North Pointe - May 24, 2013

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

Clothing stores refuse to sign safety agreements

SINCE 1968

In fashion industry, labor rights controversy is sparked by recent Bangladesh tragedy

LIFE

By Katelyn Carney

Juniors have a big summer ahead when it comes to applying for college. Check out what to put on your summer checklist when applying.

Page 8

NO SCHOOL

Monday, May 27, Memorial Day.

SENIOR EXAMS

Begin Thursday, May 30. End Tuesday, June 4.

SENIOR ATHLETIC BRUNCH

Sunday, June 2, 12 p.m. at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.

SPRING SPORTS AWARDS

Tuesday, June 4 and Thursday June 6 at 7 p.m. in the PAC.

ACT TESTING

Saturday, June 8 at 8 a.m.

FINAL EXAMS

Monday, June 10 through Thursday.

Monday through Wednesday, 11:15 a.m. dismissal.

Thursday 9:30 a.m. dismissal.

GRADUATION

Thursday, June 13, at 6:30 p.m. on the soccer field.

Senior all-night party directly after in the gym.

IDEAS

“never I will

need a Nicholas Sparks novel to understand

true love.

“

Page 7

Please recycle after reading.

Thank you! © 2013 North Pointe Volume 45, Issue 15

Staff reporter

A factory located in Bangladesh, owned by Gap Inc., recently went up in flames killing eight of its employees. This accident isn’t the first time a clothing companies’ factory has endangered workers. On April 24, the Rana Plaza, a Bangladesh building that houses a number of clothing factories, collapsed and killed 1,127 people.

These dangerous events, according to The New York Times, sent retailers into a sudden frenzy to get documented safety agreements in order to protect their brand name.

“Three weeks after a building collapse in Bangladesh that killed more than 1,100 workers, several of the world’s largest apparel companies – including the retailing giant H&M and Inditex, owner of the Zara chain – agreed on Monday to sign a farreaching and legally binding plan that requires retailers to help finance fire safety and building improvements in the factories they use in Bangladesh,” the New York Times reported.

After the incident in their own factory, Gap Inc. refused to sign a safety contract with the factory and their workers. Sister companies to Gap Inc., including stores like Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta and Banana Republic have not implemented a safety contract into their factories overseas.

The New York Times also reports that employees of these clothing companies are not only overworked, but underpaid.

“Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest apparel exporter, after China, and also has the lowest minimum wage in the world – $37 a month.”

“All of us have a part in it, because we like the cheap clothing,” social studies teacher Dan Gilleran said. “I think we all have to be cognizant of where the clothing comes from and if

POINTE FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2013

we look at the label and it says ‘Made in Bangladesh or Vietnam,’ do you put it down and say ‘Maybe I want to find something made in America, or some other country where you know the standards?’”

According to www.ethicsbob.com, employees who work for a Nike factory located in Indonesia are paid $4 a day. “(Four dollars a day is) not enough to provide food, shelter, transportation, and health care. And they can only dream of someday being able to buy a pair of Nikes for themselves,” the website said.

“I don’t feel like (the clothes are) worth as much as I pay because most of the time you can damage them quickly. It is very unfair to the workers, especially with the high prices we pay, more should be going to the people who make them,” freshman Caroline Bock said. “Ultimately, it’s the people who own the stores’ fault, even though the workers choose to work there.”

Popular retail companies price their products at a much higher rate than production costs, in order to pocket up to 90% of the profit, according to www.ethicsbob.com.

“Brand names should pay workers more, since they already make their money 100 times over of what it costs to make the clothes,” freshman Daniel Brady said.

“It’s not fair for either the workers or consumers because they are getting paid so little in bad conditions, and we are paying way more than what we get,” junior Julia Rustmann said.

Ethicsbob.com also states that Air Jordans, a popular product of Nike, can be produced for $16, yet they’re sold for $180 in stores.

“When I buy Nike shoes, it’s a rip off, but you can’t do anything about it. It’s the way every clothing business runs itself, not just Nike,” freshman Lauren Beach said.

“It’s ridiculous, but you feel like you are not getting enough for your money, because everything is made so cheaply,” sophomore Annie Armbruster said.

However, students keep spending despite external costs. Young adult purchases makeup $208.7 billion dollars in total consumer spending in the United States (www.statisticbrain.com).

“Teenagers have the hugest impact on their economy, because of the way with fads and all this stuff,” Gilleran said. “If enough teenagers said, ‘You know what? We are not going to buy Abercrombie because of what they do,’ do you think they’re going to listen? Of course they are going to listen. You guys have more sway than you really know.”

Contributing: Caelin Micks & Melina Glusac

The fac ts

What steps retailers are taking:

Forever 21 Up to 30 percent of the store’s

This fall, the International Labor Rights Forum called out Forever 21 for not joining retailers like Gap Inc., Levi Strauss, American Eagle Outfitters and other companies in making a commitment not to buy cotton from Uzbekistan factories, where alleged forced child labor takes place.

offerings are still made in Southern California.

One Los Angeles factory worker told Bloomberg BusinessWeek she was paid 12 cents a piece to sew vests that sell for $13.80. It would take 67 vests an hour to earn $8 minimum wage. Workers earn minimum wage — if they can sew an entire vest every 55 seconds.

On Monday, H&M, Zara, and a group of other clothing companies – including the parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger – signed onto a legally-binding plan that would require tough inspections, mandatory repairs, and worker input into factory conditions.

Other companies, such as Wal-Mart and the Gap, say they’re taking their own steps, but they’re facing pressure to join the pact.

If Nike doubled their average pay for workers,

their per-pair profit would only drop from $164 a pair to $161.50. Chinese workers make $1.75 a day, Vietnamese workers make $l.60 a day, Indonesian workers make $2.46 a day.

Gap refused to sign an agreement that would

improve the conditions in garment factories across information from Ethicsbob.com

New assistant principal selection finalized for next school year

By Sarah Schade Staff reporter

The School Board approved David ReedNordwall, a former 21st Century Curriculum Coordinator for Birmingham Public Schools, as the new assistant principal on May 13. He will start this August for the upcoming school year.

Reed-Nordwall was an English and social studies teacher for 10 years at Birmingham Public Schools, and has spent the last two years as 21st Century Curriculum Coordinator there. As coordinator, Reed-Nordwall worked to find instruction methods to help teachers prepare students for the changing world of work and technology.

Candidates to find a new assistant principal were screened in a multiple-step process, including an online application and two rounds of interviews.

“We used an extensive process; there were over 240 applicants for both the Grosse Pointe North and the Parcells Assistant Principal-ships. From those paper applicants we chose 24 candidates to do a first-round interview. Those interview committees were

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made up of administrators, teachers, counselors and parents,” principal Kate Murray said. “Of those 24, eight candidates were moved down to second-round interviews, which also included students. We also had an opportunity to meet one-on-one with our potential candidates and the administrative team. It was a very thorough and, I feel, successful process as well.”

In addition to the interviews candidates also had to be able to express their ideas and plans in writing including in the resume and cover letter.

“I had to do a lot of writing; you have to write your resume, it has to be very detailed, and you have to write a cover letter that also has to get their attention,” Reed-Nordwall said. “Then I had to write an essay, I think it was a two-page essay, based on kind of what I thought I would do as assistant principal for North. Then I had, I think, one more interview and then you have to stand in front of the Board and hope that they vote for you.”

When applying for the job Reed-Nordwall saw an opportunity to work with both students and staff.

“I have wanted to be an assistant principal for some time. And then the posting for North, I felt like it was written for me,” Reed-Nordwall said. “I mean, it talked about somebody who would get into the classroom but also have those relationships with students, and I just kind of felt compelled. It was just such a good posting. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Grosse Pointe and it was just too good to pass up.”

Chinese I will officially be removed as an elective option next school year. With fewer than 25 students enrolled in Chinese 1, the decision was made at the district level at both North and South.

However, students currently enrolled in Chinese I will have the opportunity to finish their studies. Chinese 2, 3 and 4 will be taught as a combined class next year for students who wish to continue learning the language. Administrators will make decisions in the following years regarding the continuation of the combined class based on student interest.

“We have a fantastic world language program,” principal Kate Murray said. “I think the reason that there was a lack of interest in Chinese wasn’t due to the strength of the Chinese program, but due to the fact that we offer so many fantastic programs within our world language department.”

Students in Chinese I had similar opinions about why the class is seldom selected. Junior Kaitlyn Ryda and sophomore Olivia Benton both agree that students view Chinese as being too hard. ”I always encourage people to take Chinese,” Ryda said. “I think the reason a lot of people don’t take it is because of the (Chinese) characters and because we’re not used to it. It’s kind of intimidating. We definitely have less exposure to it, unlike other European cultures that we know so much about.”

continued on page 2

continued on page 2

Chinese classes to cycle out with Class of 2016

By Dora Juhasz & Brittney Hernandez interns

2 – Friday, May 24, 2013 – North Pointe

news

Chinese classes to cycle out continued from page 1

Emily huguenin

Ryda will continue Chinese and sign up for the combined class next year. She is also enrolled in French III, which is currently in a combined class with French IV. Having more experience with combined classes, Ryda believes it won’t be an issue.

“It’s very important that we learn Chinese, especially in the business world,” Ryda said. “So it’s unfortunate that such an important language is being taken out of the school system.”

On the other hand, students like Olivia Benton do not see a benefit in signing up for the combined class next year.

“I was actually really angry because you’re not going to be able to learn as much as you did here,” Benton said. “I

learned so much from (Chinese I) because it’s only one section. I feel like (the combined class) might be too confusing for me.”

Counselor Jill Davenport reassures students that the opportunity for Chinese will not be taken away from anyone.

Chinese I just simply won’t be taught face-to-face with a teacher at North.

“We have other opportunities for them to take it either online or through dual enrollment, where the school system will still pay for them to take the class,” Davenport said.

Not only can students sign up for an online Chinese course through a program called Michigan Virtual High School, they can also opt for dual enrollment, allowing them to travel to a local college or university to take the class.

“The opportunity is not taken away at all. It’s just not offered in the building,” Davenport said.

David Reed-Nordwall, a former 21st Century Curriculum Coordinator for Birmingham Public Schools, will fill the permanent position as assistant principal in the upcoming school year.

Assistant principal postition filled

Reed-Nordwall already feels at home at North.

“The welcome I had has been incredible; I think it’s a beautiful school. I played a lot of sports, soccer was one of my main ones, continued from page 1 so when I come in and I see the soccer field it just feels like home. My heritage is NorAfter being part of the selection com- wegian and Swedish so seeing the Viking mittee, Athletic Director Ben Bandfield is hilarious for me because the Norseman believes Reed-Nordwall is actually what my family al“My heritage is will be able to work well ways joked about being,” he with both students and Norwegian and Swedish said. “I’m very excited about the team and everybody I’ve teachers. so seeing the Viking is met so far has reached out “He’s an educational hilarious for me because and been incredibly welcomleader. He’s been, the last few years, teaching teach- the Norseman is actually ing. It’s just been a wonderful reception.” ers at Birmingham, and it what my family always For Reed-Nordwall, the seems that he’s going to joked about being.” path that brought him to this have a very good demeanreception, a career in educaor with kids, too. He can tion, is a fundamental paswork with a wide range David Reed-Nordwall sion: “For me, it’s not work,” of kids. And he’s excited,” assistant principal starting in he said.

