North Pointe Vol. 49, Issue 8 - Jan. 25, 2017

ON CAMPUS PAGE 4 WILLOW held a self-defense class Wednesday, Jan. 18

NORTH

POINTE JALA DANIEL

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25, 2017

SI NC E 1968

Lack of teachers, low interest leaves elective options in limbo

RENOVATED TEACHING SPACES

N IO AT CI AR RC E A UL

"NO TECHNOLOGY" SPACE

BOO SHE K LV E S

ALEX HARRING

By Montana Paton & Syeda Rizvi ASSISTANT EDTOR & STAFF REPORTER

E L B I G X E F L AT IN SE

UP CO DAT LA MP ED B UT ER

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

By Katelynn Mulder & Elizabeth Ballinger ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

With anywhere from 200-300 visitors each day, the library is constantly updating its collection and improving the technology and available to students.

However, the space itself has seen no major updates since it was built in 1968.

To raise money to help update the furniture and interior design of the library, the Parents Club is hosting The Norseman Auction, One for the Books, on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Assumption Cultural Center. While students are not allowed to attend the auction, their parents are welcomed.

Library Media Specialist Amanda Pata said the money will be used to make the library more flexible and attract a larger variety of teachers to come and use it.

“If you want to study quietly. You should have a space to do that, if a teacher wants to come in and do a socratic circle in here where everyone can see each other, it shouldn't be that challenging,” Pata said.

Pata said the plan is to replace the seating so it is multi-purpose.

“Right now, our furniture does the job. We’ve got a lot of seating for those 200 or 300 kids, but it is not really flexible,” she said. “Basically, we’ve got tables that seat four, and if you want to re-maneuver it, you can do that, but this is really meant to make it easy and much more conducive to individualized study, group study, whole class study.”

The Parents Club has been working since last year on the auction plans. They hope to raise $100,000 to help redesign the library and bring its technology up to date.

“The computer lab was added in the 1990s, but as you know—technology has had a bit of an explosion since then,” Parents Club Director Diane Peters said. “Our hope is to make it into a digital commons or media center similar to ones found on a college campus.”

Junior Rebecca Alway spends a lot of her free time in the library.

She goes there before school and during her tutorial.

Alway said she hopes to see more students come to the library after the changes.

"I would love to see more people utilizing the library,” Alway said. “So often I hear, ‘Where even is the library?

I have never even been in there,’ which is sad because it is just such a great place to spend your extra time. You can read a book, do homework or just sit and think. People are missing out if they don't visit the library.”

Pata said the new changes made to the furniture and interior design will

SCHUTMAAT ASSOCIATES

Parents Club raises money for first major library update in 49 years

make the seating less stationary. So while she mostly gets English teachers bringing classes to the library, she said she hopes the changes will attract teachers from different departments.

“We get a lot of teachers from the English department who use the library, and that's kind of like who you think of would use the library,” Pata said. “But hopefully with the ability to make the space more col laborat ive with ease, I'm hoping that will bring in more teachers from different departments.

This is a nice space because students see teachers doing things because we always have space for tutorial students and drop—ins, so they can see what teachers are doing in G PN PA RE these new spaces, N TS CLU B updated spaces.”

Some of the prominent items in the auction include Hamilton tickets, sports tickets and prom, graduation and vacation packages.

However, teachers and students have added a personal touch to the items for sale by stepping in and donating auction packages from their own lives including golfing lessons, homemade

IDEAS - PAGE 7

LIFE - PAGE 5

"Health care is a human right. Republican, Democrat or Independent, we all get sick."

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORI CALLAHAN

@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org

VOLUME 49 | ISSUE 8

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

items and tutoring services. Each class has also taken on a theme and worked hard to collect money and items from around the community.

The Class of 2017 has chosen “Dorm Room Essentials,” creating a basket of dorm room necessities for seniors. The Class of 2018 picked “That's How We Roll,” providing a tandem bicycle to the auction. The Class of 2019 will get “Down and Dirty with the Sophomores,” volunteering to do a backyard makeover, and the Class of 2020 has put together a getaway package for their “Freshman Rise (Up North) to the Occasion.”

“Parents have gotten involved to provide items from their businesses or from their personal stuff,” Pata said.

“We’ve got teachers who are offering tutoring services and help with college application essays. My sister is a beef farmer, so I’m going to donate some beef baskets.”

Pata said the personal touches added to the items will help start conversations and interactions with the parents at the auction.

“The personal things we are connected to, people are donating,” Pata said. “I caught Mr. (Brian) Degnore in the hall, and he was like, ‘Oh, well maybe me and Mr. (Brian) Stackpoole could give golf lessons from the former North girls golf coaches.’ You know, just hopefully people in the building will think of the things that they can provide that will be personal that might connect to parents a little bit.”

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

School choreographer Cori Callahan started as a rockette and now choregraphs school musicals and works for Grosse Pointe Dance Center.

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

When students select classes for the following year, they fill their elective hours with courses that fulfil interests.

And while there are students in Drama Club and school shows, Actor’s Workshop hasn’t run as a class at North since 2008.

Freshman Emily Widgren has been involved in drama since she was 6, participating in “Peter Pan” at North, “Aladdin” at Parcells Middle School and “Seussical” at the War Memorial. Having taken drama class in middle school and doing productions, she said she would sign up for a drama elective if it were offered.

“I would definitely do it. I think it would be a lot of fun,” Widgren said. “Most people don't want to give a full-year commitment to a club about things they don't really know if they’ll like in the end.”

Widgren said the drama program creates a friendly environment and said everyone should try it, whether that means taking the class or doing the club.

Actor’s Workshop not running isn’t abnormal. There are other courses on the course selection sheets that don’t actually run whether because of a lack of students signing up or not having a qualified teacher on staff.

“The idea is, if we have the teacher and enough students signed up, it will run,” counselor Brian White said. “Sometimes we don’t have enough people sign up. On occasion, we may not have the teacher An example is Advanced Programming because we don’t have a teacher for it.”

Among other classes offered that don’t always run are Music Theory II and III, Aspects of Acting and Honors Accounting.

For teachers like Diane Montgomery, who teaches several different English classes, the fact that sometimes classes run and sometimes they don’t worries her. Though British Literature has been running consistently for several years, in 2011-12 it didn’t run. Because of the lack of enrollment in Classics and British Literature, the courses have been combined.

“We are always trying to meet the needs of our students, so as we add new classes, other classes simply lose enrollment. That’s just the way it goes,” she said via email. “I would be sad to lose British Lit. for good, but if it is replaced with another course that might incorporate key selections like 'Hamlet,' I think it would work out.” RACHEL MALINOWSKI

SPORTS - PAGE 11 “As the demand for talented athletic powerhouses increases, the expectations in the classroom gradually decrease.”

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

Sports...11-12

NEWS

2 – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – North Pointe

Students explore elective courses offered online

By Michal Ruprecht ASSISTANT EDITOR

reason, many believe that it will be easier to take a class online and that is not always the case. There are no short cuts,” Pierce said via email. “I think it’s nice for students who With a surge in online classes nationwide, many students, otherwise could not take the class. Taking it online is hard including sophomore Sophie Leszczynski and junior Caitlin work, but it is at least a chance to learn about this subject.”

Magnan, are replacing desks with computers.

Pierce also said if the class is approved by the district, Students in Michigan can take online classes through students can receive around $500 for tuition. The application the Michigan Virtual School, a non-profit launched during process can take two to three months. the 1999-2000 academic year, which received funding from Under Section 21B of the State School Aid Act and Public Michigan legislature starting the year after.

Act 160 of 1991, a high school-age student may attend their MVS allows high school and middle school students to high school and concurrently enroll in a public or private register for more than 200 unique classes, including 22 Michigan postsecondary institution, which is commonly Advanced Placement courses and seven foreign languages. referred to a dual enrollment, if the student has taken the Because the GPPSS foreign language department only High School Michigan Merit Exam prior to applying and has offers multi-level language programs for earned at least an endorsement on the students taking French, German, Italian, test in the area of postsecondary study.

Spanish and Latin. Leszczynski and According to the GPPSS Program Magnan signed up for an American Sign of Studies, students who are not yet Language class through MVS. eligible for dual enrollment can apply Both had the opportunity to for credit for online courses that are dual enroll in the class at Macomb offered for non-accelerated credit under Community College, but chose the programs from universities or colleges online version. According to MVS, that accept it for college credit. there are other advantages to online But, the district won’t help classes, including f lexible scheduling cover the cost of the tuition. and studying, recovering credits, On the other hand, students who are personalizing curriculum, accelerated eligible for dual enrollment can receive learning, expanded course offerings and credit for online courses that are offered amplified twenty-first century learning.

Milissa Pierce for regular credit under programs by Leszczynski said she finds merit COUNSELOR universities or colleges that accept it in her ASL class because her foreign for credit by their own instructional language graduation requirement will programs. In this instance, the district be fulfilled once she takes two full credits of it, and it will pay a portion of the fees for the class. For credit will give her a foundation for an anticipated future in sign recovery, the school district isn’t expected to pay anything. language education.

