NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
SINCE 1968
POINTE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013
State mandates
Ask.fm users subject to potential anonymous cyberbullying By Marie Bourke & Kristen Kaled Web content editor & Design editor
LIFE
Page 5
VARSITY FOOTBALL GAME
Tonight at 7 p.m. on North’s turf
PSAT TESTING
Saturday, Oct. 19 at 8 a.m. in the Cafeteria
FALL CHOIR CONCERT
Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in the PAC
LIFETOUCH PICTURE RETAKES Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 a.m. in the Student Union
ACT TESTING
Saturday, Oct. 26 at 8 a.m. in the Cafeteria
VARSITY VOLLEYBALL GAME
Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Gym
END OF FIRST QUARTER
Friday, Nov. 1 after 7th hour
“ “Blood IDEAS
does not
define
a parent;
a real
parent is
defined by
the love they have
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for their
children. Page 3
Luke sturgill
Senior Jimmy Passalacqua spent nine months in Italy as a foreign exchange student last year
2011 Senate Bills implemented, enforce an opportunity to recite the pledge in class By Jennifer Kusch Assistant editor
With his hand on his chest and his eyes on the American flag, junior Nate Kane reluctantly rises at the sound of the Pledge of Allegiance echoing through his third hour classroom. “A lot of people are saying that it’s good because America, as a country, does so much for us, and saying the Pledge of Allegiance every day is the least we could do to show our gratitude and whatever,” Kane said. “But I feel like it loses its meaning if we’re forced to say it. But everyone’s saying it every day, it’s just gonna have less and less meaning, and people are just gonna be reciting it and not even care, instead of understanding what the words are about.” Senate Bill 4934 and partnering Bill 637 were proposed in 2011. They make it mandatory for public schools to allow students the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day to a flag that must be provided to each classroom. They were codependent; if one did not pass, the other would not be enacted into law. Both approved in 2012, Bill 4934 states that “beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the board of a school district ... shall ensure that an opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States is offered each school day to all public school pupils in each public school it operates.” Senior Grant Strobl is openly supportive of the new measure. “I believe that those 15 seconds that it takes to say the pledge is worth it to honor the country that provides us with great educational opportunities, among other things,” Strobl said. The law also addresses the fact that not all students may want to take the provided time to recite the pledge or agree with the wording of the pledge. It states: “a pupil shall not be compelled, against the pupil’s objections or those of the pupil’s parent or legal guardian, to recite the pledge of allegiance.” If one does not wish to participate, the school “... shall ensure that a pupil is not subject to any penalty or bully-
photo cc nodows.com
ing at school as a result of not reciting the pledge of allegiance.” History teacher Frank Tymrak supports the new law. “I served in the U.S. military and am very opened-minded. I really do believe in people’s rights. If students don’t want to participate, that’s fine,” Tymrak said. “I think it emphasises the types of freedoms we have. If you would like to be involved with it, you can, and if you don’t want to, that’s fine, too. It exemplifies the type of nation we have, of freedom.” Assistant Principal David ReedNordwall believes the option will help the policy run smoother in the school. “I think it has to be opt out; there is language in there that some people don’t agree with. I think they need to have the permission to quietly reflect their own views. So when you force everyone to do something, generally it causes problems. I think it’s fine, what they’ve chosen to do,” ReedNordwall said. “It was this year that we heard that it was actually kind of a ‘we need to have a Pledge of Allegiance’ time and have everyone have the opportunity to participate, especially in high school because it’s been decades, and (North students) have never done it.” The district is currently working on providing each classroom with flags, but availability and cost have prolonged the process. The law states that “the board of a school district shall purchase or possess a United States flag of a size of not less than four feet two inches by eight feet, flag staff, and the necessary appliances for displaying the flag upon the flag staff ...” The administration recognizes the urgency to get the flags but notices the financial burden it will put on the district. “We’re scrambling to get them. That’s what the state doesn’t understand, is what it would cost to equip that many classrooms with even a $10 flag. Let’s say they’re $10, and say we have hundreds of classrooms to equip. That’s a lot of money,” ReedNordwall said. “So first you’ve got to find the flags, order them. So of course we’re going to do it, but it takes time and money. And they don’t provide any money for that. They put in the law and say, ‘Go make it work.’ And that’s what happens to all the schools – they add these laws, and they’re expensive, and even thousands to a district is a lot of money.”
Ask and answer. “A lot of people will be like, ‘Oh you’re ugly’ or ‘You’re fat,’” freshman Gabby Mazurek said. “Some people say inappropriate stuff like, ‘Will you have sex with me?’ and stuff like that. Because it’s on anonymous, you can’t see who it is. I haven’t gotten too much of that. Just a lot of hate.” Ask.fm is a social Q&A website where people can ask users questions on their profiles. Users are anonymous and are not required to have accounts. According to www.businessinsider.com, half of Ask.fm’s 65 million users are under 18. “There’s risks involved in that,” school psychologist Christine Kuhl said. “When people aren’t able to be identified, then people tend to say things that they wouldn’t say if people knew who they were or they were face to face.” Similar to Ask.fm, Formspring was a Q&A site with the same purpose. Bullying among users was linked to teen suicides. Formspring’s enhancements moved towards non-anonymous questions, and the site saw a steady decline in users. Formspring shut down in 2011. Ask.fm was created in 2010 and has since become a social media trend. Once users create a profile, they can post their link to Instagram and Twitter. Then, the door is open to all followers. Followers visit the site and ask questions. “I’ve been asked a couple inappropriate questions, a bunch of personal questions that I just choose not to answer. Like, ‘Are you a virgin? Why did you have sex with this person?’ And it’s like, I’ve never done that,” junior Olivia Ritchie said. “It’s just annoying, and I just don’t answer.” Some kids are not only asked offensive questions but are bullied and called names. These negative comments have even forced some kids to delete their accounts altogether. “I feel like it really could cut deep because you don’t know who’s saying that, and it could be somebody you like, it could be somebody you don’t know,” freshman Matt Beach said. Mazurek recognizes the “petty” nature of posts. “It’s not like it really matters. It’s just people trying to make themselves feel good,” Mazurek said. Because of this, Ask.fm is trying to keep their site safe by enhancing their “report controls.” The site’s improvements for safety: an abuse reporting button that will be more visible and include categorization of abusive behavior (according to www.theverge.com) and further restrictions of users’ anonymity. “It’s a site for just bullying, that’s what most people really use it for,” Mazurek said. “No one really asks, ‘Oh what’s your favorite color?’” Contributing: Anu Subramanium & Billy Moin SAFETY TIPS FROM
ask.fm by the numbers 65 million users started in 2010 marketed to 13-18 year olds SAFETY TIPS FROM ASK.FM “Don’t respond to questions that are inappropriate or abusive.”
