North Pointe - Issue 4 - Nov. 1, 2017

LIFE PAGE 4 A look into the lives of students who leave school to take flight training classes at David's Aerospace Technical High School.

WALID KORKMAZ

NORTH

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

POINTE

NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG

SINCE 1968

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1, 2017

Phone use linked to increased stress in teens

UPCOMING EVENTS END OF FIRST QUARTER Nov. 3

SAT TESTING Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. at North

By Rory Angott STAFF REPORTER

STAFF DEVELOPMENT No school for students on Nov. 7

POPS AND PASTRIES CONCERT

Nov. 11 at 7 p.m in the gym

FALL SPORTS AWARDS

Nov. 15-16 at 7 p.m in the Performing Arts Center

INTERACT CLUB MEETING Nov. 16 at 3:15 p.m. in the cafeteria

INSIDE

"BEING UNCOMFORTABLE IS OFTEN A

PRECONDITION FOR

CHANGE AND

GROWTH WITHIN THE

HUMAN " .

PAGE 3

"I'M

SO HAPPY WHEN I'M

2000

FEET UP. THERE'S

NOTHING LIKE IT." PAGE 5

As tardy procedures enter third month, students adapt to new policy

By Katelynn Mulder, Raven Jason & Sydney Semack PAGE EDITOR & INTERNS

RACE

ALEX HARRING

For many students, "hall sweeps" are simply another part of the school day. It is an expectation now that any student who is late to a class will receive a detention.

However, while hall sweeps used to be a couple weeks here and there throughout previous years, last year any student arriving late to a class started getting sent down to the office to get a detention.

Senior Jarell Stewart said that he remembers the first time he was late to class and got caught in a hall sweep.

“I remember my first hall sweep, it was freshman year and I came late and my teacher would not let me come in the class,” Stewart said. “I rarely get hall sweeps, and if I do it’s in the morning if I’m running late.”

Assistant Principal Tom Beach said that most students who receive a hall sweep are on their way to their first hour class or coming back from lunch.

“Last year we went to a practice that anybody who is late at any time automatically gets a detention, so you

got to have a pass to get in because every student who walks in once class starts it’s a disruption to the class,” Beach said. “They don't think of it is a disruption, but the teacher has usually started at that time, the discussions have started, maybe they are handing out materials and then the teacher had to spend some time getting someone else caught up.”

English teacher Kirsten Alles said hall sweeps are an effective way to get attendance to increase for her class.

She also said hall sweeps keep proticol consistent throughout the year.

“Student expectations are all the same so more students come to class on time because they expect that if they are not, then they will be swept,” Alles said. “The protocol is consistent. I'm not changing my policy or my rule every time or every year.”

Beach said that the reason for hall sweeps is that for any hour there was a number of students being late to class, and that since starting hall sweeps the amount of students coming to class late has decreased.

This year, one major change that has been made to the lunchtime detentions

is the addition of a mandatory essay.

Students who receive a detention are required to reflect on what they have done through writing an essay that answers how their actions not only affect themselves but other people, why they were late, and what they could do better in the future.

Beach said that the essay was put in place to prevent detentions from becoming social gatherings instead of a consequence.

“Detentions in the past have kind of been up and down, and the goal of any consequence is to spend some time reflecting on what they need to do differently,” Beach said. “We don't want the lunch time detention to be a social clutch ... the nature of (detention) is that it is supposed to be a little bit uncomfortable.

It is supposed to change behavior.”

Stewart said that he does not think writing an essay would help deter students from being tardy in the future.

“If you’re in detention you should only have to do school work,” Stewart said. “An essay is unnecessary and more work on the students.”

School psychologist Christine Kuhl is familiar with the impact of phones on student learning.

Since social media and smartphones began to flood the lives of people around the world, questions about their effects on both mental and physical health have been brought up time and time again, often lacking a solid answer.

A study by the American Psychological Association suggests that social media and smartphone use may be a significant cause of stress, lower levels of productivity, depression and of anxiety among Americans.

“The majority of our students having a handheld distraction with them all day everyday does impact productivity, which is why teachers manage phones with rules in their classrooms. Over my years as a school psychologist, phones have definitely introduced a new challenge for some students' learning,” Kuhl said via email. “While some students are capable of managing their phones well, others, especially those with learning, attention and emotional issues, experience more difficulty.”

According to the APA, although these conditions are caused in part by the existence of smartphones, it can be more closely linked to the consistent flow of notifications arriving on one's screen.

The APA reports that 42 percent of people dubbed "constant checkers" worry about how technology can impact their mental and physical health. These "constant checkers" are defined by their tendency to regularly check their emails and social media feeds throughout the day. At the same time, it was found that in groups of people who spend a substantially lower amount of time on these same services, only 33 percent worried about the possible impact on their health.

Senior Elijah Manson said that news updates from different media apps also adds to the stress created by smartphones.

“Constantly getting notifications from Twitter or from Instagram or from whatever can be very overwhelming,” Manson said.

“You see all of the bad stuff that’s happening at one time rather than how it used to be where you would find out about world events more gradually rather than just being bombarded by all of these things at once.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Chartwells aims to be proactive in combating lunch fines with new guidelines

By Sonny Mulpuri, Billy Steigelman & Jonathan Smith WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR, WEBSITE EDITOR & INTERN If sophomore Charlie Ramsdell ever runs out of money in his lunch account, he won’t just be told in the lunch line like past years. His family will receive an email that week regarding the status of his lunch account.

“There are many times when when I did not know I had a negative balance, and I was not notified, and so I am not able to buy a lunch when I was planning on buying a lunch that day,” Ramsdell said. “I’m actually very pleased with the new system that has been put into place.”

Starting this year, the Grosse Pointe Public School System has established a meal charging policy for the entire district. Students are still able to charge meals and a la carte items to their

@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 50 | ISSUE 4

accounts like in the past, but the new system makes it easier to track. Even if the student does not have enough money on their account, they now have the ability to make a meal charge and go up to $6 in negative balance, according to an announcement on the district website.

The nutrition department was responsible for coming up with this new policy and will be responsible for maintaining records and updating parents. While their main goal was to make an easier system, the community relations specialist for the school district Rebecca Fannon, said she also wants to make sure students can easily get a healthy meal while not having to worry about their account balance.

“As a mother of children in the district I find the reminder to check their balances helpful,” Fannon said via email.

“The purpose of having a meal charging policy is to establish consistent clear News Briefs

1 2

Editorial Life

meal account procedures throughout the district. Our goals, as stated in the policy, are simple.”

While the policy makes it easier for students at checkout, it also helps parents stay on top of their children's accounts.

Even though it has just started, Fannon has already seen less problems than in past years.

“The notifications have just started on Fridays. After the first few notices, the number of questions has decreased significantly,” Fannon said. “Parents and guardians get an email or robocall when a student has less than the cost of two lunches left in their account.”

Chartwells and the district have posted numerous updates to the school district homepage regarding communication and finances. The posts also stress the importance of keeping student accounts updated with money for food and applying for 3 4

In-Depth Reviews

5 6

ERIN KALED

PAY UP | Students pay for lunch at the register in front of the exit. Chartwells is sending out weekly emails this year to families with lunch fines. free or reduced lunches for families that qualify.

“Chartwells is excited to begin this new school year with Grosse Pointe Public School System,” Matt Severson, director of dining, said in a letter published on the district website.

“It is our goal that each student eats a well-rounded meal while at school.”

On Campus Sports

7 8

NEWS

2 – Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – North Pointe

TO THE POINTE Freshmen hold elections

Phone use

On Monday, Oct. 30, voting began for Class of 2021 student council.

Every year, interim council for freshmen concludes after homecoming week, and campaigning for the new council begins.

Freshman Caleigh Murray is running for class secretary. Murray was looking forward to elections, as she and other candidates have been receiving lots of support from their class advisor, Kristen Lee. “I hope everyone gets the position they aim for,” Murray said. “Mrs. Lee has been very helpful with clarifying things that I had questions on.”

Murray hopes that all freshmen took the opportunity to vote during the primary election on Monday.

“It’s important for students to vote so that they can get involved in their community,” Murray said. “Even if I don’t win it is fun to be a part of that experience.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Link Crew seminars return On Monday, Oct. 23, Link Crew hosted a freshman seminar at 8 a.m. These seminars are held periodically throughout the year as a way for the Link Crew leaders to keep in contact with the freshmen and give all ninth graders a chance to come together. Junior Meghan McCarthy helped lead some of the ice breaker activities during the seminar.

