Northpointe issue13 march28 2018

ON CAMPUS PAGE 4

Class of 2020 holds fundraiser called Teacher March Madness, to raise money for their class prom.

CAIRINGTON STAHL

NORTH

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

EVENTS

PSAT TESTING Tuesday, April 10 from 8 to 12:30 a.m.

SAT TESTING Saturday, April 14 at 8 a.m. in the gym COLLEGE NIGHT Tuesday, April 17 at 6 p.m. in the gym

INSIDE

"WHEN

WE’RE

NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG

SINCE 1968

By Nick Asimakis & Rory Angott PAGE EDITORS Starting fourth quarter, science teacher Susan Speirs said the district will begin its transition to the Schoology Learning Management System for the 2018-2019 school year.

As surrounding Metro Detroit districts have made the switch to a single learning management system, Speirs said the instructional technologies board decided it was time for Grosse Pointe to follow suit.

“Maybe you're using Moodle, maybe you're using Edmodo, maybe you're using Schoology, maybe you're using Google Classroom. You're using these various tools, and students in school have different experiences in every class,” Speirs said. “The task was to pick one learning management system that the entire district — K-12 — will use. That will help us to be much more organized in our communication.”

Director of instructional technology Chris Stanley said that Grosse Pointe is not only moving to Schoology for a more streamlined system, it’s moving to

something that is much more functional for both students and teachers.

Freshman Esha Kumar, who has yet to use the program, thinks the switch will be beneficial to teachers and students.

“I think that in the end when we get used to everything, it’ll all work out,” Kumar said.

“It’ll be nice to have everything in one place because I think that would make it easier for us to study.”

Reaffirming Kumar’s opinion, Stanley said that schools across the country have experienced success using Schoology as their LMS. “While researching different LMS's, we were in contact with districts across the country, including some close to home as well,” Stanley said via email. “Every district we spoke to spoke highly of using Schoology in their class. Teachers will have the ability to share materials with colleagues, and students will love that course material will all be in one place.”

Stanley said that Schoology, unlike services such as Google Classroom, has a more structured layout, making it more organized for use.

It also brings

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Poor driving conditions, road damages increase

District transitions to using single Learning Management System

COMFORTABLE,

THOSE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

CANVAS, MISTAR SCHOOLOGY, PINNACLE, GOOGLE CLASSROOM,

direct connection between the Schoology gradebook and the MiStar parent and student portals, automatic course creation ensuring an online experience for every class and, according to Speirs, the ability to automatically create student portfolios.

With Schoology, students will also be able to access grades, schedules and assignments

“

Every district we spoke to spoke highly of using Schoology in their class.

“

UPCOMING

POINTE

Chris Stanley DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOL-

on a single website or cell phone app.

History teacher Andrew Taylor believes the district switch is long overdue.

Taylor said that teachers who have used other LMS, such as Google Classroom or Canvas, will be able to make the switch easily. However, for teachers who struggle with the transition professional development courses will be available.

Through their own separate accounts, parents will have access to the same information, which Speirs said would make it easier for them to keep their students on top of things.

Speirs said Schoology has made it easier for students to review. She has seen an increase of performance of around 10 percent among her students since she began to use Schoology as her standard system, and looks forward to the district switch.

“You're not waiting for me to grade. It's instant feedback,” Speirs said. “Whatever it might be that you need to do to get better, you find out, and then you try again. Schoology allows you to do that instantaneously.”

Students reflect on district-wide protest on gun violence

By Erin Kaled SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR In a nationwide protest, thousands of students walked out in solidarity for the 17 people killed last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland Florida. They held signs and gave speeches to raise awareness for the victims of gun violence.

Senior Jacqueline Squillace partook in the walkout to pay tribute to the victims and speak about gun control.

“I hope this walkout opened the eyes of the people in charge to the change that needs to be brought to American schools,” Squillace said.

Students such as Squillace liked the fact that administration had a say in the planning of the event but wished it had been run differently to include the complete message of the event.

“I wish administration didn't tiptoe around the real issue.

Yes, it's uncomfortable to talk about it, but that's why we need to talk about it,” Squillace said.

“While this was a memorial for the victims of the shooting, it was also part of a fight for much needed gun control.”

Senior Montana Paton agreed and chose not to walk out for those exact reasons.

Paton believes that the administrative involvement defeated the purpose of the walkout being student led.

“I wish that it would’ve been more student run,” Paton said. “It was supposed to cause disruption in classes to raise awareness to the issues, but it didn’t really cause a distraction at all because the teachers and the administrators had such a large part in it.”

Paton hopes that in the future, that although awareness and calls for change will be more prominent, the administrators won’t play as big of a role in terms of organizing the event.

Junior Tommy Haggerty was another student against ABBEY CADIEUX the idea of the administration being involved. He chose to A WALK TO REMEMBER | From left to right, Juniors Meghan McCarthy and Katy Millican at the protest stay home that morning.

“To me, the walkout was on March 14, holding signs that read 'Not one more,' and 'Enough is enough.' Though many students were meant to be a moment of silence involved, some chose not to participate in the walkout, for the people who have been such as junior Rachel Sexton, freshman Conner killed in these ridiculous mass Lefebvre and freshman Nick Salvador. shootings.” Haggerty said. “I wish the administration would have done nothing. They ruined the point of the walkout."

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 50 | ISSUE 13

News Briefs

1 2

Editorial On Campus

3 4

Life Reviews

5 6

In-Depth Sports

By Michael Hartt PAGE EDITOR

As long-term substitute teacher Ben Winn travels to work every day, he has trouble navigating through the minefield of potholes that he encounters along the way. Anytime he drives through the Grosse Pointe community or even travels to work using state-funded freeways, he notices the poor condition that the roads are in.

Grosse Pointe Woods City Administrator Bruce Smith attributes most of the poor roads in the community to a lack of funding. He said very few funds within the annual budget actually go towards road improvements, and almost all funding comes from federal and state grants and local bonds. Although Grosse Pointe Woods recently passed a $10 million dollar bond for roads in 2014, the city is falling short due to quickly rising concrete prices.

“The concrete industry in Michigan reset its pricing, which appeared to happen because of a decline in competition,” Smith said. “The remaining contractors raised prices significantly, leaving the city short on funds and unable to finish the roads promised.”

Additionally, according to Smith, 70 percent of the roads in Grosse Pointe Woods are in fair/good condition, while 30 percent are in poor/bad condition.

In contrast, according to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, 41 percent of the roads in southeastern Michigan eligible for federal aid were classified as poor condition, 40 percent were classified as fair, and only 19 percent were considered good.

In all, Michigan currently spends $400 million on federal-aid eligible roads and would need to increase that to $1.6 billion for the next 25 years to bring 80 percent up to good condition, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Additionally, that figure only takes into account the major roads in southeastern Michigan. There are another 17,000 miles of lesser-traveled roads that are going to need to be repaved eventually with no current plan on how to fund that.

Many new drivers, such as sophomore Ruth Fradeneck, have reported experiencing poor road conditions in the Grosse Pointe area.

She said that these conditions hurt her ability to learn how to drive, and she’s worried the conditions will damage others, too.

“Late at night when it’s dark and you can’t see, it’s like walking through a minefield not knowing when you’re going to come across a pothole,” Fradeneck said.

Smith said the situation is currently being handled by the city, and that the city council passed a resolution to repair Cook Road.

The repairs are contingent on the acquisition of funds from the Wayne County Federal Funding.Other road repairs scheduled for next year that are not contingent on any funding include sections of Lochmoor, Stanhope, Anita and Brys Road.