Magnan said she hopes to take another ASL class next year, “There’s not a lot of sign language teachers out there, however, plans to do it at Macomb Community College. and I think there should be more, so that’s why I wanted Like Leszczynski, Magnan also aspires to teach ASL, to take sign language to be a teacher,” she said. “It’ll help and said having a teacher in front of her could be beneficial. me for college ... and then I won’t be struggling in the sign “Sign language I believe is important because you language (class) that I’ll be taking.” never know who you’re going to run into. There could be Although there weren’t many students interested in ASL, somebody that’s hard of hearing and not have an interpreter Counselor Milissa Pierce said there is more interest now. In with them,” she said. “I’m going to start looking into more addition, she said MVS gives students a chance to explore classes once I hit college after next year, and I kind of want to classes not offered in GPPSS. continue throughout life and teach people and keep it going.”

“The biggest obstacle to success in an online class is devoting the time necessary to be successful. For some

“

The biggest obstacle to success in an online class is devoting the time necessary to be successful.

“

NATHAN LONCZYNSKI

GP Library Foundation hosts events to boost attendence

By Katelynn Mulder & Amber Braker ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER To boost attendance, the Grosse Pointe Library Foundation has launched a series of fundraising events called “A Night in the Stacks.” The lineup includes after-hours programs such as a yoga session that took place on Friday, Jan. 20, featuring live music by native Detroiter Chris Emmerson and juice and snacks provided by Jungle Juice.

Part-time librarian at the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Library, Sandy Novacek, hopes that these new events will encourage people to visit the library who may not usually come otherwise.

“Libraries for so long have been stereotyped as only doing books, books, books. But we’re more of information, culture, education,” Novacek said.

“Learning about yoga is learning how to take care of yourself and your body and this kind of thing ... people might say ‘Oh, that’s kind of strange. I think I’d like to go see what that’s all about.’ That’s one thing, to try to find ways to get people interested.”

The events occur in the newly renovated Central Library branch on Kercheval which now features more space for events and a larger study area for students.

The “A Night in the Stacks” program is set to last until next September, and includes a wide variety of guests and performers.

“Detroit Writers in the Stacks” will last from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17. People are welcome to come and meet with Wayne State Press authors Desiree Cooper, Terry Blackhawk and Kelly Fordon. The authors will have a question-and-answer session

after reading excerpts from their work.

On April 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. Amy Haimerl will make an appearance to discuss her book on her personal journey of moving to Detroit and making her home in the West Village.

“These are programs that are definitely of interest to different age groups. Like for example, Amy Haimerl, she’s from Detroit. She and her husband re-did a house in Detroit and she wrote a book about it,” Novacek said. “She’s probably in her mid thirties. So, it’s kind of geared toward the millennial audience. What she did, is of interest to anyone moving into kind of a neighborhood that’s trying to come back and then trying to get this historic home and restore it.”

On June 16, the library is kicking off its summer reading program with ice cream from Wally’s, a bounce house and games and prizes throughout the day. People can stop by to register starting at 12 p.m.

Francis Stroh is coming to the library June 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. to discuss her book “Beer Money: A Memoir of Privilege and Loss.”

To conclude the “A Night in the Stacks” series, on Sept.

15, there will be a live blues performance by The Paul Carey Group.

Junior Eva Ciaramitaro said that she uses the library to study before big tests, but would be interested in attending some of the events such as the “Detroit Writers in the Stacks.”

“That’s something new and you don’t get those offers very much at like your old school,” Ciaramitaro said. “So it’s kinda cool how the community is getting kids more involved in like the library and education.”

The summer reading kickoff event is free, but there is a $30 admission fee for the author appearances and the blues performance. Tickets can be purchased online ahead of time at www.gplf.org or at the door. All proceeds go towards funding more events and programs at the library.

“100 percent of the ticket price goes to the library,” Jennifer Bingaman, executive director of the Grosse Pointe Library Foundation said via email. “So you can have fun and feel good about giving back to your community.”

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NEWS

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – 3

Student Association conference changes location Ever since Student Association adviser Jonathan Byrne can remember, the Michigan student council state conference has been held at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City. But this year it will be held on at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. The annual conference put on by the Michigan Association of Student Councils and Honor Societies (MASCHS) takes place from March 24-26.

“I’m not really sure why they changed it, I think it was just for a change in venue,” Byrne said. “It’s a bigger hotel and a little nicer, so we’re excited.”

Student councils from around the state show off what they’ve done around their school and also get ideas from others. Senior Olivia Randazzo attended the conference her freshman and junior year and is also planning to go this year.

“My favorite thing I've done in the past years I've gone would have to be presenting a showcase last year,” Randazzo said. “My group and I designed and presented a showcase on GPNspire to student council kids all across the state. It was a really fun experience and lots of people really liked our ideas.”

Despite the larger venue Byrne said they are planning to take around 30 students, the same as in past years. While the venue for this year's event is bigger than before, there will be no more students taken than in years past.

Randazzo is excited for the new atmosphere that Grand Rapids will give off but will also miss the place where she experienced her first two conferences.

COURTSEY OF STUDENT ASSOCIATION “I'm a little bit sad it won't be in Traverse City this year because that's CONFERENCE | Last year's Student Association at the annual state conference at the Grand Trawhere it has been the past two times I went,” Randazzo said. “But I'm also verse Resort in Traverse City. This year, the confrence will be held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel excited to see the new venue and what it has to offer.” in Grand Rapids.

Both Byrne and Randazzo believe the switch won’t change how the North’s Student Association looks at the conference but see it as an overall across the state will be able to go. It won’t affect us that much besides the good move. fact that it will let us see more ideas from across the state.”

“I don’t think it will make a big difference, it doesn’t change the conference that much,” Byrne said. “One of the reasons they moved it to Grand Rapids By Billy Steigelman is because the conference center will be a little bigger so more students from

Cookie Monster Day raises money for Make-a-Wish Foundation On January 23, the smell of warm cookies filled the halls. For the third year in a row, Student Association raised money by holding Cookie Monster Day with profits benefitting the Make-a-Wish foundation.

“We’re doing this Cookie Monster Day for two reasons: to raise money to donate to the Make-a-Wish foundation and to boost the overall morale before midterms,” sophomore Garrett Schreck, co-chair of the Student Association fundraising committee, said.

Profits are sent to Make-a-Wish through payment to the Michigan Association of Student Councils and Honors Societies, which alternates charities every year.

Previous charities have included the Michigan Special Olympics, New World Flood and Disaster Relief At Work.

Last year’s Cookie Monster day raised almost $500. Student Association adviser Jonathan Byrne hoped for a similar outcome this year.

“We have been planning it for a while, just waiting for the perfect date,” Byrne said.

“We think everyone could use a little

pick-me-up the day before finals.”

Typically, Union cookies are only sold on Mondays and Fridays because of health regulations.

“I am very excited because we’re selling real union cookies during every passing period in the morning,” Schreck said. “This has been in the works since about November.”

Byrne said he was looking forward to Cookie Monster Day because it strengthens morale while raising money for charity.

“We are excited because it creates a buzz in the school, the smell of cookies wafting down the hallways,” Byrne said.

“It also raises money for a wonderful charity, so that can’t be bad either.”

J OSIE

B ENN

MID-TERM EXAMS

Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 8-11:15 a.m. for hours 4 & 5 Thursday, Jan. 26 from 8-11:15 a.m. for hours 6 & 7 Friday, Jan. 27 from 8-9:30 a.m. for hour 3

MULTI-AGE INFORMATION NIGHT Thursday, Jan. 26

at 6 p.m.

END OF SEMESTER Friday, Jan. 27

COURSE SELECTIONS SHEETS DUE

Thursday, Feb. 2 to third hour teachers

BAND & ORCHESTRA BOOSTER MEETING

Thursday, Feb. 7 from 7-8 p.m.

PARENT CLUB MEETING Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Union

SPORTS BOYS BASKETBALL

ET T

By Erin Kaled

Special education teacher named new Gearheads adviser

After seven months without an adviser, the Gearheads robotics team chose special education teacher James Wolfsen to manage them.

Though Wolfsen didn’t have much prior experience in robotics, he decided that he wanted to help the team as well as broaden his knowledge of robotics.

“There seems to be a lack of consistency in a faculty adviser for (Gearheads), so it’s definitely a plus for the team,” he said. “I decided it would be interesting to go up and see what’s going on as well as helping the individuals grow as much as possible.”

Not only does Wolfsen see this opportunity as a way to become more experienced in robotics, he also sees it as a way to expand his view of North and the students who attend it.

“Working with the kids is the best part and, being a special-ed teacher here at North, I’m usually cornered into my classroom,” he said. “So I get to see all the general ed kids and that is definitely a plus.”

When Wolfsen decided he wanted to be the adviser, it was because of his

CALENDAR

passion for working with kids and because he wanted to help the team and its members build the foundations of leadership and organization.

Senior Claudia Dancy says that he has been a positive addition to the team.

“It’s a big task to take on, especially when you don’t know a whole lot about it or even have not been involved in robotics before,” she said. “He’s taking on that challenge.”