“It’s very important for both upperclassmen and freshmen alike to be involved with Link Crew because it gives… the freshmen a chance to get acclimated to North in the easiest possible way,” McCarthy said. “We hope that every freshmen walks away from any meeting we have with a sense of unity to their peers. Although we tend to try and push them out of their comfort zone a bit during the activities, we hope they are having fun in the process.”

McCarthy will also be a part of the next seminar, which will be held on Dec. 18.

Band hosts concert On Saturday, Nov. 11 the Pops and Pastries concert will take place in the gym at 7 p.m. The concert is a fundraiser for the band and orchestra programs.

Symphony and Concert orchestras will have their own time to perform this year instead of as a combined group.

Their performances will include songs from “Moana,” “Star Wars,” the “Theory of Everything” and “La La Land.”

Junior Mollie Szczepanski looks forward to the occasion.

“We’ve got good music and good orchestras,” Szczepanski said. “It's a really fun way to start out the year.”

Although not mandatory, people that attend are encouraged to buy a plate of pastries. All proceeds go towards the music programs.

Sophomore Marion Rees anticipates showing off the orchestra’s talents.

“It’s excit i ng to be able to play for p eople, a nd get to show p eople what Nor t h ca n do,” Re es sa id.

Musical auditions open The auditions for the spring play, “The Wiz,” will begin Nov. 14-16.

Senior Charlotte Duus, a long time choir member, thinks the musical can be enjoyable for any student, no matter what their part is.

“Don’t be worried if you don’t get cast as lead,” Duus said, “(Being in the) chorus is super-duper fun.”

When asked about why they picked “The Wiz,” Choir teacher Ben Henri stressed that it was primarily based on the nature of the show.

“We wanted to do something (that was) a classic, so-tospeak,” Henri said. “It's going to be a little different for our stage.”

Henri also emphasized the need for all types of students.

He believes that everyone has something to contribute to make the musical special.

“All the work that goes to this one big production is incredibly rewarding,” Henri said.

Athletes recognized Fall sports athletes will be recognized for their accomplishments on Nov. 15 and 16 from 7-9 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center.

Athletic director Michelle Davis said there are advantages to a two-day ceremony, which has been done in previous years. She said it allows for more recognition, as opposed to a single ceremony, and enables families to return home at a more reasonable time.

Junior Garrett Schreck agrees. As a varsity cross country runner, Schreck said he’s excited to help lead the team next year as a senior.

“I’m excited for it because it marks the end of the successful season for our team,” Schreck said. “But at the same time it’s a kind of a bittersweet ending ‘cause some of our seniors are leaving us.”

Tryouts to be held

Winter is nearing and with it comes a new season of sports.

Tryouts for basketball, hockey, swimming, gymnastics, competitive cheer and wrestling will take place beginning Monday, Oct. 30.

Sophomore Hannah Davis plans on trying out for the girls basketball team. During the fall, she plays volleyball.

“I still train on the side by doing sprints or practicing for basketball at home, and I will be attending the open gyms before tryouts begin,” Davis said.

Tryouts can be nerve-wracking for some athletes, but Davis feels the tryout jitters can be useful.

“I think that (nerves are) natural for everyone when trying out for a sport. But I try to channel them into excitement for the start of a new season of a sport I love to play,” Davis said.

By Syeda Rizvi, Hannah Zalewski, Colin Haroutunian & Taylor Mitchell

According to a study conducted at the University of Illinois, smartphones may be the root of certain problems within families.

It has been found by the APA that in an effort to mend these lost connections, 28 percent of American parents don’t allow smartphone use at the dinner table or during familial discussions.

Psychology teacher Jennifer Weisbrodt has noticed the effect of phones on her own family, and does not allow her children to use theirs at the dinner table.

“I think it causes a strain, a stress in the family. I know in our family that is the number one thing we argue about,” Weisbrodt said. “It's hard to find a balance between wanting them to be connected to their friends and having that much needed family time.”

Rather than entirely eliminating smartphones and social media in order to reduce their effects, it’s better to limit them in

moderation Weisbrodt said.

Junior Gina Barbone has often noticed that social media can lead to depression among people who use it consistently throughout the day.

“I think that when people don’t have their phones they worry, and I see a lot of things online and most of it isn’t happy, it’s actually kind of depressing,” Barbone said. “There are a lot of people who spend something like seven hours per day on (their phones) and I think that that can become dangerous to their health mentally and physically.”

Weisbrodt sasid that it’s not only the negativity that’s found throughout social media but also that people are, by nature, very comparative.

“When we look at social media we know what our real life looks like but when we look at other people we only see the highlights,” Weisbrodt said. “We compare our behind the scenes footage to their highlight reel and that's not fair and life doesn't really work that way.”

Gleaners can drive underway, ending Nov. 6

By Zoe Graves & Brooklyn McWhorter PAGE EDITOR & INTERN

Food drives are a staple in the long list of charity events hosted by schools.

Most elementary, middle and high schools have some sort of can drive throughout the year, collecting food to donate to local food banks.

Student Association will be holding their annual canned food drive, starting Friday Oct. 27. The drive ends on Monday, Nov. 6.

All of the food collected will go to Gleaners Food Bank. Gleaners serves southeastern Michigan residents in need.

Student Association adviser Jonathan Byrne says the impact of the can drive is two-fold.

“Obviously, the cans go to an organization that helps thousands of families a year have enough to eat.

This is important, worthy work.

We hope to contribute significantly to that,” Byrne said via email.

“But I also think the drive builds a spirit of giving and helpfulness at North. This shouldn't be overlooked.”

Byrne said that so far there are 20 classes

registered for the can drive, and more will be registering in the days leading up to the event.

community around the holidays.

“The can drive is for southeast Michigan residents who need a

it's wonderful, and Gleaners Community Food Bank has been feeding other people and helps nourish our

ZO E G

Activities director Peggy Bonbrisco said that the can drive is a great way to give back to people in the

little help—especially this time of year— putting together a Thanksgiving dinner,” Bonbrisco said. “I think

R AV E

S

communities. They've been working on that for over 40 years, so they're well established. They know

what they're doing, they know how to get the food into the hands of those that need it.”

Freshman Charlotte Kreger thinks can drives have both upsides and downsides, but are a good way for the school to give back.

“They are effective to some people in some ways,” Kreger said. “Because some people will care and some people won’t care at the same time.

There are two different sides to (these) type of fundraisers.”

In addition to the donation aspect of the drive, there is also a contest. Students participate in the drive through their third hours. The class that brings in the most canned food will get a pizza party. The class that comes in second place will get a tray of Union cookies.

Students can also bring in cash donations in place of cans. One dollar is equivalent to one can.

“North is a community that really believes in helping others and puts that into practice," Byrne said.

"There are examples of this everywhere in the building."

Student Association resurrects charity week

By Zoe Graves & Amelia Schock PAGE EDITOR & INTERNS

be our starting year because Lucy Loch did go to South and Clare Loch her little sister goes to North. So I Every year, think it's perfect that it Student Association has connections to both tries to do small schools,” Ciaramitaro events throughout said. “Whether we stick the year to raise with I Love Lucy or they money for different move to more charities charities. next year, I think it’ll be This year, really great to make it a both North and huge G r o s s e P o i n t e South’s Student com mun ity thing Association i n g e n e r a l .” programs have Lauren Fleckinstein, ALEX HARRING partnered with a senior at South and the I Love Lucy PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE | Student Association president Sydney Semack lays out the schedule secretary for their for Charity Week. All proceeds from the week's events will go to the I Love Lucy Foundation, a local Foundation for charity that helps families pay for their child's cancer treatments. "Events are still in the planning stages Student Association, Charity Week, but might involve restaurant nights, a movie night for younger children, and a pancake breakfast," Byrne thinks charity week will and are hosting a said. "We want to involve as many people as we can and make it a truly #OneGP event." be a success. week-long event “I’m just super excited to raise money for the cause. charity to work with, especially after the about charity week in general. It’s a huge Student Association advisor Jonathan excitement following the Pep Assembly on project for both of the schools to pick up, Byrne said that both schools have been Oct. 6. but it’s something that’s so special and so thinking about hosting Charity Week for “What I think is great in doing the I unique that will really make Grosse Pointe a while. After contemplating the idea, Love Lucy foundation is that we can relate grow as a community,” Fleckinstein said. he and the South Student Association to it. Lucy (Loch) is a young girl, a student Both Student Associations and their advisor, Laura Distelrath, decided that like all of you are, and having Clare (Loch) advisors are hoping the event has as much they would join forces to make it a reality. in the school ... I think it just touches our of an importance to the community as it Byrne said that the partnership was heart because they are a family just like does to their programs. In order to do so, organic, and that the two schools have us,” Bonbrisco said. “And we can see that both associations are planning to kick off been working well together. the money that we turn is going to go to a the fundraiser at the North vs South girls “We decided to do Charity Week local charity and we know that it will stay basketball game on Feb. 1. because we thought it was a great way and help other students just like you.

