North Pointe - Jan. 31, 2014

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

The Grosse Pointe Gearheads meet to prepare their robot for upcoming competitions

Power outages leave residents and businesses in the dark

By Mora Downs STAFF REPORTER

well.blogs.nytimes.com Lauren semack

page 4

REPORT CARDS AVAILABLE ONLINE

Monday, Feb. 3 via Parent Portal

GIRLS HOCKEY GAME

At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5 at home vs.

Liggett

MORP DANCE

At 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7 in the gym

STUDENT COUNT DAY

Wednesday, Feb. 12

VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL GAME

At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12 at home

BOYS SWIMING/ DIVING MEET

At 5:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 4 at home vs. Livonia Franklin

IDEAS

“old

When i’m , gray and still here in

grosse pointe, I will most likely

regale my grandchildren

with the tale of the year we had four snow

“

page 4

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014

Driven despite distraction

ON CAMPUS

days.

SINCE 1968

POINTE

A time consuming disorder, ADHD poses as an obstacle in student’s lives but doesn’t always hinder achievements

By Erica Lizza & Radiance Cooper

assistant editor & STAFF REPORTER

It’s that time again.

Around 1 p.m., during fifth hour, the focus starts to wane. Daydreaming is in full swing. For freshman Clarissa Kam, this is not an occasional occurrence.

Kam occasionally has trouble focusing if she forgets to take her ADHD medication.

“I just kind of blank out and I start thinking about random things. Like one time I started thinking about whales,” Kam said.

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a condition that Mayo Clinic reports is laden with symptoms such as difficulty staying on task, hyperactivity and impulsive actions.

“They are adults or children who have a hard time with focusing their attention and it affects their functioning in both academic and personal, social, emotional and all aspects of their life,” Learning Resource Center teacher Sheryl Smith-Russell said.

Kam said she was diagnosed as a fourth grader after exhibiting symptoms

such as inattentiveness and impulsivity.

“I would just space out in the middle of class, and then when they called on me, I would just blurt out a random thing,” Kam said.

She said something as simple as tapping her foot can help her concentrate, although it sometimes annoys her teachers.

Students use a variety of methods to counterbalance the effects of ADHD. These techniques help limit distraction and maintain focus.

“Also there’s a lot of strategies they can use ... for instance, a strategy might be to remind themselves with their phone if they’re forgetful, if they’re not good at projects, remembering dates,” Smith-Russell said.

“If they’re bad at long term projects and managing their time then they might look at a project and cut it down into smaller pieces for themselves.”

Some students who are diagnosed take prescription medication to help focus their attention on their assignments while they are in school and when they have to do homework.

While Kam found medica-

Harsh winter conditions challenge teen drivers

By Dora Juhasz & Emily Martinbianco STAFF REPORTERS

Snowflakes engulfed the car that junior Max Kolinski was in on his hectic drive home from the Drake concert on Dec. 17.

Only a split second passed as his head smashed into the seat in front of him. The car spun out of control after being hit by a passing car, bumping into the rail and then spinning into the middle of the highway, only to be hit again.

“It was snowing really hard, and it had been snowing for like an hour. We were on 75 and Big Beaver on the highway,” Kolinski said. “When a bigger car tried to pass us, they hit the front of our car, and then we spun out and hit the rail going like 60 miles per hour, and then a car came and hit us while we were in the middle of the freeway.”

Kolinski was in the car with three of his friends and a hired chauffeur.

“I didn’t see anything,” Kolinski said. “I was sitting in the backseat, and my head kept hitting the seat in front of me, but

@myGPN

tion helpful, other students who take medication for ADHD have different experiences.

Senior Cait Gaitley was diagnosed with ADHD last year and began taking medication to manage the condition, but didn’t think it was beneficial.

“I feel like there wasn’t that much of a difference, but I feel like just knowing that I had it made me concentrate harder on everything else,” Gaitley said.

The medication suppressed her appetite, leading to weight loss.

“I lost about 15 pounds in a month,” Gaitley said.

“I lost a little bit less each month, but you have to sort of make yourself hungry so that you eat.”

ADHD can affect people differently, and while medication alone might be sufficient for some students, others need alternative learning programs to further help their performance in school.

“Some of the students ... their ADHD is so extreme that they do have what we call an Individualized Educational Program, and they receive support services, some extra help to manage

Maddy saw everything.”

Junior Maddy Bessert had a clear view of the frightening occurrence, as she was seated in the passenger seat.

“A car tried to pass us, and we were in the fast lane, and they clipped the top right of the car,” Bessert said.

Although everyone escaped the crash without any life-threatening injuries, Kolinski suffered a concussion and a bloody nose, forcing him to take a trip to the hospital. The others in the car were unharmed, but the front of the vehicle was wrecked.

According to www.disastercenter.com, the leading cause of death during winter storms is transportation accidents. About 24% (1.5 million) of all car accidents are weather related. Recent record-breaking cold temperatures and severe snow storms have contributed to the massive amounts of car crashes seen in the past several weeks.

The Weather Channel has dubbed this storm “Hercules,” which is being blamed for at least 16 deaths in the Northwest and Midwest, 11 of which were caused by slick roads and winter-related accidents. A combination of snow, sleet, black ice and frigid temperatures create a disastrous recipe for car accidents.

Junior Jordan McCormick also experienced a minor car crash earlier in the year. She felt shocked and surprised after her accident.

www.myGPN.org

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

(it),” Smith-Russell said.

Students with Individualized Educational Programs may have accommodations, such as extra time to complete assignments, that allow them to learn the same material as their classmates without ADHD. Because of her ADHD, it takes Kam a long time to complete her homework.

She often spends as much as eight hours a night trying to finish assignments.

“If I can’t do it, then I’ll just sit there for a while just looking at my homework, trying to figure out what I am going to do,” Kam said.

Kam says music helps her stay focused.

“If I start humming while I’m doing my homework, it goes a lot faster.”

ADHD has not hindered Kam’s academic achievements. She was able to skip seventh grade and is taking Algebra II as a freshman.

Despite the challenge of staying focused, Kam does not think ADHD has negatively impacted her life.

“It’s not really that bad, I just may say some weird or random things in the middle of talking,” Kam said.

Power outages are supposed to be unexpected and rare. But for senior Alison Fly, they are a common occurrence. Fly loses her power at least two or three times a year, in the scorching summer and bitterly cold winter. The most recent power outage was Sunday, Jan. 12.

“This was was the first one in a while, but they seem to happen more to our quadrant than anywhere else,” Fly said.

Fly lives in the area surrounded by Mack Avenue, Marter Road and Vernier Road. A transformer explosion caused this latest power outage that lasted from 4:55 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. for residents and until 4 a.m. for businesses.

“I had to go to Ashby’s to finish my homework because I couldn’t see in the dark,” Fly said.

Students like Fly are fed up with the frequent power outages that affect them and their families.

“For my parents, it’s harder because it can affect their work or cooking schedule,” senior Madison Vens said.

Not only do the power outages make it difficult to do homework and keep up with daily schedules, but they took a financial toll on some residents, like freshman Natalie Shenkosky, whose family had to replace over half of their food.