Winn has noticed the presence of more toll roads in other states like Ohio, and after experiencing those in Michigan, he is not opposed to them.

“A lot of that money goes to maintenance and upkeep, and there's just different sorts of money that other states have that we don't have,” Winn said. “I definitely think that we need to invest more in our infrastructure for the future.”

7 8

NEWS

2 – Wednesday, March 28, 2018 – North Pointe

Students prepare for spring testing Along with spring comes the PSAT testing for freshmen and sophomores, and SAT testing for juniors. Spring testing is a way for faculty and students to see the growth students have made since the testing they did in the fall.

PSAT and SAT testing will take place on Tuesday, April 10 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at North. ACT testing will also be held at North on Saturday, April 14 at 8 a.m.

For juniors, moving from the PSAT to the SAT is a major step in their high school careers. Preparing in advance is key for students like Sam Boggia.

“To prepare for the SAT, I took prep classes which were long but helpful. It gave me a bunch of tips to use,” Boggia said. “I have AP Lang with Mr. (Jonathan) Byrne, and he does a lot of SAT practice, which is helpful.

I'm nervous, but I feel like I'm decently prepared.”

College Night provides students exposure With College Night approaching, juniors are one step closer to starting their big journey. On April 17 at 6 p.m. in the gym, college representatives will be at North to meet with students and parents to discuss the next chapter in their lives.

“It’s important for kids to put themselves out there and get their name known,” junior Erina Nazarko said.

“Hopefully this helps everyone know what colleges are right for them and feel more comfortable with their decisions.”

College Night has taken place in past years in hopes of helping students realize which college suits them best and further their knowledge with the colleges they are interested in. It gives students, including junior Maria Zaki, the chance to see and explore options they did not even know they had.

“I feel like right now is the time where juniors are really pressured with so many big choices that could change their lives,” Zaki said. “College Night is important because it might ease that stress for some students.”

Gearheads advance to states Gearheads, North’s robotics team, made it to states and will be competing against 160 other teams April 11-14.

During the competition, all teams participate in different small events. In the first competition, each group must have its robot pick up milk crates and place them on different switches. The team that is able to balance the robot on each switch for the longest wins. There is also an activity in which judges see if teams can hang their robot on a bar.

Gearheads, including junior Ritika Pansare, is experienced with these types of competitions. After competing in last year’s state competition, Pansare knows which skills to prioritize and thinks that will help her and her team excel in competitions.

“This next coming competition (March 24) will give us an opportunity to practice because we’ve all already qualified for states,” Pansare said. “So, we don’t need to worry about winning or getting qualification points here since we've already qualified, so this is one way were preparing.”

Pansare is the co-captain of the business team and is also a member of the chairman’s team. She is also on the control team, which deals with programming and writing.

“I feel pretty confident,” she said. “Obviously I’m still nervous because there's a multitude of things that could go wrong, but I think our chances of doing well at states is pretty good."

By Maggie Carron & Nadia Fama

Walkout CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Counselor Milissa Pierce walked out with the students and said she was glad students had the opportunity to leave and participate.

She hopes students will continue to raise awareness for mental health and gun violence.

“I hope that the lobbies involved will hear what students, teachers and administrators are

saying, rather than simply enforcing things that they believe will help,” Pierce said. “This topic matters to the young adults in this world.”

Squillace said she hopes a change will be made for generations to come.

“I hope in the future we can live in a world where kids don't have to be afraid to go to school because they might be shot,” Squillace said.

“I want proper gun laws to be put in place so there’s no fear around going to school anymore.”

Despite this, North had two gun-related incidents in the past two weeks. One involved a

SAVE aims to provide classroom plants

By Arzoo Chhaya & Hannah Zalewski PAGE EDITORS

Initially used by astronauts to remove toxins from the air on spaceships, Sansevieria trifasciata is the plant that Students Against Violations of the Environment is working to incorporate into many of the classrooms at Grosse Pointe North.

SAVE is a group of North students who work to lessen the effect of man-made toxins and protect the natural world. The organization’s current aim is to improve the learning environment by introducing the plants, also called Mother-in-law Tongue.

SAVE adviser Chris Skowronski is very excited to increase the number of plants around school.

“We want to have plants in every classroom because it adds an aesthetic value.

They improve mood, and they improve air quality,” Skowronski said. “I think they would be something that everyone would enjoy.”

Skowronski believes that this plant will be perfect for a classroom because it requires low maintenance.

“They are very durable and they don’t need a lot of water,” Skowronski said. “They also don’t need a lot of light, and they grow pretty fast.”

Senior Rachel Hilu, SAVE Club member appreciates the gesture of bringing more plants into the classroom.

“It represents what SAVE is and helps with the environment,” Hilu said. “(It makes) the school better, and it's just a nice tribute to the teachers.”

Many teachers at North have already agreed

to have one of these plants in their classrooms.

Math teacher Nicole Sturgeon is relieved a plant that requires low maintenance was chosen, since she does not have windows in her classroom.

“I think it will make it feel a little more home-y,” Sturgeonsaid.“Ithinkthatwhenwe’recomfortable, that’s when we’re willing to do those things that are uncomfortable. I think plants will help with that.”

According to the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, incorporating plants into working and learning environments helps boost creativity and productivity while reducing stress.

Hilu has noticed these differences in Skowronski’s class, which has many plants.

She believes they have helped improve her concentration and mood, which has made her experience in the class more enjoyable.

Sturgeon agrees, saying she looks forward to adding a bit of nature to her classroom.

“I love the idea of having more outside in, or inside out. I think those are really important things,” Sturgeon said.

Throughout the year, SAVE has hosted fundraisers to cover the cost of the plants. Skowronski is now looking for a florist and said he plans to introduce the plants into classrooms soon.

Hilu said the fundraisers were enjoyable and humbling experiences for her and the club.

“I like how we've had bake sales to get money for the plants,” Hilu said. “It's really generous that (Skrowonski) wants to do this and donate a plant to each classroom.”`

Band and orchestra members perform at the DSO

By Lindsey Ramsdell SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR Last Sunday, March 25, many band and orchestra students had the opportunity to perform at Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall for the first time. Senior Joe Florence is a DSO stage veteran.

“I’m part of the DSO Civic Youth Ensemble, so I perform there three times a year,” he said.

“It’s always a lot of fun. I love performing on that stage. It’s probably one of my favorites.”

Every two years, the band and orchestra program puts on this concert as a fundraiser for the North instrumental program. Box seats and general seating tickets were sold at Wild Birds Unlimited and at the DSO before the show.

But according to Florence, there are no bad seats in the acoustically engineered hall. This is something that all musicians agree on, including band and orchestra director Dave Cleveland.

“It’s nationally recognized as one of the best concert halls in all of America. It’s acoustically perfect,” Cleveland said. "You can speak at this low tone of voice on the stage and people on the balcony can hear you. It’s an acoustic marvel. It’s really great.”

The students have been preparing for the concert more rigorously than normal.

Leading up to it, they did sectional rehearsals, brought in guest clinicians and added extra rehearsals before and after school.

According to Cleveland, the proceeds will go towards hiring more clinicians to come in and work with the students. They will also fund instrument cases and supplies needed for the program.

The concert and symphony bands, along with the chamber and symphony orchestras, played on Sunday. Senior Keenan Bakowski was featured as a trumpet soloist in “Quiet City,” performed by the chamber orchestra, and senior Robertson Brinker was featured on the saxophone in “Sonata for Saxophone and Piano,” performed by the concert band.

The symphony band performed “Elegy for a Young American” and dedicated it to the victims of the shooting in Parkland, Florida.