“Anonymity should never be used to ask questions that are mean or hurtful.” “If you receive a question that makes you uncomfortable for any reason, do not respond to the question, tell a parent, guardian or other trusted adult and block the user who sent it so they can’t contact you again.” arctic startup.com & ask.fm
GRAPHIC BY maria liddane
Chinese teacher resigns mid-semester By Anu Subramaniam & Gowri Yerramalli web manager & intern
Chinese teacher Tsen Joslyn has resigned from teaching for personal reasons. As of Monday, Oct. 14, Joslyn will no longer be teaching the Chinese program. Joslyn taught a fifth hour class which had 25 students enrolled in Chinese levels II-IV. This is not the first major change for the Chinese program. Last year, the district de-
@myGPN
www.myGPN.org
cided – due to lack of interest among incoming freshmen – that the Chinese program would begin cycling out. The Class of 2016 students, who were in Chinese I last year, were the last ones with the option of registering for the course. The program would continue until they reached Chinese IV, but due to Joslyn’s resignation, the program’s future is uncertain. The district is looking for other options to avoid a circumstance where the current students enrolled in the class will lose a semester of credit. “I feel it is an unfortunate situation, in particular because this is not about the students or the building,” assistant principal David ReedNordwall said in an email. “I feel responsible to help students navigate this situation, get the credits they need and move forward.” Administration has posted the job opening on the website and is searching for a possible
VOLUME 46, ISSUE 3
replacement. Students were advised to talk to their counselors to determine the best option – dual enrollment, switching classes or online classes – until a replacement is found. However, students who choose online classes through Michigan Virtual High School or dual enrollment through Wayne State University will have to wait until next semester before they are eligible to register. For now, the class will resemble a tutorial and will be run by a substitute until a teacher can be found. “I’d rather be learning the language, but I like how I have an extra tutorial,” sophomore Connor Sickmiller said. “It’s kind of upsetting to see the class end, though. The Chinese class has been together for many years. It feels like a family.”
© 2013 North Pointe
news
2 – Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 – North Pointe
Tour Guide program provides leadership opportunity for students
ect, I realize North’s real power, real strength lies in the students,” Walker said. Walker became a charter school principal at Arts Academy and developed the program there. It attracted news media, and the student guides became the public face of the academy. “Visitors were amazed at the knowledge, the kindness and the genuine enthusiasm of the student guides. We never had a single negative experience,” Walker said. Preston and Pierce hope the program at North has similar success. “I think trained student tour guides truly represent the school population and are wonderful representatives of our school for visitors,” Preston said. “They are truly the ambassadors for our school.” Initially, the members of the program came from the National Honors Society (NHS), a leadership group also run by Pierce. However, Pierce opened the program to all By Emily Martinbianco & Dora Juhasz students this year. staff reporters “We don’t just want NHS students,” Pierce said. “We’d like this to be any student that reJunior Karina Lucchese has been a mem- ally has an interest in it and is available not just ber of the North Tour Guide program for for the alumnus event, but for any other events the past two years. In its in the school.” second year, the program Once students join the prohas began refining to ingram, they receive a booklet clude a wider range of containing information about North students. North: its history, academic “I went to the meeting facts and a map marking the and thought it would be a lot designated areas of the tour. of fun to do,” Lucchese said. Students train several times to“It’s actually a lot of fun to gether, going on mini-tours and give tours of the school to practicing their guided presenpeople that either have nevtations. er been in it or haven’t been “There are so many occasions in it in a while.” or potential for times when the Although the program is community should be visiting currently led by counselor our school to see how great it is,” Milissa Pierce, the ultiPreston said. “The tour guides mate founder is retired atBen Walker can be the most important link tendance paraprofessional Retired north choir teacher between the community and Judi Preston. She created the students and school.” the program in the spring Pierce agrees with this and of 2012 for the North Distinguished Alumni hopes to branch the program into a variety event, which is still the primary focus. of events. Along with the alumni event, which The North Distinguished Alumni event al- will be held again next month, the tour guides lowed alumni and their families to revisit the will also be used for other events such as the school. The tour guides were trained to present Open House, when North will be open to the the changes made since alumni were last there. public in the hopes of attracting new students. “We thought that if we could interest some “We hoped that they would be used often students, gather information about the school when prospective students or other visitors and have them trained, it could be a valuable came to see the school,” Preston said. asset to showcase how great our school is,” Despite these additional events, Lucchese Preston said. recommends joining the program because it is With help from Pierce and retired North not time consuming and has its own rewards. choir teacher Ben Walker, Preston recruited “You, yourself, as a tour guide learn and can and trained students for the tour program. see places that you don’t always see when your Both Walker and Preston continue to praise going through it during the school day, so it’s the members. really interesting. Anyone can do it. It’s really “When I see the love, the energy, the enthufun,” Lucchese said. siasm of the students who work on this proj-
“
When I see the love, the energy, the enthusiasm of the students who work on this project, I realize North’s real power, real strength lies in the students.
”
Student councils move from fundraisers to spirit packages By Katelyn Carney & Caelin Micks Staff reporters
Student Council is not being banned from fundraising; they have chosen to stray away from fundraising to avoid conflicting with other clubs. Classes are still allowed to host fundraisers, but most of their donations are suggested to go to charities. The advisers made this decision hoping to stop the repetition of hosting the same events as other clubs and asking the same families to donate. “I can understand why advisers wouldn’t want us to (fundraise). It takes time, energy and a lot of work to do a fundraiser that sometimes might not raise a lot of money,” sophomore senator Emily McPharlin said. This year, classes decided to make spirit packs, which included the class T-shirt, necklaces and temporary tattoos. With the addition of these items, councils had to increase the price of the spirit pack. Its goal was to keep the classes within the same margin of money they raised with fundraisers in previous years. “The spirit pack, now as our biggest fundraiser, should really make up the difference that we would have lost due to less fundraising,” sophomore senator Nicoletta Valenzano said.
Additionally, many clubs have had fundraising ideas similar to those of the student councils’, creating confusion and overlapping. The advisers decided student council could work without the fundraising money and find another route to achieve their goals. They will not completely quit fundraising, but they will put money toward charitable events. “The money specifically won’t go for the class. It will go for Gleaners or it will go for whomever all else,” junior class adviser Jill Davenport said. The root of the confusion has stemmed from the disallowance of any student fundraisers that involved alcohol this year. The profits raised from off-campus, adult events, which have alcohol, may not return to their correlating class fund anymore. There are now two separate funds: the class fund, which helps to lower the cost of prom and offset the costs of homecoming, and the fund that goes toward each class’ all night party. This money is raised by the Parent Club. “Some of the things, like Mrs. Spreder’s girls’ night out for women ... there was alcohol involved. Students can’t – number one – be part of it. And number two – that money can go to the all-night party because the all-night party is part of the Parent Club – under that umbrella – but not the students,” student activities director Pat Gast said. Although it is seen as less work, some student council members believe “not fundraising” should be their decision, not the advisers’. “I agree, but I do think that we should be able to – or even encouraged to – fundraise on our own for our classes, as well,” senior class secretary Mariah Herfi said.
