to my phone at home, but I know when it comes to school, I know when to put my phone away.”

Chandler McClarty SENIOR

NORTH

Julie Pappas

"There are moments where they’re pretty useful. We do things in class like Kahoots and quizzes, but they’re a constant distraction.”

Barry Mulso

MATH TEACHER

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

“I don’t particularly like them in my classroom because they cause too much of a distraction.”

POINTE

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Lindsey Ramsdell, Ritika Sanikommu MANAGING EDITORS: Mora Downs, Billy Moin WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR: Alex Harring SECTION EDITORS: Josie Bennett, Caitlin Bush, Abbey Cadieux, Anna Post DESIGN EDITOR: Emma Brock BUSINESS MANAGER: Gowri Yerramalli DIGITAL EDITORS: Erin Kaled, Sonny Mulpuri, Sarah Wietecha ASSISTANT EDITORS: Allison Lackner, Trevor Mieczkowski, Katelynn Mulder, Montana Paton, Michal Ruprecht, Billy Steigelman, Tommy Teftsis

INTERNS: Rory Angott, Jamie Brewer, Isabella Cusumano, Maggie Dollar, Colin Haroutunian, Mariah Loper, Adam Schwartz, Maxwell Murray, Chloe Ribco The North Pointe is edited and produced by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review.

Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions.

The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System.

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MY TURN RORY ANGOTT

Looking past fake facts A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through Twitter and saw an article by the Huffington Post titled “Bernie Sanders Could Replace President-Elect Trump With Little-Known Loophole.” I was more than skeptical, but, being a hopeful former Sanders supporter, I read it.

It was ingenious. In fact, it’s exactly what pushed me to write this.

All it was was a column telling us that we’re not as innocent as we might believe when it comes to fake news. It told us that we have to put in work. That we have to make sure fake news takes the backseat it deserves.

Then I read the replies.

What I saw was a mixture of happy people saying, “Finally! We can do something about this!” and not so happy people saying, “Trump was elected, deal with it.”

What I didn’t see was the praise that this column deserved. Most of the comments were reactions to the headline rather than the actual article because, even if they’ve been spending hours on the internet, they couldn’t take 10 minutes out of their lives to read it.

The most dangerous thing about this isn’t just that fake news is spreading in the public, but that politicians have begun to spread it—or in some cases—create it.

In an interview with Chris Matthews, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump, coined the supposed “Bowling Green Massacre” in support of the president’s travel and immigration ban.

This so-called massacre never took place.

Trump supporter or not, there is a need to recognize the fact that this is a real problem. Conway saw the opportunity to use this false information to endorse something she believed was important, and she took that opportunity.

I agree, especially considering her high position, that she should have made sure this was real—but she didn’t.

Rather than waste our time attacking her for that, we can learn from it. We can use this as an example that we are vulnerable to fake news and that it’s not an issue to be ignored.

One of the most important factors of a democracy is that we, the people, can trust our government and that we can trust our media. Right now, how can we?

We have fake news running rampant on the internet from self-proclaimed "reliable news sources" and politicians chasing each other around Washington either quoting or creating fake news.

When people lose trust in their democracy, that democracy is cracking. There’s a crack in ours right now, but that crack is small, and it’s nothing we can’t fix.

If you see fake news on social media, report it. If posting an article online, make sure it is true. Sometimes, you just don’t know. In that case, don’t post it. We can’t take that risk, even if the article appeals to your opinions.

If it’s fake news, it’s fake news, and in any and every case, it has absolutely no place in our world.

10 – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – North Pointe

IN-DEPTH

Annual physics cardboard boat regatta

By Chloe Ribco

On the seventh annual physics boat regatta students and their groups tested out their boats made from cardboard and duck tape

LEFT | Junior John Streberger RIGHT | Senior Alexander Sonaglia

INTERN

ALL PHOTOS BY BELLA DESANDY

RACING THROUGH | Seniors Jacqueline Veneri and Victoria Sonaglia-Gates work their way across the pool in their boat the Anti-Titanic

SETTING SAIL | Seniors Ryan Mazzola, Adam Schreck, John Cobau, James Mazzola, Samuel Cross and Joseph Cobau cheer on racers Jack Kohler and Demetrios Stathis on board their boat, Boats and Bros. “I was surprised that we won because as soon as we stepped in the boat it started leaking water,” Stathis said.