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Cleveland says that elegies are songs that are used to memorialize tragic incidents. The symphony band also concluded the show with “First Suite in E-flat” by Gustav Holst.

The DSO event also helps the instrumental students prepare for their upcoming Festival of Music in Toronto next month.

Senior Natalie Barstys is less familiar with being on the DSO stage than Florence, although she has performed there once before. Based on her past experience, she said she looked forward to hearing the bands’ music amplified throughout the DSO hall one more time.

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student-made “hit list,” and another involved a B.B. gun, which a student brought to school and fired. Because of this, Squillace said she was forced to open her eyes and realize that North isn’t immune to the problem. She believes being kind to others could potentially stop a student from committing a heinous crime like this and hopes to set an example for her classmates to follow.

“I'll prevent it by being nice to everyone and trying to make North a more positive place,” Squillace said.

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EDITORIAL

NORTH

POINTE All tragedies are not created equal

“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 Syeda Rizvi EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sofia Ketels WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Zoe Graves MANAGING EDITOR

Amelia Nowicki WEB EDITOR

Arzoo Chhaya PAGE EDITOR

Mariah Loper PAGE EDITOR

Michael Hartt PAGE EDITOR

Rory Angott PAGE EDITOR

Sarah Shanley STAFF REPORTER Charles Bernas STAFF REPORTER

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 28, 2018 – 3

Alex Harring SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR

Hannah Zalewski PAGE EDITOR Lindsey Ramsdell SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR

Abbey Cadieux SENIOR ASSISTANT 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.

KATIE THOMAS

In the wake of the Parkland shooting, many have asked themselves: what if it MY TURN happened here? See- AMBER BRAKER ing other students lose their friends and classmates has forced us to imagine what it would be like to lose our own in a similar fashion. But what people forget is that we don’t have to imagine — not anymore.

Nine months ago, Corey-Harris Thomas was shot and killed by a man attempting to steal his shoes. He would’ve been a senior here at North.

He was somebody’s friend. Somebody's son. And, though I never knew him, he was my classmate.

Corey is as much a victim of gun violence as the victims of Parkland or any other mass shooting. Yet while these tragedies dominate the national news cycle for weeks, shootings such as Corey’s are often given a minute-and-a-halflong segment before the media. And the public at large? They move on to the next one.

It’s understandable that mass shootings would draw more attention than any one-time killing. Massacres with higher death tolls are more shocking, hence garnering more public interest. However, they shouldn’t overshadow all other forms of gun violence, as they do now.

According to Giffords Law Center, the U.S. experienced an average of 33 gun-related homicides per day between 2005 and 2010. And according to Mother Jones, in 2014, out of 33,594 gun-related deaths, only 14 were attributed to mass shootings.

Though they only constitute a small fraction of total gun deaths, mass shootings are virtually the only context in which we discuss gun regulation. We focus what little time and attention we dedicate to gun control on laws that would likely stop the rare suburban massacre without addressing a much more pressing issue: inner-city shootings.

This selective attention results in one type of gun violence becoming routine, while we fight to ensure the other does not. The same complacency we fear will overtake us has already set in.

Unfortunately, two of the most prominent factors in contributing to this indifference are racism and classism. Everyday gun violence affects poor communities and minorities — especially African Americans — at a disproportionately higher rate.

According to the National Crime Victimization Survey from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, people from households that are at or below the Federal Poverty Level are more likely to be victims of violence involving firearms. And a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that African-American children are 10 times more likely be shot than white children.

This type of gun violence is largely written off as a normal part of inner-city life. Povertystricken urban areas, especially those with a high concentration of minorities, are generally expected to have higher crime rates. As a result, laws already on the books that could help prevent shootings go unenforced.

Dante Tyrell Ford, the man who killed Corey, owned several guns illegally. He was brazen enough to post pictures of himself with them on Facebook while on probation for illegal possession of a firearm. He knew that — even if caught — he wouldn’t face consequences for his actions.

If his probation had been enforced, he would’ve been in jail, unable to commit the act that ended Corey’s life. But, as in too many other cases, the law was lazily ignored.

As a society, our point of view on gun violence is contradictory. We claim to reject it as a norm when the rare suburban white shooting occurs, while regarding inner-city bloodshed as inevitable. If we truly want to reduce the number of gun-related deaths in this country, we have to start giving equal treatment to these tragedies.

OUR EDITORIAL

Save our roads On March 20, Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill increasing the budget for road spending in the State of Michigan by $175 million.

According to Michigan’s 2017 infrastructure report card, our state’s lowest grade was a D- in both roads and stormwater management systems. The report states that Michigan has over 122,000 miles of public roads, with 21 percent of them in poor condition. That means more than 25,000 miles — almost one-fifth of our roads — are potentially dangerous to drivers.

All things considered, this new advancement of funding by the governor won’t make much of a dent in the work that needs to be done on our roads. This stems from the fact that state funding doesn’t touch residential roads in Michigan, so our roads are the responsibility of Grosse Pointe.

Coming out of this rough winter, residents of Grosse Pointe have noticed more potholes than usual.

Sidestreets throughout the city — such as Lochmoor Boulevard, Anita Avenue and Brys Drive — have become almost impossible to drive on, and major roads like Vernier and Mack Avenue are practically beginning to crumble, with potholes every few feet.

More recently, a large pothole appeared at the entrance to North, creating a noticeable hazard for student drivers who come in and out of the school parking lot almost every day.

In any drivers education class you take, it’s made clear that teenage drivers are more likely to get into accidents than adults, and countless studies support that claim. A report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention found that despite 15- to 19- year-olds representing only seven percent of the U.S. population, they were responsible for 11 percent of the total cost of motor vehicle injuries, totaling about $10 billion. The CDC also found that in 2015, 2,333 teens in the U.S ages 16-19 were killed and 235,845 injured in motor vehicle crashes.

With the higher crash rate for younger drivers, the damaged roads create even more of a hazard. A 2017 article from the Huffington Post cited potholes as the twelfth most common cause of auto-related accidents.

However, accidents caused by potholes are avoidable — all we need to do is fix the roads.

We’re not saying it’s an instant or quick thing to fix.

Road work costs a lot of money. However, there are alternate solutions in Grosse Pointe.

Residents of the Grosse Pointes have long experienced relatively high levels of property taxes.

However, cities like Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills have slightly higher rates — and better roads.

If we copy the playbook of these cities regarding property taxes, we would be moving toward a solution.

It must be recognized that the Grosse Pointes, unlike Birmingham and Bloomfield, do not act as a single entity. Because of this, property taxes and many roads are handled independently by each city. When driving down Lochmoor toward Lakeshore, a change in road quality is evident. The recently redone Grosse Pointe Shores section is smooth, while the Woods section has seen much less upkeep.

However, if the five Pointes would come together in an effort to improve major roads such as Mack, Cook and Lakeshore, they could make massive strides.

If we’re going to make driving a safer experience for not only students here at North, but in the community as a whole, one of our best options is to raise property taxes and make sure the money goes directly to a single Grosse Pointe roads improvement committee.

There is no reason that Grosse Pointe can’t have the quality of roads we deserve. It’s only a matter of the cities taking action.

“ Schoology is kind of difficult to me. I like to be able to go on Pinnacle because I've been using Pinnacle since the sixth grade."

“It's easier because it’s an app, and apps are easier to access.”

Naudia Hargress

Ross Fowler

“It makes me feel aggravated because Schoology will be very difficult with it being an app."

