North Pointe - Oct. 3, 2014 by North Pointe

LIFE ON CAMPUS page 4

North toppled South Sept. 26, winning 22-20. The victor y was North ’s f irst against the rival Blue Devils in six years. PHOTO BY KARINA LUCCHESE

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

POINTE FRIDAY, OCT. 3, 2014

SINCE 1968

Age difference in teen couples can lead to social, legal troubles Romeo and Juliet law aims to address dating age gap HOMECOMING PARADE

Friday, Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Monteith Elementary School

HOMECOMING GAME

Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. at North

SAT PREP CLASS

Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 3:30 - 6 p.m.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Wednesday, Oct. 15 and Thursday, Oct .16 at 5 p.m.

By Anu Subramaniam and Haley Reid CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-MANAGING EDITOR W hile she is applying to colleges, her boyfriend will be halfway done with his degree. Junior Hannah Atherton and North alumnus and Grand Valley State University freshman Michael Dougherty have been dating for almost a year. The couple’s two-year age gap, however, places their relationship under legal scrutiny. “So I’m 16, and he’s 18 right now, but when I first met him, I thought he was a junior, not a senior. But when I first realized he was a senior it was ... ‘Okay what’s going to happen.’ Like is this going to be a very short thing, or is it gonna eventually lead to something else? ” Atherton said.

Age difference can have legal ramifications.

In Michigan, the age of consent is 16 years old, and a minor can be prosecuted for statutory rape if his or her partner is under that age of consent. But, in 2011, Michigan passed a Romeo and Juliet law that reduced the punishment for a teenager involved in a statutory rape case. Under the law, if a sexual act is consensual, and the older teen is within four years of the younger teen (who may be between the ages 13-16), the law exempts the older teenager from registering as a sex offender. However, the possibility of jail time or a criminal record still exists. Counselor Barbara Skelly agrees that the law successfully defends the younger of the two teens while providing some protec-

tions for the older teen as well. “I think there are young people making mistakes, and I don’t think that it should impact their whole life,” Skelly said. “I think it’s possible for an older person to take advantage of a younger person.” Skelly doesn’t think high school relationships should be completely exempt from the statutory rape law. “I’m not sure if I would say exclusion completely, I can’t say that I would be in favor of that. I guess I don’t know that it should always be excluded, because I wouldn’t want anybody to be a predator and be able to get away with it.” Atherton, however, feels that the laws do unfairly affect high school relationships. “It’s not like I’m dating someone who’s 10 or 20 years older than me. That’s kind of creepy. But if we already have something in high school, why would him turning 18 completely change the aspect of it? ” Atherton said.

Age gap can have emotional and social ramifications.

W hile the Michigan law may allow relationships between two teens in a limited age range, Dougherty feels there is often a stigma attached to dating somebody in a different age group. “Of course, there will always be social consequences,” Dougherty said. “They don’t really say anything up front, but you can just tell that what they’re thinking is, ‘Oh, okay, well good luck with that.’” Skelly feels that the main reason for difficulties in these relationships are the vastly varying levels of maturity in high school.

5 6 7 8

Life Reviews Sports Feature

IDEAS

North welcomes “ WILLING SOME KIDS

ARE

TO SCALE

CLIFFS AND TUBE DOWN

RIVERS TO REACH THEIR

““

SCHOOLS. page 3

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Innovation center opens new opportunities for students

CONTENTS 1&2 News 3 Ideas 4 On Campus

ART BY HALEY REID AND ALANNA SPARKS

Brian Shelson By Anu Subramaniam & Olivia Asimakis CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND NEWS EDITOR

Sports have followed Athletic Director Brian Shelson from the time he was quarterback for Pinconning High School’s football team to his new job as North’s Athletic Director. Shelson simultaneously coached and taught throughout his teaching career and even plays a few morning basketball games with Assistant Principal David Reed-Nordwall. “I’ve been coaching ever since I was still in college, knowing I wanted to be an educator, and I wanted to be a coach,” Shelson said. “I played basketball till tenth grade year, but as if you interviewed Mr. Reed-Nordwall, we played basketball this morning, you would know the reason I stopped playing in tenth grade.” This past summer, Shelson, his wife Jaqueline, and their son Jack returned to Colorado, where Shelson’s teaching career began. “I began my teaching career after I graduated Grand Valley State University,. I went out to Colorado. I was in Colorado Springs. I taught out there for a year and coached football and baseball, and I loved it. Everything was going great, but I just missed home, so I started applying for different jobs

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trying to get back in Michigan,” Shelson said. After being hired as an undergraduate admissions counselor for the University of Michigan, Shelson found another job teaching science at South. Teaching in Grosse Pointe was a big factor in his decision to apply for the position. “I taught, coached here—both at North and at South for a few years. My wife teaches at South, and my son goes to daycare down here a couple days a week, so it was a big family decision. For both families of teachers and staff and my wife and kid,” Shelson said. With his many years of teaching and coaching in Grosse Pointe, Shelson has created lasting relationships, including his frienship with South teacher Dennis Pascoe. “ Mr. Shelson is a person I can always go to for advice, for a joke, talk about education or family. He was always a person I could count on for anything,” Pascoe said. “Working with Mr. Shelson was one of the best times I have had teaching or coaching.” While Shelson and Pascoe worked down the hall from one another, they shared the job of coaching South’s JV football team and administrative duties. “Mr. Shelson is everything I would want in an AD. He is extremely knowledgeable about athletics, understands the perspectives of athletics from a coach’s, athlete’s, and teacher’s point of view,” Pascoe said. “He will do amazing things at North, and he will make sure every day is a great day to be a Norseman.”

WEB EDITORS

With a creative idea and the touch of a button, students can now design and build virtually anything from a simple 3-D cube to complex iPhone accessories. Powering up this tech-frenzy of opportunities is the new innovation center, located on the third floor of the science building, which is now home to a new 3-D printer. When Principal Kate Murray and 2013-2014 Michigan Teacher of the Year Gary Abud approached social studies teacher Sean McCarroll about constructing the classroom, he jumped at the chance. “I was able to design it and implement my vision. I sat down with Mr. Abud, and we figured out types of stuff that we wanted to have in here, and we had to go out, and we had to find the funding, and we had to buy the stuff, build the stuff, paint the walls, put it all together ourselves,” McCarroll said. “I really like our lab stations with all the TVs because you can project using Apple TV or Chromecast while you’re working. We also have a 3-D printer, which I’m excited about.” This is McCarroll’s first year teaching digital seminar, the class for which the innovation center was mainly created. Students taking this class will be the first ones to experience and learn how to use these new technologies like the 3-D printer and TVs that can mirror handheld devices. “I think it’s a really unique thing to have in high school. I don’t think there’s any other high school in the state that has what we have,” science teacher Elizabeth Michaels said. “It opens up a lot of possibilities for both teachers and students in the district as a whole, but I think it’s going to take us some time to learn how to use everything before we can actually put it to its potential.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

