North Pointe - Oct 17, 2014

PAGE 5 Members of Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DVAS) pursue their dreams to create music and play at venues within the metro Detroit area.

NORTH

POINTE

PHOTO COURTESY OF DVAS

GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

FRIDAY, OCT. 17, 2014

SINCE 1968

Invasions , thefts disturb homeowners

By Emma Puglia & Yena Berhane WEB MANAGING EDITOR & WEB SECTION EDITOR

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ESPN AND BRYAN CHRISTIE DESIGN

PSAT TESTING

Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 a.m. in the cafeteria

PICTURE RETAKE DAY

Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 a.m. in the Union

FINANCIAL AID NIGHT

Thursday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center

GPN CHOIR FALL CONCERT

Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center

ACT TESTING

“

Saturday, Oct. 25 at 8 a.m.

Contents:

1&2 News 3 Ideas 4 On Campus

5 6 7 8

Life Reviews Sports In-Depth

IDEAS

“IS

PRIDE OUR

COMMONALITY,

BUT WE ARE LETTING IT TEAR US APART. page 3

“

S.

LIFE

page 3

Concussion problems tackled head-on

By Anu Subramaniam CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

One minute during a hockey scrimmage turned into a yearlong struggle for senior Marisa Mieczkowski. She suffered a concussion during a game her junior year and has had to cope with its lasting effects.

“I was out for most of the school year. I was going to school for half-days and shortened amounts of time,” Mieczkowski said. “The lights at school really bothered me ... the fluorescent lights. Same thing with sounds, and school was just an overwhelming experience because my head just constantly hurt.”

After the recent deaths of three high school football players from sports-related injuries, concussions are again in the national spotlight. Recent studies reveal that concussions can yield off-the-field long-term effects.

In response, organizations like the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), have passed a series of mandates to help make collision and contact sports safer for students.

“With football, they’ve limited it to the number of contact days to two days a week, so they are trying to stop the collisions, the number of collisions going. They have also limited the number of hours a student can practice to try to alleviate some of that,” English teacher Joe Drouin said.

After seven concussions and many years of experience in football, hockey and lacrosse, Drouin is able to identify the symptoms.

He has played football since he was in sixth grade and has been coaching the sport for 18 years, most recently at Lakeview High School.

“Last year at Lakeview, we had to take a concussions awareness test before we could coach.

Before we could be involved with any of the athletes, we had to be certified in first aid and certified in concussion awareness

@myGPN

and recognition, so we were very squared away. I know the MAC (Macomb Area Conference) conference has mandated that all coaches do that,” Drouin said.

One of the main goals in taking preventative actions for concussions is to help students remain healthy off the field.

“Any injury that removes an athlete from full participation can be harmful both physically and emotionally if not treated appropriately. Concussions rank high on having, sometimes, devastating effects on academic performance, demeanor in social situations and short term cognitive development,” athletic trainer Sarah Florida said.

“Much of the attention today in media is on concussions, but I do want to reiterate that non-head injury ailments can also have an effect on athletes long term.”

Class of 2013 alumna Breann Reveley wasn’t declared healed from her concussion until six weeks after she dove for a volleyball and hit her head.

“I wasn’t allowed to practice for ... five weeks. I wasn’t allowed to even be in the gym,” Reveley said. “For six-and-a-half weeks I wasn’t allowed to take tests at school. I wasn’t allowed to write papers, and for the first three weeks, I didn’t even go to school.”

Drouin feels it is critical for students to receive appropriate recovery time.

“It’s easy to assess, ‘Oh, he’s got a broken leg, he’s in a cast, he’s not going to be able to play.’ But with a head injury, no one ever knows a head injury,” Drouin said. “And that is where building a rapport with athletes is really important because if you know the player real well, you’ll know how they are going to act, and you can tell when there is something that is just not right.”

The MHSAA’s goal in the mandate is to prevent injuries such as Reveley’s and Mieczkowski’s

www.myGPN.org

concussions, but there is no enforcement behind the policies.

“One of the big problems is that now there is no police on it,” Drouin said. “It’s basically self-protocol. It’s up to the coaches to abide by them, but it’s not like they are sending out the MHSA A police to say ‘Oh, you hit three days a week.’

So it’s really up to the coaches to be knowledgeable, up to the coaches to follow the rules and up to the coaches to keep an eye on their players.”

Drouin says the coach’s job is to channel the player’s aggression into a safe strategy that can create a winning situation. This also expands on the coach’s job to educate and prepare the players for collision situations.

“I feel like if you’re outfitted properly, you should be okay.

Without having a helmet on, mine probably would have been so much worse, like I probably could have been dead,” Mieczkowski said.

Drouin sees this as a problem for young kids all the way to college-level athletes.

“Of the 15 kids on my 4-yearold’s hockey team, I think Jake (Drouin’s son) is the only one whose helmet fits him properly.

The other parents buy a helmet and put it on him, whereas I got him with an extra small helmet that fits right and this is it, and other kids have an adult small helmet or an adult small helmet they can grow into,” Drouin said.

Children are put at an additional risk if their parents are unknowledgeable about protective gear, but young adults are still subject to ignorance on the topic of injury.

“And, this whole thing with Shane Morris (University of Michigan’s quarterback), somebody dropped the ball on that one,” Drouin said. “This kid had a concussion going back into the game, and who knows where the responsibility lies.”

VOLUME 47, ISSUE 3

A series of recent home invasions in the Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods area has residents seeing their city’s safe reputation and their valuable belongings slowly disappear.

Senior Hope Haynes witnessed the aftermath of these thefts when her neighbor’s house was broken into on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

“It’s crazy how people have the audacity to do it in the middle of the day and continue to do it and steal from people,” Haynes said.

The most commonly stolen items include televisions, vehicles and in Haynes’ neighbor’s case, a small dog named Oliver, who was anonymously returned the next day.

According to a message the Harper Woods Police Department sent out to the city’s residents, robberies began July 1 and have been frequent since then. In many of the cases, owners left their homes and cars unlocked. English teacher Andy Montague used to leave his front door unlocked, but has recently changed his habits.

“I didn’t even think about it.

When our children were younger, I think I even had this irrational idea that the boys might need access to the house,” Montague said. “We live directly across the street from our elementary school, which may also have contributed to our false sense of security.”

Police got a breakthrough Oct. 7 when a witness was able help identify the thieves. The Home Invasion Task Force quickly moved to an area in Detroit where suspects were allegedly storing stolen property. They took four suspects into custody and retrieved stolen property, but Grosse Pointe Woods police still urged residents in a press release to be “vigilant in their observations” and to continue safety precautions.

“It occurred to me that it’s probably the presence of the lock, not the strength of it, that matters in most cases. By taking a few simple precautions, like locking our home and cars, we could radically reduce the chance of becoming victims,” Montague said.

Contributing: Anu Subramaniam

Burglary rates in Grosse Pointe Woods by year (Per 100,000) 2008 - 2009

25 - 31

Increase

34 - 25

Decrease 2010 - 2011 2009 - 2010

33 - 31

Decrease

33

33

Stayed the same 2011 - 2012

© 2014 North Pointe

NEWS

2 – Friday, Oct 17, 2014 – North Pointe

Changes to AP U.S. History curriculum transforms classroom

think, eventually, they will use a lot of the same vocabulary on all the tests, which will be a welcome change.”