Bandfield said.

2013-2014 school year “Well, I was a teacher be“He brought up a lot of fore I had kids and, you know, things he’s interested in for me education just made sense for my doing but I think he really just wants to life.

I personally don’t think there’s anydive right into the North family and the thing more important than education. It’s North culture ... then figure out kind of how to make his mark and work efficiently just a fundamental human right, being here. He really enjoys kids and that’s the able to go everyday and to help people have best thing. He really is excited about get- an education is, to me, the dream job.” ting here and getting to North; he’s passionate about it.”

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on campus Students attend annual St. Joan of Arc fair

Applied medicine hosts DPS elementary students A fourth-grade class from Detroit Public Schools’ Sampson Academy visited North on May 16 for a day of physiology fun. Students in the Applied Medical Research class educated them about skin cancer as part of their Physiology Understanding project, a service project designed to promote physiological awareness.

The group was confronted with conflicts days before the event. Because Sampson Academy’s neighborhood was recently ranked one of the worst in the U.S., North students couldn’t visit the elementary school.

However, Sampson wouldn’t approve their students to come to North as an alternative.

After lengthy discussions among administrators of both districts, DPS approved the visit last minute.

During the day, students learned interactively with a lecture, two skits and outdoor experiments.

“The experience was really inspiring. The kids really changed our lives more than we changed theirs, probably,” senior Meghan Vancleve said. “They were so excited for learning. It was just really inspiring.”

Susan Speirs hopes to continue the visits with classes to come because of the lessons it taught her students.

“To me, there is nothing like touching the heart, the soul and the mind of another human being,” Spiers said. “My favorite quote was from a little boy. (Evelynne Smith) asked him, ‘Are you going to tell your mom and dad and brother and sister about today?’ and he just kinda sat back and he said, ‘No, but I’m gonna dream about coming back here.’”

By Anu Subramaniam & Jeffrey Valentic staff reporters

Artwork displayed in PAC The opening ceremony of the 2013 Art Show occurred May 19 in the Performing Arts Center.

The show was open Monday through Thursday during the day, as well as at night. Awards were given to students by various groups.

“It’s really exciting, we have awards given by the Grosse Pointe Art Center, by a couple of congressmen, by the Grosse Pointe Artists Association, by the Henry Ford House. They’re all going to come by and give awards to the art show,” art teacher Susan Forrest said.

Planning for the Art Show is a year-round event for art teachers Susan Forrest, Robert Thies and Michael Lamb.

“We are thinking about it all year. I talk to my students about it in September,” Forrest said.

Forrest said that it’s estimated that over a thousand pieces of artwork were displayed at the show.

Faces in the crowd Katie Russo & Margo Martinez

Best friends and fellow sophomores Margo Martinez and Katie Russo bond in a particularly musical way: Mumford and Sons.

The duo traces their obsession with the band to about a year ago. While en route to a lacrosse game, they surprised each other with their knowledge of the English serenaders.

“It was when ‘Little Lion Man’ was, like, first popular, and ‘The Cave’ was popular, as well,” Martinez said. “And then [I was] like, ‘Hey! Have you ever heard of Little Lion Man?’ and she was like, ‘Hey! Have you ever heard of The Cave?’ And it blossomed from there.”

Martinez and Russo have become avid listeners. Enticing them the most is the realness of the band.

“It’s really heartfelt,” Martinez added. “You can tell because they’re really into the music, and they don’t do it to get popular. They do it for the music.”

Olivia Ritchie

Sophomore Olivia Ritchie has been playing soccer since she could walk and says her love for the sport was sparked by her brother.

“My brother played (soccer), so I just wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Ritchie said.

The first official soccer team Ritchie played for was a travel team called the Grosse Pointe Breakers, and since then, she has traveled to many other places.

“We’ve gone to Petoskey, Traverse City (and) Romeo Peace Fest,” Ritchie said.

With her travel teams and regular teams, Ritchie has played throughout her past middle school years and wants to continue throughout high school. She currently plays for the St. Clair Shores Spitfires and is the stopper on the team.

Although she doesn’t think she’ll be advancing her career past high school, Ritchie’s love for soccer remains strong.

“The bonds you build with your friends, the exercise it gives you and the traveling,” Ritchie said, are the best parts about her treasured sport.

Outdoor orchestra concert A combined North-South band and orchestra performed their annual Outdoor Spring Concert on May 23.

The full orchestra played “1812 Overture” and “Capriccio Italien,” both written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Concert band played “The Great Locomotive Chase,” “Colonel Bogey,” and songs from Les Miserables. Symphony band played “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Marche Americana” and “American Civil War Fantasy.” Band and Orchestra members had been working on these pieces for about a month and a half, since returning from their Disney trip.

Junior Andrew Sharon, a percussionist in symphony band, enjoyed playing “American Civil War Fantasy.”

“It has a battle scene in it where the percussion get to play as loud as we want and act out a mini-Civil War scene,” Sharon said.

Freshman Hannah Atherton, in concert band, was aware of the audience’s reaction.

“The song that the audience liked the most (was) ‘The Great Locomotive Chase’ because it sounds exactly how a train sounds,” Atherton said. “The flutes sound like the bells in the train, and it’s just an interesting piece.”

North Pointe – Friday, May 24, 2013 – 3

TOP: The Freakout twists riders in one of its many pendulum-like swings.

“The rides are pretty good, especially The Freakout. But the people watching is the most entertaining part,” freshman Lauren Lesha said.

Savannah Ransome

Since sophomore year, senior Savannah Ransome has been ready for college. She has been looking forward to going to her dream college, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, ever since she was a little girl.

“My family went there. It’s been basically the place I’ve wanted to go since I could remember. I took a few of my first steps on their Dallas Hall. I just belong there. It’s been my lifetime goal,” Ransome said.

Ransome believes that she does not belong here in Michigan. One of the things that attracted her to SMU was the great weather and beautiful campus. After college, Ransome plans on staying down south – preferably South Carolina.

“I am a displaced southern belle. There is no doubt about that! I do not belong up here. I love the warm weather. I don’t like Michigan,” Ransome said.

Graduating from North will be bittersweet for Ransome. She is proud of all of her accomplishments but is ready to be treated like an adult. Ransome’s proudest accomplishment was making it into the school’s Academic Hall of Fame. She is one of 14 to have this honor.

“My biggest achievement is sitting right now in the hallway over B building and getting the 4.0 on the Academic Hall of Fame. It was my goal the first day of freshman year, and I followed through all the way to my senior year,” Ransome said.

RIGHT: A dad and daughter glide through the air on The Cliffhanger, a kid-friendly ride. “It’s a fun event for families, and definitely great in that it gives teenagers something to do other than to go to TCBY or sit around,” senior Courtney Carroll said.

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SPORTS

4 – Friday, May 24, 2013 – North Pointe

Leg injury benches sophomore

QUICK HITS

By Kim Cusmano & Mallika Kanneganti Editor & Staff Reporter

“My body went one way, and my leg went the other. Yeah, it kinda hurt.”

During a game on Saturday, May 11, sophomore Christian Sottrel jumped to catch a ball thrown by the umpire when his cleat got caught in the dirt, dislocating his knee cap.

Sottrel is a pitcher and plays first and third base on the JV baseball team. He is expected to be out of action for three to four months.

“I don’t need surgery because I didn’t tear my ACL. (I need) three to four months to completely heal, but I should be able to walk in about a week or two,” he said. “It’s not fun but it could be a lot worse if I had torn my ACL or something like that.”

Sottrel has been playing baseball for 11 years, and this is his first major injury.

“An ambulance came and picked me up, and then I went to the ER, and I was Brigitte Smith there for about three-and-a-half hours, and they had to reset my knee and every- Sophomore Christian Sotrell dislocated his thing,” Sottrel said. “I was thinking, Ouch knee cap, and will be unable to play baseball for three to four months. my knee, and then, I just hope that I don’t have to miss too much baseball.”

Although Sottrel can’t play with the Teammates such as sophomores Tomteam, he still feels like he is part of it. His my Burke and David Gerlach have felt Sotmajor concern is that he is ready to play trel’s absence on the diamond. when next season rolls around.

“It was a shame that Christian is out “I don’t feel excluded because my team for the season because of him hurting his will still include me in everything,” Sottrel knee,” Burke said. “He was a huge part of said. “I don’t think (missing the rest of the the team for both his pitching and hitting season) will make me worse. I just think abilities, but hopefully he will come back it’ll make me have to work harder when I next year, healthy and ready for a new season.” come back.”

“His whole right knee popped out, and Sotrell’s hiatus from baseball doesn’t he instantly went to ground. It’s affecting worry coach Dick Borland either. us by not having our first baseman and one “I think he’ll bounce back once he gets of our good hitters,” Gerlach said. “He’s a through therapy and rebuilds that knee. great teammate, and I think it’s great that He’ll work hard at his hitting and throw- he is on the bench cheering on his team.” ing and be ready to compete next year,” he While his teammates will miss him, said.

Sottrel will also miss playing baseball. BeThe team will be able to fill Sottrel’s po- sides the pain of the injury, he will have to sition, but they will miss him. sit on the bench, missing out on a game “We’ve got a lot of players on the roster, that he has been playing for most of his so losing a player doesn’t hurt in terms of life. numbers; it gives other players an oppor“I’ll miss games,” Sottrel said. “I’ll miss tunity. I feel terrible for Christian because not being able to play, mostly hitting. I he’s a great kid, a hard worker... the team guess I’ll just (miss) everything about had great chemistry,” Borland said. baseball.”

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Girls track fell to second place at regionals, but two relay teams, a 400-meter-dash runner and a discus participant will go to Sean O’melia states June 1. The 3200-meter relay team of Katelyn Carney, Allison Francis, Julia Rustmann and Sarah Rustmann were only 8 seconds shy of the school’s record. Breanna Cochrin will join her teammates at states, going for discus, as she threw 90 feet at regionals. Another state qualifying relay was the 1600-meter of Gabby Lewis, Sarah Rustmann, Julia Rustmann and Sydney Benson. The relay team hopes to break their best time yet of 4:09. Benson, a freshman, will also be running the 400m at the state meet.

Boys track and field defended their title as regional champs, coming in first overall for the second consecutive year. Individually, Danny Ciaravino placed second in the mile with a time of 4:40.73, making him eligible to run the 1600-meter at the state meet. Eric Balle placed first in pole vault with a height of 11’6”. Chris Hamilton’s 6’1” high jump qualified him for states.

Makai Polk qualified in shot put, and Taiwan Wiggins found himself a top runner from North in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 4x1 relay. Joining Wiggins in the relay will be Tod Long, Will Woods and Kyle Moton.

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Life

The

North Pointe – Friday, May 24, 2013 – 5

Robin Hoodof Fashion

By Melina Glusac & Jennifer Kusch Staff Reporters

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

From the moment North alumnus Christos Garkinos heard the crisp sound of stomping stilettos on the sidewalk, he knew fashion was where he belonged.

“I remember being a young kid at Ferry in elementary school, probably around nine or ten. I had never heard that sound before, and I just – something inside of me went, ‘Wow, I want to be around that when I get older.’ And I didn’t really know what it meant, but I knew that it meant something sophisticated and fashionable,” he said. “That was the first spark I really had.”

After graduating from North in 1982 and subsequently attending the University of Michigan, Garkinos has created sparks of his own in the fashion world with his starstudded L.A. fashion boutique, Decades, and his new reality TV show Dukes of Melrose on Bravo.