SEE PAGE 2 FOR Q&A WITH SHELSON

www.myGPN.org

VOLUME 47, ISSUE 2

NEWS

2 – Friday, Oct 3, 2014 – North Pointe

Dating

Innovation Center

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“Outside of high school, as people mature and become wiser, the age difference is not terribly significant, as I do think it is in high school,” Skelly said. “I’m not in favor of freshmen dating juniors and seniors. I think it’s wiser to stick within your own age group when you start dating.” Dougherty and Atherton, however, find that the expected difference in maturity between college and high school students hasn’t existed within their relationship. “We’ve been really strong with our emotions,” Atherton said. “We kind of made it an open relationship instead of dating within the relationship. So, if someone else came into the picture, it would be like, ‘Well, that’s that.’” The laws in Michigan target a wider age difference, such as a freshman dating a senior but only prohibit sexual relations. A non-sexual relationship is legal, but Skelly sees that large age gaps have negative effects for the younger student. “A college person has a lot more experience than a high school person does. I think sometimes high school students aren’t ready for the relationship that I think sometimes a college student will expect or anticipate,” Skelly said. Skelly sees high school as a crucial time to make decisions independently. “I think sometimes that inf luences the decision (of where one wants to go to college), not that I think it should inf luence your decision. I think you should go where your heart leads you, not where your dating partner is.”

The room was designed to be a place where users can come together and share information between each other and with the world around them. “The point is so that we can be more collaborative about what we’re seeing because usually your devices, just in front of you, are very hard to share. So this makes it more collaborative,” Michaels said. Digital seminar students can use the technology to communicate with experts from different fields to help them complete projects. “Students in the room can contact professionals on camera right in the classroom. If they need some sort of an engineer or someone in a business locally, we can bring them in … because all of our Chromebooks have cameras on them, we can do video chats and conferences on smaller levels in these different group stations,” McCarroll said. Some of the technology within the center, like the 3-D printer, have yet to be used. The digital seminar class has been altered this year to focus on how to use these pieces of technology, as well as how to apply them to bigger projects. Many of the students in the class were surprised when they saw the high caliber of the new technology. “It’s really cool, and when they told us about it, it wasn’t really

what anyone was expecting. We’re like, ‘Okay, we’re maybe getting a few new computers,’ but it’s really different,” freshman Lee-Lee Daniel said. McCarroll carefully planned the room to make sure it would serve as a unique place where students can take control of their learning. “Our focus was incorporating the 21st century technologies and also the group collaboration. And there’s no front of the room, really, that’s why we have dual projection, so (students) can look anywhere,” McCarroll said. “I just sit over here because that’s where the computer is, but the idea is we’ll be able to kind of walk around and it’s more student-driven than it is teacherfocused.” Although the room is primarily for digital seminar classes, it will soon be available for teachers to use for other classes and for staff education. “It will be open to teachers who want to sign it out, just like we can sign out a lab for classes, and it is also going to be a district space, so when we have teacher professional development, it can be a place for teachers to collaborate and learn,” Michaels said. The new space serves as a shelter for such contemporary technology as well as a place where McCarroll hopes students can feel at home. “We definitely like the idea of student ownership of the space,” McCarroll said. “The more that they get involved in actually building this space, the more that they’ll thrive in it.”

Q&A with Athletic Director Brian Shelson What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever had? The weirdest food I’ve ever had was I think was when my family went to Europe when I was a senior in high school and just everything almost there. There was a couple of interesting things, like in Belgium I remember, in France, they had like a fritter sandwich, it was like french fries on a bun. So it was kind of like, “Oh yeah, it was good, but that’s probably the weirdest thing.”

What’s your favorite sport to watch? I love football, I love the whole thing about it. I played quarterback. When watching the Detroit Tigers, it’s just chill. I do like NFL Sunday, I do love to watch College Football, but there is something about baseball. The Tigers are coming down to the last few games, and every game matters, and I think that’s what is neat about it. I just like the whole big idea of baseball, but I like football too.

What’s a werid situtation you’ve been in? My first teaching job, I was in Colorado, and we played basketball in the morning. You go in your shorts and your sweatshirt. I had a towel, went in and showered, and I came out, and I had no clothes .... I didn’t bring my dress clothes for that day. So I had to go back in my sweaty gym clothes, went to Walmart–it was the only store in town–and bought new clothes and wore those through the day.

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Do you cook?

So you hunt?

I am the only one who cooks or bakes in the house. If it’s my wife’s turn to cook, we make sure we have frozen food ready. You can quote me on that, I’ll show it to her. I really like grilling, so I like doing anything on the grill with steaks or chicken. I hunt, and I got a deer last year, and so cooking venison. That’s been really fun, just learning how to do like a summer sausage out of venison.

You know it’s hard with a job, you know, when you are here a lot of nights and weekends. So a couple of weekends a year. Last year I was very lucky and was able to see a deer within the first weekend I went up there. But I know some people will spend all month of November up there hunting. This year I have not gotten everything set up yet, so I don’t know.

Union cookies debut at homecoming Students and staff mourned the loss of their beloved Union cookies last June, but the tradition will be making a three-hour comeback. During this year’s homecoming dance, Union cookies will be served. “I have been given permission by Sodexo. They are going to be furnishing me as a catered event, so Mrs. Gast will be catering, real Union cookies. R-E-A-L capital, not wholegrain cookies, at the dance,” student activities director Pat Gast said. The regulations of the Smart Snacks in School program prohibit high-calorie, fattening snacks being sold before, during or after school hours. However, this rule does not extend to school-related athletics, theatrical events or dances. “Because this is an after-school event–it’s on a weekend– we don’t fit into the parameters of the Smart School (program),” Gast said. “So you could have anything at athletic events. You could serve anything at theatrical events. But I can’t serve it before school or just after school.”

MAC realignment keeps football game at South this year Coming down to the final seconds of a 22-20 thriller, North’s varsity football team triumphed over South. This, however, wasn’t the only surprise about the game for senior captain Daniel Robinson. “I was a little disappointed that it was at South, but South has a great field, a great atmosphere there, and it holds a lot of people,” Robinson said. North and South typically take turns hosting the game each year, but due to the realignment of the Macomb Area Conference (MAC), it was scheduled at South for the second year in a row. Realignment is when MAC teams move up and down the six divisions. “They realign the league every two years, and they realigned this past offseason, and South didn’thave enough home games, and we did,” varsity head coach Frank Sumbera said. “It was just an alignment situation.” During this past alignment, South moved up to the MAC White, causing a need for the North-South game to be at South to increase the total number of home games. “It seems like it’s all about Grosse Pointe South and Grosse Pointe North but really has to do with all the schools in the MAC,” Athletic Director Brian Shelson said. To Sumbera, the location of the game doesn’t matter. “We like to play at home, but we’re real close communities, so it’s just a good game. It doesn’t matter where it’s played,” Sumbera said. For Robinson, this fluke ended up being a nice turn of events. “I think we would’ve beat ‘em wherever we (played), but to beat ‘em at their own field. It made it that much sweeter,” Robinson said. By Ritika Sanikommu & Billy Moin

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North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 4, 2014 – 3

No weight, no worries “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 Erica Lizza CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Anu Subramaniam CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Haley Reid CO-MANAGING EDITOR

Olivia Asimakis NEWS EDITOR

Brittney Hernandez LIFE EDITOR

Wendy Ishmaku BUSINESS MANAGER

Dora Juhasz WEB NEWS EDITOR

Jennifer Kusch IDEAS EDITOR

Kaley Makino WEB IDEAS EDITOR

Ritika Sanikommu ASSISTANT EDITOR

Emily Martinbianco WEB LIFE 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.