“All the food in our fridge was ruined,” Shenkosky said.

contiued on page 2

1) Decrease your speed and leave plenty of room to stop.

2) Allow at least three times more space between you and the car in front of you.

3) Brake gently to avoid skidding.

4) Keep your lights and windshield clean.

5) Don’t use cruise control on icy roads.

6) Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first.

7) Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other drivers.

8) Have a mechanic check on your brakes, defroster, heater, exhaust system and lights.

9) Always make sure your tires are properly inflated and have plenty of tread.

10) Keep emergency supplies in your car, including extra food and water, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, a tool box and warm material such as blankets. www. weather.com www.esurance.com

VOLUME 46, ISSUE 8

luke sturgill

© 2014 North Pointe

news

2 – Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 – North Pointe

Power outages Continued from page 1

Shenkosky said it cost between $50 and $100 to replace spoiled food from the last two power outages.

The most recent outage left about 1,000 residents without heat or electricity in below-freezing temperatures.

Businesses have also been severely inconvenienced by the frequent power outages.

Josef’s Bakery, located in the same quadrant, has to send all employees home and throw out many of their baked goods when it loses power. The power outages cost Josef’s money and business.

“When there’s five or six wedding cakes in here, it’s a mess,” Josef’s owner Joey Cavallo said.

Although some businesses are hurt by power outages, others gain business.

“When people don’t have power they come here ‘cause they need their coffee, and they can’t make it at

Winter roads Continued from page 1

“I think it makes people more cautious, but at the same time, people don’t know when to stop,” McCormick said.

Teen drivers are often the most vulnerable to winter crashes. Weather conditions pose challenges for even the most experienced drivers, and it is difficult for new drivers to adjust safely.

Bad weather conditions contribute to the large potholes which have also caused recent cases of car damages.

According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, “potholes occur when snow and ice melt as part of Michigan’s seasonal freeze-thaw cycles.” The resulting water seeps in between cracks and freezes, causing the pavement to rise up and eventually break as a result of continuous traffic driving over it.

As snowfall continues, so does the formation of potholes.

Sophomore Ryan Reveley was in a car with his dad when

Leadership conference restricts student attendance in Traverse City

By Kaley Makino Staff reporter

Recently, the Student Association had a difficult situation put in their hands. A cap of 30 students had been placed for the annual Michigan Student Leadership States Conference, unlike last year, when 48 students attended.

“Student Council goes to States to learn new ideas from other schools to bring back to North. There are so many great fundraising ideas that we need to help us raise money for prom. There is a cap this year because there is a new director, and he wants to make the conference smaller and allow more schools to come,” Jack Reith, junior Class of 2015 senator, said.

Student Association President Colleen Maher said that it was S.A.’s job to decide how many students each grade could take. They chose to allow seniors and freshmen five students and sophomores and juniors seven.

“Sophomores and juniors, if you think about it, they’re go-

home,” Starbucks manager Connie Prus said.

The worst part for residents and businesses is that power seemingly goes out only in the one area.

“It’s frustrating because it’s on the nicest of the days, and you see everybody across the street has power. It’s just this grid,” Cavallo said.

DTE says that the most common reasons for loss of power are storms, accidents or equipment damage.

However, it is still unknown why the Marter/Vernier quadrant is the only one that frequently loses power.

Last fall, DTE tried to fix this problem by installing a pulley system to the power lines after complaints from Woods’ residents. This solution was not successful, and the power outages continued.

DTE’s unsuccessful fixes are leaving many of their customers unsatisfied and still suffering outages.

“I don’t think they’re doing enough,” Cavallo said.

“It looks like they are doing something, but they’re not targeting the real problem.”

their car tire was torn by a pothole. They witnessed several other cars get damaged the same way.

“We were driving, and there was one car in front of us, and they saw the pothole, so they swerved out of the way. It was really snowy, so we thought it was just ice, so we just slowed down, but we went over the pothole, and the car just went into the pothole. It popped our tires and dented our rims,” Reveley said. “We pulled in the parking lot, and there were a lot of other cars with popped tires, too.”

When potholes are hidden under layers of snow, it makes being cautious even more difficult. Fortunately, numbers like the Pothole Hotline (888-296-4546) can be contacted to report potholes, and most damages are covered by the state.

The Weather Channel’s best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all if it can be avoided. They advise not to go out until snow plows and sanding trucks have done their work and to allow extra time to get to destinations. Practicing driving in bad winter conditions is also helpful and allows drivers to be more prepared for future winter driving hazards. ing to be able to benefit the most because they’re the ones, especially the juniors, running the school next year,” Maher said. “So it was important to give them the most opportunity to grow as leaders. But of course, we didn’t want to take that away from our seniors or freshmen either.”

It was each individual class’ decision as to how the attending members would be chosen. Freshmen, sophomores and seniors decided to vote on who goes, and juniors were chosen randomly out of a hat.

“I don’t know that we would have ever chosen to do it this way,” junior class adviser Jill Davenport said. “In the past we have been able to send as many people as we wanted and it has never been an issue, so we would never choose this. We would choose to send everybody that wanted to go.”

S.A. advisers have already decided how a cap would be dealt with in future years.

“Mr. Byrne’s solution is to go to a point system. In other words, if you are a member of the Student Association or an officer of the S.A., say for instance if you’re on time for every meeting, you’ll get points. If you’re late, you’ll get negative points,” said Pat Gast. “If you come and help out for homecoming and you work because S.A. and classes are totally separate, but yet they share the same senators. So students will be getting points, pluses or minuses, depending on how effective they are.”

The conference is in Traverse City from March 22-24.

Student Council publicizes MORP theme A theme to match the weather. This years MORP theme, hosted by the Class of 2015, will be Frost.

“The date for MORP this year is earlier, so we decided to incorporate the season/weather, but we didn’t want the dance to be as formal as a ‘winter wonderland’ theme, so we decided on frost,” junior class senator Michael Marchiori said.

MORP will be held Feb. 7, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the gym. The dance will remain a casual clothing event, but dress code is still enforced. Typical dress code would include shorts below thumb-length, no bare midriffs and no straps thinner than two inches.

“Keeping the dress code in mind, we’re encouraging people to wear blue and white casual clothes to fit the theme,” Marchiori said.

Professional D.J. Services is hired. They have deejayed for the District in the past including this year’s homecoming.

Tickets will be sold the week of the dance during both lunches in the bookstore by student council members and advisers.

“Tickets are $12, but if you bring in two children’s books they’re $10,” Marchiori said.

Juniors initiate new Film Club To juniors Katelyn Carroll and Jacob Kempton, movies are enjoyable for the entertainment aspect as well as analyzing them for techniques and hidden meanings. To get others involved in their hobby, they started a movie club.

At a float party this past fall, they were discussing their love for film and the idea for their movie club sprung from there.

“We realized that we both really liked talking about just the ‘film buff’ things about movies, and then we talked about starting a club, and we did some research, and South already has one so that kind of interested us,” Carroll said.

Kempton became more interested in movie development last year through his Film Literature class.