Charles Nelson FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: How do you feel about the district moving to Schoology for online learning? By Audrey Boles

“I feel like it's more convenient for me because its an app, and it has my school information on it already.”

Darrell George SENIOR

NORTH

“It's really exciting because it will have different functions on Schoology that will really help kids do better in school and know everything about their grades."

“If the app makes it easier for students and parents, then that is a great idea.”

Katy Vernier

Donna Beels

MATH TEACHER/ DEPARTMENT

HALL MONITOR

POINTE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Syeda Rizvi WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sofia Ketels MANAGING EDITOR: Zoe Graves WEB EDITORS: Brooklyn McWhorter, Amelia Nowicki SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITORS: Amber Braker Caitlin Bush, Abbey Cadieux, Alex Harring, Erin Kaled, Allison Lackner, Katelynn Mulder, Sonny Mulpuri, Anna Post, Lindsey Ramsdell, Michal Ruprecht, Billy Steigelman, Katie Thomas PAGE EDITORS: Rory Angott, Nick Asimakis, Maggie Carron, Arzoo Chhaya, Michael Hartt, Mariah Loper, Abi Murray Adam Schwartz, Emily Widgren, Hannah Zalewski BUSINESS MANAGER: Jordan Craighead DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Elizabeth Ballinger STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Marina Gabriel, Jillian LaPere, Rachel Malinowski, Alyssa McLarty, Ashley Sexton, Nya Tatum, Kennedy Williams STAFF REPORTERS: Sophie Kehrig, Taylor Mitchell, Sarah Shanley, Cairington Stahl, Benjamin Uram INTERNS: Amelia Abraham, JoAnna Alexander, Charlie Bernas, Aundrianna Boles, Savannah

Burguron, Nadia Fama, Colin Haroutunian, Donald Hightower, Raven Jason, Cheryl Knorp, Emily McCloskey, Preston Rossignol, Katlyn Rood-Ballard, Amelia Schock, Sydney Semack, Jonathan Smith, Cordy Wettstein The North Pointe is edited and produced by journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks.

It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review.

Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Readers are encouraged to write letters to the editor. Letters are edited only for length and are screened for libel and obscenity.

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

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EDITOR'S DESK KATIE THOMAS

Respecting representation

As a child, I rarely saw people who looked like me on the big screen.

In my experience, representation wasn’t something that I knew I needed until I saw it for the first time. I can remember when I first watched the movie “Space Jam,” seeing Michael Jordan, who was like a superhero, evoked a sense of pride that I hadn’t known before.

Seeing someone whose skin was similar to mine saving the day made me feel like maybe someday I could do something extraordinary, too.

For people who always see actors that look like them on the screen, representation isn’t that big a deal. It’s a privilege they’ve become accustomed to. However, for most minorities who might feel society has devalued them in the past, positive and uplifting representation on screens goes a long way. Looking back at the history of film, black actors have always taken on demeaning roles that either leave them in the shadows or exploit stereotypes that society places on them.

The latest phenomenon to hit the screens was “Black Panther,” a Marvel movie centered around an African superhero with a majority black cast that made over $1 billion in the box office worldwide. Not only were the film’s ratings widely impressive.

So, too,was its impact on black art and popular culture.

For the first time on a major screen, black and brown children were able to see themselves in the form of powerful warriors and heroes, reminding them that they matter. Following suit was “A Wrinkle in Time,” a Disney film that takes a diverse twist on the classic novel while also being directed by Ava Duvernay, a black woman.

Earlier this month, I was able to see our school rendition of the historically black broadway musical, “The Wiz,” a play that I had grown up watching and listening to, one of the first times I was exposed to a piece of art that was completely black.

According to research done by the University of Southern California, in 2017 only 13.6 percent of characters in major films were black, while an overwhelming 70.8 percent of characters were white. In the same year, black directors only made up 5.6 percent of the directing community in Hollywood.

Representation is not only important, but necessary for all viewers. When kids see themselves in a light that almost always depicts them as the stereotypical drug dealer or living in poverty, it insinuates that they aren’t capable of being more, that this is the way that society views them.

Hollywood has been content with being a majority white atmosphere, and awards shows such as the Academy Awards reflect that. Only in recent years has the Oscars nomination pool begun to show a broader appreciation for minority talent in the film industry. In 2016, #OscarsSoWhite swept across the internet calling for immediate acknowledgement of the lack of minority representation on screens, becoming a leading movement on this journey to a more diverse film industry.

2018 has uncovered the extremely delayed realization that black and brown actors can be majorly successful in Hollywood, when given the chance. However, their presence in major productions goes far beyond the screen. When a child sees someone who looks like themselves in a movie or TV show, the feeling of pride is galvanizing and inspiring. This new moment in film is necessary and far from over. It’s up to us to continue on supporting minority representation in film, in the midst of this Black Renaissance.

ON CAMPUS

4 – Wednesday March 28, 2018 -North Pointe

Teacher mania

Class of 2021 holds fundrasier similar to March Madness to raise money for their prom.

BUSINESS MANAGER & STAFF REPORTER

By Jordan Craighead & Cairington Stahl

ALL PHOTOS BY CAIRINGTON STAHL

READY TO GO |Freshmen student council is holding a March Madness fundraiser. The teacher who raises the most money advances through the brackets, and the winner has to wear an 80s-style basketball outfit Thursday, March 29. “The fundraiser idea was a group effort from the students,” freshman class adviser Sarah Hunter said. “One came up with the idea to do a March Madness theme, and then the rest of the group worked together to make it happen.”

CHOICES, CHOICES | Freshmen Caleigh Murray and Gavin Gregorick call people over during lunch to donate to the March Madness fundraiser. The fundraiser ran the entire week of March 19. The teachers that made the final four were final four were Terri Steimer, Alyssa Sandoval, Charles Crimando and Bridget Cooley.

STUDENT COUNCIL SUPPORT | Freshman Ashley Sexton talks to freshman class co-adviser Sarah Hunter as they encourage passers-by to donate money to the March Madness bracket. English teacher Charles Crimando raised the most money and will be wearing the basketball costume on March 29.

FACES IN THE CROWD Kassidy Phipps

For Junior Kassidy Phipps, writing is a passion that sparked in second grade and allows her to create her own fictional world through words.

“I enjoy writing because it allows me to sort of escape from reality a lot of times, and I can create worlds of my own,” Phipps said.

Phipps credits her mom as her biggest inspiration because she always gives her encouragement and feedback throughout her writing process.

Writing has also acted as an instrument which allows her to relax and express her own personality.

“It helps me calm down a lot, and I feel like I’ve become more intelligent as an individual,” she said. “I feel like it’s a really good mechanism to just relax.”

In the future, Phipps said she wants to pursue writing novels as a career.

“Mostly fictional novels, so I can just create whatever I want, and there’s no rules or anything to that I have follow.”

Andrew Carlisle

Freshman Andrew Carlisle plays video games for fun but also as a way to get away from the stressors of his everyday life at school.

Right now, his favorite game is Super Mario 64, while the most challenging one he’s played so far has been Darkest Dungeon.

Carlisle feels that video games help him improve his everyday life in addition to escaping it, saying that they have helped him improve things such as responding quicker to obstacles that occur.

“I think it gives me better reactions,” Carlisle said, “like how fast I react to something.”

Carlisle’s drive to complete all tasks in a game has improved his perseverance and dedication.

One piece of advice he would give is to stick to “indie” games.

“Don’t go for something involving AAA developers like EA or something. The people who know the good video games (are) people who like to play video games,” Carlisle said. “So indie games are probably the best route to go.”