Byrne is eager to see the turnout to raise money for a worthy cause. We Senior Eva Ciaramitaro, a member of of Charity Week and bring the thought concentrating all efforts into one Student Association at North, agreed with community together in suppor t of the week—as opposed to spreading it out Bonbrisco about the importance of having I Love Lucy Foundation. over the year—really gets people excited. the proceeds go to the I Love Lucy fund “I think the most important thing to We also knew it would be a great way to for the first year of Charity Week. me is showing the community that we involve the whole community, including Ciaramitaro also hopes that Charity can all come together to support an both high schools and all of the feeder Week will continue to grow and become a important cause that affects so many schools,” Byrne said via email. community event in future years. of our families,” Byrne said via email.

Activities director Peggy Bonbrisco is “I think it's the perfect organization “It promises to be a magical week.” glad that the schools have chosen a local to have our starting year or to have it

EDITORIAL

NORTH

POINTE

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

BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY Abbey Cadieux EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lindsey Ramsdell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Caitlin Bush MANAGING EDITOR

Alex Harring MANAGING EDITOR

Anna Post EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Michal Ruprecht EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Allison Lackner Sonny Mulpuri BUSINESS MANAGER WEB MANAGING EDITOR

Sofia Ketels PAGE EDITOR

Zoe Graves Syeda Rizvi PAGE EDITOR PAGE 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.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

LINDSEY RAMSDELL

North Pointe – Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – 3

Learning through literature Two weeks ago, a Mississippi school district made national headlines for pulling “To Kill A Mockingbird,” a historical fiction EDITOR'S DESK piece with a ALEX HARRING resonating message about equality and social injustice by acclaimed author Harper Lee, from its curriculum. The school district released a statement, saying “the book made people uncomfortable.”

Well, that’s the point.

Lee’s timeless critique of the unspoken racism in the South during the Great Depression wasn’t made for light reading. Influenced by the Scottsboro trial and the oppressive Jim Crow laws, Lee never had the intent of quelling the tide. She wanted to make people think, and as that Mississippi school district noted, make people “uncomfortable.” But, unlike what the district implied, in a way that is beneficial for the reader.

When I read about how Atticus was treated for defending a black man and the plight of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley in Freshmen English, it was my first experience with text that depicted the treatment of minorities before the civil rights movement. The book and the classroom discussions that came with it were my first time truly feeling like I was in the real world.

There’s no question that I grappled with what I was reading, but I learned. Being uncomfortable is often a precondition for change and growth within the human race. When Rosa Parks refused to stand on the bus, or when Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington, they weren’t expecting for everyone to sit by contently.

They wanted people to be shocked. They wanted people to be a bit rattled and tense. They wanted to make people uncomfortable because usually, being uncomfortable is necessary for people to learn.

When Parks stood her ground and when King led one of the biggest marches in the capital’s history, they did it with the intent of making people feel uneasy. The people on the bus who turned away from Parks and looked the other way, and those who turned off the radio or changed the channel when coverage of King’s march

came on could no longer pretend that civil rights didn’t need to be addressed.

In 2015, a district parent complained about “Huckleberry Finn,” a satire set in the 1840s that was meant to inspire change, because of its use of racial slurs. Calling for the novel to be removed for the curriculum, the parent said that it didn’t need to be in the school, and there were other books that could take its place.

The novel—a classic—withstood the minor bump in the road. It is still in the American Literature curriculum, with a note from the district that teachers read with the class about the appropriate use of slurs when reading in the classroom.

No one can deny that the language in “Huckleberry Finn” is extremely derogatory. However, it is writing like this, although potentially uncomfortable to read, that can teach us the most. The language, like Parks’ decision to stand or King’s march, makes you open your eyes and think about what you are looking at, whether you want to or not.

When I began reading “To Kill A Mockingbird,” I remember thinking about how even though I knew segregation was a part of our nation’s history, I never took the initiative to learn more about it before it was required reading. Truthfully, this was because it made me nervous, so when I read the book, it opened my eyes to history and perspective that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

In a student body and world so richly diverse as ours, it is the books that may make us uncomfortable that we need. They are going to be the books we remember reading. The classroom conversations about them are going to be the ones we remember having. They are core titles in the curriculum because our district wanted us to have these shared experiences in the classroom.

Although we may not realize it at the time, reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Huckleberry Finn” in our English classes shapes us into who we are as citizens of our ever-changing world. Being uncomfortable while reading them makes us focus and understand the text and its real-world implications in a way that can benefit us as people, students and citizens of the world.

Trust me, the uncomfortability is worth it.

OUR EDITORIAL

Credit requirements shouldn't be one-size-fits-all Before every senior can graduate, they must take classes that fulfill certain requirements in addition to the necessary years of core classes. Among these are credits for arts, physical education, foreign language and computer skills.

Obligating students to take a variety of additional courses helps expand the breadth of their education. In high school, we are too young to be sure of our future plans, so it is essential that we are exposed to many different fields to possibly uncover hidden interests. However, some of these requirements force students to enroll in classes that they will blow off. They simply go through the motions, get the credit and are one step closer to graduation.

In order to alleviate the pressures and the numbers of unmotivated students, the credit requirements should be revised.

Some can be eliminated, and others can be modified to allow for more student choice and flexibility in scheduling.

These credits should equip students with the skills they need to be successful in the current times. Before computers were the norm in every classroom, before the school had travelling carts filled with laptops and before our phones became smart enough to double as a pocket computer, it was necessary for students to take specific classes to learn technology basics. But clearly, we have entered a new digital age since that time.

No matter what classes students take now, it’s inevitable that they’ll have to do work on computers at some point.

Whether it is writing a paper, scouring the web for research, creating a website or presentation, applying to college, taking an online quiz or editing photos, they are going to interact with computers in high school. All students graduate with a knowledge of basic computer skills, even without taking a designated computers class.

The computers credit has become obsolete. As for other credits, students should be able to bypass some by opting for a “career credit.”

Currently, students can dodge arts and PE classes by taking additional years of foreign languages. But, if a student is taking a class that aligns with their future plans, this is just as beneficial to them as taking classes outside the core curriculum.

Rather than overwhelming students with credits that they struggle to fill or push off to senior year, a career requirement would compel them to take classes that are directed towards their interests. By their senior year at least, students usually have some idea of what they want to do after high school. Forming a credit around this idea helps students prepare for whatever course they plan to take after high school.

At Brown University, students follow an open curriculum.

There are no required classes, and students have the opportunity to design their own major. The principle behind this is that students will be drawn to classes they are interested in and that they think will better prepare them for their careers. If students are genuinely interested in what they’re learning, it’s expected that they will more actively apply themselves in the class.

Keeping the credits in place as they are forces students, especially seniors, into classes that they have no desire to be in just to satisfy the requirement. If students are placed in these classes against their will, it’s likely that they aren’t going to put forth much effort. This dampens the atmosphere of the classroom overall and isn’t beneficial to the students, who could be spending this hour taking classes that would be more engaging or prepare them better for life after high school. Time spent going through the motions of a class just to get a credit is time wasted.

When it comes to class requirements, it shouldn’t be one-sizefits-all. Allowing students to choose their career credit in place of an arts, PE or computer credit provides for more flexibility and relevancy in their schedules.

"Yes, I do think that phones cause stress in my life because phones give you access to social media which can cause stress in teenagers lives."

Tanea Jones FRESHMAN

"Yes, because I tend to stop doing my homework just to get on my phone, which causes me to have to stay up late so I can finish my homework which is stressful."

Taniya Jones

"No, I don't think phones cause stress in your life.

I think they actually are a stress reliever, because you can use your phone to plan events, set reminders and set alarms."

Alec Abdellaoui

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: Do you think phones cause stress in your life?

By: Audrey Boles, Sydney Semack & Ashley Sexton

"I’d say my phone causes me stress in terms of what it is that I’m looking at.