“I started analyzing movies more when I watch them and looking at the writing more and I just got much more interested in how movies are made and what makes a good movie good versus a bad movie,” Kempton said.

After the first meeting last week, Carroll said they had a good turnout of about 30 kids but expects there will be more.

Right now, the co-presidents are waiting for a final decision from administration on the films they can watch.

When they get the approval to watch the films, they hope to have movie viewings two Thursdays a month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The club will not just sit back and watch the movie, but will have a group discussion before and after.

“In the beginning, we could discuss what to look out for in the movie and then afterwards discuss any hidden metaphors or character development or just things that we notice that we like,” Carroll said.

Most movies will have to be PG-13 and under. They can only be rated R if they get approved first. Some of their top picks are V for Vendetta, 500 Days of Summer, The Breakfast Club and 12 Angry Men. The plan is to host viewings in social studies teacher Sean McCarroll’s room, but if there are too many students, they would like to use the library.

“From the club, I want to get a better understanding (of) movies and what sort of movies people tend to like,” Kempton said.

Follow the movie club on twitter @GPN_movieclub

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

Board of Education Policy

Maria Liddane Editor-in-Chief Izzy Ellery life editor

Andrea Scapini Gabby Burchett NEws editor Managing EDITOR

Melina Glusac ideas editor

Colleen Reveley Lauren Semack Sydney Thompson sports editor web content manager business manager

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Erica Lizza and Jennifer Kusch.

OUR EDITORIAl

illustration by jen kusch

Going too far for the gold?

Olympic athletes face difficult situation in Sochi The Olympics exude pomp and celebration that only a thousand-year-old international spectacle of grace, perseverance and brute strength can pull off. The eyes of the world fall to one lucky country as the host of the televised events – a country responsible for housing such glory and, this year, a country responsible for preventing a spectacle gone awry.

The controversy surrounding this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia started as a concern for the safety of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community overshadowing the Olympic theme of international unity. What was deemed a large issue (certainly a factor in President Obama’s decision to not attend the games), is only the tip of the iceberg. Recent terrorist attacks and continuous threats have filled countries and athletes with fear.

The venue for the Olympics is a resort town that neighbors Georgia, a country that recently ended a war with Russia. Many dub this the genocide of the Circassians, leaving tension and hatred between the two countries. Even more recently, a North Caucasus Islamist group, Imarat Kavkaz, has rocked Sochi with suicide bombers and promise to carry out attacks through the games.

This year’s Olympics is unquestionably the most dangerous in recent history, but no countries have pulled their athletes from the games. The United States is sending a record-setting number of 230 athletes and has voiced concerns over their safety. Emergency plans are in place should an attack take place, but many are left to wonder if the games are worth the risk.

However, it is understandable that the United States has not chosen to withdraw their athletes. Giving into the threat of terrorism is, by definition, letting terrorists win. Although it’s not right to risk the lives of men and women who only dream of representing their country, pulling out is out of the question – America doesn’t negotiate with terrorists. The United States is the face of the world’s democracy, and caving at the threat of terrorism would be a sign of weakness, especially with an event as wholesome as the Olympics are supposed to be.

If the United States pulled its athletes out, a domino effect is expected, leaving few countries left to compete in an event that’s supposed to bring the world together in (relative) peace, harmony and healthy competition.

This would lead to the entire competition’s collapse and result in extra tension between Russia and America. The United States must lead by example in the face of this threat by keeping its athletes in the games.

According to CNN, the United States has already moved two warships into the Black Sea with helicopters and C-17 aircraft transporters (stationed in Germany) ready upon command. And on Russian soil, Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, said FBI agents are already starting to work with their Russian counterparts, in addition to the U.S. sharing some of their most advanced bomb detection technology with Sochi officials.

When it comes down to it, these world-class athletes can refuse to compete if they feel safety concerns outweigh the opportunity for glory, personal achievement and endorsements – their livelihoods. But in reality, it is unlikely these world-class athletes will drop out. Many are determined to take advantage of the opportunity they’ve trained for so long. Some are prepared to make a point about LGBT rights. Others refuse to succumb to terrorist threats. Between the three, we will witness American athletes compete in Sochi this winter.

Snow day. Oops, I said it. I hope I didn’t jinx it!

Wait. No. I hope I did jinx it. While it was an excellent way to blow off some steam in middle school, those three snow days right before midterms only added to and multiplied the stress already associated with this time of My TURN year (and seeing as Audrey kam math is not my best subject, it was multiplied exponentially).

Everyone was booked already. I know I was.

I didn’t even get days off from Gearheads. On Monday and Tuesday, though school was out, your friendly neighborhood robotics team was at school getting things done in the shop and computer lab. We were actually at school when the third snow day was announced.

I was feeling a mix of disbelief, elation and a tiny bit of dread. I knew that we already had two days of work to make up when school resumed, but now we had three. In the week before midterms, we had three extra days of curricular and extracurricular work to cram into our schedules. For me, I knew that the result would be a fabulous amount of sleep deprivation and a new definition of the phrase “freaking out.”

And I was 100% correct. Not only did I feel the expectations weighing down on me every hour of every day leading up to midterms week, but I watched as they stacked up. Everything I was unable to complete the night before was heaped onto the next morning. I was finishing worksheets sloppily, but within five minutes. Just in time to turn them in. I got behind on my Huck Finn reading because I kept forgetting to do it. I was doing math at lunch and eating in orchestra or after school. My stomach was doing somersaults and my mind was sluggish and slaphappy.

I fully understand that the conditions in

“My New Year’s resolution was to work, like, do core every day, and I have kept that so far.”

Clarissa Kam freshman

our neighborhoods made it necessary to call school off, and that these days could not be avoided, and that I cannot, therefore, blame the school for any inconveniences I experienced during this pre-testing period. I can, however, lay full blame on Mother Nature.

Though it did nothing whatsoever to help me, I had no problem cursing the abysmal weather conditions as I worked into the wee hours of the morning.

Now, you may think that this last statement is shameless hyperbole. It is not. I have always been a slow worker when I get overwhelmed, and seeing as I was epically overwhelmed for almost a week, it’s no surprise that 4 a.m. twice found me still awake and working on the computer. My already night-owlish insomniac tendencies are only amplified when I know I have a ridiculous amount of work to get done, so I had all but run out of midnight oil to burn by the time I was finally finished with midterms.

When I’m old, gray and still here in Grosse Pointe, I will most likely regale my grandchildren with the tale of the year we had four snow days. The year we wasted practically one school week at home. But it’ll be an adventure story. The story of a heroine and an entire army of her classmates who somehow survived both midterms and the week preceding them on dangerously low amounts of sleep and dangerously high levels of caffeine.

A harrowing tale full of emotions and tears and odd exhaustion-induced hallucinations.

The grandchildren will be enthralled, slightly frightened, extremely excited and a tiny bit curious at their grandma’s archaic knowledge of days gone by. The wind will howl, and snow fall thick and fast, drifting against their bedroom windows. Before hearing the tale, they’ll turn their wide-eyed gaze on me and ask, “Do you think we could get a snow day?”