IDEAS Step: another four-letter word “Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.” Board of Education Policy
Maria Liddane Editor-in-Chief Izzy Ellery life editor
Andrea Scapini Gabby Burchett NEws editor Managing EDITOR
Melina Glusac ideas editor
Colleen Reveley Lauren Semack Sydney Thompson sports editor web content manager business manager
Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Erica Lizza and Jennifer Kusch.
OUR EDITORIAl
Social Q&A site serves no meaningful purpose We are an incredibly connected generation. Harmonious? Not quite. Ask.fm takes its place next to social media neighbors Twitter and Facebook, yet isn’t exactly in the same vein. It was created to give people the opportunity to ask and answer questions anonymously. In a perfect world, questions like ‘What’s your favorite color?’ would be submitted, fostering a fun, casual, get-to-know-you atmosphere. But this is not a perfect world. The site is being seriously misused, becoming a dangerous and malicious forum. The “questions” on Ask.fm are rarely questions; if anything, they’re questions that should not be publicly answered. People ask questions through the site they would never pose in person. More harm than good has come from the site. Bullying on Ask.fm has contributed to suicides amongst teenagers. Some schools closely monitor students’ Internet use and hope to educate by holding cyberbullying informational seminars for parents and students. We have policies that block access to Ask.fm on school computers. They’ve recognized Ask.fm for the threat it can be. Whether you are asking or receiving the questions on Ask.fm, the waters of anonymous online forums are dangerous to tread – even fatal. If a post results in a suicide or an attempted one, the looming guit is impossible wash away from your mouse.
“You can’t tell me what to do, you’re not even my father!” Those words slashed through “my dad’s” heart and boomeranged back to mine. It didn’t occur to me that a rebellious comeback from a five year old could leave a scar My TURN that would never Brittney hernandez fade with age. Ever since I could remember I’ve had this man in my life that I called my father, except he was technically my stepdad. I could never recall a time when I found out my biological dad died a few months before my birth and that my current “father” wasn’t my legitimate father. I just always knew. For most kids, a step-parent is the equivalent of an evil dictator; that’s probably because of movies like Cinderella. But I never thought of my (step)dad as anything but just my dad. Growing up, it never occurred to me that something like divorce could ever happen to me or my family. Sure, I already had a stepfather, but that situation wasn’t the product of a divorce, and as far as I was concerned, he had been my dad since I was two and always would be. Although my mindset was optimistic, my parents (my biological mom and stepdad) had another plan for their lives “together.” In 4th grade, they separated. Being so young, I wasn’t in the place to worry or think much of it. I had bigger fish to fry, like planning my field day activities. It wasn’t until the divorce was finalized that I realized what had happened. My mind went into complete shock. My “perfect” family wasn’t so perfect anymore. I
led myself to believe that I was different from all the “normal” kids with “normal” families. I had put myself into the horrible group of kids with divorced parents and stepparents. It was infuriating. Four years later my mother remarried and had another daughter. My current stepfather isn’t that bad at all, and he really tries to connect with me and make me feel like part of the family. And as for my previous stepfather, he is still very much part of my life. Although in the beginning it was hard for me to move on with a new addition to the family, it dawned on me what “step” really implies. I know a lot of people have dealt with the step-parent drama, and although it may seem they can never replace the person who originally held the spot, they can end up being one of the greatest sources of love. I have come to find that my story isn’t all that unique. There are thousands of kids out there who have experienced the “stepparent blues.” Many have made the realizations that I have. Many are still in the illusion that their evil addition is nothing more than a heartless stranger. I won’t lie, I still have my moments. Sometimes I get so infuriated with just the thought that there are tons of those ‘lucky’ kids out there with both biological parents together and happy. But then I remember that even we, the kids with the step parents and I, are the “lucky ones.” Being able to say we have people in our lives who look out for us, care for us and genuinely try to be a part of our lives is something worth recognizing. Blood does not define a parent; a real parent is defined by the love they have for their children. “Step” is just a word.
“It is a nice gesture to give people the option to show their patriotism.”
“I like it. It’s a good way to show appreciation to our country.”
“I don’t care if the law is there or not. It doesn’t really affect me either way.”
Analisa Guido
Erin Armbruster
Jennifer Wiederkehr
senior
sophomore
freshman
YOUR TURN: Do you like the new law that gives students the chance to say the Pledge? By Dana O’Donnell and Ritika Sanikommu
follow-up
A pointless pledge In light of the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day in 1892, Francis Julius Bellamy wrote an ad slogan for Youth Companion magazine as a campaign to sell American flags to schools and increase subscriptions. The ad? The Pledge of Allegiance. Columbus Day just passed this Monday, and as we remember for the 521st time what he did, these words of superficial origin are waved in front of us every day. A law passed in the Senate making the Pledge a requirement a couple years back. Our editorial on this at the time reflected the view that “saying these 31 words isn’t going to make us appreciate our freedoms, the sacrifices made to get them or anything else.” Our views have not changed. Like we said two years ago, the law seems frivolous; it requires that every district provide an American flag for every classroom. Although our district can afford to purchase new flags, there are many districts that are not as fortunate. Money should be saved for textbooks and computers, especially considering a flag will make no difference to those that opt out of the daily recital. And to those that choose not to participate – they have every philosophical reason to do so. Is the government anxious that without providing the 11 seconds to say the Pledge, our young generation will turn their backs on it? This country was built on the freedom that we have the right to say whatever we want when we want to. As long as we continue to exercise that liberty, we’re giving kudos to John Locke and keeping the dream alive. If you think about it, we’re pledging allegiance to a country whose government has been shut down for over two weeks. How and why should we pledge our allegiance to a country that has a dysfunctional government and can’t get their act together?
“It doesn’t bother me. Since it doesn’t require everyone to do it every day, it doesn’t really make much of a difference.”
“My husband was in the military and he has lost enough friends that I think it’s a valuable way to show respect for all the losses and the gains they have made.”
“This is a public school and most people are citizens and don’t have an issue with it. Also, in some ways, it teaches people respect and proper decorum.”