When I see things that bother me, it’s easy to say my phone can cause stress."

No, I made a conscious choice this year to not have any work stuff on my phone so I only check it at times I need to be checking it. It keeps things a little (easier)."

"(My phone) can cause me stress when it is ringing and going off, because I feel like I constantly have to check the messages because some are important and some aren’t."

Tony Golia

Sean McCarroll

Peggy Bonbrisco

SENIOR

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

NORTH

POINTE

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Abbey Cadieux, Lindsey Ramsdell MANAGING EDITORS: Caitlin Bush, Alex Harring EDITORS-AT-LARGE: Anna Post, Michal Ruprecht BUSINESS MANAGER: Allison Lackner WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR: Sonny Mulpuri WEBSITE EDITORS: Erin Kaled, Billy Steigelman PAGE EDITORS: Elizabeth Ballinger, Amber Braker, Zoe Graves, Sofia Ketels, Katelynn Mulder, Syeda Rizvi, Katie Thomas PHOTOGRAPHERS: Marina Gabriel, Katie Link, Rachel Malinowski, Alyssa McLarty, Lauren Sexton STAFF REPORTERS: Rory Angott, Nick Asimakis, Michael Hartt, Sophie Kehrig, Mariah Loper, Adam Schwartz, Emily Widgren, Hannah Zalewski INTERNS: Amelia Abraham, JoAnna Alexander, Aundrianna Boles, Brittni Braswell, Savannah Burguron, Maggie Carron, Arzoo Chhaya, Jordan Craighead, Morgan Cribbs, Nadia Fama, Colin Haroutunian, Donald Hightower, Raven Jason, Cheryl Knorp, Emily McCloskey, Brooklyn McWhorter, Taylor Mitchell, Abi Murray, Amelia Nowicki, Preston Rossignol, Katlyn Rood-Ballard, Amelia

Schock, Sydney Semack, Sarah Shanley, Jonathan Smith, Cairington Stahl, Deanna Stuckey, Benjamin Uram, Cordy Wettstein The North Pointe is edited and produced by journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks.

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

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

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

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

Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online. The North Pointe is printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Email: gpnnorthpointe@gmail.com Phone: 313.432.3248 Twitter: @TheNorthPointe Website: northpointenow.org FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE

OUR TURN

KATIE THOMAS & AMELIA NOWICKI

Let them #takeaknee Lights of the football stadium blind the players.

Cheers from the crowd are deafening.

Above all of the noise, an announcer says, “Please stand for the National Anthem,” but the players and cheerleaders drop to take a knee. Some people in the stands are outraged and yelling, “Stand up, stand up!” Others sit in silence agreement with the players.

This controversy began in early 2016 when former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid took a knee during the national anthem. Now, Kaepernick is a free agent in the NFL and has influenced a majority of players, coaches and owners to imitate his protest. However his initial message has been lost in the media storm and political frenzy.

NFL players say they are supporting the equal rights movement, not disrespecting the military or flag. But many spectators, including the president, don’t buy it.

Protesters insist they mean no harm. They just feel awareness of the oppression of people of color in America must be discussed.

As a result, #takeaknee has spread across social media, becoming a national headline.

At this point, some teams have chosen to remain off field until the anthem is finished, and others link arms during the song.

Kaepernick's band of supporters is growing, a perfect representation of people coming together to fight evil. It’s reassuring that many teams in the league have joined their peer in kneeling during the national anthem. It’s unsettling that the public perceives their motive as hatred towards the ideals of the nation.

Back in 2016, Kap began his protest by voicing the highest respect for people who served in the military, even mentioning that they, too, face injustices in this country. He even met with a decorated Navy Seal. The two discussed the protest and corroborated on the idea of Kaepernick kneeling instead of sitting to remind the public of his respect towards those who fight for the country. These facts have been forgotten.

The controversy as a whole has changed the entire discussion from what it should be: a conversation about race. Instead, headlines and opinions are littered with ideas of disrespect towards the president, the flag and the brave people who serve in the military. Each of these perceptions couldn’t be farther from Kaepernick's intent.

As the protests continue throughout the country and transcend sports, it’s crucial that the Kap’s real goal is recognized for true reform to come.

It’s hit home right here at North.

The varsity cheer squad took a knee at the pep rally and varsity football games. They were joined by students who took a knee or remained seated in the stands or on the ground. However, the cheerleaders also battled criticism and disapproval of their actions, showing how misunderstood this peaceful protest is.

Discrimination, oppression and profiling have played a part in the opinions of everyone who participates in the protest. They feel a country that doesn’t respect them or their rights is not a country they would want to stand for.

Colin Kaepernick risked his entire career for what he believed in, he threw away endorsements and future contracts because he recognized injustice when he saw it. And based on his commitment to the cause, he still would’ve knelt knowing the consequences. Unfortunately, his message of positivity and unity has been twisted into one of division and hostility.

As we continue to fight to improve this country, it’s up to everyone to remember Martin Luther King’s words: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

4 – Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – North Pointe

LIFE

Learning to fly

By Caitlin Bush, Sarah Shanley & JoAnna Alexander MANAGING EDITOR & INTERNS Two thousand feet up, the only thing in sight for miles is green grassland and blue waters. According to senior Walid Korkmaz there is nothing like being able to f ly your own plane.

For almost three hours during every school day, Korkmaz, senior Pierce Brown and junior Janiro Brantley take f light training class at David’s Aerospace Technical High School in Detroit. This high school offers Career Technical Education programs which are aimed to teach students a specific career path. The classes are open to anyone who can get to the school and has enough high school credits to be able to leave school early.

The students at North who are involved in the program first heard of it from their counselors.

“It was really just Mrs. Davenport kinda just urging me to do it. And then I developed a huge interest for aviation within the first week of the class, so I decided to keep doing it,” Brown said.

Unlike Brown, Korkmaz has possessed an interest in f lying ever since he was little, and knew he would eventually partake in a course like this.

“It kind of goes back to when I was younger. My uncles would come home

and they’d buy me like a toy helicopter, or something like that, and (my interest) kind of evolved from watching planes f ly and being in a plane all the time because I f ly to Lebanon and was always in a huge plane for like eight hours,” he said.

“So it just kind of sparked from there.”

The class is two semesters long and is taught by Captain Chris Meyers. He begins class by giving students a warmup activity that they work on for 30 minutes. After a short break, he lectures for about 45 minutes on topics like aerodynamics, weather or safety. During the remaining hour left of class, students have activity time where they have the freedom to chose how to spend it. They can fly drones, design paper airplanes or partake in one of their three flight simulators. Students also occasionally have the opportunity to pilot planes with an instructor. Meyers recommends that anyone who has a slight interest in flying should try out the class.

“See what it’s like, see if you really want to study this in college or if you don’t. It’s a great time in high school to try different programs out and see if you like them before you sign up for a full year degree, because you might love it or you might hate it,” Meyers said.

Although the class has fun aspects to it, Meyers compares it to the level of an

Advanced Placement course.

So, he recommends that only motivated students should try it, because it is a complicated course.

“I do, unfortunately, have a lot of students that drop out, because they think that it’s more fun and games and just flying simulators, but that’s only a small part of it,” Meyers said. “There’s a lot of bookwork and a lot of math.”

At the end of the course in June, the students take the Federal Aviation Administration examination in an official FAA testing center. If they pass, they will receive a FAA Remote Pilot Certificate which will allow them to pilot a drone commercially.

“You can use drones to take videos and pictures and (for) agriculture purposes and we can do a lot of different things with drones nowadays (and) get paid for it,” Meyers said.

Being able to fly a plane is a unique and challenging experience, one which Korkmaz says is incomparable to anything else.

“I’m so happy when I’m 2,000 feet up. There’s nothing like it. All the stuff that’s going on just doesn’t matter when you’re up there,” he said.

Students take flight lessons at David’s Technical High School

WALID KORKMAZ

FLYING A DRONE | Senior Pierce Brown pilots a drone during class. He said that while the calculations are tedious, flying allows him a lot of freedom. “It’s daunting just knowing that you know the futures there and it was set up for me in a high school class and it’s, really weird but at the same time i’m really excited for it.”