I’ll sit down on the edge of one of their beds to tell the tale that began on a Sunday night with a small spoon under my pillow.

“No. It was to eat healthy, and I didn’t do that quite yet.”

Jackie Denison

“I didn’t make a New Year’s resolution because I usually just forget about them after two weeks.”

Kate Derringer

sophomore

junior

YOUR TURN: Have you kept your New Year’s resolutions?

By Yena Berhane & Mallika Kanneganti

“Yes, I did. My resolution was to get at least a 3.5 first semester, and I did it.”

“The only resolution I’ve made and kept was not making any more resolutions, so yes.”

“I didn’t make one. So I guess yes, I did keep it.”

Daniel Braker

Paula Dombrowski

Julie Pappas

senior

Hall monitor

North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 – 3

math teacher

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by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane every two weeks. It is in practice a designated MANAGING EDITORS: Gabby Burchett, Dayle public forum without prior review. ComMaas ments should be directed to the student SECTION EDITORS: Andrea Scapini, Melina editors, who make all final content decisions.

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Editor’s desk anu subramanium

Caught in the eye of a tiger mother When my mother and I read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother we had two very different opinions. My first thought about the daughter was “that poor girl,” but my mother gave the self-proclaimed “tiger mother” acclaim for “keeping her child in line.” She agreed with the strict parenting style that author Amy Chua used on her daughter, as my mother was raised in the same perfectionist manner.

Since my birth, my mother has embraced the Asian stereotype and ran with it. Every day since I was three I have had to do math. I wasn’t allowed to leave my house until my bed was made and room was spotless. She went from just being a strict teacher to making dietary restrictions and limitations on my playdates.

The first instance was daycare. I’m sure it was traumatizing, but thankfully I can’t remember – all I have are the pictures and stories to try to forget. She made sure the daycare was right across the street from where she worked so that she could come check on me at least twice a day. You would think that was bad enough, but she also would bring in special food for me. And that is how the corner where I had to eat my vegetarian Indian food to avoid meat contamination became known as “my spot.”

The embarrassment from similar situations carried on throughout my life. The next notable instance was tricycle riding. She didn’t like that I would get tired after riding around so she scheduled 10 minutes where she would pull the tricycle up and down the block (while I wasn’t to pedal) so I wouldn’t be tired for our math lesson that followed.

The teenage-year battles came next, and they were ugly, just like the clothes my mother picked out for me. I tired of the two braids and office attire I was put into. When I objected, my mother sassed me right back.

“All these kids only care about are looks, looks, looks and boys; stop wasting your time trying to look like them and do some math.”

It took years to win this battle.

So I went into sixth grade having braces and the social skills of a log. My parents didn’t even let me go on playdates until I was seven because they thought it would lead to a life of partying and end with me spiraling out of control.

My mom went to a private all-girls school and didn’t understand hanging out with boys, doing makeup and hair or anything that didn’t involve textbooks or a calculator.

With the traditional ideals my parents held, I turned into the most naive kid there was.

I spent most of my time with books and tutors trying to get ahead and missed out on the things kids are supposed to enjoy.

And the dual-lifestyle hasn’t gotten any easier. I’m too Indian to be American and too American to be Indian. Having this culture that most people are ignorant of and having parents who don’t get the high school lifestyle makes things tough. I have all the pressure to make my parents’ hard work to get to America worth it by getting into an Ivy League school, but then I have the pressure from myself to make friends and fit in.

Somedays I feel like I have a secret life, other days I feel like they fit cohesively. But I wouldn’t trade my life for anything. The difficulty of finding who I was has given me more ties to my culture and still allowed me to find social equilibrium. No more tears, just a lot of math.

On Campus

4 – North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 31, 2014

Getting heads into gear With build season in full swing, the Grosse Pointe Gearheads robotics team are pulling long hours and are on their way to having a working robot in time for competition.

By Dana O’Donnell

Faces in the crowd Maggie McEnroe

A trifecta of activities

– volleyball, dancing and piano lessons – make for a

hectic schedule for freshman Maggie McEnroe. She works to manage her time between activities.

“I usually come home around eight to nine and then work on my homework ‘till around 11 p.m.”

McEnroe has piano lessons every Wednesday and practices for at least 15 minutes a day.

During the fall, she played on the JV volleyball team, and she’s currently playing for Omni, a local volleyball club run by Liggett’s coach. Volleyball is more special to McEnroe, compared to her other extracurriculars.

“I prefer volleyball because I think it’s the one I’m best at,”McEnroe said.

McEnroe also dances year-round for Casali School of Dance, doing jazz, ballet and lyrical dance.

“I do it because I enjoy the people I do it with. It doesn’t feel like an extracurricular because it’s like I’m hanging out with my best friends for hours every day.”

Staff reporter

Sage Edmonds

Home for the holidays?

That’s a yes and no for junior Sage Edmonds. She goes from her house in Harper Woods to the Lone Star State every year.

“For the last five years, I’ve spent Christmas break and summer vacation at my dad’s house in Texas,” Edmonds said.

Edmonds’ leisurely activities are a little different down South.

“We go horseback riding to vineyards and to my dad’s friend’s farm to milk cows and get eggs from the hen pen,” Edmonds said.

Although she enjoys her stay in Texas, it’s hard for her to be away from family so long.

“Whenever I leave, I always miss my mom and sister and niece so much,” Edmonds said. “But it’s worth it anyways.”

TOP: Sophomore Aidan Reickert begins repairing a pneumatic shifter for the robot in the fabrications area. Reickert enjoys the people he has met through the club. “I like all the people I meet on the team and at the competitions,” Reickert said. “Gearheads is important to me because it is a way for me to learn to solve problems and work together with other people.”

ABOVE: Working in the fabrications part of shop, senior Michael Bakowski collaborates with fellow Gearheads to make brackets for mounting the pneumatics. “It’s great fun.

You learn a lot of skills. It really resembles an actual work environment, like we are all here and we are all aiming at the robots.” Bakowski said. “It mimics real work.”

TOP RIGHT: The design team sits at computers to produce and create new plans. Grosse Pointe South student Neal Troscinski loves to see his creations turn into a reality. “It’s really fun seeing something you make come alive. You can come up with an idea, and without a whole lot of work, you can see it actually happen.”

Camille Makowski

Senior Camille Makowski believes food is the fastest way to someone’s heart. Her life-long passion for baking is inspired by the joy she feels in doing a favor for someone else.

“It’s more of a hobby for myself. I’m more into medicine as a career path, but baking is just kind of for me to show my appreciation for people and what they do,” Makowski said.

Her Belgian and Italian heritages have inspired her to bake classic sweets and meals.

“I cooked dinner with the Italian side of my family, always pasta,” Makowski said.

“Then with the other side of my family, it was always cookies and little cakes.”

Makowski said that her culinary craft was not only practiced in the home but also in classes at Parcells Middle School, and it has continued with her classes during the past four years.