Thomas Jakubiec

PICK AND CHOOSE | A student looks over all of the jars to see which teacher he wants to vote for. Freshman Layla Fox said that she voted for english teacher Charles Crimando, and hopes that he will end up wearing the cosume.

SURVEYING THE COMPETITION | Lifeskills teacher Stacy Krzyminski urges students to put money in her bin. after she was invited to participate. “I’m always for it,” Krzyminski said. “I’m going against Mr. (Chris) Smith. He's going down.”

Challenging himself to new tasks is something that drives junior Thomas Jakubiec, and playing the saxophone for the past seven years has assisted him with this challenge.

“It pushes me to do stuff I wouldn’t normally do. In the saxophone, you have fingering notes, and different tempos you play with,” Jakubiec said. “It’s just fun challenging myself to new kinds of music.”

Jakubiec emphasized the fact that playing the saxophone requires lots of patience because of the small details required to get it right. He believes that patience is a large part of being a musician in general, not just with the saxophone.

Although he doesn’t want to go into it as a career, Jakubiec feels if the chance arises, he’d start a small band in college.

“I’m going to continue through high school for sure,” he said. “I hope I continue playing when I’m older. Just for fun, not like anything major.”

By Adam Schwartz

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Security guard Ali Bey

By Donald Hightower STAFF REPORTER

ALI BEY

JAZZING IT UP | Security guard Ali Bey has played music professionally for the past 38 years. Bey has preformed conercts in places such as New York and Japan." The people for one and the genre of music that I chose to play which is Jazz there are a lot of fans," Bey said. "I guess that makes it easy to to expound on my gift and I have people loving it all over the world."

Ali Bey: security guard by day and jazz musician by night. As his first venture into public safety, Bey is currently working in the front parking lot. On the other hand, he’s been in the music industry for the past 38 years.

Bey is the lead singer of a jazz group called the Ali Bey Quartet, formerly known as Ali Bey and the Madcatz, and he plays both bass and guitar. He was influenced by both of his parents at an early age, his father introducing him to jazz music while his mother--a gospel artist--made sure he studied the hymns.

Bey’s performed in New York, Chicago and Detroit but said one of the most memorable places he’s performed has been Japan.

“It was just something different, out of the ordinary. It's a wonderful experience. (I) wish I could go back again,” Bey said. “There's a lot of jazz music fans in Japan. That makes it easy to to expound on my gift, and I have people loving it all over the world. That's what made the trip really fun — to know you have fans in Japan, and they like what you do.”

Throughout his time in the music industry, Bey has also had the opportunity to work with musicians such as Donald Waldon and Marcus Belgrave.

“These gentlemen were like role models in my life. They were instructors. They were teachers,” Bey said.

“One of them was a gentleman named Harold McKinney. He was a Jazz instructor, he was a philosopher — he was just everything.”

When he started working for Rico Security, Bey put his music career on hold for the first time in 30 years. Bey is looking forward to spring break and plans to resume his career and perform at a couple local clubs. Over the summer, Bey hopes to tour in Japan again.

Although working in security is much different than the career he’s used to, Bey think it’s an important role for him to be in.

“I like kids, and when it comes to the safety and the well being of the kids, I’m all for it,” Bey said. “That’s what I’m all about, although sometimes you guys don’t appreciate it, but that’s my job. It’s my job to protect.”

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT?

My dream vacation is to go to Barbados because it’s beautiful and it’s sunny .It’s exotic, a lot of beautiful stuff there.

FAVORITE MOVIE? Armageddon with Bruce Willis. That particular movie, at the end, they shot him off onto the asteroid. He had so much time to destroy the asteroid, but in the process of destroying the asteroid he had to make the sacrifice to save the entire world. That part was the part that really kind of got to me because when you love something so dear, you’re willing to sacrifice and that’s the way I feel about certain things. That was a deep movie.

FAVORITE MUSICAL ARTIST? I have a lot of people, but I have to say favorite is Herbie Hancock. He’s a pianist, Chick Corea, he’s a pianist. Louis Armstrong, he’s a trumpeter. Miles Davis he was a jazz trumpeter, and Oscar Peterson Jazz pianist. I like everybody I can get bits and pieces from everybody.

FAVORITE BOOK?

My favorite book is 'A Dream Deferred' because it deals with the plight and the struggle of black America.

LIFE

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 28,2018 – 5

PPICTURES COURTESY OF NIA CRUTCHER

Sophomore transforms

passion into art

By Michael Hartt PAGE EDITOR

MI

CH

Painting, drawing and playing the cello are just a few of sophomore Nia Crutcher’s favorite pastimes. The arts quickly became Crutcher’s passion. She uses these hobbies as a personal outlet for her creativity.

Crutcher’s art has not only gained attention in the North community, but also at her local church, where she sells or commissions pieces of her art.

Throughout many years of her continuously working to strengthen her abilities, Crutcher has been given various opportunities that are normally reserved for students that are juniors or seniors.

She began high school skipping the Basics and Concepts class and ended up taking the Painting and Drawing class her freshman year. This year, Crutcher was given the opportunity to take AP Studio Art. Crutcher said that although AP Studio Art is difficult because of the many pieces she has to produce, she enjoys it immensely. “(AP Studio Art) is difficult, but it’s fun because we have more independence so we get to do what we want. But, you know, it’s 24 pieces,” Crutcher said. “We do breadth pieces, which is on technique, and then 12 concentration (pieces).”

Crutcher said the small class size really allows for the teacher to tend to the needs of each AE

LH

AR

individual student. Additionally, she said that this allows students to get to know each other really well. Crutcher said her peers are constantly offering constructive feedback to make her art even better.

Because AP Studio Art is considered a college level art class by the College Board it is often considered to be the most difficult art class at North. Crutcher said that she has struggled a little due to her young age, but she persevered through the difficult coursework.

“The class is meant for college level students, so having a D in AP classes is more like an A in a regular class,” Crutcher said. “So it’s like you sort of get bad grades but they’re balanced out with participation grades and critiquing grades.

Sometimes the grading is harsh because the grading scale is a lot different than what it would be in high school.”

One of Crutcher’s close friends, Freshmn Amari White, loves seeing what she comes up with next.

“Nia is just so creative. Her art always is so thought-out and perfectly planned,” White said.

“She speaks about issues that speak to all of us, but at the same time they’re all so relevant due to the political climate.”

When Crutcher isn’t working on her art, she is a competitive cellist while being a member of the North Symphony Orchestra and the North Chamber Orchestra. She takes the Symphony

Orchestra class, which she auditioned for, and then was hand-picked by her teacher to play in the smaller and more competitive Chamber Orchestra.

Crutcher has been playing the cello since she was a child, and has continued to move up the ranks of both orchestras.

In addition to playing the cello, Crutcher is also a singer. She has been learning how to professionally sing during summer camp for seven years. Now she participates in her church’s choir to gain additional practice.

After high school is over, Crutcher hopes to continue art throughout college. She plans to find a job where she can express her artistic ability.

“I definitely want to consider art as a career, but I don’t want to be a starving artist, so I am considering other career paths like psychology too,” Crutcher said.

Freshman Brooke Smith, another friend of Crutcher’s, is a fan her work. Smith looks forward to seeing more of Crutcher’s artistic creations.

“All of her art is so perfect, from the lines to the colors,” Smith said. “It is obvious that she puts a lot of time and effort into every piece.”