Katie Roy
Nicole Sturgeon
Brian White
junior
Math teacher
North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 – 3
counselor
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 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane public forum without prior review. ComMANAGING EDITOR: Gabby Burchett ments should be directed to the student PRODUCTION MANAGER: Dayle Maas editors, who make all final content decisions. SECTION EDITORS: Andrea Scapini, Melina The views expressed are solely those of the Glusac, Izzy Ellery, Colleen Reveley, WEB CONTENT EDITORS: Marie Bourke, Lauren authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Semack WEB MANAGERS: Emma Puglia, Anu Subrama- School System. niam We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic BUSINESS MANAGER: Sydney Thompson Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press STAFF DEVELOPMENT EDITOR: Patricia Bajis Association, National Scholastic Press AsDESIGN EDITOR: Kristen Kaled sociation and Student Press Law Center. We ASSISTANT EDITORS: Haley Reid, Wendy Ishmaku, Jennifer Kusch, Audrey Kam, Katelyn subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. Carney STAFF REPORTERS: Jenna Belote, Radiance One copy is available free to all community Cooper, Dora Juhaz, Erica Lizza, Emily members. Additional copies may be purMartinbianco, Brittney Hernandez, Malika chased. Our editorial policy and advertising Kanneganti, Caelin Micks, Diajah Williams, rates are available online at myGPN.org. The Brigitte Smith INTERNS: Dana O’Donnell, Thomas Remenar, North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper. Emma Brock, Mora Downs, Kristina Kowalski, Haley Makino, Isabella Meteer, Billy Moin, Ritika CONTACT US Sanikommu, Addison Toutant, Calix Waldrop, 707 Vernier Road Olivia Asimakis, Alex Batts, Josie Bennett, Yena Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Berhane, Dajai Chatman, Claire Dalian, Lia DeCoste, Erin Haggerty, Lawrence Lezuch, Kayla Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Luteran, Lillian Rancourt, Josie Riley, Stephanie Twitter: @myGPN Roy, Maya Sewell, Gowri Yerramalli FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, CJE
Editor’s desk Dayle Maas
Lemon farming There’s a running joke in my family about my dad. He is what we call a “professional article clipper.” Every morning, as he reads the paper or his latest advertising or car magazine, he’ll clip several articles he thinks will interest any of our family or friends. Sometimes it’s short with a sticky note left on the kitchen table. Read this. This is cool. But when my mom and I “forget” to read them or disregard their presence, somehow they make their way to our bedrooms. He’s equally concerned about those outside our household. There are multiple stacks in our family room for my grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother’s girlfriend, etc. He even mails (not emails – snail mails) articles over four thousand miles to my brother studying in Spain. A few months ago, my mom came home hysterically laughing about a conversation she and my dad had with one of my dad’s former co-workers. Somehow the three of them had gotten on the topic of my dad’s love for clipping. Apparently, my dad didn’t just clip for us, and apparently everyone else finds it just as funny – and sometimes as annoying – as we do. My dad’s former coworker wanted to play a joke on my dad. He told my dad he was interested in lemon farming. Either he’s an extremely good liar, or my dad is unbelievably gullible. Either way – three weeks later my dad’s co-worker found an article in his inbox about lemon farming. As you can see, even if you mention something as obscure as lemon farming to my dad, he will find you an article about it. When I bring new friends home, what do you think he asks? “What kind of articles do you think they’d like?” When my grandma put her house up for sale in Florida, or my brother’s girlfriend was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, or my mom’s passion for pomegranates grew, what do you think my dad dedicated each morning to? He found the perfect articles for each of them: the best time to put a house on the market, the best glutenfree foods, and numerous recipes for pomegranates. When I asked him for ideas for this column, what do you think I found on the kitchen table the next morning? Articles ranging from the Tigers in the playoffs to stories about a professor and a jar of rocks. So, my advice to you is to be careful what you say around him. We all laugh at his obsession. We all get annoyed with the piles that crowd the kitchen table or make a mess under our beds. Every parent is like this. They do things out of the goodness of their hearts because they think we’ll be interested or that we need their guidance. But sometimes my dad’s clippings are worth the read, as are many of the things our parents do. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves not to get annoyed. And sometimes – okay, most times – I have to tell myself to appreciate that my dad cares enough to look up an article about something as silly as lemon farming.
On Campus
4 – North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 18, 2013
AP environmental science classes take trip to Metro Beach AP environmental students went on a field trip to Metro Beach and a waste water treatment plant on Oct. 9 and 10. They tested water quality in Lake St. Clair and learned how waste water is filtered, applying concepts they have learned in class to their surroundings. By Phoebe Dodge, Tiara Terry & Susan Tomasi photographers
RIGHT: Senior Ken Elkin works on his assignment of testing Lake St. Clair’s water quality. “We were testing water quality, and it was exciting to see the concepts we learned in class applied to the real world,” Elkin said. BELOW: AP environmental science teacher Chris Skowronski shows students some of his finds while at the Meto Park. “This was real science, and it was cool because the kids hadn’t gotten to do anything like this before.”
Faces in the crowd Kelsey Lanahan
Sophomore Kelsey Lanahan has a passion for the cello. “I play cello because it’s amazing, and it’s different from the violin,” Lanahan said. This is a talent she gets to foster at school through orchestra classes. Lanahan has also taken lessons with Detroit Symphony Orchestra veteran Marcy Chanteaux. She loves the uniqueness of the instrument. “You know, it’s not like the violin and the viola,” Lanahan said. “It’s bigger, and it’s something you can sit down and do. I mean, I think it’s a cool instrument.” After playing in various orchestras, Lanahan cites eighth grade year as the most fun for its eclectic set list. “We played a bunch of Queen pieces, it was eighth grade. ‘We Are The Champions’ and ‘We Will Rock You,’” Lanahan said. A first chair would be a way for her to prove her talent, but she recognizes the challenge that earning the spot would be. “That’s gonna be a little difficult,” Lanahan said. However she’s confident she will stay with the cello for years to come.
Sarah Corbet LEFT: Junior Thomas Goffas gets ready to test the water quality in Lake St. Clair. “I learned about the environment around me,” Goffas said. His favorite part was “going to the waste water treatment plant because it was cool seeing how water was cleaned before going back into the lake.”
LEFT: Seniors Jessica Gabel, Barbara Allor, Sal Ciaravino, Hunter Wykes and Michael Bylski observe a snake that a worker shows them in the Metro Park Nature Center. “We learned a whole lesson in one day and it was a lot more interesting in person and experiencing it than in notes,” Allor said.
Freshman Sarah Corbet’s life-altering decision to boycot meat took place in third grade after watching Bambi and reading Charlotte’s Web. “Charlotte’s Web really turned me off to bacon. I’m an animal lover, and I don’t like to kill animals, and I didn’t want to support the killing of animals either,” Corbet said. “And then when I found out how they were treated and meet their ends and all of the chemicals they put into them and it’s just so bad for them to even eat.” Corbet takes her protest further and refuses to wear any clothes made of fur, leather or suede. She says that wool, however, is safe because it is better for sheep to be shaved. “You have to kill the animal to get (the skin). You’re killing the animal, but not consuming it,” Corbet said. Corbet is the only one amongst her family and friends to be a vegetarian. “My friends tried to get me to eat meat again,” Corbet said. “Eventually, they came to terms with it. I mean, they’ll still eat meat in front of me, but they don’t try to get me to eat meat anymore.”
