North Pointe Vol. 49, Issue 11 - March 29, 2017

NORTH

POINTE

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

SI NC E 1968

Legislation mandates CPR graduation requirement

By Katelynn Mulder & Michal Ruprecht ASSISTANT EDITORS Each year, about 400,000 people suffer cardiac arrests and aren’t treated in the hospital, and fewer than 6 percent of them survive, The Washington Post reported in 2015.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation can restore oxygenated blood flow to vital organs if a person stops breathing or a heart stops beating normally—it’s the difference between life and death.

However, fewer than 3 percent of the U.S. population receives CPR training.

University of Michigan Medicine wrote that the State of Michigan, with a cardiac survival rate of 8 percent, falls behind the national average of 10 percent.

State Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker and Rep. Tom Hooker wanted to change those statistics by introducing Michigan Senate Bill 647, signed in December of 2016 by Gov. Rick Snyder. The new legislation requires students in grades 7-12 to take CPR training and learn how to use an automated external defibrillator in health class before graduating.

Maureen Bur, director of secondary education, said the GPPSS health and physical education curriculums will include CPR and AED training starting in the 201718 school year. Although the law doesn’t require CPR and AED training in physical education classes (which always have them), Bur said the intent of the bill is good because it provides students and adults instruction that can potentially be life-saving.

“Whether it be at school or at the park, ... you may be able to be that difference in someone having significant, you know, life injury or possibly even death,” she said.

According to physical education teacher Bruce Bentley, the instruction

in the courses will be more involved and longer compared to the health class.

Michigan isn’t the first state to adopt this law. In 1984, Alabama ratified similar legislation, followed by 33 other states. The majority of those states adopted it in the past one to three years.

Based on results from these states, University of Michigan Medicine expects Michigan’s cardiac arrest survival rate to double, which will lead to 400 additional lives saved every year. The American Heart Association said the bill will result in about 100,000 more CPR-trained Michiganians every year.

According to Bur, GPPSS may need to buy more equipment. She said the training will be taught by P.E. and health teachers who are certified through the AHA and American Red Cross. Students who took health class before the 2017-18 school year won’t have to retake the class.

Because Bentley has seen positive outcomes from the training, he said he wants

PHOTO FROM WWW.REDCROSS.ORG

to continue to teach students. He also said learning CPR early will help prepare students in emergency situations.

“It will save lives. The more people that know CPR, the better it is for each family because seven out of 10 times you have to do CPR on somebody, it's on somebody you know,” he said. “The quicker you get to something, the more likely you’re going to save one’s life. I’ve actually had kids that have saved lives literally. They had stopped heart beats and they’ve brought them back to life and it’s not just few, it’s several. So, it does help and hopefully you never ever ever have to

use it, but if you have to use it, you’ll be glad to know how to use it because most of the time, like I said, it’ll be family related.”

Junior Sydney Semack, a certified lifeguard, said the legislation can improve preparedness in unprecedented situations.

Although she didn’t find much merit in the CPR training in her gym class, she said it could help students get a general idea of it.

“It would be better for the whole community that we’re all able to help each other out,” Semack said. “We would be more aware in being able to help people than just being a bystander in a life or death situation.”

Distracted driving leads to dangerous decisions

By Elizabeth Ballinger & Rory Angott STAFF REPORTER & INTERN Getting a driver’s license is a big deal, especially for teenagers. It’s one of the first steps toward being independent and responsible. It means they have completed all of the training and are ready to join the more experienced adults on the road—sometimes.

According to www.cdc.gov, 16-19-yearolds are more likely to speed, not recognize a dangerous situation while driving and make more bad decisions than older drivers.

Assistant principal David Reed-Nordwall said that teen drivers are a risk to themselves and anyone else on the road.

This stems from the fact that they think they’re better drivers than they actually are.

“The problem with a kid that’s a year in is that they think they’re good drivers, so they get neglectful,” Reed-Nordwall said. “As it stands, being anywhere from 16 to 21 is the highest risk for driving. That’s a dangerous time to be a driver.”

This is especially evident in school parking lots. Whether it’s the end of the school day or during off-campus lunch, the parking lot remains one of the most dangerous places to drive.

According to the National Safety Council, roughly 60,000 people are injured annually in parking lot accidents, with 500 or more killed. In order to decrease those numbers, it is important to be keen on what drivers can do.

“Number one is to stick to the 5-mile-anhour limit. It drives people crazy, but the biggest problem here is that parking lots are the most dangerous place to drive because traffic doesn’t flow in only one direction,” Reed-Nordwall said. “People are pulling out, people are coming around corners, and people are walking. Statistics show that a high school parking lot, from the hour when kids get out to when the lot clears, is the most dangerous ‘roadway’ in America.”

Another big problem with teen drivers is that they can be easily distracted. The cause can be anything from having friends in the car with

them to checking their phones. Sophomore Liz Alderete recognizes the distractions she faces on a day-to-day basis while driving.

“I think people need to understand that they shouldn’t go on their phones while they’re driving,” Alderete said. “They should just keep looking at the road. That’s the main thing you have to do.”

This is a much bigger problem than it’s made out to be. According to a recent survey by the NSC, 66 percent of people say they feel comfortable making phone calls while driving in a parking lot.

Even 42 percemt of those polled said they would be comfortable video chatting while driving.A t the same time, according to Rasmussen Reports, 91 percent of Americans support making texting while driving illegal.

Though texting while driving may seem more dangerous than

talking on the phone, the behaviors are almost equally risky. While talking on the phone, people tend to drift into their own thoughts unrelated to the things happening outside of the call, especially the things on the road in front of them.

That distraction may seem to increase as technologies become more advanced, but car manufacturers have begun to take advantage of them in order to keep people safer. Law enforcement is also making efforts towards achieving safer roads.

“Manufacturers put in place a lot of things.

The rear backup cameras keep us from backing into people, and blind-spot indicators keep us safe from crashing into the cars around us,” Grosse Pointe Farms detective Tom Shimko said. “When I’m on the road and people see me, they’ll slow down, they put on their seatbelts, and they turn down the radio. Just us (the police) being there I think people slow down, and it’s safer because of that.”

Even with technology improving, there is no substitute for experience and mindfulness.

“New drivers aren’t confident, they haven’t learned how to drive well yet," Shimko said.

"It takes practice and I think there are more distractions nowadays with the phones and radios and things like that."

JOSIE BENNETT

EDITORIAL - PAGE 9

ON CAMPUS PAGE 4

"The government is publicizing patriotic acts and military members in order to justify war."

The Addams Family ran March 15-19. To see more, head to page 4.

FLEX - PAGE 6 “Sleep deprivation extends into mental health, academic performance and even driving.”

VERONICA ALBO

@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 49 | ISSUE 11

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

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

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

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

Sports...11-12

NEWS

2 – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – North Pointe

Family Center raises awareness of sexual exploitation

By Sarah Wietecha & Sofia Ketels EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

The Family Center of Grosse Pointe hosted a public forum about sexual exploitation of youth on Tuesday, March 21. The presentation was designed to educate parents and students about an increasingly common problem. Both the forum and presentation were fronted by experts whose goal was to inform the public of the signs for sex trafficking within neighborhoods and in students and adolescents.

Human trafficking can be split into two groups, sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

Sex trafficking is when a person is forced into prostitution, they work under a pimp and are expected to make a quota each night they work.

Labor trafficking is similar to slavery, a person is forced to do work for a family or boss without pay or rest. According to Homeland Security, human trafficking earns billions of dollars of profit a year.

Sex trafficking has become a rapidly growing problem in Michigan, especially Detroit, because it is a major sports city that brings thousands of people downtown each week. It also has an international border that can make sneaking victims in and out of the country easier.

Senior Erinne Lubienski spent her spring break last year traveling to Dehradun and New Delhi learning about the harsh reality of sex trafficking.

“There’s this phenomenon of ‘it doesn’t happen in my backyard,’” said Lubienski.

“People don’t want it to happen here, so they just ignore it.”

According to the Polaris Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to help end human trafficking, and the International Labour Association, there are an estimated 20.9 million victims of human trafficking globally and roughly 8,042 reported cases in the US in 2016 alone. This doesn’t include the cases that go unreported every year.

With help from projects like Polaris and Shared Hope, human trafficking is moving to the forefront of being a globally recognized problem.

Executive director of the Family Center Debbie Liedel said that it is the responsibility of citizens to protect others and inform others on this issue that is not common knowledge.

“Grosse Pointe borders on a major city, Detroit, and also along a foreign shore and waterway,” she said. “Demand for trafficking

should be on all of our radars.”

Sex trafficking can be facilitated by anyone, and anyone can be a victim. However, most statistics show teenage girls as usual victimsspecifically high-risk girls in unstable home environments. According to Lubienski, one third of teenage girls who run away are either coerced or kidnapped by a sex trafficker within 48 hours. According to the presentation, a child forced into this system only has a life expectancy of 7 years.

When searching for a target, there are certain vulnerabilities that sex traffickers search for.

They often target and teenage girls and children because of how easy they are to kidnap. Angela Aufdemberge is the president & CEO of Vista Maria, an organization that provides aid and resources to victims of abuse and neglect, as well as sex trafficking. At the presentation, she emphasized that traffickers look for children that have a difficult home life.

“They (sex traffickers) want to create a replacement for those feelings of family or feeling a little bit left behind,” she said.

While many children who are used in sex trafficking are kidnapped, it is possible for them to still be attending school while the trafficker hires them out or sells them. These children will be going about their everyday routine normally, but on nights and weekends they could be sent to parties to ‘turn tricks,’ or perform sexual acts for money.

Ways to identify children in the system can range from them having sudden access to expensive goods or money to spending time away from school with a strange and new adult in the child’s life. They may also disappear for long periods of time with no warning, and be branded either by tattoo or force. Children at risk for this type of trafficking usually do not have strong friend or family support and have suffered through abuse similar to this as a child.

When a child is first targeted by a trafficker, they begin to isolate themselves from their friends and family. They slowly begin to interact less with their friends and more with the trafficker. This leaves them with a very small support system, and is one of the more dangerous things that can lead to a child being trafficked.

“The only way that they’re finding what they need, whatever that is, is through the trafficker,”

JALA DANIELS

SARAH WIETECHA

said Aufdemberge.

While sex trafficking is far from being eradicated, there are non-profit groups and organizations that work to help victims of sex trafficking and support the cause to increase legislation and awareness. One of the most important aspects of this event to Liedel was to inform people about the very real threat of

human trafficking and explaining that this issue is one that affects people in all communities, even ones close to home.

“Any issue where individuals are victimized should be a concern to all of us,” she said. “It is our responsibility as concerned citizens to protect others.”

German language students participate in German Day at U of M

By Amber Braker STAFF REPORTER Power outages on Friday, March 10 meant a day off from school for most.

But for 32 German language students, it was another opportunity to learn and practice their skills. Despite school being cancelled, they went on a field trip to the University of Michigan’s annual festival celebrating all things German.

German Day is a celebration for middle school and high school German language programs held annually at the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan. German teacher Susan Sipos went to the event last year to see what it was like and decided to bring her students along this year.

“It’s a really fun experience and I thought it was a great chance for them to … compare their skills with other schools and to see that there are a lot of people learning German and see how vibrant the German community is,” Sipos said. “While they’re there they get a chance to meet with professors from all over. The judges are professors and German professionals from … all different universities and all over the region. So it’s a good chance for them to interact with German speakers too.”