STAYING ON BOARD | Juiniors Ethan Aziz an Jillian Lapere try to paddle their way out of falling into the pool as their boat begins to collapse.

ON THE GO | Seniors Malik Jones and Athanasios Hedglin make their way down the pool lane to make it before their boat capsizes. “At one point one of the walls of the boat ripped so as I was paddling and moving forward it just (moved) water into the boat so ... keeping myself spread out (so) I could keep pushing the cardboard forward while also rowing was kind of a struggle, which is why at one point I laid back to flatten it out,” Heglin said.

STAYING AFLOAT | Seniors Matt Moores and Ryan Race paddle their boat Flotus Dos to the finish. “Our plan, if the boat survives, is to take it out into Lake St.Clair immediately after school,” Moores said.

WORKING TOGETHER | Juiniors Lauren Sickmiller and Abigail Kanakry work on keeping the boat moving forward down the pool lane.

SPORTS

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – 11

Athletic Association crowns senior Jimmy John’s Athlete of the Week

By Mora Downs & Erin Kaled EDITORS

athlete in the entire state of Michigan, is something to be very proud of.”

Injuries kept Nguyen out most of this season. Including an extra bone For her outstanding performance in gymnastics, in both her feet, a crooked knee and another damaged knee. Even with her senior Isabelle Nguyen was recognized as Athlete of the setbacks, Nguyen’s family still applauds her hard work and ambitious attitude.

Week by the Michigan High School Athletic Association and The “Isabelle loves gymnastics. No matter if she is injured or not, she would Michigan National Guard the week of Tuesday, Feb. 28. The program always show up for practice. Isabelle, when she is determined to get a skill, chooses one athlete each week during the school year she will practice until she gets it,” Van said. to acknowledge an impressive athlete.

“My husband would be the one who would push “I was actually pretty surprised that I got athlete them a little because he was a gymnast himself. of the week. I got a call from Mr. (Brian) Shelson We always tell them to do the best they can and saying that he wanted me down in his office to have to have fun. If you have fun, then you will do an interview with (Michigan High School Athletic your best.”

Association),” Nguyen said. “I was scared and confused Although this has been a large part at first. I didn’t think I got nominated or anything. I of Nguyen’s life, she sees it as just as an really wasn’t for sure.” extracurricular and does not plan on competing Nguyen has been involved in gymnastics for the at the collegiate level. past nine years and was proud of being recognized.

“I don’t think doing this sport affects college Her parents said they were also surprised to find out too much. I think it just helps show that I do that their daughter had been chosen.

Brian Shelson sports for the school and that I do extracurricular “My husband and I were very excited when we ATHLETIC DIRECTOR things,” Nguyen said. “I was thinking about heard the news. Her dad was so proud that whoever he going to a college with gymnastics, but now I met, he would talk about Isabelle being athlete of the week,” Nguyen’s know I’m not because I won’t be doing it in college.” mom, Van Nguyen, said via email. “We always knew that she was very Nguyen took fifth and second in the finals of MHSAA Division I talented. There are a lot of talented gymnasts out there, but her hard work competition. The past two years, the all-around score for her performances paid off.” was 37.975, and she won on all four apparatuses.

The performance of the week is chosen through the MHSAA, and only “I’m hoping to just keep working hard and not to give up. I’m not planning 24 students are recognized a year. The winner is showcased on the to go into gymnastics in college because of my injuries.” Nguyen said. “But MHSAA website. even though this is my last year doing gymnastics, I plan on coaching, maybe Athletic Director Brian Shelson says he’s never had another student Grosse Pointe United Gymnastics, after I leave for college.” recognized for this honor during his time at North.

“It has been a fantastic season for Izzy,” Shelson said via email.

“To be honored as not just a top gymnast in the state, but the top

“

To be honored as not just a top gymnast in the state, but the top athlete in the entire state of Michigan, is something to be very proud of.

“

Alum creates semi-pro soccer club in Detroit

By Sonny Mulpuri & Tommy Teftsis EDITOR & ASSISTANT EDITOR

When class of 1999 alumnus David Dwaihy attended North, he never imagined he would be a co-founder of a semi-professional soccer team.

Dwaihy graduated in 1998. In 2012, he and four of his close friends founded Detroit City FC: a semipro soccer team based in metro Detroit.