Quinn Pangborn
Freshman Quinn Pangborn ranks eighth on the girls cross country team, but this is her first year stepping foot on a cross country course. “I’ve just always played soccer, and that’s really conditioned me for cross country,” Pangborn said. She decided not to continue playing soccer for family reasons but still wanted to play a sport. Even though she had never been a runner, she decided to try cross country. Pangborn said that she feels “a lot of weight on (her) shoulders” to keep her spot amongst the varsity runners, but still she enjoys the gratification of completing a race. “It keeps me in shape, which I’m happy about because it gives me more liberty with what I want to eat, and just the feeling when you cross the finish line is so amazing because you know you just accomplished something really big.” By Melina Glusac, Billy Moin & Kristina Kowalski
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Math teacher Lauren Nixon By Wendy Ishmaku assistant editor
Lauren Nixon may be the newest edition to the school’s math department, but she is familiarized with North’s motto “what we do here”. Before joining the faculty, the North alumna had her fair share of unforgettable moments. “My fondest high school memory would have to be junior year, which is funny because it happened this year. But my junior year we won the spirit jug, (and) I was friends with a bunch of seniors when I was a junior, so I was one of maybe two or three juniors sitting with all the seniors at the football game,” Nixon said. “They announced it at halftime, and I stood up and started cheering, and all the seniors startBrigitte Smith Math teacher Lauren Nixon has created goals ed booing me and made me sit down. But to further her career in education. “With math I really am interested in getting my masters,I don’t that was probably one of my fondest ones, know if I’ll necessarily get my masters in math, but because you never really expected to win the spirit jug as a junior.” teaching or some sort of administration – that’s where I would like to go with that. So those are Aside from festivities, Nixon was algoals right now, but they could change.” ways interested in math and was influ-
enced to pursue this career because of her past experiences at North. “I honestly just had really good math teachers when I was here. They inspired me to wanna be a teacher myself, and it kind of went from there,” Nixon said. “Junior year I had Mrs. Roman, and senior year I had Mr. Bennett.” She was a natural at math, which further drove her to choose this career. But she understands that it’s not easy for everyone. “You know, a lot of students see it as a struggle, and I mainly became a math teacher because I wanna show students that it’s not as hard as it looks,” Nixon said. Due to her mathematical talent, Nixon had another career option to chose from. “I was kinda evenly tied. I wanted to become either a math teacher or an architect; both really involve math. I would definitely consider going back and getting another degree, but, you know, right now the decision was to become a math teacher. That kinda outweighed it,” Nixon said.
How did you get involved in doing lacrosse and coaching? “I started playing lacrosse when I was a freshman here at North, and then I played four years club lacrosse at Michigan State University. Once I graduated in 2012 and I stopped playing, I really wanted to get involved again coaching, so I contacted the coach here at North, and I started last year. Do you have any further plans with lacrosse in the future? “You know, we’ll see – I plan on coaching. I would love to play again. I know there’s some post-collegiate teams for lacrosse.” This is your first year teaching. So how do you like it so far? “I love it so far. It’s a little overwhelming; I’m teaching four different math classes, but I love the students here, and it’s a really awesome experience to be back teaching where I went to high school. Do you have any hobbies? “Besides traveling, I love outdoors. Like camping, that’s one of my hobbies ... being outdoors. I love anything, just going for a bike ride or something simple.”
life
North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 – 5
photos COURTESY OF Jimmy Passalacqua
LEFT: Passalacqua looks out of the window of La Mole, a cinema museum famous for being the highest point in Torino. “My friends was the best experience, the people I met and the places I went.” RIGHT: Passalacqua stands and admires the view of Italian mountains on his way to a small French Province.
Un viaggio in Italia: a trip to Italy By Diajah Williams & Izzy Ellery Staff Reporter & editor
He traveled an ocean away. He swam through waters most can only dream of. Last school year, senior Jimmy Passalacqua left the Grosse Pointe bubble and embarked on a journey of education that changed his life forever. Passalacqua attended school in Torino, Italy for nine months as a foreign exchange student. He was able to participate in this experience because of the encouragement of his mom and his Italian teacher and the promise his father made. “My dad told me he would get me there in this life or the next, and that’s exactly what he did. So when the opportunity presented itself in front of me, I took it, and I’m very lucky to have been in that position,” Passalacqua said. He went to Torino blind, knowing little Italian. “I took two years of Italian, but I didn’t really learn that much, so I basically went in there knowing like ‘pizza,’ ‘pasta’ and ‘ciao,’” Passalacqua said. “That’s about it. Other than that, I had to learn.” When Passalacqua arrived in Torino, he and his new family didn’t get along very well. He switched host families after three months and was grateful.
“I had to switch families because the first family didn’t like me very much. It was just weird because we didn’t communicate enough. I would go home from school, eat lunch and go up to my room and wouldn’t see them till the next day,” Passalacqua said. “I switched to a very nice family that lived outside the city, about 40 minutes. All the kids in the first family like shunned me and like didn’t talk to me, like nobody talked to me. I was just by myself.” School life in Torino was a different story, however. It was Passalacqua’s escape from the awkwardness he faced at home. At school he made many friendships. Academically, school was a challenge for him, but teachers there, although they spoke no English, helped pave the way. “I actually looked forward to school ‘cause I had someone to talk to, at least; I made some friends, but yeah, like school was impossible,” Passalacqua said. “It was so impossible that like there was no way I was gonna pass. I would do stuff, and they’d give me like a passing grade as long as I tried and put in effort.” Passalacqua found the students to be his main source of enjoyment while he stayed in Torino. Making friends didn’t seem to be as difficult as he expected it to be, which made the trip a lot more pleasant. “I thought it was gonna be pretty hard
because like I walked in class and met everybody, and nobody seemed surprised, like nothing new, but as soon as the first interval came, I made a bunch of friends. They just came up to me like, ‘Oh, you Jimmy? From America?’” Passalacqua said. The friendships that he formed with the other students proved to be as genuine as any. “They had my back, like if I had to talk about anything, they were there for me. Because while I was there, I had problems, you know, and they were the only people I had to vent to,” Passalacqua said. “I couldn’t vent to my mom or anything. I would go a long time without talking to my mom. But my friends were there for me. They seemed more caring. I don’t know, maybe they just understand things better, I guess, just in that way I guess it’s different.” These friends also became personal tour guides for Passalacqua. Rather than going to the movies or the mall, they took him sightseeing around the city. “We’d go walk around because I’d make them take me around and walk,” Passalacqua said. “You walk everywhere. Nobody drives anywhere, really. You have to be like 18 to drive. You take like buses everywhere to explore the city.” Albina Trumza, Passalacqua’s Italian teacher and one of the people who encour-
aged him to take the trip, sees the difference in Passalacqua since his return. “He’s so proud of this experience. It has increased his self-esteem and confidence tremendously. What he thought of himself before was nowhere comparable with what I see in him today,” Trumza said. “I feel like he is becoming kind of popular in school. Everyone knows, ‘Oh Jimmy, he was in Italy,’ which is good. And I’m really proud of him with the progress that he did and the courage he had to go there.” Upon returning home, Passalacqua discovered that he didn’t actually get awarded with any serviceable high school credits for the classes he attended in Italy. He walked away with a bounty of knowledge but still has a hefty senior year to attend to. “My senior year isn’t chill; I have classes I need to pass. I was supposed to get credit, but I didn’t. Like I got generic credit, so it only looks good for college,” Passalacqua said. “It says that I did a year, but it doesn’t count.” Catching up with school and friends has been a tough adjustment for Passalacqua, and he acknowledges he missed out on a lot while he was gone. “Yeah for sure I did, but it’s whatever. I gained a lot more than I missed.”