Dancy also says that Wolfsen has given a face to the team so that they can communicate their concerns to the school In the future, Wolfsen has a plethora of plans for the team.

“I look forward most to working with the other students in the district better and advance themselves as individuals,” he said via email. “As well as making our team as prepared as possible heading into competitions.”

By Rory Angott & Isabella Cusumano

Follow @theNorthPointe on Twitter for North updates

Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. vs.

Romeo High School at North

GIRLS HOCKEY

Friday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. vs. Cranbrook High School at Cranbrook Assembly Hall

WRESTLING

Thursday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. vs. Lakeview High School at Lakeview High School

SYCHRONIZED SWIMMING Thursday, Feb. 2 vs. Troy High School at NorthField Parkway

COMPETITIVE CHEER

GEARSHEADS1189.WEEBLY.COM

GROUP PHOTO | The 2016 combined Gearhead team. The team is excited for special education teacher James Wolfsen to be the new adviser.

Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. vs. Marine City High School and Port Huron High School at Marine City High School

GIRLS BASKETBALL

ALANNA SPARKS

MR. ROBOT | One of the robots that the Gearheads team has constructed.

Wednesday Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. vs. Dakota High School at North

ON CAMPUS

4 – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – North Pointe

FIGHT CLUB

WILLOW sponsors self-defense class on Jan. 18

FACES IN THE CROWD Michael Puppos

By Asia Simmons STAFF REPORTER

Almost every person uses computers to access information quickly and easily. But, most only see the bright screens, not the programming behind them.

Sophomore Michael Puppos has been learning about computers for four years.

He currently uses Javascript and C++ to program, and is also very interested in creating games.

“My inspiration mainly results from the TV show ‘Doctor Who,’” Puppos said. “There’s just so many different characters and sets, it’s just hard not to base anything off of it.”

Puppos hasn’t learned it all on his own. His teachers, Elijah Lorden and Jack Trent, who he calls close friends, taught him everything he knows.

Although Puppos mostly makes science-fiction games, he’s also done some adventure games, basing storylines off of games that already exist.

He said he wants to study programming in college, and possibly work for Google.

If he decides to make his own games though, he’ll probably start his own company instead.

“Programming is really fun, you never know what you’re going to expect,” Puppos said. “You keep getting better and better, and that’s the wonderful thing about code, you can always get better.”

Sophia Smith JALA DANIEL

DEFENSE MODE | Junior BJ Gerangaya, far left, watches director Michael Schaefer teach the first defense move. “You know what to do now after this class,” Gerangaya said. “It was pretty interesting, I enjoyed it.”

JALA DANIEL

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT | Sophomores Katie Louwers and Ava Wisniewski practice with the teacher. “Just seeing the girls be taught something and then be able to actually apply it and see,” Schaefer said. “ They got confident and were able to per form the techniques.”

MAKING CONTACT | Junior Stephanie Schaefer spars with black belt Femminineo. “It's important for everyone to be aware of things like this and to know how to defend yourself, so it's a really useful meeting,” Schaefer said.

Mikey Ciaravino

JALA DANIEL

JALA DANIEL

GOING OVER THE BASICS | Senior Olivia Randazzo gets help with her form from the sensei. She said she liked the event because it was different from usual WILLOW activities.

"We thought it would be something fun to do right before midterms,” Randazzo said. “It’s something unique that I’ve never done before.”

JALA DANIEL

GETTING DOWN TO THE BASICS | Junior Stephanie Schaefer learns the first attack move. “I like the takedown moves,” Schaefer said. “I thought it was really helpful and it’s a good technique to have.”

Choir teacher Ben Henri

By Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANAGER

BEN HENRI

Winter and fishing are an unlikely combination.

Summer is a popular time for fishing, and while junior Mikey Ciaravino does spend his summer on the water, he also enjoys fishing in the winter.

He started when he was about 5 with his brother.

When he was 13, he found out about ice fishing and was excited to try it out.

“I always had a love for fishing in the summertime, but when I found out I could fish in the ice, that was pretty cool,” Ciaravino said.

Ciaravino usually fishes on the main lakes, and said Lake St. Clair is one of the best to fish from.

In the summer, he usually releases any fish he catches. But in the winter he usually catches fish like perch or bluegill, and takes them home to fry them with his family.

“I like fishing because you gotta be patient and it’s just a great feeling, just catching something and being able to see how pretty they are sometimes,” Ciaravino said. “It’s just really satisfying.”

By Tarun Sanikommu

FIVE MINUTES WITH

FAMILY TIME| Choir teacher Ben Henri holding his godson and nephew, Isaac.

Freshman Sophia Smith loves everything about music, especially making it.

She first learned a few songs in first grade, but really got into the art in sixth grade, when she learned how to play notes and keys on the piano. This was also when she started making mashups, which she now does on GarageBand and Audacity.

“I create mashups on my laptop,” Smith said.“I'm saving up for a high tech version called Logic Pro X.” However, she doesn’t only create mashups. Smith also does covers of pop and jazz songs as well as writing her own.

Along with the piano and digital software, Smith is working on her singing. She’s currently in Treble Choir and takes private lessons on the side.

In the future, Smith hopes to upload her songs to Youtube or Soundcloud. She said she wants to study music production in college. “(Making music) eases stress and is really fun, while occasionally posing a slight challenge,” Smith said. “Going to college for music production is also one of my aspirations.”

Even as a child, choir teacher Ben Henri was always infatuated with brain-teasers and Sporcle quizzes. His love for puzzles and trivia comes from playing family games and his high school’s academic quiz bowl team.

“Growing up, my family would always play games like Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary and Scrabble. I was also really encouraged by my parents to do those kinds of things,” Henri said. “We would watch ‘Jeopardy!’ as a family, and it was fun to answer the questions and often get them wrong but sometimes get stuff right.”

Henri is currently the assistant coach of the quiz bowl team. He also participates in a trivia league and attends trivia nights with friends.

“Places will have trivia nights so we will go out for dinner and also answer questions,” he said. “I have a couple friends I like to go out with.”

Henri said his main goal is to be on “Jeopardy!” His biggest encouragement for this has been through his brother, who made it onto the show three years ago.

Right now, he is in the contestant pool.

“I’m actually currently in the contestant pool hoping they’ll call me at some point in the next year or so,” Henri said. “But if my time runs out, I’ll just try out again.”

One of Henri’s favorite things about participating in trivia is learning more about history and different parts of the world. He said his education and reading as well as quick access to information helped him become better.

“I really like learning about the world: the facts and figures and the world and its history, and the people in it. But also sometimes it’s really cool to learn little stories about something,” Henri said. “After going to school and getting my degree and continuing to just learn and read, it’s just become something I’ve really liked to do, whether it’s in a competitive or social setting.”

FAVORITE FUN FACT There are four universities in the country that have produced both a President and a Super-Bowl winning quarterback. One of them is Stanford, another one is the Naval Academy in Annapolis, another one is Miami University in Ohio and the last one is the University of Michigan.

HOW I INCORPORATE TRIVIA IN MY JOB If you ask any of my students, they will be like ‘Mr. Henri is full of random, completely useless information and when we have a free day he likes to do Sporcle quizzes.’

I (also) work with the Quiz Bowl team and I love working with those students and watching them grow and seeing how they ... increase their breadth and knowledge about topics that they are really passionate about. It’s a neat club to help coach.

IF I COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE It would be Australia. It seems like such a great country. I don’t think we realize how big it is. It’s not as full of people as our country is but it’s on the opposite side of the world and it seems like a fun place to go.

LIFE

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – 5

Rockin’ choreography

By Michal Ruprecht & Zoe Graves ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

From working as a Radio City Rockette to founding her own charity dance program, school choreographer Cori Callahan has created a lifestyle around performing.

Callahan first stepped foot on the dance floor 35 years ago, and it was seeing “Funny Girl,” that spurred her dream to become a professional dancer.

She continued dancing throughout high school and took an interest in choreography when she started teaching some of the younger dancers at her studio.

After attending the University of Michigan for a year, she dropped out to move to New York and started her seven-year stint as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall.

“It was probably the highlight of my dance career, my performance career,” Callahan said. “Performing is my passion, and I think that’s why I do choreography and teach now because with a family and stuff, you can’t really be a full-time performer anymore, so it keeps my passion in my life by being able to choreograph and teach.”

After returning to Michigan, Callahan took a job teaching at Grosse Pointe Dance Center. Since she began her formal teaching career, Callahan found a way to spread her passion for dance to an even wider audience through volunteer service. To lift the burden of expenses for families with children who have neurodevelopmental disorders, Callahan instituted a program called Adaptive Dance that gives them free dance lessons.

“I would say my most proud accomplishment for teaching and choreography is to be able to give these dancers an opportunity to dance and perform,” she said. “Just realizing that they have enough money to spend on their therapy and everything else, and I wanted them to not have

ALL

PHO

TO S

COU

RTE

SY O F CO R

I CA LL A

DANCING WITH THE STARS | Cori Callahan and assistant teachers, freshmen Mackenzie Driscoll and Emme Simpson, pose with a group in the Adaptive Dance program.

HAN

Cori Callahan has been dancing since the age of 3—her passion taking her all the way to Radio City Music Hall and now to Grosse Pointe as a choreographer

that be an issue. I just wanted them to be able to dance and enjoy that, and it’s amazing to see how much they’re growing from that.”

Even though she generally stays behind the curtains, Callahan is vital to the creation of North’s musicals. She has participated in North productions for five years.

Callahan helps with musicals at both Parcells and North, and senior Lolly Duus, who participated in productions at both schools, said Callahan has had a lasting impact on her because of her positive vibes and innovative teaching.

“I think our musicals are a lot more energized with the dancing and the choreography that she has set out for us because she’s really original with what she does, and it seems like the cast every year has really liked what she’s given us,” Duus said. “I think it’s just made everyone excited to perform and dance and sing at the same time, and that really shows through with our performances.”

While teaching others, Callahan believes she has grown as a choreographer by adding to her repertoire of more complex productions. She said she hopes to continue to participate in school productions to keep pursuing choreography and dance.

Sean Kifer, director of North’s musicals, said that Callahan has helped students improve their acting skills.

“Cori brings a high level of professionalism and creativity to the dancing within the musicals,” Kifer said via email. “We are very lucky and blessed to have Cori working with our students at Grosse Pointe North.”

Callahan does her best to instill motivation in her students and help them realize that there isn’t always one straight answer when trying to achieve their goals.

“I think especially as high schoolers, there always has to be a specific plan,” Callahan said. “(But) it’s not always so black and white of what you want to do, so I think if you just keep following your passion, it’s gonna happen one way or another, and it might be in a twisted way, but it’ll get there.”

RED AND WHITE | Cori Callahan poses with one of her musical theatre classes at a competition in the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church.

FLEX

6 – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – North Pointe

Amid increase in online spending, student spending decreases overall

By Colin Haroutunian, Adam Schwartz & Mariah Loper INTERNS

Each year, the latest trends change and become outdated, only to remain as mere afterthoughts in the next. One constant throughout the period is the spending on teenage necessities, such as clothing and food, each proving their usefulness whether bought online or offline.

In 2016, according to a Piper Jaffray report, the amount students spend on food was clocked in at 20 percent with clothing following at 15 percent. Below these are video games and its online streaming counterpart, which are not vital, yet have been increasing in terms of expenditures.

The growing popularity of online shopping provides a variety of goods in a one-stop-shop option, which has threatened in-store shopping, specifically with Amazon. Amazon is the leading website for its storefront compared to other retailers which have in store accessibility.

However, freshman Will Patton continues to go into physical stores for his clothing and food.

“I’m not a big online shopper because it’s too difficult and it’s better to go (to the store),” Patton said.

Despite the increasing amount of money spent by teenagers for online items, according to pymnts.com, the overall expenditures by teenagers decreased in 2016. This hasn’t been a short term decrease either.

There has been an overall decrease in student spending all the way back to 1985.

This decrease, according to statisticbrain.com, has only prompted 38 percent of teenagers to save for college and other future events. The consumption by students was greater than their overall income with a gap of over $167 billion between the two categories.

This depicts the influence of external sources for currency, perhaps in the form of parental income or in the variation of student debt from when a teenager

goes from high school on into college. Business teacher Michele Davis agrees with the low-saving percentage.

“I’d say that’s pretty accurate. I don’t think that they have enough money to start saving their money because there’s so many things they want to purchase,” Davis said. “If they’re looking into the future for perhaps college education or to spend money on their education: books, room and board, they might be spending a little, or saving a little in the short term here, but in the long term, when it comes to college, they’re probably going to spend most of that money.”

Because of a lack of student income, around 70 percent of a student’s income was provided for by his or her’s parents, according to a 2014 graph by Piper Jaffray.

“So ultimately, once they get out of college, that’s when they think of saving for future,” Davis said.

JOSIE BENNETT

WWW.PYMNTS.COM

WWW.PIPERJAFFRAY.COM

LINDSEY RAMSDELL

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – 7

IDEAS

ON POINTE

By Caitlin Bush EDITOR

Top 10 things we're talking about this week

1

Musical

THE LION KING

“The Lion King” is coming to the Detroit Opera House Feb. 2-25. Based on the Academy Award-winning Disney film, this lively show adaption offers viewers a vibrant and entertaining unique Disney experience. For more information go to www.detroitopera.housedetroit.org.

WWW.LIONKING.COM

3

2

Game

Album

DETROIT PISTONS

I DECIDED Rapper Big Sean is releasing his fourth album, “I Decided” Friday, Feb. 3. The album, which rapper Kanye West helped produce, includes the lead single “Bounce Back,” which was released in October. $9.99 on iTunes.

The Detroit Pistons will take on the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the The Palace. At press time, the Pistons are ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference while the Pelicans are ranked 10th in the Western Conference. Tickets are $15-$230.

WWW.NBA.COM

SMARTURL.IT/IDECIDED

4

5

DIGITAL DISTORTION

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

Album

WWW.ITUNES.APPLE.COM

“Digital Distortion” is the upcoming second album by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. The album’s original release date was July 2016 but was pushed back to January 2017 when her engagement fell through. The album’s lead single is “Team,” which was released in March 2016. The album will be $9.99 on iTunes.

FRONTIER

A DOG'S PURPOSE

WWW.MAJORLAZOR.COM

RED HOT PEPPERS TWITTER ACCOUNT

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are currently touring and will be at the Joe Louis Arena Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. The tour is a part of the “Farewell Season at The Joe,” and the band will be singing songs from their 11th studio album, “The Getaway.” Tickets are $52-$102.

7

Event

CHRIS TUCKER

WWW.CHR ISTUCKER .COM

Streaming

Movie

Tour

Actor and stand-up comedian Chris Tucker will be performing his skits at Fox theater Saturday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. He is best known for his role as Smokey in “Friday” and as Detective James Carter in the “Rush Hour” series. Tickets begin at $75.

9

6

WWW.ADOGSPURPOSE.COM

Based on the best-selling book by W. Bruce Cameron, “A Dog’s Purpose” will hit theaters Jan. 27. The lighthearted film features a dog (Josh Gad) who tries to discover his purpose through his many lives. Rated PG.

8

Event

DODGEBALL Link Crew is holding their annual Dodgeball Tournament Friday, Jan. 27. Come watch after finals from 11:30-2:30 p.m. to see fellow students and faculty compete.

Netflix is starting the New Year off right with many new additions.

Hundreds of new movies, including “The Parent Trap” and “E.T.” will be available to stream, as well as new original series like “Tarzan and Jane” and “Frontier.”

WWW.GPSCHOOLS.SCHOOLWIRES.NET

Tuesday, Jan. 31, the Detroit Red Wings will play the New Jersey Devils at the Joe Louis Arena at 7:30 p.m. At press time, the Red Wings are eighth in the Atlantic Division, while the Devils are seventh in the Metropolitan Division.

Tickets are $25-$240.

10 Game

RED WINGS

WWW.NHL.COM WWW.NETFLIX.COM

Don't make us sick again MY TURN TREVOR MIECZKOWSKI Seven years was enough time for Ed Sheeran to come out with three top-selling albums.

Seven years was also enough time for the Germans to break enigma during World War II. Seven years is a long time. It is also how long the House Republicans have been trying to come up with a replacement plan for when they repeal the Affordable Care Act. Yet they haven’t come up with a better plan that keeps the approximately

20 million people insured under the Affordable Care Act covered.

The fact that they can’t come up with a better plan isn’t bad. It just shows how effective the ACA is. What is bad is the fact that now Capitol Hill is overrun with Republicans who are taking action to repeal the ACA with no quality plan to replace it.

That potentially would leave millions of people uninsured, regardless of their state of health. Imagine if your health insurance was taken away while you were sick. You’d be stuck having to pay out-of-pocket for treatment, and if you couldn't, barely anything would get done for you. That would be a reality for many Americans if Republicans repeal the ACA. Health care is a human right. Republican, Democrat or Independent, we all get sick, and it is sickening that people think that it would

be okay to take away an entire health care program that has seen success and saved lives.

Sure, the ACA has some flaws, such as it increases taxes and insurance rates for all, but that isn’t a good reason to repeal it, especially since there has yet to be a better replacement plan made.

Since the ACA was put in place, according to CNN, the nation's uninsured rate has dropped to 8.9 percent, down from the 14.4 percent in 2013. If repealed without a quality replacement, it is predicted that 32 million will go uninsured, and premiums will double.

In what world is that progress? Honestly, it is pathetic that we are the wealthiest nation, and yet some politicians want us to be the only major country to not guarantee health care for all.

And now there is President Trump, who continues to promise that he has this magical plan to give everyone health care for less than

the ACA costs. That plan sounds great-— and if he could do that, it would be fantastic.

However, he has not released any details as to how he is going to do this. It is very unlikely that he has a plan because it is nearly impossible to give health care to all Americans and have it cost less than what the government is currently paying for the health care of 20 million Americans.

Also, many Republicans are confused

by Trump’s statements about health care.

He is talking about expanding it, which is what most Democrats desire, while Republicans would like to see spending cut.

In the end, health care is a right that everyone should be entitled to, not just the rich. The government should not allow people to be dying in the street. Instead of making America sick, let’s make it stay healthy and sane and keep the ACA.

XX REVIEWS

8 – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – North Pointe

'I See You' ends The xx's musical plateau

'I See You' The xx, 2017 39 minutes

By Abbey Cadieux EDITOR

The xx is known for its introspective, moody sound. With the release of its third studio album, “I See You,” the London-based band offers a new take on that sound for listeners. Staying true to its sulky, no-frills reputation, “I See You” contains the band’s typical boring tunes, but offers some upbeat tracks as well. The album signifies a bit of a turn in the band’s direction—a parting with the depressing tunes they knew they had nailed down.

“I See You” will satisfy long-time fans, but may leave them feeling bored. What The xx does best is create music to fill the mainstream indie pop industry with lovely, lo-fi tracks laid over gray-toned footage of mountains and cityscapes. From the prior success of its namesake album in 2009 to “Coexist” in 2012, the band has been pigeonholed as the ultimate meditative tune-provider.

There is an extent to which the two main vocalists, Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, can mumble on top of wavy synth and lone bass chords before every song begins to sound identical, though. While traces of past albums linger, “I See You” does offer a bit of a lighter tone. Instead of every track being black-and-white and painfully slow, Jamie Smith (beats, production) has picked up the tempo on what used to be a rendition of the same three beats.

Even physically, the band has strayed from donning a distinct X logo on its album cover. It’s still there, of course, but it’s more obscured within the rest of the art. The nature of the album is obviously reflected in its look. Its niche sound is still imprinted in every track, but the overall attitude and ambiance has changed.

Basic imprint aside, the album’s more chromey, bluey, reflective—a true physical representation of the audible journey they take listeners on.

The album marks growth and maturation of their sound. A large amount of the fresh-sounding content could likely be attributed to Croft’s production. Some listeners may be familiar with Smith’s independent project under his stage name Jamie xx, “In Colour.” Stylings from “In Colour,” his upbeat lone album released in 2015, are littered all over “I See You.” Tracks like “I Dare You,” “Dangerous” and “On Hold” are all excellent examples of Croft’s beat manipulation and sampling of vocals. These songs are a refreshing departure from the band’s inherent repetitive nature. In short, this album is way better to dance to than previous releases.

With that being said, listeners who enjoy their more chilled songs should not be dismayed. As per usual, Croft’s weird, shaky-but-grounded voice still contrasts sharply against downplayed percussion and thumping bass. The xx’s constant understatement of sound is what really makes the simplistic beauty pop. “Busy” is a word that will never be used as a descriptor of any xx song. If anything, the tracks are bare to the point of listeners almost feeling brainwashed.

“I See You” does an excellent job bridging the past and present sound of the band. The upbeat spin that the band has put on their old sound is truly infectious, and even the downbeat tracks have some new life breathed into them. For those needing an album that can fulfill all their listening needs, “I See You” is the perfect fit across the entire spectrum of moods.

APP

MOVIE

APP

BOOK

SCHOLLY

HIDDEN FIGURES

THE MINDFULNESS APP

CARVE THE MARK

If you’re looking for a way to finance going to college, Scholly is for you. A virtual scholarship-finding app, it helps students reduce some of those tuition costs. With just ITUNES.APPLE.COM some simple questions and a few clicks, students can be on their way to earning thousands of dollars in scholarships.

Scholly started on the ABC show “Shark Tank.” Founder Christopher Gray wanted a way for students like him to earn scholarships easier.

When first logging in to Scholly, it asks the user to provide personal information like race, GPA, college preferences and various activities (like clubs and sports).

The user then sets a goal for how much money he or she wants to earn in scholarships and viola, the account is set up, and scholarships start to roll in. It is simple and takes no more than 10 minutes.

Scholly sends scholarships to the account that tailors to the user’s information. For example, if the user is majoring in the medical field, there would be scholarships sent relevant for medical majors.

As the user begins to collect earned scholarships, Scholly also keeps tracks how much money has been earned toward the goal and handles all the calculations.

Scholly's biggest drawback is that many of the scholarships available are broad and have no real substance. It could be a $1,000 weekly scholarship raffle from a website or just entering name, email and GPA and hitting submit.

Scholarships like these are very hard to win, since generally every student who comes across them is eligible to enter. Real money comes from case-oriented scholarships, and Scholly does not provide as many of those as readily as the singleclick ones.

The problem may lie in that the user’s major determines how many quality scholarships offered.

The less popular a major is, the less scholarships available in the app. This makes things harder for users declared in these uncommon majors. The scholarships offered to them are broad and useless.

Scholly is a good app for future college students. It helps keep scholarship finances organized and keeps the process neat and easy.

There’s little hassle and money is available at the user’s fingertips.

In this true tale of three intellectually brilliant AfricanAmerican women, moviegoers are left exiting the theater wondering why WWW.IMDB.COM they hadn’t heard this history-making story before.

The film “Hidden Figures” transports viewers back to 1961 Virginia, a time and place where segregation was legal and women were seen as incapable in a workplace.

Audiences are introduced to Dorothy Vaughn (Oscar winner Octavia Spencer), Mary Jackson (musician Janelle Monáe) and Katherine Johnson (Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson), who are working at NASA in the midst of the Space Race.

The main characters begin their NASA career as “colored computers” who worked essentially as human calculators. Their duties consist of doing the math and solving equations for the space station—a job these women’s intellectual abilities absolutely surpassed. However, it is their determination to succeed that proves why they deserve a place in NASA, and in history.

As gifted as they were, the three friends each experienced their share of inequalities and struggles to get both their voices, and their intellect heard by their colleagues, most of whom were white males.

More than anything, the film shows audiences that even in workplaces as important as NASA, there were inspiring people such as these women working to earn respect and civil rights.

Throughout the film, major themes of sexim and racism are evident. Not only is it important that this relatively unknown story is finally being told, but it’s being told in 2017 when issues such as race and gender are completely relevant in society.

The soundtrack is just as powerful as the film itself. Produced and partially composed by respected musician, and 10 grammy awardwinner Pharrell Williams, the accompanying music features upbeat, funky tunes as the backbone of each scene and make the whole experience all the more inspiring.

The cast of the film’s star-studded cast includes names like Kirsten Dunst and Kevin Costner, but it's Spencer, Monáe and Henson who truly make the movie. They bring even more life and talent to this incredible story, making it an enjoyable experience for viewers of all ages.

Everyday life can be a hassle. We lose ourselves in the piles of paperwork and the overwhelming deadlines our busy lives throw upon us, making it impossible ITUNES.APPLE.COM to incorporate time for leisure after a full day at work or in the classroom.

The Mindfulness App: Meditation for Everyone provides its users with refreshing meditation exercises that are suited to accommodate one’s busy schedule.

It’s a digital remedy that has multiple categories to help soothe anyone’s needs. From relationship issues to personal challenges one must endure, The Mindfulness App caters to people’s meditation needs. Exercises are made to accommodate a wide range of meditators. Beginners might opt for a three-minute session. Experienced users could go for 30 minutes.

Users are allowed to create their own meditations and track their personal progress. This feature helps mediators stay determined as they continue to embark on their peaceful journeys while also allowing them to have complete control over the process.

After each session, the app also sends meditation reminders that are meant to be implemented into one’s daily life. This encouraging notification not only helps in dealing with stress during the day, but also reminds users to try to use what they have learned from meditation and to inspire them to continue to practice it.

With the platform’s clean and easy-to-use layout and soothing voice that guides each meditation, mindfulness is easily accessible at one's fingertips. However, this euphoric experience comes with a price.

Although the app is free, the majority of its meditations cost $.99 each. Users are granted a free one-month trial but then must pay either $9.99/month or $59.99/year. This deprives users from experiencing the app’s entirety.

Numerous relaxation lifestyle apps flood the App Store, and all contain similar meditation exercises, and some come without the cost.

Headspace, for example, has similar exercises as The Mindfulness App but doesn't put a price tag on any of its features.

Because there are so many other options out there, most without the pricey membership fees, people who are looking to find inner peace and relaxation would be better off looking elsewhere.

Moving away from the dystopian city of Chicago, author of the “Divergent” series Veronica Roth dips her toes into the another world of WWW.EPICREADS.COM young adult Sci-Fi with her new book “Carve the Mark.”

Along with a new genre, Roth also takes on a different writing approach. Instead of the ever-so-popular first person narrative, this book is written in third person as well as first. This gives the book a distinct identity. If readers didn’t already know, they wouldn’t recognize the book as being written by the same author as “Divergent.”

“Carve the Mark” follows Akos and Cyra, both people with Currentgifts, a special power that causes them to have struggles in their lives at the expense of others. They come from two different societies at odds with one another, and the book follows their intermingling paths and how they deal with struggles between themselves and their worlds.