The team participates in the Great Lakes Conference of the National Premier Soccer League, which houses eight teams, six of them in Michigan. Dwaihy serves as the the Director of Soccer Operations, a position that focuses on the soccer aspect of the team. He organizes everything relating to soccer, such as handling equipment for the players, setting up for game day, paying referees and every little detail that goes into gameday.

According to Dwaihy, DCFC is more than a soccer club to the city of Detroit.

“Passion for our city, passion for our game. That’s our subhead,” Dwaihy said.

DCFC focuses on community and creating an image of positivity and passion for the betterment of Detroit. The games tend to sell out and include interactive fan experiences such as the “March to The Match,” a half-mile fan march to Keyworth stadium in Hamtramck prior to DCFC home games.

DCFC’s focus on camaraderie between the club and its fans offers them another source of pride in the city.

Dwaihy has been involved in soccer for the majority of his life. He played at Kalamazoo College and even played a few times for DCFC. It’s clear to see the sport has had a notable effect on his past, present and future. For the most part, soccer has been accountable for creating relationships and bonds that have carried from his youth into adulthood.

“Since I was a little kid, it was responsible for my friend groups,” Dwaihy said. “I’m still in contact with the people I’ve played with as a youth player, and the guys I got to know playing college soccer are probably some of my closest friends today, and now that I’m old, and in the final years of playing the game, it’s still a social outlet.”

These bonds are what led to the creation of DCFC. Dwaihy met his current bussiness partners Sean Mann, Todd Kropp, Alex Wright and Ben Steffans through a community-based soccer league started by Mann called the Detroit Football League. Each founder brings his own expertise, spanning from law to media studies. Together, they created the perfect formula for a successful semiprofessional soccer team.

“We looked into it, and it was a fairly affordable enterprise, so we decided to do it,” Dwaihy said.

“Five years later, it grew into a pretty significant operation.”

DCFC isn’t the only aspect of Dwaihy’s career. He also works at Liggett as a math teacher and boys and girls soccer coach.

“I didn’t realize that it would become a part of my career,” he said. “Obviously my job first and foremost is a math teacher at a high school.”

Coaching soccer served as Dwaihy’s connection to Liggett and helped him finalize his teaching position at the school. His coaching position and affiliation with DCFC brings him even closer to his students. Liggett senior Brandon Johnston has been coached by Dwaihy for two years, had him for math as a junior, and works for him at DCFC. He couldn’t be more satisfied with his coach.

“He has an amazing ability to make the game more enjoyable for each player and improve their skills at the same time,” Johnston said.

Johnston has taken on an interning position at DCFC this past summer where he would help set up, work and take down all of the different things that go into Keyworth stadium on game days.

In math class, Johnston enjoyed Dwaihy’s laid-back and easy-going teaching charisma.

“He had a soccer ball at the front of his room, and we would literally juggle with each other for 10 minutes while the other students were coming in,” Johnston said.

Dwaihy enjoys the position and is happy that he can give something back to the community that helped him grow into the man he is today.

“Some of my fondest soccer memories were playing at Grosse Pointe North, so it’s kind of weird being a mile away but not coaching there,” Dwaihy said.

Soccer and Detroit are now a perfect match, and DCFC has played a huge role in this. In recent months there has been talk of Detroit receiving a Major League Soccer team in 2019. For many DCFC fans, they feel the city does not need an MLS team. But Dwaihy says otherwise.

“I’m very excited that an MLS team will be in Detroit,” he said. “For someone who is involved with DCFC, I am hopeful that that professional soccer corporation can incorporate us and our mission.”

The growth DCFC has had in the last five years can be described as exponential. What started as a recreational league with the intent to bring local communities together has grown to a club that has thousands of supporters that is recognized on a national level.

“I see us in the city, continuing to maintain a focus on the community in providing entertainment for the city and its neighboring suburbs,” Dwaihy said. “I see us hopefully being bigger than we are now and continuing our steady growth, and maybe us being the name of the MLS team, although that’s a little bit of a dream for right now.”

DETERMINED | David Dwaihy kicking the ball past an opponent during a match for the Detroit City Fielders.