TT

Upcoming concerts excite students

By Zoe Graves MANAGING EDITOR For sophomore Hannah Hicks, nothing compares to the thrill and amusement of being at a concert. However Hicks, like others, believes high prices of concert tickets can be off-putting and have the potential of ruining the show. “(The best part of a concert is) the excitement of it, because here are these artists that you’ve only seen through a screen, but then you go and you can see them in real life. You can feel the music pumping through your body,” Hicks said. “(But I hate) when the only affordable seats are really bad seats, because I’m not gonna pay $500 to be in the middle section.

But then if you get the hundred dollars seats for a big concert, you’re in the way-way back where you can hardly see anything.”

Junior Jonathan Chapman regularly attends concerts but agrees that tickets tend to be overpriced. Chapman uses an app called ‘Bands In Town’ to know when his favorite artists are coming to Michigan. According to Chapman, the app analyzes your music library, and recommends concerts and artists similar to the music you have on your phone.

Chapman also said that ticket prices can depend on the popularity of an artist, venue size and genre. Resale websites, which have become a large business in recent years, can also affect the overall price of tickets.

“I think pop (tickets), probably the majority of them, cost a lot more. Then sometimes rock tickets (also cost a lot), like if the band is really big like Guns and Roses,” Chapman said. “Sometimes the pit tickets are $200, $300

just because that’s one of the bigger rock bands. But for the majority, since they’re not as popular as the other genre, they’re not going to cost as much.”

Chapman recommends trying to get tickets as far in advance as possible, to avoid resorting to resale tickets, which can be sold for two or three times the original cost.

He also advised looking for special deals or presale offers, which can give early access to ticket purchases. Websites

like Ticketmaster offer their own presale, while Spotify members will gain access to a presale based on how much they listen to an artist.

Popular ticket resale vendors include StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and Ticketmaster. Marketing teacher Chris Smith said that despite their high prices, the majority of

ticket resale websites are reliable.

“Ticket resale has become big business. Tickets for big shows can sell out as quickly as ten minutes. Many of the initial customers repost tickets immediately on StubHub and Vivid Seats for huge profits,” Smith said via email.

“Craigslist, scalping outside of shows and eBay were big business until many frauds and double copied tickets started being sold. StubHub and Vivid Seats will guarantee authenticity so most fans are using them for ticket purchases. It is 100 percent safe.”

Some artists such as Taylor Swift have even implemented fan verification before fans buy tickets in order to prevent digital ‘bots’ from purchasing all the tickets and reselling them for high profits. In order to be verified people have to do things like buy CD’s, view youtube music videos and purchase other merchandise.

The concept has been controversial, with fans saying that it is only an incentive for artists to make more money.

Chapman urges students go to as many concerts as they can while experiencing different types of music that they wouldn’t normally listen to.

He recommends smaller concert venues as they often have cheaper tickets, and are a good experience for people who enjoy live music.

“There’s the Crowfoot in Pontiac, it’s kind of a drive, but usually ZOE GRAVES & RORY ANGOTT they have cool shows there. There’s El Club, St. Andrews Hall and the Shelter and all that, and I’d probably say just see as many concerts as you can,” Chapman said. “You get more of an experience of what you like and what you don’t like.”

REVIEWS

6 – Wednesday, March 28, 2018 - North Pointe

'Silver Lining' sets the standard for

Jake

Miller

By Zoe Graves MANAGING EDITOR

The year 2017 was a year of change for singer/producer Jake Miller. After spending most of his career with Warner Bros. Records, he left the label in late 2016 and began creating music out of his bedroom. His first album as an independent artist, “2:00am in LA” was released in June 2017, and less than a year later, Miller is back with “Silver Lining.”

The last two years have been a whirlwind for fans of the 25-year-old. There’s been an inf lux of new music, sneak peeks and content from Miller, all of which were severely lacking while he was signed to a label. He’s been open with his struggles of being signed, and it’s obvious that despite the extreme difference in musical styles, the music he’s making today is what he should’ve been making for the past five years.

Embracing the slightly more electronic tone on “2:00am in LA,” “Silver Lining” features new beats and a more refined sound, showcasing Miller’s growth as a musician. A self-taught guitarist, pianist and producer, it’s obvious from the sounds on this album that Miller has spent a lot of 2017 refining and improving his skills.

The album begins with “Think About Us,” one of the tracks seemingly dedicated to Miller’s former relationship with his ex-girlfriend. It introduces the album perfectly, as it gives a taste of the beats he experimented with on the rest of the album.

Another ode to his ex, Miller journeys back to his rapper-roots on “Permanent” — a ballad-esque tribute to the eight-year relationship. The relationship’s end was a major theme on “2:00am in LA,” but now seems to have morphed into a feeling of

acceptance rather than mourning, hence the call for closure on “Permanent.”

Despite trying out different beats and sounds, there’s a heavy acoustic feeling throughout the album, especially on tracks like “Permanent.” Compared to previous EPs Miller put out with Warner Bros., like “Overnight” and “Dazed and Confused,” “Silver Lining” gives fans a sense of closeness with the singer because of the personalities of both sound and lyrics.

The penultimate track gives fans a glimpse into Miller’s relationship with his parents, which has been previously showcased in Snapchat stories, Instagram posts and music videos. “Headlights” is a minute-long voicemail that Miller received from his dad while on stage in Poughkeepsie, New York, as stated in the message. The voicemail embodies the theme.

of the album — taking a step back from the negativity to slow down and remembering that there’s always a bright side.

It’s not a surprise that Miller chose to put such a personal item onto the album, as he’s always been more than candid about his relationship with his family.

Coming from a small town outside of Ft. Lauderdale, he has constantly told fans how important it is that he feels like he stays grounded and connected to people in his life, and that they feel like he’s the same Jake who moved to Los Angeles seven years ago.

From “Headlights,” it transitions into “Be Alright.” According to Miller, the two tracks were designed to go together and be a cohesive ending to the album. “Be Alright” embodies the message his father gave him in “Headlights” and serves as a reminder to both Miller and his fans that everything will be fine in the end, no matter how bad things seem in the moment.

In addition to writing, recording and mixing the entire album in his bedroom, Miller also shot the art for the cover and individual tracks in his house. He shared a few behind-the-scenes photos with fans, showing himself and a friend posed in his kitchen, which ended up being photoshopped into the final cover art.

A drastic change from who he was two years ago, “Silver Lining” is a step in the right direction for Miller’s career. It’s personal and shows how much he’s grown as both an artist and musician throughout the time he’s spent in the music industry.

"Silver Lining" (2018) iTunes, $9.99

TV SHOW

APP

VIDEO GAME

QUEER EYE

THE SIMS MOBILE

ROT

TO KILL A KINGDOM

Self-described as a “minimal puzzle game” in its Steam store description, rOt takes minimalism to the extreme, suffering from watered- down MINICLIP design and a multitude of awkward developer decisions.

No matter how soothing its music is, the terrible control scheme and limited options collaborate to destroy the seemingly straightforward, simple concept.

The objective is linear and easy to understand: use player-controlled circles to throw a ball towards the “WinBox” to complete the level. Each circle has a single branch attached to it, acting as a hook for the ball to latch onto. Players can use these branches to chain together a pathway to the “WinBox.” The innovation can be attributed to the player’s control over the circles, in which one press of a key moves them all clockwise or counterclockwise by one amount.

Unfortunately, throwing the ball from branch to branch requires unnecessary memorization. If the player positions the branch upwards, the ball is passed to the left, and when the branch is positioned to the left, the ball is thrown downwards. More or less, the design choice is beyond counter-intuitive, for it would be better if the ball were thrown in the direction which the branch is positioned for The placement of the rotatable circles also occasionally limits level design. Even a few pixels in the pathway of the thrown ball will cause the player to restart if a circle is hit. If the circles were placed in positions as to not purposefully restrict the player, more space would be opened for creativity to flourish in reaching the “WinBox” destination.

In terms of options, the game is quite limited, as expected due to the minimalistic design. For sound, the player can only choose between on or off, a slight hindrance, but still a nuisance.

The night mode option is great to decrease the brightness of the background, but its dark purple hue does not mesh well with the black circle outlines, making it harder to differentiate between the two.

Between the oversimplified design and an unnecessary, confusing control scheme, rOt lacks the quality needed to take its puzzling concept to the next level.

A mix of romance, fantasy and adventure, “To Kill a Kingdom” by Alexandra Christo is sure to grab and hold the interest of any fiction fan.

ITUNES The hundred kingdoms have only one enemy- sirens -and the Prince’s Bane, or the siren Lira who has killed one prince for every year she has been alive, is the most feared of them all. Prince Elian has been hunting her and the other sirens for years, determined the only way to bring peace is to destroy them. But, when Lira is turned into a human and tasked with taking Elian's heart or never returning to the life she knows, the two begin to slowly realize there may be another way.

With a large cast of distinct personalities and plenty of development, the characters are probably what stands out the most about this novel. The two main protagonists, Lira and Elian, both have interesting arcs throughout the story, where both go from struggling with the expectations of their parents to deciding to take their own fates and the fates of those around them into their own hands.

These changes in each of their personalities and goals were gradual and appeared to be natural throughout the story. This helps make them seem more realistic to the reader. And with small side characters, such as Kahlia, that bring out the good in those around them, it's not just the main characters that have well-developed histories and personalities.

The plot of the story begins slowly, with little action. It takes longer than one might expect for Elian and Lira to start interacting with one another. However, once the two are together, the book is impossible to put down.

The setting is also well developed and stands out from other books in the fantasy genre. With each of the one hundred kingdoms having its own distinct culture, language and leaders, each kingdom seen in the novel is memorable and recognizable from the others.

Ultimately, readers will find they can get past this book’s slow build up. The complex characters, interesting plot and unique settings are worth it.

It’s 2003, the TV is turned to the E! Network, and the booming base of early aughts club music is blasting through your living room. You watch as five men NETFLIX melodramatically toss open their flip phones, don (tragic) wire sunglasses and rush into the onyx behemoth that is the 2003 Yukon XL Denali. Every screen transition is accompanied by a WOOSH and plagued with outdated CG Believe it or not, this is what revolutionary television looks like. Behold: “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” a show where five gay men take a homely straight dude from drab to fab in just four short days.

This program has a special place in the heart of queer culture, being that it was the first time any show had ever starred five openly gay men.

For many people, this was the first time they’d ever been exposed to anyone who was out.

Fast forward to 2018, and there’s a new Fab Five in town, this time streaming on Netflix.

More ethnic diversity and none of the cheap gags of the past (e.g. “LOL, I’m styling you and I’m going to keep suggesting that I undress you and grabbing, thereby making my sexuality the butt of the joke!”) mean this new season of “Queer Eye” has made a lot of progress since ending in 2007. But it still leaves something to be desired.

The content of the show itself is near perfection. Light and fun but never fluffy, it maintains levity without becoming superficial.

The Fab Five share personal stories with their subjects and have open conversations about their lives. They normalize gay men, as well as the vulnerability of straight men. Never before have I seen the issue of toxic masculinity handled so breezily, nor with such care. It’s truly a joy to watch.

I only have one problem.

Queer is a blanket term. It encompasses the entire LGBTQ+ community. So why in the age of intersectionality are we still only honing in on gay men? If the purpose of this program is to humanize queer people, then why does it represent only one facet of the community.

Although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this new season of Queer Eye, I’m disappointed by the opportunity lost for greater exposure and therefore "Queer Eye"; 2018; TV-14

By Sophie Kehrig

The Sims Mobile breaks all of the previously set rules regarding the Sims games.

Reminiscent ITUNES of The Sims 4, the app is very different from what was expected of it. Many longtime Sims fans expected an app similar to The Sims Freeplay, but the Sims Mobile goes beyond all set standards.

With the ability to customize a sim with draggable scales that go in all directions, rather than the usual side to side, it gives players the ability to show an infinite number of body types. The small details, like the scales, show that the developers put more diversity into the body types than they have been able to before.

However, the diversity of the game does not end there. Comparing the app to The Sims Freeplay, The Sims Mobile gives more diversity in the personalities of Sims as well. Unlike Freeplay, there are personality traits available to be chosen for a Sim that makes them distinctly unique.

Other than just personality and looks, The Sims Mobile adds variety to what a Sim can do from the start of the game.

The user is not required to complete quests before being able to have Sims do certain things, such as going on dates, cooking different types of foods or working. Users are also not required to build different lots in the world, unlike the way they were in The Sims Freeplay.

The game has many features that aren’t even available in other Sims games for PC, such as The Sims 4, that cost at least $30. Many features that can be purchased for the PC version are free within The Sims Mobile, like going to work with a Sim and many other new features.

Overall, The Sims Mobile is a wellmade and fun game for anyone who enjoys playing the Sims games on PC or any other gaming console, and is easy for even a first-time user to enjoy.

"Sims Mobile"; 2018; Available for free.

By Ray Jason

"rOt"; 2018, Availi

By Colin Haroutanian

BOOK

"To Kill a Kingdom"; By Alexandra Christo;

By Katelynn Mulder

IN-DEPTH

VENGAGE

North Pointe – Wednesday, March 28, 2018 – 7

Six steps for a safe and successful spring break

By Syeda Rizvi, Emily Widgren & Savannah Burguron EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

1. Get vaccinated

If you plan on leaving the country, make sure you get vaccinated, especially if you’re going down South.

Outbreaks of hepatitis A and typhoid have been reported in Mexixo by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC found that just last year from Jan. 1 to April 22, 61 people from 10 different states were reported to have measles. The majority of people who got measles were unvaccinated. Keep your health in check by getting a vaccine. According to Study up: If you’re not going to some place in North America, know the equivalent of 9 -1-1 before stepping off the plane. Even if you plan on using a taxi, learn the main roads you have to take, as well as the area of your destination so you’re immediately aware if you’re going somewhere you shouldn’t be. No matter where you go, you’re bound to experience some form of a culture shock.

Vacation can go a lot better when you spend your time actually enjoying it instead of f lipping through maps and guide books. Knowing

3. Be prepared

5. Trust your Gut

the CDC, the best time for vaccinations is anywhere from four to six weeks before your flight. Prioritize getting vaccinated for measles, as they are one of the most common diseases brought about from traveling.

Check with your healthcare provider to see whether or not you are immune before leaving the country. Aside from immunity, get a regular check-up with your doctor, to assure that you are in perfect health conditions to travel abroad. where you are is also important for staying in safer areas. According to CNN, some destinations in Mexico have high rates of drug cartel and gang activity. In cases like these, stay in more popular areas and busy streets. Knowing exactly where you are going can keep you and your group safe. If you are unsure about the safety for your destination, the U.S. Department of State’s website has a page with safety recommendations for traveling American citizens.

Request for a hotel room that is not on the first floor — those rooms are the easiest to break into and most accessible to the public.

Aim for floors in the middle levels, so if you need to evacuate the building in case of a fire the exits are close to you. Also keep in mind that the room you choose

to book should be safe for the people you are with.

For instance, avoid choosing rooms on the top floors or rooms with balconies if you have infants traveling with you. Plan your transportation before you leave the hotel, to assure you won’t compromise your safety in anyway.