Each chapter is given to either Cyra or Akos, following them and their experiences respectively. Roth uses first person for Cyra’s chapters but third person in Akos’s, which gives readers an interesting insight to each character's story.

This book meshes aspects that should attract a range of fans from “Game of Thrones” to “Star Wars” with its medieval-esque language, political intrigue and distant alien worlds.

That combination makes the story engaging and new, even though it has familiar concepts.

This also gives it different outlets for readership, considering fans of similar-styled stories could find this book just as appealing to read.

Not only that, but the book really develops smaller characters in just as much detail as the main ones. This makes the reader feel all the more attached and involved. Even when they’re introduced just briefly, it’s easy to glean enough to understand a personality. This really adds to the overall allure of “Carve the Mark” and makes it hard to put it down.

For readers wanting to fall into a new and interesting series, “Carve the Mark” is definitely a book to check out. It has a gripping plot, and the storytelling style is refreshing to the world of young adult fiction.

Scholly; 2016; SCHOLLY INC; Available for Apple and Android

“Hidden Figures”; Theodore Melfi; 2016; 127 Minutes; PG

“The Mindfulness App”; 2016; MINDAPPS; Available for Apple and Android

“Carve the Mark”; Veronica Roth; 480 pages, 2017; Available for $13.99 on Google Play

By Sarah Wietecha

By Katie Thomas

By Anna Post

By Josie Bennett

EDITORIAL

North Pointe - Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 - 9

EDITOR’S DESK MORA DOWNS

“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.”

As not seen on TV

BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY Lindsey Ramsdell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mora Downs MANAGING EDITOR

Billy Moin MANAGING EDITOR

Ritika Sannikommu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alex Harring WEB MANAGING EDITOR

Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANGER

Caitlin Bush NEWS EDITOR

Abbey Cadieux IDEAS EDITOR

Anna Post SPORTS EDITOR

Katelynn Mulder ASSISTANT EDITOR

Sonny Mulpuri DIGITAL EDITOR

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above. Members who have a conflict of interest with an editorial topic do not partake in that meeting or vote.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Lindsey Ramsdell, Ritika Sanikommu MANAGING EDITORS: Mora Downs, Billy Moin WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR: Alex Harring SECTION EDITORS: Josie Bennett, Caitlin Bush, Abbey Cadieux, Anna Post DESIGN EDITOR: Emma Brock BUSINESS MANAGER: Gowri Yerramalli DIGITAL EDITORS: Erin Kaled, Sonny Mulpuri, Sarah Wietecha ASSISTANT EDITORS: Allison Lackner, Trevor Mieczkowski, Katelynn Mulder, Montana Paton, Michal Ruprecht, Billy Steigelman, Tommy Teftsis STAFF REPORTERS: Elizabeth Ballinger, Amber Braker, Dajai Chatman, Zoe Graves, Sofia Ketels, Lindsey Kluge, Bella Lawson, Nathan Lonczynski, Giuseppe Parison, Syeda Rizvi, Tarun Sanikommu, Asia Simmons, Jacqueline Squillace, Katie Thomas, Addison Toutant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Veronica Albo, Jala Daniel, Bella DeSandy, Nicole Fazekas, Marina Gabriel, Katie Link, Erinne Lubienski, Rachel Malinowski, Alyssa McLarty, Lauren Sexton, Nya Tatum, Kennedy Williams INTERNS: Rory Angott, Isabella Cusumano, Colin Haroutunian, Mariah Loper, Adam Schwartz 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 percent recycled paper.

LINDSEY RAMSDELL

OUR EDITORIAL

Proof-reading the Constitution In Grosse Pointe Public Schools, children are taught to read in kindergarten, and there are programs for struggling students. Literacy is considered such a fundamental skill that it is instilled in children from a young age. For us, it is something we are taught, and don’t have to fight for.

Unfortunately, not all districts in the United States have enough resources to ensure that each child will graduate from public schooling literate. In September, several students from the Detroit Public Schools Community District, represented by a nonprofit law firm, sued the state of Michigan on the grounds that literacy is a constitutional right which was not guaranteed to them. This brought the nuances of the constitutional rights, both explicit and inherent, into question.

The Editorial Board believes that having literacy incorporated into the constitution would help to legally bind schools to ensure that students are given an adequate education, meaning that students should be at a middle school reading level by graduation from high school.

Literacy is necessary to be an active and competent citizen of the United States and the world. If you are illiterate, you can’t read newspapers or books. This makes it hard to thoughtfully participate in decision making for our country, like voting, which is our duty as citizens.

Reading the ballot alone would be near impossible.

Illiteracy doesn’t just pose problems in optional civil participation. It also becomes a safety hazard. Street signs, medicine labels, instruction manuals and caution warnings are rendered useless in the eyes of someone who can’t interpret them. Literacy goes further than being able to read a newspaper. It is crucial to carrying out daily tasks.

It’s outrageous that some students our age struggle with a skill that we consider so basic that an elementary school kid should be able to perform it. And it’s often not because of a lack of understanding on their end, but rather a lack of resources or teachers in the school they attend.

Adding literacy as a constitutional right would ensure that each child graduates with the skills to read. This, in turn, forces the government to allocate more money towards public education.

Seeing that basic literacy still remains an obstacle in some districts of the United States, more funding would be beneficial.

Research on literacy in the U.S. is hard to measure and inconsistent. But, all studies can agree on one thing: the U.S. could do a lot better in teaching its citizens to read. According to a study conducted by Central Connecticut State University, the United States ranks seventh in highest literacy rates in the world, others have it ranked lower. Finland, Greenland, Norway and several other Scandinavian countries lead the rankings with virtually 100 percent literacy.

What do these countries all have in common?

A high percentage, when compared to other countries, of their GDP is allocated towards public education. In the United States, 4.9 percent of our GDP is put towards education, according to the CIA World Factbook, bringing us in at 63rd in the world.

For a country that has the highest GDP and is one of the most technologically advanced nations, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to provide nearly 100 percent of citizens with literacy. Having as many people as possible be able to participate in government proceedings makes for a sound democracy, but this can only happen if people know how to read. As an advanced democracy, we should provide the necessary tools for civil participation, a key one being literacy.

We are fortunate that we have learned to read at a young age. But, people in other zip codes aren’t so lucky. Setting literacy as a constitutional right will ensure that our youth, no matter their creed, location or school, will have the opportunity to become literate through a public school.

Going to college is supposed to catapult you into the middle class, but how can you even think about attending college when you can’t even read the registration documents?

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

“I think it would be great if the library was remodeled because everything there is left over from the 60s and 70s.”

“I feel like it’s a new change and that more kids will come in and be comfortable with the new style in the library.”

“I think updates to the library would be great. I’m in there a lot, so it would be nice if they renovated it and made it more cozy.”

Alex White

Cherell Hardon

Kelly Brewer

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: How do you feel about the new library remodeling and the parent auction?

By Dajai Chatman

“I feel like it’s fine as it is.

There are better places to put the money in the school.”

Sawyer Barsh SENIOR

“I’m very excited about the remodeling because updating our library, making it into a bunch of individual spaces and bringing in the 21st century is great.”

“We are pretty excited about it. It’s going to be a great auction. We are going to raise a lot of money for the library.”

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

LIBRARIAN

Tom Beach

Renee Borowicz

Over a year ago, former president Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint because of lead contamination in the city’s water. This made the water unsafe to drink and touch.

A year later, the situation in Flint has slightly improved.

At a town hall meeting earlier this month, public officials announced that lead levels in the water are below the threshold for safe drinking water. However, the water will not be completely safe until all of the lead piping is removed.

The project to replace the pipes in 20,000 homes could be completed in 2019 or 2020, but lacks proper funding. Until then, Flint citizens have to rely on filtered and bottled water.

And nobody cares.

This is the vicious nature of the news. Tragedy and horror sells. The state didn’t tell citizens to stop drinking water until over a year after the water was contaminated.

Children had become sick from lead poisoning. The story blew up.

A year ago, people were very invested in Flint. The widespread concern can be contributed to the media coverage. Reporters circled Flint city hall like vultures around a decaying corpse.

Schools, including our own, hosted drives for water and other supplies for those living in Flint. Celebrities made generous contributions to the city.

But where is that support now? Water quality has mildly improved, but our donations are still needed. The problem won’t be solved for another 2 to 3 years, but we’ve stopped making it our concern.

Flint is just one example of a galvanizing event that captivated the media’s attention for a while but quickly fell out of the spotlight. During Syria’s five-year civil war, media coverage comes and goes. The death toll in Syria has surpassed 400,000 but only garners attention every few months. Why do dying Syrians matter less in May than in July?

The Syrian city of Aleppo had been under siege until December. During this time, the civilians trapped in the city were lacking food, water, medicine and other things necessary for survival. This terrible quandary directed the media’s attention back to Syria.

Everyone in America with internet access knew about the dire situation in Aleppo, but after being reclaimed by the Syrian government, the city has taken a bit of a dip in news coverage.

Aleppo has been forgotten.

But Aleppo is not safe.

The pandemonium in Syria continues. People are dying.