RIGHT: The team starts to test the robot’s shooter to ensure the ball will reach the goal. Junior Jamie Lackner savors the challenge Gearheads brings her. “It’s new stuff and new challenges every year and you have to actually think to do it,” Lackner said. “Everything I have put in I have received tenfold back.”

By Stephanie Roy, Diajah Williams & Emma Brock

FIVE MINUTES WITH

History teacher Frank Tymrak

By Brittney Hernandez & Josie Bennett Staff reporter & Intern

Brigitte Smith

History teacher Frank Tymrak stands alongside a photo of his uncle and grandfather. They were taken to Siberia to work in Soviet labor camps in the World War II era. “My father was 16 when this happened, and when they got into Iran they had to automatically join the British Military,” Tymrak said.

Adventure of a Lifetime is more than just a book in the making for author and history teacher Frank Tymrak. The historical fiction novel follows the tragic tale of a family in Poland, based on a series of events that his own family underwent at that time.

“It’s about five members of a family living in Poland right at the outbreak of World War II, and they were transported. Everyone there was transported to Siberia to work in the Soviet labor camps, and the story talks about the anguish and the agony of traveling almost 1,500 miles all the way to Siberia,” Tymrak said. “It was my dad, my grandmother, grandfather and my aunts and uncles, so obviously there’s a strong connection.”

Tymrak wanted to share the story because he was aware people may not know of this hidden history.

“You won’t find this in your textbook. A million and a half people died in this, but most people don’t even

know about it, unless it happened to touch you directly,” Tymrak said.

Being so close to the subject, Tymrak has not yet chosen to publish his book. Pages are constantly added on with every new tidbit of information he finds on the Internet or uncovers from family.

“I’ve been writing it for probably five to six years. It’s not a book in a sense that’s page after page. It’s an ongoing process. In other words, it’s kind of an interesting, 21st Century look,” Tymrak said. “I’m under no deadline, you know. I don’t have to make sure that I get a particular chapter done or get paid for it or something. This is just a book that may later be good.”

Although an ongoing process, Tymrak plans to someday publish his book. But for now, he uses his family’s riveting past as a daily inspiration to add to his ever-expanding story and to teach his classes.

“Every family has something you can kind of look back on,” he said. “You kind of use it as a motivating factor.”

What were the conditions like that your family was living in?

They would cut down this fern that was fluffy and the women would sew a cloth over it, and that would be a Soviet mattress. For the 1940s, it was a pretty good mattress. They thought themselves as lucky because at some labor camps you had to mine and they only got enough food to work the next day.

When did you find out about your family’s interesting past?

Not until recently when I showed a great interest. They had mentioned it at least once or twice around the holidays. You know not like, ‘Here sit down. I want to tell you about this.’ It was kind of like they had mentioned to other people, and I picked up on it.

What’s your favorite movie?

The Quiet Man. It’s old, way old.

Do you like teaching European history?

I love teaching European history. It is a class that delivers the strongest connection to the institutions of our modern world – meaningful and important developments such as rule of law, property rights, a consumer society, democracy and capitalism, to name a few. Students will never look at these developments the same way after experiencing European history.

What genre is the book?

It’s historical fiction, but it’s highly factbased. 95% is based on fact.

life

North Pointe – Friday, Jan.31, 2014 – 5

Stress-relief spots

Once the midterm stress was over, students scatter to try and shake off all the stress of exam week by spending their afternoon off doing feel-good activities around Grosse Pointe.

pancake house “I’m going to the Pancake House. I haven’t had breakfast all week so I cant wait,” sophomore Nicole Stein said.

Nautical Deli “I went out to eat (at Nautical Deli) and cried of happiness to be a second semester senior,” senior Mariah Herfi said.

Ghesquiere Park “Finally my midterms were done and I had time to be free and play some easygoing pond hockey.

This winter has been really bad, but playing pond is one of the fun things we can do, and playing after midterms felt like the best way to end the week,” sophomore Nick Ellery said.

work “I’m going to take a nap when I get home which is good and then go to work,” junior Lexi Farrar said.

basketball “I’m going to go home, take a nap and either go hoop or to a basketball game,” junior Terrence Nance said.

School “I’m going to be going to an extra credit movie for AP U.S. I went to the extra credit because I needed to boost my grade a little bit to help my GPA out. It was an easy way to get some extra points,” senior Matt DeZeery said.

By Izzy Ellery, Jennifer Kusch, Diajah Williams & Yena Berhane Editor, assitant editor, Staff reporter & Intern

map courtesy of google.maps.com

the sub hub: Meet some regular substitutes dajai chatman

By Melina Glusac, Izzy Ellery, Gowri Yerramelli & Dajai Chatman editors & interns

What started as a temporary position has become a 23-year passion for substitute teacher Judith Hobart.

“I started out being a lunch mom while my kids were in elementary school. I got to know the teachers, I got to know the school system better, I got to see the kids they were in school with, and it was just nice being involved,” Hobart said. “Then it moved into subbing, and it worked so nicely because I knew a lot of the kids. They knew me, and so the transition was nice. I went with them as they grew up. That’s why I’m there. I’m like one of the bricks in the walls.”

Sewing is a family tradition and an old hobby for Hobart.

“I don’t do a lot of sewing anymore. I enjoy it, and I enjoy helping people with sewing,” Hobart said. “Once in a while, I would sub in the sewing classes, and I guess that would be my absolute favorite because I like helping the kids get a little further with their projects.”

She enjoys all the other classes she can be a part of, except one.

“That’s hard because I like all of the classes except gym … I don’t do a gym class.

Somebody always gets hurt when I’m in a gym class, so I said ‘Nope, not anymore, that’s just not for me,’” Hobart said. “But pretty much any class I have a good time in. I just really enjoy being at the school, being with the kids. It’s been interesting to see how the whole process has changed over the years from when I first started teaching to when my kids were in school. I know, a hundred years ago is a long time.”

Hobart said she has the best times in the classes she can make a true connection with.

“If you do what you’re supposed to do, we all get along really well. And then we’re surprised at how well we can all get along,” Hobart said. “I enjoy being at the school. I enjoy being with the kids. They’re interesting. They’re fun. You can joke with them sometimes — not all the time.”

dajai chatman

courtesy of kristen duus

dajai chatman

Substitute teacher Jason Glicker is rarely seen without one of his iconic necklaces on. Glicker’s jewelry choice stemmed from a hobby of his, which is going to music festivals.

“Just going to music festivals and seeing everyone with all their cool jewelry, I wanted to do my own thing,” Glicker said.

This experimentation spurred a fondness of the new hobby. Glicker is now able to mix his passion of music with jewelrymaking.

“One of my favorite bands is Tool,” he said. “It’s a good band; it was the first show I ever saw.”

While going to music festivals and making necklaces are his key activities outside of work, he continues to expand his creative talents through other outlets.

“I started doing artwork about a year and a half ago, so I’m still kind of new at that,” Glicker said.

And while Glicker gets a better chance to use his creative drive outside of his job, he also enjoys what he gets to do inside of the classroom.

“I like it when kids are engaged and they’re actually interested if I have something to say, they seem like they want to hear it. I will definitely tell them,” Glicker said.

Glicker plans to go back to school to pursue other passions in the teaching field.

“I kind of like challenges, too, like working difficult classes like autistic classes.

Actually, if I go back to school to teach, I’ll probably do an autistic class,” Glicker said.

His interest in substitute teaching for special needs classes originated from a previous substitute teaching job he had at Trombly Elementary School.

“I’ve worked there a lot, and I’ve had a lot of good experiences there. I subbed for the autistic teacher there,” Glicker said. “A few years back, it was like my first real experience in an autistic class for a long period of time because she was out for a month straight, and I ended up going to the class for that whole month. I ended up subbing for a total of seven weeks, and I really liked it a lot.”

Substitute teacher Kristen Duus spreads her “gift” of teaching in as many areas as she can. She started substitute teaching when she saw the need to get a job after her husband’s real estate business was hit hard during the recession.

“I especially loved high school students, so I thought that I could use my background and make an impact on kids,” Duus said. “I specifically liked being at the same school a lot so I could get to know kids and get to know what was going on in their lives and what their strengths and what their weaknesses were and how I could help them, and at the same time have that ability to be home with my own children and still be available to them when they were home.”

Duus uses her teaching abilities to her full potential, as she is involved in leading women’s Bible studies.

“I’ve always been told I had the ‘gift’ of teaching. My Christian faith is pretty much central to who I am, and I just believe that our faith works better when we are together and working in groups and living life together. I just wanna help other women develop their faith and know more about Scripture and how much God loves them.”

Duus recognized the flexibility that substitute teaching provided her, as it allows her to spend time with her children and get involved in other activities. One of her newest pursuits is producing the musical Oliver.

“I am not at every rehearsal. I do at least a couple hours of work on it each day at home,” Duus said. “A lot of organizing and making sure that committee chairs are on task and that we’re just kind of keeping the ball moving forward, and I’m usually at rehearsals a couple times a week.”

All of her involvements around the community keep Duus busy, but she makes sure to spend time with her two kids, considering the fact they are the reason she pursued substitute teaching.

“My hobbies are my kids. too. They’re at that funny age where they still need me, yet they want to be independent,” Duus said.

From fiction to nonfiction, substitute teacher Emily Fraser loves to read.

“Specifically, I like strong female leads. I like fiction. I’ve read some nonfiction, but I like fiction way better. I read the The Hunger Games. Loved it. That stuff is right up my alley,” Fraser said.

Reading is just one of her many hobbies, as she also likes sports.

“I play tennis, but I can’t really play tennis in the winter,” Fraser said.“I like to stay up-to-date with the pros, like the playing the Australian Open and things like that.”

Roger Federer is one of her all-time favorite tennis pros.

“I think he is a classy guy and plays tennis really well. He’s Swiss, so he’s not American,” Fraser said.

Aside from playing tennis, she enjoys searching for current events in the news.

“I actually use Twitter a lot. That’s a really good source for news, like the big news outlets. So pretty much every news station has a Twitter,” Fraser said. “So it’s so easy to read The New York Times or the Detroit Free Press and things like that.”

Education in the state is a topic Fraser likes to hunt for in the news.

“I like to stay up-to-date on sports, college sports, like Michigan versus Michigan State, so I read about them. I read about entertainment. I like to learn about new things going on in Detroit, music festivals, restaurants, things like that. So the newspaper has a lot of stuff to do with that.”

Fraser’s teaching dream came true when she graduated from the University of Michigan in December, majoring in English. She is now serving as a long-term sub for English teacher Jonathan Byrne.

“I’m brand new to teaching, and subbing is kind of my practice,” Fraser said.

“I’m honing my skills.”

Fraser realized her dream to become a teacher for high school students while she was in college.

“I went into college knowing that I wanted to teach high schoolers specifically. It’s kind of in those steps, so it’s getting experience until I find a long-term position.”

reviews

North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 – 6

RIDE ALONG a trip to sit out

By Patricia Bajis

Staff developmnt editor

Ride Along follows high school security guard and video game master Ben Barber (Kevin Hart) in his attempt to join the police force and marry his girlfriend, Angela Payton. Barber must tag along on a day of police work with his future brother-in-law and cop for the Atlanta City Police Department James Payton (Ice Cube) to prove he is man enough to earn Payton’s approval.

So can a movie with the dynamic duo of Kevin Hart and Ice Cube go wrong? As baff ling as it is, yes. And in a huge way.

The beginning credits are surprisingly intense, setting the expectation high with stop-motion shots and a fast-paced rap from Busta Rhymes played during an action-filled shootout/car chase between Payton and a group he has been tracking for almost three years. This combination will set viewers on the edge of their seats. Quickly, though, they will slowly sink back into them as the plot takes a monotonic turn, continuing on that same downward spiral until the last half hour of the film.

The plot itself is nothing more than a cliche, and the audience will be able to predict the whole storyline within the first five minutes. There are no twists, surprises or shocks.

W hile on the ride along, Payton has the police station forward him all of their “126’s,” the annoying disturbances that no one wants to take care of. His mind consumed with finding the men that escaped in the beginning credits, Payton takes Barber to an array of these calls to scare him out of the ride along, but Barber ends up aiding him in finding clues to the group he is chasing, and, well, the

rest plays out exactly how one would guess. This takes up a great portion of the movie time and is quite boring. All of the scenes in the trailers that were used to advertise for the movie were the funniest parts, with the rest of the movie falling below expectation.

As Hart’s character is infatuated with war-simulation video games, he is scolded by Payton for not understanding the reality of the games he plays. This subplot appears throughout the film and is the only remotely spontaneous story; it plays a predictable yet pleasing role in the end of the film.

Hart’s quick wit, rife with one-liners, is the only element that keeps the movie bearable until the plot picks up, but it does not make up for the hour of waiting for something to happen. Hart’s portrayal of the character is immaculate, as each line’s comedic timing is not only perfect but mostly improvised, adding to its impressive nature. Cube’s hardened and serious acting only highlights Hart’s character, which gives off the good-cop, bad-cop persona that goes along with the plot.

The acting does pick up and helps the movie to finish on a more intriguing note, however. As Payton and Barber become friends, their comedic delivery improves, and jokes become longer than quick one-liners. W hen the two characters are fighting, there is no room for jokes to bounce between them, and the humor just misses the mark. W hen they join forces, however, there is more room for the comedy (the stellar kind that was expected) to coexist between the pair. That kind of chemistry and comedy was what the viewer hoped for throughout the whole movie, but there were few laughs for the majority of the movie.

Grade: C

wordeo app

Jack ryan: Shadow recruit

BAd blood

Myspace. Facebook.

Tw itter. Vine. A ll of these social networks started as nothing and turned into something.

Facebook replaced Myspace and Tw itter reunbiasedwriter.com placed Facebook, but what w ill replace Tw itter or Vine? Meet Wordeo. Wordeo is the new featured app that’s a combination of Tw itter and Vine.

Celebrities Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Selena Gomez already have explored the new world of Wordeo, having made multiple videos. The user can come up w ith any phrase and instantly turn it into a slideshow. First you need to dow nload the free app and then make an account. After the account is set up, click the pen in the upper right corner to make the first post. Ty pe any word or sentence then click the arrow. Wordeo is a smart app because it recognizes the words selected for the post and chooses corresponding videos to be played simultaneously behind.

Customizing has never been easier.

Users can click the tweak button after the Wordeo has been created to edit it. Options include changing the font, music or video. The video can be changed to another video Wordeo offers, or the user can make their ow n. Like other social media, a person w ith a Wordeo account can follow their friends, get notifications, “like” others’ posts, gain followers and receive “likes” for their ow n posts.

W hile some videos are entertaining, others can be overdone and boresome. It takes a w itty person to perfect Wordeo and make truly entertaining videos. Like any social media app, it can be put to good use when it’s in the right hands, but it also can be a vortex of wasting time.

Filled with suspense and action, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit focuses on the secrecy of the CIA and its elite members. Jack Ryan, forbes.com played by Chris Pine, is a marine who was injured in Afghanistan.

Years later, after going through intense physical therapy, he meets the love of his life and a man who wants to hire him into the secret ops of the CIA. Taking this risk, Ryan has to come to reality and puts his old life on the back burner.

After traveling to Moscow to become an undercover analyst, Ryan must learn a new job. Hacking into computers and running from Russian thieves is just the beginning of his adventure. Trying to help the CIA track down a Russian man who is stealing money from American businesses, Ryan and his team must find this man and get justice.

W hen Ryan’s girlfriend suspects he is having an affair because he is always running off to unknown places, Ryan has to choose whether to continue to keep his job a secret from her. Revealing his true occupation not only means putting her life at risk of the Russians, but it also means that it may compromise the mission itself.

One tiny misstep, and it could all end badly for everyone on the team.

Throughout this movie, the viewer gets a glimpse of the secrecy and danger that comes with certain occupations like the CIA. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit will have viewers in awe and at the edges of their seats in no time.

There are songs that just stick—the kind that the listener hums while doing the dishes, homework and even listening to other songs. mixpakrecords.com That type of contagious energy is Bastille’s new album, Bad Blood, in a nutshell. In its catchy instrumentals paired with repetitive, easy-to-remember lyrics and a British accent thrown into the mix, the new London-based band has created an album full of everything heard before with a little something extra.

This “something extra” is what sets the album apart and makes it one for the ages.

The radio single “Pompei” has an overwhelming popularity, and for good reason. The trance-like opening gets the listener interested; the bassline keeps the listener’s head bopping, and the hook keeps the listener around. No wonder this song was first on the album. It’s so good, in fact, the album should consist only of this track—15 times.

But variety is good, and in Bastille’s case, great. This debut album gives everyone a taste of the bright future that Bastille has. The band can go from a teenage love story soundtrack, with songs like “Flaws” and “Laughter Lines,” to songs that are perfect for deep thinking and heartbreak, like “Overjoyed”and “Oblivion.”

Needless to say, Bastille really put its foot in the door with this one. It has everything a debut album needs to keep old fans and make new ones.

The bar has been raised, and the game has changed.

By Olivia Asimakis

By Jenna Belote

By Maya Sewell

B

A

A-

Flappy Birds APp

C+

Angry Birds might not be the most sought-after bird themed game in the app store after the huge boosts in popularity app Flappy Bird. play.google.com With a fourstar rating, the retro looking game portrays a simple but sweet concept: tap the screen to make the bird f ly, and don’t crash into the pipes. As the screen is tapped quicker and more frequently, the bird f laps its wings and f lies higher. Its speed never increases , but the pipes appear very quickly and are narrow, forcing the gamer to adjust their tapping. As easy and as monotonous as it may sound, the difficulty level depicted in the game is quite high as soon as the contender starts playing, and the hassle doesn’t let up throughout.

The entertainment can quickly wear out however due to the fact that there is no true advancing through Flappy Bird. There are no levels, and no points to keep up with; the only form of score- keeping is as a pipe is passed through, a corresponding number pops up. As soon as the bird crashes into a pipe, its game over with only a “best” category as a reminder of the players furthest f ly. The motivation to continue playing is easily deterred, so the game may not stay hot on the charts for very long.

The idea of Flappy Bird is fun but generic —most likely it’ll be a one month wonder.

By Diajiah Williams

Sports

North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 31 2014 – 7

A family affair

Student athletes reflect on the opportunity to play side by side with their siblings

By Claire Dalian & Josie Riley Interns

Maria and Isabelle Nguyen

Junior and Freshman

Paul and Joe Lucchese

Freshmen

Gymnastics

Hockey

NP: Do you play for the same club?

Maria: We play for North now. It used to be for a club, but we don’t anymore.

NP: What are some benefits of playing with your sister?

Maria: We get to spend a lot of time together, so that’s good.

NP: Would you say there are any downfalls?

Maria: Yeah, we compete with each other. It’s kind of like one against the other. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just kind of hard sometimes.

NP: How do you guys motivate each other?

Isabelle: We cheer each other on and everything, but whenever someone beats another it’s not big. We’re just like, “Aw, yay.” We’re not mad or anything.

NP: Would you say you learn from each other?

Isabelle: Well, I'm not sure...

NP: Did you learn about the sport from each other?

Maria: We were kind of messing around at home, and then my mom decided to put us in gymnastics together, and that’s how it ended up working out.

NP: What team are you guys on?

Paul: Grosse Pointe Bulldogs travel hockey team.

NP: Is there a lot of rivalry between you two?

Paul: Yeah, more recently than when we were younger.

Joe: Yes, because Paul is defense and I am offense. We always do one-on-ones at practice. I win all the time.

NP: Do you like being on the same team, or would you prefer separate teams?

Paul: Being on the same team I like better. We always have been, and I know what he is going to do on the ice.

Joe: Same team is better ‘cause we have good chemistry.

NP: What was your favorite memory together when you were on the ice?

Paul: In the fourth grade, we won the district championship. I remember piling on the goalie.

Joe: Earlier this year in a tournament game when Paul shot a puck at my head and it deflected it.

Lindsay and Liz Gallagher

Phoebe and Lucy Dodge

Sophomores Hockey

Senior and Sophomore Basketball

NP: What team do you two play for?

Lindsay: GPN. NP: Why did you two decide to play hockey?

Lindsay: My brother played, and we wanted to play.

NP: Is there a lot of rivalry between you two?

Lindsay: No, we are really supportive of each other.

Liz: We just love the game of hockey and love playing it together.

NP: What are the upsides of playing with each other?

Liz: We’re just so close and can find each other out there.

Lindsay: It’s easy to play with someone you get along with really well.

NP: What are the downsides of playing together?

Liz: It’s easy to get frustrated when one of us makes a mistake.

Lindsay: Sometimes we are critical of each other’s play.

NP: Are you on the same team?

Phoebe: This was our first year on the same team.

NP: Was that convenient for you?

Phoebe: Yeah, it was super convenient because when I drive to practice we just drive together and drive home.

NP:How did you both learn about the sport?

Lucy: We both started playing when we were young, like in fourth grade. And we just kind of, our friends did, and it’s just something we always did.

NP: So what are some benefits of playing with your sister?

Lucy: You always have someone there, I guess.

Phoebe: You have someone to talk to about the game and debrief it and talk about how it goes. You have someone to tell you what you’re doing wrong and what you’re doing right.

NP: Would you say you learn from each other? How? Phoebe: If I see Lucy’s doing something that I want to improve on, that helps me.

QUICK HITs Meet the boys hockey coach Stepping into a rink of frigid ice alongside 25 eager Norsemen boys is a stroll down memory lane for the new varsity hockey coach and previous North athlete Brad Case.

“It’s a lot of fun being on the other side. You try to take what you enjoyed about your experience as a player and roll that into how you coach,” Case said.

Transitioning from player to coach is never easy, but Case looked to his past for inspiration.

“My prior coach was a good hockey mentor, and I hope to be the same,” Case said.

This new position has opened a window of opportunity for Case. Not only does he plan to apply the skills he has learned on skates, but he hopes to influence a group of young boys’ lives just as he was influenced when playing for North back in 1999 and 2000.

“I hope to teach them something about hockey and a little something about life, as well,” Case said.

Courtesy of Sosnowski family

Meet the girls assistant synchro coach South alumna Ashley Knoll is taking some time off from her schooling to assist the intramural Grosse Pointe Blue Dolphins synchronized swimming team.

“As of right now I am not attending college,” Knoll said. “I did synchronized swimming for ten years at Grosse Pointe Farms park. I started when I was seven. I also did it for Grosse Pointe South. I got the job at North and South by talking to the head coach.”

Although Knoll’s former synchro coach had different coaching techniques than Knoll does, Knoll still wishes she could relive her experience on South’s synchro team.

“My coach at the time used to yell at me if I did not get something right. She was very into getting everyone on the right track,” Knoll said. “My favorite thing about coaching is to see all the girls do what I love to do. Wish I could go back in time and do it with them.”

Almost halfway through her first season coaching, Knoll still holds the girls to high expectations.

“My expectations for this year is to try to get every girl on the team their varsity letter for either South or North and also to have a good time doing it,” Knoll said. “I have to say, though, (that) some of the figures that are for the girls this year are a little tricky.”

By Brittney Hernandez & Colleen Reveley

Junior Daniel Sosnowski and cousin and North alumna Molly Youngblood pose for a picture while snowmobiling near their cottage in Burt Lake, Michigan.

Junior bonds with family over snowmobiling

By Brittney Hernandez Staff Reporter

Whipping down a frozen hill in frigid temperatures is just what junior Daniel Sosnowski would call a perfect weekend. Throw in a snowmobile, and it would be flawless.

“You’re going downhill 30 miles per hour, the wind in your face, it’s exciting,” Sosnowski said.

Sosnowski’s crave for danger was acquired young when his father put him on the back of a snowmobile when he was a toddler.

“The first memory I have, I was about three, and I was riding with my dad. It was kind of scary because you’re going fast and the wind,” Sosnowski said. “After awhile it was fun. You get a thrill from it.”

The exhilarating experience is accompanied by family, ranging from immediate to extended. He uses this time not only to bond with them, but to reconnect, especially with the two of his cousins who are in the United States Air Force.

“I snowmobile up north with my family often. It’s one of the best ways we bond,” Sosnowski said.

Together they’ve gone through memorable events, both good and bad, that have contributed to his seasoned snowmobiling.

“One time we were going off a trail, out from the city, and we took a wrong turn. We had to circle back four times

to figure out where we were at. It took almost a half an hour to figure out where we were,” Sosnowski said. “It was a little bit scary, but I wasn’t by myself. It was a group of us, so it wasn’t too bad.”

Getting lost isn’t the only threat Sosnowski has faced on the open trail. New dangers lurk at every ice patch, leaving Sosnowki never knowing when misfortune will strike next.

“One time, we were going down a road through the woods, and there were banks that we were going up and down. My uncle went up and hit an ice patch and spun out,” Sosnowski said. “It wasn’t bad, he just fell off.”

Although the experiences left Sosnowski in a bit of a shock, he doesn’t mind the danger factor that comes into play when snowmobiling. From seeing family members violently thrown off to getting lost in labyrinthine woods, nothing will cease his love for the thrill.

“As long as you don’t hit anything, you’ll be fine,” Sosnowski said.

Although the adventure and family bonding plays a huge role in Sosnowski’s love for snowmobiling, the excitement of progressively learning how to control the machine also benefits his interest. This has lent a hand in his newfound ability to comprehend the complexity behind big machinery.

“It’s taught me to be more noble with machines and driving,” Sosnowski said.

North Pointe – Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 – 8

in-depth

a MICROSCOPIC perspective

North Pointe swabbed common school objects and let the samples grow overnight in an incubated area. The bacteria was then placed on a slide and stained so it would show up white when the slide was placed under the microscope.

Microbiology teacher Elizabeth Michaels provided the materials and helped identify the bacteria.

By Kristen Kaled, Andrea Scapini, & Haley Reid

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How to keep your hands germ-free

By Anu Subramaniam Web Manager

Most effective soap: plain liquid soaps, non-antibacterial (Minnesota Health Department) Most effective hand sanitizers: those with a 60-95% alcohol concentration (Center for Disease Control) Most effective brand: Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer (based on a test of 14 different hand sanitizers in a hospital in France) According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, antibacterial soaps show no change in infection protection effectiveness. If anything, the chemicals that are in antibacterial soap have more risks than benefits. Long term use of antibacterial soaps can cause bacterial resistance to antibiotics and can even have hormonal effects.

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The bacteria found on the bathroom lock, pencil sharpener, locker combination, wooden rail and computer keyboard is mostly Staphylococcus epidermidis.

“I expected to see a lot of Staphylococcus epidermidis because that’s what we carry around with us everyday,” Microbiology teacher Elizabeth Michaels said.

This bacteria is the common bacteria that covers all human skin and is not harmful.

“That’s something you want to keep around because if that bacteria is growing on your skin, no bad bacteria is growing on your skin,” Michaels said. “So it’s this concept of you want the good bacteria to grow so that there’s no room or nutrients for bad bacteria.”

The push lever of the hand sanitizer container was coated with Staphylococcus epidermidis as well, but the bacteria was mainly bacillus — a rod-shaped bacteria that can be found in water, on human skin and often grows in a lab environment.

“I wasn’t expecting to see rods that big. I don’t think they’re anything to worry about, but I wasn’t expecting to see them,” Michaels said.

It’s likely that students used the hand sanitizer after working in a lab where bacillus was present. Most strains of bacillus do not cause disease and are common. It’s also possible that there could have been some E. coli in the sample as well. This is common in schools and is left behind when students touch things after using the bathroom and don’t wash their hands.

The school desk also had a lot of Staphylococcus epidermidis. However it also had Streptococcus lactis which is the common bacteria used in dairy products such as milk and cheeses.

None of the bacteria discovered is harmful to students in these amounts. This bacteria is common to environments like school, however the amounts vary.