German Day offers an array of competitions for students to show off their skills and knowledge of the language and culture of Germany. These competitions include web design, skits, live commercials, reading, writing, spelling, music and magazine making. Sipos felt that her students were ready to compete so she had each of her classes prepare advertisements over midwinter break which they then presented in the live commercials contest.

Sipos encouraged her students to participate in different contests by offering extra credit to anyone who placed in the top three of any category. Freshman Audry Rakozy competed in the spelling bee, won first place in the level three writing and, though she is only in level three German, won third place in the level four reading competitions.

“For the reading they gave us a passage for about a minute and you just had to look at it. You could read it maybe once in that time period,” Rakozy said. “Then you had to go into a room and you had to read it to a couple of judges. So, it was a little bit stressful but it wasn’t that bad because it was just reading a piece of German text.”

Rakozy said that she would go to German Day again but would’ve liked more time to prepare for the competitions.

She also felt that many of the events overlapped, so she had to miss some things in order to compete in other events.

WWW.LSA.UMICH.EDU

Senior Will Fishwick has gone to German Day every year since his freshman year. He competed and won second place in the music competition, performing “The Violet” by Wolfgang Mozart and “Serenade” by Franz Schubert. He placed in the top three every year he competed. However, this year was different.

“This is the first year I didn’t have music so I really had to make sure I was prepared on memorization” Fishwick said. “It’s hard to connect to text when it’s a different language because you actually need to make sure you know what you’re saying.”

Though it didn’t stop them from going on the trip, the power outages that the school was experiencing that day caused some challenges for the German students. A lack of chaperones threatened to cancel the trip until a parent volunteered. Also, since the school was closed, many of the costumes and props for the students’ commercials were locked in Sipos’ classroom.

“They prepared a lot and they couldn’t present everything that they did,” Sipos said. “So next year we intend to really kill it and do a great job.”

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NEWS

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – 3

Family Center holds time management seminar In the modern world where most American women take on the responsibilities of working and taking care of the household, balancing personal and family life is difficult to manage. To help mothers, specifically those who are entrepreneurs, the Burnout to Balance workshop will be held March 29 at the Christ Church in Grosse Pointe Farms.

The workshop’s presenter is Charmine Johnson-Fuller, who is also a selfcare coach. Johnson-Fuller will be helping anyone who attends the “Four Foundations of Time-Mastery” informational seminar to help women create a balance between personal and family life. She will focus on reducing major distractions, creating boundaries and making an emotional tie to daily plans.

Johnson-Fuller feels passionately about this program partly because of the impact it has had on her life.

“This has helped me to see each day as mine and not my kids’ or my husband's,” Johnson-Fuller said.

“These foundations have empowered me to make choices for my life that positively affect my family, while taking care of me.”

French teacher Pamela Foster has two children, and to maximize the time they have together, Foster tries to surround herself with her family as much as possible on weekends.

“I feel like I’m a robot. I’d say from Monday through Friday afternoon, I’m in robot mode,” Foster said.“For

me, a schedule is really important, and if I don’t follow it, it’s really hard to keep everything in order, so for me, my kids have a schedule that basically I only know, and my husband still has to learn it.”

According to Foster, one of the hardest things in life is to find balance, and she is glad that there are workshops available to help teach women that, essentially, everything can be accomplished with organization.

Freshman Mhairi MacMaster said she thinks this workshop would be beneficial to women, especially her own mother whom she notes gets overwhelmed with all of her work and family life.

According to MacMaster, her mother is constantly busy with all of the tasks and chores she has to do.

“I think this could be important for all women because it can teach them how to handle all of the things going on in their lives,” Macmaster said. “This will give them more time to spend with their families and enjoy life.”

By Syeda Rizvi

Wednesday, March 29 at 10 a.m. at Christ Church Grosse Pointe

SPRING BREAK

No school Monday, April 3Friday, April 7

ACT TESTING

Saturday, April 8 at 8 a.m. at North

SAT TESTING

for juniors Tuesday, April 11, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. in the gym for freshmen and sophomores Tuesday, April 11 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the gym

BAND AND ORCHESTRA BOOSTER CLUB MEETING

Tuesday, April 11 at 7 p.m. in C101

WORK KEYS TEST

for juniors Wednesday, April 12, 8-11:30 a.m. in the cafeteria

COURTSEY OF DIVERSITY CLUB

PROMOTING ACCEPTANCE| The Diversit y Club decided to hold a peace rally in April to promote acceptance after the election. The president of the club, senior Shannon Gabriel hopes for a lot of students to attend " We are hoping to get a lot of student turnout to show up for it," Gabriel said.

By Lyndsay Kluge

Band, orchestra students compete at Solo and Ensemble Band and orchestra competed in the state Solo and Ensemble competition on March 18. This year was one of the best score-wise, according to instrumental music teacher David Cleveland.

Held at Chippewa Valley High School, this year was the second year Cleveland had students score in the high 90s at the state level.

“To get into the 90s at this particular festival is very difficult, and to get into the high 90s, such as 97, 98 and 99 is nearly impossible just because of the way they score you,” Cleveland said. “I can’t remember a time other than one year when a student scored that high and this year we had a 98 and a 99.”

The students were prepared for the state competition because the piece they played was the same the played at the district competition back in February. However, they had to learn new scales for the state level.

“The very top scoring kids at the district festival made it to state festival,” Cleveland said. “They just continued to practice more and get better on their piece.”

BURNOUT TO BALANCE

PSAT TESTING

Diversity Club's peace rally promotes acceptance After the chaotic election and the split nature of the country, Diversity Club has decided to hold a peace rally in April to promote the school’s acceptance of everyone. Senior Shannon Gabriel, president of Diversity Club, has been working with her fellow members to create the event Gabriel plans to hold the event before school and promote the club’s idea.

“We are all part of this community. So that is going to be sort of the morning aspect. Just gathering students in front of the school by the stoplight and just showing that support.”

Diversity club plans to make signs a week in advance to welcome incoming students with motivating messages. It plans to meet by the stoplight in front of the school entrance with a large crowd to promote peace among the school.

“During lunch we are hoping to do some sort of peace pledge and write something like when we did the drunk driving thing with SADD. We will write a peace pledge to sort of have students just agree to be accepting people,” Gabriel said. “After school that day we are hoping to get school approval for a peace pole to put in front the school, but that is still up in the air.”

Senior Grace Guthrie has been working with Gabriel and the rest of the club to help make the peace rally the best it can be. She believes that the event is important for students and is a good opportunity.

“I think that it’s going to work out whether or not it is well attended, because the students that will be there are the students who will be very passionate about what they are doing,” Guthrie said. “The event itself is important. I think that getting students to broadcast what they believe in is something that we don’t do that often here. It’s something that I would like the school to see.”

CALENDAR

Sophomore Garrett Schreck was one of the the two students earning above a 97, but his score came as a surprise to him.

“I didn’t really know I was going to score that high and then when I got that score I didn’t understand the significance until after, and I was really excited,” Schreck said.

After not scoring as well as he hoped at districts, Schreck used that as motivation to do well at states. “(I prepared with) a lot of practicing leading up to it,” Schreck said. “My district performance didn’t go super well so then I really buckled down and practiced hard for states.”

THE SPIRITUALITY OF TAKING ACTION

Wednesday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the War Memorial

RAISING GLOBAL LEADERS FORUM

Held by The League of Woman Voters Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. at Pierce Middle School Auditorium

GPN PARENT CLUB MEETING

Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. in the Student Union

By Trevor Mieczkowski GROUP PHOTO| This year band and orchestra outperformed themselves and recieved one of their highest scores at Solo and Ensemble. Cleveland said that was the result of increased practice. "They practiced harder, particularly those kids, they practiced harder and certainly deserved it."

END OF 3RD QUARTER

Thursday, April 13

MSTEP

for juniors (social studies and science) Thursday, April 13 at 8 a.m. in cafeteria

GOOD FRIDAY Friday, April 14 no school

FOR YOUR HEIRS

Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Services for Older Citizens LAUREN SEXTON

ON CAMPUS

4 – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – North Pointe

'The Addams Family' takes the stage

By Josie Bennett & Chloe Ribco EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

Addison Rausch

VERONICA ALBO

A FAMILY ON AND OFF | Junior Kitty Clark, senior Lolly Duus, sophomore Brennan Hughes, junior Demetri Gritsas, sophomore Sophie Lecynszki, senior Clarissa Kam and junior Jonas Gee open up the show with the iconic Addams family pose and musical number. "It was amazing," senior Lolly Duus said. "We had to be really dark because obviously, we are the Addams family, but it was so hard not crack up on stage because the show is so funny, and everyone was really close backstage. We all love each other a lot, and we still continue to see each other and hang out even though the show's over."

VERONICA ALBO

CHARACTER INSPIRATION | Senior Clarissa Kam and sophomore Sophie Lecynzski perform their scene as Grandma and Pugsley. "I think she (grandma) was just crazy," Kam said. "I like to say that I took my inspiration from my mom. She’s a little bit eccentric, and she likes to say that she's going to be the eccentric old lady."

VERONICA ALBO

VERONICA ALBO

FINISHING TOUCHES | Junior Alex Dean gets her makeup done backstage by "costume maven" Sheri Kam. Junior Demetri Gritsas said that makeup also was a key part of pulling the show together. "We all knew that we got this down and we started to add special effects and props and everything and added like a fourth dimension to our characters that really helped us put a bow on the show," Gritsas said.

MUSICAL CHALLENGES | Junior Andrew Hallam and senior Lindsey Hoshaw play a married couple, Mal and Alice Beineke, as they participate in an Addams family dinner traditon. "So, for my part, the most challenging thing was the very end of 'Crazier than You' because the note was very high," Hallam said. "I had to work at it like crazy until I was able to do it as if it was second nature, but apart from singing, it was more of focusing purely on the acting."

VERONICA ALBO

VERONICA ALBO

MUSIC BEHIND THE MUSICAL | Senior Charlee Tokarz and Adam Berry play among the other music pit perfomers in the orchestra. "It was tiring but it was rewarding," senior Thomas Mowen said.

ALL GHOULED UP | Freshman Jackie Albo enjoys her time backstage with fellow cast members. "The whole experience differed from my other experiences with musicals," junior Demetri Gritsas said. "I noticed that with this cast, each person was such a hard worker and we all had a respect for each other. We all like kind of looked at each other and knew that we had a goal and that goal was to just get stuff done and work hard and create an amazing show. I’m really glad I got to work with this cast."

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Long-term substitute Eve Zurowski

By Zoe Graves STAFF REPORTER

COURTESY OF EVE ZUROWSKI

NO DAYS OFF | Zurowski and her son, William. " It (being a mom) is so much work. I used to think I was busy. Now I know what busy really means. So it’s a lot of work, it’s extremely rewarding, but a lot of work," Zurowski said.

Long-term substitute Eve Zurowski recently stepped in for math teacher Devin Cox. When she isn’t teaching, she loves spending time with her son.

“Currently all I do is hangout with my little baby.

That’s my full time hobby. I don’t remember what it’s like to have hobbies, honestly,” Zurowski said.

“It’s just all about my little William right now.”

Since William is only nine months old, a lot of their time spent together is used to help him learn and experiment with what he is trying to do.

“He loves trying to stand, and talk and play with his dog, we have a dog, so we do that,” she said.