The new curriculum does not just affect testing, but also how lessons are taught.

“I think the difference is that we go more in-depth in certain areas, and (there’s) really a lot of teacher choice (for) where you want to go

By Mora Downs & Billy Moin in-depth more in a particular unit than it’s ever been before,” Steimer said.

ASSISTANT EDITORS Another change to the course was the adIn her 18 years of teaching Advanced Place- dition of a unit on Native American life before ment (AP) United States History, social studies European exploration. teacher Terri Steimer has never seen the cur“We learned that (Native Americans) were riculum change. mainly scattered around, and they were simThe entire course was recently revised by ple people, and that they’re the true discoverthe College Board and takes effect this year. ers of America,” current AP U.S. History stuThe Board designs and supervises all AP curri- dent sophomore Grace Sexton said. cula and changed the AP U.S. curriculum after Before the change, students started the year the 2013-2014 school year. with the beginnings of English colonization in “They listened to the college professors, and the North America. professors said that the biggest problem they “I remember learning about Native Amerisee with students, even kids who’ve taken AP, cans and colonial (settlement) in Jamestown is that they don’t seem to have enough thinking and the failed Roanoke colony and a lot of skills to think their way through something,” Native American wars and things of that naSteimer said. “They have lots of facts, and they’re ture,” former AP U.S. History student junior used to spitting out facts, but as far as pulling it Will McNelis said. together and thinking like a historian and tryMcNelis said that last year’s class was ing to figure something out, crammed as it was and they seem to lack that.” didn’t have room for anThe College Board aims other unit. to fix this at the high school “There was a lot of inforlevel by placing less emphamation, and it did go pretty sis on facts and more on quick, but if you kept up other tools. with it, it was manageable.”

“The focus is now more McNelis said. “Pretty much on historical thinking every day we learned new skills, developing argustuff, and it was pretty full.” ments, proving your point, Steimer believes that and there’s less emphasis the added unit can be on the memorization of obtaught without overscure facts,” Steimer said. whelming the students.

Terri Steimer These changes are “The old style was more SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER evident in the new testcoverage. You had to cover ing format. everything,” Steimer said.

“Multiple choice is not so fact-driven any- “Now ... you have to touch on certain expectamore. It’s more using information and syn- tions, but it gives you more choice to go a little thesizing information and reading complex more in-depth than you choose.” text and being able to decipher information, Not all schools have seen the changes in a but also infer,” Steimer said. “I would say that positive way. the major change is asking students to think “There are some teachers and historians more than they actually have to memorize and that don’t like the changes. They feel like the thinking like a historian.” focus of the College Board curriculum leaves This new testing style closely resem- out too many important things,” Steimer said. bles the ACT. Some school districts, like Jefferson County, “There will be a stem, which is generally a Colorado have even attempted to form their reading passage, a short reading passage or a own curriculum in place of the College Board’s. political cartoon or a piece of art. Then there’s However, Steimer plans to follow the current a series of three to five questions that follow,” curriculum regardless of her personal opinion.

Steimer said. “Some of them may be found di“Ultimately, I am not the judge of the Colrectly in the passage. Some of them expect you lege Board course,” she said. “I want to prepare to infer knowledge and have a base.” my students for the best performance that Steimer hopes the similar testing styles they’re capable of in May. I have to be very cogwill help students when it comes to taking nisant and abreast with the changes so that my the ACT as well. students can be successful.”

“All AP is gonna become more streamlined, Steimer knows that the initial adjustment to so hopefully the vocabulary, the directions the new course may be difficult, but expects it will be somewhat the same. The setup of the to improve over time. test cannot be the same for every discipline, “The first year can be a little rocky. It’s been but they’re going to streamline it as much as wonderful for us so far,” Steimer said. “Next possible,” Steimer said. “The AP College Board year I expect will be a lot different. I guess I and the ACT and SAT are the same board. So I would say it will be more comfortable.”

“

I would say that the major change is asking students to think more than they actually have to memorize and thinking like a historian.

”

Honor cords revoked for graduation

Rainbow-colored cords will no longer appear on the graduation gowns of students in the National Art Honors Society (NAHS). Starting this year, NAHS members will not be allowed to wear them at graduation. The rainbow cords recognize a student’s achievements in art studies. Art teacher Michael Lamb heads the society.

“They are still allowed to wear their tassle that acknowledges that they are in art honors, just not their cord,” Lamb said.

Senior Lauren Nyquist, president of the club, is not concerned with the cords being taken away, but says that recognition of student effort will go unrecognized.

“The honors cords are very valued in our club and are closely associated with the hard work we put into our art,” Nyquist said. “Without those cords, the feeling of recognition received by those cords would be lost.”

NAHS members are working to register their chapter to get their rainbow cords back.

“We are working on registering so thankfully we will be able to provide that sense of recognition to our members,” Nyquist said.

District proposes millage renewal In order to provide continued maintenance for the school and its facilities the district is asking residents to vote to renew two millage proposals. A millage rate is a rate used to calculate property tax, and the current millages provide 25% of the school district’s budget. The renewal would continue the current property tax rates for next year.

“There are two millage renewals on the Nov. 4 ballot. One is the operating millage, also known as the combined-homestead and non-homestead proposal. The second is the sinking fund,” GPPSS Community Relations Specialist Rebecca Fannon said.

The sinking fund would contribute to maintenance, while the operating millage would allow the district to levy up to 18.00 mills (one mill is a tenth of a cent) for operating purposes.

All of the funds collected will remain in the district and be used for student costs.

The district has already earmarked money for roof repairs, parking lots and lighting.

“These make up 25% or approximately $25 million of our annual schools’ budget,” Fannon said. “If these don’t pass, many programs and services would end, class sizes would rise, schools could close. This is a substantial amount for the district.”

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North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 – 3

Head first towards success “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

College Board’s iron grip is too strong

Diving into cold water has been my life.

People call swimming a sport, but it’s more than a sport to me—it’s a lifestyle. It’s waking up at 5 a.m., swimming before school, then swimming again after school. It’s spending half of my life chilled in a damp bathing suit. It’s using too MY TURN much moistur- OLIVIA ASIMAKIS izer to soothe my chlorine-dried skin, and it’s showing up to practically every important event in my life with wet hair.

But the freezing water isn’t even the worst of it. Try submerging your head, face down, for two hours doing nothing but staring at a black line, and try and tell me it’s enjoyable— I’ll have a laugh. There’s no music to distract me, no friends to laugh with during my workout. My best friend becomes the wall, where I can pause and take a breather.

The strokes are exhausting, and yes, Michael Phelps makes it look really easy, but I wouldn’t rely on his example. Because of the rigor swimming puts my body through, sore muscles and cramps are a daily occurrence.

The simple action of breathing takes extensive energy. I have to use all my strength to lift my body into the air to regain oxygen for just half a second. When I’m not breathing, I must focus on the race while my body and mind scream for a break.

Swimming doesn’t just take a physical toll on me. It also takes a mental one.

Putting forth all those hours requires dedication, tolerance and love for the sport, characteristics I lack at times. However, the constant pressure to perform well has the ability to mess with my head regardless of

how I’m feeling. People ask me all the time, “If you don’t like it, why do you do it?”

Sometimes I may joke that I don’t have a choice. But really? It’s the feeling of accomplishment.

There are plenty of moments in my life I’ve felt triumphant. But there is nothing that compares to getting my fastest time. At the end of a race, if I look up at the scoreboard and see I’ve beaten my best time, it brings nothing but an overwhelming sense of pride, joy and satisfaction. This mere sight relaxes my competitive nature. After training all season, spending all those hours to shave off a fraction of a second and despite my limbs feeling like limp noodles, I can simply smile.

Hard work translates into results.

Whether you earned an A, made a new friend or received a sought-after job, you accomplished something. Hard work and achievement play hand-in-hand—you cannot have one without the other. The fulfillment I get finishing a race can’t be compared to any other feeling of success. I can spend all year focused on my swimming goal, and when I finally reach it, I’m captivated by the moment. There are many different moments in life that can classify as success, but to me, each one feels unique.

My best time is always changing. The satisfaction I feel is temporary, although, because soon enough, that best time won’t be fast enough. I will have a new time to beat, so I’m constantly pursuing it.

Goals cannot be permanent. We’re growing, so in turn, our goals must evolve. The real beauty of reaching any goal has two parts: the initial joy and the chance to find a new one. Working toward success shouldn’t stop because there will always be a “time to beat.”

I’m just happy I’ve found a sport that demands a constant chase.

CAMRYN HARRIS

With more and more colleges demanding to see the rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) courses on students’ transcripts, the demand for AP classes has increased across the country.

For each AP subject, the College Board provides a list of suggested topics that a teacher should cover for students to succeed on the AP test. Courses essentially consist of teachers preparing their students to pass the AP test, so the suggestions are more like requirements.

When the College Board changes the test, it usually changes the structure and some of the content that is covered during the course. For AP United States History (APUSH) the College Board revised the exam to emphasize the negatives of U.S. history and to focus more on how to answer questions instead of learning information for a multiple-choice test.

Previously, the College Board listed suggested topics APUSH teachers should cover. The new curriculum specifically outlines broad concepts that will be tested on the exam. The new course description launched a conservative backlash, even earning a condemnation from the Republican National Committee, which disapproved of its emphasis on negative facets of U.S. history. In Texas, the State Board of Education passed a resolution asking that the APUSH curriculum be rewritten to eliminate political bias.

This hullabaloo raises the questions of how to teach oftencontroversial topics and to what extent our interpretation of history is colored by our politics or biases. But on closer examination, it’s the scope of the College Board’s influence, not the content of its curriculum, that is truly troubling. Who has the right to determine what students learn: a local school board or a company?

One company—a private company—has the power to simply change a test and shift curricula across the country.

When the College Board focuses its tests on certain topics, classrooms follow suit. The new negatively focused AP curriculum gives students a biased education that’s not wellrounded. Many topics were removed from the curriculum, and the emphasis on retaining the facts from class has been now shared with analyzing prompts. The College Board does not decide what must be taught in classrooms, but all AP classes teach according to the test, as the goal of the class is to have as many students as possible pass the APUSH test and receive college credit.

In Colorado, the Jefferson County school board debated the merits of the College Board’s redesigned course and found fault with its perceived focus on issues of slavery, discrimination and injustice as the major players in the development of our country.

Instead, they proposed a curriculum that promotes patriotism.

In response, students and teachers skipped school to protest the board’s “censorship” of American history.

The government and school districts no longer have much control of student education. Increasing numbers of students—in 2013 there were 4 million exams taken—are signing up for more difficult classes that are under the influence of the College Board.

Curriculums are meant to teach. Education is not about glossing over the uncomfortable truth. Although we are a nation founded on liberty, equality and justice, we are also a country that was sustained on death, racism and cutthroat monopolies. The bad is just as important as the truth when it comes to the story of our country, and that should not be overlooked. In this sense, Jefferson should not be changing their curriculum. However, this situation should not have arisen in the first place. The changes made were unnecessary. However, the controversy they have created is necessary to protest the shift of educational power into the hands of big business.

“I guess there’s a chance you could get injured. Personally, I don’t really like contact sports because it’s just not—it’s not for me.”

Elijah Manson FRESHMAN

“I think that it is dangerous depending on what kind of sport ... I would probably never play a full-on contact sport.”

Francesca Leone SOPHOMORE

“There are high risks depending on what sport you’re playing and how hard you get hit.”

Rico Clark JUNIOR

YOUR TURN: What is your opinion on the risk of contact sports?

By Yena Berhane & Sydney Benson

“I tore my ACL in basketball ‘cause I loved the sport, and it was worth it, but I mean now I don’t do any physical sports because I’m afraid I’m going to injure myself again.”

Georgina Goralcyzk SENIOR

“It depends on what sport.

I don’t do too much contact sports. I’ve been injured before, but you can’t just end a contact sport. Every sport’s got contact in it.”

Joe Mesi SECURITY GAURD

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 there are a lot of physical risks, but proper practice and technique helps alleviate a lot of the physical risks.”

Joe Drouin

ENGLISH 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 HALEY REID

Divided we fall It is impossible to spell community w ithout the word unity—five letters that have fallen through the cracks of the district div iding line at Moross.

The animosity is apparent in the way that both South and North students clench their jaws and scrunch their brows in pure anger at one another. We are all guilty.

As the year has progressed, the tension between our high schools has escalated. Police have taken action. Students are suffering. Continuous vandalism, theft and threatening words have ever yone on edge.

Friendly competition has turned to war.

It began as a prank, but I’m no longer laughing.

Revenge-seeking students are going aw r y, tr ying to execute the most damaging crime they can w ithout hav ing to face criminal charges.

Tw itter feeds are stocked w ith news regarding the latest “prank.”

Ever yone stop. Think for a moment.

I ask all Norsemen and all Blue Dev ils to consider: W hat is even at stake?

W hat are we battling over? There is no prize to be lost or gained.

W hile we fight over who’s the “better” school, we tarnish ourselves in the process. In the end, we’ve become greedy. In a fight over who is better, we’ve both lost.

“W ho has been suspended? ” has escalated to “W ho is being arrested? ” I’m sick and tired.

I’m disappointed.

The image of Grosse Pointe is crumbling in our hands. We are better than that. Community-w ide, our academics show it. The pouring in of our college acceptance letters shows it. Our rankings are outstanding. We are inventive, unique, intelligent.

If we have pride, then we should be protecting our schools. They’re our homes for seven hours a day, five days a week. By instilling v iolence and hate, aren’t we ruining the env ironment that we were supposed to be protecting?

I bleed green and gold.

North is where I grew, where I became a person I’m proud of. My teachers are not only my support system but, also my friends. My education has been impeccable.

I can see that South students feel that same unconditional love for their school.

Maybe that’s why we get so defensive, why we quarrel like the Montagues and Capulets. School spirit runs through our veins in Grosse Pointe. Don’t you see? Pride is our commonality, but we are letting it tear us apart.

Our rivalr y is inev itable, but this grow ing hatred is not. Let’s keep the competition on the football field.

ON CAMPUS

4 – North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 17, 2014

Girls cross country runs for a cure The girls cross country team held a walk on the track on Sunday, Oct. 12 to support cancer and ALS. Through donations and a bake sale, the team raised over $1,800.

By Alanna Sparks & Sydney Benson PHOTO EDITOR & INTERN

FACES IN THE CROWD Steven Licari

A Ferris Bueller lookalike and crowd favorite at the pep assembly, senior Steven Licari performed the “Twist and Shout” dance number from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Licari’s pep band friends convinced the former pep band member to be the honorary Ferris Bueller.

“I didn’t really think it would happen,” Licari said. “I was just thinking, ‘Okay they want to do something, but are they actually gonna organize this?’ Turns out they did.”

Although student activities director Pat Gast and the pep band planned the routine, Licari had to rehearse his dance solo the week of the pep assembly.

However, he wasn’t anxious about the performance.

“I figured the more people there are, the less I’m going to be able to notice how badly someone makes fun of me messing up,” Licari said.

After dancing in front of over a thousand students and faculty, Licari received plenty of positive feedback from his peers.

“That day, I was basically a celebrity,” Licari said.

Devyn La Valley Most people think computer classes are hard work, but for senior Devyn La Valley, they are her passion.

La Valley takes computer graphics with art teacher Michael Lamb.

“Computer class (is) where you work with Photoshop and Illustrator and other programs,” La Valley said.

La Valley mostly focuses on school projects for Lamb’s class, but her designs have also been used on t-shirts.

“At school, I have made a logo for the Norsemen K.N.O.T.S and logo for Autism Awareness,” La Valley said.

She is currently working on putting together a portfolio to send to colleges.

“Right now, I’m working on a portfolio, and the deadline is Dec. 1, if I want to get a full scholarship or the highest possible scholarship,” La Valley said.

ABOVE: Freshmen Stephanie Schaefer and Maria LaRose show their decorated Cross Country shirts. “My cross country coach, Coach Cooper, encouraged the team to come and show support for the event,” Schaefer said. “It was a lot of fun and very uplifting.”

RIGHT: To support their team and the cause, seniors Katie Russo and Delaney Bennett walk around the track. “I guess I would have to say my favorite part of the walk was just seeing everyone from the team and their families come out to support such an important cause,” Bennett said.

Keenan Bakowski

ABOVE: Sophomores Sarah Corbet, Clarissa Kam and Valerie Matula simultaneously support the cause and practice by jogging around the track as members of the cross country team. “I ran it because of the team and everyone who is struggling, has died, or survived through one or both of the diseases,” Kam said.

LEFT: Cross country coach Elizabeth Michaels, senior Gabby Tatum and coach Scott Cooper make conversation during their walk. “I think it’s great to have all these girls show up to support a cause like this,” Cooper said.

While many freshmen boys are trying out for football or soccer, freshman Keenan Bakowski practices fencing.

Bakowski was inspired by watching his older brother play and decided to pursue it himself.

Keenan started the sport at the Neighborhood club in 2011.

“Not a lot of people do fencing, and I would like to have a fencing team at North.

But for now, I meet up with people at the War Memorial and fence,” Bakowski said.

Bakowski doesn’t see himself becoming a professional fencer, but he hopes to fence throughout high school and into college.

By Emma Puglia, Allison Lackner & Lauren Sexton

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Orchestra teacher Noah Zogas

By Dora Juhasz & Emily Martinbianco WEB SECTION EDITORS

JEFFERY VALENTIC

Orchestra teacher Noah Zogas is a professional violinist, a sailing enthusiast and owner of a photobooth rental company. “I started violin in the third grade, and I’ve been playing ever since,” Zogas said.

A mild wind, endless waves and a calm, sunny day is the perfect combination of bliss for new orchestra teacher Noah Zogas. After riding in a sailboat as a baby, Zogas developed a passion for sailing.

“I like to sail, which is wonderful because I’m back here living in Grosse Pointe, and I’m right on the lake,” Zogas said. “I can get out on a boat a lot more than I could on the little reservoir I drove over to in Indianapolis.”

After recently returning from Indiana, Zogas now has many more opportunities to practice his childhood hobby. He participates in races for sail clubs, and anchors himself on his friends’ boats throughout the year.

“We don’t have any more boats, but I now like jumping on someone else’s because I don’t have to clean it, wash it and take care of it,” Zogas said.

When Zogas was a child, he and his parents took vacations around areas like the Georgian Bay and the North Channel.

“Every summer, we would take the boat out for six to eight weeks at a time,”

Zogas said. “Summers were awesome.

It was: fall asleep to the sound of the water, wake up to jumping in the lake and swimming and fishing and hiking, a lot of blueberry picking, a lot of going into Mackinaw. It was great.”

When he is not on the water, Zogas immerses himself in another craft: music. His original plan was to become a professional violin player, but his love for teaching allowed him to create a perfect balance.

“In Indiana, I was a member of a few different local symphonies, where we would have multiple performances, and I would be a sub,” Zogas said.

“So I am a professional violinist as well as a teacher. That was a great experience because I got to take the whole classical world, which I really enjoyed, and bring that into the classroom. Violin is my passion. It always will be.”

Though music is his first priority and career, his best childhood memories are harbored with his family on a sailboat.

“I had a great childhood because of music and being on a boat in the summer,” Zogas said. “I am where I am today because of my experiences as a child.”

What’s your favorite part about being a teacher?

I love working with kids, and it’s a lot of fun, and I like seeing them accomplish something in the instrument and accomplishing something as a team and ensemble.

Do you make your own music?

I do not compose. I do sometimes when I play the wrong notes, so think about it that way.

What was the most unique experience you’ve had in the past five years?

Coming back home. Me and my girlfriend, we met at Butler (University), and she’s also a professional violinist, and she lives in the Park, so we were both able to move back at the same time, and we are both transitioning. Just coming home and getting immersed in the Michigan world.

Do you have any other hobbies besides sailing and music?

I own a small business. I own a photo booth rental company, so I am in the process of getting rid of that, and the past few months have been crazy.

What is your history with teaching?

It is my first year at North. I taught in Indiana, in a town west of Indianapolis called Brownsberg, and I taught orchestra there for three years.

LIFE

North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 – 5

Kate Derringer, Zoe Edwards, Kerri Pearce and Ava Easttake the stage at Elijah’s House of Dirt on May 8.

All-girl psychedelic punk band riffs its way to fame

By Andrea Scapini & Brittney Hernandez CO-MANAGING EDITOR & LIFE EDITOR

Weekdays spent at three-hour practices and Saturday nights devoted to dark, noisy venues have become a norm for senior Kate Derringer, the bassist for Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DVAS).

The group formed in January 2014 when Grosse Pointe South senior and drummer Kerri Pearce contacted Derringer to see if she was interested in starting a band.

“One of the main things that I wanted to do when we started the band was to inspire other female musicians to get out there and do it and don’t be intimidated by the male-dominated field,” Pearce said.

Derringer and Pearce set out to find other female musicians. Derringer recruited Lakeview High School senior Ava East to be the band’s guitarist. East’s friend, Macomb Community College student Zoe Edwards, auditioned to be DVAS’ singer.

“After the first song, even mid-way through, we were looking at each other and nodding,” Derringer said. “We’re really different, but we’re similar in the essential ways that we can get along ... We usually agree on things, and if we don’t, we can work things out really well.”

Artists like Led Zeppelin, as well as a taste for 60s psychedelic rock and early 80s hardcore punk, are major inf luences for their music and have molded the band’s image.

“I would say that we all have the same interests in mind and the same goals, but all of us have different personalities, but they don’t all contrast harshly with each other,” East said.

“We each bring something to the table that makes into a super person. We all come together, and it just works.”

Since debuting in April 2014, DVAS has recorded three of their songs with producer Jim Diamond at Ghetto Records in Detroit.

“I just wanted to give them the experience of recording some songs in a real studio, and it was a lot of fun for all of us. I was very proud of the songs we did together. They did a great job, especially for never having been in a studio before,” Diamond said. “They’re all really talented, and I really think it’s awesome to see women rocking out—rock and roll is such a dude’s world.”

The girls are in the process of recording their first album, which they plan to release in late November on www.vipersquad-detroit. bandcamp.com.

In the meantime, DVAS members play venues within the metro Detroit area.

“To get a show, you either email a venue, you send them your music and ask for a show, and usually they’ll respond to you and set up a date, or another band will ask you to play a show with them,” Derringer said. “We’ve been

getting a lot of people asking us to play with them, so it’s pretty easy to find shows.”

The venues DVAS currently plays differ greatly from those in which Derringer is used to performing at. In previous years, Derringer was in another band, but they played covers and were less serious. Other than that, she’s played for school organizations.

“When I performed with my jazz groups, I was really nervous because I was kind of out of my element. A lot of the other people were better than me, so I was really intimidated,” Derringer said. “But with this, each part blends together really well. I don’t feel like I’m sticking out at all. I feel like we’re all at the same level, and we haven’t really had any bad reactions in the crowd, so I don’t have that to worry about.”

Derringer struggles to find time for school and family with DVAS in the mix.

“She’s blowing her curfew more often. She’s playing in places that I wouldn’t normally like her to go, like bars, and (is) staying out later,” Derringer’s mom Nancy Derringer said. “But, you know, at this point, she’s almost 18—she’s a senior. She has to learn to get along in the world. So I figured this is one way to do it.”

Though DVAS future is not set in stone, Derringer plans on continuing to balance school and music, even while away at college.

“I was thinking about going to U of M,” Derringer said. “If I get in, I’ll definitely go there and keep the band going because I definitely don’t want to throw this away. I’ve talked to my mom about it, and she said she was gonna try to arrange for me to be able to get back out here for practice with metro cars and the buses. It’s only 45 minutes away, so we’re going to continue to try to do this in college.”

In hopes of luring in a larger fan base and expanding their potential success, DVAS plan to perform across the United States for three weeks this summer.

The girls have big dreams for their band’s progression and hope that this is just the beginning of a crescendo rise to fame.

“Since all of us really are so into this, so dedicated, so supported, I want to wish for this to go somewhere. We worked so hard, and we’re not even there yet. We will continue to work hard and push for that, push for greatness … I don’t think we’re entitled to anything at all, but I just hope that our hard work pays off. That’s what I hope,” East said. “It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, but we make it work because we love each other, and we love what we’re doing, and that’s I think the most important thing.”

Scan QR code to listen to DVAS’s upcoming album.

Senior Kate Derringer plays her bass at Dally In The Alley in Detroit on Sept. 6.

“Dally in the Alley was amazing because I got up on stage and there was 400 people in the crowd,” Derringer said. “It was just like, ‘Woah there are so many people watching us. I can’t believe this.’”

The band poses in Hamtramck Disneyland for their first photo shoot as DVAS.

Portrait of DVAS drawn by drummer Kerri Pearce.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DVAS

6 – Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 – North Pointe

REVIEWS

Not that kind of girl

By Jen Kusch

Lena Dunham is flawed: she is awkward, uneasy and has a serious case of OCD. Despite her flaws—or maybe because of them—she has been a beacon of light in an age of self absorption, toddlers in tiaras and airbrushed magazine covers.

Dunham’s alter-ego Hannah Horvath once said, “I don’t want to freak you out, but I think I may be the voice of my generation. Or at least a voice. Of a generation.”

Dunham—the writer, director and star of HBO’s hit comedy Girls—is a woman synonymous with awkwardness and on-screen nudity. She bares it all in the fleshiest, most uncomfortable sense of the word.

Dunham has become a household name for more than just the angsty student set. Her film Tiny Houses was critically acclaimed, and Girls was nominated for a slew of Emmys and Golden Globes.

As the actress has now tackled the memoir that is supposed to speak for all socially awkward 20-somethings that are straddling the suffocation of dependence and the scary abyss that is independence in a modern world.

Not That Kind of Girl is a collection of essays based on Dunham’s own coming-ofage. The book is an expansion of the experiences Dunham, 28, has already based her entire TV show around.

The creative mind and protagonist behind the HBO hit, she acts out her own journey into adulthood as her alter-ego Hannah Horvath. Dunham has become the most unconventionally famous actress since Gabourey Sidibe from Precious. Her scenes bare it all, literally and figuratively.

When Dunham’s not flashing you on screen or making you feel increasingly uncomfortable with her awkward antics, she is writing about the reality of growing up in the modern world.

These stories are not the vanilla-and-sprinkles tales of self-awareness and coming into one’s own. Instead, they are cringe-worthy re-

countings of a normal-to-weird girl making mistakes that lead you to feel uneasy, but also accepted.

It is made glaringly clear that none of us are even remotely perfect, especially not Dunham herself, a Cinderella-story writer/ actress who has stumbled upon fame and fortune despite seeming like an average, dysfunctional, imperfect-looking girl.

Not That Kind of Girl is unflinchingly real.

The topics are somewhat jarring but also welcome in a world surrounded by the appearance of perfection. Awkward loss of virginity?

Check. Date rape? Check. Platonic cuddling with strangers? Check. Every single uncomfortable and inappropriate moment from her life is on these pages, and it is made clear that Dunham’s signature is oversharing.

The book consists of a collection of essays that are sorted by topic. They cover love, life, work and growth in arguably the most creative city in the world. While some of the pieces are short, sweet and truly original, others feel thrown together in a hodge-podge of TMI. An eleven-page food diary and “Emails I Would Send if I Were One Ounce Crazier/Angrier/Braver” seem to revel in tediousness and self-indulgence.

When you’re the subject of your own book, you need to have control over your content. Not everyone cares about what you ate for breakfast, and people who aren’t fans won’t continue reading when they’re trying to wipe their memories of the repellent experiences Dunham relishes in.

Although the book is unique and intriguing, it has major faults. Egocentrism. Repetition.

Self indulgence. Most importantly, it seems like worn-out material.

For those new to Dunham’s work, this won’t seem to apply. However, Dunham has led the I’m-awkward-and-fat-and-it’s-awesome train before, and it’s getting a little old.

She is only 28. How much satisfyingly uncomfortable and grippingly real material can she spread among three seasons of Girls, a memoir and a movie before she repeats an act?

The characters in Girls are based on Dunham’s own real-life friendships, so the stories she tells seem old and dry because we’ve all been there and done that. Her work orbits her own life, but in doing so, intersects and comes perilously close to collision.

Although Not That Kind of Girl is based on the same experiences as the show, the book offers a much-needed reprieve from the controversy that is Lena Dunham.

How? Well, considering she can’t strip down, it’s a lot more family-friendly. Although roughly half the book shows what she’s learned from experiences of a more explicit nature, Dunham does offer something that Hannah never could: hope.

Hannah spends her time on screen whining about the fact that her parents had the nerve to cut her off at (gasp!) 24 years of age and trying to write a memoir about her life experiences, even though in the grand scheme of things she is practically straight off the boat of immaturity and naïveté.

Dunham, however, acknowledges her own mistakes and instead serves them up with sarcasm and regret in the hopes of sparing her readers from the same journey.

Although Not That Kind of Girl lacks an original tone, the message it’s meant to communicate is something not said enough in this age of perfection and narcissism. Lena Dunham is who she is today—successful, happy and awkward—because of her ungainly growing experiences. This message is refreshing in a world of skinny models with perfect composure.

THIS IS ALL YOURS

CAMERA+

FOREVER

SELFIE

Straight out of the psychedelic wavelength in which the band exists, the new alt-J album This Is All Yours is born.

Faithful to their WWW.ITUNES.APPLE.COM unique and rhythmic sound, the trip-hop band has unleashed another stellar album.

Unfazed by the departure of a band member, this newly trio-ed group’s iconic sound lingers and their gusto bursts within every song.

The multi-toned album sways from sorrowful to spooky to breezy within each of the 14 whimsical tracks. The instrumentally-driven tunes fade and bursts with the hypnotic voice of lead singer, Joe Newman.

The new, intoxicating tracks tap into rock roots, as this alternative band thrills audiences full of the die-hard fans. While still staying true to their well-known sound, altJ’s new music exhibits an extra spark.

In the spinning haze of the all-consuming, head bobbing tunes, “Left Hand Free” dazzles as the crowning jewel of the album and has already smashed the charts with its “speakeasy” vibe. The band makes their journey to and from Nara within the songs “Arrival In Nara,” “Nara,” and “Leaving Nara.” The recurring theme resonates throughout the whole album, showing songwriting talent and skill. Traces of a possible cryptic tale lead listeners-turned-conspiracy theorists to believe there is more to this album than just a few random songs with indecipherable words fused together.

This album trips, dips and peaks through its constant rhythm, sending the carefree and slightly incoherent vibe of their debut album, with a hint of fresh inspiration, without disappointing.

With social media outlets like Twitter and Instagram gaining more and more followers, photoediting apps ITUNES.APPLE.COM have also been on the rise. New to the trend is Camera+.

The app comes with a pre-installed camera, and while it may be convenient for a casual photographer, it’s blurry, and users are better off using the regular camera native to their iPhones.

Despite asking to access location services and send push notifications during installation, the app can’t access the photo album until the user grants permission a second time. This is fairly annoying.

When editing the photo, users have the option to make the photo’s background or the entire photo lighter or darker. This feature isn’t new to photoediting apps, but most apps don’t have as many options when it comes to brightness.

Another typical feature for a photo app is being able to crop the picture to any size. Camera+ offers this option but also allows the user to crop the photo specifically to fit the wallpaper size for an iPhone’s background, which is really helpful.

Like any good editing app, Camera+ comes with a variety of filters. There are 54 filters in all, but 18 of them require an additional purchase of $0.99, which is outrageous for an app that already costs $1.99.

If you’re really keen on editing photos, then this app might be worth it. But if you’re just looking for an acceptable filter for your Instagram selfie, skip the trip to the app store and high price tag and stick to the filters in your iPhone.

Im mor ta l it y isn’t a gift. It’s a curse.

ABC’s Tuesday fall lineup now includes the show Forever staring Ioan Gruffudd, best WWW.PMCDEADLINE2.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM known for his role of Reed Richards in Fantastic Four.

In Forever, Gruffudd plays Dr. Henry Morgan, New York’s top medical examiner and doctor of death. But he has a problem. His life is never-ending.

In an incident over two centuries ago aboard an African slave ship, Morgan was murdered and then cursed with immortality. Today, he is desperately trying to find a way out of the curse so he can age and die for real.

Morgan has kept this curse a secret, knowing the consequences if people in the medical field found out. However, the only person he is aware of that knows is Abe, his roommate and the owner of an antique store.

Morgan is portrayed as a stubborn character, but he has a change of heart when he partners up with Jo Martinez, a female homicide detective intrigued by their differences. Morgan and Martinez take on different homicide cases to figure out why they are all linked together.

Out of the entire ABC Tuesday lineup, this is by far the best show.

The story plot of each episode is clear and fascinating. The props such as the bodies, weapons and blood are very realistic. The show has a perfect combination of dry humor and crime fiction. It’s unique plot and intense scenes will intrigue science fiction and suspense fans alike.

OMG. Selfie debuted Sept.

30, 2014. The romantic sitcom was created by executive producer EmWWW.SIDEREEL.COM/SELFIE ily Kapnek.

Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) works in marketing and is a social media addict, obsessed w ith her body, looks and herself in general. She is Instafamous w ith 263,000 followers, but her life takes an embarrassing turn when a v iral v ideo makes her a laughing stock.

Henr y Higgs (John Cho) tries to help Eliza revamp her image in the real world. There is obv ious chemistr y between them, and the v iewer can guess they w ill eventually end up as a couple.

Perhaps one of the big reasons ABC created Selfie is to compete w ith NBC’s new show A to Z, another romantic sitcom.

The acting in Selfie is spot on. Gillan, who played Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy is rising quickly in the acting world. She’s Scottish but has to have an American accent in Selfie, and she nails it. The way she talks make it clear she is one of those girls obsessed with herself, so it works perfectly.

In Selfie, ABC brings attention to the deep impact social media and the Internet have on our lives today.

Eliza mocks people who are glued to their phones and check their latest status ever y five seconds. You can tell Eliza is a big joke by the way she talks, walks and dresses.

Selfie is hysterical, intriguing, has a good message and is a great addition to ABC.

IDEAS EDITOR

Not That Kind of Girl

By Lena Dunham 288 pp. Random House. $28.00.

SIDEWALKHUSTLE.COM

Camera+; tap tap tap LLC; Sept. 30, 2014; Available for alt-J; This Is All Yours; Infectious Records; 2014

Apple products with iOS8; $1.99

By Emily Martinbianco

By Mora Downs

Forever; 2014; TV-14; ABC; Tuesdays at 10 p.m.

By Lauren Sexton

Selfie; 2014; TV-14; ABC; Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

By Caitlin Bush

SPORTS

North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 – 7

Sophomore kicks his way onto two fall varsity teams

By Emma Brock & Josie Bennett ASSITANT EDIOTRS

The NFL: No Fun League

By Katelyn Carney

SPORTS EDITOR

No touchdown celebrations. No Sharpies for signing the game ball. No cell phones hidden in the goal posts for touchdown celebrations. No dunking on the goal posts.

And now no Beats.

It’s all just another part of the No Fun League.

Bose recently signed a deal with the NFL making it “the official sound of the NFL.” Bose is providing top-of-theline headsets to coaches and officials, but there’s always a catch, right? This partnership has the league tightening restrictions on players both on and off the field.

Most recently, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, was seen on Oct. 9 wearing Beats by Dre headphones during a postgame press conference. The NFL considers this an “unauthorized time.” The real kicker is that Kaepernick is a paid endorser of Beats by Dre and is being penalized for doing his job. Nevertheless, he was fined $10,000.

In order to avoid additional penalties, Kaepernick taped over the Beats logo at a subsequent press conference on Oct. 13.

Other players are joining in the mockery, too. Both Richard Sherman and Tom Brady have been sporting non-Bose headphones at recent NFL events.

This fine isn’t a one-time occurrence. Washington Redskins quarterback, Robert Griffin III was fined $10,000 on two separate occasions for wearing an Adidas logo.

Griffin endorses Adidas, but the league no longer has an agreement with the company.

Cam Newton, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, was fined $10,000 last season for sporting Under Armour clips on his helmet. Like Kaepernick, Newton ignored the league’s Beats ban this year, despite the risk of paying for the violation.

In hindsight, $10,000 is barely a fraction of what these players make per season, but is that a reason to suppress players’ autonomy? A reason to say that the league’s investments reign supreme on the turf?

It’s wrong. The NFL is sending a message (intentionally or not) that their endorsements are higher priority than those any league player may have. In this situation, both groups are making financial gains, and to be honest, players have the right to sign endorsement deals, too. Insignificant fines and restrictions clearly aren’t resolving the issue.

The NFL may believe they are drawing the public’s attention away from Bose’s competition, but Beats publicity only increases as more players continue to not only ignore the rules, but take fines because of it. It’s the greatest advertisement a company could wish for. Isn’t rule number one of marketing to ensure consumers talk about your product?

So, good job NFL. Now, not only is the league under intense scrutiny for domestic violence cases, but now it’s drumming up publicity for competitors by making a mountain out of a molehill.

The entirety of this situation really boils down to one thing: money. If you want to advertise in the NFL, you have to pay. And when athletes endorse other companies on more than just their free time, that eliminates a potential client. To the big guys and their high-paying customers, that’s not okay.

Does the NFL really want another 2011? If the pattern continues, this could lead to another breakdown between athletes and officials. The league should recognize that a few paltry $10,000 checks won’t cover the price of another lockout.

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As the crowd of North students stormed Grosse Pointe South’s football field, the adrenaline kicked in for sophomore Kevin Topciu, as he realized he wanted to be a part of North’s varsity football team.

“That was the day I pretty much told myself that ‘alright, I’m definitely playing after I saw us beat them.’ It got me excited,” Topciu said. “I talked with the coach afterwards, and then he told me when to come (try out) and that’s pretty much when I decided I actually wanted to play.”

Now, in addition to kicking field goals, Topciu also scores for the varsity soccer team. While football has only been a fun pastime with friends, soccer has been a big part of Topciu’s life. He has been playing since he was 4 years old.

Topciu manages overlapping practices for both sports, making it to both without any troubles. Soccer ends around 5 p.m., and football ends around 5:45 or 6 p.m. Topciu has to change in between practices, which takes about 15 minutes.

As an year-round athlete, Topciu is used to a busy sport schedule, but he has never juggled two sports at once. The challenge he faces with playing both is the exhaustion that comes fromhis daily routine.

“I get out of school, go to the locker room. I change for soccer, go to soccer and then after I’m done with soccer, I go for the last 45 minutes of football practice, then go home and then do my homework,” Topciu said.

The football team welcomed Topciu without hesitation.

His teammates depend on him to get the few extra points that can change the outcome of an entire game.

“We really needed a kicker to kick the extra points and field

goals, and he was a number-one candidate off the soccer team, so I talked to him about it and his coach,” football coach Frank Sumbera said. “Everybody is enjoying him, and everybody is glad he’s on the team. He’s a big part of us right now.”

Before Topciu could call himself a varsity kicker, he had to go through additional training .

“I just had him come to practice, and I worked him out on extra points and field goals and evaluated him and saw that he had a very excellent leg and great power in it, and I knew he could do the job for us,” Sumbera said.

The soccer team has also been encouraging of Topciu’s new position. Varsity soccer coach Skip Mukhtar is very supportive of his decision to expand his horizon into other sports.

“I’m a fan of it. He’s doing something for the school as a whole,” Mukhtar said. “The soccer team, they’re not affected at all by it.

Kevin still shows up to every training and every game.”

At first, Topciu’s family had some concerns about him playing football. They didn’t know what a kicker would have to do, but their concerns didn’t last for long.

“Well the first thing (my parents) asked me was (if)I have to make tackles because they don’t want me getting hurt, and I said, ‘Occasionally, but most likely not.’ And they’re like ‘Alright, you can play,’ and I, once again, was happy,” Topciu said.

From winning the soccer game against South to winning the homecoming game against L’Anse Creuse High School, Topciu is enjoying all the experiences of being on both varsity teams. But his favorite part overall is just being with his teammates.

“I get to experience being on varsity as a sophomore with kids that I will never be teammates with again. Experiencing all the seniors that are leaving, they’ve helped me a lot to get better over the past few months,” Topciu said. “The football team is pretty fun. Kicking kickoffs are awesome—and I love my teammates.”

SYDNEY BENSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN TOPCIU

LEFT: Junior Tristin Richardson places the ball on a tee for Topciu to kick for a field goal. “He made six out of six extra points Friday night at the homecoming game, so that’s 100%. That’s a great improvement,” football coach Frank Sumbera said.

RIGHT: Topciu lines up for a kick while playing soccer.

Dance team takes steps to ensure a season

By Radiance Cooper STAFF REPORTER

Normally at this time of year, junior Nicoletta Valenzano would be learning new routines for dance team, but practices have ceased while the team searches for a new head coach.

“We would be practicing for basketball games already. We usually practice two days a week, like Tuesday or Wednesday after school until 6:30 p.m.,” Valenzano said.

While the search for a new head coach is underway, details about the team’s upcoming season remain unknown. The girls did not receive their normal reminder regarding the plans for the season and haven’t been sticking to their past schedule.

“We didn’t get a text from (our previous coach). We usually get a text from her in the summer about when camp

is gonna start up, and we never really got anything from her,” junior Maddy Tompkins said.

Without a coach, the team struggled to come together for activities like this year’s pep assembly. A lack of team organization resulted in the team not giving the routine performance.

Right now there is no exact date for when the dance team’s season will start. They are not currently practicing.

“We’re gonna try to meet up when the actual team starts up again: in late fall, early winter,” Valenzano said.

However, because of the uncertainty of the status of the new coach, members are apprehensive to return.

“The coach puts together the routine and the music. So there’s basically no team without a coach,” senior Malené Smith said.

Without an overseer, the girls have

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experienced a lack of commitment from their teammates.

“We tried to get people to do it,” Tompkins said. “People didn’t want to do it, people weren’t motivated. There was no official leader. We just weren’t on the same page.”

There is still speculation about who will take the head coach position. Valenzano anticipates it will be the assistant coach Krystle Spear from last season.

“We think the new coach will be the assistant coach we had last year, whose name is Krystle. We think they’ll choose her, but we don’t really know,” Valenzano said.

Valenzano says Spear was popular among the team because of her coaching style.

“She’s just a really nice, spirited person. We’re almost like a family. It’s really nice to have a team like that,” Valenzano said.

#Ebola

I could catch it at any time from anyone.

You can only catch Ebola from people showing symptoms.

Myth

The survival rate is 50%, and you have access to clean water and a doctor.

If I do contract Ebola, I will die.

Myth

That’s ridiculous.

Look to the right.

If you don’t repost this, you will contract Ebola.

Myth

o

ut mo

False. Ebola is not a plague.

going to die.

ry p

Myth We are all

unsafe syringes

e nt

in t :

YOU CAN ONLY CONTRACT EBOLA FROM COMING INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE BODILY FLUIDS OF A PERSON WITH EBOLA WHO IS e int: nos entry po SHOWING SYMPTOMS h

CDC.GOV

Fever (higher than 101.5°F or 38.6°C) Severe headache Muscle pain Weakness Diarrhea Vomiting Abdominal pain Unexplained bleeding or bruising

symptoms:

(usually appear within 8-10 days)

entry point: ears

entry point: eyes

Ebola is the short name for a nasty disease. Currently, its official name is Ebola virus disease, but some may know it by its previous name, Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

WHAT IS EBOLA?

CDC.GOV

or visit www.cdc.gov and click “Ebola Update”

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CALM DOWN

It’s trending on Twitter. There’s a lot of noise being generated about this most recent outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, but half of it is just that—noise. “I have a sore throat, I’m gonna die #Ebola.” No, you won’t. These Internet posts are just people making jokes in the face of what they percieve to be danger. If anyone is really worried about #Ebola, we’ve got the facts straight from the sources.

Your grades.

This winter will be interesting in terms of extreme and unusual weather.

The words “pepper spray” and “nonviolent protesters” are showing up in the same sentence a lot. (BBC, CNN, ABC)

College tuition will cost you and your family an average of anywhere from $9,000-$30,000. (collegedata.com)

The number of vehicular deaths is largest for the 16- to 20-year-old demographic. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, 2013 statistics)

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been affecting children and teens, and there have been diagnosed cases in Michigan. This year’s flareup is much worse than those of years past and has prompted health officials to issue warnings. In Michigan, there is a far greater risk of contracting EV-D68 than even seeing a person with Ebola.

March 25, 2014 Initial Announcement Ministry of Health Guinea reported an outbreak of Ebola in the southern districts.

# of American Citizens diagnosed with Ebola

3

West Africa: 4,033

4076 DRC: 43

(as of Oct. 8)

Total Deaths

“The number one thing that I want people to know is that Ebola is not as easily transmitted as a lot of people think it is,” Michaels said. “It’s not an airborne disease.”

Despite the fear caused by Ebola, the risk of an outbreak in the U.S. is very low, and the CDC is taking the necessary precautions to prevent it.

The CDC is now working to inform the public on avoiding the spread of Ebola. By diagnosing and isolating infected people and informing those who may have had contact with them, the CDC believes the spread will be minimal.

“If someone is to get Ebola, they could experience a really bad fever, vomiting, diarrhea,” Michaels said. “Their kidneys and their liver could sometimes not function, and they also might experience some sort of internal bleeding.”

Symptoms of the virus can begin to appear anywhere from 2-21 days after exposure, but usually appear around 8-10 days.

thing with the flu. We can’t cure a flu, but we can treat the symptoms,” Starinksy said. “They don’t have any vaccines to prevent the infection.”

Oct. 2: 70 cases reported in DRC, 40 deaths.

Oct. 8: Spain reported a confirmed case of Ebola First US citizen diagnosed with virus passed away September 24: 70 cases of Ebola and 42 deaths have been reported in DRC. September 30: First case of travel-related Ebola diagnosed in U.S.

Aug. 21: Nigeria reports 12 confirmed cases and 4 deaths.

Aug. 26: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announces separate outbreak of virus.

Aug. 29: Senegal reports first cases.

As of July 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports a cumulative total of 1048 suspect and confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease.

Fatal cases: 632

June 2: The death count in Guinea continues to climb.

Sierra Leone reports 50 suspect cases, of which 14 are confirmed and 6 resulted in death.

May 5: Doctors Without Borders assists the MoH in Guinea to establish Ebola treatment centers at the epicenter of the outbreak.

May 27: One case of Ebola reported in Sierra Leone.

No further cases yet reported in Liberia.

April 1: CDC sends fiveperson team into Guinea to assist.

April 30: Liberia reports 13 suspect and confirmed cases.

Timeline

“They don’t have a cure. All they can basically treat are the symptoms. Same

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recovery from the virus depends on the quality of clinical care and the strength of a person’s immune system. Those who do recover develop antibodies that last for at least ten years.

It would take time for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a new vaccine before it could be distributed.

“The only way to cure it would be a vaccine, which has not been developed,” Michaels said. “They think they have one that might work, but we have no way to mass produce it, and it has not been proven in clinical trials yet.”

Ebola is caused by a virus similar to what might create the flu or a cold. Since it’s not bacterial, it can’t be treated with antibiotics.

“So that would include things like blood, semen, vomit, diarrhea. Any of those things could transmit it, as long as it got through a mucous membrane or into my blood,” Michaels said.

needs to be directly transmitted.

STAFF REPORTER

By Radiance Cooper

This latest outbreak of the Ebola virus disease has been going on a lot longer than you think it has.

Science teacher Elizabeth Michaels understands that Ebola isn’t a highly contagious disease because the virus

“It’s a good thing that it’s not very contagious because you can only get it by touching the bodily fluids of someone who has the disease, and you can’t transfer it by air, touch or anything like that,” Mitchell said. ”So that’s good, and that means it won’t spread.”

Junior Meghan Mitchell has not succumbed to the hysteria surrounding the virus.

Worry surrounding the virus has only increased since a Texas nurse and health care worker treating the Ebola-stricken patient contracted the disease. The two, however, didn’t follow proper protocol and came into direct contact with the virus.

“The most recent outbreak in West Africa is pretty significant. It’s touched a significant amount of people who have been infected with it. That hasn’t happened, they said, since 1976, when it first came out,” health teacher Ann Starinsky said.

Ebola is showing its face once again, after lying low for nearly four decades.

Three syllables. One word. Ebola.

fatalities as of March 25: 70

By Audrey Kam FEATURE/FLEX EDITOR

Ebola panic went viral faster than disease

Liberia reports first case since April 9.

Better things to worry about

Fatal cases as of May 30: 197

IN-DEPTH

Nigeria reports first cases of Virus July 27

8 – Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 – North Pointe

Vaccine manufacture/testing begins