Initially dubbed Decades2, Garkinos’ store was the modern counterpart of his friend Cameron Silver’s vintage boutique, Decades.

Eventually, Garkinos merged with Silver to form the current, thriving, upscale consignment store, keeping the latter moniker.

“Decades is sort of the epicenter of ‘preloved’ clothing in the world, so we go and hunt and search for clothes from, like, the 30s to now,” Garkinos said. “We have access to the world’s best closets and auctions, and we find things and buy them or consign them, and then we resell them to the general public.”

An impressive chunk of the general public that have sashayed through the store are some of the world’s most famous celebrities.

Garkinos cites rocker Courtney Love as one of his most memorable customers.

“She came in, and we had a three-hour sort of styling session, and then I went to her house and kind of played around in her closet for three days, actually. For me, that was a big deal,” Garkinos said.

The attention the store was garnering ultimately prompted Bravo TV to create the reality show Dukes of Melrose, starring Garkinos and Silver. The last episode of their first season aired May 8. The show chronicles their day-to-day life at Decades, which is anything but ordinary.

“It’s like theatre, you never know what’s gonna happen. Friends come in, celebrities come in,” Garkinos said. “We just received eight huge boxes from a princess in Saudi Arabia. She sent her private plane with the boxes over to L.A. from Saudi Arabia, and they were the only passengers, full of things.”

This extraordinary experience is just one of the perks that comes with Garkinos’ influence in the fashion world, and now the world can fol-

low Garkinos and Silver through their days at Decades, experiencing the fashion world vicariously.

“I always thought that what we do would make a great story,” Garkinos said. “I think it’s really fun. It’s definitely a little bit stressful to have a battery pack attached to you for 24 hours a day, basically, but I think, all in all, I’m happy how it’s worked out.”

Garkinos, often called the “Robin Hood of Fashion,” prides himself on his store’s ability to outfit every man and woman in designer duds for a fraction of the original price.

“The genius of consignment is that, you know, you get at least 50% the original price.

So for me, it’s the ultimate afterlife of fashion, to be able to kind of be green with it. Like if you find a pair of, let’s say Christian Louboutin’s, these shoes that are $1,000, you can find them, never worn or just worn once, at our store for $200.”

With all the success and accolades Garkinos has earned, he proudly credits his roots, considering his Grosse Pointe life and his family as parts of his inspiration in fashion.

His parents owned a restaurant in the Eastern Market for thirty years, further immersing Garkinos in the world of entrepreneurship and fashion.

“My first love of clothes really came from my father. He loved to get dressed up, and I would watch him get dressed. His cufflinks, his suits... it was definitely a big influence on me,” Garkinos said.

And even at a young age, Garkinos fueled the community with his winning personality and sense of humor. Anastasia Pitses, an old acquaintance of Garkinos and a North parent, fondly reminisces about her time spent with him at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.

“The sarcasm, the humor ... we were always laughing. He would walk in, and the whole room would light up. He always had a smile on his face, always made us laugh,” Pitses said.

What made the biggest impression on Pitses was how congenial and welcoming Garkinos was to everyone he came across.

“That’s the type of guy he is, and that’s why he’s as successful as he is. He’s got a very positive attitude; he’s hilarious; he accepts everybody.”

Garkinos has climbed some of the highest peaks – from attending Harvard Business School to owning a world-renowned boutique – and still aims higher for the future.

“I never want to say I will reach the ultimate goal. I have a really huge project that I’ll be announcing in a couple months which has been a dream I’ve wanted to do since I was 19, so I’m so hyped for that, and I think that will bring other things,” Garkinos said. “I always feel like, you know, sometimes you dream bigger than you think you can get, and you get it, and you’re like ‘Ok I got that. Now what’s next?’”

Anything but

Courtesy of Christos Garkinos

Did anything at North inspire you to pursue a career in fashion?

When I was there the punk scene was starting to happen, so I would go out with friends and kind of see all these punk things happening and I think that definitely had an influence on me. And today I’m going to the airport to do a presentation in San Francisco for Macy’s and I’m dressed very preppy. I have a green sweater on and a pinstripe shirt, and so I’m always regressing back to my preppy stages at North.

What did you want to do with your life when you were young?

Back at graduation we made a video and said where we wanted to be in ten years. And I went back to my ten-year reunion, and they played the video back, and it said that I wanted to work in international marketing, and the next day I was making the move to London to go work for Disney in Europe. So I think that I’ve always wanted to work in marketing in some way, and I knew what I wanted to do.

Who is your fashion icon and where do you draw inspiration from?

Two people really come to mind. First is Tom Ford, because he’s a great designer and is someone I think is very influential and has done great with his business. And one of my icons is an actress named Sophia Loren, an Italian actress, who I actually met at Eastland, many years ago.

She came in and was doing an in-store there for one of her perfumes.

She was very influential in how I look at things, and I think of her as kind of the perfect woman.

Besides Courtney Love, who are some of your other celebrity clients?

Oh, there’s tons. Miley Cyrus, Olsen twins, Rooney Mara, Molly Ringwald, Cameron Diaz. Everybody’s really come through the doors.

Who is your favorite celebrity client to work with?

A fellow Detroiter, Selma Blair. She’s the best. I love her to death. We’re friends forever.

Bass-ic

By Libby Sumnik & Patricia Bajis assistant editor & Staff reporter

courtesy of kate derringer

Having played the bass since seventh grade, sophomore Kate Derringer finds herself constantly surrounded by music.

Derringer said she’s able to play the guitar and ukulele as well, but she began concentrating on bass the summer before her freshman year.

Along with the dedication came an involvement in music programs and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, which she has attended for two years. Derringer also hasbeen interning at Ghetto Recorders Studio in Detroit since last summer.

“My mom is friends with the producer, and that’s how I found out about the opportunity. I help clean the studio, do the basic recording stuff when Jim, the producer, is busy,” she said.

However, Derringer will leave her internship and Grosse Pointe this summer and instead travel to Europe. Her love for playing string bass has earned her the opportunity to spend her summer vacation overseas, travel countries with fellow musicians and play for the countries’ peoples.

Derringer has been accepted to the Blue Lake International Jazz Ensemble. This group of high school students leaves for

Sophomore Kate Derringer spreads her passion for music across Europe this summer through opportunity offered

by Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp

Europe on June 13 and will travel around home for an extended period of time and Germany and France.

Derringer said she’s “nervous but excited The musicians perform for small cities at the same time.” and attempt to recruit young European The program starts with a week spent musicians to attend Blue Lake. at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp directly “We don’t stay in any major cities; we’re followed by three weeks in Europe. being hosted by towns about the size of “I have to take my finals early ... during Grosse Pointe. We’re not senior exams, so I have staying in hotels. We’re to start studying earstaying with families lier than everyone else, from that town,” Derrinand I don’t get as much ger said. “During the days, study time. On June 6, I leave and spend a week we spend time with them. at camp with all-day inThey will probably take us tensive rehearsals (8 a.m. around the town and show to 6 p.m. every day), and us the city. Every day or then we leave.” every other day, we play a Kate Derringer Derringer’s internship show in that city.” sophomore and constant involveDerringer heard of the ment with music has inopportunity but didn’t fluenced her towards a “possible career plan on auditioning for it until her parents brought it up to her. path” for her future.

“I wasn’t gonna go originally because “(Music) basically takes up my whole it’s a lot of money, so I didn’t think they’d life. Just being able to make it, put my insay yes, but when they heard about the put on it and being able to work on it for program, they encouraged me to do it,” money would be great,” she said. “If I can’t she said. “My parents support me a lot. make a career out of it, I would at least like They’re, a lot of the time, more enthusias- to keep doing it on the side of whatever I tic than I am. They are just 100% for it.” end up doing.”

This is her first time being away from

“My parents support me a lot. They’re, a lot of the time, more enthusiastic than I am.”

reviews

6– Friday, May 24, 2013 – North Pointe

The Great Gatsby

Baz Luhrmann takes a classic novel set in the 20s and adds a modern twist.

If you’re a Gatsby fanatic, the movie will live up to your expectations as you swim in the luxe glamor of the roaring 20s. And if you’re not a fan but looking for a good movie to see, you’re sure to be entranced by Luhrmann’s creativity and cinematic effects.

The soundtrack: repeating the past with a feel of the present

By Lauren Semack editor

thegreatgatsby.warnerbros.com

Leonardo DiCaprio (Gatsby) and Carey Mulligan (Daisy) star in the new The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Luhrmann.

By Marie Bourke Assistant edtor

Women prance around sparkling head to toe in their sequined, feathered dresses as men sport dashing suit coats with fedoras to match. These 1920s flapper fashions are vivid in the latest remake The Great Gatsby by director Baz Luhrmann.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published in 1925 and adapted into film five times. This Gatsby remake emphasizes the era through fashion and entertainment. For those who never read the book, the story goes through the summer Nick Carraway (Tobey MaGuire) spent when he moved to West Egg, Long Island for the summer to be near his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan). Nick becomes curious about his mysterious neighbor, Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), who has elaborate parties each weekend. Eventually, Gatsby befriends Nick and sweeps him up into his unrealistic lifestyle. Gatsby uses Nick to try to get back into Daisy’s life, since she was his old girlfriend. Nick gets caught up in the love triangle and all the problems that come with it.

In its 2-hour, 23-minute span, Gatsby followed the book precisely from cover to cover – even specific dialogue. Of course, the overused expression “old sport” flowed from Gatsby’s mouth just as often as it had in the book.

The movie was engaging with each scene striving to be flashier than the next. All of the exuberant parties kept the eye entertained with glamorous clothing and hundreds of people milling through the Gatsby mansion. The lifestyle portrayed could be nothing less than a carnival each weekend for the wealthy of New York.

The party scenes and costumes outdid themselves.

Although the outfits they are wearing are probably a bit flashier and a tad more modern than they were in the 20s, the movie wasn’t supposed to be exactly like the old version – the point was to be a bit more modern.

All of the actors and actresses were a good fit for their roles. Mulligan was on point as Daisy – flirty and ditzy.

Joel Edgerton played a lecherous Tom Buchanan. Nick Carraway seemed insecure and oblivious at times, making him transform into the awkward character he is, while Gatsby was the complete opposite with his confident, enticing appeal.

Mixed eras with mixed reviews.

Classy, “old sport” Gatsby mixes with modern rapper Jay-Z to coexist within the Roaring Twenties. For the most part, this is executed listlessly, bringing in ragtime-jazz music in through songs like “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody,” which mimics the musical styles of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing.” This new twist, though, may disconnect the listeners from the true time and make them dislike the tracks.

Since Jay-Z was the executive producer of the film, it was no surprise to hear his voice in “No Church in the Wild,” the song featured in the trailer. There’s also a rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black,” but it could have been easily missed, seeing that Andre 3000 and Beyoncé sing it to a whole different beat. Surprisingly, Emelié Sande sings Beyoncé’s song “Crazy in Love,” instead of Sasha Fierce herself, and it has a vibe of the 20s with The Bryan Ferry Orchestra playing in the background.

Throughout the film, the theme of Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful” recurs in orchestral a n d pop versions and is most prominent when Daisy, Nick and Gatsby spend the afternoon at the mansion.

The album also takes a Tarantino-esque path, including memorable dialogue, like the Green Light speech featured at the end of both the book and film.