WALID KORKMAZ

Contributing: Preston Rossignol

DIRECTING YOUR LIFE | Captain Chris Meyers runs a flight simulator. “It’s a CT program, meaning career tech ed, and we have basically a half day of school where kids can come in and join whatever program we have here-we have a lot here. We have law enforcement and culinary and all that kind of stuff, but mine is a flight training program,” Meyers said. “And so every single day, no matter if it’s a.m. or p.m., students will come in here and we have two hours and forty-five minutes where we teach you all about flight training. So that’s kinda how the hour schedule goes.”

ALEX HARRING

By Michal Ruprecht & Erin Kaled EDITOR-AT-L ARGE & WEBSITE EDITOR

ASHLEY SEXTON

Senior Ellie Frame welcomed members to the first Health Careers Investigation Club meeting as part of her duties as president on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Seventy-two percent of HCIC members are female. However, this statistic doesn’t match national averages.

During the 1960s and 1970s, there was an increase in female participation not only in the workforce, but also in science, technology, engineering and math fields, a career path now dubbed “STEM.” However, there continues to be a national deficit. According to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, females account for 48 percent of the U.S. workforce, but just 24 percent of STEM-related fields.

Although the disparity between men and women still stands, programs like Girls Who Code at the University of Michigan and the National Girls Collaborative Project buck the trend by offering support and education to girls and igniting an interest in STEM, according to their websites.

“I noticed with HCIC that the leadership wasn’t very strong, so it made me want to take a lot more control and put everything in my own hands,” Frame said. “(STEM) is more male-dominated, but with HCIC … it gives me more confidence and makes me feel more equal.”

Chemistry Club adviser Steven

Kosmas said he tries to emphasize female membership. Around 50 percent of members are female. As for the Chemistry officers, 80 percent are female, including junior Jill Peters. Kosmas introduced Chemistry Club members to the Team America Rocketry Challenge last year, and decided to form a girls and boys group.

He added that this inf luenced more girls to join the teams. The girls team doubled in size from last year.

“I think girls should be given the same oppor tunity to join and lead STEM clubs as boys,” he said via email. “I hope the girls presence in STEM-related clubs continues to grow.”

Peters agrees with Kosmas. She added that women take a different approach than men, which adds diverse opinions to Chemistry Club.

Although the thought processes may be different, she said both groups get the job done and have equal abilities when provided with the necessary resources. Peters said she’s noticed the national push for women in STEM, and thinks the more girls, the better off the field will be.

“There is definity being a shift where these girls are coming in and being interested, and they just work hard and they get it,” Peters said.

“They know what they are doing and they are very smart.”

Even though real-world statistics point to a male-dominated field,

Female participation in science, technology, engineering, math programs defies national trend alumna Anu Subramaniam said she wasn’t surprised with the high ratio of female participation in the STEMoriented clubs.

Subramaniam said she credits teacher and student supportiveness for the strong presence of females in the clubs. She added that STEM clubs in general allow members to career search and find their passions.

“I definitely am proud to see so many girls in STEM clubs. I think it shows that the world is making more room for girls to pursue careers that weren’t typically open to them before, and I think it allows more girls to find something they’re passionate about,” Subramaniam said via email. “Anyone who wants to pursue a career in the STEM field should get an opportunity in high school to be in clubs aligned with their desired career path.”

Through both clubs, Frame and Peters said they’ve narrowed down their career plans. Both also said they hope to see a continued increase in female participation in future years.

“I hope underclassmen girls come and are inspired by the … careers that are presented to our club,” Frame said.

“I hope to leave legacy on the club that other girls see and are inspired by.”

Contributing: Nadia Fama, Michael Hartt & Katlyn Rood-Ballard

IN-DEPTH

Democratic discord

North Pointe – Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – 5

By Amber Braker, Sophie Kehrig & Ben Uram PAGE EDITOR, STAFF REPORTER & INTERN

Young people worldwide express distrust in democratic systems SOPHIE KEHRIG

I

n a time of hyperpartisanship and political discord, 23-year-old English teacher Emma Huellmantel said young Americans’ uncertainty about the future has led to a different experience with democracy compared to that of their parents. She credits this to gradually deteriorating values that support democracy.

As a result, many millennials are losing faith in the system.

Huellmantel said young people are worried about what it’s going to be like to raise a family in the current social climate.

“We don’t really know what that’s going to look like for us,” Huellmantel said.

“But we do know that it’s not going to look the same way that it did for our parents.”

According to a 2016 Harvard University study, many young citizens of longstanding democracies have also become disillusioned with the system.

Of people born in the 1930s, 91 percent said democracy is important. Only 57 percent of people born in the 1980s said the same.

While freshman Olga Stathis, a self-indentified conservative, said that she doesn’t believe in the feasibility of traditional Greek democracy, in which every citizen is involved in every part of the making of public policy, she does see the merits of representative government.

Despite democracy’s appeal, she is ultimately unsatisfied with the real-life result.

“The idea of democracy is essential: that power does come from the people.

But then again, the idea of democracy, it’s very idealistic to believe everyone will come together, will give up and will do for the better good something for everybody else,” Stathis said. “It sounds pretty on paper, democracy, but it doesn’t really work.”

Stathis believes stronger leaders will better represent their constituents. According to Harvard lecturer Yascha Mounk, this sentiment is becoming more popular among young people.

As the younger generation begins to take on leadership positions in government, their opinions will be heard, and their interpretation of modern democracy could be fueled by

hyperpartisanship.

And if this trend becomes more prominent in political settings, young adults will shy away from the contextual conception of what a democracy truly is.

Huellmantel said that this could be a result of the substantial change in the way media is being consumed and integrated into the culture of young Americans. She also said that empathy towards others can be lost as a byproduct of constant exposure.

According to a study conducted by the Stanford History Education Group, 80 percent of young people studied couldn’t tell the difference between fake and authentic news sources, and usually didn’t bother to fact check dubious claims.

27-year-old social studies teacher Sean McCarroll thinks this is the outcome of the way millennials prioritize.

“I don’t think that politics are very important to most millennials. I don’t think that many of them embrace the idea of political partisanship or the political process, so much as they see and value the outcomes,” McCarroll said.

“To a large degree, (there’s)

political debate and discussion.

On the m i l le n n ia l s’ side people are either polar and they’re very in it, or they’re completely apathetic.”

Only 49.4 percent of eligible young people turned out for the 2016 presidential ele ct ion, according to the Pew Re s e a r c h Center.

And yet, they also reported that highly polarized p ol it ic a l parties are gaining speed.

McCa r roll said that such political discord results in hostility between a gover nment and its people.

He said he sees this phenomenon partially due to shifts in power.

“I think right now a lot of people are realizing there are downsides to democracy because there’s a group that has been in majority power for the last eight years that is no longer there,” McCarroll said.

“And I know that can be a tough transition for a lot of folks.”

America is not the only country with a changing political climate.

Other countries are also moving toward nationalism. In 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum to decide whether or not to leave the European Union, a political and economic union among most of the major European nations.

The referendum, nicknamed Brexit, was supported by Britain’s Conservative Party, specifically party leader Boris Johnson. Members were against the way the EU addressed Britain’s financial situation and rising unemployment. They

also opposed the EU’s open borders policy, believing it contributed to unwanted immigration. Brexit was approved and, as a result, The Conservative Party took control of the parliament.

In France, the presidential election earlier this year featured conservative candidate Marine Le Pen. Though she lost, this was the first time in 15 years that a member of the National Front party was a major contender in a presidential election.

According to Politico, Germany’s nationalist party is on the rise again as well. The party, known as Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), has gained traction among voters, especially young white males.

What all of these international movements have in common is an emphasis on antiimmigration and populist policies.

They are also often led by figures that can be seen as political “outsiders” and largely supported by young people.

These young adults are often disillusioned with the current government or state of their country and often feel the best way to combat corruption within government is by taking down the establishment.

Stathis said she’s concerned that politicians are too influenced by the money they receive from lobbyist groups rather than what citizens want.

“They don’t do what’s good for the people,” she said.

“They do what’s good for their pocketbook.”

Many young adults share Stathis’ view on politicians.

Negative public perception of career politicians was part of the appeal of outsider candidates, such as the now President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of

Vermont, in the 2016 presidential election.

S a n d e r s expresses ideals that diverge from those of the traditional Democratic Party.

Throughout his campaign and during his term, Trump has talked about plans to “drain the swamp” of Washington insiders. But McCarroll said these campaign sound bites are precisely the reason people don’t trust politicians.

“One of the reasons why people don’t trust it as much is because there are very real issues, but the government process turns those issues into political talking points and bids for reelection and bickering and finger pointing rather than we’ve actually done something to fix the problem,” McCarroll said. “Meanwhile, people suffer.”