Senior continues passion with sixth year of medical research By Andrea Scapini editor
While many kids avoid stepping through the doctor’s office doors at all costs, senior Jayla Hubbard has always been fascinated by the experience. She remembers from a young age constantly asking her doctor medical questions to satisfy her craving for knowledge. “I’ve always loved science,” Hubbard said. “When I was younger I would go into the doctors’ office, and my doctor is a good friend of the family. You could say he inspired me a little because I could ask him questions and he could answer them for me.” Because of her early interest in science, Hubbard jumped at an opportunity to begin medical research through Ecotek, a program initiated by lab director Keith Young at Wayne State when she was in seventh grade. “The director of my lab, Keith Young, has this idea that if you have a passion for something, in order to actually hone in on your skills, you have to start young. I always had a passion for science but I never knew how far-ranged it could go,” Hubbard said. “There’s research aspects of it and there’s clinical aspects of it that I don’t think my peers have been exposed to that I’ve been exposed to since I was 11.” Young believes that in order to be a professional at something, one has to be committed to that craft and love it. “In the lab, it’s critical that you’re passionate about the work that you do because I’m not going to be the person that has to remind you about the greatness that you think you want to achieve,” Young said. “Dreams are really just goals with timelines, so if somebody says, ‘One day I’m going to be a neurologist’ or ‘One day I’m going to be an architect,’ that one day could be today.” This attitude of pursuing what she loves has been a part of Hubbard’s life from even before she was introduced to Young. “My mom and dad have always pushed me to pursue what I like and that’s kind of
inspiring because they do what they like. My mom’s a speech pathologist and my dad’s an entrepreneur and he loves business,” Hubbard said. “The fact that I’m pursuing what I love–the inspiration came from my parents.” Her parents, Everett and Jenetta Hubbard, have taught Hubbard through their example. “We just believe that hard work pays off and we’ve always just told her to find her passion in life. That’s kind of difficult when you’re talking to a 11 and 12 year old, but it was about just finding what makes you feel good inside and then just give it everything you have,” Jenetta Hubbard said. “I’m just really proud of her because we never knew that she would have all the opportunity that she has now.” Among the opportunities was a summer-long internship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. “There’s research everywhere at Hopkins. Every step you take there’s a research building. I was in the hospital campus so I was able to be exposed to medicine as well as research whereas at Wayne I’m not necessarily exposed to the medical aspect of sciences,” Hubbard said. Although research has been such a large part of her life thus far, Hubbard doesn’t intend on choosing a career directly involving research. Despite this, she plans on staying connected with research studies throughout her life. “I definitely want to be a physician but I think that even in the position of being a doctor, I want to know the new drugs coming out or the new treatments. I want to be that doctor who is on the cutting edge of research,” Hubbard said. “Even if I don’t do research, I’ll always love the development of new things, new innovations. It’s just a cool thing to me.” “You know how a football player loves football? And even if they were to stop playing they’d be devastated? I think I would be devastated if I stopped being around research. It’s just a love of mine.”
Brigitte Smith
Senior Jayla Hubbard applies her love for science in and out of school. “I found myself freshman year sometimes teaching the class. I had Mrs. Ternes, who’s now Mrs. Michels, and she would sometimes refer to me like, ‘Jayla can you answer this question,’ because she knew I knew.”
reviews
North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 – 6
Night Vale:
Just your average, slightly supernatural, small-town broadcast
By Audrey Kam Assistant Editor
“Good night, Night Vale, good night.” Cecil Baldwin has ended his bi-monthly podcast. If you’re not slightly confused, you weren’t listening. What’s going on here? You may be wondering why there is a levitating cat in the bathroom, or who the hooded figures are, or what Cecil Baldwin looks like. You may be thinking to yourself that the song you heard does not qualify as a weather report (as it was labeled). For those of you unfamiliar with podcasts and the way they work: A podcast is a series of audio, video, PDF or ePub files which you subscribe to. They are automatically downloaded on release to your portable media device. Those with Apple Devices can subscribe to a variety of podcasts directly from iTunes, but there are other options available. Applications like Stitcher, Lisbyn, Feedburner and Soundcloud will allow you to access all available episodes of your chosen podcast (in this case Welcome To Night Vale) and alert you when a new episode comes out. At first, the podcasts seem reminiscent of every other community news broadcast you have ever heard. One speaker (with a deep, smooth voice) drones on about community events, traffic, weather and government affairs. Just your normal stuff. It’s business as usual. There is a dog park where neither the citizens nor their canine friends are allowed, but hooded figures who are spotted there are not to be disturbed or approached. Teleportation is possible and has occurred recently. It was frowned upon as an act of sabotage and vandalism. Part of WTNV’s appeal is the nonchalant way Baldwin reports the absurdities occurring in his town. The bizarre PSA’s (Public Service Announcements) and commercials are delivered as if it is completely normal and expected that the sheriff’s secret police (the major governing body in our favorite desert town) should pull over a 500-pound, fire-breathing dragon for speeding. The people and events that are described in the show are so bizarre that you won’t want to miss an episode. The goings-on are so different from what you usually hear about and habitually pay attention to that listening to a WTNV podcast is like becoming a child again. Everything is new. You have never heard anything like this before. Baldwin’s voice carries you away from your mundane, everyday experiences and whisks you away to his home, sharing details along the way. You have the sense that you know everything about this town that the inhabitants know, and yet you feel as if you know nothing and everything will remain mysterious, shrouded in secrets and bathed in obscurities.
Which only makes you want to find out more. WTNV plays into one of the most basic human urges. Curiosity. It plays with your mind, giving you something to think about. While you’re still struggling to wrap your head around a new idea, Baldwin moves on and leaves you spinning. It creates the environment for you to wonder whether things – like yourself – exist, and it seems like the podcast is almost designed to keep you wondering, thereby keeping you hooked and keeping you listening month after month. Although the subjects may be alien, and possibly impossible, the questions the show addresses are very real and deep. These subjects actually come up in real life. Who are you really? Why are you, you? If I can’t prove something exists right in that moment, does it exist in that moment? The “weather” segment of the show is just as unusual as the rest of the broadcast. Instead of giving you an actual weather report (which is not universal, and would most likely be wrong because we do not live in Night Vale) your host cues up a song. Usually it has lyrics just as bizarre as the news bulletin he just read you, and it’s always a far cry from top 40. These are the submissions that Commonplace Books have gotten from listeners. In addition to keeping things weird on the air, the official Night Vale twitter (@NightValeRadio) keeps the strange coming 24/7, informing you of show times, special events and generally applying Night Vale’s logic to anything and everything (regardless of whether or not there was time to address it during the show). These sub-15o word blurbs give you your daily dose of skewed logic and extend the pleasure of listening past the 2o-30 minutes that you actually get to listen to it. Links to the podcasts can be found at their the WTNV website: http://commonplacebooks.com/welcome-to-night-vale/.