Refugees are flooding into surrounding nations. Just because the articles on Syria have disappeared from the public eye doesn’t mean the suffering of the Syrians has vanished along with it. The children in Aleppo continue to suffer even though NBC News isn’t reporting on them.

As people with relative economic privilege, healthy living environments and political stability, it is on us to make change in the world. By keeping stories about Flint, Aleppo and other important issues in the news, we maintain the issues’ relevance to the American people. If citizens are well-informed on the issues that matter, they will care about them.

We cannot turn our backs on others just because their story isn’t as publicized.

With the world at our fingertips, let’s not forget about it.

IN-DEPTH

10 – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – North Pointe

NATHAN LONCZYNSKI

Car companies announce plans to invest in U.S. Already, President Donald Trump’s policies may be shaping the economy, especially Michigan’s.

Since the beginning of his campaign, Trump has repeatedly attacked American companies for shipping jobs out of the country, and he is continuing his initiative.

According to the New York Times, he warned heating and cooling company Carrier not to outsource 2,000 Indiana jobs to Mexico, and eventually worked out a deal to save half of those jobs. Applying his policies to the auto industry brings hope of revitalizing Michigan’s economy.

Trump also threatened automakers with a 35 percent tariff on any cars produced in Mexico that are sold in the U.S., according to ABC. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, he reinforced that message with a tweet threatening automaker General Motors to pay a tariff for its cars it manufactures in Mexico.

Later that day, Ford Motor Company announced that it had abandoned $1.6 billion plans for a new plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Instead, the company will put $700 million into expanding its plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, USA Today said. After finishing the development, Ford plans to begin producing both autonomous and electric vehicles there, creating 700 new jobs.

Before the announcement, Trump complained about the prospective San Luis Potosi plant several times. And although Ford maintained Trump’s election did not inf luence the change in direction, Ford CEO Mark fields acknowledged that Trump’s pro-business policies gave the company

confidence for the future.

Just under a week later, Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles announced one billion dollar plans for two factories in Warren, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio. According to CBS, the plants will receive new equipment, which will allow them to build Jeep Wagoneers, Grand Wagoneers and a new Jeep pickup. FCA said the venture will also make 2,000 new jobs.

Meanwhile, GM CEO Mary Barra responded to Trump’s tweet by saying that the company would not change where produces its Chevrolet Cruze.

According to Reuters, as of now, a factory in Lordstown, Ohio already produces the Cruze sedans, which accounted for about 98 percent of the model’s domestic purchases in 2016.

Cruze hatchbacks, which are produced in Mexico, accounted for the other two percent of sales.

However, on Tuesday, Jan. 17, GM did announce plans to create or keep 7,000 U.S. jobs, most of them in Michigan. Like Ford, GM claims the move has been in the works for a couple years and that it had little to do with Trump.

In total, Ford, GM and FCA, along with

“

the Toyota, Hyundai and Kia Motor Corps, plan to invest a whopping $15.8 billion in total in U.S. jobs and factories over the next several years. Based on Ford, GM and FCA’s plans, at least 2,000 new jobs will come to Michigan for manufacturing and supply.

In addition to that, GM plans to create 5,000 or so advanced technology and engineering jobs over the next few years, mostly in southeast Michigan.

Investments like these could be a sign of the revitalization of the auto industry in Detroit. Southeastern Michigan has had strong economic ties to the auto industry for as long as it has been around. Ford and Chrysler both started up in Detroit, and GM came out of Flint.

In 1913, Henry Ford’s assembly line revolutionized the car industry forever, and his high wages revolutionized Detroit’s economy. Workers flooded to Detroit for work at the factories, and the auto industry took control.

That all fell apart when the larger automotive companies started moving their manufacturing jobs to other locations around the country, and even the world, where it would be cheaper to manufacture large amounts of cars. Factories left, and

Investments like these could be a sign of the revitalization of the auto industry in Detroit. Southeastern Michigan has had strong economic ties to the auto industry for as long as it has been around.

“

By Billy Moin & Sofia Ketels EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

thousands of jobs were lost. Since the auto industry was the largest part of Detroit’s economy, they could not survive without it, and Detroit’s economy collapsed.

Nearly 10 years ago, the famous Big Three bailout took place, and the federal government loaned GM, General Motors Acceptance Corp and Chrysler a total of $80.7 billion, according to www. thebalance.com. By the end of the bailout, the government and taxpayers lost out on $9.2 billion. Had the government rejected the companies’ pleas for loans, up to three million jobs could have been lost.

However, the Great Recession still left a mark on the car companies and their workers, especially in Michigan. From December 2007 to June 2009, the official timeline for the recession, 77,000 auto-manufacturing jobs disappeared, according to St. Louis Federal Reserve’s Economic Research.

Even before the recession began, Michigan’s economy was in a downward spiral. Financial losses and slowing sales forced Ford, GM and Chrysler to cut jobs or slash salaries in order to make a profit. In the seven years before the recession, about 150,000 people lost their manufacturing jobs, devastating Michigan’s economy.

By now, most of the auto-manufacturing jobs lost in the recession have returned, and jobs for the actual construction of vehicles is on the upswing. With the help of the investments, workers and the area stand to improve even more.

SPORTS

Senior

North Pointe – Wednesday, Jan. 25 2017 – 11

STRIVES for success

Erinne Lubienski commits to run for the Taylor University cross country team

By Katelynn Mulder & Lyndsay Kluge

and they will tell you how to start the process. Then, the coach calls to start interviewing for it, and then you have to go meet with the coach,” Lubienski After running on the girls cross country team said. “He started talking to me about the program. for four years, senior Erinne Lubienski received He wanted to know how I came to know Taylor, and an offer from Taylor University to run for their he wanted to know about my running journey and team as a freshman. After careful consideration, everything that happened.”

Lubienski accepted the offer, and signed her letter After applying, Lubienski waited for the of intent to join the team. outcome of her application, and was accepted into “I was looking into a few different programs the program. for running, but I have been spending a lot of time Lubienski said she is looking forward to with the team at Taylor,” Lubienski said. “I just fell beginning her journey as a freshman on Taylor in love with the girls from the program and kind of University’s cross country team, and can’t wait to decided then that I wanted to run there.” make new friends.

Lubienski put a lot Junior Stephanie Schaefer of thought into choosing was proud of her team Taylor and pursuing her mate when she heard about career as a cross country Lubienski’s acceptance. runner. She debated on “I was really proud of whether she wanted to Erinne. I think she is going to apply for the team or do great in college,” Schaefer to run on her own, but said. “She has always been decided that the kind such a great leader during and friendly team of cross country and she is a Taylor would give her great runner. She is really the support she needs dedicated, so I know she is to join. She also wants going to do really well.” to be able to compete Erinne Lubienski Taylor University sent and improve her time, SENIOR Lubienski the letter of intent. because it is an important part of who she is.

She signed surrounded by her family and North Her biggest motivation to run and move forward faculty and staff, along with coach Cooper, who in her running career began with her coach, Scott sees great potential in Erinne as a leader.

Cooper, who she had as her seventh grade social “Erinne is an extremely dedicated runner. This studies teacher. He gave Lubienski the push she is true about most things in her life. She puts her needed to join the high school team. all into whatever she does and then goes a step Lubienski later began her recruit application further,” Cooper said. “Taylor is smart to scoop online, and soon visited the university to be her up. Not just for her running ability but more interviewed by Taylor’s cross country coach. so for her leadership abilities.”

“They have recruiting forms online for running ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

“

I just fell in love with the girls from the program and kind of decided then that I wanted to run there.

“

ERINNE LUBIENSKI

New athletic trainer joins faculty

By Sonny Mulpuri EDITOR

KENNEDY WILLIAMS

ON THE JOB | Landa walks on the ice to assist an injured athlete in a game against University of LIggett on saturday, Jan. 21.

Students first, athletes second SPORTS COLUMN ANNA POST

Let’s face it, not ma ny people have the ability to shoot th rees like Steph Cur r y, a nd not ma ny have per fected thei r jump shot like Kevin Dura nt.

Our society puts athletes on a pedestal.

We acknowledge players’ sk ills but tend to overlook the academic aspect of one’s spor ts career. Sports fanatics get lost in the insane game recaps and drool over every college prodigy that dominates the field.

As the dema nd for talented athletic powerhouses increases, expectations in the classroom do the opposite.

Athletes have the upper ha nd. T hey

As the new year began, a new face emerged in the athletic department.

New athletic trainer Lizzy Landa has taken over the position for Sarah Florida, who departed for the University of Michigan in December.

Landa started the job on Monday, Jan. 2, but since it was during winter break Landa was only available for the teams practicing from 8:30 a.m. to a few hours after noon. However, once school started back up, she developed a daily routine and transitioned smoothly to the new job.

“When school started up, my day would start in the afternoon and end in the night,” Landa said. “But with the student athletes knowing their bodies and it was very helpful because they would tell me what Ms. Sarah would do. So I would just continue to do what would work for them.”

Landa used to be the athletic trainer at East Detroit High School, but she also has some previous experience with North and a working relationship with Florida.

“We both work for Ascension St. John’s and we both had contracts with different schools,” Landa said. “Before I came here, I would collaborate with her. So if she needed double coverage or additional coverage, I would try to take what I could and work alongside with her. Then if for whatever reason, I would need coverage, she would try to take it if she didn’t have any events going on. We basically worked together within our team.”

The interview process was in-depth, and it took several interviews with different candidates to find the right one. Athletic director Brian Shelson lead this initiative while working with Ascension, based through St. John’s, to identify the candidates suitable for the vacancy.

“I had St. John's look at the applicants, since it's a third party. Then they brought to me the best applicants they had, so that was step one. Step two was to interview them myself,” Shelson said. “The St. John's representative and I sat down and interviewed them and then from there I gave them a tour, asked questions of them, they asked questions of me, and then I selected from there.”

th in k they’re invincible. Grades often go overlooked, but athletic ability shouldn’t dism iss academ ic per for ma nce.

On fr iday, Dec. 30, Nebraska’s allsta r sa fety Nate Ger r y didn’t qualify to suit up for the bowl ga me aga inst Tennessee. H is grades didn’t meet h is school’s expectations, a nd as a result, he ea r ned h imself a spot on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

Ger r y later released a statement on Twitter rega rding h is suspension: "I did not fulf ill my academ ic responsibilities th is semester, a nd I wa nt to apologize for my tea m mates a nd to Husker Nation," he sa id. "I a m ver y grateful for the exper iences I have had at Nebraska a nd a m extremely disappointed that my Husker football ca reer has ended in th is ma nner."

W hat’s disappointing is that athletes get lost in the college spor ts exper ience a nd then end up f inding themselves str uggling in the classroom.

FOR A FULL Q & A WITH LIZZY LANDA, GO TO NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG

As soon as Landa was hired, Shelson and the rest of the athletic department wasted no time getting her used to the atmosphere and letting her introduce herself to the winter coaches.

Landa didn’t waste any time either and started treating student athletes right away. Freshman wrestler Artan Berisha was one of the first athletes to receive treatment from Landa.

“She heated my back because I had a sore back before my wrestling tournament,” Berisha said. “She told me to stretch it every time I feel pain and come to her if I need any help or anything like that. She said whenever it’s healed I’ll be fine, since it’s just a sore it just takes time.”

This is the kind of performance that impressed Shelson. After seeing her resume fit the criteria, he talked to the athletic department at East Detroit.

The praise they gave Landa, coupled with her experience in a high school setting gave even more reason to hire her.

While most athletic trainers accept the position right out of college and on their way to a master’s degree, Landa accepted because she wanted the challenge of a bigger school than her old one and could apply the master's degree that she had already received.

“I was finishing up with my master's degree and I felt like with my masters degree I would need more of a challenge, so when Ms. Florida left, I figured with the amount of the student athletes and the amount of sports that are here, it provided more of a challenge for me,” Landa said.

Landa has been appreciative of the support from the coaches to Shelson and the athletic department and even student-athletes.

“Everyone has been so supportive and so helpful that I’ve had no difficulties transferring and no difficulties transitioning here,” Landa said. “I’m very excited to be here and excited for this opportunity.

I’m very excited to see all these student athletes grow and expand with their academics and with their sport careers. I am very excited and I’m here to help. If you guys need anything, I’m here.”

Some spor ts progra ms have gone so fa r as to go beh ind the un iversity’s back to ma ke sure their athletes would be eligible to play.

In 2015, the Syracuse University basketball program was charged for interfering with their players’ grades so that certain athletes would be able to remain on the court. The NCAA suspended the coach for nine games.

The fate of an athlete’s success shouldn’t rest in the ha nds of thei r coaches or professors, but thei r own. W hat is it that ma kes a n athletes eligible for special treatment? Is it the the top -notch athletic gea r they f launt down the hallway? It isn’t fa i r. Someone’s poor per for ma nce in the classroom shouldn’t result in academ ic fraud, nor should it go unnoticed.

If a student athlete can’t manage a minimum GPA, it isn’t the teacher's responsibility to fix it. It’s the athlete’s. And the consequence Gerry faced is proof of that.

Just because we’re athletes doesn’t mea n our D in Physics is pa rdoned. With athletic ability comes responsibility,

on a nd off the cour t. Playing for our school, whether it be at the h igh school or collegiate level is a pr ivilege.

We ca n't ta ke adva ntage of it. It's impor ta nt that, as student athletes, we recogn ize that there must be a bala nce between our athletics a nd academ ics.

With acceptable grades, we a re gra nted the oppor tun ity to represent our school ever y match. If we don’t succeed in the classroom, we a ren’t able to ta ke the f ield.

As an athlete myself, I see the importance in both my successes academically and athletically. Balancing both aspects of my high school career can be a challenge, but I never use my spor ts as an excuse.

Student athletes are students first.

SPORTS

12 – Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – North Pointe

GOING RED

ANNA POST

Sophomore Maddie Mills verbally commited to Miami University in Ohio

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MADDIE MILLS

By Tommy Teftsis & Katie Thomas ASSISTANT EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

Goals aren’t the only thing sophomore Maddie Mills has scored recently.

Along with being a valuable player on the girls’ varsity soccer team, Mills has verbally committed to play Division I soccer at the Miami University in Ohio. Her commitment was made on Wednesday, December 21 before winter break.

However, according to NCAA rules, Mills can’t officially sign with the school until her senior year.

“The commitment process is kinda long, you have to start young. I made sure I sent the coaches emails and called them before I went to their camps and before I had games,” Mills said. “After we got in touch from their camps, they came and watch me play at various tournaments, along with me going down to Miami for a tour from the coach.”

Mills plays as a center defensive midfielder for the Nationals MRL premier one team which was a recently formed club formed by the combination of two clubs—Waza and Gators football club.

“My favorite thing about (soccer) is my position and winning balls in the air, being strong, and making assists,” Mills said.

Girls varsity soccer assistant-coach Eric Vanston worked as Mills’ coach for a year when she made the varsity team as a freshman and is both proud and excited for Mills’ future in the sport. Vanston assisted Mills throughout the process of making her choice, however when it came to her final decision, he wanted to make sure it was her own.

"It was important to me to have very little part in the decision it’s one of the most important decisions she’ll ever make,” Vanston said. “I didn't want to influence her in any way but I was there to talk to her and help her.”

While verbal commitments can secure a student athlete to a school, they aren’t permanent and allow for the athlete to back withdraw from the deal. For students, such as Mills, who are still underclassman, verbal commitments are beneficial because they ensure their college career and how to pay for it earlier. According to the NCAA, it’s only later on when athletes physically sign a National Letter of Intent, that they are officially bound to their commitment.

“A verbal commitment is, exactly what is sounds, she verbally says she’s going to commit which means it’s not written,” Vanston said. “Technically, she’s not binded to it so she can back out of a verbal commitment.”

One of Mills’ travel coaches, Dan Troccoli, has been impressed with her talent for the three years that he’s been coaching her.

“She is an incredibly intelligent player,” Troccoli said. “(She) sees the field very well and can make very quick decisions that allows to get her teammates involved in the play.”

Miami University is located in Oxford,Ohio, and is in the Mid-American Conference for Division I girls soccer. In their 2016 season, the team went 8-9-2. Troccoli, who also supported Mills by providing her advice on communicating with the University, is looking forward to Mills’ experience at the college.

“It’s an incredibly good school academically and athletically,” Troccoli said. “I think it’s a great decision for her, considering that they want her to play soccer for them and the education she will get.”

Mills is optimistic for her future in soccer and looks forward to developing her passion for the game.

“I loved the North girls team last year and I fit in very well,” Mills said. “I love the competition and playing in games and getting the outcome we want.”

KICK IT | Sophomore Maddie Mills kicks a ball during a travel soccer game.

USE YOUR HEAD | Mills makes an agressive play as she tries to score a goal.

Vanston said he appreciates Mill’s dedication on the field. “One thing I think that separates her is that she’s a tireless worker. She works hard all of the time. She’s focused, and in the game she’s very competitive.”

North hosts annual Norsemen Classic The boys wrestling team went 3-2 on Jan. 14

LOOKING FOR THE PIN | Sophomore Julian Turner looks for the referee to call the official three second pin. The team finished 3-2 in the tournament, an improvement over last year.

DRIVE TO IMPROVE | Sophomore Owen Brown tries to take down his opponent. Brown focused on having a clear head before every match. “In my matches, if I mess up or see something that I’ve never done before I learn from that,” Brown said. “I need to tighten up my technique because I learn a lot every year and I try to keep up with what I’m learning.I’m trying to get it all down.”

NOT ALL ABOUT THE WINS | “I learned that I’m capable of going out there and potentially winning. I don’t want to give up and rolling on my back and giving the other team six points.,” junior Brittany Howard said. “I wrestled pretty well, and my coaches were happy with what I did. That’s all that matters. I’d rather give up three points than give up six points.”

WHATEVER IT TAKES | Sophomore Ray Hamilton and his opponent scramble for a post.