Since young people are less attached to democracy than earlier generations, some are considering alternatives. Many have even expressed interest in military or authoritarian rule.

McCarroll said that though military rule could be considered more expeditious, under this type of regime, people would realize the importance of a democratic system.

“I think in absence of democracy that people would definitely realize that they value it.”

Contributing: Anna Post

6 – Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – North Pointe

Jessie Ware shatters expectations in

REVIEWS

'Glasshouse'

By Abbey Cadieux EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

"Glasshouse" (2017) iTunes, $11.99

There is no maternity leave for Jessie Ware.

Much of her latest (and greatest) album, “Glasshouse,” was recorded while Ware was pregnant with her first child. As the third album in her discography, “Glasshouse” tops both its predecessors and exemplifies the ultimate mastery of her sound.

Ware has been a soul-pop smash artist since 2012. Her debut album “Devotion” peaked at number five on the U.K. Album Charts and her momentum has not lessened once throughout the years.

Capturing inter nationa l aud ienc es’ hearts and ears, Ware became

a household name in contemporary R&B and as a songwriter for pop stars like Ed Sheeran. Her mesmerizing love songs can be heard on the soundtracks of popular romance movies such as “Me Before You” and “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Add in writing and featuring on Nicki Minaj’s “The Crying Game” and one can truly see the infectious nature of Ware’s beautiful music.

“Glasshouse,” a 17-track experience of an album, feels richer and older than its predecessors.

Ware showcases her outstanding vocal range and effortlessly sultry songwriting all throughout the album. The album cements Ware as one of the best underrated singersongwriters in pop music currently.

Many pop and soul artists are very one-dimensional. They succeed at one gimmick and never stray too far from it, rehashing and reusing old elements from previous albums. However, Ware shows that she is a true artist. Listeners can hear the quintessential Jessie Ware sound from the first few seconds of the album, but they will never get musical déjà vu. “Glasshouse” is the perfect consummation of Ware’s career so far.

Right out of the gate, “Midnight” captivates listeners with haunting vocals leading up to an explosive chorus reminiscent of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets.” The two stand in stark contrast of each other, juxtaposing the building theatrical elements of both. Ware’s arresting voice is what heightens the dramaticism of the album, which is apparent through the teasing, suspenseful nature of this grandiose track.

Ware is known for her sexy

ballads and classy love songs.

The latter is more prevalent on the album, as heard on “Alone,” “Stay Awake, Wait For Me,” “Slow Me Down” and “Thinking About You.” Ware lays down heartrending track after heartrending track, giving listeners no time to recover in between tear-jerking experiences.

More rooted in emotion than past albums, “Glasshouse” is teeming with sentimentality. In “Sam,” a song named after her husband Sam Burrows, Ware recounts her childhood, addresses her mother, and projects hope towards herself as a future mom. The context of the album and its tracks puts it on an entirely different emotional plane than others.

Ware adds in new musical elements such as latin guitar on “Selfish Love” and a more mainstream pop sound on “Your Domino.” The use of new elements is a telltale sign that Ware is not settling, even though she has enough vocal clout alone to.

There are pop artists that fill the Top 40 and there are artists who write their songs for them. Ware has the talent and lyricism to do both. A favorite among many mainstream artists like Taylor Swift, Adele and the Haim sisters, Ware is pop music’s best not-so-hidden gem.

The clarity that one gains as they grow older and more experienced summarizes the feel of the album.

Listeners can sense the depth and love in Ware’s lyrics—her voice sounds like what “the golden hour” looks like.

There is simply no other artist with the talent and poise as Jessie Ware. “Glasshouse” verifies it.

JESSIEWARE.COM

APP

TV SHOW

BOOK

BLACKBOX

AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE

MASK OF SHADOWS

There are multitudes of puzzle games available in the App Store, using things from hidden objects, to patterns and ITUNES colors, to letters and numbers to create challenges.

After a while, themes seem to repeat themselves, with many apps using the same ideas in slightly different ways. Not Blackbox.

Instead of using simulations created by the app, Blackbox uses different settings and features on the player’s phone, like volume and brightness to solve puzzles.

The object of the puzzles is to turn on “lights,” little boxes that tell players the number of different solutions within one level.

The first challenge is fairly simple, just move your phone around to different positions to turn on the six lights. After that, other boxes appear in the home screen that lead to more challenges.

The puzzles give you clues as to which settings the player needs to look at. Some of them are fairly straightforward, such as the location puzzle which requires players to go a certain distance away from their starting point. Others are more subtle, like one that shows a circle that only fills when you spin your phone in a circle.

After a while, you run out of puzzles to play, or you just get so stuck on one puzzle that you can’t move on. That’s where the purchases come in. Blackbox is free to play, but if a player wants more challenges, they can buy one or both of the expansion packs.

The Erudite pack has more challenging and obscure puzzles, while the Push pack uses notification settings to solve them. If a player is stuck one a level, they can use their hint credits given to them when they start the game, or if they run out, they can buy more.

The difficulty of some of the puzzles makes it frustrating to play sometimes, and levels like the location one require players to leave and travel fairly far away from their starting point. The overall gameplay, though, is engaging and fun to play.

ABC recently launched its second season of “American Housewife,” following the life of Katie Otto (Katy Mixon), a strongwilled, walk-to-theIMDB beat- of-her- owndrums, self-conscious mother.

Supporting characters include her accident-prone husband, college professor Greg (Diedrich Badar). Katie and Greg have three children: sport-loving, popular teenager daughter Taylor (Meg Donnelly), high-achieving smart-alec Oliver (Daniel DiMaggio) and Anna-kat (Julia Butters), Katie’s OCD “favorite child.”

“American Housewife” takes place in Westport, Connecticut, where being wealthy and healthy is the key to happiness. However, this mantra is taken a little too seriously.

It ends up becoming a twisted, hilariously relatable plot for Katie. Katie frequently finds herself getting involved, on behalf of her kids, with preppy, high-end moms and families who drive her crazy. She openly defies the laws of motherhood in her voiceovered opinions.

Although she sometimes takes her narration too far with her crude, selfdeprecating humor, “American Housewife” is overall a family friendly sit-down.

Viewers get used to her jokes that should be taken lightly because they are not trying to offend anyone. In general, she is a loveable, sassy mom.

Katie cannot stand the fact that her two oldest children try to fit in well with the town that she doesn’t agree with.

While, Katie constantly disagrees with the high-maintenance ideals of the town, she always takes one for the team and unwillingly conforms to fit in with the other moms for the sake of her family. At the same time, she also manages to put her foot down against Westport to discipline her kids.

Watching “American Housewife” is like watching a mockumentary of Grosse Pointe, filled with Fitbits, high-end yoga wear and health smoothies. The show is like looking into a funhouse mirror. It comedically exaggerates the realities of suburban life.

“Blackbox”; 2017; Available to download for free.

"American Housewife"; 2017; Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.

“Mask of Shadows”; 2017; Available for $10.99

By Elizabeth Ballinger

By Sarah Shanley

By Alex Goossen

BARNES & NOBLE

Linsey Miller’s “Mask of Shadows” is truly a diamond in the rough. It avoids the annoying patterns that many authors follow and brings a breath of fresh air to the

fantasy-fighting genre.

The book takes place in Igna, a country created

by Miller, and follows the story of Sal, a poor thief.

Sal, unlike every other lead, is a gender-fluid person who changes pronouns throughout the story (referred to as they in this review), but it never gets confusing.

When Sal discovers a way out of the thief lifestyle, by taking a spot among a group of assassins known as the Queen’s “left hand,” they fight to gain it.

This was an amazing read, and readers will find it hard to put it down. However, it does fall into some cliches.

The complex world of this book makes it a very rich story, immersing the reader in the lively world of Igna. Unlike many books, which try to avoid the work of creating a religion, Miller gave Sal their own unique faith, building an even richer background.

The tensions between the two former nations of Erlend and Alona, that were merged into the nation of Igna, also made this world very three-dimensional.

Sal goes through a deep character arc in the story, realizing things they never considered and becoming hardened by their experiences both past and present.

Introduced early in the story, Sal’s significant other is easy to love from the beginning. The heartwarming and awkward moments between the two create the perfect pairing, but this isn’t the only relationship Sal forms. As the story progresses, you are introduced to Ruby, Amethyst and Emerald— the members of the left hand—as well as the other auditioners. Sal bonds with all of them in different but significant ways.