“And he just likes to crawl everywhere and open anything and climb anything, that’s pretty much what he does at this age.”

Although adjusting to having a baby around has been a lot of work, Zurowski thinks that in addition to affecting her personal life, her son has also positively impacted her as a teacher.

“I’m extremely excited to see what he’s gonna be

FACES IN THE CROWD

like (as he grows up), and I think having him gives me a different understanding and perspective of dealing with students, you know?” Zurowski said.

“Cause as a mom you kind of have a mom-view of everyone to yourself, so you’re not only a teacher, but you’re also taking care of these kids, like what would I want for this kid if they were my own. So it’s been really cool to see that.”

When she isn’t with William, Zurowski enjoys spending time with her friends, whom she considers some of her biggest inspirations.

“I think I have such a strong group of best friends, that I think I find inspiration from each one of them.

So like from one I might find inspiration on how to work hard and how to really put all my effort into something, and from another I look up to to see how to be compassionate, how to be understanding, how to be patient. Another one I might look up to on how to deal with new people how to be social and nice to everyone, and stuff like that. So I think I’m just really lucky to have these best friends, and I look up to all of them in different ways.”

Becoming a better leader and taking charge is one of the many traits that freshman Addison Rausch has developed through being a Girl Scout. “(We learn) to be a leader and ... to take charge,” Rausch said. “(We get) shoved (out into) the world ... and (we do) things ourselves for the most part.”

The countless opportunities and events in Scouts has given her many leadership skills to apply to her life.

“I feel like I have a bigger sense of leadership and I’m more comfortable taking control of situations in my life,” Rausch said.

Travelling to Boston and Philadelphia through Girl Scouts has motivated her to talk to people and get out of her comfort zone. Rausch would like other girls to have the same experience.

“I would definitely recommend Girl Scouts to other girls because Girl Scouting is the way to explore life outside out of your casual routine.”

William Hofmann

Helping others and serving a worthy cause is what sophomore Will Hofmann dedicates his free time to.

The group, running out of the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, participates in a number of service opportunities and goes on yearly mission trips. Last summer the group went to Cuba.

“In Cuba it was interesting. We went to Havana one of the days and that was pretty cool.

We didn’t really see homeless people and the houses they were very small, but it seemed that everybody had their life under control which is a really nice thing to see,” Hofmann said.

Hofmann thinks that his weekly youth group meetings have changed him as a person and it’s the highlight of his week. He would like to continue down this path when he is an adult and maybe become a sponsor or adult leader.

“Once I become an adult I’ll definitely try to do a lot of it,” Hofmann said.

Matt Lombardi

The lights flash, the crowd claps, and a rising star steps onto the stage.

Like many Norsemen, school musicals are an important part of Matt Lombardi’s life.

In sixth grade, Lombardi became involved to make new friends and to get a fresh start. Later, he would get what he was looking for and more. “(My favorite part about school musicals is) when we hang out backstage and just joke about everything having to do with the production,” Lombardi said.

Lombardi has been in three different plays, his favorite being “Catch Me if You Can” because he says his favorite kinds of plays are upbeat musicals.

“I tried doing stuff outside the school and it's not the same,” Lombardi said.

Lombardi also expresses that he’d like to continue doing musicals in the future if possible.

“One day (I would like to pursue theatre professionally), but I would probably get a real job before attempting to,” Lombardi said.

By Mariah Loper, Adam Schwartz & Brooklyn McWhorter

FAVORITE TV SHOW I love "Big Bang Theory."

WHY DID YOU BECOME A TEACHER? It’s been a lifelong passion, but it’s been a long road to get there. So first I really wanted to be in New York and be in the business world, so I did that. I worked in finance for several years, and then finally it was just the right time to follow my passion, so now I’m switching over.

FAVORITE BOOK I like to read informational kind of stuff, so right now I’m reading this book called "The Formation of Habits." But I also like books

by Malcolm Gladwell. "Freakonomics" was a really good one.

FAVORITE VACATION My favorite place in the world is Spain. I have gone there probably five times, and maybe one day I’ll live there. I love, love, love Spain. I love everything about it.

LIFE

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – 5

DECA students advance to int’l competition

By Ritika Sanikommu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As senior Alex Batts paced back and forth, his heart was racing from the unexpected win.

Batts and senior Joe Lucchese, his Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making partner, have been in DECA for two years. This will be their first time at the International Career Development Conference, which will be held in Anaheim, California from April 26-29.

After advancing from the district competition, Batts and Lucchese placed first in their category at states which allowed them to go to internationals.

Lucchese said the win at states came as a surprise.

“I was pretty shocked actually. I kind of assumed we’d get up there for one of the role-plays, ‘cause you can get multiple medals. I thought we would only get one medal but they just kept calling our name,” Lucchese said. “I was pretty shocked when I got the state champion medal.”

DECA is a business organization that allows students who are interested in financial, marketing, business management and administration or hospitality and tourism careers to participate in a category specific to their interest. They would then take a test prior to the competition, and participate in role-play or other activities where they showcase their knowledge in any of the four.

At the state competition, categories are divided into flights. Depending on the number of people in each category, they will be separated into an even number of flights. The top scorers in each flight will win an event, role-play or test medal and move on to internationals.

According to DECA, in the Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making event, “business law is U.S. law and will include contracts, product liability, employment and types of business ownership. The ethics component involves evaluating competing social values that may reasonably be argued from either side.”

The pair also participated in role-play events in front of judges.

“It feels pretty cool, almost like it’s sort of the real thing. That’s what it’s supposed to be, like a mimic of the actual situation,” Lucchese said. “So it’s a lot of pressure on you but Alex and I handled it pretty well.”

In addition to Batts and Lucchese, seniors Adam Schade and Justin Rheaume along with sophomore Kaitlyn Kolk will be going to internationals.

Kolk and her group members were chosen to write an essay about the school store to present at states.

“Once we found out that we placed gold, that was like our automatic ticket to go to California,” she said.

DECA adviser Michelle Davis has been preparing students to compete for 18 years.

“At North and at South we kind of have the philosophy that the kids can put in as much as they want or as little as they want,” she said. “We know that they’re all really busy so we do DECA days in class so kids can practice. We’ll (also) do it after school—meetings actually where kids can take practice tests and do practice role-plays.”

DECA also provides scholarship and networking opportunities that allow members from across the world to connect with established business professionals. Kolk said she is also looking forward to the social aspect.

“There’s going to be a ton of people from all different schools all over the world, and I’m expecting to meet a lot of new people and make a lot of new friends,” she said.

Batts said he is expecting intense competition, especially compared to districts and states, but feels ready.

“It’ll probably be very difficult. We actually had this set of two girls that we’ve been competing hard against, they were also in our district and they also moved on to internationals, so that just shows that the competition will be tough,” Batts said. “I mean especially when you’re talking about the top people from each of the states plus other countries around the world. I mean, it’ll be tough but we’re up to the challenge.”

Although every year students from North qualify to compete at the international conference, and have been in the top 20, so far no one has been named an ICDC international champion. This means that Batts and Lucchese could be the first.

Davis feels that her low-pressure preparation methods are what makes her students successful.

“It’s not so much about (being) emotional, it’s more about seeing them achieve what they want to achieve. I want them to do the best they can and I think part of the reason that we do well at Grosse Pointe North and South year after year, there’s not a lot of pressure on them. Some schools are practicing all summer and they’re taking practice tests all the time and they’re 100 percent in. My kids are 100 percent in when we’re in it but there’s no stress.”

Contributing: Mora Downs

DECA

STATES | DECA members pose in the Cobo Center lobby. “At states we had two role-plays,” senior Joe Lucchese said. “We had two interviews where we had to assist two company’s inner problem and we did a good job.”

ALEX BATTS

DECORATED COMPETITORS | Seniors Joe Lucchese and Alex Batts pose with their state champion plaques from the Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making Event.

Band, orchestra compete at Festival Disney Once every four years, band and orchestra travel to Walt Disney World to compete in Festival Disney. This trip took place March 23-26, and the band performed in two concerts, one at Old Town, an amusement park located in Kissimmee, and another in the Festival Disney competition.

“We started them 20 years ago to build unity in the group and to have our groups adjudicated at national festivals to raise the bar and to give the students something to work toward,” band director David Cleveland said.

Festival Disney is the biggest trip that band and orchestra participate in, according to Cleveland. The festival is open to concert bands, jazz ensembles, marching bands, orchestras, vocal ensembles and show choirs. The string orchestra, concert band and symphony band attend.

During the concert at Old Town, the ensembles played Disney-related songs. The String Orchestra performed “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Concert Band performed “The Incredibles,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Disney’s Magic Kingdom.” Symphonic Band played “Disney at the Movies,” “Mulan” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” For the Disney Festival the ensembles performed different pieces. These were not Disney pieces.

While on the trip, freshman Emma Troost was surprised at how well her band performed. Concert band received an excellence, symphony band received a superior and the string orchestra received a good.

GROSSE POINTE NORTH BAND & ORCHESTRA BOOSTERS

PALMS AND MUSIC | Orchestra members perform at Old Town amusement park in Kissimmee, Florida. Band and orchestra played music from their Pops and Pastries Concert. “It teaches them a lot of life lessons: how to get organized on a trip, how to pack and it helps them meet new people and friends,” band director David Cleveland said. “They will come back with new friendships, people they didn’t even know before they went on the trip and it sets a very high musical goal for the year.”

“It went shockingly well,” Troost said. “We did a lot better than I thought we were going to.”

The band and orchestra participate in many competitions around the country. Senior PJ Gusmano said it is a good learning experience and enjoys showcasing what the ensembles work on.

“It is pretty cool because we get to take apart from our school and bring it to the places we’ve gone to,” Gusmano said. “It can expand our horizons as a band and it will teach us how we can work together when we aren’t comfortable at North.”

Sophomore Charlotte Nicholson said she hopes the trip will expand her musical knowledge and thinks the ensembles can perform under pressure just as good as they perform in the classroom.

“It will benefit me as a performer to see how other schools compete and how competitive it actually is around the nation,” Nicholson said.

Cleveland has chaperoned these trips for over 20 years and said it is the highlight of the year. He wants to gain knowledge from the adjudicators so he can teach improve his teaching skills and to get closer with his students.

“I hope to develop and even stronger bond with my students on the trip,” Cleveland said. “I hope they come home with a really memorable experience.”

Gusmano said these trips are beneficial because it allows the ensembles to hear how other schools perform so they can improve their work ethic and music. Seeing as it only happens every four years, prior to the trip senior Aiyana Badih was excited and unsure of what to expect.

“I want to make the most out of it with my friends and

performing in a festival because it’s probably the last time I will ever really do that,” Badih said.

Although the trip is centered on musical achievements, Cleveland said there are other positive experiences gained from attending Festival Disney.

“It helps them meet new people and friends they will come back with new friendships people they didn’t even know before they went on the trip,” Cleveland said. “It sets a very high musical goal for the year.”

While on the trip, students got to walk around all the parks including: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom Park but Troost’s favorite part of the trip was meeting new people from around the world and from North.

“The most memorable part was probably making new friends and hanging out with people,” Troost said. “Usually I just stick with my band people but I got to hang out with a lot of orchestra people which was fun.”

CHARLOTTE NICHOLSON

MAIN STREET | Alyssa Velasco, Audrey Rancourt, Charlotte Nicholson and Morgan Semack pose in front of the recreated Chinese Theater in Hollywood Studios. “I think it will benefit me as a performer to see how other schools compete and how competitive it actually is around the nation,” sophomore Charlotte Nicholson said.

ASIA SIMMONS

By Caitlin Bush & Bella Lawson EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

FLEX

6 – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – North Pointe

LOSING SLEEP OVER SLEEP DEPRIVATION

By Lindsey Ramsdell, Anna Post & Montana Paton EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & EDITORS

Mood

It’s no secret that teens don’t get the amount of sleep they should. On average, teenagers need nine to 10 hours of sleep per night. Most get around six. This can be accredited to heavy homework loads, procrastination, sports, jobs, other extracurriculars and cell phone or device overuse. But, it affects more than just one’s ability to get out of bed in the morning and has a wide range of symptoms. Weight gain, weak immune system, poor memory, decreased motor skills, mood swings and poor skin are all also indicators that you might be sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation extends into mental health, academic performance and even driving.

Circadian drive isn’t optimized for wakefulness and engagement until around 1O a.m.

Students naturally have a different sleep schedule than adults, their bodies want to go to sleep later as well as wake up later. With school starting at 8 a.m., many students don’t get the recommended eight to 10 hours they need to be fully functional. According to med.stanford.edu around 87 percent of high school students get less than that amount. Lack of sleep can negatively affect the mood of high school students, which directly affects their test scores as they fight to stay awake during the day. According to Stanford Medical School, lack of sleep can cause increased anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and even acting upon those thoughts.

While sleep is believed to help the regulation of emotions, a lack of it can increase the risk of mental disorders.

According to Psychology Today, the negative effects on mood caused by sleep deprivation come from the overactivity of the amygdala and the disconnection of that and the area of the brain that regulates function.

“Individuals who are sleep deprived or who are awakened before they reach the REM stage of sleep, which is where we have our really detailed dream cycle, will often hallucinate,” psychology teacher Jennifer Weisbrodt said. “To put it quite simply, they feel like they’re losing their mind.”

As well as feeling like they’re losing their mind, students could have a hard time controlling their anger and emotions. This can lead to sudden outbursts as well as emotional instability.

Without enough sleep students are not fully able to contribute the positivity sought out by most teachers in their learning environment.

Grades

WW

W

A . AM

ZO

N .C

OM

Teenagers need nine to ten hours of sleep per night, but most get around six.

When students lose sleep, their ability to focus in school drops. This makes it harder to pay attention and perform well.

But, it also has a big effect on memory.

“When someone is sleep deprived they can’t focus obviously, so if the information doesn’t make it in in the first place for processing, you won’t get it back out for later retrieval,” Weisbrodt said. “I have students that will stay up all night cramming for an exam and actually do fairly well, however the problem is that since they didn’t sleep on the new information most of it will be lost when they try to retrieve it at a later date. Cramming without sleep doesn’t’ allow you to process information in a way that sends it through to long term.”

Sleep cycles are divided into five stages, and to successfully process and retain new information, our bodies need to complete all five stages.

Series of studies have proven that students who sleep more earn better grades than those who sleep less, even if those hours may have been spent cramming. Even just adding a few more minutes on average to one’s sleep schedule can be the difference between As and Bs. Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom of the University of Minnesota observed 7,000 high schoolers and found that those who earned As averaged 15 minutes more sleep per night than B students. Consequently, B students averaged eleven more minutes than C students. In a study published by Judith Sleep Owens in 2010, just delaying the start time of a school from 8 to 8:30 a.m. alleviated feelings of fatigue are divided better behavior among students and prompted cycles and motivation.

All researchers have found into five stages, and to that delaying school start times has led to higher GPAs, fewer school absences successfully process and and less tardies.

retain new information, our bodies need to complete

Driving

all

of them.

A lack of sleep not only impacts a student’s ability to function, but it can also be the cause of reduced reaction time which evidently can be fatal. According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, young adults ranging from the ages of 13-18 must receive nine hours of sleep a night.

However, to keep up with the demanding class load, adolescents on average receive only six to seven hours a night.

“Teenagers tend not to be morning people but because of the fact that they often need to work after school, have sports after school we start our day early,” Weisbrodt said. “It doesn’t seem to be the best for the brain and for learning because they’re not at their best and they’re tired because they’re staying up late at night.”

When the time comes for students to depart for school early in the morning or arrive home late at night after a sports event, all of the missed hours of sleep start adding up and affecting one’s health and ability to focus.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 71 percent of young adults are victims of being “drowsy drivers” and are the cause of 10-30 percent of car accidents a year.

Junior Blake Danna recognizes the disadvantages of maintaining an inconsistent sleep schedule has on himself when behind the wheel.

“I am tired when I drive to school in the morning and I can definitely feel a difference compared to when I’m fully awake, Danna said. “I try and get enough sleep, or if I am really tired and cannot drive I might ask a friend for a ride.”

Driving while sleep-deprived can impair the brain just as much as being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

WWW.NASA.GOV

North Pointe – Wednesday, April 2, 2017 – 7

IDEAS

ON POINTE 1 2 Top 10 things we're talking about this week

By Ritika Sanikommu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Movie

GIFTED

Chris Evans returns to the silver screen one year after portraying Captain America.

In “Gifted,” he plays Frank Adler alongside Mckenna Grace, who plays 7-year-old Mary Adler, a mathematical genius whose talents threaten the normalcy of her life after they are discovered by her grandmother. “Gifted” opens Friday, April 7.

Event

TESTING

On Tuesday, April 11, juniors will take the SAT from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., and freshmen and sophomores will take the PSAT from 8 a.m. - 12: 30 p.m. Seniors will not have classes.

WWW.WIKIMEDIA.ORG IMBD

Three-time Grammy-award-winning and multiplatinum-selling a capella group, Pentatonix drops its fifth EP, “PTX, Vol. IV Classics” on Friday, April 7. The album features two released singles, including the group’s rendition of John Lennon’s bestselling “Imagine” and “Jolene” which features Dolly Parton.

3

Album

TX - VOL. IV - CLASSICS

5

“Breaking Bad’s” successful spinoff and prequel is ready for a third season, in which original “Breaking Bad” stars are rumored to appear. This has heightened the interest of loyal fans. The show stars Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman and is premieres Monday, April 10 at 10 p.m. on AMC.

4

Television

"BETTER CALL SAUL"

WWW.DENOFGEEK.COM WWW.GREENDAY.COM

PENTATONIX

Big Sean will return to his hometown on Saturday, April 1 for a concert as part of his “I Decided Tour.” He will perform at the Fox Theatre at 8 p.m.

Concert

BIG SEAN

6

7

Album

Game

"MEMORIES...

DO NOT OPEN"

RED WINGS WWW.ITUNES.APPLE.COM

“Memories…Do Not Open” is the debut studio album

by American DJ duo The Chainsmokers. It includes two released singles from the album, one of which features a collaboration with British alternative rock band Coldplay. It will be available Friday, April 7.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $125.

RED WINGS

BIG SEAN

8

9

Movie

App

"FATE OF THE FURIOUS"

"COLORING BOOK FOR ME"

“Coloring Book For Me” is a virtual adult coloring book.

It features complex patterns and images that one can fill in with myriad color palettes.

Users can relieve stress or release their creativity with this artistic app. The app is free with some in-app purchases for extra features and is available for both Apple and Android.

“Fate of the Furious” is the eighth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise. Dominic Toretto’s crew is exonerated and leading a seemingly normal life—but not for long.

They’re once again thrown into a world filled with crime and fast cars by a mysterious woman. The film features the original cast, Jason Statham and new additions Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren. It opens Friday, April 14.

WWW.PLAY.GOOGLE.COM

10 Game

TIGERS The Detroit Tigers will host the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day, Friday, April 7, at Comerica Park. The game begins at 1:10 p.m.

.IMDB

DETROIT TIGERS TWITTER ACCOUNT

Rising from the ashes MY VIEW KATIE THOMAS In July of 1805, Detroit went up in flames.

The city was almost completely destroyed. Citizens had every reason to pack up and leave—but they didn’t. From that tragic day came the city’s motto: “Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus,” translating to, “We hope for better days, it will rise from the ashes.”

More than 200 years later, this motto still stands, and it’s as relevant as ever.

With all of its hardships considered, the city of Detroit has been given every reason to continue

crumbling into a downward spiral. However, with a dedicated community that has refused to let it stay down, Motor City has defied all expectations and begun to flourish into the promising city it once was.

After filing for bankruptcy in 2013, the city seemed to hit a rock bottom and the rest of the world was sure it wouldn’t be coming out of the slump.

Forbes called Detroit “America’s Most Dangerous City,” and it seemed that every day there was a new political or economic scandal sweeping through the city. Detroit was the underdog of our nation, seen only for its crime, corruption and unemployment.

For years, everything that made the city great, such as its rich history of the automobile industry and motown, hid in the shadows. Instead, negativity projected from what used to be one of America’s most flourishing cities. Now though, Detroit is climbing its way out of the darkness and making its journey back to the light.

Recently, I was given the chance to go to Washington D.C. for a week through the Close Up

Foundation. On this trip, we experienced an indepth look into our nation’s government and the city in which it operates. The experience was amazingly insightful, however, befriending other high school students from around the country impacted me just as much as visiting the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol Building. I realized on that trip that our city still has a lot of room for progress.

As I proudly told my high school counterparts that I lived in the Grosse Pointe/Detroit area, I expected replies praising the comeback of the city and its promising future, but was instead greeted with many negative connotations to the city.

I desperately refuted any criticism with promises that something truly special is going on here and hoped that they’d leave our trip with a more optimistic look on Detroit. I'd always believed that the rest of the country was tuned into Detroit's ever-growing progress, rooting for it just as much as people in Michigan are.

It's up to the people who truly love Detroit to publicize

its comeback and be a part of the history being made.

Not only is Detroit getting back on the map, but it’s becoming a trendy location of interest for people ready to take a chance on the city. People such as Dan Gilbert and the Ilitch family are household names to many, pioneering economic change around the city through projects such as the construction of the new Red Wings arena, creation of a Major League Soccer franchise and the installation of numerous promising businesses.

Young, artsy hipsters, business and restaurant entrepreneurs, and movie directors are among those who are coming to help rebuild Detroit economically and socially. Hope can be found around every corner and progress is being made every day. Getting back to the good old days won’t be easy, but we’re certainly ready for the challenge.

The future of our city is bright. Detroit has proven that even with the world against it, hope and prosperity still remain. Our city will once again rise from the ashes.

REVIEWS

8 – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – North Pointe

Drake comes back with 'More Life' Katie Thomas STAFF REPORTER

In what he refers to as a “playlist,” Drake uses a new platform to gift listeners with a collection of songs showing that even when he takes risks, he still remains one of the most relevant rappers in the game.

This assortment of songs, titled “More Life”, was a highly anticipated project that many fans expected to be an album. However, when the release date came and no album followed, fans found out that the date had been pushed and that it wasn’t an album at all, but a playlist.

After months of a fluctuating release date, the entire playlist debuted on March 18, on an Apple Music radio station, and then released on all streaming sites. It turns out the wait was worth it, as listeners were not disappointed.

Compared to his previous four studio albums, “Thank Me Later,” “Take Care,” “Nothing Was the Same” and “Views,” this project has a much more creative, free sound. Like his previous informal projects, “If You’re Reading This It's Too Late” and collaboration with Future,“What a Time to Be Alive,” this latest release embodies the likes of a mixtape more than an album. The Canadian rapper allows his musical guests to shine records, and grants himself the creative freedom to take risks on this playlist that appears to carry much less pressure than an actual album would.