PICTURES COURTESY OF WWW.MILIVE.COM

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME | David Dwaihy faced up against an opponent during an away game. Dwaihy and his bussiness partners have a passion for the game and wanted to share their love for the game. “The other four guys are residents of Detroit and wanted to do something positive in the city of Detroit,” Dwaihy said. “I live in Grosse Pointe, but I certainly have a lot of love for detroit. Growing up in Grosse Pointe I certainly longed to have some reason to get into the city, and after these long years, I finally have a connection, and these guys love the game too. So if we thought we could bring exposure to the sport to detroit that we all love it would be a win win.”

SPORTS

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 15 – 12

Winter sports wrap up

Catch up on the successes and shortcomings of the winter sports season

By Billy Moin & Gowri Yerramalli EDITOR & BUSINESS MANAGER

Wrestling

Cheer team

Senior Aaron Rozich, a team captain, hand fights with a Sterling Heights High School wrestler in the third place match at the Macomb Area Conference individual tournament. The team managed an 18-5 record (6-1 MAC Gold) and shared the league title with Warren Mott High School. “It’s really fun with everybody,” Rozich said. “This year we won the league so overall, as a team, we were more connected and better.”

Senior Kayla Byrom performs alongside her teammates. One of the team’s season highlights came when both the JV and varsity groups took first place at the Tower Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 11. “I was really proud to see the girls work so hard and be able to go out and put that, put all that hard work and energy on the mat when it was time

League Champions

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

Girls hockey Boys hockey Boys swim The team competes against Chippewa Valley High School in a Macomb Area Conference Red matchup. With captains Joey and John Cobau leading the team, the boys finished 1-2 in the regular season and 0-2 in the MAC Red Division. Senior Ben Sliwinski thought that the team improved immensely this year. “As a whole, the team improved a lot, and we made good legacy for our freshman and younger members of the team to continue with some team traditions,” Sliwinski said.

BELLA DESANDY

Synchronized Swim

Junior Kylie Banazsewski, alternate captain, guides the puck in a game against University Liggett School. In what head coach Joe Lucchese described as a rebuilding year, the team went 6-15 in the regular season and lost to South High School in the first round of playoffs. “The girls have gotten better and they’ve worked hard and it’s showing off, starting to show off. We have a really good core group of kids coming back next year,” Lucchese said."

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

Gymnastics

Alternate captain Alex Batts skates down the rink during a match. “We had a really big rookie class this year, almost half of the team was rookies this year, so I would say the goal of the season was to not let other teams just look over us because of that ... the goal was to kind of play to the traditional North hockey standards again,” alternate captain Paul Lucchese said. “I’m pretty pleased with how, especially with how all of our rookies dealt with high school hockey for the first time.”

The synchronized swimming team rehearses their routine in South High School’s pool. Finishing with fourth in the state figures meet, the team had a great season, according to senior captain Sarah Corbet. “We did very well in figures and routines. I love routines because they are so much energy just moving in the water. We get to choreograph some of our own songs,” Corbet said. “I love my team. We are very close."

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

Senior captian Izzy Nguyen performs her routine during a home match.

“This season, I think our main goal, because more than half the team was all freshmen, was just making it to regionals,” Nguyen said.

IZZY NGUYEN

Figure skating Senior Tyler Clogg prepares to perform a spin during one of the figure skating team’s meets. The team’s scores were higher for this season compared to their previous seasons. Junior Natalie Barstys, senior Tyler Clogg and Grosse Pointe South junior Caitlin Miller led the team as captains. “I think the hardest part of the season was just trying to stay motivated and focused,” Barstys said.

ALYSSA DALL

Boys basketball League Champions

Junior Sheldon Cage fights off a South High School defender as he tries to score. Senior captains Martes Howard, Steven Levick and Dillon Webb led the team to a 13-7 record (8-2 Macomb Area Conference White) in the regular season and tied with Utica-Ford II High School for the league title. In the playoffs, the team defeated Warren Woods-Tower High School, 59-57, in its first game before losing to Lake Shore High School, 57-49, in the district final. “Everyone is supportive on the team. They’re hardworking and the coaching staff is great,” Webb said. “We always have each others’ backs throughout the games, and if we made a mistake we would always pick each other up.”

Girls Basketball District Champions

GPN ATHLETICS TWITTER

KATIE LINK

The team poses with its district championship trophy. After the girls went 12-10 (4-6 Macomb Area Conference Red) during the regular season, they beat Lakeview High School 63-48 to become district champions. Their season came to an end soon after when they lost to Birmingham-Marian High School 34-31 in the regional semifinal.