Overall, though, some may not enjoy the contemporary twist on a classic tale. But I believed it to be just what the film needed to make it different than the Redford version.

Grade: A-

imdb.com

Robert Redford (Gatsby) and Mia Farrow (Daisy) star in the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby which is a more classic tale compared to Luhrmann’s contemporary style.

GROSSE PTE. WOODS (313) 884-3838

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By Caroline Schulte

Star trek: into darkness

C

The disappointing part of Star Trek: Into the Darkness was its ultimate lack of innovation, leaving it just shy of being worthy of Trekkie admiration.

The plot centers around the manhunt for John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), startrekmovie. com a terrorist who infiltrated the Federation, an organization consisting of planetary governments concerned with maintaining peace. He then bombed one of their stations, leading up to the Federation’s search for him. Even though this plot is slightly expected, the real stinger is that Harisson, the genetically engineered Khan in disguise, is seeking vengeance on Kirk.

Sadly, this is just a copy of 1982s Wrath of Khan.

Not surprisingly, the Federation is after Harrison, who flees to the Klingon sector. The only admirable part of this that adds complexity to the storyline is that the Federation and the Klingons are at war with each other.

In addition to a stale plot, the characters, especially Kirk (Chris Pine) were not developed. In the original Star Trek television series, Kirk was bold, yet possessed an air of intelligence. The new Kirk doesn’t possess this quality. He’s just as brash and arrogant as he was in the first movie, making him a stagnant character.

The plot content drags in the beginning, especially in the attempt to save an alien race, which results in breaking the Prime Directive and the temporary stripping of Kirk’s command.

On a positive note, the visual effects were quite exquisite. This made the film at least somewhat enjoyable to watch. The picture quality is pristine, and the explosions are phenomenal.

Overall, this movie is just a continuation of The Wrath of Khan – another bad case of sequel dystopic shock syndrome.

A

Carol Alfonsi

17325 Mack Ave.

Elite Driving School 586.778.4934

Three years ago, you’d turn on Disney Channel and see Demi Lovato playing Sonny on the Disney hit TV show, Sonny with a Chance.

But after going through recovery from an eating disorder, she started making music again. Her second album since her recovMyplaydirect.com ery, Demi, came out on May 14.

The most well-known song on this album, “Heart Attack,” is an upbeat song about not being able to fall in love.

While this song has amazing vocals, a good beat and decent lyrics, the music video didn’t live up to expectations.

Lovato helped write 12 of the 13 songs on the album, songs, and impressive feature.

Lovato is starting to grow out of her whiny teenage years and become a more mature, strong, adult artist.

These songs show Lovato’s strength and passion, without being too racy.

While some of these songs are very emotional and personal to Lovato’s struggles, like “Warrior” and “Shouldn’t Come Back,” others make you want to break out dancing, like “Neon Lights” and “Really Don’t Care.”

Lovato has shown her transformation from a Disney tween to a female role model through this album.

If you haven’t liked Lovato in the past, this album is definitely worth picking up a copy of and giving her a chance.

Running with friends

20513 Mack Grosse Pointe Woods www.littletonysgp.com

Across from Staples, on the Detroit side

A

By Anna Hopkins

Vernier & Mack

Pregnancy Aid

Demi: Demi Lovato

People are running, sliding and jumping all over the place in the fun new app Running With Friends for good reason – it’s surprisingly addicting.

Set in the streets of Spain, this app allows the user to compete with friends for the top spot Toucharcade.com on the leaderboard. In this fastpaced, exhilarating new game, users play against friends to try to outrun each other and dodge incoming traffic, all without getting hit by bulls.

Navigating through alleys while ducking and dodging bulls provides an exciting rush for anyone who plays the game, which only increases the longer one plays.

Getting started, a user can invite friends online to join the competition and can also play with other users.

Users can play as a ninja, ballerina and many other different avatars as they try to collect stars on the streets to earn points. Also, you can discover new tricks to earn bonus points and explore even cooler locations.

As far as bad things go, the only flaw in the app is that it has no single-player mode if a user ever wanted to play alone. Also, navigating through the game for the first time may seem slow at first, but within seconds the game soon picks up the pace and lives up to its expectations.

This game is ideal for thrill-seekers and those who want to have a good laugh. This highly addictive app will have you hooked within minutes of downloading it.

By Radiance Cooper

IDEAS The door to The Office closes “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

Dayle Maas NEws editor

Jordan Radke Editor

Emma Ockerman Managing EDITOR

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Melina Glusac, Audrey Kam and Jacob Barry.

OUR EDITORIAl

Foreign languages worthy of requirements A glance through a Spanish I book may evoke a feeling of relative unimportance; little weighing on a course that isn’t a traditional core class.

But a two-year foreign language requirement is in our best interest. In Lansing, pending bills would eliminate the foreign language requirement for the state. And while state-level requirements may change, Grosse Pointe Public Schools System(GPPSS) should maintain the imminent credit requirement. GPPSS currently recommends four year college-bound students to take three years of foreign language, but two foreign language credits will be required starting with the Class of 2016.

And this is wise. For us to be competitive, foreign language classes are a must.

Colleges want to see it. Many, at least. On their undergraduate admission High School Preparation list, Michigan State University says “you should pursue a college preparatory curriculum that at a minimum includes … two years of a single foreign language.”

University of Michigan requires two years also, and recommends four. Many private schools have similar demands.

Even if the state removes the requirement, any Grosse Pointe Public High School student with plans to attend four-year colleges would be advantaged by the enforcement of what is evidently essential to admission.

Most technically, studying a foreign language has proven benifical cognitively. Who couldn’t use a little brain sharpening? In a bilingual’s brain, both languages systems are active, and so one system will interfere with the other, according to The New York Times. “But this interference, researchers are finding out, isn’t so much a handicap as a blessing in disguise. It forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles.”

Science Daily looked at the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy, where knowledge-less students become fluent in appoximately 13 months by rigorous, fast-paced study. They used university students who studied hard (not languages) as a control group and found that, “While the brain structure of the control group remained unchanged, specific parts of the brain of the language students grew. The parts that developed in size were the hippocampus, a deep-lying brain structure that is involved in learning new material and spatial navigation, and three areas in the cerebral cortex.”

Perhaps this short-time example isn’t comparable to learning language at a more relaxed pace. Johan Mårtensson, a researcher in psychology at Lund University, Sweden involved with the study said, “Even if we cannot compare three months of intensive language study with a lifetime of being bilingual, there is a lot to suggest that learning languages is a good way to keep the brain in shape.”

No, we’re not bilingual, but learning languages are a positive cognitive experience. Can’t argue with brain workouts.

We hear about globalization. We hear how advantaged you’ll be if you speak other languages.

We even hear how our future jobs depend on it.

Being bilingual certainly will open up job opportunities, but you can’t jump from high school foreign language courses, to jobs. Two years of high school courses don’t create bilingual students. It may spark an interest, though, and encourage the pursuit of fluency in college. But even if it’s just for two years, we get vital cultural exposure. The twoyear-and-out’s still learn and are at least somewhat-immersed in a culture other than our own.

And that, at least, is valuable.

The series finale of The Office that aired last week has given me the opportunity to reflect on this groundbreaking comedy. For years it’s made me laugh, and always left me wanting more. The characters became so familiar – and their idiosyncrasies so entertaining – that seeing it end was like saying goodbye to an old friend.

It started eight years ago. I was in second grade, and my mom and I settled in for some bonding time on Mother’s Day when a marathon of the show’s first sea- my turn son happened to Jennifer Kusch be on. We started watching on a whim, a chance encounter that would shape the rest of my childhood.

My Thursday nights were soon defined by my family crowding around the television, rooting on Pam and Jim and laughing at Michael Scott’s antics.

Before we knew it, we were quoting the show daily, perfecting our imitations of Dunder Mifflin’s best Assistant (to the) Regional Manager and humming the theme song while cleaning the house. The Office even had an impact on our Christmas festivities: one year, my brothers and I received Pam, Kevin and Dwight bobbleheads. Another, we were given t-shirts sporting phrases like “Scott’s Tots,” a slogan from one of our favorite episodes.

More often than not, my friends would exit our van as newly-minted Office fans after our car-ride marathons, and soon they were all quoting Dwight Shrute along with me.

I have gone through the years with the employees of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin at my side. I’ve grown as they’ve grown, and the cast has taught me what life is all about, one prank at a time. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that these people aren’t in a real documentary, but they are actors, reading

North Pointe – Friday, May 24 , 2013 – 7

lines from a script, fictional. That’s how well I have connected with their stories as a viewer, how the show has tugged at my heartstrings, making me laugh. I experienced what the characters felt – the joy, the camaraderie, the disappointment and the heartbreak.

As the series finale aired last week, I’ve been forced to accept that this chapter of my life is finally drawing to a close. The Office has defined my childhood in a way that nothing else ever could, but now that it’s over, so is that part of my life.

All good things must come to an end, but I wish that I had truly appreciated the show while it was on the air. As Andy put it so well in the series finale this week, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days ... before you’ve actually left them.” I took the show’s stellar humor for granted week after week. Now when I watch television, I am reminded of how no dysfunctional relationship will ever be able to make me laugh quite as much as Kelly and Ryan’s on-again-off-again romance could, and how no marriage could ever compare to the love that Pam and Jim shared.

In some ways, The Office taught me about what life can be like after high school. People with quirks and eccentricities, like Angela or Michael, may not fare well in the cliquey, judgmental place we call high school, but things turned out all right for them in the end.

It showed me that no matter how “different” someone may be, they can still find happiness and make others laugh while doing it.

The Office gave so much to each and every one of its viewers, and I consider myself lucky to have been able to experience every one of Michael’s cringe-worthy moments, fall in love with Jim Halpert just like Pam and wish that I could have been part of their ‘good old days.’

At least I know that, with the help of our nineseason collection of The Office DVDs, I can catch up with my old pals whenever I want.

Oh Dunder Mifflin, you always left me smiling and satisfied.

That’s what she said.

“I’m going to be lifeguarding this summer. It’s gonna be my first year.”

“I work at Mama Rosa’s. I work with my cousin.”

“I’m a caddy at Lochmoor.

The money (is the best part).”

Sarah Cherry freshman

Barbara Fama

Marty Brown junior

sophomore

YOUR TURN: What is your summer job? By Emma Puglia

“The Pepperoni Grille. It’s alright sometimes; (my favorite part is) the new people that I meet.”

Anessa Adams senior

“I work at a bike shop called Performance Bicycle. I’m a cyclist myself, so I’m learning more about the products, I get a nice discount, and it’s always nice to help people.”

Andrew Pola

Biology teacher

“I am sort of babysitting or nannying. They’re a little bit younger-more rambunctious – but that’s alright!”

Kristen Grimshaw English Teacher

Williams, Dora Juhasz, Emily Martinbianco, Erin Armbruster, Miranda Barry, Olivia Pullen, Radiance Cooper, Matt Stander, Luke Sturgill EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane EDITOR: Jordan Radke MANAGING EDITOR: Emma Ockerman SECTION EDITORS: Dayle Maas, Kim Cusmano, Lauren Semack, Gabby Burchett ASSISTANT EDITORS: Kristen Kaled, Andrea Scapini, Libby Sumnik, Amanda Berry, Marie Bourke, Izzy Ellery STAFF REPORTERS: Patricia Bajis, Colleen Reveley, Melissa Healy, Natalie Skorupski, Sara Villani, Rachel Cullen, Jacob Barry, Danae DiCicco, Sydney Thompson, Taylor White, Audrey Kam, Brigitte Smith, Melina Glusac, Jennifer Kusch, Courtney Veneri, Chris Elliott, Haley Reid, Sarah Schade, Jenna Belote, Emma Puglia, Jeffrey Valentic, Wendy Ishmaku, Anu Subramaniam, Caelin Micks, Katelyn Carney, Erica Lizza, Mallika Kanneganti PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caroline Schulte (Photo Editor), Emily Huguenin (Assistant Photo Editor), Sean O’Melia, Kaylee Dall INTERNS: Anna Hopkins, Brittney Hernandez, Carrie Rakowicz, Cydni Newman, Daijah

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 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 myGPN.org.

The North Pointe is printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

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

Editor’s desk Andrea Scapini

An everlasting twinkle among fuzzy memories “I love you, honey, more and more each day, and I wish I could hold you in my arms right now. Honey, for some reason I can’t explain, I miss you tonight more than I ever have before.”

My grandpa Mario wrote this in a letter to my grandma Rosalie Feb. 25, 1960.

The 171 love letters that my then newly-wed grandma and grandpa exchanged throughout the mere six months he served in the military mean I will never need a Nicholas Sparks novel to understand true love.

Each of the letters, which I’ve spent endless hours adoring, were signed with a “P.S. I love you.” Many a P.P.S. followed, further proving just how crazy they were about each other.

With a marriage that lasted 50 years, their playful bickering and willingness to do anything for each other became the mold for my concept of what it means to love someone. At the end of the day, no matter how much she nagged him, I could always see a twinkle in my grandpa Mario’s light-blue eyes. A look that put my grandma on a pedestal so high – she was his epitome of the world’s most beautiful woman.

I remember the same twinkle, this time tearfilled, on Aug. 16, 2010, the day of Rosalie’s funeral.

Since then, the twinkle is sometimes tougher to find.

It’s undoubtedly still there, but now clouded by confusion. He was always a man of few words, and without Rosalie we began noticing that he repeated himself more often than he should.

Now diagnosed with dementia, an illness that causes him to lack short term memory, I see my Grandpa growing frustrated with his inevitable memory loss.

Although I’m never happy to see him upset, I can’t help but find his slight forgetfulness and repetition of sentences absolutely adorable.

I like to look at his illness on the bright side – whenever I have a joke or story that I know will make him laugh, I can tell it over and over and he’ll laugh just as hard each time. His infectious deep chuckle never fails to make my day. I don’t mind hearing it twice.

Ever since I can remember, my grandpa’s hugs have been one of the places that I’ve felt safest. It’s his dementia that allows me to receive five times more of these tight squeezes than I would get otherwise because he forgets that we’ve already said goodbye.

Whenever I rave about the love I have for my grandpa, I notice the weird looks that others exchange around me. Nobody understands my fascination with him unless they knew his past. It’s his eyes that reveal he is a man with a heart full of love. No matter what obstacles memory or tragedy bring him, the love he holds for those he cares about will be everlasting – like his twinkle.

LIFE

North Pointe – Friday, May 24 2013 – 8

7,000 one Narrowing your college choices from about

to

A junior’s fun-and-games summer will take a serious turn as college application time hits

By Caroline Schulte & Emily Huguenin Photo Editors

Seniors see benefit of early admission, new program aids application process

By Andrea Scapini & Jenna Belote Assistant Editor & Staff Reporter

Senior Heather Filippelli realized that applying early to her first choice college would help her stick out from later applicants.

“Early application is extremely important, especially if it’s your top choice school,” Filippelli said. “I think it doubled my chances of getting into MSU, and it’s also cool because you receive a decision two months before normal applicants do.”

Counselor Barbara Skelly recognizes that early application not only helps a student’s chances, but also relieves stress.

“We think applications need to be in early because there is such a huge number of students applying for college, more than ever before,” Skelly said. “We know that an early application gets an early answer, and that kids feel settled about what they’re doing for the fall.”

There are online tools such as Naviance to ease the college application process. According to www.naviance.com, “Naviance is a college and career readiness platform” and helps “optimize student success, enhance school counselor productivity, and track results for school and district administrators.”

“Naviance is beneficial because you can search for all of the schools, do all your applications, do everything, all through Naviance,”

counselor Brian White said. “The colleges tend to be going towards that, and it just makes it easier for the students.”

Naviance is also able to make recommendations for scholarships and financial aid once personal information is provided. Incoming seniors are encouraged to make an account on Naviance and apply to colleges as soon as possible.

“Students should be (applying) in August or, at the latest, the first two weeks of school just so that it’s off their back,” White said. “It helps to get into a school because even if they don’t look at it right away, they see that you’re hungry, that you applied right away, that you’re super interested.”

Although Skelly believes that “the sooner, the better” rings true for applying to colleges, everything doesn’t always stick to plan.

“The earlier you get yours in, the earlier it’s going to get looked at, and the earlier you get a response,” Skelly said. “But kids change their mind. We understand that. The colleges understand that.”

This was the case for senior Caitlin Soloway who was set on attending University of Michigan-Dearborn next fall up until mid-May. “I realized they didn’t have the major I wanted to go into, so I had to Google schools that would work out for that,” Soloway said.

“I found Ferris State, and I applied the day I found out about it.”

Although such a late application to Ferris State ended up working out for Soloway, she found that it made her more stressed.

“To switch gears so fast is stressful, so applying early would take some of the edge off.

But if you change your mind, you change your mind. You just gotta do it.”

Staff Reporter

NP: Is there a specific reason to apply early?

Jackie Cook: Well, we’re a rolling admissions institution, so once we’re full with students we stop accepting them, and we stop accepting new applications, and we make admissions decisions on students in the order that we receive their files. So if you apply to Michigan State and you start the application process, that’s going to make the application process faster and you’ll have your documents in and your file will be complete before everybody else’s. And it kind of puts you in a better standing.

NP: Could you go through what is in the application?

JC: Ok, on the application we’re going to ask you some basic information, like your address, where you went to high school, the kind of classes that you took, if you were involved in any clubs or any sports. We’re also going to have a personal essay portion. Now, the personal essay is not long, like the kind of essays that you maybe write in your classes, it’s shorter than that. And we’re gonna have questions for you to pick from. Like there’ll be two different questions that you can select from, and there’s practice questions on our website.

NP: Is there anything that you can put on the application that would make it stand out to an admissions officer?

JC: Definitely. You can send in letters of

Before summer, contact teachers (in person) from whom you wish to get a letter of reccomendation, and provide them with junior sur vey Make a Common App account Make a Naviance account and research colleges Begin to research college essay topics and create drafts Set up and attend a college visit Fill out the application to the schools you want to apply If you’re unhappy with your ACT score, sign up to re-take it in the fall

Q&A with University of Michigan admissions officer Kelly Cox

Q&A with Michigan State University admissions officer Jackie Cook

By Audrey Kam

COLLEGE SUMMER TO DO LIST:

By Audrey Kam Staff Reporter

recommendation to be added to your file, you could also, if you wanted, send in a resume. Now, these aren’t necessary, but they do add to your file.

NP: If you had to recommend who to get a letter (of reccomendation) from, who would it be?

JC: I would say a teacher, a teacher or an employer. Not necessarily a family member.

NP: Do you accept the common application?

Cook: We actually don’t accept the common app.

NP: Is there a reason why?

JC: We have our own questions that we want to make sure get answered NP: Are there any extra tips that you would like to make sure that applicants to Michigan State know?

JC: A lot of other students kind of worry about the SAT or the ACT score, they think, you know, “My score is too low, I don’t want Michigan State to see it,” so they don’t submit that. And I say, the more ACT scores the better. It shows initiative on the student’s part. Say, you took the ACT and you got a 21 the first time, and so you sent us the scores, and you went and you took it again and got another 21. Sometimes students think that looks bad, but really it looks good because it shows that you’re trying to improve your score. Whether you did or not, it still looks good.

North Pointe: When is the best time to apply to your school? Why? Kelly Cox: For students interested in attending the University of Michigan, I recommend they apply using our Early Action program.

If all aspects of the application are submitted prior to the November 1 deadline, a student will receive a decision from us by December 24. It’s not a binding decision, so admitted students will still have until May 1 to determine if they want to enroll. We use a modified rolling admission process, and have a limited number of students that we can admit. As the year progresses, there will be fewer spaces available, and more applications continuing to come in. Currently, our School of Music, Theatre & Dance and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning do not offer Early Action due to their audition and portfolio review processes.

NP: When do people usually send in applications, and when would you prefer they send them, if there is a difference?

KC: For students that applied under Early Action, most submitted their application during the last week or two of October. Although it was prior to the November 1 deadline, I recommend that students apply in late September or early October. This will give them a little more time to ensure that all aspects of their application (the Common App, U-M supplement and writing form, recommendations, official test scores, and application fee) are received in advance of the deadline. If they wait until late October to submit their application, and any component of the application is missing, it’s likely that the student won’t have an opportunity to correct it prior to the deadline. When that occurs, the student is not eligible for Early Action and in-

stead will be considered under our Regular Decision program. Most Regular Decision notifications are sent in early April.

NP: What do juniors need to do over the summer to prepare for applying/college?

KC: As the school year is wrapping up, I suggest that juniors start considering which teachers they would like to ask for a letter of recommendation. If a teacher is willing to write a letter of recommendation, it gives them more time over the summer to get a head start on it. Additionally, the Common Application essay prompts (https://www. commonapp.org) and U-M short answer and essay questions (http://www.admissions. umich.edu) are already available. This gives students the opportunity to work on their essays over the summer.

Summer is also a great time to visit campus and attend an information session and tour.

Even if a student feels very familiar with our process, our information session provides a more thorough overview of our application process and how admission decisions are made.

Our application becomes available August 1, which allows students to complete it prior to beginning their senior year. Then in September, students can have their essays proofread and focus on getting their recommendations, transcript, and test scores submitted.

NP: Do you accept the common application? If no, Why? KC: The University of Michigan is an exclusive member of the Common Application, which means it’s the only application form that we accept for undergraduate admission.

NORTH

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

SINCE 1968

POINTE

Seniors 2013

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013

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contributing: trevor duncan & sean o’melia

seni

2 – Thursday, May 30, 2013 – North Pointe

Kristina Kamm

By Sara Villani staff reporter

As the curtain begins to drop on senior year, Kristina Kamm walks off the North stage for the final time. Kamm’s acting career at North may be ending, but she n o w must

sean o’melia

move on to the next scene in her life.

“I have been doing theatre for about seven years,” Kamm said. “I hope to continue doing theatre my entire life.

I am not sure if I’m just going to do community or try it professionally, but I definitely want acting to always be a part of my life.”

When Kamm was younger, she had always wanted to do theatre. Neither of her parents were involved in theatre, so it was up to Kamm to make it happen for herself.

“My first show was The Sound of Music at Brownell in sixth grade, and I was a singing nun. Because my parents weren’t involved in theatre, that was really the first chance I’d had,” Kamm said.

After her first show, Kamm fell in love with theatre and has been involved in it ever since. She says singing and acting are like her own personal getaway, and when she gets up on stage, she can be anything that she wants to be.

“If you have a bad day, you can just leave it at the stage door because the new person you’re portraying doesn’t have those problems,” Kamm said.

Twenty-one shows later, eight with North’s theatre department, Kamm is ready to begin studying the script for a new play in her life: college.

“I’m going to Heildelberg University – it’s a private school in Ohio,” Kamm said. “I am double majoring in vocal performance and music education.”

While Kamm goes off to pursue a higher education in the field of acting and performing, she will never forget the times and lessons that she learned at North.

“It was really fun! It was great to work with adults who have mastered their craft, and I learned a lot from them,” Kamm said. “I will miss the people the most because I made my best friends in the theatre program.”

Seniors follow their p Miranda Caruso

By Rachel Cullen staff reporter

It’s not uncommon for the classes and activities that a student loved in high school to fade away when she heads off to college. Four years of preferring science over English can be erased by one impactful college literature course. A passion for varsity soccer slowly fades to a nostalgic match between old teammates once or twice a year. It happens, but not for everyone. Mandy Caruso, for instance, has no plans to let her favorite pursuit fade away. Her senior year may be winding down, but her affinity for art is growing stronger every day.

“I first became interested in art when I was in elementary school. I always liked taking the art classes at school, and my mom enrolled me in them outside of class, too,” Caruso said.

Growing from those early courses, Caruso has taken an art class every year at North. She started with the basics – Drawing and Painting I as a freshman – and built up in skill level from there, eventually ending in AP Drawing and Painting.

“I’ve been painting and drawing for as long as I can remember, so whenever I sit down to do something, it just feels natural,” Caruso said.

She attributes some of that ease to the inspiration she draws from her teammates on her figure skating team.

“It’s kind of hard to say where I draw my creativity from,” Caruso said. “I’m just lucky because I’m surrounded by a lot of creative people at my skating rink. Art and skating go hand in hand because they both allow me to be expressive. Right now, I just try to use my own experiences and thoughts to make what I like.”

Caruso admits that she is the only one in her immediate family to inherit a talent for drawing and painting, but that doesn’t mean the rest of her family is without artistic ability.

“Really, we’re all pretty artistic, but it’s all different kinds. Everyone in my family plays music or likes an instrument,” Caruso said.

Caruso plans to continue develop-

ing her artistic skill when she goes to college, which means signing up for plenty of new art courses – a challenge she is looking forward to.

“It will be really cool to see a different side to everything with new teachers and new students because everyone has different takes on everything, and that’s one of the things I love most about art. I want to explore more with 3D art, like pottery and sculpting, because I’ve never really had that opportunity at school, so college will be great for that,” Caruso said. “I’m not sure what I want to do yet as a career, but I know I at least want to minor in art. It’s really important to me that I keep up my skill level and continue to be as creative as possible.”

Improving her talent is just one of many reasons Caruso plans to keep art as a major part of her life. She sees it as a form of escape from the stresses and humdrum of everyday life.

“Making art is definitely a creative outlet,” Caruso said. “School and skating can be really stressful, and it’s nice to just put my headphones in and make what I want to make.”

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iors

North Pointe – Thursday, May 30, 2013 – 3

passion on to college LaMont Josey

By Chris Elliott

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staff reporter

At this year’s audition for The X Factor in Charleston, S.C., senior LaMont Josey sat impatiently, waiting for his turn to sing for the judges. When Josey entered the judging room, he walked into a rather simple audition process.

“You just sang. Like first you stated your name, and then you really got right into it,” Josey said. “I just picked my favorite song. It was a John Legend song called ‘Someday.’”

The judges didn’t even make him wait for the results. “They just said, ‘You’re going to the next round,’” Josey said.

Josey didn’t anticipate that these words of opportunity would force a decision that weighed the value of a senior’s rite of passage; it turned out that second-cut auditions for The X Factor were on the same day as prom.

“I was going to go and skip prom, but then I met this girl, and I wanted to take her,” Josey said. Josey was referring to his now-girlfriend, sophomore Olivia Ritchie.

Ritchie felt guilty for inadver-

tently putting pressure on Josey to choose prom.

“I felt really bad. I felt like I was taking away a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him to fulfill his dream,” she said.

Josey reassured Ritchie that he’d made the right choice to take her to prom. “He said it’s okay and that he wanted to take me,” Ritchie said.

Josey’s family and friends all chose to support him in his decision.

“They’re very supportive, you know. My mom wanted me to do it, and she said, ‘There’s always next year.’ That’s what I told her. We talked a long time about it and, I don’t know, I kind of, now, looking back, wish I had gone and done it,” Josey said.

“I wish I would have finished the process. But you know, I guess it doesn’t matter. I live with no regrets.

I do think it was the right decision to go to prom because it was a lot of fun, and I always have next year,” Josey said.

Senior and longtime friend Robert Cobau sees an admirable trait in Josey that shines in this situation.

“I thought it was a very selfless decision. He didn’t really care about going to prom all that much, but he decided to go to prom instead to make a memorable night for his girlfriend,” Cobau said.

When asked if he would have made the same choice, Cobau laughed. “I’m not too sure! Going on The X Factor could have been a life-changing experience, and prom is, well, prom. But I trust LaMont’s judgement, and I think he made a very well-thought out and wise decision.”

Josey will be attending Western Michigan University this fall and plans to pursue music further in the future.

“I plan on going into music, (but) not my first year. I missed auditions for Western’s program, so maybe the year after that. But, I don’t know, I definitely am gonna try out (for The X Factor) next year.”

Jack Stander

By Taylor White

staff reporter

Instead of loading suitcases into his car for college, senior Jack Stander will be stuffing hockey sticks and gear into his bag for the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Stander is leaving for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he will play for two years before college.

“Mostly everyone has to go there before they go to college, so it’s basically like a year or two to develop and get bigger and stronger,” Stander said.

“There’s like a lot of junior leagues, and this is like the tier one, so I’ll have to go there for one or two years, and then I’ll go play college. I don’t know where, though.”

Stander was picked up in the 2012 draft after being scouted during his junior year hockey season.

“They’d been like scouting me and then the draft ... it’s like in the spring sometime, so I got picked up in the 2012 entry draft,” Stander said.

“I coulda played there this year, but I wanted to come back and play for North and finish my senior year.”

In the league, Stander will stay with a built family, similar to an exchange family, for two years instead of living in dorms. But he doesn’t anticipate this experience being too different from college.

“The USHL league that I’m going into is very comparable to like a college team, so it’s kinda similar to what it’s gonna be like when I play in college.

So me being away from home and me just playing hockey every day is just like what I’m gonna have to get used to, you know, and get

ready for college,” Stander said.

Although he admits it might be weird going into college as a 20-yearold freshman and says he’ll miss his mom the most, Stander believes this will all be worth it in the end.

“This is the best junior league out there so hopefully it’ll all end up well in the end, but I think hopefully during the first year I’ll be able to commit somewhere and then move on from there,” Stander said.

“I don’t know where I’ll take hockey, but we’ll see. If I do really well, maybe there’ll be some options after college, but you never know ... I think it’ll definitely be worth it.”

sean o’melia

4 – Friday, May 30, 2013 – North Pointe

Acadamy of Art Universty/San Francisco Ky-am Hardy Adrian College Michael Licari Catherine McCarthy Sarah Richardson Joseph Andreoli Salvatore Calbone Christopher Doherty Air Force Anessa Adams Damon Barbee Albion College Robert Cobau Ellen Koppy Mary Katherine Maher Michael Rieth James Spencer Bailey Walker Alma College John Stapleton American InterContinental University Tatyana Taylor American Musical and Dramatic Academy Jasmine Scott Aquinas College Daniel Ciaravino Art Institute of Troy Kaytlyn Gunn Ball State University Jacquelyn Clark Bowdoin College Marne Gallant Bowling Green State University Allison Francis Burlington College Kyle Vanderbilt Capital University Kirsten Schoensee Central Michigan University Katelyn Bowles Kathleen Butler Christian Carlsen Alexander Cendrowski Benjamin Good Maximilian Goolsby Melissa Healy Julia Henderson Robert McCrackin Sarah Neuenfeldt Cody Parafin Olivia Rozema Jacob VandenBoom Chapman University Brian Abud Clark Atlanda University Taylor Lang College for Creative Studies Nigel Anderson-Hurt Paige Pringle College of Wooster Christopher Jakab

Earlham College Michael Messina Eastern Michigan University Daja’ nique Jones Paige Rue Ferris State Jamie Baranek Blake Moncur Caitlin Soloway Florida Atlantic Jay Warren Grand Valley State University Mary Jo Beeby Charlotte Broman Frederick Dodge Hailey Ferguson Leah Fishwick Hugh Hales Lauren McLeod Katlyn Navetta Sean O’Melia Aubry Patrosso Brittany Patrosso Tyler Sickmiller Ryan Sperry Alexandria Thomas Daijah Todd Maria Vasquez Sara Villani Christopher Walsh Anthony Zizio Heidelberg University Kristina Kamm Hope College Emily Bott Madison Bush Indiana University Courtney Veneri Indiana Wesleyan University Nicole Lubienski Grace Tatum Hockey Patrick Bresser David Chavis II Tanner Colborg Jack Stander Bradley Werenski Kalamazoo College Evan Hayden David Kracht Zachary White Kendall College of Art and Design Anne Smith Kent State University Kyndall Echols Jordan Giacona Kettering University Zachary Kaiser Laboratory Institute of Merchandising Asia Anderson Lake Superior State University Alicia Lecznar Lansing Community College Meldon Lewis

seniors Lawrence Technological University Kourtney Allen danae dicicco Andrew Smith Macomb Community College Jacob Barry Tristan Beatty Michael Bennett Darius Berry Melsi Bezhani Eric Bunch Dimitri Clark Emmitt Conner Andrew Corsentino Garrett Freismuth Jacob Gentile Margaret Judnic Albert Kelly Taryn Kiah Nikko Leggett Nathaniel Limback Spencer Lohrstorfer Hamza Mahmood Maegan Mazure Paul Menth Ilexis Mustafaa Shanice Reeder Jacqueline Snyder Derrick Vaughn Shelby Winn Madonna University Emily Armbruster Courtney Brinker Marquette University/Milwaukee Eric Balle Lucas Segovia Miami University in Ohio Jack Gruber Michigan Career and Technical Institute Darius Hamilton Michigan State University Anthony Allemon Anne Bernardi Robert Coon Thomas Coon Khalil Copeland Kelly Crawford Christine Elliott Heather Filippelli Matthew Giacona Jack Guest Julia Guest Christine Hawring Jeffrey Herron Emily Joseph Athanasia Kouskoulas Abigail Kusch Patrick Lane Matthew Leone Matthew Maher Jenna Maniaci Johnathan Marchiori Emma Mathews

Sarah McGovern Sean McHale Melanie Mermiges Paige Micks Michelle Miotto Steven Mitchell Bryn Moody Nadine Nahra Jenna Paglino Nicholas Rahaim Salvatore Rizzo Sydney Scott Natalie Skorupski Evelynne Smith Marcel Taylor Stavroula Varlamos Taylor White Steven Zak Michigan Tech Alison Alexsy Mississippi State Emma Abessinio Navy Brendan Keelan Northern Michigan University Kelly Bertolini Caitlin Hartman Devin Palmer Andrew Remus Fanny Vanneste Northwestern Michigan College Kerry Leannais Notre Dame Alissa Scoggin Oakland Community College Sophia Avouris Chelsea Christian Oakland University Jesse Ajlouni Noah Cherry Joseph Dueweke Jaclyn Maul Danielle Mays Marlecia Primuse Breann Reveley Nicholas Shoemaker Jake Sippl Jacob Surzyn Grace Tallarek Meghan VanCleve Oberlin Conservatory Jeremy Harr Ohio State University Christian Jones Jaccelynn Sherry Ohio University Emma Ockerman Palm Springs Community Konner Chartier Princeton University Jordan Radke Purdue University Rachel Like

Rendall College of Art and Design Kaylee Dall Robert Morris University Raven Boone Saginaw Valley Olivia Pullen Saint Mary’s College/Indiana Margaret Kelly Savannah College of Art and Design Alison Locricchio School of the Art Institute of Chicago Jordan Jackson Southern Methodist University Savannah Ransome Taylor University Hunter Brennan Tennessee State Rashaad French Mariama Hutson Tiffin University Steven Elliott U of D Mercy William Coderre Raven Harrell Evan Pilot Hayley Tarantine Michael Zheng Undecided Brian Longstreet Jennifer Singer United States Marine Corps Conor Marshall University of Colorado Georgios Teftsis University of Dayton Bryan Butts Joseph Gallagher Anne Lesha University of Findlay Jessica Richter University of Maine Lauren Koeppe University of Michigan Alexander Arnold Jaclyn Berndtson Amanda Berry Courtney Carroll Francesca Ciaramitaro Rachel Cullen Kimberly Cusmano Julia Ellis Michael Francis Kamala Kanneganti Danny Mak Lakshman Mulpuri Laura O’Brien Michelle Rabaut Abigail Rozich Stephanie Saravolatz Robert Smith Kyle Stefek

University of Michigan/Dearborn Raheim Binnie Joseph Bourgoin Brandon Falk Mitchell Fenner Sheldon Harris Andrew Teolis Jordan Vukas-Oszvart University of Michigan/Flint Michael Bridges TaTyana Terry University of Toledo Wilson Fisher Christopher Hamilton Arelia Haywood Corey Pierce Ryan Sparks Ventura College Robert Tillman Wayne State University Miranda Caruso Silvia Donahue Dylan Ermanni Catherine Gattari Emily Griffith Logan Hart Jennifer Hawring Kylie Johnston Marie Karam Danielle Karwowicz Christopher Konen Anneilia Lleva Robert Nelson Mira Shenouda Jonathan Storrs Western Michigan University Diamond Brooks Zachary Bulgarelli Tyler Capp Bryon Christmas Anna Giordano Tommy Gmeiner LaMont Josey Carston Koziol Lucas McGarvah Taylor McGarvah Lindsay McIntyre Taylor Sherrill Emily Simon JAck Stefek Thomas Stevenson Caroline Tripp Taiwan Wiggins Work Peter Cara Tyler Clarke Anthony Valentine Keenan Wallace William Woods Wright State China Allen Xavier University Alexander Raicevich

Seniors

North Pointe – Thursday, May 30, 2013 – 5

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

By Kim Cusmano Editor

“Putting out sick-nasty beats and opening for Kanye.”

Kamala Kanneganti

“I will be married to Harry Styles, starting my family and finishing up my residency.”

“Making a living, and learning about “In ten years I’ll see technology and how myself in a mirror.” it can be useful for Hunter Brennan the lives of others.”

“Trophy wife.”

Jacci Sherry

“Living in another state, maybe Georgia, with my family and owning my own practice.”

Lauren McLeod

Jenny Singer

Darius Berry

“Working as a neonatal nurse in a large hospital.”

“Either teaching elementary music, or performing in Operas.”

JoJo Beeby

Kristina Kamm

Stephanie Saravolatz

“Hopefully all my goals will be accomplished. I’m just not sure what my goals are yet.”

“Having a wellpaid job, a siberian husky puppy, living in my own house.”

“With a job as a doctor, and hopefully with a family.”

Matt Leone

“Taking my military career to the next level and eventually having a family.”

Anessa Adams

Brandon Falk

“As a R.N. or a doctor (Glycologist) and get married.”

Shanice Reeder

“Working as a nurse and hopefully married and starting to have a family.”

“Hopefully married or engaged ... waiting to become an orthopedic surgeon.”

Meghan Vancleve

Christian Carlson

“Coming up with an answer to this question.”

“Finishing up my residency at St. John Hospital.”

“As a pediatric nurse who loves what I do.”

Jackie Berndtson

Alex Arnold

Danielle Mays

“Teaching high school history classes.”

Ryan Sparks “I’ll be one of those names in the credits of the latest Pixar movie that your kid forces you to go to.”

Allison Loccrichio

6 – Thursday May 30, 2013 – North Pointe

seniors

Norsemen Forever

By Sean O’Melia ere’s the truth: I’m Thor.

Now this may come as a shock to most, if not all. I know over the last two years, nobody had any idea it was me under the mascot’s gigantic head, but the time for the truth has come.

What a roller coaster of a ride it’s been.

I started out with zero tips, clues or advice for how to be Thor.

What to wear, when to eat or drink and how not to die of heat exhaustion remained a mystery to me in the beginning. These were things that probably would’ve been helpful at least once or twice.

I experienced some downfalls. Being run over by the Class of 2012, scaring children and making them cry (by accident of course) and nearly having a heat stroke were just a few of my early problems. But through these mistakes and tough lessons, I became better.

I’ve been through so much with my buddy Thor. However to say being Thor was just a bad experience would be very false. Like any good roller coaster ride, there were some lows – but with that ride came the highest of highs.

Going crazy with students when North beat South in hockey this year, getting the best seat in the house for any North event, getting to run out for the pep assemblies to my own song, being beloved by young kids, getting countless photos taken of me as Thor, being in funny introductions for the Norsemen News. I did all of that in a giant Norseman head.

Yeah, there have been a lot of great memories. But now it’s almost over, and that kinda sucks. I had a lot of fun at North, but I know I can’t cling to Thor all of my life.

Approaching graduation is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. It’s time to grow up and move on. This isn’t just true for me, but for all of us. It’s time for us to pass the torch to the future senior class.

Whether it’s going to TMP, a Friday night football game, tasting a union cookie, watching hilarious Norsemen News intros, reading compelling North Pointes or being a part of exciting homecoming festivities, we’ve had great times here. It’s hard to say goodbye, but it’s nice to know we’re handing these memories to the underclassmen.

We now have to experience life in a whole new way, with a whole of lot of new adventures and a whole lot of exciting moments in store.

And I have have to pass down that gigantic mascot head of mine and trade it for a high school diploma.

H

By Francesca Ciaramitaro

W

ell, this is it.

I wish senior year, as a whole, would just stop being cheesy for 30 seconds because that first line makes me want to vomit. But it holds within it an unavoidable truth: this is it – we are (almost) finished with high school.

The Class of 2013 is undoubtedly one of excellence. We will be leaving behind an unforgettable legacy, one that is sure to be well known and respected by all who were here to witness and take part in it.

We’ve continually challenged ourselves academically. We’ve competed in game after game, performed in concert after concert. We’ve traveled throughout the Mitten and across our nation to represent North in various competitions, and we’ve come out on top time and time again. Congratulations are in order for the plethora of accomplishments each and every one of you has achieved in your time here. It’s those accomplishments that create our legacy and establish what we do here at North. Every single one of you has something (or probably multiple things) to be proud of.

It has truly been an honor to serve as your leader for the past four years.

You guys rock.

Seriously, you do.

The enthusiasm and support that you bring to everything our class does have made my job that much more fun than it already is.

To all of the parents – you are the backbone behind what our class has been able to accomplish. The children you have raised and watched grow into fine young men and women have represented our class day in and day out with a distinct sense of poise and an exceptional attitude. Thank you for delivering countless forgotten lunches, organizing bake sales and for just being our parents. Without you, none of this would be possible.

There is someone that deserves to be singled out because our class would not have seen half of the success that is has without her. No one really knows what going above and beyond means until they step into the shoes of our class adviser, Ms. Wendy Spreder. If you see her around, casually drop to your knees and begin to worship the ground she walks on (I’m only half joking).

Just remind her that what she does is appreciated.

I can’t wait to see what the world outside of North has to offer for all of us. Sure, we’ll probably get knocked down a few times. But (you guessed it), we’ll get back up again.

We’ve endured the cheesiness of enough senior-year cliches to remember at least that much – and hold onto much more.

Stewart Fine Portaits

Dear Seniors of 2013, Four years ago, we started our journey together, and now it is time for you to start a new chapter in your life. I am sad that I will not be a part of it, but confident that you are all ready to go out and make a difference in the world. If I had one wish for this class, it would be to never forget where you came from and always look ahead with confidence and dignity. Rise to every challenge with a smile in your heart. Remember to draw on the strength that lies within each of you. Realize that you always have choices, and the choices you make will have such an impact on your life.

I used to think that my own children would be my only shining stars in the sky to guide me in life, but I now have 344 new stars to look to for inspiration. You have made me a better person and have given me new insight into the future.

This is truly a class with the heart of a champion and the pride of a Norseman. I would not trade one moment that I have spent with you, and I will cherish all that you have taught me.

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT. Take it all in. You have earned it – it is now your time to shine.

You all have a place in my heart!

Wendy Spreder

Class Adviser 2013

Class of 2013

North Pointe – Thursday, May 30, 2013 – 7

Goodbye from the North Pointe Seniors One of North Pointe’s basic rules is to not write about yourself or someone close to you. But with it being our senior issue, the North Pointe seniors were given an opporunity to say a farewell to anyonewhether it be North itself, friends, family or anything else –this is what they had to say in their farewell.

Jordan Radke “There was a child went forth every day/And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became,” Walt Whitman wrote.

Even if the experience has been transient, its effects on my have been lasting; consider me a child, truly thankful for every object (the friends, the family, the teachers) I’ve become.

Kim Cusmano “The best is yet to come, and won’t that be fine? You think you’ve seen the sun, but you ain’t seen it shine,” Frank Sinatra It’s been an awesome four years, but honestly, we are about to go on to do, see and be so much more. Keep your eyes forward, but don’t forget the past.

Norsemen Pride & GO BLUE!

Chris Elliott High school was not at all what I anticipated as a freshman, but I managed to draw a lot of lessons and happy memories from my experience.

Aside from the notes, lectures and projects we all endured to earn our cap and gown, the past four years have taught me what’s truly important to me in life. I hope you all succeed and find your niche.

Sean O’Melia I’d like to say thanks to the unsung heroes of my Norsemen Pride –the ones who have supported and helped me through the last 18 years of my existence and helped make me a better person today. That would be my family, because I wouldn’t be able to pull off all of the stuff I’ve done in my life without them. So thanks for everything. I love you guys.

Melissa Healy Leaving North Pointe will be more difficult than I realized. I never expected to meet a group of people as motivated as this staff. We’ve given hours to this paper, and I wouldn’t change a minute of it. In a way, it changed who I am. I’ve learned so many lessons– some the hard way– but they will never be forgotten; I only hope every student has this experience.

Rachel Cullen For better or for worse, North helped make me into the person I am today. I learned so much about myself, thanks to my wonderful parents, the amazing friends I’ve made (five of them especially- you know who you are, I love you) and of course, all the hard–working teachers I had. Thank you all–it’s a lessson I’ll never forget (unlike calculus).

Sara Villani These past four years have been the time of my life. I have met so many great people, and I can’t thank them enough for all of the good times and memories. I would not be the person I am today without them. We are all going our separate ways, but I will never forget what some of them have done for me. I love you all, and wish everyone the best in life.

Taylor White No matter what has happened over these four years, I don’t regret anything because it’s made me who I am today. I don’t say it often enough, and never to the people who truly deserve it, but thank you to everyone who’s been in my life, in any way shape or form, through these four years. You’ve definitely made an everlasting impression on my life.

Natalie Skorupski I almost switched out of North Pointe. I had thought I didn’t need the extra workload, but one of the best choices I have made at North was deciding to stay. North Pointe opened my eyes to everything our beautiful school offers, whether I realized it at first or not. So thank you North Pointe, for being the pain in the butt that made me push to achieve.

Kaylee Dall Four years of my life have come and gone. It’s sad to say goodbye, but it’s good to get a new start. I’ll miss all the great teachers I had, like Mr. Taylor and Mr. Gilleran. Also saying goodbye to friends and family is one of the worst things I will have to do after these four years.

I will miss so many people and I wish the best for everyone.

Jacob Barry It feels silly to get emotional about graduation.

Why mourn the passage of time? Though, admittedly, moving on has still brought a touch of nostolgia. To name the things I’ll miss, there is only one thing on the list. The lives I’ve kissed, not the ones I’ve remissed; the ones who gave my purpose a twist.

Amanda Berry Everyone always talks about how high school will be the worst four years of your life, but I honestly can’t say that for myself. I’ve met so many amazing people and created friendships that I know will continue throughout my entire life. Leaving this year is bittersweet, but I look forward to moving on and being able to look back on all the memories.

Danae DiCicco Sure the material covered on my tests and quizzes in the past four years will show up here and there in my future,but what I have learned from all of you will stick with me everyday. I’m thankful for having the opportunity to be on North Pointe staff. Without the stories and smiles you have shared with me, I wouldnt be who I am.

Emma SaraOckerman Villani Words carried me through high school, and thanks to my wonderful English teachers they will carry me out. Literature was an escape from a harsher reality my freshman year, but with help, I’ve turned it into a lifestyle. To every teacher who turns a book into sleepless nights and the English language into an art form– thank you.

Special thanks for photos for this issue goes to Stewart Fine Portraits, Vahalla, @GPNClassof2013, North Pointe staff members and to all who particpated in #mygpn.

There are 14 of us.

Fourteen senior staff reporters whose most important job, alongside the countless other ones we have, is to represent our Class of 2013. The peaks, the heartbreaks and everything in between.

You all just see the final product that comes to your third hour every other Friday. You see the finished infographics, cutouts and rectangular stories which were placed oh-so-specifically on the page. What you don’t see is the weeks leading up to that issue, the weeks filled with hunting down students for interviews, attending away games after school just to get that one photo needed or staying in for lunch after lunch making sure your reads are done and story is next-to-flawless. You don’t see the last-minute rush to come up with a catchy headline or the search for the perfect quote to place in the cutline under a photo.

We have done that for countless weeks over the course of these last four years. For 48 issues, we’ve written down as many memories as we could to fill those eight pages. Though not always done in the smoothest, most peaceful way, we did it.

And we had the time of our lives doing it. Don’t get us wrong, we were undoubtedly stressed 99% of the time, on edge or annoyed, but the feeling, at the end of a production cycle when every page was locked and there was nothing left to do except admire our hard work, is unexplainable and made it all worth it. So we thank you. We thank you for giving us something to make us stay up even later for, to stress a little bit more over, and, even more importantly, another passion that we could call our own.

We wish you good luck next year, and in every adventure you may encounter throughout the rest of your lives, Class of 2013.

The Senior Staff

8 – Thursday, May 30, 2013 – North Pointe

CLASS OF 2013

Stewart Fine Portrait

Emma Abessinio •Brian Abud • Anessa Adams • Jesse Ajlouni •Alison Alexsy • Anthony Allemon• China Allen • Kourtney Allen • Asia Anderson • Nigel Anderson-Hurt• Joseph Andreoli • Emily Armbruster • Alexander Arnold • Sophia Avouris • Eric Balle • Jamie Baranek • Damon Barbee • Tyra Barker • Jacob Barry • Tristan Beatty • Mary Jo Beeby • Michael Bennett • Anne Bernardi • Jaclyn Berndtson • Amanda Berry • Darius Berry • Kelly Bertolini • Melsi Bezhani • Raheim Binnie • Raven Boone • Emily Bott • Joseph Bourgoin • Katelyn Bowles • Hunter Brennan • Patrick Bresser • Michael Bridges • Courntey Brinker • Charlotte Broman • Diamond Brooks • Zachary Bulgarelli • Eric Bunch • Ty’Wayne Burston-Reynolds • Madison Bush • Kathleen Butler • Bryan Butts • Salvatore Calbone • Tyler Capp • Peter Cara • Christian Carlsen • Courntey Carroll • Miranda Caruso • Alexander Cendrowski • Konner Chartier • David Chavis • Noah Cherry • Chelsea Christian • Bryon Christmas • Francesca Ciaramitaro • Daniel Ciaravino • Dimitri Clark • Jacquelyn Clark • Tyler Clarke • Robert Cobau • William Coderre • Tanner Colborg • DeJon Coleman • Emmitt Conner • Robert Coon • Thomas Coon • Khalil Copeland • Andrew Corsentino • Kelly Crawford • Cody Cross • Rachel Cullen • Kimberly Cusmano • Kaylee Dall • Cameron Day • Jalen Dean • Joshua Dessinger • Danae DiCicco • Asia Dickson • Kenneth Dixon • Frederick Dodge • Christopher Doherty • Silvia Donahue • Joseph Dueweke • Shelbie Easterday • Kyndall Echols • Alexiz Edwards • Antonio Edwards • Christine Elliott • Steven Elliott • Julia Ellis • Dylan Ermanni • Brandon Falk • Mitchell Fenner • Hailey Ferguson • Heather Filippelli • Wilson Fisher • Leah Fishwick • Allison Francis • Michael Francis • Garrett Freismuth • Rashaad French • Joseph Gallagher • Marne Gallant • Catherine Gattari • Jacob Gentile • Jordan Giacona • Matthew Giacona • Anna Giordano • Thomas Gmeiner • Benjamin Good • Maximilian Goolsby • Montel Griffin • Emily Griffith • Jack Gruber • Jack Guest • Julia Guest • Kaytlyn Gunn • Jacob Gutsue • Hugh Hales • Julian Hall • Antoine Hamilton • Christopher Hamilton • Darius Hamilton • Ky-am Hardy • Darrell Harper • Jeremy Harr • Raven Harrell • Sheldon Harris • Logan Hart • Caitlin Hartman • Caroline Hartman • Christine Hawring • Jennifer Hawring • Evan Hayden • Corvon’trae Hayes • Arelia Haywood • Melissa Healy • Daijah Henderson • Julia Henderson • Jeffrey Herron • Brendan Hess • Brandon Hibbs • Mariama Hutson • Jordan Jackson • Kiara Jackson • Christopher Jakab • Brian Jennings • Kylie Johnston • Christian Jones • Daja’nique Jones • Emily Joseph • LaMont Josey • Margaret Judnic • Zachary Kaiser • Kristina Kamm • Kamala Kanneganti • Marie Karam • Danielle Karwowicz • Brendan Keelan • Albert Kelly • Margaret Kelly • Taryn Kiah • Lauren Koeppe • Christopher Konen • Ellen Koppy • Athanasia Kouskoulas • Carston Koziol • David Kracht • Abigail Kusch • Patrick Lane • Taylor Lang • Kerry Leannais • Jasmine Leavy • Alicia Lecznar • Nikko Leggett • Matthew Leone • Anne Lesha • Meldon Lewis • Michael Licari • Rachel Like • Nathaniel Limback • Anneilia Lleva • Alison Locricchio • Spencer Lohrstorfer • Brian Longstreet • Nicole Lubienski • Mary Katherine Maher • Matthew Maher • Hamza Mahmood • Danny Mak • Jenna Maniaci • Johnathan Marchiori • Conor Marshall • Ricardo Martin • Emma Mathews • Jaclyn Maul • Danielle Mays • Maegan Mazure • Catherine McCarthy • KeDeja McClendon • Robert McCrackin • Lucas McGarvah • Taylor McGarvah • Sarah McGovern • Sean McHale • Michael McIntosh • Lindsay McIntyre • Lauren McLeod • Ryann Melville • Paul Menth • Melanie Mermiges • Michael Messina • Paige Micks • Michelle Miotto • Steven Mitchell • Blake Moncur • Bryn Moody • Lakshman Mulpuri • Ilexis Mustafaa • Nadine Nahra • Katlyn Navetta • Robert Nelson • Sarah Neuenfeldt • Laura O’Brien • Sean O’Melia • Emma Ockerman • Jenna Paglino • Devin Palmer • Cody Parafin • Aubry Patrosso • Brittany Patrosso • Brandon Phillips • Corey Pierce • Evan Pilot • Austin Pirrello • Michael Pressley • Marlecia Primuse • Paige Pringle • Olivia Pullen • Michelle Rabaut • Jordan Radke • Nicholas Rahaim • Alexander Raicevich • Savannah Ransome • Shanice Reeder • Andrew Remus • Breann Reveley • Sarah Richardson • Jessica Richter • Michael Rieth • Salvatore Rizzo • Raphael Robinson • Olivia Rozema • Abigail Rozich • Paige Rue • Stephanie Saravolatz • Kirsten Schoensee • Alissa Scoggin • Jasmine Scott • Sydney Scott • Lucas Segovia • Grant Shaheen • Mira Shenouda • Taylor Sherrill • Jaccelynn Sherry • Nicholas Shoemaker • Tyler Sickmiller • Emily Simon • Jennifer Singer • Jake Sippl • Natalie Skorupski • Andrew Smith • Anne Smith • Dakari Smith • Evelynne Smith • Robert Smith • Jacqueline Snyder • Caitlin Soloway • Ryan Sparks • James Spencer • Ryan Sperry • Jack Stander • John Stapleton • Jack Stefek • Kyle Stefek • Thomas Stevenson • Keia Stewart-Moore • Jonathan Storrs • Jacob Surzyn • Grace Tallarek • Hayley Tarantine • Grace Tatum • Marcel Taylor • Tatyana Taylor • Georgios Teftsis • Andrew Teolis • TaTyana Terry • Alexandria Thomas • Cayla Thomas • Angel Thompson-Blade • Robert Tillman • Jerome Tocco • Daijah Todd • Caroline Tripp • Anthony Valentine • Meghan VanCleve • Jacob VandenBoom • Kyle Vanderbilt • Fanny Vanneste • Stavroula Varlamos • Maria Vasquez • Derrick Vaughn • Courtney Veneri • Sara Villani • Nicholas Vitale • Conor Voiles • Jordan Vukas-Oszvart • Bailey Walker • Ga’Nell Walker • Jomo Walker • Keenan Wallace • Christopher Walsh • Jay Warren • Jonathan Watson • Kelsey Weiss • Corie Welton-Tinnon • Bradley Werenski • Taylor White • Zachary White • Taiwan Wiggins • Shelby Winn • William Woods • Steven Zak • Michael Zheng • Anthony Zizio