Grade: A+
glee season five
Mechanical bull
B+
C-
The house of hades
cebook http
B
s.com
://commonpla
Pokemon x and y
A-
Remember hearing “You know that I could use somebody, someone like you” all over the radio in 2008? After a hiatus, the lovesick, wailunbiasedwriter.com ing Kings of Leon are back with their new album Mechanical Bull, a mechanically boring compilation of rock songs. With the exception of a few good grooves, the album is skip-worthy. When compared to Only by the Night, the harbinger of hits like “Use Somebody” and “Manhattan,” this album falls completely flat. Only by the Night is perfect in every way Mechanical Bull is not – it’s listenable, unique, raw and passionate. “Family Tree” stands out as the strongest song of the new album; it’s strictly the blues. As far as a rock song is concerned, a bluesy progression is a guaranteed stunner. “Supersoaker” and “Rock City” also have hit potential with their playful vibes. But the rest of the album gives you the blues, and not in a good way. “Wait For Me” and “Temple” are meandering and painfully boring, diving into the album’s displeasing pattern of echoing guitars and repetitive lyrics. These songs sound sad. Sure, lead signer Caleb Followill’s gritty vocals contribute to the melodrama. But on Only By The Night, they sounded fresh. Here, they sound mopey. The catch of songwriting is to channel emotions like sadness into beautiful melodies to help you forget. “On the Chin” and “Tonight” keep reminding you. Hey, Kings – you know that you could use some help?
If you’re a Glee fanatic, you have noticed an emptiness in the show this season. Many wondered how the show could conwape.com tinue without Cory Monteith, who played the lovable jock and singer Finn Hudson. The third episode of the season was a tribute to Monteith and the death of the character Finn. All of the characters are grieving in this episode, as were most Gleeks watching from home. This episode handles the death of Cory very well and celebrates the joy of his life rather than the sadness of his death. Picking up from season four, Rachel is still going through the auditioning process for Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Blaine proposes to Kurt as he planned to do last season. These storylines make the beginning of the fifth season very interesting. There are many new characters in this season, and they really do add to the show. Demi Lovato plays one of the new characters and excels on this show in her new role. As for music, the first two episodes were a tribute to the Beatles. The glee club sounds amazing, but their renditions of the songs are not as great as the original versions. The new storyline and addition of characters do not distract from the original vibes of the show, however. Deep down, it feels like the same old Glee.
After allowing Percy and Annabeth to helplessly tumble into Tartarus in the previous book, Riordan has much to finish after leaving fans with a year long rickriordan.com cliff-hanger. The House of Hades is filled with perilous adventures, characteristic teenage romance and a plot that had been progressing through three books. Some questions are laid to rest, while others are still fresh in our minds. As a man of mythology, Riordan never fails to impress. Whether he’s hanging out with Calypso, confiding in Cupid (who is actually not a baby with wings) or searching for souls with Hades, it is done smoothly. Both Greek and Roman mythology mingle, but the story is never muddled or confusing. However, there is one blaring contradiction: the gods are very naive. Could you sweet-talk major gods into letting someone go unharmed? Probably not. Past Riordan books have also been identified by their sense of lighthearted humor. Sadly, this book is missing that aspect. Two 16-year-olds traveling through Tartarus, a void of death and spirits, doesn’t call for flowers and rainbows – a dash of humor would have alleviated the serious nature of the events. But, Riordan never loses his command of words. He has the uncanny ability to immerse readers into his writing. If you enjoyed the previous books and are looking for some answers, or you’re just looking for a good read, then you’ve found it.
With a new Nintendo handheld system comes the next Pokemon game in the series, X & Y. Unlike past games, in X & Y the songs are atgacostechnology.blogspot.com mospheric and fit the areas they’re featured in. The graphics are some of the best on Nintendo 3DS, but graphics and sound aren’t everything to a game. The gameplay of X & Y is still the formula fans of the series know and love. Players catch a team of Pokemon that are trained to defeat gym leaders and eventually the Elite Four and the Champion. New nuances make the game a little different from others in the series. The Pokemon that are encountered depend on what flower is growing in the tall grass, where Pokemon are found, adding some variety to what Pokemon live in each area. There’s also variety in each player’s avatar, as X & Y comes with several different outfits and hairstyles to choose from. A multitude of new Pokemon, as well as the new Mega evolution mechanic (which allows for Pokemon to evolve in battle and become more powerful), make the game fresh. This game stayed constantly original but still keeps to the classic formula of the rest of the series, which is what I loved about this and the other games. However, it does present challenge without being cheap about it. One of the main problems is that the game is somewhat short. It doesn’t take long to get through the main story, although there’s a great deal of content afterwards.
By Melina Glusac
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By Addison Toutant
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Sports
North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 – 7
QUICK HIT
Meet Mackenzie Simon Balancing practices. Time management. Staying up late. This is what’s required for freshman Mackenzie Simon to play volleyball and swimming, both in one season. “In the summer, I talked to my swim coach, and he told me that if it was okay with the volleyball coach, then it was fine with him, and then so when I made the volleyball team, I talked to her, and she didn’t have a problem with it,” Simon said. “I’ve been playing them both since I was little, and they’re the only sports I’ve played all the way through, and I just couldn’t pick one. I like them both a lot.” Although Simon found a way to play both sports in one season, balancing the two requires a great deal of schedule management. “So obviously, I have school, and then at 3:30, I have swimming, and swimming is supposed to go from 3:30 till 5. But I have volleyball at 4:45, so I have to get out from swimming at like 4:35ish, get changed and run into the gym and do volleyball. Then I go home and finish my homework, and then it’s usually late. I just go to bed,” Simon said. “At school, like during tutorial, I have to make sure to get all my homework done, or most of it.” Even though Simon’s schedule might be busy, she says it’s not much stress to deal with. “It’s not usually that stressful. I mean, there’s a few days. And if I have a test the next day, I’ll just stay up later and study for it,” Simon said. “Yeah, it hasn’t been that stressful so far.”
By Radiance Cooper
Homecoming Starts Here
Seafood & Chop House 123 Kercheval Ave. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 313.886.8101 TheHillChopHouse.com
Photo courtesy of Steinkampf family
ABOVE: Junior Nathan Steinkampf jumps in attempt to block an oncoming shot. His favorite part of playing soccer is the hard work and pressure. “I like being pushed to the limits, to the point of throwing up,” Steinkampf said. BELOW: Steinkampf leaps in the air to save a shot on net.
Three teams, one sport, one athlete Junior Nathan Steinkampf hopes to extend his soccer career to college and further by playing three seasons of soccer on three different teams. By Colleen Reveley Editor
In the course of one year, junior Nathan Steinkampf will play on three different soccer teams, including North’s varsity, the Michigan Wolves club team and the Olympic Development Program (ODP). The ODP is a group of teams from across the U.S. They’re separated into regional divisions and then put in tournaments to play against each other. “In the past, what I’ve done is basically try out. It’s in the summer. Then after the summer, we meet again in March or so and have another tryout. We are trying out for 11 months, then you go down with the team to regional camp, and that’s just where you play other states and if you want to compete for nationals, which we won a couple years ago,” Steinkampf said. “We are region two, so you go down to regional camp and play all the people in region two, and then you go to nationals and play everyone from other regions. I’m going into my fourth year on the team — if I make it.” Steinkampf uses this program to help pursue his soccer career past high school. “These coaches have connections to the Olympics and D-I and D-II schools.” As for Nathan’s future, he has yet to commit to play anywhere, but has several scheduled visits coming up, including University of Detroit Mercy and Adrian College. Although he plays the same sport on three different teams, Steinkampf sees a lot of differences in the way each team plays and coaches. “North is an actual team where we actually practice and train every day. ODP is where you train for a weekend and then go to region camp, then after camp you can get called over to stay and get looked at or you just go home,” Steinkamp said. “My club team is more cutthroat. It’s like you make a mistake, and you’re out, but here you get to play with your friends and get your friends to come watch and play under the lights, play your friends from South. I like playing year-round.” Steinkamp’s inspiration and greatest cheerleader is his sister, North alumna Elizabeth Steinkampf. Elizabeth also played varsity soccer during her time here. “My sister is 24 now, and she played soccer, and I was the little brother at the games kicking the ball around. She started playing, and I was like, ‘Wow. That’s cool,’” Steinkampf said.
Photo courtesy of Steinkampf family
Elizabeth tries to help Nathan with the game in any way she can. “It’s been a ton of fun watching him grow up in the same game that I grew up in. I’ve gotten to act as coach, mentor, teammate and superfan, all of which have been unique and cool experiences,” Elizabeth said. “It’s also been awesome seeing how soccer has helped shape the person that he is growing up to be.” Concerning all the success Nathan is having, Elizabeth can’t help but credit herself for a little of it. “I think having an older sibling play before him has helped pave that road for him, which I’m happy to do for him,” she said.
11-9 Monday - Friday • 12-9 Saturday • 12-8 Sunday 19605 Mack Ave. • Grosse Pointe Woods • Michigan
in-depth
North Pointe – Friday, Oct. 18 20, 2013 – 8
a serious Net-flix-tion
The addicitve sensation that’s sweeping the nation By Lauren Semack Web content editor
1997 - Netflix is born in Scotts Valley, Calif. by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. It’s not until 1999 that Netlfix started a free trial, renting out unlimited movies.
2012 - Netflix holds more than 30 million subscribers. That is the same as the population of Peru.
2002 – Netflix ends the year with 857,000 members. That’s approximately 614 times our student population.
2010 - Netflix launches in Canada. In the next year, it surpasses 20 million subscribers with Canada and United States. That’s bigger than the population of Australia.
2006 - Netflix develops the Netflix Prize, a contest promising $1 million to the first team to accurately recom-
mend movies and TV shows based on personal preferences.
2007 - Netflix introduces the concept of streaming in addition to sending movies to viewers’ homes.
Recently watched by North’s faculty (From most to least watched)
A look into the lives of binge watchers
Graphic By sydney thompson & Haley Reid dauntless.media.net collider.com vidiot.com commons.wikimedia.com fanart.tv logos.wikia.com clker.com
The reformed watcher
Productive procrastinator
Netflix roulette
Gabrielle Shimko
Dan gilleran
Jonathan hawring
Social studies teacher Favorite show: Breaking Bad Series followed: Five Episodes a week: Three-Seven
Senior Favorite show: South Park Series followed: Five Episodes a week: Six
Freshman Favorite show: Family Guy Series followed: Two Episodes a week: Five
It’s been three years since she’s seen the login screen of Netflix. Senior Gabrielle Shimko cut herself off from the service at the end of freshman year, though it had filled her late-night hours with endless entertainment. “It would get to the point where I would be on it for four hours every night in the summer, and it would be late at night time where it’s like you get really bored but you’re not tired so it would just get to the point where it would take over my night life,” Shimko said. From horror to comedy, Shimko would watch about three episodes of a show plus one or two movies per night. “I watched countless movies on Netflix but I watched basically Family Guy, South Park and like maybe three other series so it’s like five series,” she said. Shimko said she would watch her shows, particularly horror movies, off a gaming console which improved viewability. “I watched them alone,” Shimko said. “We used to have an Xbox so I watched it on the big TV and it would kind of make it more scary.” Shimko’s family is divided on Netflix usage. While her cousin isn’t a fan, her mother gets a movie mailed to their house every once in a while. “My cousin Jacob, he just doesn’t see the point in it ... it takes over your life, like you know?” Shimko said. Shimko has been Netflix-free for three years, but admits she will likely use it again sometime in the near future. “I feel l like I will get another one (account) especially for college, like if there’s just down time I will end up watching it.”
Productive procrastination: getting through as many Netflix episodes as possible while avoiding daily tasks. That’s what social studies teacher Dan Gilleran has dubbed binge watching. “It’s probably not the healthiest thing you can do because you’re just a total couch potato for that whole day, or for those hours. But sometimes I think your body says that you need to take it easy,” Gilleran said. “You can watch the entire first series in a weekend, and then you end up doing just that.” Gilleran watches TV shows along with documentaries for school purposes. “They are usually, obviously, more social in the aspect ... I just watched one that was on ‘happiness’ and what makes people happy, which was really cool. I watched one on inequality of income, which was looking at social classes,” Gilleran said. To Gilleran, there is nothing wrong with watching an entire series at once. “Well personally, I love it. I know some people may disagree. There was an article in the paper saying that you shouldn’t do it because the writers meant it to be episodic. You know, that it should be weeks at a time, and you’re just watching it all at once,” Gilleran said. “But I like the equation that if you’re reading a good book, you don’t put it down. You don’t stop chapter after chapter, you continue to read it, and so I thought that was a neat analogy because if you want to watch it, you can watch it.”
It’s a game he plays. His fingers toggle past TV series after TV series. Which one to choose? That’s up to fate, a sort of Netflix roulette. Just wrapping up Family Guy, he is now in search of a fresh series. A Netflix member for approximately two years, freshman Jonathan Hawring said his choices are largely undirected. He picks his series on impulse, finishes and moves onto a new one after. “Well I just started Grey’s Anatomy. I actually like it. It’s cool. It’s entertaining,” he said. Hawring said that his whole family watches Netflix, and while he is watching his shows, they are often watching something else – a series like Friday Night Lights, an NBC TV program that ended in 2011. Although his family tends to gravitate towards a different genre, Hawring said he appreciates that Netflix has shows that stopped airing on TV and can be found in his family’s “Recently Watched” section. “I think it’s a nice thing to have. If you heard about a TV show, but you never got into it, most of the time it will be on there. It’s a good resource to watch shows,” he said. Hawring said that since returning to school, he hasn’t watched it as much as he did in the summer, when he frequented the service daily. A self-proclaimed addict, he claims to keep going back to the show Family Guy. Overall, Hawring said that the appeal to Netflix is the affordability and accessibility. “It’s an easy way to watch shows and movies, and it’s cheap.”
by Emma Brock
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