People from all around Igna come to audition for a place in the left hand. Sal goes through these auditions facing grueling training and constant stress.

Even with these amazing layers to the plot, Miller’s book lacked in some regards. Sal’s intricate character seemed to come at the expense of the others. Supporting characters all seem to be twodimensional, following the cliches of character types. The premise of the book also seems repetitive of other fantasy/sci-fi books. Despite these few problems, it is a satisfying read that will keep readers on edge.

MOVIE

HAPPY DEATH DAY In the midst of Blumhouse Productions, the company behind movies like “Get Out,” “The Purge” and “The Visit,” it has IMDB become one of today’s top horror-film-producing studios.

With the huge popularity behind its previous flicks, fans were eager to see “Happy Death Day,” which came out Friday, Oct. 13.

Ironically playing on the reverse birthday theme, the movie poster for “Happy Death Day” is a birthday cake. The trailer shows a teenage girl who died on her birthday and then re-lives her death over and over again until she finds her unknown killer. While the trailer gives people small ideas about the plot, the ending switches everything around.

Using Snapchat as one of the main advertising methods, the movie appealed largely to teenage audiences. The soundtrack not only adds the modern feel to the movie but also ties the movie together. It features well-known artists like 50 Cent and Demi Lovato.The two very different artists work well to set the mood for the scene they were filming.

The movie starts off with the college girl waking up to her phone ringing. She gets up and walks out of her dorm, goes to a party, blows out the candle from her birthday cupcake that her roommate gave her and gets killed soon after. While confused at first, the main character is forced to wake up and get killed over and over again until she figures out that she must find her killer to break the cycle.

“Happy Death Day” is much like “Groundhog Day,” the 1993 movie about a weatherman who is out to cover the annual emergence of the groundhog from its hole.

The weatherman gets caught up in a time warp and has to relive the same day over and over again until he gets his job right.

It’s safe to say “Happy Death Day” is this generation’s re-amped, modern version of “Groundhog Day.” The movie receives more laughs than screams from viewers. But, it may leave movie-goers with one spooky thought in mind: what flavor was the cupcake?

"Happy Death Day"; 2017; PG-13

By Morgan Cribbs

ON CAMPUS

North Pointe - Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – 7

FACES IN THE CROWD Zack Buterakos

Basketball goes beyond hoops and dribbling for sophomore Zack Buterakos and his team. In fact, they’ve been able to serve the homeless through Operation Love Our Homeless The group hands out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit snacks, water and granola bars to the homeless. He said this gives him an opportunity to give back. He added that the activity is beneficial for team bonding because it promotes communication.

“I wanted to help people or even children who don’t have what I have,” Buterakos said. “It felt really good because (I know) that someone else is going to have a meal, and they’re going to have something to drink, and you did it, and you helped out.”

He said he hopes to participate in this type of community service again.

“I really like to help out,” Buterakos said. “It was a good experience, and I’d definitely do it again in a heartbeat.”

ALL PHOTOS BY EMILY WIDGREN

DARK SKIES | Located in the C-Building, the planetarium is open for the astronomy class as well as outside groups from other schools in the spring. “There are very few high schools in the state that house their own planetarium, so it’s very interesting for the kids to go in and see it,” science teacher Don Pata said. “Living in the city, we normally don’t look up and see a ton of stars, so to see the stars in the actually planetarium as they would look in dark skies is really a lot of fun.”

In unknown territory See parts of the school usually unseen to students

By Allison Lackner, Emily Widgren & Mariah Loper BUSINESS MANAGER & STAFF REPORTERS

VIEWS FROM THE TOP | Used mainly by physics students during the annual egg drop, the fourth floor of the science wing is an office for the head custodians of the district. “Occasionally we use the fourth floor as access to the science building roof. We will in the middle to end of the school year make devices for the kids and they insert eggs and throw them off the roof off the science wing and see if they can survive the impact on the ground,” science teacher Don Pata said.

SETTING THE SCENE | The scene shop is located in the C building across from the backstage doors. The shop is used to build props, and it houses all the different lights components when they aren't being used. “There's not another one in the district. This is where we work out of most of the time,” assistant technical director for the Grosse Pointe Public School Systems PJ Veltri said. “There's a truck parked outside that's only for PAC use that will drive to different places.”

TEACHING TECHNOLOGY | The Performing Arts Center has two catwalks above the house seating which are used to change and angle the lights for every performance. Most schools don’t have features like the catwalks or the stage lift, which moves the stage up and down.

“The catwalks allows us to train students to do technical theater more than anywhere else,” PJ Veltri, assistant technical director for the school system, said. “I can send a student up in the air (and) not have to have them on a ladder, have someone there standing with them and telling them how to do everything."

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Choir accompanist Robert Foster

By Allison Lackner & Jordan Craighead BUSINESS MANGER & INTERN

ROBERT FOSTER

FAMILY MATTERS | Robert Foster (left) stands with his wife Patty (center) and his son Daniel (right). “My wife and I met in high school. We were both in all-state choir together.

That’s where we became girlfriend-boyfriend," Foster said.

"My son is a wonderful singer. He is in Motor City Chorale with us, which is something else I do outside of school, and my wife is in that as well."

Robert Foster left North 20 years ago but is back this fall to pick up right where he left off. Foster loves to play the piano, so after being a choir teacher at University Liggett School, he returned to North as the choir accompanist.

“It’s like coming home. It’s been awesome,” Foster said. “The choirs are so good and so well polished, and I’m so inspired and appreciative of Mr. (Ben) Henri and his abilities.”

As well as playing the piano, Foster plays the organ at First English Lutheran Church for Sunday services and holidays.

The church job opened Foster’s senior year of college, so he applied and has been in Grosse Pointe Woods ever since.

The organ was Foster’s first instrument, and he has had a passion for it since he was 10, even though it was hard for him to reach the pedals because he was so small.

“Just going to church, I heard the organist

play, and I fell in love,” Foster said. “I love the power of the instrument.”

For his 40th birthday, Foster received an organ from his wife to place in their home.

At the moment, the church’s pipe organ is being rebuilt, with its parts all over the country, so Foster brought his personal instrument to the church so there is still music for the services. Since Foster tries to play every day, he travels to the church to practice.

Foster originally attended West Liberty State College in West Virginia until a professor told him about the organ program at the University of Michigan.

While there, Foster learned a lot about playing the organ. Those skills helped him program music, specifically electronic keyboards, because of the similarity to registering an organ. From listening to learning how to play the organ, Foster has always been inspired by the instrument.

“You are really listening for the colors of sounds and trying to combine those into something that makes sense together.”

Diana Garcia R ivera

Art has been a major part of junior Diana García Rivera’s life for as long as she can recall. Her interest began when she was little.

“I’ve been drawing since I was little and my dad is really good at it and as kids, our whole family would just have drawing contests,” Rivera said.

“So after that, I just really liked it, and I started to take classes.”

Rivera takes AP Studio Art at North and hopes to become a cartoonist when she grows up. She is looking at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit to further her career as an artist.

Rivera enjoys drawing portraits the most.

“It’s just nice to just create a human, just to draw a person that doesn’t exist but you can make it seem like they exist on paper,” she said.

David Ament

For freshman David Ament, sailing is a passion that he’s had since he was 7 years old.

He’s sailed with Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and plans to sail for the school team this spring.

Ament was inspired to get into sailing by his twin brother and said it’s a really fun hobby because he loves the water and boating.

“I crew, so I don’t steer, but I take care of the front of the boat,” Ament said. “I trap off the side of the boat to keep it flat, and then I trim the second set. I sail a 420 right now, and I used to sail an opTI and laser.”

An opTI is like a square bathtub with a sail.

A laser is a two-person boat with a pointed front and made to go fast. The 420 is a two-person boat similar to the laser.

Ament also plays soccer and has been playing since age 5. Although he prefers sailing, he thinks soccer is entertaining, too.

“Sailing (is better),” Ament said, “I’m better at it, and I win more.”

By Adam Schwartz, Arzoo Chhaya & Amelia Abraham

FAVORITE PIECES OF MUSIC

I love all the French music, and the romantic music is really fun because it ’s kind of power ful. Specifically, ever y Easter I play “ Widor’s Toccata ,” which is kind of a big, flashy piece that ’s real loud.

FAVORITE BOOK

I love all the "Harr y Pot ter" things, and I’ve listened to them on tape.

I have really bad eyesight , so straining my eyes with reading is something I don’t usually do. But I’ve listened to all the Harr y Pot ter books on tape.

FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH

Football. I knew nothing about it until I went to U(niversit y) of M(ichigan).

FAVORITE SEASON

M y favori te s ea s on is w inter, I love t he s now. I don’ t s k i or a ny t hing .

I just love t he s now. I t hink i t ’s beau t i f ul .

SPORTS

8 – Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – North Pointe

KATIE LINK

By Anna Post & Emily McCloskey EDITOR-AT-LARGE & INTERN For the past nine months, sophomore Erin Sperry’s days have been consumed with doctor appointments and numerous trips to her physical therapist. After suffering her injury in January, her athletic career came to a halt, and her ability to play the game she played her entire life was taken away in a matter of seconds.

Sperry has dealt with both physical and mental turmoil as she’s worked on rehabilitation post-injury. Her time away from sports have left her feeling nostalgic as she watched her team from the sidelines. “(It was) kind of like something was missing, like part of my life put on pause for a moment while everyone else’s was going by,” Sperry said. “I didn’t realize how much passion I had towards softball until it was gone.”

somewhat of an existential crisis, asking themselves “Who am I?” and “What am I doing here?”.

She said that as athletes spend time away from their sport, they tend to also lose a piece of identity and then face emotional distress. The pervasive sense of being “superhuman” that comes with being good at a sport as well as handling injury and disappointment is gone, she said.

Sports have consumed Sperry’s life for 11 years. So when she was faced with the news that she won’t be able to participate in her fall sport, she was left shocked. “(I felt) traumatized. What I would normally do three-plus times a week was suddenly taken from me, and I didn’t know how to react,” Sperry said. “I had never been without it.”

Senior Taylor Purnell has endured traumatic injuries throughout his football career. He has torn his meniscus in both knees, and sees how these injuries

Substitute athletic trainer Cam Mills has noticed how sports injuries not only impact an athlete physically, but psychologically as well.

Mills emphasizes that each athlete recovers from injuries at different paces and athletes may not recover as quickly mentally as they do physically.

“Some of these kids—all they’ve ever known is participating in sports,” Mills said. “And then you just take that away from them. So (for) some kids, it’s a lot of mental aspects of it as well that often go unnoticed.”

In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Deborah Saint-Phard, a former runner in the 1988 Olympics and current rehabilitation specialist at the Women’s Sports Medicine Center of the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, said she’s seen how injuries can influence athlete behavior. She told The New York Times that injuries that make athletes not athletes anymore can leave them in

have impacted him on the physical and emotional level.

“It made me realize that anything can happen at any moment, so I learn to always play as if it’s my last,” Purnell said.

According to a study conducted by Dr. Gerald Kaforey, in a study of 343 athletes who play a variety of sports, 51 percent of the participants had symptoms of depression. With such a large number of emotionally unstable athletes, doctors stress the importance of speedy recoveries, yet don’t provide athletes with emotional help. Kaforey said that only about 2 percent of sports medicine centers have psychologists available to help patients struggling with the emotional aspect of their injury, thus concluding that professionals and the athletes themselves aren’t tending to the psychological injuries from such trauma.

As Purnell reflects on the adversity he faced in the past, he acknowledges that these hardships have ultimately shaped

G E N ERA TION

RU N S For senior Calvin Riley, having his sisters on the cross country team alongside him has not resulted in the sibling rivalry many have come to expect. Instead, he enjoys how supportive they are towards each other, as well as getting to see them compete when their meets allow for it.

Sophomore Michael Lynch agrees, acknowledging that though some sibling rivalry was created, he enjoys having his sister in the same sport as he is. He said it provides a common interest for them to bond over and also allows them to avoid conflicts.

“It’s kind of nice. At work it helps with the scheduling.

It kind of helps with the parents because they can just drive over and it adds a lot of support,” Lynch said.

“It makes it much easier to

get things done because it just makes everything much more supportive.”

According to boys coach Diane Montgomery, this has become an unusually common occurrence this season, with six pairs of siblings running for the girls and boys teams.

Most of the pairs are comprised of older brothers and younger sisters, and Montgomery credits this to the boys cross country team’s recent success.

“We’ve had such a successful couple of years,” she said. “So, younger siblings coming in want to do the sport as well.”

For senior Mikey Ciaravino, joining cross country was a decision that his siblings made easy. After growing up watching them run cross country, he joined the team as a freshman just in time to run with his older brother, Joe Ciaravino, during Joe’s senior year.

DEEP

Montgomery said having “running families” like this one is a big help in recruiting students, as well as creating a welcoming environment and boosting the morale of athletes across all cross country teams.

“We just try and be as supportive as possible as a program,” Montgomery said.

“If the older siblings are successful and have a good time and enjoy themselves and get a lot out of it, then the younger siblings will (join).”

In addition to creating a more welcoming environment for the team, Montgomery said having family on the team allows the older siblings to act as role models, in addition to being there for their younger brothers or sisters.

Both Lynch and his younger sister joined the cross country team as freshmen, and though neither of them initially wanted to

do the sport, Lynch said they both grew to love it as their first seasons progressed, and they plan on continuing cross country throughout high school.

“I just try and work really hard,” Lynch said. “That way she doesn’t get discouraged.”

Montgomery said that oftentimes, older brothers at meets will want to go see their sisters race, too, so they can encourage them. For Mikey, it was that type of encouragement and support that his brothers provided that was the best part about the sport.

“They keep me accountable for my running,” he said.

“If I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing, (my brother will) give me a punch on the shoulder to help me be the best runner I can be.”

TRYOUTS GIRLS ICE HOCKEY

GIRLS BASKETBALL

BOYS BASKETBALL

GYMNASTICS

COMPETETIVE CHEER

WRESTLING

Wednesday, Nov. 1at 4 p.m. at East Side Hockey Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m in the upper gym

QUICK HITS

By Savannah Burguron INTERN

Varsity swim with junior Alyssa Carlino

MIKEY CIARAVINO

By Sofia Ketels, Deanna Stuckey & Donald Hightower PAGE EDITOR & INTERNS

his attitude and work ethic.

“I believe injuries can definitely impact athletes emotional state,” Purnell said. “When someone works hard every day to become better at their sport just to have it all taken away it’s devastating, but through my injuries I learned that you can’t just sit back and dwell on it. Instead, you have to work even harder to come back better and stronger than before.”

Although Sperry remained supportive of her teammates throughout the season, she misses the competitive edge that comes along with high school athletics.

“It was really hard for me because while I was happy for them, I had to watch my teammates get better and accomplish goals, and I couldn’t walk,” Sperry said. “It definitely gave me time to think about life, and it humbled me in a way to go through something so painful at such a young age that most kids don’t have to go through.”

Monday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. in the upper gym

Workshop on Monday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. in the upper gym

Monday, Nov. 13 at 3:30 p.m. in the gym Monday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m in the upper gym

After a successful season for the girls varsity swim and dive team, select swimmers are preparing for the state meet in November.

Junior Alyssa Carlino said the team has been getting along well and working hard this season. She added that their hard work helped them make it to states.

“I think we’re all getting along great and the incoming freshmen have become great friends,” Carlino said. “We’re all working together to reach our goals.”

Several of Carlino’s teammates have also beat records this season, which she attributes to the team’s work ethic during their preparation for states.

“The coaches were a big part of why I chose to swim.

The coaches motivated me better.”

Varsity soccer with junior Nate Truss When junior Nate Truss joined the varsity boys soccer team this year, he wasn’t expecting the team to be so successful. In fact, the team won the league championship and finished their season with a record of 12-3.

He said his highlight of the season was beating Grosse Pointe South twice. He attributes the group’s success to their hard work. Although, personally Truss said he didn’t do as well as he wanted, he enjoyed the season.

“I thought I did alright this season,” Truss said.

“I had two goals and two assists. It was pretty fun.”

Cross country with senior Bella Lawson Despite numerous injuries, senior Bella Lawson said the varsity girls cross country team has been doing well.

“One of our best runners hurt her hip, so she is not running,” Lawson said. “But, we have another runner who is running and she’s doing great. (She’s) leading the pack now.”

Lawson was injured this season as well. Because she was on the sidelines, she said she enjoyed watching the races, especially the Old Skool race.

Lawson added that she will run in the last race of the season.

“I haven’t ran yet this season, but I’m practicing and warming up,” she said. “I think I’m going to do really well.”

For up-to-date sports scores and game recaps, vist WWW.NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG