North Pointe Vol. 48, Issue 7- Jan. 13, 2016

ON CAMPUS PAGE 4 Left: Robotics adviser Sean McCarroll brainstorms with students.

TREVOR MIECZKOWSKI

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

POINTE WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13, 2016

SINCE 1968

Students’ school Google accounts delete after graduation

By Anu Subramanium & Katelynn Mulder

people about what we can do to make sure students keep the work,” Speirs said. “Sometimes the work you do in a high school setting, you want to keep it because it’s a good reference or a good piece of evidence for the type of work you do as a student later on in college.”

Before 2012, it was rare to hear a teacher ask for homework to be submitted via Google Classroom or Google Docs. But starting that school year, the technolog y department issued district-wide Google accounts for students and teachers to use. These accounts led to a shift from the Microsoft Outlook email system that had been used district-wide to a newer cloud system.

According to district technolog y manager Steve Woloszy n, Google prov ided the accounts to the district free of charge w ith unlimited storage, but the sw itch required ser ver changes to automate the creation of accounts for students and staff and a change in password length to match Google’s minimum.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF REPORTER

Each year when hundreds of students walk across the stage, they leave their Google accounts behind. On Dec. 31 of the year a student graduates, their Google account is permanently deleted.

Senior Thomas Essak has been using his Google account the past t wo years to work on Applied Medical Research and AP Biolog y projects. Hav ing seen a senior before him get a full scholarship from A lbion as well as a lab position, as a result of his work in these classes, Essak put a lot of effort into his projects they are in jeopardy of being deleted if he doesn’t transfer them.

For science teacher Susan Speirs, the district’s switch to Google accounts in 2012 helped her maintain her teaching motto, “learning first, relationships always.” But the switch wasn’t without concern. “(Students’ work being saved) was one thing that I was concerned about and talked with our tech

The accounts include access to Google Docs, Drive, Sheets, Slides and many other Google-related applications. As a result, many teachers, including Speirs, incorporated the apps into their teaching.

“I really love that (the Google account) provides this virtual collaboration. I really love pair-share with my students. I think that if someone could say what type of teacher is Mrs. Speirs (it would be someone who puts) learning first (and) relationships always and Google for me is just both of those things,” Speirs said.

“It forces relationships, but it doesn’t force kids to ‘I got to go drive to your house now to do this thing.’ You still might do that because face-to-face is always fun, but it gives you that chance to learn in a cloud setting, which is really cool.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ANU SUBRAMANIAM

AP European History prepares to go hybrid next year

WWW.BARNESANDNOBLE.COM

By Ritika Sanikommu & Olivia Robinson EDITOR & INTERN

A new wave of technological advancements will be surging over the social studies department next fall. AP European History will be offered as a hybrid option for students in addition to the traditional course.

According to www.idahodigitallearning.org, a hybrid course “fosters interactive learning” with the use of video conferences and internet-based assignments. There are already hybrid chemistry and biology courses available for students interested in the subjects or in a new style of learning. With popular educational websites like Kahoot, Quizziz and Quia, hybrid classes follow the trend of teachers incorporating technology into their curriculum.

Junior Lindsey Hoshaw is a firm advocate for hybrid classes and believes that AP European History going hybrid is a step in the right direction. Hoshaw elected to take hybrid Honors Biology as a freshman and was thrilled with the new educational opportunities. Having taken a hybrid class early in her career, Hoshaw also said the flexibility that these classes allow is beneficial.

Hoshaw saw the value in the new experience that the class offered and the prevalent role that technology played.

“It’s always nice to hear that you won’t have to attend class and you get to do more things on your own,” Hoshaw said. “It’s cool to include technology in learning, consider-

ing how far technology has come.”

The course has freedom similar to that of a college course where students do not have class every day and complete a lot of their assignments online. Students who are absorbed in a subject are usually encouraged to elect its hybrid course because of its similarity to technology driven college courses they may encounter after graduation.

Social studies teacher Andrew Taylor outlines that the course will be able to reach outside of the hybrid class norm as students will be able to communicate with each other from across the country. Students may find the freedom of this college-style course more suitable as they will be able to maneuver the class around their schedules.

Taylor also stresses that the curriculum will not be more challenging than a traditional AP course. However, the hands-on approach and independent style will challenge students to break the mold of the way they usually “do school”, according to Taylor.

“Usually teachers like to do a project at the end of a unit, and now you’ll start with a project in mind with the connections (and) the communication in line with other peo-

ple,” Taylor said. “I think that will help you build the other lessons around it.”

There are currently two AP European History periods at North, and Taylor hopes the amount of student enrollment will continue to increase. Based on the success and student interest in the program, there might be an addition of hybrid classes to this course.

Social studies department chair Terri Steimer foresees the endeavour will be a success as long as students are self-motivated.

Steimer recommends that upperclassmen elect to take AP European History as a hybrid because they are more likely used to the structure and rigor of AP classes.

“I mean, legitimately, it should run well as a hybrid, because they’re mostly seniors who take it, and hopefully they’re really motivated seniors. If they are, it’s going to run well,” Steimer said. “If they aren’t, then I think there are going to be major problems.

If anyone can handle it, it’s Mr. Taylor—he is excellent with computers, he develops wonderful lessons and he would be excellent as a hybrid instructor. I think it’s worth a try.”

BLUERIDGE.RAYTOWNSCHOOLS.ORG

IDEAS - PAGE 9

LIFE - PAGE 5 Freshman Darrius Stuckey creates animated short films for YouTube.

“After indulging our materialistic selves during the holidays, ringing in a new year invites us to reflect on the past year and indulge the idea of our best selves.” @thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 48 | ISSUE 7

IDEAS - PAGE 7

“We don’t see how hard rejection is until we go through it ourselves.”

REY KAM

Calendar | 2 News | 3

On Campus | 4 Life | 5-6

Reviews | 7 On Pointe| 8

Editorial | 9 Sports | 10-11

In-Depth | 12

NEWS

2 – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – North Pointe

Google accounts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Because the Google account is convenient to use for group projects, students tends to use it for many different classes. Students turn in assignments over Google and save any work they have done in their classes. Because they no longer have to do this after they graduate, losing an account does not seem like a big deal. However, the problem is that ever y piece of work in a file is deleted as well. This can cause problems when students are making portfolios for colleges or scholarships.

“There’s a lot of things that I had on North’s Google accounts that I haven’t been able to access,” Class of 2015 alumna Haley Reid said. “For North Pointe, I had to have people come in

and share things w ith me because I wanted to use it for major applications. It’s kind of inconvenient.” However, while these accounts are deleted, students have the opportunit y to share ow nership of their documents w ith their personal Gmail accounts before graduation .

“It is up to the students to create a personal Gmail account and move the data from the school account to their personal account before Dec. 31,” Woloszy n said.

But this can be trick y. The schoolrelated Gmail accounts have unlimited data, but personal Gmail accounts are restricted to 15 GB of free data. Sharing ow nership of documents is also a lengthy process that requires sw itching back and forth bet ween many doc-

uments and logging in and out of accounts.

For students like Essak, who have a lot of work saved on their Google accounts, changing ow nership of his documents seems worth it. “(The accounts being deleted) makes me really upset considering how much valuable time I’ve put into those things, especially because (of ) how those things can help me in the future,” Essak said. “(Sharing ow nership) would save me a lot of time, and I could help the younger people that ask me for help really often.”

Speirs feels that the work students do in high school should be saved for their futures, as some of her students have gotten scholarships and lab positions from projects they did in her class. She does feel, however, that be-

ing able to save only what you want is an advantage.

“As a teacher, I would like to think ever y assignment we give you in high school is super meaningful,” Speirs said. “That you would like to post them on your fridge and keep them in a v irtual fridge. That you would want them.

But not ever y student needs ever y assignment. Maybe we do a better job as teachers, and our tech people, and say ing—look, when you’re a freshman, you’re going to have this Gmail linked account that w ill be deleted while you leave, so as you’re going through your educational process here at North, make sure you give your ow nership rights to ever y Google app t y pe of assignment you had later on.”

Numerous programs recieve grants from local foundation

By Allison Lackner & Bella Lawson ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

Sixteen organizations. $69,940. Twelve months to use it. The Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education (GPFPE) awarded grants to groups across the district.

Freshman Assist, pep band and the Gearheads robotics team were among those to receive funding.

For the organizations to be considered for grant funding, they first must submit a grant application by the cycle due date. The Board of Education ensures requests will fit within the strategic plan. Recipients must spend the allocated funds within 12 months of receiving the money unless there is a specific reason to save it. If the money is not used by the deadline, it goes back to the GPFPE. Christie Scoggin, Vice President of the GPFPE and parent of senior Tyler Scoggin, is the chairperson of the grant committee. She says the committee is made up of six to seven board members who review applications with a grant chairperson and a financial officer. The committee discusses and prioritizes all submitted grants. They then present them to the school board for approval.

There are two separate cycles for grants. The fall cycle ends Oct. 1, and the spring cycle ends March 1.

“We fundraise and collect donations all year long but only use a portion for our grant process,” Scoggin said via email. “There is a recommended amount to be used each cycle for grants, but we go over and under that amount depending on the grant ideas and the programs needed for the district. We also have a large endowment that continues to grow to protect our longevity.”

Each program at North has made plans for the incoming money. For Freshman Assist, English teacher Geoffrey Young plans to use the funds to help freshmen enrolled in the class to better connect their core academic classes to their program experience. The mentoring program received $10,000 to buy equipment to do so.

“The primary reason for the money was that we wanted to increase the amount of interaction with technology that we have for our students,” Young said. “The money will allow us to buy a cart of mini iPads or Chromebooks or something of that nature so that we can incorporate that kind of learning into the primary classes for our Freshman Assist students more regularly.”

Senior Erin Armbruster is a second-year mentor in the Freshman Assist Program. She likes Freshman Assist because it shows North from a different

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GPFPE

ABOVE: The Gearheads pose in front of South High School’s landmark robotics rock. The team received $2,000 from GPFPE. perspective, and she enjoys helping the freshmen achieve their goals.

According to Armbruster, if there is extra money left over from the computers or tablets they may be able to use it towards the program’s field trips.

“I definitely think (the money) will help with more field trips and maybe even the (homecoming) spirit packs, to make sure all those kids (receive the) t-shirts because not all of them do have that,” Armbruster said.

When pep band members applied for the grant, they knew exactly what they wanted to spend it on. The drum line needed an upgrade to match the standards of the rest of the pep band. They received $3,500 to spend on new instruments.

Junior PJ Gusmano said performing at each game is an opportunity that he would missed if he weren’t in the pep band.

“We have been trying to get money for the program for four years, and our drums are about 20 years old,” Gusmano said. “This can really help us get new drums and finally reach our goal.”

The Gearheads were granted $2,000 from the GPFPE to assist with materials for their program.

Gearheads adviser Sean McCarroll has big plans for the money they were awarded.

“Gearheads is a very large and expensive team to

run—it costs between $40,000-50,000 a year to get safety equipment, training supplies, build the robot, enter competitions,” McCarroll said via email. “The funds from the GPFPE help cover these expenses as well as the maintenance of our industrial equipment. The funds help us run the team. Without donors like the GPFPE, Gearheads wouldn’t be possible. This particular donation puts a good dent in our overall fundraising for the year, which makes success more attainable.”

Gearheads offered junior Claudia Dancy the opportunity to meet new people and has helped her with education, teamwork and communication. She feels that the money will be very helpful to the program.

“I am very thankful for the money GPFPE has given to us,” Dancy said via email. “Without them, the team wouldn’t be able to do as well. The money can even be used for if something major on the robot breaks. If something like that happens, and we don’t have the parts to fix it or the money for those parts, a competition can end for us right then and there.”

GPFPE has been fueling the programs of the school system since 1994 and plans to continue their support.

“This team means a lot to me, and it makes me happy that the community around our team is so willing to help us do what we love doing.”

Exploring Global Issues class to be introduced next fall

By Billy Moin & Mora Downs EDITORS

The Social Studies department will soon be adding a new class to its already varied arsenal.

Exploring Global Issues is a new semester-long class being offered to next year’s juniors and seniors. It will be run for both semesters, taking up to 20 students each term.

The class will be taught by social studies teacher Dan Gilleran and focused on current events throughout the world. In addition, students will work with one of SERVE’s outreach programs in place of doing homework. SERVE is a community organization partnered with the district to teach students about volunteer work.

“The main focus is looking and seeing if we can establish a connection between some of these large global issues and the local community. We’re trying to create a bridge between the global and local and the schools in the community,” Gilleran said. “W hat we’re really trying to do is get students interested in what’s happening in their local area. So it’s just not like a separate class where you study in the classroom and have no connection with what’s going on in the real world.”

The course will aim to serve two purposes. First, Gilleran wants to give students an opportunity to discuss current

events in more detail than their other classes provide time for. He also hopes that, through their work with one of the SERVE programs, they will see the impact they can have.

“It’s great to have an opportunity to really explore some of these issues which I think are incredibly important. And then to have the additional component of service learning, to me, is just great, to make it real,” Gilleran said. “When you start looking at these global issues, it can be really depressing. I mean, it can be overwhelming, but you can actually do something about it and (put) a more positive spin (on it), like ‘ok, we can kinda tackle some of these issues.’”

Gilleran has considered adding a class like Exploring Global Issues for a long time. He coordinated with South High School social studies teacher Crosby Washburne and North SERVE coordinator Alicia Carlisle to make the course a reality.

For the class to become part of the district’s curriculum, Gilleran, Washburn and Carlisle sought approval from multiple people, including both schools’ principals and the School Board. Once the Board gave the approval, they had all they needed to pilot the class.

Gilleran has support coming from other areas as well such as counselor Barbara Skelly.

“I’m very much in support of this new global issues class because I think our

upperclassmen are going to have an opportunity to work on some issues that are impacting our world, such as poverty or clean water or pollution,” Skelly said. “And so they’re going to be reaching out into the community and seeing what an impact they can make. It’s going to be great for our students.”

Exploring Global Issues will be organized like any other class during school hours. The grade will be composed of ref lection papers, in-class group work and a few quizzes.

However, the homework will be the exact opposite of standard, and students will volunteer at the SERVE organization of their choosing. Because of the after-school time commitment to service hours, Gilleran plans to assign a light homework load.

Students interested in the class are eager to learn more about modern issues plaguing the world and working to better the community.

“I am very interested in current events and things like that,” junior Veronica Albo said. “And I’m in Interact Club, which is literally a club where we do community service projects once a month, so it’s very me.”

Similarly, junior Hannah Engels hopes to broaden her horizons by taking the class.

“I think it’ll just help you get a better perspective on the world,” Engels said.

Students like Engels and Albo will

have over 100 different organizations that they can partner with, including Kids on the Go, Habitat for Humanity and Teach for America.

W hile other schools in the area work w ith organizations like these, the Grosse Pointe Public School District is the first in the area to have a combined global issues and ser vice learning course.

“It’s pretty darn exciting. I think it’s one of the reasons they want Grosse Pointe to be on the forefront of doing something like this,” Gilleran said.

Gilleran hopes the course’s effects won’t be limited to the students who take it.

“Ideally, I really want the students to understand that they can make a difference, and there are issues, and it’s not over whelming. You just can’t give up. For me, if we can get one student, two students, three or four that it can have a ripple effect throughout the community. Ideally, that’s what we want,” Gilleran said. “We’re all global citizens, whether we realize it or not.

The world is getting smaller, and you can see events happening in the Far East or South America impacting us, and we have to understand that we have those connections.”

W W W.LDS.ORG

NEWS

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – North Pointe – 3

Second Urgent Care will come to Grosse Pointe Traffic cones and caution tape enclose the unfinished building on Mack Avenue. The construction is for a new MedPost Urgent Care that will be a walk-in clinic and plans to open in early spring.

MedPost Urgent Care will be open seven days a week, as well as evenings and weekends. Patients will be seen on a walk-in basis or can save a spot in line on the clinic’s website or by phone.

The clinic’s goal is to provide a way to avoid long wait times and expensive emergency room fees.

“It’s kind of a result of the changes to the healthcare industry. My understanding is that the family physician is going to be kind of the thing of the past,” Grosse Pointe Woods building official Gene Tutag said. “You would be going to this place, and then they would refer you to one of the specialists, if need be.”

The medical facility is not a trauma center but it is affiliated with Detroit Medical Center (DMC). The clinic cannot handle critical conditions like a heart attack or stroke but can manage basic urgent care. It is able to provide treatment for a variety of injuries and illnesses including X-ray for broken bones, testing for mono and strep throat and prescriptions for colds and allergies.

“It has numerous exam rooms and X-ray rooms and a pediatric component that they’re leaning towards. One half is pediatrics, and the other side is for general adults,” Dougna Building Company superintendent Ron Bieske said.

A portion of the clinic is specifically designated for pediatrics and will have various specialists in that field. Though their priority is providing care, it is still a business.

“The doctors and nurses, they are there to help people, but it’s a company,” Tutag said. “It’s a business. It’s all about making some money, and I think they will do very well there.”

MedPost held a neighborhood meeting with local residents and businesses prior to construction. It was well attended and received in a positive manner. MedPost Urgent Care has clinics all over the nation and several urgent care centers in the metro area.

YENA BERHANE

ABOVE: Construction site of the new MedPost Urgent Care building on Mack.

By Yena Berhane

Tonight at 7 p.m. in the Union

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY No school Monday, Jan. 18

MIDTERM WEEK SCHEDULE

Tuesday: first and second period exams Wednesday: fourth and fifth hour exams LAUREN SEXTON

ABOVE: Students listen to a Challenge Day speaker. that there are other students like them. I think once they realize that, they become sensitive to other people’s struggles, so I think it increases our awareness, our kindness and our empathy for others.”

Senior Connor Sickmiller went to Challenge Day last year and thinks that the experience brings along small changes to people that eventually help a person in the long run.

“It will have a minor effect, I believe. I think

Sophomore Tony Golia found one of the highlights of the project was the reward.

Participation bolstered his teamwork skills, and he looked to Big Salad employees for advice. “(The employees) give you suggestions on if your name’s good and if the product will sell well,” Golia said. “(Working with employees) teaches you how to actually market yourself and how to market an idea.”

Although the incentive makes winning worthwhile, Davis believes there is value in what the students learn from the process. What began last year as a one-time experiment proved so beneficial to students that she decided to make the project an annual activity.

“We do it once a semester, and (the first time), it just went really well,” she said.

“Just like anything, over time you’d work out the kinks and know how to do it better ... the first semester it took us maybe six weeks, the second semester it took us four, this time it took us three and a half, so I think we’ve got it down to a manageable amount of time, and I use it in place of one of the chapters that would be the actual selling and marketing section.”

By Alex Harring

some people would be upset that it’s not happening,” Sickmiller said. “But I don’t think it will have a major effect, as in I don’t think Challenge Day converts people into great people or it helps people dramatically. I think it helps people minorly, which is a good thing though because a lot of minor things helping people eventually lead to a major change.”

Thursday: sixth and seventh hour exams Friday: third period exams and makeups

BOYS HOCKEY GAME Saturday, Jan. 16 against Liggett at Fraser Hockeyland

By Michal Ruprecht

GIRLS BASKETBALL GAME

Home against Romeo on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m.

REVIEWS PAGE-8

YENA BERHANE

LEFT: A food sample prepared by the Marketing I students for their project with Big Salad.

Check out the review on action movie Point Break

VALHALLA

2016

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL Spine Text must fit within theMIdotted lines School Name GROSSE POINTE WOODS,

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Don’t miss out on the 2015-2016 yearbook!

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YOU Deadline is January 31 ME MORE

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VALHALLA 2016

VOLUME

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PARENT CLUB MEETING

Monday: normal school day

Challenge Day is an opportunity to spend a day relating to others in a safe environment while sharing similar struggles in life. The annual event used to occur before winter break, but recently came to a halt.

The district had to cut the event to fund other student programs such as Link Crew and Freshman Assist. Because of a shrinking budget, money was used strategically to support students in the most effective ways.

Sophomore Fiona Byrne attended Challenge Day last year and believes the event should continue because it led her to new friends.

“I think it should (occur this year) because it’s a really good experience to get to know other people, what other people go through,” Byrne said. “I think it’s just a healthy thing for people to do.”

Challenge Day is not only a place for meeting others, but also for promoting change. Principal Kate Murray noticed a transformation in students after they returned from the events in the past.

“I think that it helps students realize that they’re not alone in their struggles,” Murray said.

“And their struggles sometimes aren’t unique,

With the goal of a universally enjoyed salad branded in Marketing I students’ minds, Seal the Deal, the second annual collaboration with the Big Salad franchise, took place the week of Jan. 4.

Business teacher Michelle Davis wants students to learn valuable skills in a realworld setting.

“I hope they gain insight into tying curriculum to reality-based learning and real world experiences so that they have the opportunity to develop a product or menu item, work on the menu item, do the marketing campaign for it,” Davis said. “They did flyers, they did advertisements, actually market the product beforehand, market the day of as people are coming into the store and actually sell the product.”

Identical to last year’s protocol, the owner of Big Salad will showcase the winning group’s item on the menu permanently.

Drop off new or gently used winter coats, gloves and hats in the counseling center by Thursday, Jan. 21.

Jan. 26 - Jan. 29 Exam 1: 8:00-9:30 Exam 2: 9:45-11:15

Challenge Day cancelled

Big Salad collaborates with marketing students for second year

INTERACT CLUB COAT DRIVE

JOB: 2-40599-16

School Name: Grosse Pointe North HS

SEE PAGE 2 FOR SHINE FX USAGE BE SURE TO OMIT TEMPLATE SO IT DOESN”T SHOW IN THE LIGHT GRAY TRANSPARENT AREA FRONT LID BOTTOM CENTER

ON CAMPUS

4 – North Pointe – Wed., Jan. 13, 2016

Robotics team launches new season

Students from North and South meet in the library to discuss strategies and their game for the season

By Trevor Mieczkowski STAFF REPORTER

FACES IN THE CROWD

Katie Link

Just about everyone has someone that they look up to, and for many it’s a parent or a movie star. For sophomore Katie Link, it is an Alzheimer’s patient named Norma.

Link met Norma through a church service project at an Alzheimer’s nursing home. She learned valuable life lessons through the elderly patient.

“She told me to just be nice and be yourself and not to hide yourself. That just meant a lot to me,” Link said. “It’s just having that thought in my mind and a lady who doesn’t really know my past told me that and that it made me smile.”

Link plans to keep in touch with Norma.

“I’m going to start writing to her because I just got the address to the place (where she stays) and I told her I would write her,” Link said.

Jermore Dillard

ABOVE: Junior DJ Mattes draws a design for a rugged offensive robot.

“It will get over defenses easily, and offensive means that it will have the capability of scoring points, rather than protecting the other team from scoring points, “Mattes said. “In this case, it will be scaling the tower, launching boulders at the other team, stuff like that.”

LEFT: Captain Aidan Reickert addresses the North and South robotic teams about the upcoming season. “Today is the kick off of our season and we are told what the game is today. And we officially now have six weeks to build the robot,” Reickert said.

Not many high school students can say that they had an unexpected audition in the principal’s office, that resulted in the start of their music career, but for senior Jerome Dillard, that is not the case.

“One day I was in class and my geometry teacher called me down to the office,” Dillard said. “I went into the principal’s office and there were two music producers that wanted to hear me sing. So I sat down, I sang and greeted them, told them my name and everything, and they said that they wanted to work with me.”

Although the music producers’ visit came as a surprise, Dillard felt he performed well at his impromptu tryout.

“When I first heard about it, I thought that I had to be super cool for them because my teacher actually called me down from my classroom for me to go sing to these people,” Dillard said. “But I felt pretty good, I mean, I was shocked at first.

Other than that, it was pretty cool.”

Mackenzie Simon

ABOVE: Faculty adviser Sean McCarroll leads the students through the brainstorming process. “We are already in the season, .The past four months before winter break, the older kids and I have been teaching the newer members how to do stuff in their teams, because we break into subteams that do different stuff,” McCarroll said. “ Now that we are in build season, the roles are going to reverse, the younger guys are going to assist the returning guys as they work on parts of the robot.”

LEFT: Freshman Paul Gusmano watches the video announcing the theme for the competition. “I’m really excited to see how this year is going to turn out,” Gusmano said. “I’m going to help code the robot so that when you press a button, it’ll do something.”

FAMILY

Who is your hero?

My mom. My mom is a very strong woman and I’ve always looked up to her.

BUCKET LIST

Top item on your bucket list?

To do a road trip down the coast.

MOTTO

Life motto?

Make every moment count.

PERSONALITY

Describe yourself in three words.

Honest, compassionate and energetic.

LIFE OUTSIDE SCHOOL

What do you do when you aren’t teaching?

In the summer I like to go hiking and kayak and go camping, and in the winter, I snowmobile.

By Trevor Mieczkowski

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Science teacher Jamie Hainer

MOVIES

Favorite movie?

Today, I am going to go with Forrest Gump, I like all the humor in it and I also really like how it relates to the historical things that were going on in that time.

Eight thousand miles away from her family and home, junior Mackenzie Simon made new bonds and experienced a new culture while on a mission trip for three weeks in Thailand.

“We did a lot of cultural activities, we rode elephants and visited all the temples, those kinds of things,” Simon said.

“For service we painted this orphanage with the kids. Then we helped take (care) of kids at this home for women and then we taught English at a school.”

Although Simon was far from her family, she didn’t feel alone.

“All the kids on the trip were super cool. I mean everyone kind of goes on their own to these things so you didn’t feel out of place or anything, everyone just kind of bonded,” Simon said. “I mean I missed my family, but it was so fun.

They keep you busy.”

By Trevor Miczkowski STAFF REPORTER

Snow covered trees, ungroomed trails, the purr of her Plarius 500. These are just some of the sights and sounds science teacher Jaime Hainer experiences while out snow mobiling. “(My family and I) tr y to do one backpacking trip a year,” Hainer said. “That’s where you start at one place, and we take whatever it is that we need on our snow mobiles and go around and end up in a few different places.”

Hainer, who’s been snowmobiling since she was 3, gives up ever yday luxuries and only brings essentials she can carr y w ith her on her snow mobile such as a toothbrush and extra clothes. A ty pical trip lasts about three days and usually happens around Christmas time. “(We went) when there used to be more snow, and we’d leave the day after Christmas then go for all of Christmas break and up until the end of college,” Hainer said. “That is where we would always spend our New

Years. That was like our tradition. We were always up snowmobiling on New Years.”

Hainer also says snow mobiling is a time to think and rela x.

“It is nice to get some peaceful time,” she said. “You can think, you don’t have to worry about anything. It is nice and relaxing.”

Though most of Hainer’s trips have gone smoothly, her family did w itness a notable incident.

“We did once have someone who was intox icated, and they hit a tree, and we were the first people to arrive on the scene,” Hainer said. “Luckily, the person was okay, and I think they learned a lesson from that, and it won’t happen again. It was a difficult situation.”

The incident didn’t phase Hainer, who plans to continue snow mobiling. Yellowstone National Park is among the places she’d like to go.

“You can take guided tours out there, and I think that would be really cool.”

SYDNEY BENSON

ABOVE: Although snowmobiling can be a thrill, science teacher Jamie Hainer has encountered some bland experiences. “We have had a few problems where like a snowmobile breaks down and we just tow it to the next town and one of us has to ride double.”

LIFE

An artistic

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016– 5

frame of mind

Freshman pursues passion in animation

DARRIUS STUCKEY

REY KAM

By Rey Kam

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Frame by frame, freshman Darrius Stuckey is making his way into the world of animation. Whether it’s stop-motion action figure films, puppetry, voice acting or digital animation, Stuckey’s YouTube channel has it.

“When I was younger, I loved drawing,” Stuckey said. “And I guess I also liked watching cartoons to give me inspiration ... it really helps out.”

When sophomore Hillary Williams first met Stuckey two years ago, she recognized great potential in the art that he showed her. Since then, Williams has been a major supporter of Stuckey’s artistic endeavors, frequently encouraging him when times get tough.

“She tells me to ‘keep doing what you do until you get noticed,’ and I’m glad that she gives me advice sometimes,” he said. “In middle school, I was going through difficult times—making friends and everything—and she really helped me out.”

Almost two years ago, Stuckey posted his first animation project to his channel Dare’s Films (a 13-second stop-motion video of two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (TMNT) action figures showing off their moves). Using his little brother’s action figures as models, he animated fight sequences, turtle spins and even recreated the original cartoon’s title sequence (complete with the theme song).

But now, Stuckey has moved on to new projects.

Feline High, Stuckey’s original show, is in the preliminary stages of production and Stuckey says it’s going “pretty well.” He is still working on writing the first season. He recently posted a trailer/preview for his new show, one which Demetri Gritsas thought was “pretty legit.”

Gritsas and Stuckey met in seventh grade art class, where they bonded over theater. Later, Stuckey sought Gritsas’ advice on audition process and YouTube.

Stuckey said that a major factor in his choice to pursue animation and its many facets was his love of Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy. Stuckey practiced his voice acting skills by imitating MacFarlane’s voices, perfecting his own impressions of the characters that MacFarlane voices in his show.

“I think I’ve learned a lot from him (MacFarlane), and I just decided I should make my own show to be like him,” Stuckey said.

Satisfied that his writing is turning out “very funny and reminiscent of shows like Family Guy and The Simpsons,” Stuckey plans to take another page out of his idol MacFarlane’s book and voice several of the Feline High freshmen himself.

“It’s about a group of cats who are high school freshmen,” Stuckey said.

“And when they’re outside of school, they go on these crazy adventures.”

Williams sees potential is Stuckey’s photos and believes he could be successful in his future.

“This one has major talent,” Williams said. “Like with his animations and everything, he can go really far.”

REY KAM

ABOVE: Multiple screenshots of Stuckey’s animations throughout the years. “I’m not really sure I think what I want for my animation,” Stuckey said. “I can see how I can start out and then later on improve myself. I just have different techniques on animating and if I can possibly change that, if I could make some other ones, it’d be better.”

Senior threads way into clothing industry

By Emma Brock & Sarah Wietecha ASSISTANT EDITORS

With help from a few graphic design classes and a spark of creativity, senior Givonne Terry crafted his own path into the wild life of fashion.

Last summer, Terry created a clothing line called “Wild Life” that has rapidly gained popularity. In the last month, he’s sold products via social media and at kiosks Eastland Center.

“I sell to everybody. I was at Eastland (Mall) a couple weeks ago selling out of this one store to people,” Terry said. “Then I sell at school, so you might see a couple people in the hallways with them, and people hit me up on Instagram.”

Terry’s fascination with design started to blossom after he took Photoshop I and Computer Graphics I with art teacher Michael Lamb last year.

“He has a good sense of design. He has a strong belief in his own abilities,” Lamb said.

GIVONEE TERRY “The way he designs, he’s very proud of his own unique style and look (and is) very confi- ABOVE: One of Terry’s new shirt designs that will be shown on the runway. dent in that.”

“I’m currently going to be in a fashion show called Walk Fashion Detroit ediAlthough he finds inspiration in everything he experiences, a majority of his threads fea- tion,” Terry said. ture animals. A wolf, tiger and a claw scratch are common elements to some of his designs.

“I have one (design) with a bear claw scratch on the back of it ... it’s like a ‘WL,’ and then I put ‘Wild Life’ underneath it,” Terry said. “So almost everything I use has some type of scratch in it that’s like a claw mark.”

Terry receives support promoting his clothes from friends like senior Khalonji Gibbs.

Gibbs isn’t involved in the process of selling the designs, but he helps promote them by wearing the clothes.

“I like to support anybody who’s selling clothes, especially someone that I would call my brother, so I started wearing his clothes,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs sometimes spots people in Metro Detroit wearing the authentic designs.

“It’s unique. No one has it, and it’s coming from him, and he’s very creative,” Gibbs said. “I love how it says ‘Wild Life,’ and then he comes out with different pictures on the front, like he has one for women with lips (on the shirt) and then for the guys, it’s just an actual scrape.”

The popularity of Terry’s clothes is evident to Gibbs through the amount of buyers at school, online and out of the city.

“I see a lot of people in Eastland wearing his shirts, a couple people from school, and then there’s more that are buying them,” Gibbs said. “He promotes it on his (Instagram) page sometimes. That has people from other states ordering his shirts, so it’s going good for him.”

Terry looks to attend Ferris State University or Florida A&M University and major in graphic design. His dream is to open his own store one day that could branch out into different parts of the country.

“I want to do a franchise. With my first store, I want to base it in Detroit, like have my main store (there),” Terry said. “And then I’ll have branches of it in New York, Cali, L.A., something like that.”

Terry’s friends will continue to givesupport to the endeavors that the future holds for GIVONEE TERRY ABOVE: Another shirt design from Terry’s collection. “Right now I’m starthim.

“I mean he’s very dedicated to anything that he does and not only just sports and life,” ing off,” Terry said. “I’m doing a test run on my shirts and they’re doing real good so I’m going to print out hoodies. I want to print out the sweatpants to Gibbs said. “But as far as the clothing thing, it’s looking really good for him.” go with the hoodies, like a little jogging set. I want to put it on some hats and jackets”.

LIFE

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – 6

Making midterms matter

HUFFINGTONPOST.COM REY KAM

HUB.JHU.EDU

By Anu Subramaniam, Emma Puglia & Rey Kam EDITOR-IN-CHEIF, WEB EDITOR-IN-CHEIF, EDITOR-AT-LARGE

“Dear Jane Doe, The Committee on Admissions has completed its Early Action meetings. After careful discussion, we were unable to take a definite action on your application and have deferred making a decision at this time. You are welcome to submit significant new information for consideration during the Regular Action process. Updates on your activities or other achievements and extra letters of recommendation are helpful if they might contribute substantially to your application.

Sincerely, Colleges across the nation.”

As the Common Application has become more popular starting in the early 2000s, the number of students applying to schools since its introduction has skyrocketed, as have the number of students who are being deferred. With so many applications available in one portal, applying to a school is more manageable and organized that is has ever been. This availability and ease encourages students to apply to more and more universities. This could be seen most recently when 20.2 million students applied to American colleges and universities for enrollment in the Class of 2019.

The University of Michigan joined the Common Application in 2010, and was met with over 49,731 freshman applicants, a record high. As a result, it started deferring students.

When a student is deferred, they are moved from the early admissions pool to the regular admissions pool. This means that deferred seniors must have their first semester grades considered in their regular admission decision.

“Since I got deferred, it definitely puts more pressure on getting my grades up, because University of Michigan is going to see them,” senior Dalaney Bradley said. “I can’t slack off, and I have to keep my midterm grades up, so that’s definitely been a motivator for me studying.”

The University of Michigan Board of Regents switched from a rolling admissions plan that produced a 65 percent early acceptance rate to a single deadline early admissions system that produced only a 37.5 percent early acceptance rate. In its early years on the Common Application, the University of Michigan saw over-enrollment up to the fall of 2014, before they started controlling their early admissions rate. As a result, less students were accepted during the early action process and were deferred.

“As colleges have become more competitive, as more students are being deferred as a routine, because they want to get a better look at their pool of applicants, it’s becoming

more and more important,” counselor Milissa Pierce said. “I always like to tell students ‘A deferral is a great opportunity because it’s not a no.’ A deferral is basically saying ‘we need more information.’ They’re not saying you’re not admissible.

They’re saying we need more information and (if you’re) having a great semester and if you get aware of it a month or two prior to the grades coming in, you’ve got a great opportunity to prove your worthiness, so to speak.”

Students who are deferred by colleges are asked to send mid-year reports which include their first semester grades, meaning that how well students do on their midterms and in their classes is one of the last things that a college sees before they make their final decision.

“Since I’m getting put in the regular decision pool now, it

“

I always like to tell students ‘A defer-

ral is a great opportunity because it’s not a no.’ A deferral is basically saying ‘we need more information.’

Milissa Pierce COUNSELOR

“

could be more competitive, so I have to make my application as competitive as possible,” Bradley said. “And so I already sent pretty much everything that I can about myself, so now the last thing they pretty much know about me is my first semester grades.”

However, junior Adam Schade feels that the importance of midterms starts before a student is deferred.

Schade feels that both junior and freshman year are important contributors towards one GPA. He feels that because everybody says junior year is the biggest and most important year, colleges emphasize the year, but thinks getting a good start is important too.

“I think freshman year sets your foundation which you add to for the next three years of high school,” Schade said.

“So if you work hard midterms freshman year, it sets a good example for yourself to work hard the next years.”

Freshman year grades factor into a student’s overall GPA, which can set the tone for the rest of the student’s academic

career. Colleges only see official semester grades, which midterms are 20 percent of, so midterms do have an impact on what they see.

Because freshman year’s credits count towards 25 percent of one’s GPA, doing well on midterms during freshman year is important, as it can make a student more competitive. However, colleges look for growth so freshman year doesn’t make or break college admissions.

“I kind of like to think of it like a scale. Freshman year, the slate is clean, and whatever you put into that bucket affects your opportunities. Sophomore year, when you’re using math, it’s two years and if I have a 4.0 sophomore year and a 2.0 freshman year, it’ll be a 3.0,” Pierce said. “After sophomore year, it gets harder and harder to bring that scale back up again. If it goes down from a grade point after sophomore year, 50 percent of your cumulative points are gone, so it gets more difficult and more difficult.”

Current freshmen such as Sophia Leszczynski are starting to notice the trend in the competitive nature of college applications, taking early strides in order to maintain their strong start.

“I think it’s pretty important for people to do well because you see how people, if they study really hard, they get into good colleges,” Leszczynski said.

Bradley feels that her performance freshman year contributed towards her deferral.

“I was definitely someone who slacked off freshman year so that definitely caught up to me and probably had a lot to do with my deferral, so yes they matter a lot,” Bradley said. “If you’re on the edge of being at a certain grade in a class, then that’s definitely going to matter, but if you’re at like a solid A or whatever grade in the class, they usually don’t make that much of an impact unless you do super super bad or super super well on them.”

Although midterms only determine 20 percent of a student’s semester grade, they provide college applicants an edge that, when looked at senior year, shows consistent engagement.

“You work so hard throughout high school to get into college and you don’t want to just get lazy on a couple midterms and get your admissions taken away from you,” Schade said.

“You work so hard and just to do that would be a complete waste. Although it’s your last year, you should still work hard and finish your high school career strong.”

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – 7

IDEAS

2 Show

FACE OFF SEASON 10 PREMIERE: JANUARY 13, 2016

Reap the rejection

By Anu Subramaniam EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Before the era of emailed college decisions, it was easier to be prepared for the outcome—the one that became inevitable the second you hit submit.

The difference between the letters of denial and acceptance could not be shrouded by the glossy logo-covered letter that stood between you and your future. A heavy letter was good. A light one—well, you’ve seen the shows. You could look at the letter and know. You didn’t even have to see the printed words. You just knew.

Now, all that stands between you and that decision is the clicking of a link on that similarly logo-studded email. There isn’t an indication of the answer until you face the decision, right on the computer screen.

This is our reality.

For years, we have been asked what college we want to go to. We’ve seen our answers change, swing, do a 180.

But it wasn’t real. It was all a proposition, an idea we had, maybe based on where our parents wanted us to go or which team won the conference title. It was a “what if.”

But then, there was an answer knocking at the front door. Suddenly, a final answer to our years of “what ifs” was hurled into your inbox.

Too often, that answer sounds like a slammed door ringing with the echo of “you are an extremely qualified candidate, but the University...”

Gone are the days of buying college sweatshirts, thinking of what else you’ll add to the collection when you get in. The finality of rejection is hard.

It stares you straight in the face, and it gets harder knowing that there is no way around it. It’s even harder to accept that the decision wasn’t yours.

People tell you it’s all right, that there is a window open where that door closed, but it doesn’t feel all right.

Our digital age makes feeling all right impossible because for everyone else, things seem to go right.

We watch seniors before us get the chance to giddily face their futures.

But we don’t see the hard things. We don’t see their faces when they look at rejection letters. We don’t watch them agonize over which schools to attend.

We see them post happy pictures in their new schools’ spirit wear and add their new schools to their Twitter bios.

We don’t see how hard rejection is until we go through it ourselves. And that’s the tough part about it. We can’t understand how hard it is until we experience it firsthand. Everyone has a different reaction and is entitled to their own method of coping. Just because it’s different than yours doesn’t make it wrong.

Your friends aren’t over exaggerating because they took it harder than you would have. They aren’t under avoiding their futures if they don’t talk about them. They also aren’t depressed if they create a College Rejection playlist on Spotify and listen to it on full blast.

They are all just coping, something we have to do when we get an answer to our four-year-long questions. We even process our acceptances. Some may shout, some may scream into their pillows or change the decor in their rooms (I’m talking to you Rory Gilmo re).

But it’s all different, and we should each support that.

Instead of telling people they’re all right and will be okay, let them cope in their own ways. If we’re still basing our expectations on TV shows, then yes, we’ll be okay. But we can’t understand what they’re going through.

People attach a lot to an acceptance.

Whether it’s parental pride, a dream program or just proving to yourself you can do it, it varies, just like the reactions when those go away.

The answer is final, but the following state of mind isn’t. Everybody is entitled to a bad reaction, and we should give them what they need.

Encouraging words can help, but sometimes we just need somebody to scream with since we can no longer stare at the letter and know our fate.

You don’t know if somebody’s hopes and dreams crashed and burned the night before. It takes time, but a fire loses its fuel and dulls. Don’t add to it.

Let it be.

3

1

GOODREADS.COM

AFTERELLEN.COM

A new set of 14 artists will use their talents to compete for a variety of prizes in the new season of Face Off. This reality competition has artists create a life-sized creature based on a theme and airs on Syfy tonight at 9 p.m.

BOOK THE THREE BODY PROBLEM

Movie

RIDE ALONG 2 This sequel is hotter, funnier and faster-paced than the original. In the last movie, James joined Ben for a day working as a cop. This time around, James has gained Ben’s approval to marry his sister and is preparing for the wedding before complications arise. If you’re a fan of the original or just enjoy a funny action film, check this flick out when it hits theaters Jan. 15.

For the first time, renowned Chinese sci-fi author Liu Cixin has translated his award-winning book The Three Body Problem into English. The novel centers around aliens planning to invade Earth — and it’s up to the humans to stop them. This novel is available in stores and websites.

The top 10 things this week that we can’t live without

ON POINTE

By Katelynn Mulder

4

STAFF REPORTER

Album DEATH OF A BACHELOR

American rock band Panic! At The Disco is set to drop its fifth album Jan. 15. With singles like “Death Of A Bachelor,” this album is the first without beloved drummer Spencer Smith.

WIKIMEDIA .COM

5

Book TRAVELER Released Jan. 12, Traveler is a fantasy and adventure sequel that follows Quin Kincaid as she pledges to be a seeker, a warrior tasked with protecting the innocent and weak people in society. However, being a seeker was not what she believed it would be when she uncovered her family’s dark secrets.

RANDOMHOUSE.COM

6

10

WWW.YOUTUBE.COM

From the Assassin’s Creed collection come three new games featuring hit men from Russia, India and China. Like the others in its series, this set of games may has characters and has the VIDEO GAME common goal of trying to claim a Piece of Eden.

ASSASAINS CREED CHRONICLES: INDIA

Sports

9

Movie

RED WINGS

THE FOREST NHL.COM

The Red Wings will be playing the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night.

Coming off a 1-0 win against the New Jersey Devils, the away game will air at 9 p.m. on Fox Sports Detroit.

7 Event

Tickets are still on sale for tomorrow’s Muse and X Ambassadors concert at Joe Louis Arena at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

ASSASSINSCREED.UBI.COM FILMYCOLLECTION.COM

This psychological horror movie follows the classic ‘based on a true story’ theme and adds a unique twist. The movie takes place almost entirely in a forest instead of the cliche haunted house. By using a creepy theme and adding a psychological horror instead of a physical one, this movie proves promising. In theaters now.

8 Show

MUSE AND X AMBASSADORS

ZIOMURO.COM

SHADOW HUNTER

WWW.PINTEREST.COM

Based on Cassandra Clare’s renowned book series The Mortal Instruments, the show Shadow Hunter’s premiered last night at 9 p.m. The show is centered on female heroine Clare as she searches for clues in a new world of demons and angels.

REVIEWS

8 – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – North Pointe

Second chance isn’t worth one

By Lauren Sexton ASSISTANT EDITOR

Some things just do not deser ve a second chance, but what is really baff ling about the show Second Chance is how they got a one in the first place. For generations, crime dramas have been people’s late-night binges and week ly routines. Popular shows like The X-Files, Bones, Criminal Minds and any Dick Wolf Law and Order product all keep viewers on the edges of their seats, whether they’re realistic or futuristic. Crime dramas have been a staple of network time slots for decades.

But one of the latest probably won’t last a season.

Sold as a modern take on Molly Shelley’s Frankenstein, Second Chance is the stor y of a corrupt police department, a futuristic technolog y company, two intelligent tw ins and an old man and his family. It really doesn’t seem like Shelly’s beloved novel at all.

Today, Jimmy Pritchard (Robert Kazinsk y, Hot Pursuit) is a bitter old man who’s riddled w ith cancer and reeks of smoke. He’s a burden to his son Duval ( Tim DeKay, White Collar) and his teenage daughter Gracie (Ciara Bravo, Big Time Rush). In the mix of a crossfire, Jimmy gets murdered (which the killers tr y to stage as a suicide). On the other side of tow n live Mar y and Otto Goodw in, ver y suc-

cessful tw ins who created Lookingglass, a prosperous technolog y company. However, the company seems to be in jeopardy. W hen Mar y, who is the only one who can communicate w ith her brother, becomes ill. Confused yet?

W hen all things seemed lost, Otto came across a “donor,” the corpse of Jimmy Prichard, which may help him cure his sister. Though the experiment to find the cure seemed risk y, it was a success.

Otto’s idea was to bring Prichard back to life and make him younger. However, there was a side effect that gave Prichard a handful of “amazing” abilities.

Second Chance is probably the worst crime drama to be on television. It shows no resemblance to its beloved inspiration. Frankenstein (the monster) was created out of dead limbs by a mad scientist, and Victor only made the creature for his ow n glor y.

Second Chance is about an experiment that could potentially save someone’s life.

There is a fine line between selfish and self less.

As far as filming goes, it’s rather basic. Shots are clean and crisp w ith the occasional rock y reality shots now and again. The only thing remotely interesting is the occasional “episode” that Prichard experiences using a point of v iew shot. The audience gets to see the what Prichard is

seeing when he needs energ y and when he tries to remember things from his past. But then again, it has been done before.

W hy FOX would ever take on a mostly unknow n like Rand Ravich isn’t clear. He is not ver y successful in T V or film. His most notable movie was The Astronaut’s Wife (1999) starring Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron.

Even w ith two top-grossing actors, The Astronaut’s Wife got only 16 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. That was the highest rated of his seven attempts.

Second Chance could have been better if it had all its ducks in a row. It isn’t the actors’ fault it’s so aw ful. The only thing that might keep viewers returning is the desire to see how this mess of a show is going to end up. Second Chance premieres Wednesday, Jan. 13.

But frank ly, your time could be better spent elsewhere.

SECOND CHANCE 2016 UNRATED FOX

WWW.IMDB.COM

MOVIE

BOOK

APP

MUSIC

POINT BREAK

THE COPPER GAUNTLET

UNWIND

TELL ME I’M PRETTY

From Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, the authors of The Spiderwick Chronicles and The Mortal Instruments, comes book two in the Magisterium seAMAZON.COM ries, The Copper Gauntlet. It picks up where book one left off. It’s Callum Hunt’s second year at the Magisterium, a hidden school of magic where young students come each year to learn about their powers. This time instead of struggling to get along with his fellow students and learning how to control his magic, Callum must do everything in his power to keep his real identity hidden.

After realizing that he is actually Constantine Madden (better known to the world of magic as The Enemy of Death), Callum is constantly analyzing his every step to see if he really is doomed to turn evil. Amid this chaos, Callum tries to clear his father’s name for planning to kill the Makar., a hero in the world of magic. His pending fate combined with the effort to hide his secret from his friends and teachers makes this book fast-paced and suspenseful.

The Copper Gauntlet was a real pageturner. Each new chapter brought a new revelation or action-packed fight into the mix. But while it may be well written and suspenseful, it’s very short.

Clare and Black weave a beautiful story, but it could have been longer, and they could have elaborated on the basic magical creatures or the Magisterium itself.

Callum only remains at the Magisterium for a short period of time, and the authors gloss over critical information. This makes it confusing for the reader later on.

What sets this book apart is its intense internal conflict and blurred line between right and wrong. Instead of being the classic good versus evil, the young characters understand that both sides have done good and bad things and both will continue to do so until one defeats the other. By recognizing that neither is truly white or black, the book is more realistic and definitely an interesting read.

After over a year of silence, IronSource has released the fourth game in the Hopeless series.

Hopeless 2: Cave Escape offers a fresh spin on the series.

In the first three WWW.ANDROIDLISTE-TR.COM games, players are frightened yellow blobs against monsters hunting them.

But now the blobs are on the run, and players must protect the armed blobs as they ride in minecarts through monsterridden caves, searching for safety.

However, not everything is different. Similar to the earlier games, the caves are poorly lit, and monsters will appear seemingly out of nowhere. This forces players to have quick reflexes to make it through the level.

Each level begins with one blob in the cart, and others can be saved along the way.

The cart can hold up to three blobs at a time, essentially serving as three lives. But beware, loose blobs can also be accidentally killed, and doing so too often will end the level.

Players must also restart when every blob dies. Restarting forces the player to lose out on of their carts, which are required to play and will regenerate over time.

As the player progresses, the difficulty increases rapidly. Levels become more intricate, and the design harder to get through on the first try.

Players can combat the game’s increasing adversity by obtaining better weapons.

Weapons range from weak pistols to deadly acid guns and can make or break the player’s chances at a level. They are also extremely expensive and often force players to reluctantly replay levels to afford the next one.

In addition to guns, gadgets and boosters are also available. These items provide single-use assistance that can help struggling players get past a tough level.

There are two types featured in the game—coins and gems. Coins can be found spread throughout levels, while gems are rewards for completing missions, similar to those assigned in Jetpack Joyride.

Hopeless 2, although not perfect, proves to be an enticing game that is just as challenging to play as it is to put down.

After hits such as “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked,” Cage the Elephant is making a change. On their December release Tell Me I’m Pretty, the WWW.CAGETHEELEPHANT.COM popular alternative band shifts from an eclectic, acoustic-like style to a dark powerhouse.

The album takes a rocky start, focusing heavily on electric guitar in the song “Cry Baby,” which creates a unique sound when orchestral strings fade in. However, the pessimistic chant of “you’re gonna die” combined with the tone of vocalist Matthew Shultz drones on in the chorus.

Luckily, the music quickly regains its footing. By quickening the tempo while clutching harmony and a one-of-a-kind instrumental quality, Cage the Elephant generates a Beatleesque style. “Mess Around” provides automatic punk-rock surfer vibes.

What really makes this album stand out from the band’s former works is songs’ feelings of vulnerability. Transparent, emotional tunes like “Sweetie Little Jean” and “Too Late To Say Goodbye” tell stories of lost loves and moving on, using strong metaphors of precious sparks and dangerous fire in the latter.

The haunting psychedelia that follows a lyric of anguish lingers in the air, imprinting itself in the listener’s mind.

The virtuosic musicality of the album remains stable throughout the entire disc. A balanced blend and variety of featured instruments (such as strings, bass and various percussion) keeps audiences hooked while showing off the talented members of the group.

However, the technology draped over Matthew Shultz’s voice isn’t worth it. The postrecording echo inserted into nearly every song becomes distracting from the gem of the album — the lyrics. Shultz’s brooding tone is strong enough without a heavy background of the same voice.

Going back to the basics of rock was a smart move. By paying tribute to the sounds of classics such as Pink Floyd, Cage the Elephant gained the ability to morph their stereotypical indie image into a more hard-hitting, emotional band.

Point Break; 2015; Ericson Core; PG-13; 114 Minutes

The Copper Gauntlet; Holly Black, Cassandra Clare; 264 pp; $11.08

Unwind; Jijjy; updated Dec. 13, 2015; Available on goolge play and app store; Free

Tell Me I’m Pretty; Cage The Elephant; Radio Corporation America Records; 2015

By Billy Moin

By Katelynn Mulder

By Giuseppe Parison

By Emma Puglia

In his remake of the 1991 movie Point Break, director Ericson Core has expanded beyond the original story about an FBI agent and some bank-robbing surfWWW. COLLIDER.COM

ers.

The movie begins with former extreme athlete Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey), an agentin-training for the FBI. In his training, he comes across a string of international crimes in which the criminals steal and, in Robin Hood fashion, give it away to the poor. Utah notices that each time a crime happens, a group of people also complete an ordeal in the Ozaki Eight, a set of “impossible” challenges set for extreme athletes.

Figuring this is no coincidence, Utah moves to investigate and winds up within the group of thrill-seekers he believes is at fault. To gather evidence, he must accompany them through the ordeals. Throughout the story, he struggles to choose between the FBI or Bodhi (Édgar Ramírez), the group’s charismatic, nature-loving leader.

However, Core does a poor job with his revamped plot. The movie feels like two films jammed into one. There’s the FBI plotline with Utah trying to catch criminals, and there’s the Ozaki plot where he follows Bodhi through the ordeals. These two plots finally come together at the end, but by that point, it’s too late.

Even worse, Point Break also suffers from illogical character development. Bodhi and his gang transform from heroes to killers without cause, while Utah’s actions as an FBI agent are completely unrealistic.

The one aspect of this movie that isn’t problematic is the stunts. From proximity base jumping to treacherous solo climbing, Point Break has it all. Fortunately for viewers, Core does a magnificent job with this aspect.

Each incredible ordeal immerses the viewer and gets the heart pumping.

Part of the reason these scenes were so successful is the unique use of camera angles. For several of the stunts, Core used cameras attached to one of the stuntsmen, putting audience members in the characters’ shoes.

Despite these positive qualities, the characters and the plotline simply do too much damage to make Point Break worthwhile.

IDEAS

“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.”

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – North Pointe – 9

Ask not what Challenge Day can do for you, but what you can do for Challenge Day

BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY

Abbey Cadieux ASSISTANT EDITOR

Anu Subramaniam EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Olivia Asimakis MANAGING EDITOR

Katelyn Carney SPORTS EDITOR

Billy Moin NEWS EDITOR

Mora Downs LIFE EDITOR

Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANAGER

Emma Puglia WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ritika Sanikommu IDEAS EDITOR Katelynn Mulder STAFF REPORTER

Yena Berhane EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Radiance Cooper ASSISTANT EDITOR

New Year, same you

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.

SARAH WIETECHA

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Anu Subramaniam MANAGING EDITOR: Olivia Asimakis MANAGING EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Jennifer Kusch EDITORS-AT-LARGE: Yena Berhane, Rey Kam SECTION EDITORS: Katelyn Carney, Mora Downs, Audrey Kam, Billy Moin, Ritika Sanikommu WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma Puglia BUSINESS MANAGERS: Jillian Berndtson, Gowri Yerramalli PHOTO EDITORS: Sydney Benson, Dalaney Bradley, Ava Deloach, Bella DeSandy, Erinne Lubienski ASSISTANT EDITORS: Emma Brock, Caitlin Bush, Abbey Cadieux, Radiance Cooper, Allison Lackner, Lindsey Ramsdell, Anna Post, Lauren Sexton, Sarah Wietecha STAFF REPORTERS: Josie Bennett, Alex Harring, Bella Lawson, Nathan Lonczynski, Trevor Mieczkowski, Katelynn Mulder, Sonny Mulpuri, Michal Ruprecht, Billy Steigelman, Addison Toutant INTERNS: Darcy Graham, Erin Kaled,Joey Parison, Montana Paton, Olivia Robinson, Asia Simmons, Tommy Teftsis The North Pointe is edited and produced by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review.

Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System.

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

One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at northpointenow.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper.

CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Twitter: @thenorthpointe Website: NorthPointeNow.org

A national initiative. A North tradition.

Over the past four years, Challenge Day has become an annual tradition. Each December, 150 students have the opportunity to talk about their struggles in a safe environment, hoping to gain a new perspective and find support. But this year, budget constraints eliminated that opportunity.

Limited funds forced administration’s hands and they had to make a tough decision about what programs would get funding. After serious deliberation, they chose to fund assistive programs like Freshman Assist and Link Crew over Challenge Day. It shouldn’t come to this. Having to get rid of a lifechanging program should not fall on administration, who is as upset about Challenge Day’s cancellation as students.

Challenge Day is a nationwide program that works with middle and high schoolers. The workshop lasts about six hours and includes team-building exercises, sharing stories and details with a group and crossing the line.

The program was created to build connection and empathy and to fulfill the organization’s vision that every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved and celebrated.

After the first Challenge Day, the difference was notable. Teachers, students and administration noticed the extra compassion and sensitivity students were showing towards one another. Students proudly donned their “Be the Change” t-shirts the next day in support of the program and the differences that it made in their lives.

This, too, has become an annual tradition, with the previous years’ participants wearing their Challenge Day shirts as well. If asked, many students say Challenge Day was worth it and made a big impact on their lives.

Getting rid of Challenge Day is not in the student body’s best interests. Challenge Day promotes a cohesive, peaceful school environment, and not having it takes away 150 student’s opportunities to learn and

“My New Year’s resolution is to become a better singer because I don’t think I’m there yet. “

grow as students before them had. Challenge Day spans over two days. Each day accommodates 75 students.

Over four years that equates to 600 students going. And without challenge day approxiametly 600 students cannot go, that equates to half of the school.

So why was the program cut? Before we point fingers, we have to understand that there are many assistive programs at North, and they all require funding.

Administration weighed the pros and cons of funding each and found that funding in-school programs would be more beneficial to the student body as a whole. Their decision was in the best interest of North and was the best they could do with their limited funds.

But that still doesn’t make not having Challenge Day okay. It benefits the community as a whole. It helps create bond throughout the community, and it shows community support in addition to benefitting specific members of the community.

As such, Challenge Day could use some help from the community, too. Donations or School Board funding could help reinstate the tradition that swept through the halls of North. Though it does take a sizable sum, kids who go through the experience are more likely to give back to their school.

The kindness, compassion and sensitivity taught are more likely to be spread through the school and the community, and this is only multiplied year to year with more attendees.

Beyond the community, there is the idea of helping even one student realize they aren’t alone. Too often we see the tragic story of a child who didn’t feel safe in their school and took drastic measures, harming themselves or others. And when we hear about it, it’s too late.

We have the opportunity to offer that to all the kids who go through North. To give over 1,000 students the opportunity to know they aren’t alone. Getting community or school board funding for Challenge Day can help change the lives of thousands of students. We have to embrace Challenge Day’s slogan and be the change. But to do that, we have to find a way to bring Challenge Day back.

“Just to get straight A’s because my grades aren’t good right now, so if I get straight A’s it will help for college.”

FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE Kristin Martin-Turner FRESHMAN

Abby Kanakry SOPHOMORE

“To become a better person because I’m actually a terrible person. I feel like my attitude is a little over the top towards people and it could be better.”

Jasmine Daniel JUNIOR

Instant Norseman YOUR TURN: What’s your New Year’s resolution?

Instant Norsemen Updates Updates

By Sydney Benson PHOTO EDITOR

For those of us who have yet to complete our resolutions from 2014, the idea of another 365 days passing— bringing with it a new set of cardinal rules—may seem a little daunting. After indulging our materialistic selves during the holidays, ringing in a new year invites us to reflect on the past year and indulge the idea of our best selves. Our dreams for the new year go active the second the ball drops, as if the changing of the date has the ability to alter our lives in an instant.

Unfortunately, these healthy hypotheticals have turned into yet another platform for big businesses to cash in on our insecurities. One of the most common (yet shortlived) resolutions is to “lose weight.” So, predictably, who ends up sponsoring the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square? Planet Fitness, a massive gym franchise, of course.

With Planet Fitness’s iron grip on this holiday, the tourists in Times Square donning their ridiculous Cat-in-the-Hat-esque Planet Fitness top hats probably didn’t realize they were being walking billboards. Today, the wholesome idea of getting a new beginning with the new year is being taken advantage of, and is being used as just another advertising tactic.

Stay strong, you can’t let these greedy corporations get the best of you. New Year’s resolutions are opportunities to seek out a better life and be the happy, healthy people we all dream of being. A few small, realistic plans can end up being way more valuable than an entire list of overwhelming superficial resolutions. Instead of coming up with goals that would truly make you a better person mentally and physically, many resolutions are made to cater to whatever is the buzz at the moment. The commercialization of society has somewhat robbed people of the genuine benefits of this tradition.

A lot of these pitiful resolutions, such as “get in shape,” or “make more money,” stem from our own personal hangups and self-doubts. These overarching goals often seem unattainable, causing us to get immediately discouraged. I don’t know about you, but listing everything you hate about yourself doesn’t sound like a great way to start off the year.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and jumping to negative conclusions on the very first day of the year is pretty counterproductive.

This idea of reaching a vague ultimate goal is bound to derail those who are impatient. Instead of setting your mind on losing 50 pounds and getting frustrated with your lack of progress, set baby steps for yourself and resolve to accomplish something small each month. Or, if you’re trying to drink more water, make a daily goal and increase it as the year goes on. These things take time, and it’s best to maintain steady effort instead of fizzling out and giving up halfway through January.

You’re still you after Jan. 1, only now you’re you with a Fitbit on. You were you before you had your exclusive, lifechanging gym membership, and you’re still you when you don’t use it for three months.

Plus, you have 366 chances to get it right this time, since 2016 is a leap year.

Make resolutions, but don’t do it for the advertisers on TV and their ridiculous ideals. Do it for yourself.

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stant Norseman Updates

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“My New Year’s resolution is to get stronger, smarter, and faster because I think I can improve in those areas.“

Amirr Hunter SENIOR

“My New Year’s resolution is something that drives my husband crazy. I have this thing were I don’t screw lids on jars or bottles tightly, not on purpose, but because I just don’t. So, my New Year’s resolution for him is to screw the lids on things tightly.”

Bridgette Cooley SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

“My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time with my son in the Boy Scouts because it’s a very positive organization.”

Steven Kosmas SCIENCE TEACHER

SPORTS

Is this goodbye?

By Katelyn Carney EDITOR

Katelyn’s Korner

10 – North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016

The recent news story that grabbed sports page headlines was that the All-Pro wide receiver for the Detroit Lio n s , C a l v i n J o h n s o n , w a s consider i ng ret i rement.

Megatron has had a stellar 9 year career, which is considered long by NFL standards where the average career only spans 3.5 years due to the brutal and physical nature of the game that takes a toll on a player’s body. Many players, due to the tremendously high salaries they can command, try to hang on well past their prime to collect another paycheck. This is not the case with Johnson.

While some may argue that he is not the elite receiver he once was, Johnson proved both durable and productive in 2015 as his 88 catches for 1267 yards and 9 touchdowns put him among the league leaders. Yet Johnson had to deal with an assortment of ailments, including mangled fingers and various knee and ankle injuries that held him out of practices most weeks. This was pretty good production for not practicing. Of course in the words of the immoral Allen Iverson, “We’re talking practice.”

Calvin Johnson has to contemplate his desire to continue to play the game versus his long term well-being and quality of life. He has more money than he knows what to do with and would be walking away from a hefty 24 million dollar salary in 2016, but would even have to pay back millions from his signing bonus for the portion of his contract he doesn’t complete. However, this wouldn’t make a dent in his fortune.

But what good is all that money if you can’t even walk to spend it?

Plenty of athletes are forced to retire from their sport prematurely because of injuries that prevent them from playing at a high level. We all know Bo, and Bo knows injuries. Bo Jackson, a star professional athlete in two sports, was cut down in the prime of his career by an undiagnosed hip injury that kept him from possibly being hailed as the greatest athlete since the days of Jim Thorpe. Gale Sayers, Eric Lindros, Monica Seles, Mike Utley, Larry Bird, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych–every sport is littered with athletes whose careers are cut short due to injury.

In addition to injuries, sometimes diseases or freak accidents end promising or sparkling sports careers. Think of Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, Roberto Clemente, Hank Gathers. Or the bizarre– Lyman Bostock, Len Bias, Bison Dele, Plaxico Burress.

But rare indeed is the athlete who walks away from his sport at the peak of their game with individual records and accomplishments within their grasp. Off the top of my head, I can only think of two with the third one pending, (Megatron). And Calvin, really, we don’t need to see this re-run in Detroit. We had enough of it to last for a lifetime when Barry Sanders walked away the day before training camp, one season away from holding the alltime career rushing record and being crowned the king of all running backs.

Although his closest competition, Jim Brown, ran away from the Cleveland Browns in the same fashion.

But what about the athlete who doesn’t walk away from the game because of the injuries and doesn’t want to hang onto his position for the money? That athlete who, despite their tireless efforts, infinite practicing and perfecting of their skills is forced to hang up their gear long before they are ready? We’re not talking about some washed-up athlete. No, I’m talking about us. We, who compete for the love of the game we play and for the pride of the student body and the school we attend. We kill ourselves to be the best we can be, to represent our team. And in the end, when our senior season is over, although we may not be ready for prime time on the next stage in college, what we will have is the accolades and the memories, the recollections we can pass down to children, and their name being announced and the cheers rising from the stands, our friends, our families,and most importantly from our student bodies that sit together with us in class each day or enjoy a sandwich laughing together in the cafeteria.

Dr. Seuss once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” And that’s important for all of us to remember.

It all had to come to an end eventually.

And as our last season approaches, smile.

Lacing up for the spring season

By Radiance Cooper ASSISTANT EDITOR

W hen sen ior Ela i na Em ig is k ick i ng t he soccer ba l l du ri ng pract ice, she not ices t hat she has t rouble cont rol l i ng it. Luck i ly, Em ig ca n pract ice t h is sk i l l a nd cond it ion more du r i ng t he g i rls i ndoor soccer season before t he act ua l season beg i ns.

A desi re to prepa re for t he upcom i ng season led members of t he g i rls soccer tea m to lau nch a n i ndoor season.

T he ma i n goa l of t he i ndoor season is to focus on cond it ion i ng a nd pa r t icipat i ng i n ex h ibit ion ga mes aga i nst ot her club tea ms.

