NEWS PAGE 2 The Gearheads compete at a robotics competition. See how they did at the girls-only invitational at Bloomfield Hills High School on Saturday, Nov. 11. GEARHEADS
NORTH
GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
FALL SPORTS AWARDS
Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m in the Performing Arts Center
WINTER MEET THE COACHES Monday, Nov. 20 from 6-7 p.m. in cafeteria
THANKSGIVING BREAK
No school from Wednesday, Nov. 22 to Friday, Nov. 24
HALF DAY Students will have morning classes only on Wednesday, Dec. 6 HOLIDAY TEA
Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. in Performing Arts Center
INSIDE "
SPORTS HAVE
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WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15, 2017
New study shows connection between adolescent concussions, multiple sclerosis By Sofia Ketels & Amelia Nowicki PAGE EDITOR & INTERN It was a normal softball practice for junior Isabella Cusmano. As she ran onto the field, an unexpected toss from a teammate hit her in the temple. The next day, Cusmano’s mom grew concerned, and she was later diagnosed with a minor concussion. Like other student athletes, Cusmano has been unaware of some potential long-term consequences of a concussion. Though seemingly nonthreatening, the repercussions of this injury could potentially increase the risk of multiple sclerosis and other threatening disabilities or illnesses later on in life. Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the protective sheath around nerve fibers, causing permanent damage and deterioration in the nerves. The disease is incurable and is, for the most part, triggered by autoimmune and environmental factors in a person who has a slight genetic predisposition. New studies have shown that triggers such as trauma to the brain—specifically during adolescence—can spark development of the disease. Though the chances of head injury and a subsequent concussion are still slim, student athletes are warned to take precautions when it comes to head injury. However, students who have had teenage head injuries could develop the serious autoimmune condition in their adult lives with little warning. “It’s not like a leg or an arm or something,” Cusmano said. “It’s your head, and I feel like that’s the most important part of your body, so you’re gonna need to make sure your brain is 100 percent ok before
anything else.” According to an October study published in the Annals of Neurology by doctors at Orebro University and Karolinska
are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, leaving years for the disease to develop after an injury in adolescence. North’s athletic teams take precautions such as wearing protective gear and following extensive protocols to help student athletes avoid
that after a concussion, a student does not play or practice until he or she is back at full capacity. This helps to eliminate the risk of sustaining another traumatic head injury or to worsen the concussion. Sophomore Zach Doerr, who recently had a concussion, explained that the JV boys soccer team practices and discusses these techniques excessively. Before these most recent findings were announced, Doerr had only been aware of studies linking traumatic brain injuries sustained in football with disease later in life. He had not heard of these injuries applying to other sports. In certain situations however, they are seemingly unavoidable, as Doerr discovered when he got a concussion playing soccer just last year. “It took me out for like two weeks, and I couldn’t play, so that sucked. They hurt a lot. They just take all the energy out,” Doerr said. Like Doerr and other student athletes who have heard of these recent studies, Cusmano believes SYEDA RIZVI concusthat this will cause Institute sions. According to athletes and parents in Sweden, the chance of develboys soccer coach Eric Vanston, to take a step back and examine oping MS remains slim among the team discusses proper ways to the policies and protocols behind all demographics, but people who perform certain techniques in order concussion prevention in high sustained a concussion as adolesto avoid head injury that may affect school sports. cents had a student athletes In the Swedish study, one of the 22 percent both on and off lead doctors made clear that the increase the field. results of this study were not meant in their “Most to discourage teens from playing chances of concussions sports. It means that risks of head developing impact the injury need to be vastly decreased the disease. student’s life for high school student athletes, What’s outside of and Cusmano agrees. more, teens soccer because “I think that it’s kind of a lot to who sufthey have to be wrap your head around, even somefered more careful about thing as minor as mine, ” Cusmano than one light and using said. “It’s good to be aware now Isabella Cusmano concussion their phone,” that when I get older and I see JUNIOR saw their Vanston said. these symptoms I can go the doctor odds rise by “Some may and figure out what’s going on, it’s around 150 percent. have to miss school.” kinda scary to me.” Similar information from Mayo The protocols in place for the Clinic states that most cases of MS athletic department help to ensure
“
It's kind of a lot to wrap your head around, even something as minor as mine.
History exhibit educates students on segregation in Metro Detroit By Elizabeth Ballinger, JoAnna Alexander & Brittni Braswell PAGE EDITOR & INTERNS
"I DON’T
NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG
SINCE 1968
“
UPCOMING EVENTS INTERACT CLUB MEETING Thursday, Nov. 16 at 3:15 p.m. in the cafeteria
POINTE
Even though it didn’t surprise her, when social studies teacher Terri Steimer’s students learned about the segregational systems in place in Grosse Pointe during the 1960s at the Michigan Roundtable Exhibit, she said they were shocked. The exhibit, a traveling showcase depicting the inequality of housing in the Metro Detroit area from the early 19th to the mid-20th century, came to the Performing Arts Center Monday through Friday, Nov. 6-10. Principal Kate Murray, along with Grosse Pointe South administration as well as social studies teacher Bridget Cooley and English teacher Geoffery Young, worked with Steimer to bring the exhibit to Grosse Pointe. She said most communication was done between school administration and the exhibit coordinators. “I think the displays are an honest appraisal of the unabashed historical prejudice and bias in Detroit and the surrounding communities," Steimer said via email. “The exhibit has been well-attended this week. Students in all disciplines have been busy. We are truly fortunate to have the exhibit.” According to Steimer, the “point system”
@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org
VOLUME 50 | ISSUE 5
in place during the 1960s in Grosse Pointe most surprised her students. It required realtors to submit names of potential buyers to the Grosse Pointe Property Owners Association before the purchase was approved. The names were then screened, and a private investigator was hired to judge potential buyers on their suitability for the community. To do this, the system ranked buyers that were not white and Christian. According to William Thompson, a professor at the University of Nevada, points would be given for the extent to which the buyer was "Americanized," meaning how similar they were to the community. This included subcategories on their "general standing," such as: “swarthiness of appearance," "friends," "dress," "religion," "education," "use of grammar" and "accent." Minorities such as Greeks, Germans, and Northern Europeans had separate categories for home ownership. Blacks, Hispanics and Asians were automatically ineligible to be homeowners. Today, Steimer said the city is the most diverse it has ever been. She said this affects the makeup of the schools and shows the long-term failure of the policies displayed in the exhibit. “Grosse Pointe is much more racially diverse than ever before … when the community is more diverse, so are the News Briefs
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Editorial On Campus
schools,” Steimer said. “We are fortunate to have such a cultural mix, which was not always the case. When I started teaching at North 24 years ago, North was, I believe, 99.9 percent white. There have been some remarkable changes.” Students viewed the exhibit during select classes. Specifically, Steimer said students visited during English and social studies classes. Sophomore Malia Peck visited the exhibit during Steimer’s class. She said the exhibit made her appreciate the hardships of minority Detroiters. Peck believes that educating viewers on the past prevents history from repeating itself. “I shouldn’t have been shocked, but I was,” Peck said. “I think it’s good for the school, because they are educating us on what we shouldn’t be doing in the future.” Freshman Esha Kumar visited the exhibit the exhibit during her English class. She said it educated her on both the histories of Grosse Pointe and Detroit, which she had little knowledge of beforehand. Like Peck, she said the exhibit gives viewers knowledge of the history of segregation, which she said she hopes to never see again. “It was about how the civil rights movement had an effect on Grosse Pointe, and it talked a lot about the Motor City, which I thought was interesting because I 3 4
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Life Reviews
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ON CAMPUS
See pictures from the showcase on page four. don’t know much about our city,” Kumar said. “I can go on and learn from the things that people did wrong, and I can make sure that I never do them.” Steimer said the exhibit was an allaround positive experience for the students. She hopes it ends up in an accessible location after it finishes going through schools around the county. It will be at University Liggett School next. Steimer’s goal was for students to learn about the history of Metro Detroit, the direction it is moving in and the role they play in the area’s future while the exhibit was here. “It's very important to know the history of the community in order to improve the future. Can we erase the past? Of course not—that is dangerous territory. Building on the past is the most important thing,” Steimer said. “There have been huge social and economic changes in the city in the past 10-15 years, and I think the direction for the future is a positive one.”
In-Depth Sports
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NEWS
2 – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 – North Pointe
IN BRIEF Interact holds coat drive Interact Club will hold a meeting after school Thursday, Nov. 16 in the cafeteria to collect socks and winter boots donations for Big Family, which services foster children in need in Michigan. The items from this year’s project will be donated to a girls academy in Detroit. Freshman Esha Kumar is a member of Interact Club and plans to participate in the sock drive. Kumar said she wants to give back to her community because she feels she is privileged enough to do so, it will help her become a better person, and it isn’t difficult to participate in such activities. Interact Club president Eva Ciaramitaro said it is necessary to give back to the community and those in need. “These kids need some of the most basic things, some things we may even take for granted, such as socks,” Ciaramitaro said. “If this is something so little that could make a difference, then I felt the need to give.”
French week returns early French week festivities started a few days early thanks to the French Club. Since there were no classes Nov. 7 because of elections, they kicked off celebrations the Friday before to assure that five days could be dedicated to French culture. The club sold French t-shirts and crepes during both Friday lunches. French teacher Pamela Foster wanted this French week to be applicable to all students, regardless of the language they take in school. Sophomore Marta Bacon, a member of the French Club, said it is important to spread awareness of French culture around the school because learning about different cultures is something everyone should be a part of. “By taking part in French week, they automatically know more about the French culture,” she said. “They themselves are more cultured, and people need to know about other parts of the world. There is more to knowing than just the
New coaches for girls varsity hockey Following the retirement of longtime coach Joe Lucchese, English teacher Emma Huellmantel is working alongside head coach Casey Quick to train the girls varsity hockey team. Quick has a USA Hockey Certification and is qualified to train all levels of girls hockey. He has resided in Grosse Pointe his whole life and played hockey for North in the 80s. Assistant coach Huellmantel coached field hockey last year. “My hope is that with the introduction of new coaches, the team is quickly able to adapt to our styles,” Huellmantel said. “We don’t have a whole lot of depth in the program right now, so we’re hoping to get a few more players in the future so our team can be a little bit bigger.”
Holiday parade The 42nd Grosse Pointe Santa Claus Parade is on Friday, Nov. 24 and will be hosted by The Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce. This year, the parade is called A Fairytale Christmas. Jenny Boettcher, the president of The Chamber of Commerce, said the organization is looking for 60 students to hold banners in the parade. She added it will be about an hour long and starts at 10 a.m. The parade will take place on Kercheval Avenue and begins on Lewiston Road and ends on Cadieux Road. Students interested can email info@grossepointechamber. com or call 313-881-4722 to help out.
Photography club meets Photo Club held its first meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Meetings are on Wednesdays from 3:05 to 4:05 p.m. in art teacher Lisa Warren’s room. The objective of the club is to promote creativity through photography. Warren said students don’t have to be in an artrelated class to join. She added that joining the club can help students in photo classes. “They have access to Photoshop on the computers and can work on any assignments from class or (build) their personal photography practice,” Warren said. “I can provide them with ideas for photo shoots or techniques to try, but the club is mostly driven by what the students want to work on.” Warren said students should bring their own camera. “It’s helpful to bring your own camera. We have some cameras that can be used, but only limited supplies,” Warren said. “The more people that have cameras, the easier it is for people to take pictures.”
Student council elections On Tuesday, Oct. 31, the Class of 2021 Student Council held their first election. Because of the low amount of nominees, the council is small compared to other classes. It consists of only five senators instead of eight. Freshman and senator Stephen Barstys said he isn’t worried about the low amount of councilmembers. “I don’t think it will really be an issue,” Barstys said. “We have a lot of competent people on it and it will be OK.” In addition to this, voter turnout was also low. Barstys said turnout is an important factor because it gets different social circles to vote. He added that he hopes more students participate next year.
By Syeda Rizvi & Sydney Semack
GEARHEADS
SHAKE IT | The Gearheads team dances to show their spirit at the robotics competition at Bloomfield Hills High School on Nov. 11. "The girls on the team, the people who are going to be on the drive team, have been practicing on weekends, together, just going through the team movements that we’ll need to do in competition," junior Ritika Pansare said before the competition.
Gearheads participate, place in female-oriented invitational By Colin Haroutunian INTERN
Since August, the Gearheads team #1189, including junior Ritika Pansare and senior Michelle Bridges, trained for a femalefocused and steampunkthemed competition at Bloomfield Hills High School on Saturday, Nov. 11. The team finished in 24th place. The objective of the competition, which the team has competed in since 2014, is to score the most points using one robot. Pansare said that while it is an off-season event mainly for the girls, it provides experience for the whole team. To prepare for the theme of the event, the team worked on both technique and team movements. “(The team has) been practicing picking up the gears and delivering them, and having someone pick them up
and put them where they need to be,” Pansare said. Junior Christopher Fong helped the female team in their meetings by providing support and plans on how to better operate the robot. “We’ve been meeting on Thursdays and Saturdays to prep for the girls drive team to practice setting up the robot, talk about strategies and how a robot operates, how it functions,” he said. Bridges is the team’s safety captain, and she thinks the team is well-prepared for the event because of the practices they’ve been holding. She said the team has enhanced their safety committee and has a strengthened leadership, alongside a greater understanding of the events. Since prior competitions, they have also changed how they prepare for the season and how they setup the robot, between the designing
and planning processes. Bridges also said the team has been better prepared for competitions than previous years. “I believe that we have a stronger safety committee. We have stronger captains on the team” Bridges said. “At competitions, I help set up, I make sure everyone has safety glasses. I give safety presentations to the peer administrators.” Pansare noticed the progress the team has made since her first year. She said that by receiving multiple awards for safety and spirit and reaching state finals last year, the team realized they could perform well in other aspects, besides the robot portion. According to Fong, the team demographics have changed, too. The amount of female members has increased from around 15 percent last
year to 30 percent this year. “This year, we have really been trying to push more girls to be involved in a STEM-related activity—more specifically, the Gearheads robotics team,” Fong said. “We’ve been trying to push that out.” Even with these advancements and their boost in morale from making it to state finals last year, Pansare said the team can still better themselves. However, the team’s progress is noteworthy nonetheless. “We’ve definitely improved, not just with our robot, I think our team in general in terms of its organizational structure and the communication,” Pansare said. “I’ve seen an improvement.'
Contributing: Arzoo Chhaya, Nadia Fama
Open house offers families school tours Pierce said that the goal of the open house is to invite the community to see what goes on at North. “It's an opportunity for students who have not previously been at North to visit and to talk to teachers and students and tour the facility,” Pierce said. “It’s also an opportunity for students who are new to district or families who are new to the district to families who have previously sent their students to parochial private schools and are considering whether or not to send their kids to our district.” Pierce said that her favorite part of the entire open house is seeing the families and students after they have taken a tour of North. CHEMISTRY CLUB PUTTING ON A SHOW | Senior Michal Ruprecht and alumus Ben Swilinski perform a science experiment at last year's open house. “That's the best part because (the tour guides) By Katelynn Mulder and sports and activities and a will also have a chance to see are giving them the bird’sPAGE EDITOR bigger variety of stuff.” the gym and the art facilities, eye view of what goes on With the latest open house etcetera that we have in the here and (the families) are Last year freshman Lucy having occurred last Sunday building. And again it is just a usually animated and excited Tranchida was deciding on Nov. 12, the building really nice chance to open up to tour. To me that is kind of between going to Regina High was once again was open for the building to the public. And my favorite part, seeing the School or North. Tranchida students and families in the maybe it is just a family who families come back after the said that the opening house community to come and take has not been in thes school for tour,” Pierce said. “And also held by North was a big a look at North. several years and just want to seeing those students who influence on her final decision. One aspect of the open see what's new.” “I was looking for a school house is a tour lead by students Science teacher Susan Speirs might be a little tentative with many opportunities, and in the National Honor Society. has been participating in the or nervous about coming. I was on the bridge of going to NHS advisor and counselor open house since the district You know their parents are Regina and North. Regina felt Milissa Pierce said that she first started the event. On the making them go on this tour isolated to me, and not a lot of has helped with the open tour, visitors will be taken to or whatever, and sometimes the students just feel very activities and opportunities,” house in the past. her classroom SCI-102. Tranchida said. “There were “We have NHS students “I love to meet the families, excited and happy when they way more kids at North, who are doing tours and they be part of the dialogue with come back from the tour.” and more friends you could will visit all the big main parts families and potential students make and people you know. of the building—Innovation about selecting a school, and Everyone is close by and Lab, the science wing, they watch our North students shine knows each other, and there will see our media center, the in their leadership roles as tour was way more opportunities library,” Pierce said. “They guides,” Speirs said via email.
EDITORIAL
NORTH
North Pointe – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 – 3
POINTE Don't let opinions become fake news
“Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.” BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY Abbey Cadieux EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Lindsey Ramsdell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Caitlin Bush MANAGING EDITOR
Alex Harring MANAGING EDITOR
Anna Post EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Michal Ruprecht EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Allison Lackner Sonny Mulpuri BUSINESS MANAGER WEB MANAGING EDITOR
Sofia Ketels PAGE EDITOR
Zoe Graves Syeda Rizvi PAGE EDITOR PAGE EDITOR Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above. Members who have a conflict of interest with an editorial topic do not partake in that meeting or vote.
ALLISON LACKNER
As a journalist MY TURN and just as a human AMBER being, the truth is BRAKER something I hold sacred. That is not an exaggeration. I believe honesty is the most valuable and honorable quality a person can possess. When writing a potentially controversial story, I go out of my way to present only the facts. I check and re-check that my bias doesn’t impede my ultimate goal: to tell the truth. This is something I’m proud of because in today’s world, most professional media outlets unapologetically express biased opinions. They brandish ironic slogans like “The Most Trusted Name In News” and “Most Watched, Most Trusted,” knowing full well that public confidence in the media is fading. According to a Gallup survey, people who said they have “a great deal” or “fair amount of” trust in mass media dropped 12 percent from 2015 to 2016, a span of just one year. This is a direct result of major news organizations blurring the lines between fact and opinion. When people can no longer tell if a story is driven by fact, credibility is lost. This loss of credibility is severely detrimental to the future of both the media industry and the United States as a whole. If citizens can no longer rely on the relative objectivity of the media, who do we turn to for factual information? I’m disheartened by the corrosion of factuality in modern journalism. However, I have trouble blaming it wholly on the media. I can’t help but hold the consumers — myself included — accountable for our part in all this. As cynical as it may sound, news organizations are businesses first. Their primary motivation is making money. If they sensed bias and the resulting fall from grace was diminishing profit, they would try to eliminate opinion from their reporting. But that's not what we consumers want. For most people, more intense than the desire for truth is the need to have their beliefs confirmed. It's not that they can't distinguish between fact and opinion,
it's that they choose to ignore it. And that’s easier to do when their source of information follows suit. The media confirms their consumers’ beliefs. And consumers, feeling validated, continue to support their sources while dismissing others as “fake news.” This feedback loop’s effects are not minor. It has serious consequences that are becoming more apparent. Fact: The Earth’s average temperature is rising, and humans are partially responsible. According to Forbes, at least 80 percent of the scientific community agrees with this assertion. However, the impact humans have on climate change is still seen as a topic of debate akin to tax reform. Admittedly, the Earth’s climate does go through cycles. However, humans have also contributed to its warming. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing yearly, and by the time we finish debating whether man-made climate change exists, it will have already caused irreversible damage. Fact: Voter fraud was not responsible for Donald Trump’s losing the popular vote. Voter fraud happens at a rate of 0.0000044 percent in the U.S. It’s a difficult crime to pull off, and the risks far outway the rewards. At the federal level, voter fraud carries a sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine per fraudulent ballot cast. And yet, Trump still insists on wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars on investigating this non-issue. Fact: Vaccinations don’t cause childhood autism. The only scholarly article to make this claim was discredited after no other research team could reproduce its data. The journal that published the study has since rescinded it. Yet, it’s still referenced as one of the major arguments against vaccinating children. Meanwhile, this year alone, North America experienced 6,053 cases of vaccine- preventable diseases and zero cases of autism caused by vaccinations. Each of these are examples of the truth being ignored in favor of opinion. Their media coverage is a symptom, not a source of public perception. And those of us who promote these falsehoods and ideas like them must be reminded: We don’t live in a “post-fact world.” The truth isn’t subjective. And your opinions aren’t gospel.
OUR EDITORIAL
Pick up the red pen The last week of the quarter and the following school days before grades are finalized is always a stressful time for students and teachers. Students are left wondering what their overall grade is going to be, while teachers scramble to get all the assignments graded and in Pinnacle by the day grades are due. The problem is multi-faceted. Some students have the habit of turning in late work. Teachers may still be grading assignments the majority of the students turned in weeks ago. When teachers have a fixed curriculum that needs to be met by the end of the quarter, it often means the last week is more packed than usual. Heavily weighed projects and tests tend to fall during that time. Teachers typically do this since there is no midterm after the first quarter. However, students are then assessed on it again at midterm. The amount of work that last week of the quarter can be overwhelming for both teachers and students. Another problem caused by such a tightly scheduled curriculum is that teachers aren’t able to have assignments graded and in Pinnacle until the very end of the grading period. Ideally, all grades would be recorded by the Friday the quarter ends. If the quarter is technically over, students should know their grades. Having grades a few days prior to the due date gives students extra buffer days to talk to teachers about any problems they notice with their grades. But since tests and projects that could make or break a grade are pushed to the last day, students are left questioning what their grade is going to be. This causes them to worry more than necessary about their future GPA. It’s understandable that some assignments will take longer to grade, but if earlier ones aren’t being inputted regularly into Pinnacle throughout the quarter, then the anticipation about grades intensifies. Ideally, teachers should input scores as students turn things in so students aren’t surprised when they see their final grade materialize all at once. This would relieve stress on both student and teacher. Teachers at North are encouraged to use Learning Management Systems and other online resources, but they don’t link to Pinnacle. By eliminating Pinnacle and replacing it with an all-in-one platform that could both assess and enter grades in one place would save teachers time, and students would immediately see their results. We feel that to relieve the pressure on both students and teachers, fixed curricula should be more f lexible near the end of the quarter. Teachers should work to follow the pace of the students. When teachers cram in material, students are less likely to understand it and as a result, they perform poorly on the assessments Some teachers also graciously offer retakes, but assigning tests so close to the end of the quarter makes it more difficult for students to take advantage of them and for the teachers to grade them all on time. Another way to alleviate the stress could be to weight tests and projects that occur at the end of the marking period less heavily than others. This makes these assignments less likely to damage a grade. Students should not feel surprised by their final grade. To avoid this, all the work they do should be graded in that quarter. The last day of the quarter should mark the end of the marking period. We understand that grading is a long and tedious process, but grades are important, and students should not have to be worried all quarter because the assignments they think they turned in are still blank boxes on Pinnacle.
“Social media takes tragedies and sometimes makes them biased, and in some cases that can make viewers mad or feel a certain way toward the situation.” Aniya Rivers-Fleming FRESHMAN
“People tend to take a tragedy more seriously when you see it on social media. They aren't going to take a tragedy as serious when you come up to them and tell them about it.” Shantae Mack
“Social media can make people upset seeing tragedies on sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat... it could also hurt you, giving you a reminder of things that could've happened to you." Mackenzie Martin-Turner
SOPHOMORE
JUNIOR
YOUR TURN: How has social media affected how we view tragedies?
By Audrey Boles
“I feel like social media amplifies the feelings that are already there, and in some cases twists it and politicizes it, when sometimes that's not a good thing."
“It’s enabled people to connect on a much larger scale than before in the wake of horrific events. On the other hand, sometimes that connection almost feels superficial.”
“I think that it makes people understand that we need to do more about the problems that we have.”
Tyler Foster
Charles Crimando
Michael Spears
SENIOR
ENGLISH TEACHER
SPANISH TEACHER
NORTH
POINTE
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Abbey Cadieux, Lindsey Ramsdell MANAGING EDITORS: Caitlin Bush, Alex Harring EDITORS-AT-LARGE: Anna Post, Michal Ruprecht BUSINESS MANAGER: Allison Lackner WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR: Sonny Mulpuri WEBSITE EDITORS: Erin Kaled, Billy Steigelman PAGE EDITORS: Elizabeth Ballinger, Amber Braker, Zoe Graves, Sofia Ketels, Katelynn Mulder, Syeda Rizvi, Katie Thomas PHOTOGRAPHERS: Marina Gabriel, Katie Link, Rachel Malinowski, Alyssa McLarty, Lauren Sexton STAFF REPORTERS: Rory Angott, Nick Asimakis, Arzoo Chhaya, Michael Hartt, Sophie Kehrig, Mariah Loper, Brooklyn McWhorter, Adam Schwartz, Benjamin Uram, Emily Widgren, Hannah Zalewski INTERNS: Amelia Abraham, JoAnna Alexander, Aundrianna Boles, Brittni Braswell, Savannah Burguron, Maggie Carron, Jordan Craighead, Morgan Cribbs, Nadia Fama, Colin Haroutunian, Donald Hightower, Raven Jason, Cheryl Knorp, Emily McCloskey, Taylor Mitchell, Abi Murray, Amelia Nowicki, Preston Rossignol, Katlyn Rood-Ballard, Amelia
Schock, Sydney Semack, Sarah Shanley, Jonathan Smith, Cairington Stahl, Deanna Stuckey, Cordy Wettstein The North Pointe is edited and produced by journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Readers are encouraged to write letters to the editor. Letters are edited only for length and are screened for libel and obscenity. We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online. The North Pointe is printed on 100 percent recycled paper. CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Email: gpnnorthpointe@gmail.com Phone: 313.432.3248 Twitter: @TheNorthPointe Website: northpointenow.org FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE
EDITOR'S DESK ANNA POST
Back to the basics Houston Astros’ Yuli Gurriel steps into the batter's box during one of the first World Series matchups against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He reeks of confidence and obnoxiously chews his wad of tobacco as he sulks in the glory of his exceptional .340 batting average. But after hitting a home run off Dodgers’ pitcher Yu Darvish, his homer celebration wasn’t as admirable as his numbers in the statbook — but one that exemplified immaturity and complete arrogance. As Gurriel trots back into the dugout, he sits down and pulls his eyelids back with his fingers saying “chinto,” which means “little Chinese boy” in Spanish. The racial gesture earned him a five-game suspension, or a timeout if you will, which he gets to serve next season without pay. Because you know, permitting such behavior now and then suspending him a season later will definitely teach him a lesson. At that point, what's the purpose of a suspension? Officials can’t just acknowledge an athlete’s wrongdoings then punish them months after all of this backlash settles. Unless, they are trying to spare one of their top-notch players from a World Series championship team from becoming the center of more racial or political turmoil. I cannot help but to compare professional sports to a kindergarten classroom. The players are temperamental brats who stage a childish mutiny whenever they don’t get their way, and professional sports associations are permissive parents to such juvenile behavior. It’s pathetic. However, the problem isn’t only fueled by athlete's behavior, but by the sports associations that choose to allow all the nonsense to happen. These leagues choose to turn a blind eye on poor sportsmanship and conduct rather than putting their parenting skills to good use. Instead, they hold their athletes' hands through all of the backlash — not even realizing that the spurts of ignorance coming out of their players’ mouths are damaging. Athletes are supposed to act as positive role models that exemplify strong sportsmanship, not fuel the raging fire by adding foolish behavior to the mix. Ongoing negativity and a lack of professionalism is causing the public to shy away from America’s pastime. In response to such backlash, fans are left dissatisfied. Instead of cheering on their beloved sports teams and proudly wearing the jersey of their idolized athlete on their backs, fans torment athletes like Gurriel whenever they step into the batters box. In addition to the Gurriel and Darvish controversy, Red Sox fans were ejected from Fenway Park on Sept. 14 after unveiling an antiracism banner saying “Racism is as American as baseball” over the Green Monster. Stadium security immediately responded to the vulgar message waving high in left field. The message the fans were trying to send may have been harsh, but it exemplifies just how furious the public has become. A sport that has fostered a warm and positive environment for centuries is now charged by racial disputes. Sports have never been so divided. Nobody ever wants their children to insult another individual's race or cultural background. Since when were professional athletes the exception? It’s as if we’ve forgotten the set of classroom norms that were engraved into our heads as children. Behind all of those corny classroom norms, catchy clean-up songs and afternoon naps lies meaning. Gurriel and other professional athletes need to go back to square one: Keep your hands to yourself and treat others the way you want to be treated.
ON CAMPUS
North Pointe - Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 – 4
Making the rounds
Students walk through MI Roundtable Housing Exhibit on Detroit's racial history Monday, Nov. 6 through Friday, Nov. 10 in the PAC By Deanna Stuckey INTERN
FACES IN THE CROWD Max Driscoll
For junior Max Driscoll, shopping and business go hand in hand. He said he would like to expand his love for shopping into a career in the future. “I really enjoy being able to express myself through clothing,” Driscoll said. Driscoll said he plans to become a buyer for a major department store because he has an eye for trends. “I really am proud of my ability to look at something and know if it’s going to be in style or not, and then invest in a really, really cool jacket or a pair of shoes,” Driscoll said. He said he has met buyers and hopes to get an internship next summer. “I really like it because it couples business ... with, clothing and not only that. You get to travel a lot,” he said. “In a perfect world, I think that would be really fun.”
Laila Logan
JALA DANIELS
WALK AROUND | A few panels featured at the exhibit. “The whole exhibit is about race and culture, discrimination in the city of Detroit, or in the surrounding area through time. The display doesn’t actually go chronologically,” history teacher Terri Steimer said. ASHLEY SEXTON
JALA DANIELS
Sophomore Laila Logan says going to states for track wasn’t as easy as she thought. Logan ran track for Parcells Middle School and continued the sport here at North. Not only is track an extracurricular for her, but a passion. Despite injuring her hamstring during a race, Logan was resolute on running at states. She runs the 4x400 sprint race—consisting of four key teammates who all run 100 meters creating one aggregate lap around the track. Although Logan’s relay team did not win states, she said it only increased her drive for the upcoming season. “I will work twice as hard to try to get back to states again with my relay team,” she said. Logan and her 4x4 teammates have a unique bond. “We have to install a kind of trust with each other and know how each of us work so we know how to work together.”
Tyler Peters
ASHLEY SEXTON
ASHLEY SEXTON
ASHLEY SEXTON
STUDY SESSIONS | A group of sophomores from Steimer's class take notes about the exhibit. “It's about the 20th century race and culture conflicts in the city of Detroit, especially when it had predominantly white population which diminishes over time," Steimer said. "But it's about civil rights, it's about segregating Detroit by community, by racial minorities.”
ATTENTION TO DETAIL | Junior Evie Mortous examines a pitcure. Many different classes went to look at the Roundtable, with subjects ranging from English to history. “It deals with (housing inequalities) on a racial and economic level. It also deals with it culturally, in terms of the different groups that existed in the city of Detroit and how housing and access and equality sort of impacted individual groups,” English teacher Geoffrey Young said. “So whether they be Jewish people,or Latino population from groups like that and the impact of different laws that happened or even court cases that impacted the way housing occurred for people.”
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Librarian Christine Brash By Erin Kaled WEB MANAGING EDITOR
CHRISTINE BRASH
ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE | Long-term librarian substitute Christine Brash looks over at the camera as she swims near a large sea turtle. Adventure is something Brash has never shied away from. “(This photo is) from the Philippines and was in Bohol," she said. "I was able to become certified for deep diving and dove about 40 different sites in the Philippines.”
Long-term librarian substitute Christine Brash had a lengthy journey before ending up at North. During her time at the University of Michigan, Brash was an international studies student and had an urge to travel. “I went on semester at sea that really sparked my interest for the international community,” Brash said. “It was a study abroad program. It went to 10 countries in 66 days. We went through the Mediterranean, like Morocco, all the way to Turkey, Malta, Greece, France, Italy and Portugal.” On a friend’s recommendation, Brash traveled to Seoul, South Korea and taught English there. Employees lived in individual apartments on a seperate campus for teachers. “It was the cheapest startup cost,” Brash said. “You can actually Skype for an interview with a school, and they pay for you (to come).” Brash taught students who hoped to attend college in the United States. She also educated adults for business careers or who
just wanted to travel. Brash also taught in a Hagwon school for younger students needing extra help with English. “Hagwon is an after-school program for kids between the ages of 5 and 14 years old,” Brash said. “They would either come in the morning before school or after school from 3:30 to 6:30 (p.m.).” After teaching for a year in Korea, Brash traveled to Asia and backpacked for six months. Although she got many comments about traveling alone as a female in a different country, Brash said she felt safe. She recommends choosing cities carefully or traveling with a group of friends. “I loved visiting schools,” Brash said. “A lot of schools had a ton of interesting programs because they don’t have the technology.” Brash was amazed by the different cities she visited and was interested to see how different cultures lived. She said that Asia was always a big dream of hers to travel to. “I wanted to travel more,” Brash said. “Traveling on my own as a female and as a solo travelist was interesting and a lot of fun.”
Junior Tyler Peters may enjoy watching television at home and going on his phone, but what he enjoys the most is driving around in his car. “I just got my license over the summer, and it’s so much freedom,” Peters said. The ability to go where he wants when he wants is something lots of kids dream about. Another reason Peters enjoys driving his car is because he can be around his friends and hang out with them. What he usually does is take them out to eat. “(We) usually (go) like out to lunch,” Peters said. As Peters is the only one with a license, this makes him responsible for driving his friends places. This is not a problem, however, as he takes pleasure in driving. “I’m kinda like the chauffeur, I guess,” Peters said. “I pick them up from their house, and we usually like to go out once a week-ish.”
By Adam Schwartz, Morgan Cribbs & Cordy Wettstein
WHAT COLLEGE DID YOU ATTEND
I was going to go to Albion to play tennis, but then my backup college was Michigan State. I did two years at MSU and two years at Michigan. I’m a Michigan fan, but I decided Albion was a very small college, and I wanted more of a university experience, so I only applied to Albion and Michigan State. It was the best of both worlds.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS
I had a lot of pets growing up. I had a turtle, catfish, salamanders, lizards, dogs, birds. We have a huge macaw at my house. But right now, I don’t have any dogs or cats.
FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAM Universit y of Michigan. I don’t really follow the NFL . I don’t watch the Lions, maybe the Super Bowl. Totally into college spor ts.
FAVORITE MOVIE “Jura s s ic Pa rk .” At a ver y young age, I t hink I watc hed i t w i t h my dad , a nd I wa nted to be a dino s aur for H a lloween , a nd I got rea ll y into i t a nd I loved i t .
LIFE
North Pointe – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 – 5
MAKING MOV(I)ES: Junior jumpstarts film career at summer institute THE MOTION PICTURE INSTITUTE PROGRAM
STAFF REPORTER & INTERNS
Junior Andrew Justice is already making a name for himself in the film industry. Over the summer, he participated in The Motion Picture Institute Program, during which he directed his own movie. His nineminute film premiered at a movie theater in Clarkston this past October. Justice has been involved in making movies for as long as he can remember. He has previous experience from directing amature films made with childhood friends. But this camp allowed him to get his first hands-on feel of what being a professional director behind the camera is like. “The first one was probably like in fifth grade,” he said. “I just did one with friends after school and stuff like that. It turned out terrible but it was technically the first one I’ve ever directed.” His film, “Scarlet’s Chop House,” follows two detectives in search for a lost cookbook and quickly become wrapped up in a murder mystery. He was inspired by Noir films made in the 1940s and directors like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg
and Edgar Wright. Justice was thrilled wanted everything to look (like) at specific when he got the opportunity to direct a lines, where we wanted the camera to be and in what way we wanted it to be looking movie himself. “We were all just kind of throwing ideas at the characters,” Dagle said. “Once we got it to actually out there,” Justice filming the scene, said. “I decided I we had to explain really wanted to do to the cameraman a detective film and exactly what path I (had) just watched they had to follow ‘Sin City’ the night with the camera and before so I wanted how to hold it, and to make it black and we explained to the white.” actors kind of where Caleb Dagle, they should be at every Justice’s friend, was moment (to) make another student at sure that everything the camp. Along fit together and went with co-directing smoothly.” the movie, Dagle TV Production was able to assist teacher Brian Justice with behindthe-scenes aspects Stackpoole has had a of the film. He significant influence Brian Stackpoole TV PRODUCTION TEACHER also helped Justice on Justice’s directing brainstorm ideas for ability. Stackpoole how they wanted to execute the film. has worked closely with Justice since the “Once we got the script, the two of us beginning of his high school career and has be went over to where we knew the set was able to help advance his filmmaking abilities. Stackpoole said he is proud of how Justice and we kind of just went over what we
“
Try it now, find out what you like now, so you’ll at least have a starting point to find out what else you want to do with your life.
“
By Hannah Zalewski, Charlie Bernas, & Jordan Craighead
has grown over the past few years. “One thing that I like about Andrew is how much he really wants to study and understand film,” Stackpoole said. “He’s very interested in that medium and he wants to know more, and the most important thing is that you learn by doing it. He’s making more and more things and just always refining his craft.” Justice now does many things for the Norsemen News team, including making intros, editing and anchoring on the announcements. These skills have allowed Justice to step out of his comfort zone and develop towards his full potential. “I really like seeing Andrew on screen. I like seeing Andrew do more than you think (he is) capable of,” Stackpoole said. “A lot of people don’t see him as somebody on the announcements, because he’s this quiet kid who doesn’t talk very much. He puts himself out there and it’s just great to see.” Stackpoole encourages other students to be like Justice and take the steps necessary in order to successfully pursue their passion. “If you’re not making something now what are you waiting for,” Stackpoole said.
The perks of being bilingual By Anna Post & Michal Ruprecht EDITORS-AT-L ARGE
Senior Elizabeth Abel’s household isn’t traditional. Abel comes from a culturally diverse family. Her father, an American, is trilingual, and her mother speaks her native language, Spanish. Although Spanish was Abel’s first language, she speaks both English and Spanish. Abel feels that being bilingual has allowed her to benefit from both cultures. She said her house serves as a cultural melting pot. “It’s definitely allowed me to see different perspectives and especially with what’s going on today with the election and stuff,” Abel said. “Knowing that there’s people that go through different things, so it allows me to see multiple perspectives.” Junior Diana García also comes from a multicultural background. She is originally from Mexico and spoke Spanish before moving to the U.S. four years ago. García’s said her strong Spanish roots allow her to understand more cultures and languages. “It’s just nice to have something to talk about and when you say, ‘I’m bilingual,’ it’s a conversation starter,” García said. “I think it’s something that unites a person with another person. You feel like you have a connection. Something in common.” According to www.psychologytoday. com, some regions of bilingual brains are more active when performing linguistic tasks compared to monolingual ones. García has also seen advantages in her academic career. She said she has been able to learn other languages, like German, more easily. Abel has seen the effects, too. She said being bilingual has allowed her to connect with others and is also an asset when applying to college. Both García and Abel hope to become trilingual by picking up German and French, respectively.
“It’s nice because (other bilinguals and I) have that same connection, so usually we can become friends because we have that mutual knowledge and we can speak in two languages, which is fun,” Abel said. “It helps me meet more people. It connects me to other people who speak similar languages. It definitely helps me with colleges and
stuff, so that’s a cool thing.” In addition to its cultural benefits, being bilingual is also helpful in job seeking. According to the Department of Labor, about 25,000 jobs are expected to open up between 2010 and 2020. About 12,000, or 48 percent of those jobs will require a knowledge of a second language. The
demand for multilingual individuals has increased. García and Spanish teacher Tamara Shepard agree that language skills are valuable in the labor market. Shepard, who is trilingual, said knowing a second language could help students gain a competitive edge in job hunting. Even if one’s goal when learning a new language isn’t to get a job, Shepard said immersing oneself in another language is always positive. She said the perks are even more broad than communication and onthe-job skills, and that learning another language benefits a student in all aspects of their lives. “It opens up your eyes to brand new cultures you may have not investigated before,” Shepard said. “I think a lot of folks when they’re learning a second language realize things about English that they didn’t know before, and it offers up a way of broadening your horizons. When you study the language and learn the culture, you’re thinking about things in different perspectives.” García has experienced this change in perspective first-hand through learning English—it has taught her to be more sympathetic towards others. “I feel like I don’t judge people if they have an accent. I praise them because I’m like, ‘Wow they already know another language, and they’re learning English and I was there too,’” she said. “I think I used to have a thicker accent and it’s like, ‘I know what you’re (going) through.’”
ANNA POST
Contributing: Preston Rossignol & Abi Murray
REVIEWS
6 – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 – North Pointe
NEW SEASON OF 'STRANGER THINGS' IS WORTH THE HYPE By Zoe Graves PAGE EDITOR
Four hundred and sixty-nine days after the release of the first season, fans were welcomed back to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana with the much anticipated second season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” The initial success of the first season left viewers hungry for the follow-up. With the freshman season boasting a 95 percent fresh rating on www.RottenTomatoes.com, there were high expectations for season two. The critically acclaimed show had already been nominated for 78 awards—including two Golden Globes—and walked away with 21 of them. It’s safe to say that once the second season was released, it would be under a microscope by fans and critics alike. It’s also safe to say that season two was a smash hit. Picking up a year after season one left off, it doesn’t seem like much has changed. None of the boys have talked to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). Joyce (Winona Ryder) is micromanaging Will’s (Noah Schnapp) life now that he’s back from the Upside Down. Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) is still an
outcast. Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Steve (Joe Keery) are still dating. One of the biggest changes from the first season was the development in the original characters, most notably Steve and Mike. Steve, who was previously nothing more than a popular jock who had a crush on Nancy, went from the king of Hawkins High School to a soccer mom with five children in the span of a few episodes. After being reeled into helping Dustin kill his pet from the Upside Down, he began helping the kids out of the goodness of his heart. Then there was Mike. As much as he is an important part of the show, his scenes are almost painful to watch. He went from an optimistic kid in season one to a slightly annoying, moody child in season two. His last year has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but did that really give him an excuse to lash out at his friends or give Max the cold shoulder because he felt like she was trying to replace Eleven? As annoying as Mike can be, his mood is what draws in teenagers and adults alike. Unlike most shows where all the kids are happy and carefree with no problems, Mike is acting like a child. He’s gone through more in one year than most kids will ever have to go
through in a lifetime and is actually dealing with it in a way that makes sense—he’s being obnoxious. Another big change from the first season was that Matt and Ross Duffer, the show’s creators, brought in more outside help to put season two together. In season one, the only person with a directing credit besides the Duffer brothers was one of the executive producers, Shawn Levy, best known for his work on the “Night at the Museum” series and “The Internship.” Levy also directed two episodes of season two. Andrew Stanton and Rebecca Thomas were the other directors brought in for the second season. Stanton, who has worked as both a director and executive producer on countless Pixar films, such as “Wall-E,” “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory,” directed two episodes of season two—“Chapter Five: Dig Dug” and “Chapter Six: The Spy.” Thomas is lesser known than Levy and Stanton. With only a few directing credits under her belt, she directed “Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister,” which is where Eleven meets Kali,
another escapee of Hawkins Lab. A show like “Stranger Things,” something dark and mysterious, is unlike the majority of shows and movies Levy and Stanton have worked on in the past, but the episodes they directed are hardly different than those done by the Duffers. Overall, the second season of “Stranger Things” was a success. It continued the storyline that kept people glued to their screens and brought back all the characters that people loved. The third season isn’t likely to come out until 2019, but will definitely be worth the wait.
"Stranger Things" (2017) TV-14
"Glasshouse" (2017) iTunes, $11.99 NETFLIX
BOOK
THE SUN AND HER FLOWERS Trends such as the scrunchie, floral patterns, neon accents and rainbows of mustard yellow and millennial pink have made a comeback to form the aesthetic of the 21st century. The artsy, BARNES & NOBLE Tumblr style has painted itself on fashion, photography, art and literature, and the latest addition is Rupi Kaur’s “The Sun and Her Flowers.” Her second collection of poems explores the hardships of healing and growth, and Kaur’s artistic twist makes it all the more unique. With page upon page of simple, yet magnificently written poetry, it allows the reader to overthink and expand the imagination in order to comprehend what’s on the page. The five sections of the collection: Wilting, Falling, Rooting, Rising and Blooming each explain a different aspect of recovery from different points of view. Throughout the pieces, Kaur dives into topics such as heartbreak, rape, objectification of young girls, immigration and the complications of love, all the while forcing the reader to think about the intricacies of living. However, the simplicity in her writing style takes off some of the potential edge that could exist within the cover. Adding to the actual written portion are her modern doodles, which bring the words on the pages to life and gives the narrator a voice. From a literary standpoint, her use of metaphors adds to the smooth complexion of the book. By using intricate details accompanied by her expressive art style, Kaur gives the reader a deep understanding of what’s happening in each piece. The beauty of the book is the youth appeal. Today, society is dealing with said issues and begging for peace among worlds, and what Kaur discusses in the book is exactly what modern day society is looking for. This is a collection that readers across the globe can find something to relate to, regardless of what they have been through. Because of its universal appeal, this is a recommended read for anyone, especially those who love stories with depth. "The Sun and Her Flowers;" 2017; By Rupi Kaur. By Amelia Nowicki
MOVIE
THOR: RAGNORAK Marvel Studios most recent film “Thor: Ragnarok,” the third movie of the Thor trilogy, was a thrilling addition to an already widely hailed series. It starts with yet IMDB another family secret, uncovered by Odin about how Asgard, the movie’s fictional realm, was created. This leaves protagonists Thor and Loki to make a difficult decision. “Ragnarok” was full of action, but throughout the movie viewers might find themselves laughing a little bit more than they expected. The humor was timed perfectly in each scene and made the movie stand out against its predecessors. This installation is mainly about Thor on his adventure back to Asgard from the lost planet. New characters were introduced, and with them secrets got out. One of the most shocking parts of the film early on was that Thor’s hammer was destroyed. He has to focus in on his inner power to stay strong, protect his home and the people who are in it. A great aspect of the movie is the special effects, especially when Thor and Hela fought each other, it was great scenery. This movie is different from the rest because of the change in settings throughout the movie. At multiple points, Thor was stranded on different and unique planets. The settings of each helped keep viewers interested because of their futuristic, traditional and mythical designs. Academy Award-winning director Taika Waititi hit his goal of making over $100 million on the day it was released in theaters. With a new director came a new energy into the story. In addition to this, all the new characters were welcomed from other Marvel series. Keeping with this new energy, the director was sure to keep some of the traditional fighting techniques that were so distinct to Thor. “Thor: Ragnarok’s” score consisted of different types of music, which gave the movie a medieval feel. The score was constructed and led by Mark Mothersbaugh and features the London Voices. The movie is definitely made for a teenage audience. Most of the humor and plot requires viewers to have first seen the original “Thor” and its sequel, “Thor: The Dark World.” After watching, viewers will have one question in mind: Will Asgard ever return? Thor: Ragnorak; 2017; PG-13 By Donald Hightower
ALBUM
TV SHOW
ARROW
IMDB
Entering its sixth season, “Arrow” takes parts of the same formula that has made the show so successful in the past while adding new, more internal conflicts which lead the
show down a new path. This season tracks the usual characters in their journey to protect Star City, but now Team Arrow must fight through mental adversity than criminals in the streets. This leads to all of the team members having to make decisions that affect the future of the team, including Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) stepping down as the Green Arrow to take care of his new son and trusting his righthand man, John Diggle (David Ramsey), to take up his spot. A vital part of the storyline in the past five seasons has been flashbacks allowing the viewers to see the five-year journey Oliver went through while the world thought he was dead. These flashbacks were able to show the connection to the past and the present to illustrate why Oliver made the choices that he did, while also making a tie back into the main villain in past seasons. Now that the flashbacks are over, the show has more time to focus on the main plot. While the loss of a key point of the show easily could have been resulted in wasting time on more of the boring plot points, it instead uses most of the time showing the unsteady relationship Oliver has with his son, a key part in his choices he makes. The strength that has separated “Arrow” from other superhero shows is its impressive slate of villains. Each year, Oliver is met with an opponent that can match him physically. This year however, they went with a villain that uses his brains and technology to outmatch Team Arrow. While it is nice to see the writers depart from the formula, when viewers watch a show like this, they want to see action, not battles of intellect and who the better hacker is. While this is a minor issue, it is one that that will affect not just one episode, but the entire season. Despite this problem, “Arrow” adds more to each character to develop a more thorough plot and keep up the momentum the series has had from past seasons. “Arrow”; The CW; TV-14 By Billy Steigelman
JUST THE BEGINNING She took the world by storm. Last September, 13-year-old Grace Vanderwaal won America's Got Talent. Va n d e r w a a l released her first full-length album ITUNES Nov. 3. “Just The Beginning” is exactly what it says—the beginning of a new era. After the release of her debut album, "Perfectly Imperfect," in 2016, Vanderwaal established herself as a significant incoming force in music. With “Just The Beginning,” the young singer proves exactly why she deserves to have a place in the industry. The album talks about the struggle of self discovery and growing up. “Sick of Being Told” is an anthem to young adults and people who feel like they aren’t in charge of themselves or their actions. The song talks about the fact that people know that Vanderwaal is a very strong capable person, but never gets the opportunity to try anything. Walking in the footsteps of singers such as Taylor Swift and BLANK, Grace Vanderwaal certainly earns her spot in the pop music industry with “Just the Beginning.” Each song is embedded with inviting warmth and storytelling that immediately makes listeners feel as though they’ve known Vanderwaal forever. Vanderwaal knows the pain and sorrow of dealing with mental health issues and knows that she isn’t alone in her struggle, but it is so easy to feel alone in the world today. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, nearly one-fifth of adults in the U.S. deal with mental illness, so she wrote the song “Moonlight” to remind people that they are not alone. Vanderwaal has been very open about her anxiety, and lyrics from “So Much Than This” serve as a battle cry against anxiety. In a time where mental health has come to the forefront of conversation, this album is necessary. By expressing her own struggles, Vanderwaal has used her platform to inspire other young people to open up about their own experiences. Overall, the album has a main topic of mental health, a bold move for someone so young. Vanderwaal is only thirteen and is doing things some adults wouldn’t even dare to do, and she is promoting what she believes in through her music. "Just the Beginning"; 2017; $10.99 By Raven Jason
NUMB
By Lindsey Ramsdell, Abbey Cadieux & Michael Hartt EDITORS-IN-CHIEF & STAFF REPORTER
Every day, senior Kitty Clark open Twitter on her iPhone and scrolls. Like other students, by now it’s practically muscle memory for Clark. On Aug. 13, headlines flashed news of a white nationalist rally in Virginia that turned violent. One dead, 19 injured. On Oct. 1, reports of a deadly shooting in Las Vegas circulated. Fifty-nine dead, 241 reported injured. Fast-forward to the end of the month. On Oct. 31, a man in New York drives a rented truck through a crowd, killing eight. And on Nov. 5, 26 were killed in a rural Texas church. In the wake of a series of traumatic events, a psychological effect known as desensitization can occur. This effect states that the more people are exposed to violence, whether first-hand or through media, the less it impacts them emotionally and the reaction it produces in them is less potent. “People don’t want to face the evils of the world. It’s easier to put it in the back of your mind instead of understanding the extremity of the situation,” Clark said. “Less and less people watch the news because ‘they don’t like how negative it is,’ but that’s our world right now.” According to the American Psychology Association, continual exposure to media violence can alter the way trauma is
IN-DEPTH
North Pointe – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 – 7
Increased exposure to media violence can lead to desensitizing effects on consumers
perceived. In some cases, it lowers the amount of anxious arousal that is expected from viewing violent images. However, psychology teacher Jennifer Weisbrodt says that everyone interprets tragedy in different ways. “(After a crisis) not everyone needs therapy or counseling or help, and by actually offering it to kids that don’t need it you can do more harm than good,” Weisbrodt said. “I don’t know that just by seeing (violent events) we’re causing damage necessarily. I think part of it can be a lesson on how to deal with it.” Yet, research conducted by psychologists L. Rowell Huesmann and Leonard Eron in the 1980s found that the effects of media violence are more harmful to children. In their study, children who watched many hours of violence on television when they were in elementary school tended to show higher levels of aggressive behavior when they became teenagers. However, not all violent media comes from watching the news. The effect of graphic videogames on children’s development has also been a concern of p s yc h o l o g i s t s and parents in the past d e c a d e .
Research conducted by psychologist Craig Anderson in 2010 concluded that there is a correlation between exposure to violent videogames and increased risk factor for aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition and for decreased empathy and prosocial behavior. In addition to increased levels of aggression, children may become more fearful of the world around them. Weisbrodt worries about this consequence with her own children. “My 10-year-old will watch the news with me and I can tell it really bothers him, and he’ll have lots of questions, and there are days when we just turn it off because he doesn’t need all that information,” Weisbrodt said. “We have this idea that because it’s there that everyone should have access to it, and I don’t know if that’s the case. You (need) the skills to deal with all that information, too, and that takes maturity and it doesn’t happen instantaneously.” Between Anderson’s studies and the work of Huesmann and Eron, both agree that the effects of violent media can lead to less sensitivity to the pain and suffering of others, especially when people are aware of it from an early age. Although freshman Lucy
Tranchita feels desensitization is a harmful reaction, she said that it could be confused with people being limited in their ability to respond to a situation. “It’s just a horrible thing knowing people are capable of doing such an act,” she said. “If something bad happens you can’t really do anything about it besides sharing things on social media about how sorry you are. I just think that’s not right.” Although desensitization is often viewed in a negative light, it does have its emotional benefits. It can help people cope with crises, and as a society it enables for more resiliency. Weisbrodt acknowledges that resiliency is necessary. However, she said allowing oneself a period for grieving is also an appropriate response that could help relieve effects of desensitization. Clark has noticed more brutality in the news in recent years, and she has felt the effects of desensitization. She is strongly against this phenomenon, and worries for a desensitized future. “If I would’ve heard of a white nationalist riot in the street a year ago, I would’ve been shocked and disgusted. Today, it’s predictable,” Clark said. “These things happen so often, I’m not shocked anymore. While I’m still disgusted and upset, it’s not as impactful as it once was … we’ve become so numb to our surroundings we stop being surprised that awful things happen. And when we get used to these things, we stop caring.”
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LINDSEY RAMSDELL
MY TURN SOPHIE KEHRIG
Stop silencing news notifications Ping! It’s 7:08 a.m. My cellphone sits face up on my dresser. It illuminates my dark bedroom with soft blue light and rouses me out of a warm, dreamy sleep. I stretch my arm to reach the glowing screen and fumble with it. A little grey rectangle dominates the display with words that shouldn’t make sense grouped together: “Texas gunman’s in-laws frequented church where 26 people were killed” I’m unfazed. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and groggily make my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. This is routine. Every morning there’s something new: “Manhattan truck attack kills 8 in ‘act of terror’” “Puerto Rico in the Dark, Photographer Joseph Rodríguez captures the isolation of a storm-ravaged island” “There’s One Sure Way to Fix the Opioid Crisis” “Another Michigan official to face manslaughter charge in Flint water crisis” “Antibiotic resistance could spell end of modern medicine, says chief medic” I don’t remember when it became normal for so many bad things to happen in such rapid succession. All of a sudden, I’m no longer surprised by the constant crisis streaming out of my newsfeed. Maybe it’s a sign of the times. Maybe it’s technology. Maybe it’s coming of age. I couldn’t tell you. I can tell you it scares me, though. As high school students, we are coming up on adulthood in a time where tragedy
appears to occur at a breakneck pace. The anxiety, as a result, can be pervasive. It seems a common coping mechanism is to ignore the alerts altogether. It’s much easier to look away, to forget. What a wonderful “first world problem” to have: the luxury of pivoting one’s neck and being free from the strife of the world. Maybe that works beautifully at first, but no one is infallible. That method becomes obsolete when the problems spread to you. No one can outrun a hurricane or bring a loved one back to life after an opioid overdose. No one can stop their state government from secretly feeding their pipes polluted water or keep an antibiotic resistant bacteria from infecting them. For some, having little control over such things means that they find futility in keeping up with current events. “There’s nothing we can do anyway.” Except there is. Take for example the Flint Water Crisis. Sure, there’s nothing citizens could have done to keep officials from allowing improperly treated, highly corrosive water into their homes. But, now that the story has been exposed over such a wide range of news media, the people of Flint have received aid and have come closer to the justice they deserve. If everyone were to ignore the news, then who would have known to help those affected or hold officials accountable for gross neglect of their constituents? Ignorance is bliss, but it’s a fleeting one. In elementary school, there was a huge anti-bullying campaign. One of the most repeated talking points was on the subject of inactive bystanders, those who bare witness to an injustice and do nothing. I remember being told that ignoring a crime is just as bad as committing one. The real world is no different. If we choose to avoid the problems in our world today, we become idle bystanders. A witness is not directly committing the crime, but complicity is far from innocence. LINDSEY RAMSDELL
SPORTS
8 – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 – North Pointe
COMPETITIVE CHEER
FALL SPORTS RECAP Student athletes reflect on season as winter sports begin
COURTESY OF MORGAN CRIBBS
“It’s definitely something special and I plan on taking it into next season,” senior Olivia Martin said. “We have practice (Monday) for competition cheer which is more challenging.” “My team made me feel pumped for my races, either on the bus or during our team meetings,” senior Sam Villani said.
GIRLS SWIM 5-5 RECORD KENNEDY WILLIAMS
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY 13-1 RECORD KENNEDY WILLIAMS
“We put in the work during the offseason and on off days. There really is nothing we could’ve done better,” senior Mikey Ciaravino said. BOYS TENNIS 10th PLACE AT STATES
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL 3-0 RECORD AT DISTRICTS CHARITY FELLS
“When I’m out on the court, I don’t worry about anything else,” senior Kristen Bessete said. “The only thing that is important (is) focusing on the game.”
GIRLS GOLF STATE QUALIFIERS
FOOTBALL 6-2 RECORD KENNEDY WILLIAMS
“Eight seniors are leaving this year, so there’s only four people that will stay on the team for next year, and they’re just gonna have to improve. It’s tough losing eight people,” senior Blake Danna said. “This season was a great experience for me and the rest of the team,” junior Alex Emig said. “We became the closest friends of any team I SOCCER have been on BOYS 2-14-3 RECORD so far.”
KENNEDY WILLIAMS
COURTESY OF EMME SIMPSON
“When we found out that we were in 3rd place and going (to states), we’re all shocked,” senior Sam Karowicz said.
KENNEDY WILLIAMS
“It’s all about being focused and ready to play from the time the game starts until the buzzer sounds and not taking off any plays in between,” senior John Lizza said.
“I think our team works to our fullest potential, but I guess every team could push a little more,” senior Maggie Bowers said.
FIELD HOCKEY 4-10-2 RECORD
KENNEDY WILLIAMS
“This season was a lot of fun and our teammates were all super close,” junior Ally Saigh said.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 10-5 RECORD KENNEDY WILLIAMS