To showcase some of his biggest influences and favorite artists, Drake heavily packs the playlist with artist features. “Feature” doesn’t even seem to be the right word at times, because many of Drake's guests shine just as much as he does or even more, which has to be the goal of the playlist.

British rap and R&B has a significant role in the project as Drake includes features from up-and-coming artists such as Giggs, Skepta and Sampha. On tracks “No Long Talk” and “KMT,” British rapper, Giggs, commands attention on his harsh, yet strangely satisfying verses.

On tracks “Skepta’s Interlude” and “4422,” Drake takes a step away from the spotlight, allowing Skepta and Sampha to command in their own respective songs.

Following in the footsteps of his 2016 hit “One Dance,” Drakes fascination with caribbean influenced R&B sounds continues on his latest work. “Get it Together,” “Madiba Riddim,” “Blem” and “Passionfruit” are infectiously, upbeat dance tunes that are guaranteed to be spring and summer anthems.

Drake enlists even larger industry names on more rap-driven tracks, “Portland,” “Sacrifices,” “Glow” and “Since Way Back.” On more caffeinated songs, Quavo, from the Migos and Travis Scott appear on the trap-music based “Portland” and Young Thug and 2 Chainz bring some of their best verses to “Sacrifices.”

As most listeners know by now, a Drake project would not be complete without a couple of slow ballads. On “Since Way Back,” Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR reminisce on a lost love, while on one of the

best songs on the project, “Glow,” Kanye West channels his older sound to create a soulful jam about fame and success.

More than anything else, this project is spontaneous. The order of the tracks is random and a few of the songs could even be seen as unnecessary to some listeners. However, because Drake has coined “More Life” as a playlist, this unorganized set-up works well and only benefits the overall go-with-the-flow tone of the project.

At this point in his career, Drake is an expert in the industry and has reached the zenith of his success. From the 21-tracks to the name of the project—which is a Jamaican phrase used to wish others well and to continue the enjoyment of living— “More Life” is a representation of Drake's contentment with both his life and career.

"More Life" Drake, 2017 Available for $10.99 on iTunes

INSTAGRAM @CHAMPAGNEPAPI

APP

GAME

ALBUM

APP

VELLUM BACKGROUND

BIG HUNTER

BLKSWN

GAME

From scenic images of tropical beaches and oceans to intricately designed optical illusions, Vellum Background has unique wallpaper options to offer its ITUNES.APPLE.COM customers. Designed

by Merek Davis Company, this app has many features that make it a must-buy.

Although originally released Jan. 9, it was recently updated Mar. 15 to include new wallpaper options and features for users to improve the quality of their backgrounds. The app includes an option which allows its customers to adjust the brightness and clarity of their selected background. This adjustment makes it easier on users’ eyes, as they can alter the wallpaper to their liking.

A variety of backgrounds are also provided by the app, which is another bonus for the customer. The app groups these different backgrounds into certain categories so it can be easier to pick and choose wallpapers.

Some categories include “Synapse,” “Abstract Paint” and “Mars Redux.”

One of the categories, “Earth: Google,” even includes high-definition pictures of Google Earth images for customers to use.

The pictures in these categories are all HD quality and enhance any tablet or phone.

Although it has many perks, there is one minor defect potential customers should be wary of. Users will have to put up with a small Vellum logo at the top left of their screen. Even though this may not seem like a major problem at first, it can lead to potential problems with accessing other apps, as the logo can get in the way.

But this minor issue does not overshadow the benefits this app has to offer.

Vellum is unlike any other background app out there. It’s available in the App Store for free and is compatible with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. The backgrounds available on this app are also transferable to Apple Watches.

Big Hunter is a game which, much like its setting, is simplistic in nature.

For example, even the controls are only two motions, pressing down order to move ITUNES.APPLE.COM in backwards and tilting your weapon of choice in order to aim. That’s it, nothing else is needed.

And yet, even with that, the game is challenging and addicting. There is a steep learning curve when the game progresses into later levels, which can be extremely infuriating at times but at the same time it’s extremely rewarding when players finally beat a level.

Each animal, of which there are currently two, has 100 levels. As players clear more and more levels, the animals’ health increases exponentially, which naturally makes them even more difficult to kill.

There’s a smart solution for that, though.

For every kill, an animal drops 100 horns, which can be used to purchase better weapons. There are four different types of weapons: spears, hammers, knives and throwing stones. Naturally, each has their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to the player to decide which one feels the best for them.

Big Hunter’s soundtrack is similarly tribal, consisting of beating drums and other instruments one would expect from a barbaric civilization. It’s color palette continues that theme, consisting of shades of yellow and brown, with very little other colors. In fact, the only other colors are orange and white. It contributes to the tribal aspect of the game, giving off a very rustic feeling.

Throughout the levels different “game modes” are introduced. There are three: limited weapons, limited time and one in which players need to hit the animals’ weak spots in order to kill them. Don’t be fooled, in the later levels it’s a lot harder than it seems.

Overall, Big Hunter is a very charming little game, simplistic in nature yet it does everything it sets out to do extremely well.

Promising hiphop artist Smino dropped his debut album “blkswn” on March 14. Despite the usual Friday album releases from the majority of artists, decided to ITUNES.APPLE.COM- Smino give his fans new music on a Tuesday.

The date was significant to Smino and his hometown of St. Louis with its 314 area code.

This subtle yet meaningful choice proclaims Smino’s loyalty to his city.

Throughout the album, listeners find that Smino can be compared to a black swan, something very rare to find.

Although he’s a hip-hop artist, he presents listeners with a much more edgy yet loose side to the genre.

Taking inspirations from jazz, gospel and early 2000s rap, he builds his own style, offering a pleasing break to the overused and mainstream hip-hop heard on the radio.

The album also has an effect on society, addressing issues such as the struggles of the African American community and cultural appropriation.

In the album’s final song, “Amphetamine,” Smino does something unique. He’s embedded a hidden song, “Krash Kourse,” on which he collaborates with Jean Deaux, Bari and Noname. The line “Grandaddy spittin, ain't nothing new ‘bout the system / 'Cause how they do me they did him / Appropriating the fellas / Sucking the fruit from my elders / Don't give a Chuck bout no Berry / They rather listen to Elvis” emphasizes that “culture vultures” still exist. Since the times of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, whites have been appropriating black music.

Nothing has changed.

The only downside to “blkswn” is that some of the better songs get lost in between a few fillers. However, the best posses such a profound sound that can’t be slept on.

Fom an up-and-coming artist, “blkswn” offers a funky and distinctive hip-hop sound.

Virexian is a colorful, pixelated twin-stick shooter that tests players’ reaction time like few other games of its type do.

In Virexian, players control a robot blasts through ITUNES.APPLE.COM that waves of enemies from a top-down perspective with an assortment of different weapons.

While the left side of the screen is used to move around, the right side is used to fire. The gameplay itself is very satisfying as enemies are dispatched with explosions that are visual treats. Each impact of a weapon has a very noticeable weight behind it and the momentum gained when moving and evading enemy fire demands skill.

Weapons can differ from things like scatter shot weapons to more exotic ones like laser beams and railguns. This coupled with an interesting power-up system as well as a multitude of interesting and challenging boss fights allow for a substantially robust experience.

Something that compliments the gameplay in Virexian well is the graphics. The game has a gorgeous, clean, pixelated aesthetic that allows the player to get have a firm grasp on what they are doing at all times. Weapons and explosion all fire and explode with vibrant neon colors that bathe the battlefield in a beautifully hectic glow.

With the amount of enemies, shots fired, explosions and speed of everything, there are times when the game can unleash sensory overload on the player. This can be seen as either a good or a bad thing, but it can’t be disputed that it isn’t at least exiting.

Sound design is another high point of the game. The fast-paced and hectic gameplay is paired with a chiptune soundtrack to match its intensity. The music succeeds in getting the user suitably invigorated for the epic battles and destruction taking place. Weapons have meaty verbosity to their discharges and impacts hit hard.

As a whole, Virexian is an addicting and intense delight of a game that overloads the player with gorgeous visuals and sounds. It tests the user's reflexes and does not let up from start to finish.

"Vellum"; 2017; Merek Davis Company ; Available for Apple and Android for $3.99

“Big Hunter”; 2016; Free, Kakarod Interactive; Available on Apple or Android

“blkswn”; Smino; 2017; 63 Miniutes; Available for $9.99 on Itunes

“Virexian ”; Felix Hard; 59 minutes, 2017; Available for Apple or Android

By Gowri Yerramali

By Tarun Sanikommu

By Maxwell Murray

By Giuseppe Parison

NORTH

IDEAS POINTE Propagandizing our pastimes

“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

When tuning into a professional game, it is not uncommon to see sights of flags being spread onto the field, long patriotic song EDITOR'S DESK chants, na- TOMMY TEFTSIS tional guard members suited up for honor or even bomber jets cracking the sky.

They all can be categorized into the awkward patriotic acts that have been enacted by our government to basically give publicity to our defense system and war.

It has been happening since the first World War. In 1918, it was common to sing the “Star Spangled Banner” in school, and military services. But since then and into 2017, the “Star Spangled Banner” has found its place exclusively in sports. At almost every single sporting event we hear the words of the song getting etched into our heads.

From 2012 to 2015, the Pentagon spent 53 million taxpayer dollars on 122 contracts with U.S. sports teams allowing them to show acts of patriotism in games.

The National Guard funded the Boston Bruins for a luxury box for 18 National Guards and an executive-view suite for 25 people on Military Appreciation Night. In 2013, a giant American flag was revealed across the Georgia Dome in part of the $315,000 patriotism contract with the Atlanta Falcons. In 2015, a $700,000 contract with the New England Patriots was a ridiculous way to spend taxpayer money. These are just some ways that taxpayer money has been spent on military propaganda for sporting events.

At MLB opening day games, the same bomber jets that were used to obliterate entire cities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria or Libya as applauded as the soar above stadiums.

But why?

Why would the U.S. government want to create a setting so that every single sports fan sees

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – 9

the happy acts of patriotism propaganda on a field?

Have we ever second guessed ourselves for clapping and standing for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” or paying respect to the suited up, supposed “real heros?”

The government has obviously pushed the war on terror onto baseball fields, hockey arenas, classrooms and even Hollywood productions.

In Marine and Army recruitment commercials, you always seem to see a tough man or woman with a stoic face promoting teamwork, but you never see what really happens in the war scenario. You never see the soldiers under direct fire from bullets, airstrikes, wounded veterans, having a look of sheer terror on their faces or seeing their friend die. The government is trying to shadow what really happens in war by creating false propaganda.

The CIA partnered with producers in order to create “Zero Dark Thirty,” a movie about the government assassination of a terrorist, that shows justification for illegal torture. This somewhat unveils the government’s propaganda scheme.

Aside from films and sports, the government has landed its war propaganda in the United States education system. I can't even walk to the lunchroom some days without seeing a military stand set up with loads of shirts and pencils and a pullup bar being used to pick-up students with incentives that can span from T-shirts to paid college tuition.

I sometimes wonder to myself if I’m the only one that can see the step ladder events that lead from the propaganda. The government is publicizing patriotic acts and military members in order to justify war.

When in reality, war is not just. It is horrific and when it comes down to physical violence, it seems like there always can be a better solution.

The government is displaying war with these happy scenarios, like catchy songs or smiling national guard members on a beautiful baseball field. But in truth, they are not the ones that return with post traumatic stress or bullets in their legs.

ALEX HARRING

Rock the vote It’s that time of the yea r aga in.

Second semester bega n, a nd off icers have sta r ted applying for student council positions. In the m idst of all of the free giveaways a nd numerous f liers that f lutter the hallways, students lose themselves in the “vote 4 me” buttons a nd delicious ba ked br iber ies.

But when it comes to voting time, students avoid the ballots.

I n the 2016 Student Association off icer election, 87 votes were casted. Mea n ing, out of approximately 90 0 eligible voters, the election boasted less tha n a 10 percent voter tur nout. P ropor tionally, of the n ine members present at the last Editor ial Boa rd meeting, only one would have voted.

Just imagine —a presidential election where out of 30 0 m illion A mer ica n citizens, only 30 0,0 0 0 casted a vote.

It seems inconceivable.

How would we susta in our countr y’s basic pr inciples a nd choose a suitable ca ndidate if only 10 percent of A mer ica decided to show up to the voting booths?

H igh school elections a re the sa me. Voting is a funda mental r ight that should always be exercised.

Our student democracy’s voter tur nout has tra nsfor med into a n underappreciated process that consists of enough voting students to f ill up th ree classrooms.

Students either vote for thei r fr iends or just choose to not vote at all. T he ca ndidates we choose as class presidents, treasurers a nd senators, matter. W hat each ca ndidate has to say matters. A im lessly voting for a fr iend or for someone who put up a poster isn’t how the real world works.

Receiving someth ing from a ca ndidate doesn’t ma ke them qualif ied.

T hei r work habits a nd visions for the school does.

T hese occur rences don’t happen in real elections, so what ma kes student gover n ment a n exception?

Sure, we may not be voting for the new leader of the free world, however, we must still sta nd by the pr inciple that student council a nd students' involvement with thei r gover n ment is impor ta nt.

Democracy ca nnot sur vive without active cooperation from its people.

Student Association a nd class councils play a sign if ica nt role in our school.

Students should wa nt to vote a nd not simply under m ine the impor ta nce of the groups that pla n the major ity of our school events a nd fund ra isers.

Decisions made in student gover n ment impact us all. Students ca n’t compla in about th ings like Homecom ing themes or P rom venues if they didn’t even have the cour tesy to vote in the f i rst place.

Ca ndidates ca mpa ign, plaster posters a round the school a nd sha re thei r ideas for creating a better lea r n ing envi ron ment a nd h igh school exper ience.

Student gover n ment is str uctured to ser ve as a n emulation of the real world, therefore it must be treated that way.

I nstead of refra in ing from subm itting a ballot, fam ilia r ize yourself with the ca ndidates a nd vote for who you believe is most qualif ied for the position.

T he solution is simple.

We have a voice. It’s up to us to use it.

“Yes because it’s an important skill to know for emergencies.”

“Yes. I feel it should be because a lot of people make mistakes eating, swimming, doing all types of things."

"I think it makes sense. I feel like if somebody’s life is in danger, the least you can do is try and help somebody."

Abi Murray

Trayvon Smith

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

Sophie Kehrig JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: Do you think CPR should be a required skill?

By Dajai Chatman & Gowri Yerramalli

"You never know what can happen so it’s good to know it.”

Kelsey Hamilton

SERVICE ASSISTANT

SENIOR

NORTH

“I do think that it should be a required thing and I especially think it should be a required thing for the schools, for the students, safety of the students and staff.”

Kim VanGorder

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

"Hopefully you won’t have to use it but it’s really important that you do know it to help people."

Dan Gilleran SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

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.

We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com.

One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased.

Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at northpointenow.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Bella DeSandy, Katie Link, Erinne Lubienski, Alyssa McLarty, Lauren CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Sexton, Hannah Spindler, Kennedy Williams Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 STAFF REPORTERS: Elizabeth Ballinger, Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Amber Braker, Dajai Chatman, Zoe Graves, Twitter: @TheNorthPointe Sofia Ketels, Lindsey Kluge, Bella Lawson, Website: northpointenow.org Nathan Lonczynski, Giuseppe Parison, Syeda Rizvi, Tarun Sanikommu, Asia Simmons, FACULTY ADVISER: Katie Thomas, Addison Toutant Shari Adwers, MJE

MY TURN MAGGIE CARRON

Going viral gone wrong “Cash me outside, how 'bout 'dat?”

These six words were mumbled in some form of gibberish by a 13-year-old girl on an episode of Dr. Phil, have now become a field day for the internet.

Months after the episode aired in October, Danielle Bregoli has blown up.

Since her time on Dr. Phil, she has been very busy with many different things—the most well known being her numerous petty fights.

In February, Danielle and her mother Barbara Ann got into an altercation with a lady as they were boarding a Spirit Airlines flight. This ended with the female passenger receiving a blow from Danielle and all three ladies being pulled off of the flight.

More recently, a video clip has surfaced that shows her and her mom getting violent with each other, but Danielle just says that is how they “play.”

What is now her catch phrase was originally aimed at the audience of “hoes” for laughing at her. There is now a hip hop remix of her and other people have created dance videos to it. There are even apps dedicated to her words. She now has more than 8.3 million followers on Instagram, all for basically screaming illiterate gibberish and trying to fit every cuss word into one disgusting sentence.

In one very interesting video we saw what would happen when people “cash her outside,” which ended with her being dragged out of a car by her hair.

This only made people want to follow her more. This following keeps encouraging people to keep going and putting ridiculous things out there. Danielle's mom even got her a manager, and she is now seen in many YouTube videos with other internet stars, such as David Dobrik and Logan Paul.

She has had several radio interviews and was in the “Everything 1K” music video by Kodak Black which has over 27 million views on YouTube.

Not only is she gaining popularity, nut she's making money while doing so. In the three minute music video for Kodak Black, she received $40,000, for sitting on and inside a Rolls Royce, flashing a huge wad of cash and showing off a gold grill. She is also charging almost $5,000 per appearance, along with money from sponsors and possible TV offers.

What I can't seem to grasp is why this form of fame is beginning to grow into an ugly and uncomfortable trend.

Out of the many new forms of being famous, just being cringeworthy on the internet seems to be the biggest. There's Damn Daniel, Alex from Target, the 21 kid, Musical.ly star Jacob Sartorius, and the newest addition, the “cash me outside” girl. All these people fell into a six-second fame for saying something that’s only slightly funny.

We also have to think about how these influences are affecting today's youth. Hearing my six-year-old cousin tell me to “cash her outside” after I asked her to stop stealing my phone is not very amusing, to say the least.

My first question is just why?

As much as I want to be nice and say that at least they're doing something in the world, I can't help but go back to why?

What goes on the internet reflects back on who we are as a society. Right now, we are looking pretty messy. As members of civilized society, we must take a harder look at what we find entertaining. Letting ridiculous stunts fill up our screen time sheds a bad light on human decency.

Let’s start being smart. Let’s stop allowing people to get famous for all the wrong reasons.

ELECTIONS

10 – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – North Pointe

Sydney Semack PRESIDENT

Student council, Freshmen Assist, KNOTS, Link Crew and sailing team.

As President I will make sure SA upholds its reputation for having a successful and organized homecoming, along with other events and fundraisers.

I have been an active member on council the past three years and understand the hard work and responsibilities that come with the job.

Madelene Martinbianco VICE PRESIDENT

I take part in athletic council, spirit committee and the SA webmaster, and I play volleyball.

My goal is to continue the past work I’ve done with SA, making GPN a successful and exciting place.

Vote for me so I can represent my peers’ opinions on SA and ensure success in the student involvement in the school.

Michal Ruprecht VICE PRESIDENT

Vice president of Chemistry Club, a North Pointe editor, member of NHS, HCIC and Rocketry Club.

I will listen to all voices and opinions to promote unity, equality and greatness at North and in our community.

I am an extremely hard worker and leader. This position of power is essential to the survival of student government and I can guarantee that it will be in good hands.

Alex Harring SECRETARY

I am currently Student Association public relations director and in North Pointe, NHS, Pointe Chorale, Spirit Committee and soccer.

I volunteer at Beaumont Hospital and with Summer in the City.

I want to uphold SA’s track record of organizing a successful Homecoming and supervising other events like the blood drive. I also want to revive GP-Nspire and Norsemen Nation next year.

Whether it’s creating a Homecoming geofilter or working at the blood drive, I am always dependable and reliable. I am organized, open-minded and want every student to have a voice.

Lindsey Ramsdell TREASURER

I play varsity field hockey, ice hockey and I sail. I'm editor of the North Pointe, junior council treasurer and on Link Crew and NHS.

My goals are to ensure that SA has enough money to fund school activities as well as give back to other North programs and the community.

Vote for me because I have past experience with treasurer duties and I will make sure that the job gets done.

Activities don’t define a person— character does. I am very active at North and I have character. I am ready to work and persevere for the Class of 2019.

My goal is to make North a place full of opportunity and culture. I support new school events, activities, sports and clubs for all.

Vote for Garrett because of his hardworking character. Vote for Garrett because of his approachable character. Most of all vote for Garrett because you know it’s right.

My goals are to ultimately unify us as a class. I will constantly be seeking new ideas from everyone who wants to make a positive impact towards the school, and enjoy their experience here at GPN.

You should vote for me because I have an extremely large work ethic. I am dedicated and passionate in everything I do, and I will work my hardest to accomplish the task at hand. ...

GPN girls varsity swim team, GPN girls JV soccer team, WSU Go Girls, WSU Math Tutor, WSU Spartan Teen Jazz Band.

My goals are to build a partnership with the school. It’ll allow me to get a head start on what I have to enhance before the school year is over ...

I’m dedicated to put forward my ideas and to prove how much success that can come about. I’ll start with the organization of homecoming and work my way up to promoting fundraisers.

I swim for GPN and now I swim for Pointe Aquatics.

I am the VP for the class of 2019 and I also participate in KNOTS. I’m very organized and communicate well with others.

I would like to represent North by being a leader that incorporates a positive school environment and builds camaraderie. I’m dedicated to help make our junior year successful.

Vote for me because I will be committed and passionate in making the journey at North for Class of 2019 one that is positive, spirited, rewarding and memorable.

Lacrosse, cross country and student council.

My goals are to get more done than last year and to keep more organized records of our meetings.

People should vote for me because this would be my third year, so I know my job, the commitment and how we work as a council.

Been on student council for almost two years, helped construct homecoming stairwell and float, participated in dodgeball tournament last year, competitive dancer.

I want to focus on raising money for our class.

Another goal is to help create a prom to remember and to increase the level of spirit the Class of 2019 has even more.

People should vote for me because I have the experience of being an officer and will continue to help our class accomplish and enjoy the events that occur during our high school years.

Golf, senator for two years on student council, orchestra.

My goal for our council is to do a lot of fundraisers and raise money for prom. I also want to unify the Class of 2019. We also should do a lot of volunteering to help out our community.

I could bring our class together and raise a lot of money for prom. I am trustworthy and reliable. I know the fundamentals of the council because I have been a senator on our council for the past two years.

SADD, DECA, WILLOW, JV tennis team, student council.

Next year I’d like to unify our class and help raise money for charities and senior prom. If elected I’ll do whatever I can to meet the goals of the 2019 class.

Evie Mourtos TREASURER Morgan Semack TREASURER/ SENATOR Julia Becker SENATOR

Alex Emig SENATOR

EPLC School Representative, Student Council, halftime free throws organizer, Student Association, head of Staff Appreciation Committee, religiously work Student Union during lunch, Regional, States and all-state honors choir, piano lessons ...

The Class of 2019 should vote for me because I am hard-working, personable, and fair. I believe in the institution, faculty, and students of Grosse Pointe North so much so that I chose to transfer here ...

Lexi Guarini SENATOR

I carry myself with poise while maintaining to be humble. I’m determined to make a difference throughout school and the community to make our class rise to the greater good.

My goal for when I am in office is to hear out the problems of my peers and work towards a solution with my fellow student council members. ...

I play field hockey and lacrosse for Grosse Pointe North. I am also a member of DECA. Currently, I am an appointed member for the Class of 2019 student council.

I hope to help bring the class together and introduce new people to one another. I also would like to raise enough money so the Class of 2019 gets the fun prom that they deserve.

I love being an appointed member on the council and want to become more involved in helping our class succeed.

Paul Gusmano SENATOR

To continue to unify the class and obtain a positive structure by making everyone feel like they have a special place at North.

Member of Grosse Pointe North’s Soccer Program, volunteer at Top Soccer (assisting special needs children in soccer practice), member of Eastside FC Soccer Club, volunteer at Youth Academy.

I am a student who tries to get involved a lot. I do a lot of drumming in our school’s bands, and I do a lot of community service outside of school.

I want to bring a different perspective to our council and get more students involved in class activities.

You should vote for me because I’m a nice guy who can bring a new perspective into the student council.

Will Hofmann SENATOR

I participate in current class president, orchestra, student volunteer for orchestra, cheer, lacrosse and karate.

WHY ME?

I participate in the activities of: cross country, track, choir, church youth group, church mission trip, Kids Against Hunger Coalition meal making, 8th Grade Day

My goals for student government are to set a great example for our class, to represent us outside of school in the best way possible and to unify the class.

People should vote for me because I will work hard for the student body and I will always be open to their suggestions to better the school and our class.

Owen Martinbianco SENATOR

I am an outgoing and outspoken individual who will advocate for any idea presented to me. I am interested in planning new activities and events and am open to suggestions.

MY GOALS

To unify our grade and I’ve been involved in stuconnect with our comdents council for two years munity to make North the and also am in KNOTS. better.

I’m hardworking, honest and I want to unify our grade and connect with our community to make North the better.

Erina Nazarko SENATOR

After being apart of student council for two years, I would like to focus on branching out in the community and doing more actives within my grade other than homecoming.

ABOUT ME

I am a part of many clubs and activities here at North such as: SADD, DECA, WILLOW. Other than these clubs, l participate in many sports also such as field hockey and soccer.

If I were to be a part of student government, I would make sure to ensure a sense of community for not only our class, but our school as a whole.

I think people should vote for me because I’d love to help and be more involved with school functions and activities and to unite our junior class and have a great year together.

Joseph Paglino SENATOR

GPN Student Council, GPN Student Association, JV boys tennis, JV girls tennis manager, active volunteer in the GPN Student Union, Grace Community Church youth program and small group training at New Edge Martial Arts as a third degree black belt.

CLASS OF 2019

JV basketball, golf team, varsity soccer, currently a senator on the sophomore council, Eastside FC U17 soccer team, AAU Hoopers basketball team

Some important goals of mine for the student government is to unify the class, create a better school environment and to get other students more involved in projects, fundraisers and clubs.

My classmates should vote for me because I am a determined individual that enjoys working with others to make our school a better educational environment for all ...

Garrett Schreck SENATOR

WHY ME?

Activities don’t define a person, character does. I am very active at North and I have character. I am ready to work and persevere for the Class of 2019.

My goal is to make North a place full of opportunity and culture. I support new school events, activities, sports and clubs for all.

Vote for Garrett because of his hardworking character. Vote for Garrett because of his approachable character. Most of all fot for Garrett because you know it’s right.

Mollie Szczepanski SENATOR

MY GOALS

Olivia Peruzzi Meaghan McSkimming Tiara Lang VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT/ SECRETARY SENATOR

ABOUT ME

Max Driscoll PRESIDENT/ SENATOR

WHY ME?

Hope Miller PRESIDENT

ABOUT ME

Rachel Sexton PRESIDENT/ SENATOR

CLASS OF 2019

MY GOALS

Garrett Schreck TREASURER

STUDENT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS

Student Council, made sophomore showcase, team captain of girl’s rocketry team, chemistry club, chamber orchestra, full orchestra, solo and ensemble, avid orchestra volunteer, Scholastic Art Awards, cross country, track.

My goals for student council would be bringing the Class of 2019 closer and to build on our well-respected reputation by volunteering in our community.

You should vote for me because I am dedicated and I get things done.

I have also been on North’s council for two years which has given me experience.

ELECTIONS

Lynlee Duquet SECRETARY

S.A.V.E., KNOTS, NHS, student council, sports.

My goals for student council are to help organize and raise money for the school, in particular the Class of 2018.

People should vote for me because I will work hard to accomplish the goals of the class and raise money. I will represent what the class wants in student council.

Sonny Mulpuri SECRETARY/ SENATOR

Interact Club, Quiz Bowl, Orchestra, piano, violin, DECA, tennis, basketball, baseball, North Pointe, Link Crew, NHS, volunteering, tutoring.

I want to make North a safe, fun and the best environment it can be. I want them to have even more freedom and say when making decisions for North.

I’m a very dedicated and hardworking person. I will try to do everything I can in order to fulfill the needs and wants of my classmates.

Maggie Bowers TREASURER/ SENATOR

Grosse Pointe United Gymnastics, student council, TV Broadcast, cross country, tutoring Geometry students, German Club, S.A.V.E., NHS, Link Crew, working at Elan and traveling.

My goal for the Class of 2018 is to create the best high school experience for everyone by unifying our class through class activities, fundraisers, and new experiences.

Vote for me because I have been on the council every year as treasurer, fundraising officer and senator. I have diverse experience and am dedicated to this council.

ABOUT ME

MY GOALS

WHY ME?

The activities I have been involved in include student council, Student Association, DECA, robotics, GPN tennis and sailing. I’m excited to join more in the future.

My goals for student council this year consist of organizing lucrative fundraising events, setting up more fun class activities, and correctly representing our grade as a whole.

You should vote for me as your class President because I promise to represent your interests within our council. I’d like to lead student council into a productive year.

I am involved in: Student Council, Pep Band, District and State Solo & Ensemble, Float/ Stairwell Decorating for homecoming.

My goals for student council are to have successful events where we raise a lot of money, and to listen to and take in the ideas of my fellow classmates.

People should vote for me because I am a hard worker, and I will bring new and creative ideas to the council.

This year, I’ve been involved in freshman student council, Student Association, concert band and the varsity soccer team. I look forward to joining more clubs and staying in student government.

My goals for student council consist of helping to promote the school and the community, helping improve the positive experience at North, and developing more fun opportunities for other students

You should vote for me because I am a very decisive and original candidate with many original ideas.

I believe my knowledge of our grade can directly impact the school.

Elizabeth Ballinger SECRETARY

I am involved in: Stage crew for the musical, Drama Club, North Pointe, Orchestra, French Club, Willow.

My goals for student council are to get more people’s opinions and feedback on our activities and the council in general.

You should vote for me because I want to make the school better for everyone.

If you have an opinion about something, I will listen, even if I don’t agree.

I am in North Pointe and pep band. Outside of school I enjoy travelling, listening to music and hanging out with my friends.

My main goal for student government is to give my classmates more of a voice.

Along with that, I hope to improve our school as much as possible.

People should vote for me because I believe that students need more say in what goes on at North and I will make sure we are heard.

I am involved in: Sailing, tennis, Student Council.

My goals for student council are to help the Class of 2020 save money for future events that they will remember.

You should vote for me because I am interested in ensuring everyone has the best experience they can at Grosse Pointe North.

Michal Ruprecht VICE PRESIDENT Charlie Ramsdell PRESIDENT Andrew Sheffield Jenna Buckman VICE PRESIDENT/ VICE PRESIDENT SENATOR Jonathan Smith TREASURER/ SENATOR

I have been on student council for two years and have a lot of experience being on council. I also will make decisions that are best for the class.

I play varsity football and Neighborhood Club basketball. I'm in NHS and S.A.V.E. Club, and I like to hang out with my friends.

I want to give students a bigger say in what goes on in our school. I also want prom to be a great time for everyone.

I was a senator last year, so I know what I'm doing, I like helping people and I will do my best so that we have a great senior year.

GPN varsity hockey, Interact Club, volunteering at the Lake House, tutoring.

Raise enough money to have a great senior prom.

I think I represent very well what a GPN student is and I will work very hard to have a successful senior year.

National Honors Society, Harbinger, North Pointe, Interact Club, Peace Club.

My goals for student government are to continue to be a leader for the class of 2018 and to help make our last year at North fun and memorable.

I've been on council since sophomore year as an appointed officer and have done great work in this time. I want to continue to serve our class as a representative.

Knots Program, Interact Club, WILLOW, tutor elementary students in reading and teach Sunday School.

Also a senator for the Class of 2018 for my freshman and sophomore year.

My goals for Student Council are to get the WHOLE class of 2018 involved in class activities, and also make it the greatest, senior year for my fellow classmates.

I am dedicated to ALL of my classmates and have the skill to help us leave a meaningful legacy here at North. I want to make senior year the most memorable year ever.

Link Crew, NHS tutoring, student council.

My goal is to include all students in the activities at North. For our diverse population at North there should be a diverse student council so everyone is represented.

My goal is to include all students in the activities at North. For our diverse population at North there should be a diverse student council so everyone is represented.

ABOUT ME

MY GOALS

WHY ME?

ElleAnna Casterline TREASURER/ SENATOR

I am an extremely hard worker and leader. This position of power is essential to the survival of student government and I can guarantee that it will be in good hands.

Sam Stafford TREASURER/ SENATOR

Vice President of Chemistry Club, a North Pointe editor, member of NHS, HCIC and Rocketry Club.

I will listen to all voices and opinions to promote unity, equality and greatness at North and in our community.

S.A.V.E. Club, Interact, Latin Club, swim team.

To make sure my class mates have fun and enjoyable year and prom. To do this I will work hard to raise money and make the best decisions for the class.

Brendan Berger SENATOR

People should vote for me because I have experience in the past with leading the class.

I will be a voice for all students and provide the leadership necessary to develop new ideas and activities that will increase student moral and school pride.

Tim Bowers SENATOR

My goals for student government are to create a better place for students to get a good education and make their time here unforgettable.

I will work to strengthen the communication between students, faculty, and administration. I will help promote concerns of all students and try to improve the North experience for everyone.

Amber Braker SENATOR

Mikey Ciaravino VICE PRESIDENT

Cross country, track, student council, Link Crew, Athletic Sportsmanship Council.

NHS Member, Link Crew leader, WILLOW member, school play, previous senator for Class of 2018, Elite Dance Program competitive dancer.

Charlotte Duus SENATOR

You should vote for me because I am experienced with this position, and I'm not afraid of hard work.

We should leave North feeling proud of what we have accomplished.

WHY ME?