“We don’t rea l ly pract ice, to be honest, we just show up f i f teen m i nutes before we play, st retch, get posit ions worked out a nd t hen play,” Em ig sa id. “I t h i n k we’re goi ng to t r y to sta r t cond it ion i ng a nd t hat w i l l just work, l i ke we’l l r u n a couple of days or we’l l go t he weig ht room, k i nd of rea l ly rela xed t h i ngs just to get us mov i ng.”

A lt houg h t he tea m is a f f i l iated w it h Nor t h, it is a member of t he Tota l Soccer associat ion. T he associat ion requ i red t he g i rls to pay a fee i n order to be a pa r t of t he i ndoor leag ue. T he tea m had so ma ny pa r t icipa nts t h is yea r t hat it not on ly covered t he cost of one tea m, but cou ld be spl it up i nto t wo tea ms.

“We have t he g reen tea m a nd t he gold tea m, a nd t he gold tea m is t he older tea m, so most ly va rsit y players.

T he g reen tea m is t he you nger, (ju n ior va rsit y) f resh men players for t he most pa r t,” sen ior Grace Addy sa id. “A nd t hen ever y Su nday, each tea m has a ga me.”

As the spring season fast approaches, the girls soccer teams prepare by competing in an indoor soccer league

T he i ndoor season may g ive players a cha nce to work ha rd at i mprov i ng t hei r sk i l ls. However, Em ig feels t hat t he at mosphere is much more la id-back t ha n t he nor ma l season. T he tea m plays w it h eig ht players on t he f ield at a t i me, a sma l ler tea m t ha n t he players a re accustomed to play i ng w it h. T he tea m w i l l play eig ht ga mes du r i ng t he season aga i nst ot her loca l i ndoor tea ms.

T he absence of coaches due to t he leag ue’s reg u lat ions adds to t he rela xed feel of t he i ndoor season.

“I’m pret t y su re it’s because i f t hey were coach i ng us, it cou ld be considered t hey were t ra i n i ng us a nd ou r season isn’t cu r rent ly i n prog ress, so si nce it’s not ou r season, t hey ca n’t be t ra i n i ng us,” Addy sa id.

Older members on t he tea m of ten have to act as coaches to t he u nderclassmen si nce t here a re no of f icia l coaches to t ra i n t hem. Two to t h ree va rsit y members usua l ly attend t he g reen tea m’s ga me to watch over a nd assist t he you nger players. “( We) just get ever yone t here, assig n ever yone, ma ke su re t here’s enoug h players, coach t he tea ms,” sen ior Ker i Hr yciu k sa id. “Just ever y t h i ng t hat a coach wou ld do.”

Not on ly does t he i ndoor season of fer players a cha nce to sha r pen t hei r sk i l ls, but it g ives t hem a snea k peek of t he f ut u re st r uct u re of t he tea m.

“A lot of it is ret u r n i ng va rsit y players, so a lot of people a l ready k now each ot her,” Addy sa id. “But t here’s a lot of new people t hat come i n so it’s a good way to mesh toget her a nd get a feel for how wel l we’re gon na play toget her a nd get i n shape for t he season.”

JULIA AYRULT

ABOVE: Varsity members join freshman Julia Ayrult in some team bonding while cheering on the boys basketball team.

BELOW LEFT: Ayrult high-fives captain Emily McPharlin as her name is announced before their game against Stevenson High School.

BELOW RIGHT: Captain Erin Armbruster and Ayrult talk between plays in their game against Regina High School.

MIPREPZONE

MIPREPZONE

Q&A WITH FRESHMAN JULIA AYRULT

By Anna Post

ASSISTANT EDITOR

North Pointe: How long have you been playing basketball? Who influenced you to play?

I’ve been playing basketball since I was 4 or 5 years old. I think the biggest influence for me to play was my family just because they all play and all enjoy the game, which I think helped me to enjoy it also.

What AAU team do you play for?

I play for the Michigan Shock AAU team out of Southfield.

What is your primary position?

My primary position would be guard. The purpose of my position is to just kind of play.

Coming in to high school ball, what were you most excited and most nervous about?

Coming into high school ball, I was most excited to have to opportunity to play with all the girls on the team. It’s truly an honor to have that opportunity to play with each and every one of them. I was most nervous about the girls, all mostly all older than me as a freshman, so I thought it would be tough to adjust to everyone.

SPORTS

NP: How is AAU basketball different from high school ball?

Freshman Julia Ayrault: AAU and high school play are overall very similar. Everyone seems to have a high skill level. It makes it always fun and exciting no matter what.

NP: Where do you see yourself with basketball when you graduate?

JA: When I graduate, I would like to see myself continuing to improve and to keep working hard. Like I said, the team is always my most important thing.

NP: For basketball, what colleges are looking at you?

JA: I’ve had multiple question letters from schools, but I’d rather not share the names of the schools.

NP: What is the recruiting process?

JA: To get noticed, I just played on my AAU travel team.

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – 11

NP: What school did your parents play basketball for? Does the fact that they played in college inspire you?

JA: In high school, my mom played here, and my dad played at Grosse Pointe South. In college, they both played at Wayne State (University). And yes, it inspires me because I know they are both good players and will help me with everything and anything.

NP: Do you picture yourself playing any other sport?

JA: No, I don’t picture myself playing any other sports. I think I just like basketball, and I can’t see myself having the same love for another sport.

NP: What colleges interest you for basketball?

JA: I’m actually two years away from making any of these decisions. I’m keeping my options open and looking at all schools.

12 – Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016– North Pointe

IDEAS

16 things to do in ‘16 If New Year’s Resolutions aren’t your thing, we’ve got you covered, January through December. Fill your calendar now with all of the things you probably missed in 2015.

By Olivia Asimakis MANAGING EDITOR

16 15 14 13

Venture into kayaking. Paddling Michigan located in Munising offers kayaking and canoeing tours along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The Woods Tahquamenon River Canoe & Kayak Rental in Newberry provides manageable paddling routes for all ages, making it a memorable family activity.

1

Brave the cold and go skiing or snowboarding.

Whether you are an expert double-black-diamond thrill seeker or a recreational skier, there are a variety of runs to explore. Upper Michigan is full of treasures. Winter trips include beautiful ski resorts like Crystal Mountain, Boyne Highlands or Nubs Nob. There’s nothing like the view from the top of the mountain.

2

If snow or heights aren’t your thing, Northern Michigan is jam-packed with summertime activities to do, too. Traverse City for some cherries, climbing the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, boating and swimming in the Great Lakes or indulging in some delicious fudge from Mackinac Island. Don’t forget to bike around the island, and make sure you bring home a Petoskey stone.

Check out some cars. We are the Motor City, after all.

The North American International Auto Show is hosted in Detroit each January. This year it runs Jan. 11-26. You can also make an appearance at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Birmingham. Every August more than 30,000 cars cruise down Woodward Avenue. Mark your calendar for Aug. 20.

3

Buy fresh food. Shopping at a farmers market is not only healthier, but it’s engrossing.

Spending a Saturday morning at Eastern Market is a great way to start your day.

If you’ve exhausted Eastern Market, the farmers markets in Ann Arbor, Birmingham or Royal Oak are other great alternatives.

Expand your palate and go somewhere new.

The Mad Hatter is a themed restaurant in Birmingham inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Mani Osteria and Bar in Ann Arbor is an Italian restaurant that boasts Bobby Flay and Mario Batali as customers and the owner is trained by Iron Chefs. The Royal Oak Farmers Market Food Truck Rally runs several times a year and makes for a great day out taste-testing with friends or family.

4

Brush up on your history. Rich museums surround our bubble. Some options are The Henry Ford, Cranbrook Educational Community, Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Science Center and the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History.

Go rock climbing, play laser tag or race turbo karts. C.J. Barrymore’s Entertainment in Clinton Township offers them all and more. Another activity center is Airtime Trampoline and Game Park at various locations throughout Michigan.

The large indoor recreation center features trampolines, foam pits and basketball hoops.

5

See a show. The Detroit Opera House, Fox Theater and Royal Oak Music Theater offer endless choices, ranging from Broadway to classical.

12 Pamper yourself. Spend the day at the spa. Unwind at luxurious hotels such as the MGM Grand.

Enjoy facials and massages galore. Or visit Woodhouse Day Spa in Detroit. It’s devoted to giving you a tranquil and transformational experience.

11

6

Visit a real book store.

While Kindle can be a nifty and convenient tool, going out and buying a paperback is an experience all in itself. John K. King Used & Rare Books is Michigan’s largest used bookstore.

Located in Detroit, the store boasts one million works that are organized by the staff into a multitude of topics. The store is four stories high, providing endless reading opportunities.

10

Visit the largest amusement park in the state.

Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon offers over 60 rides and attractions. It includes Wildwater Adventure Waterpark with three wave pools and more than 20 waterslides.

Show your Michigander pride.

Whether you are a Wings fan or diehard Spartan, you can always take the time to go to a sports game. Visit Comerica Park, Joe Louis Arena, Ford Field, the Big House or the Palace of Auburn Hills.

9

Take a trip to The Great Escape Room with friends or family. You are locked in a room with no way out besides clues leading to secret passageways. It’s a combination of scavenger hunt and a puzzle game.

Test your sleuthing skills in this team bonding activity.

8

7 Get in tune with nature. The Outdoor Adventure Center downtown is filled with exciting hands-on activities, exhibits and simulators. Walk behind and touch a waterfall or hit the trail on a mountain bike or snowmobile. Or if you prefer to relive you childhood memories you can experience wildlife at the Detroit Zoo. November and December bring Wild Lights, which illuminates the zoo’s trees with colorful lights.

Go beyond the scope of the Somerset Collection or the Mall at Patridge Creek.

There are endless boutique options in Detroit and Birmingham. Annex Boutique, Caruso Caruso and Complex Boutique offer unique clothing and an exhilarating experience.