If you are traveling with a group, don’t think it’s OK to wander off on your own.

Quite often, single travelers are seen as more vulnerable as they have no one by their side to come to immediate aid in case of an attack.

When with a group, check every couple of minutes to make sure that there is no one missing. If someone is missing, try calling them and retracing your steps.

If you still cannot find the missing person, alert a hotel staff member who

can help you look for them.

According to Forbes, many popular travel destinations such as the Bahamas and Jamaica are dangerous for their robberies and homicides, along with sexual assault.

Anytime you feel uncomfortable, alone or with a group, trust your gut. Even if there is no solid evidence that screams “danger,” leave the area immediately and have your phone available in an easy to access area.

While traveling, people often end up needing to use public transportation.

If you’re going out in public with someone you don’t know, like taxi drivers, create a code word with friends that can be used when you feel unsafe.

Choose words that aren’t obvious or questions that could be asked or texted over the phone. Try, “What’s the

weather like over there?”

Keep your phone in your front pocket. It is much harder to take something out from there compared with other harder to reach places like your back pocket. It always helps if you can put your phone in a coat either on an inside pocket or one that can be closed using buttons or zippers.

Traveling is fun. But arguably, the easiest thing that can ruin it is losing your most valuable items.

If you can avoid it, don’t pack items of importance to begin with. You don’t want to jeopardize the things that mean the most to you. Instead of bringing your entire wallet, empty it out before you leave home and only keep minimal cash on you. Aside from just keeping money in your wallet, always be sure to keep spare money on you

just in case you lose your wallet or don’t have it when you need money. Keep a “secret stash” with you in items that would never attract the eye of a robber, like inside an empty lotion bottle. Some hotels will have safes available in rooms. If there is one and you are traveling internationally, extra cash as well as jewelry and passports should be stored there so in the case of a robbery, your valuables will stay safe.

2. Stay alert

4. Keep close

6. Pack smart

SPORTS

8 – Wednesday, March 28, 2018 – North Pointe

Winter sports wrap up

By Mariah Loper

View the rest of the scores on our website, www.northpointenow.org

PAGE EDITOR

Girls hockey Girls Basketball League Champions

Wrestling

JILLIAN LAPERE

TEAM SPIRIT | Girls hockey finished their season with an overall record of 15-4-2. Sophomore Mackenzie Stockwell said that this season was much better than past ones. “We were playing more like a team, and not as individuals, which is why we were so successful this season,” Stockwell said.

“Our coaches helped us realize our full potential and helped us to be able to play like a team and improved our understanding of the game.”

ALYSSA MCLARTY

SELF SUCCESS | Sophomore Elliot Lyman said that while the varsity wrestling team experienced a lot of individual success, the team as a whole didn’t see its best season.“My highlight was the MAC tournament,” Lyman said. “It was held here at North and I played six and won sixty which made me an all-conference wrestler.”

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

WORK FOR IT | A rough start for the girls JV basketball team did not stop the team from playing any harder. “I think it was like decoder for the first (game) because it was really difficult and we worked so hard for it," Braker said. “And we've been building up to it and he had a rough start to the season.”

Boys swim

Cheer

Boys hockey KENNEDY WILLIAMS

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER | To sophomore Charlie Ramsdell, the biggest feeling of accomplishment this season came from the teams first win against St. Clair Shores after a long losing streak. However, to Ramsdell, helping out an injured teammate was just as satisfying as their win.

KIYAH FORREST ERICKSON GLAYZARD

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER | For senior Oliva Martin, this year’s cheer season had a huge impact on her team. “We lost to south this year twice which was really big, because we won against south all the other years,” Martin said. “That was something that affected me a lot.” However, Martin said although there were challenges the team faced together, it ended up being a pretty “dope” season.

JUST KEEP SWIMMING | For freshman Connor Lefebvre, he was satisfied with how states went this season. With a futuristic mindset, Lefebvre is already looking to improve for next season.

“The experience was pretty fun (at states), plus it was nice seeing our work pay off at the end of the season.” Lefebvre said. “I want to improve my form big time for butterfly to improves my times.”

Freshman places first in MHSAA gymnastics finals

KRISTIN REMILLET

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT | Gymnast Cate Gagnier performs on the beam in preperation for the MHSAA Finals. Gagnier has been performing for eight years and said that the best part of her training has been the team she has worked with.

By Zoe Graves & Sarah Shanley MANAGING EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

After eight years of training and two-hour hour practices nearly every day, freshman Cate Gagnier placed first at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Gymnastics Finals. On March 8-9, Gagnier took first place in beam, vault and all around in the individual competition. Gagnier was inspired by her sister to get into gymnastics.

“I was doing soccer, but I wasn’t really that good at it,” Gagnier said. “My sister did gymnastics for a small club, so I did it with her.”

The dynamic of the gymnastics team is different from that of most teams at North, as it consists of girls from both North and South High Schools. Gagnier’s school coach, Kristin Remillet, explained the team’s success this season comes from determination and persistence.

Leading up to her win, Gagnier worked through two-hour practices along with club gymnastics, where she trains and competes

KRISTIN REMILLET

VICTORY | Standing with her competitors, Gagnier took first place in the MHSAA Gymnastics Finals on March 9. "It feolt really good," Gagier said.

with Extreme Gymnastics in Warren.

“Training was kind of intense,” Gagnier said. “You had (to) pick what events you needed to work on, and you had an assignment, like a couple routines for that event.”

Even though the gymnastics team took fourth, missing the mark to compete in the state competition, Gagnier qualified as an individual for all four events, along with sophomore Amanda Nguyen on beam.

Nguyen and Gagnier have been competing together in club gymnastics for two years, and this is their first year together on the school team. Nguyen said she’s seen Gagnier improve a lot.

“The last time I competed with her, we were both level five, and the skills she’s gained since then — she’s grown so much as a gymnast,” Nguyen said. “I’m really proud of her.”

Gagnier is now Excel Diamond at Extreme, which is 10 levels above five. Within MHSAA gymnastics levels, she is in Division 1.

Even though the team did better as

individuals this season, Gagnier said they get along great. To her, the team atmosphere is the best part of the sport.

“It’s fun to practice with them,” Gagnier said. “The coaches are really nice. They can be a little strict, (but) they care about the gymnasts, and they want you to be healthy.

They are good coaches.”

Nguyen said gymnastics has helped her form a bond with her teammates, as they all understand the struggles each other go through within the sport.

“You k ind of see each other in your roughest state, getting hur t and everything, being in pain,” Nguyen said. “It makes you grow a bond, not just with (Gagnier) but with your teammates, and so you get closer quicker, and you all understand each other better.”

Remillet says what contributed most to Gagnier’s success was her background in gymnastics and how long she’s been competing.

“Her background and skills were just one part of her win. Additionally, Cate competes

with a calmness and confidence that many gymnasts strive for,” Remillet said via email.

“She believes in herself and keeps calm even under high-pressure situations.”

Throughout the meet, Remillet had high hopes for Gagnier based on her performance but was worried for all the gymnasts competing during beam, as the event can make or break a gymnast’s performance in the meet. But, Gagnier had an almost perfect performance.

“Cate had a great meet from start to finish.

It was exciting to watch her compete to the best of her ability on all events throughout the day. I knew she had it in her to win that meet, but there were a lot of factors that would lead to a different result,” Remillet said. “Beam is an event that truly makes or breaks a gymnast’s chances of winning the entire meet. Cate stayed on the beam and looked as calm as ever. This was incredible to see out of a freshman competing in the biggest meet of the season.”