OUR EDITORIAL

Technology changes sacrifice learning experience

This world is a speck of dust in the scheme of the universe, right? Just a speck. So then what does that make you? An even smaller speck. Picture the world right now and then imagine it in comparison to the universe. MY TURN Your world and WENDY ISHMAKU whatever’s going on in your life at this given moment has no weight in outer space. Understand your insignificance. But understand your absolute importance. The idea that nothing actually matters can be extremely liberating. That’s not to say that actions don’t have consequences, but in a cosmic sense, you’re just that tiny speck. So, why should you put any limitations on or make excuses for yourself? There’s nothing stopping you from accomplishing what you want in life. You’re only going to be living for roughly 70 years, then you’re done. That’s it. That’s your one shot at making this life worth living. So why would you ever settle for anything less than the best? After all, life’s too short to be anything but happy. The constant pursuit of euphoria is what gives life adventure. If we strive toward finding our happiness, which is inevitably ever changing, and work to achieve it, then we’ve ultimately been successful during our time here. The point is: do. Sometimes it’s good to act upon impulse. The worst that could happen is you don’t get your desired outcome. The “wrong road” could actually end up being a turn toward a pretty funny story in the years to come. The point isn’t that you failed, it was that you did it. Procrastination is so widely joked about it’s

become a norm, and that’s not okay. It’s not cute to be apathetic, and it’s not going to be cute when you’re old and gray wishing you had actually done things that made you happy. Essentially, you don’t get a second chance. All beliefs aside, this is all you get. It’s really scary knowing that you won’t live this life ever again. You’re never going to be surrounded by the same people. You’re never going to have these relationships. You’re never going to be in exactly the same place or moment. That’s really painful to hear—but it’s the truth. Now don’t let my message send you into the depths of melancholy. Take it and put it to good use. Form better relationships, make people feel good, don’t live just to pass your life. It’s your job to give your life meaning. Whatever you do, do it well. This also means you have to be selfish sometimes. It really is all about you. There won’t be anyone else in the world that has gone through all the stuff you have, nor anyone who will have the same feelings as you. That said, don’t put anyone else first. Put yourself first—always. You’re the only one that’s going to be there for yourself. Don’t go to the college your friends are going to for that reason only. Once that friendship has taken a turn for the worst, you’ll feel more lost and alone than you would have on your first day at your dream school. Don’t let your parents decide where you’re going to spend the rest of your life. Once you realize you’ve lost control of the only thing that counts, you’ll be filled with more resentment and hatred than you could’ve imagined. Take your fate into your own hands, and do not let anyone limit you, even yourself. Also, don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Including me.

CA MRYN HA RRI S

Technology improvements were a necessity. We needed fast and efficient networking to make research projects and online assignments simpler and less time-consuming. And unquestionably, technology like the data-recording devices and computers in science labs benefits students. Being able to access assignments and presentations on teachers’ websites is a great aid for students who miss class or forget homework at school. But these advancements shouldn’t overwhelm the classroom environment. An over-reliance on technology leaves students and teachers vulnerable to Wi-Fi glitches and other malfunctions. Dependence on technology can be problematic when students don’t have the requisite smart devices that teachers are encouraged to incorporate into class activities. Online homework is a hassle for students who lack regular access to computers at home. Technology creates more opportunities for students to cheat on online quizzes and tests since that may not be supervised or collaborate on assignments that should be completed independently. Even those students who don’t typically succumb to these temptations may be more likely to exert minimal effort and become disengaged. It’s no surprise students feel little incentive to complete online assignments, especially ones that aren’t graded or for which they receive no feedback. Teachers try to use technology to make schoolwork palatable and relevant, but it can backfire: students become distracted after researching on their phones or simply take pictures of notes on a Smart Board instead of writing them down. Attempts to make homework more convenient prove counterproductive when assignments are incorrectly formatted or instructions and deadlines are miscommunicated. A flipped classroom, with students completing homework in school and watching video lectures at home, may be beneficial for some. But others would rather learn by listening to lectures and taking notes in class, where they can ask questions as they absorb new concepts. Students who dislike online learning become stressed as the volume of online work increases and teachers become more removed from the learning process. Integrating technology into the classroom shouldn’t come at the expense of the traditional learner. Teachers make a conscious effort to use different methods to accommodate visual, auditory and hands-on learners. The same balance should be struck between tech- and non-tech classroom instruction. With excessive use of technology, we become fixated on finding the correct answer as quickly as possible, scouring the Internet until we find the magic number or fact we’ve been looking for. But the somewhat roundabout way we discover answers in a traditional classroom may be more beneficial. The dialogue, debate and divergent opinions present in a class discussion are imperative to helping students develop critical thinking skills. Problem solving and the ability to formulate a line of thinking are more worthwhile than simply copying or coming up with the right answer. More importantly, the interaction with our teachers and classmates and the unplanned conversations we have with them are what make our education personal and relevant. The stories we share and the life lessons they impart teach us more than we could learn from YouTube lectures or online class work. Options like the hybrid Honors Biology course or Digital Seminar are good ways to give students who prefer to complete a large portion of their work online the chance to do so. But there needs to be a balance between face-to-face teaching and online instruction.

“I don’t think it really matters as long as both people are mature.”

“Honestly, if the person is 17 and the other is 18, I think it shouldn’t matter because it’s just one year.”

“If they have a lot of things in common ... then the age difference shouldn’t really matter.”

Robertson Binker

Taylor Burton

Hannah Atherton

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: What is your opinion on age differences in dating? By Brittany Hernandez

“I feel like if you’re in high school, and you’re a senior, then you shouldn’t be dating a freshman.”

Tim Herd SENIOR

“A 14-year-old dating an 18-year-old ... there’s a huge difference in emotional and physical maturity. Once you hit your 20s ... those evaporate.” Andy Montague ENGLISH TEACHER

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Erica Lizza, Anu Subramaniam MANAGING EDITORS: Haley Reid, Andrea Scapini SECTION EDITORS: Olivia Asimakis, Katelyn Carney, Brittney Hernandez, Jennifer Kusch WEB MANAGING EDITOR: Emma Puglia WEB SECTION EDITORS: Yena Berhane, Dora Juhasz, Kaley Makino, Emily Martinbianco BUSINESS MANAGER: Wendy Ishmaku PHOTO EDITORS: Alanna Sparks, Jeffrey Valentic ASSISTANT EDITORS: Josie Bennett, Emma Brock, Mora Downs, Audrey Kam, Billy Moin, Thomas Remenar, Ritika Sanikommu, Gowri Yerramalli STAFF REPORTERS: Radiance Cooper, Luke Sturgill, Addison Toutant INTERNS: Sydney Benson, Caitlin Bush, Allison Lackner, Lauren Sexton

“I think that it matters more when you’re younger and less as you get older.”

Jennifer Spears SPANISH TEACHER

The North Pointe is edited and produced by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at myGPN.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper. CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Twitter: @myGPN FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE

EDITOR’S DESK JENNIFER KUSCH

Learning curve School. The word itself elicits moans from even the most enthusiastic of students. The thought of another day of the same monotonous routine has inspired many a Sunday nightmare, and too often Friday feels a world away. The state-mandated hours in windowless rooms often get to the best of us, but I view my time in this place through a lens tinted with appreciation. While UN schools in Gaza, some containing thousands of refugees, were being shelled, a classmate of ours made a bomb threat with the hope of a day off. Hundreds of innocent civilians were being bombed for weeks in Gaza, and at the same time, police were called and class was delayed because one of our classmates simply didn’t want to go to school. While some kids are willing to scale cliffs and tube down rivers to reach their schools, we all just jump in our cars and tear down Vernier. I don’t have to walk 20 miles to school for a chance to sit in on a class with no desks in 100-degree heat. I need only make the jog from my Ford Taurus across the parking lot. The plight of Nigeria’s missing schoolgirls, the 200 students stolen in the night by Boko Haram, no longer glows on our flat screens. Hundreds of young girls disappeared into the night to be sold into marriages or killed, yet most students here can’t summon the strength to power through seven classes. Malala Yousafzai was willing to face a bullet in the name of education, while others make light of deadly attacks in order to circumvent what they view as a hassle and an interruption of their precious sleep cycle. Malala, the missing Nigerian schoolgirls and many other kids, attend school knowing that they are putting their lives at risk. The only threats we face are the dings of the two-minute bell. Most recently, ISIS (or ISIL or the Islamic State or whatever they want to be called today) has imposed Sharia (Islamic law) on the tracts of land that they now control in the Middle East. Life under ISIS’s extreme application of the legal code has become devoid of any educational merit. Students are now forbidden from studying math, social studies, music and even sports. Their new curriculum instead revolves around how to belong to Islam and “denounce infidelity and infidels.” Teachers can no longer refer to Syria as the Syrian Arab Republic, but must instead call the territory the Islamic State; ISIS will punish any teacher not conforming to the new curriculum. This won’t be a mere slap on the wrist. ISIS—a group that has massacred scores of Christians and Shiites, women and children, innocents and infidels—does not merely reprimand. School is boring. It’s hard. I understand that, but I also understand that I am lucky to go here. All I’m suggesting is that we develop a some perspective. Our information isn’t censored, and we are not being attacked for pursuing something that is a human right. We have world-class facilities and a former Michigan Teacher of the Year at our disposal. While it can feel impossible to roll out of our beds and face another day of tests and lectures, have some patience. In this place, we are safe, healthy and even a little happy sometimes.

ON CAMPUS

4 – North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 3, 2014

Norsemen snap six-year streak

A loud student section watched North finally take down South in their annual matchup. The Norsemen beat the Blue Devils 22-20 on Friday, Sept. 26. By Alanna Sparks & Sydney Benson PHOTO EDITOR & INTERN

TOP LEFT: Senior Nikki Haggerty cheers on the team. “Hearing the student section roar was like no other feeling in the world,” Haggerty said. “It made me wonder what it was like to be playing that game, knowing that hundreds of your peers are supporting you.” TOP RIGHT: Senior quarterback Dan Robinson sets up for a pass. RIGHT: The North tug-of-war participants pose for a spirit picture after their win. Senior Katie Roy celebrated the victory with an event-filled night. “When North won, I rushed to the field and took pictures with players, then after I went out to Buffalo Wild Wings with some friends,” Roy said.

FACES IN THE CROWD Lindsey Hoshaw

that it’s not that much different than English pop music, except, you know, it’s kind of Japanese, and it’s a lot more unique,” Hoshaw said. Hoshaw’s favorite J-POP artist is Hatsune Miku. “It’s catchy, even though you might not know the lyrics,” Hoshaw said. The fast-paced, lyrical style of Japanese music is intrigues her. “I think that Japanese is a pretty language, and the style of music is very upbeat and fun,” Hoshaw said.

Demetri Gritsas

rized my lines in the car, and I was the understudy,” Demetri said. Demetri was prompted to join musical theater after admiring how much his brother enjoyed the stage “It seemed like he was having lots of fun, and he met a lot of people, so I was like, ‘Hey I kind of want to do that, too,’” Demetri said. Demetri has had some mentoring from his brother along the way to prepare for his high school theater career. “He’s been showing me how to keep your voice under control and how to not lose your voice,” Demetri said.

Names of Japanese performers like Len and Rin Kagamine are music to sophomore Lindsey Hoshaw’s ears. “I listen to vocal stuff and occasional J-POP or more K-POP,” Hoshaw said. Although there is a major contrast in language, Hoshaw sees similarities between English and Japanese music. “The thing about Japanese music is Demetri Gritsas has entered his freshman year with a passion for theater following his brother, senior Peter Gritsas’ footsteps. Demetri has past experience through his involvement in several musicals such as 13, Alice in Wonderland, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and Oliver! “In sixth grade, I was in 13, and that’s when I was casted in chorus, and on opening night, I got like a 102-degree fever, and the guy that was playing the lead dropped out, so I rushed to the theater and memo-

By Gowri Yerramalli & Emma Brock

FIVE MINUTES WITH

German substitute teacher Debra Dixon By Dora Juhasz WEB EDITOR

Calling a teacher “mom” is an awkward mistake countless students make at least once in their lifetime. But for long-term German substitute Debra Dixon, it was the title she expected to hear in her “classroom.” For 28 years, she single-handedly homeschooled all three of her children until they went to college. “There’s all kinds of support groups out there for homeschoolers, but I did the schooling for my kids myself,” Dixon said. “I’m a teacher, and I know how to pull resources together. My husband says there’s no one better for pulling resources together and finding information out.” Dixon took on the challenge of teaching every core subject to her kids except science, which was taught by a professional science teacher. In addition to homeschooling, Dixon worked as a guidance counselor and German teacher at Lutheran High School East in Harper Woods. Growing up in a German household shaped Dixon’s passion for the language and culture, which led her to share it with others. “My parents were both born in Germany, and they spoke with their parents, and I heard them speaking it when I was growing up,” Dixon said. “We took a trip there in 1967 for six weeks with my parents and grandparents, and I just fell in love with the language and culture just because I was so used to it, and I loved it.” On top of all the other subjects, Dixon has privately tutored elementary and high school students, volunteered to teach English as a foreign language at a local church and spent time advising and counseling people over the phone. “I want to impart things that I think are important to people, like learning how to think critically and doing the best job they can,” Dixon said. “To me, when I tutor, when I teach, when I counsel, the academics are important, but the more important thing is the character evolvement and just being the best person that that particular person can be: academically, spiritually, emotionally and socially.”

HOMECOMING SPECIAL

Edwin Paul Salon “A world where you are unique and special.” 20% off hair styling for students with this advertisement

LIFE

North Pointe– Friday, Oct. 3 2014 – 5

Creative childhood hobby leads to life-long passion Senior Sam Hicks explores the world of fantasy through selfwritten novels and works to expand her writing repertoire By Andrea Scapini & Kaley Makino CO-MANAGING EDITOR & WEB SECTION EDITOR

PHOTO BY JEFFREY VALENTIC

Senior Sam Hicks writes a rough draft while surrounded by some books from authors that inspired her. The books include the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. “With Harry Potter, I look at J.K. Rowling’s books, and she has so many details, it’s almost like, ‘How do you remember all that’s happened?’ It’s really hard to remember every detail,” Hicks said.

Writing has always been senior Sam Hicks’ niche. “It was just something I was good at. Because in middle school, I was just crappy at math and science and all that stuff, but English I could always do. So, I thought, ‘Well, I might as well become good at something that I started off good at.” Hicks is currently in the process of writing a seven-book fantasy series. She has also written romance and realistic-fiction novels but avoids disclosing too much information about her story lines or titles for privacy reasons. In fifth grade, Hicks began developing ideas for many of the characters and the basic plot of the series. The series’ protagonist, Kalsopher, has become a large part of Hicks’ life, as she feels a personal connection to her. “I guess my inspiration for the main character was everything I always wanted to be, but I couldn’t. When I was going through hard times, I was like, ‘I wish I was her, and I could handle things like her.’ So that’s how I guess she came about,” Hicks said. “My mom actually says that the characters have become like family because I tell her everything. She’s read everything I’ve ever written.” Kalsopher also depicts the way Hicks wants women to be portrayed in society. “She’s strong, but she’s also complicated. I’m a big feminist, and all that, but I hate how, to be a strong woman, you can’t have feelings or be vulnerable,” Hicks said. “So, I made her this mix where she’s strong, she’s independent, she’s a leader ... at the same time she’s been hurt, and she can cry, and she can be upset. I want her to be complicated like everyone else is.” Hicks’ interest in writing was sparked in elementary school, when she first learned the techniques of basic novel writing from her secondgrade teacher. “I thought it was unusual that as a kid in elementary school and middle school that she would write for fun,” Hick’s mom Rebecca Hicks said. “Most kids like to read for fun, not write for fun, and she doesn’t like to read all that much, so we were surprised. But she has a terrific imagination and a really interesting writing style, so she would share her writing with me.”

After multiple English courses in middle and high school, Sam has been able to expand her writing beyond her comfort zone in fantasy. “I have encouraged her to continue writing ... even when it’s difficult to push through the blocks, to continue to write in different modes, not just stories, but also writing in nonfiction and letters and poetry. They will all help her story-writing,” English teacher Jonathan Byrne said. “I think that good writers are going to be capable with words no matter what mode they’re writing in. So even though Sam wasn’t writing stories for my class, she was writing nonfiction essays, I could still tell that she had a talent with words.” Although unfinished, the tone of her series has progressively changed as Sam develops as a writer. “It’s really hard because you mature, and you get older, and when you write books, they’re kind of based off of things that you’ve done in your life or feelings you’ve had,” Sam said. “Each year it just got different, and it actually kind of got more dark because fifth grade me was a lot less sophisticated than 17-year-old me. It was kind of hard to stick with one thing.” Rebecca also notices that the lens from which Sam writes has molded her current writing style. “When she was younger, she was only writing it for her. And now, her approach is with an eye to being published, so there is a different voice to it,” Rebecca said. “It’s less journal-style story writing and much more upscale now.” Sam’s initial goal is to get her books published, then progressively transfer from being a published author to a side career. Lately, however, she experiences difficulty in finding time to finish the series. “It’s hard to find time to write, especially senior year because I’m so busy. I guess I write when something big happens to me in my life because it inspires me to put something in there. I just don’t write regularly, and that’s probably why it takes me so long to write these books,” Hicks said. “My main goal is to have my book published. I don’t even care if it’s not popular. I just want it out there, bound. That’s all I want.”

Sophomore takes to the sky Matt Moores has taken piloting lessons for five years, and is working towards his pilot’s license By Mora Downs & Josie Bennett ASSISTANT EDITORS

.W IK IP WWW

Soaring high above ground, sophomore Matt Moores takes the pilot seat in the cockpit of an aircraft. “You get to be up in the air, most of the time a couple thousand feet, and it’s just really cool to get a view of the land from above,” Moores said. Moores has dreamed of f lying planes since he was little. “He has been exposed to a variety of airplanes since he was 3. Every summer we f lew to Seattle to visit relatives,” Moores’ mom Christine Moores said via email. “In Seattle, we would watch the Blue Angels f ly right over my parents’ house. We would watch the f loat planes take off and land in Puget Sound, and we would take him to air museums.” Matt has aspired to be a pilot since he was young. “When he was in the fifth grade on a field trip to Pewabic Pottery, he made a ceramic tile that said, ‘I have a dream–pilot.’ That is when I knew he was serious about flying. I wasn’t surprised at his choice and knew if he really wanted to be a pilot, he would do what it takes to become one,” Christine said.

That year, Matt started f lying lessons. He f lies about once a week during the summer and at least once a month during the school year. “I had my first f light when I was about 10, and then I started trying to get my license about two years ago, so when I was 13,” Matt said. Matt has met all of the qualifications for his pilot’s license except for the age requirement, which states that he must be 17 years old. According to Troy Air Experience, where Matt trains, the requirements include the ability to read, speak and understand English and to pass an Federal Aviation Administration (FA A)-required medical exam every two years. Until he is 17, he must be accompanied by a licensed pilot when f lying as a precaution. However, there is still a risk in f lying, even with an experienced pilot. “We heard on the radio that there was another airplane in the air trying to talk to us to warn us that they were near us, and we could not find them no matter where we looked,” Matt said. “We were looking all over the place, and we could just not find out where they were, so that was kinda scary because we had no idea where they were, and for all we knew, we could’ve run into them any minute. But it all worked out.” Another potentially dangerous air exper ienc e

took place during Matt’s first flight. “I wasn’t really doing any f lying, ‘cause I was 10. I was just learning about it. We were coming in for a landing, and there was a big gust of wind that came, and our wing tip just nearly missed hitting the ground, which would’ve been a catastrophe,” Matt said. “We would’ve just spun around and started f lipping all over the place, and I might not be here today if that had happened.” Although Matt has not crashed while f lying, Christine continues to worry about his safety while supporting him in his pursuit of a pilot license. “I do get concerned about the number of private pilots in small aircrafts that crash,” Christine said. “I would like for him to do something that he is passionate about, and if that is f lying, then I think that would be wonderful.” Matt wants to continue to f ly aircrafts and pursue it as a career. “I’m hoping to become an air nautical engineer, either that or join the Air Force and f ly a fighter jet, which is pretty much my life dream— to fly a military fighter jet—just thought that was pretty cool,” he said.

ED IA .C OM/

6 – Friday, Oct. 3, 2014 – North Pointe

REVIEWS

Th e M a ze R unn e r

By Caitlin Bush & Allison Lackner INTERNS

people who route the changing maze to find a way out. Similar to Thomas, the viewer shares a sense of curiosity of what is behind the walls. Thomas finds a chance, shortly after his arrival, to make a break for it and sprints into the maze’s closing walls. Nobody has ever survived a night in the maze before, but Thomas miraculously does. His triumph raises the question of why Thomas is the only one to have ever survived and also makes the audience wonder why some of his fellow alliance members are mad at him for doing so. This is another cliché scenario where the main character survives the impossible and is rewarded. After managing to survive, Thomas is promoted to runner for showing bravery. Thomas discovers clues hidden in the dangerous maze that he hopes will lead towards an escape. The tasks that had to be done to reach the clues made my stomach turn in disgust. Seeing Thomas struggle to complete them made me want him to escape even more. While Thomas searchs for clues, the newest arrival turns out to be a girl named Teresa (Kaya Scodelario). This time, the box contains only Teresa, who clutches a single note in her hand. There was confusion

as to why Teresa had a note and why she only arrived at this point in the civilization’s existence. After Teresa’s arrival, the movie’s ending felt rushed and was very abrupt. Suddenly, they were able to figure out their pasts and gain another opportunity to escape. The casting decisions were good. Newt (Thomas Brodie), is best known for his role of Jojen Reed in Game Of Thrones. He did an excellent job of embodying the role of the understanding leader. With his character cut from, his fans now have an excuse to see the movie. For those who haven’t read the book, the movie may be confusing. It was difficult to keep track of the events and understand this fantasy world. Even an adventure-filled plot, slick special effects and outstanding acting don’t make up for the unclear story.

Grade: CThe Maze Runner (2014) Directed by Wes Ball PG-13 1 hr, 53 min. PHOTO FROM PIXABAY.COM

The Maze Runner is a letdown. Though the acting and graphics are strong, the story lacks completion, leaving many questions unanswered. The movie is based on James Dashner’s 2009 novel The Maze Runner. The young adult hit is the first post-apocalyptic science fiction trilogy and was a New York Times best seller. The preview promised a adventurous, thrilling and intense film. In that regard, director Wes Ball didn’t disappoint. From man-eating metal scorpion spiders called grievers to the mental and physical challenges the characters grapple with, this movie is exciting to watch. But it fails to deliver an understandable storyline for those who haven’t read the book. The movie contains a lot of convoluted language and doesn’t explain terms like “grievers,” “cage” and “the glade.” As to how the characters have made it so far along in their civilization and have yet to discover any clues to help them escape is beyond me. All I understood from the movie is that they have a map of the maze which constantly changes. The scene left viewers won-

dering why they haven’t figured a way out yet. The movie begins with main character, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) arriving in a box in the center of the glade—a treefilled clearing in the middle of a labyrinth. Accompanying him are the limited supplies that arrive at the labyrinth monthly. Thomas immediately makes a run for it but realizes that there is no escape. He isn’t alone in the glade, however. He is welcomed by the other teenage boys and young men who had been transported there before him. Despite the time of their arrival, everybody in the glade has one thing in common: they don’t remember their pasts— Thomas included. What I don’t understand is how Thomas knows basic skills, like how to walk and talk, but can’t even remember his own parents. He soon learns the principles of “the alliance,” the group formed by the other members in the glade. Inhabitants call new arrivals “gladers,” and everyone is assigned a job to fulfill, just like a normal civilization. Thomas displays a strong curiosity for what hides behind the maze walls, but one of the alliance’s rules is that no one can pass through the glade except the “Runners”—the

HEY HEY

TITLE

ABreakout artist Mapei bounced into fame with her light and airy R&B, pop and alternaWWW.PITCHFORK.COM tive mash-up sounds, along with heavy electronic influence, on her debut album Hey Hey. Her artistic creation flows from genre to genre without flaw. The fluttering tunes pour out, fusing into one another, as words ring with the sound of self-empowerment and pride. The lyrics dance out of the upbeat electronic background music, and a plethora of different sounds chime throughout. The Swedish-American singer released two EPs and a single between late 2013 and early 2014. After being inspired by time spent traveling, she finally dropped this 12-track masterpiece album. With fellow musicians Katy Perry and Sky Ferreira’s help in producing the album, it was bound to skyrocket to the top of the charts from the beginning. Now on its way there, this newcomer has the team and support any debut artist would dream of. An avant-garde artist, Mapei is one of many with immense potential and newly released tracks, yet she still stands apart from a large, diverse crowd. Hey Hey embodies Mapei’s out-of-the-box style and brilliant range of ability. The musician’s raw R&B vocals are paired with heavy beats and strong messages that drive the album. Despite this, the album holds tight to its light and bright sound that dances from the car radio with head-spinning ease, making it a perfect addition to any driving playlist or dance soundtrack.

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

A Think 1950s throwback. Just because newcomer Meghan Trainor’s hit “All About That Bass” is considITUNES.APPLE.COM ered a mainstream, radio-friendly song doesn’t mean her style is filled with loud techno bass drops and stereotypical lyrics. With a little more research, listeners discover Trainor actually isn’t a newbie to the music industry. She wrote and independently released two albums (I’ll Sing With You and Only 17) in 2011, then contributed her songwriting skills to other artists such as Rascal Flatts. Along with “bringing booty back,” Trainor is bringing back the doo-wop style of barbershop quartets. The 20-year-old’s music is light and carefree with a rhythm that makes audiences want to sway along and sing out loud, unlike heavy marching beats where the only dance that fits at homecoming is fist-pumping. Trainor’s words aren’t poetry, nor are they redundant (yes, Taylor Swift, that’s an indirect message to you: “haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate”). Instead, they are empowering and relatable to most females. In the song “Title,” Trainor calls out a potential boyfriend, saying “Don’t call me ‘boo,’ like you’re some kind of ghost” and would rather define what she is in their relationship. Sassy remarks are just one aspect of Trainor’s personality expressed within her music. Multiple songs include uplifting words about body image, encouraging girls that “every inch of you is perfect from your bottom to your top.” Overall, Trainor has a unique voice that will draw audiences in, eager for more.

GREY’S ANATOMY

C-

B+ Fans of horror games who haven’t been satisfied by bigname games rejoice: the independently WWW.STEAMCOMMUNITY.COM developed Five Nights at Freddy’s by Scott Cawthon, available for PC and Android, shows that when it comes to horror, less is more. In the game, the user plays Mike Schmidt, a night watchman starting his first shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a Chuck E. Cheese’s pastiche. The player works as Schmidt to hide from the deadly animatronic mascots that roam the arcade. If the watchman crosses paths with them, game over. Players must use their extremely limited resources to survive until the shift ends at 6 a.m. The game uses minimalism as a great strength, as there are only a couple things users can do to protect themselves: check the lights or check the lights and close the doors at their side. If they use these abilities too much, Schmidt will run out of power and be caught. The game’s convincing atmosphere is also incredible. It draws players into the game, making them feel like they’re actually part of it. However, Five Nights at Freddy’s preys on the players’ fear, paranoia and stress to really get into their heads, making users their own worst enemy. The game thrives on overwhelming the players on a mental level. Players who aren’t affected by it will quickly lose interest. Five Nights at Freddy’s succeeds at creating an immersive stressful experience to put the player on edge. It’s intelligently created, beautifully crafted and completely awful. The player will both respect and hate it.

After nearly a five-month wait for season 11, Shonda Rhimes’ heart-wrenching yet comical hospital drama Grey’s WWW.ABC.GO.COM Anatomy is back. The show continues, despite the fact that even the most dedicated fans agree that Grey’s has been dragged out far past its glory years. It simply isn’t easy to be passionate about Grey’s anymore. Although fans are ecstatic to see the attending surgeons they have known and loved since the start, the interns and resident surgeons have stale story lines. Characters like intern Maggie Pierce, who is supposedly Meredith Grey’s second long-lost half-sister, aren’t memorable. It seems nearly impossible to form an emotional connection to any of the interns. While watching, it feels like there is something missing. The beloved greyeyed, stern-yet-lovable surgeon Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) left the show after the season 10 finale. A fan favorite, Yang was Meredith Grey’s work-obsessed best friend and arguably the most dynamic character in the series. Yang’s absence is disappointing, and the show feels somewhat empty without her. However, fans stick around to follow long-lasting relationships like Meredith and Derek’s and TV’s favorite lesbian couple, Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins. And while the show has deteriorated, it still redeems itself at the end of every episode with an emotional musical score paired with the often tear-jerking wise words of Meredith Grey. With a full season left, the distaste of the “new” Grey’s Anatomy simply has fans wondering when creator Shonda Rhimes will let the legacy die.

Five Nights at Freddy’s; Scott Cawthon; 2014; iOS, Mapei; Hey Hey; Downtown Records; 2014

Meghan Trainor; Title; Epic; 2014

Android, Microsoft Windows; $2.99.

Grey’s Anatomy; 2014; TV-14; ABC.

By Emily Martinbianco

By Emma Puglia

By Thomas Remenar

By Haley Reid

SPORTS

PHOTO BY AVA DELOACH

Senior Christa Raicevich serves the ball during the girls varsity volleyball game against Romeo High School on Monday, Sept. 29.

Senior bumps, sets, spikes her way into Wayne State University By Radiance Cooper & Emma Puglia STAFF REPORTER & WEB MANAGING EDITOR

In 11 months, senior Christa Raicevich will be swapping her Norseman jersey for a Wayne State Warrior one. Over the summer, the Wayne State University women’s volleyball team officially recruited Raicevich. “I visited back in June, and I went with my dad, and I actually surprisingly liked the campus a lot better than I thought I would,” Raicevich said. “I really liked the urban environment with it and absolutely loved the coach.” Her volleyball club director informed her of a vacancy on the team and recommended she apply for it. Raicevich then began the recruiting process. “I’ll be completely honest–recruiting is horrible. For recruiting … you have to send out mass amounts of emails to various coaches, and if they have the position that you want to play available, they’ll come scout and look at you, and if they like

you, they’ll invite you to come visit, and you visit with your family, and you get to meet the team,” Raicevich said. “In some occasions, you’ll stay overnight and see what the dorms are like, what the the team is actually like, etcetera.” Wayne State’s medical program was also a draw for Raicevich. “Wayne, on top of volleyball and the coach … they also have really good medical programs, which is what I’m looking to go into,” she said. “And they just had all the stuff I was looking for academically as well. I just thought it would be a really good fit.” Raicevich hopes the shift from high school to collegiate volleyball will be a smooth one. “(I) absolutely loved the coach. I’ve been to a couple games this year, and he has always stopped me afterwards, and we’ve talked. You know, he’ll ask me how my high school team is doing. He’ll tell me what’s up and coming with their team, when they’re playing and stuff, and so far we have a really good relationship,” Raicevich said. “It’s funny because Wayne actually has the same colors as North. They’re green and gold too, and so he always jokes about how it’s gonna be an easy transition for me, and he even saved my number 14 for next year, too.” Raicevich anticipates living in the University Towers, a series of apartments set aside specifically for athletes. “It’s in more of an urban environment because it is in Detroit, but it is really clean. They’re cleaning it up a lot down there, so they’d have a lot of new buildings. It’s actually kind of modern, more than what people would think,” Raicevich said. Fellow North volleyball player junior Ingrid Carabulea values Raicevich as a teammate. “She’s all for the team, all for support. She can always predict what the other team is gonna do,” Carabulea said. “Her criticism is always constructive. She doesn’t put you down. It’s to make you better.” While Raicevich is excited about the competitive level of the games at Wayne State, she still loves playing for high school. “It’s definitely a faster pace, and I guess from North it’s more about team gelling as a whole and everybody coming together,” Raicevich said. “I mean it is (the same) with club and all my other teams I play for, too, but I don’t know, I really do love playing (for) high school, too, because it’s a chance to play with all your friends, and you see more people that you know on the other teams.” Playing on a college team is yet another step in Raicevich’s volleyball career. She started playing volleyball in fourth grade and played for a travel team in sixth grade, which prompted her to compete at the national level. “She started in fourth grade with Neighborhood Club, and after fourth grade, when she went into fifth grade, we decided that she would be better served playing for a volleyball club. They could teach her more volleyball skills there. That’s when she started playing for a volleyball club,” Raicevich’s mom Susan Raicevich said. “She played local for two years, and in sixth grade, she got pulled onto a national team. It was hand-picked by the coaches. They picked from the different types of teams they had for that age group. She’s been playing on a national travel team since she was 12 years old.” Finding out Wayne State had a reciprocal interest in her made the recruiting process worthwhile for Christa. “That’s the upside of the recruiting process. Once you find out like, ‘Oh, they’re interested in me, too.’ It’s actually really exciting. The stressful part is always making your decision because everyone’s pressuring you,” Christa said. “Some coaches set deadlines on when they want to know by, and some will be more lenient if you need more time. They’ll give you more time, but overall, it was exciting, and there’s parts of me that miss it (the recruiting process), but I’m still really happy with my choice.”

New tradition fades fast The annual junior vs. senior powderpuff game may be cancelled due to seniors’ lack of interest, while junior girls try to rally a team By Brittney Hernandez & Emily Martinbianco LIFE SECTION EDITOR & WEB SECTION EDITOR

The junior-senior powderpuff football game was sacked this year by the lack of senior enthusiasm. In hopes of reviving the game, which has been played annually since 2010, juniors Caro-

PHOTO BY KARINA LUCCHESE

line Bock and Lauren Frezza are tackling the task of rallying a team. “I have talked to my friends about it, and we are trying to plan it, but we don’t really know how,” Bock said. “We’ve tweeted out asking if people wanted to do it, and we have got a lot of positive responses.” The drama surrounding last year’s game has left seniors apprehensive. “It was awful last year. Everyone just got really frustrated that no one would go to practice. Everyone just kept blaming me and Maddy (Bessert), and everyone was frustrated because we lost. We were just getting pushed around by the seniors in the game,” senior Vita Aluia said. Continuing the fight for the game and the experience, Frezza has tried to spark interest. “I think it’s fun to play sports that girls usually can’t. I would like to recruit some of my junior fellers and try to get the seniors into it, if they really want to,” Frezza said. “I think they should just try it out. Last year probably won’t be the same as this year.” Despite the push from juniors, the seniors lack leadership and a team altogether. They also know that organizing can be more than stressful. “I would have organized it differently, but it’s a big responsibility, so I can see how it got really difficult to handle,” senior Meghan Veltri said. “I think we should take a year off and let the juniors take on the sophomores when they are seniors and juniors because we just need to reorganize because it was such a mess last year.” For juniors like Bock, who have looked forward to the event for two years, it’s that much harder to accept the seniors’ decision. “I remember when I was a freshman, I saw the upperclassmen do it, and I’ve been excited for it ever since,” Bock said. “I just remember people always doing it (powderpuff). I don’t remember there a year being without it. I just wanted to participate in it.” Bock recognizes the importance of senior participation just as well as the juniors. “I think the seniors should do it. They’re the seniors, so they’d probably win. I mean, usually the seniors win,” Bock said. “I know everyone in my grade wants to do it, but we can’t play unless we have a team to play against. We haven’t started anything for it. We haven’t had a practice or anything for it, but all the girls really want to do it.”

North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 3, 2014 – 7

NFL superstars tarnish game’s golden image By Katelyn Carney

SPORTS SECTION EDITOR

ESPN’s Twitter account has over 11.6 million followers. Last year’s Super Bowl game was watched by approximately 11.5 million people. The NFL says that 105.9 million viewers watched week one games. Needless to say, Americans are football fanatics. Being a fan, however, becomes much more difficult when the superstars are donning prison jumpsuits instead of shiny Nike uniforms. Orange Is the New Black should not refer to a team’s running back. The recent slew of NFL players charged with domestic violence would make one believe that general managers are scouring the prison yards to fill their 53-man rosters. The truth is, until TMZ exposed the NFL by airing Ray Rice’s elevator knock-out punch of his then-fiancé, domestic violence cases in the NFL got less notice than a third-string offensive lineman. TMZ, often criticized for its zany and unconventional coverage, should be applauded for drawing attention to this problem. The video that TMZ aired (and the NFL inexplicably could not), has everyone from NFL executives, sponsors and the public doing a 180 on this serious issue. Did we fall asleep? When did the game become dominated by thugs who cannot differentiate the sport’s aggressive nature on the field from everyday life? From the Patriots’ tight end, Aaron Hernandez, being charged with multiple murders, to the Vikings’ running back, Adrian Peterson, charged with child abuse for taking a tree branch to his four-year-old son, to Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston yelling expletives in the cafeteria at Florida State University, the game has turned ugly. This behavior has unfortunately even trickled down to the high school level. Cass Tech’s star quarterback, Jayru Campbell, recently became a Youtube sensation when he body slammed a school security guard for having the audacity to ask him to follow school rules. Apparently, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was satisfied with the status quo before sponsors began to pull their advertisments. It was only then that this multibillion dollar entity gained a moral compass and began to legislate serious consequences for these violations of the law. Is this what it boils down to? Are we so driven by dollar signs and blinded by stargazing that we are willing to make exceptions for our athletic heroes and sweep these misdeeds under the rug? Does the cost of a victory outweigh the price of morality? This is not a recent trend. Over the last decade, there have been scores of domestic violence cases against top NFL players, while the NFL offices handed down no suspensions whatsoever. Yet the league’s history shows that prior to multi-million dollar contracts, the number of crimes was drastically lower. Like the old adage says, money is the root of all evil. I find it refreshing to be part of an athletic program in which good sportsmanship is mandatory, both on and off the field. The respect and humility that composes a Norseman shines through each of us, athlete or not. The positive qualities which we absorb now are what make us unique and what will separate us from the crowd. During the North vs. South game, our student section never put down South with demeaning chants, despite the intensity of the rivalry. The good sportsmanship of the girls cross country team is often recognized by opposing spectators: last year, Stevenson High School parents composed a letter to Mrs. Murray to express their appreciation. Even the act of taking a knee when another player is injured demonstrates our teams’ respect not only for opponents, but the game itself. So, while our TV coverage may not compare with the NFL’s, and our skill set may not yet rival the pros, our standards are unwavering in spite of the challenges we face in and out of school. Are we sometimes tempted? Sure. But we know how to play by the rules when the game is at stake, and that’s what will bring us success. In the end, we’ll be the only ones truly celebrating with our own signature touchdown dance (one that won’t earn us a penalty).

FEATURE

8 – North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 3, 2014

When

HOCO NO-GO IS A

FREE OF CHARGE

save $50 on a dress you wear maybe twice

WIKIPEDIA.COM

Listen to Justin Timberlake performing “Suit and Tie” 360 times

E UT

RG O E. FF AM

R GD

. 14 2K

you can’t hate the music if you are picking it

enjoy 3 games of LIFE

100% decrease

in date drama

thing

Monopoly

take a -hour nap

(and see how many friendships you can ruin in 3 hours)

Dress Code isn’t a

play a lengthy game of

watch 16.4 episodes of

the entertainment is

you have 1000% more control over the grinding going on in your area

. CO

If dancing in large crowds just isn’t your thing, never fear. There are plenty of suitable alternates to gyrating in the school gym on a specific Saturday night. For those of you doing hoco at home this year, we’ve compiled a list of savings, advantages, suggestions for chilling and cool activities you could do to pass those three (or more) hours without losing your hearing.

$15

PER

STAFF REPORTER

save on a corsage or boutineer

R HB

FEATURE EDITOR

Contributing: Radiance Cooper

SUPERSMASHBROS.WIKIA.COM

Play 55 consecutive games of Super Smash Bros. Brawl (taking into account menu time)

By Audrey Kam

drive to Cedar Point with 30

minutes

left to spare

BITREBELS.COM

save $10-100 on hair, makeup, nails and generally making yourself look fancier

hold a conversation with friends without shouting

watch James Cameron’s Avatar IN ITS E NTIR IT Y

play approximately 9 games of C a n d y L a n d

$20-40 saved on food you don’t have to buy

(OR MAYBE JUST RUN IT UNDER 3 HOURS)

(or that you bought cheaper)

at least 50% of your weekend is now free for homework

RUN A RECORD-BREAKING MARATHON

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