Taylor Mitchell SENATOR

My main goal would be to motivate our class to help fundraise for big events, such as prom and homecoming. Fundraising is key for a successful class.

MY GOALS

CLASS OF 2020 Sydney Aguis SENATOR

Eva Ciiaramitaro PRESIDENT

The activities I participate in include: soccer, basketball, Interact Club, WILLOW, Spanish Club and student government.

I am currently the class president and know everything that needs to be done next year. I want to help in making senior year everything we want it to be.

ABOUT ME

I am involved in the arts program at North. I am in Treble Choir and Counter Pointe.

My goal is to help the school host fun, successful activities and make everyone feel like they are a part of the school.

People should vote for me because I am trustworthy, love to help others, and have a very good work ethic.

Sydney Brumme SENATOR

My goals for senior year are to both fundraise and plan a fun and successful last year.

CLASS OF 2018

Student Association, freshman volleyball team, freshman basketball team, varsity softball team, Treble Choir, volunteer at Ferry Elementary.

For student government is to have a successful homecoming by getting more classmates involved. I would like to also be involved in more service projects for my athletic teams, as well as Student Association.

Classmates should vote for me because I have good leadership skills to help make things happen and I am always part of our school events. I can also get along with many different people.

Jordan Craighead SENATOR

NHS, varsity lacrosse, Link Crew, student council, Interact, WILLOW, Sunday School leader, Wyldlife leader, Younglife.

CLASS OF 2020

WHY ME?

GPN’s Pep Band, sailing during the summer, Interact Club, GPN Student Association.

i really do want to make the school better for everyone, I can make changes to help everyone in the Class of 2020. I want to build a better partnership between the school and community.

Everyone should vote for me because I will do my very best to give a voice to everyone in the Class of 2020 and make the changes they want to see.

Clare Loch SENATOR

MY GOALS

Catie Archambeau PRESIDENT/ SENATOR

ABOUT ME

Rory Angott TREASURER/ SENTAOR

CLASS OF 2018

I want to hear the suggestions that the students I like to participate in have. I want to plan fundthe musicals and plays at raisers, help plan charity North. I also enjoy sailing. week, and I want to help both the school and our community.

You should vote for me because I’m reliable and I will do my best to represent you and to listen to your ideas.

Claire Yee SENATOR

11 – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – North Pointe

At North I have participated in many things such as, cross country, Gymnastics, SA member, homecoming float building, making lunches for the homeless and WILLOW.

People should vote for me because I love Grosse Pointe North and doing good things for it.

I also love doing good things for our teachers and the community.

EDITOR’S NOTE

I would like to do good things for our community and Grosse Pointe North.

I like to do good things for others and SA is always doing good things for the community and others.

Responses are edited only for length an AP style, and each question had a maximum response length of 30 words. Election results will be posted online as they are released.

SPORTS

12 – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 – North Pointe

Ready, set, coach.

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

The boys and girls track team bring in new coaches to strengthen athletes

By Abbey Cadieux & Emma Brock

most of the coaches are new, it just made sense to mix it up and allow almost all coaches to work at some point with both genders. That way, it's more likely that all the athletes will feel like they are connected to at least one or two coaches.”

For the 2017 track team, it’s all about new. New season. New coaches. New vision.

In the past, the team has functioned mainly as two separate entities, separated between boys and girls.

“We have two new head coaches this year, for boys and girls, and what we’ve decided to do is work This year, however, they will be combining practices occasionally. There are over 150 athletes total in more cohesively as a program rather than as two totally different teams,” head boys the track program this year. Montgomery notes that the new coaches have and pole-vault coach Sean McCarroll said. “So we still have a boys team and we provided for more subdivision of runners, both boys and girls, giving each still have a girls team, but we have the same standards and expectations across both runner more individual attention. teams.”

“We’ve been trying to do more cross-team bonding and things like that Distance coach Dian Montegomery will act as McCarroll’s counterpart for the because when we show up at these meets together, it’s good that we know who girls team. everybody is and who all the Norsemen are,” McCarroll said.

New coaching staff consists of Rob Wozniak (throws), Princess Spratt For returning runners, the transition has been smooth. The combination of (sprints), Alyssa Auth (sprints), Class of 2016 alumna Alexus Jimerson (hurdles), the new faculty and focus has paved a new pathway for practices.

Christopher Thomas (sprints) and Emma Huellmantel (general assistant).

Returning upperclassmen have experienced the most change, but note that Auth, Spratt and Thomas ran track at the collegiate level and Montgomery notes that for the most part, changes have been made for the better. having experienced sprint coaches will help, as the team has lacked in that area of “I think it’s going well, it’s new so we’re all kind of adjusting to it but coaching in previous years.

Stephanie Schaefer the coaches are trying really hard to make sure practice runs smoothly and “We are very excited to have so many new coaches who bring a lot of particular JUNIOR everyone’s getting what they need to get done, trying to get the team to be experience to our program—especially in the sprint events,” Montgomery said via email. “They are more cohesive,” Schaefer said. “It’s a good thing to try to do and we hope it works out.” already a tremendous help because each area of track and field now has a specialized coach. In the past, Overall, the fresh atmosphere at practice is something that runners hope will positively influence the we have had a lot of coaches who were distance runners trying to learn about new areas. It's especially season. With the team just starting to hit the track, this new setup is one way runners can grow during the great for the sprinters (the biggest group on the team) to have so many coaches with personal experience 2017 season. in these events.”

“It’s not a really dramatic change, but with the new coaches and everything it feels different,” Schaefer said.

Taking advantage of this new beginning, the coaches are looking forward to having a “But we’re all working together and we all have the same goal in more unified team. mind, and that’s to get better and faster, so it’s going to be a great year,” “Track, by nature of so many different events, can end up being very segregated. This year we really are focused on having all athletes realizing and feeling the team atmosphere,” Montgomery said. “Since EDITORS

“

But we’re all working together and we all have the same goal in mind and that’s to get better and faster, so it’s going to be a great year.

“

An ode to spring training ADAM SCHWARTZ SPORTS COLUMN

After months without the sound of gloves popping and bats swinging, spring training brings much-needed relief diehard baseball fans.

From past experience, there isn’t a better place to go for baseball fans.

The environment is unlike anything I’ve seen during the regular season.

There are many benefits that come out of spring training for spectators, possibly making it an even better time than the regular season.

It’s the time for them to interact with the players in a less hectic environment in warm Arizona or sunny Florida, see games for a cheaper cost and spend some quality time with their families.

Most baseball fans always want to get up close and personal with their favorite players—for them, spring training is the time. The environment is open and the players are more willing to give autographs and take photos. Many take the time to really talk to their beloved fans—the ones who often never miss a game. It’s not rushed and the lighter mood helps everyone.

The regular season is just around the corner and players are wrapping up their preparation for the grind that is upon them.

Most have that “win-now” mindset since spring training is coming to a close. With that in mind, the players are in full focus and are reflecting upon the progress they’ve made during their workouts.

Left, right, forward and behind, there are all kinds of directions to look at spring training. At every facility the layout is different.

Those fans they can tell the difference and they truly appreciate what each Major League Baseball team does to make spring training and the regular season memorable for them.

Ticket prices at any sporting event can be expensive, ranging from upper-deck tickets to front-row views. The prices for regular games can drain twenties from spectators’ wallets.

On the other hand, the spring training atmosphere is relaxed and tickets are cheap. For a much lower cost fans can have a front row seat, so they never miss a bit of action.

There are endless opportunities to see games, especially in the Cactus League in Arizona, since all the stadiums are very close to each other.

The Grapefruit League stadiums aren’t as close to each other as in Arizona, but the prices will still be much better than any regular season game. It’s a dream come true for any baseball fan on a budget.

If given the choice between a regular season game and a spring training game, knowledgable fans should pick spring training.

Those who enjoy slow, easy atmospheres will love it. A walk in the park is calming and that’s the environment that is presented to fans at spring training. The craziness is gone and time seems to stop, or at least is slowed down by 99 percent for spectators.

For baseball lovers, there is no other place to be. Avoiding the stresses of the regular season and investing in the spring training experience will result in fans feeling more welcome. From the unforgettable experiences to the warm weather that most fans don’t have in February and March, it’s a perfect opportunity for fans of all ages.

Battle of the spring sports MAX PAYTON

Sports teams struggle to practice due to the lack of field space

By Billy Moin & Sonny Mulpuri EDITORS

As the spring season starts up, each team’s schedule becomes as tentative as the weather. With five sports—including girls soccer as well as boys and girls track and lacrosse—using the track and turf, and up to seven—adding in baseball and softball—using the gyms on any given day, space is tight.

The lack of room makes communication essential when teams start to overload the gym and field. On the turf, the teams have certain time slots to practice within and don’t have the luxury of taking up more. Sometimes this leads to overlap in turf and track time between the sports. In turn, athletes may have to share the field and this can prevent them from focusing on certain aspects of their game as much as they would like. Junior Max Payton plays for the varsity lacrosse team and the scheduling affects the team every year.

“Only being able to practice when using half the field kind of kills us for rides and clears ... rides and clears are what we struggle at most and when we can’t have a full field to practice in it doesn’t help,” Payton said. “We can’t do as much of the actual game stuff like we’d like to do.

When we have a full field you kind of have to take advantage of that.”

Having a full field allows a team to simulate and prepare for specific ingame situations better than a half field does. In addition, players have a better chance to build up their endurance when using the full length of the field.

Girls soccer is no exception. Junior Greta DeLoach, a member of the varsity team, knows that it makes a team more comfortable using a full field and builds endurance. As it’s always said, practice as you would play in a game, and having half of a field doesn’t provide for game-like scenarios.

“So if we’re doing a full field scrimmage, then (having a full field) ... is kind of important in a practice because it prepares you for your game,” DeLoach said. “It’s a lot more helpful because that’s the type of field we play on, like that large, and you get a full field experience.”

Coaches have the chance to bargain for specific practice times when they work out schedules with athletic director Brian Shelson. After looking at the availability of each facility, Shelson gives every team a time slot—usually two hours per group—on whatever field it uses.

Varsity lacrosse coach Mark Seppala has gotten used to the back and forth communication with Shelson. He has to make sure he’s not interfering with other teams’ schedules and has to work with them to make sure they all get the amount of time they need.

“I’m fine with practicing later in order to have full fields or full gyms,” Seppala said. “Spring is a pretty congested time and everybody is competing for the same space ... it’s not an easy job coordinating all that.”

According to Shelson, most coaches simply choose to keep the same schedule from the year before, which takes some pressure off of scheduling field time.

However, when the weather forces teams inside, he has to make sure every sport still gets time and space to practice. If it comes down to picking one team over another, Shelson said that the number of students affected by a loss of practice time can factor into his decisions.

Still, teams also have the option of practicing at other schools. Boys lacrosse spends most of its season practicing at Parcells Middle School, while girls lacrosse uses the field at Ferry Elementary.

Unlike lacrosse, the girls soccer teams make use of the turf on a daily basis. When practice time comes, the field often has to be split between JV and varsity. DeLoach understands that multiple teams utilize the turf and proposed that teams make more use of the grass soccer field, allowing for more flexibility.

“I know that I don’t like making the other teams mad when we have the field, but we should all have equal time,” DeLoach said.

“I think that maybe we could split the time equally and sometimes be on the grass and have other teams be on the field, the turf field, because we actually have a grass field that we don’t really utilize.”