North Pointe - Sept 20, 2013 by North Pointe

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

LIFE

Sophomore Olivia Bloomhuff along with 1,500 others biked a 12-15 mile route on Labor Day in the Detroit Slow Roll. Page 5

ACT TESTING

Saturday, Sept. 21 at 8 a.m. at North.

FALL PLAY

Friday, Sept. 21, Saturday Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. in the PAC.

FIRST DAY OF AUTUMN

New hybrid Honors Biology course ushers in era of technological learning By Marie Bourke & Brigitte Smith web content Editor & assistant editor

“What if by June 12, 2014 you can showcase your theoretical model of solving some problem like cancer? What if you can compel others to think in a complex way?” Students entered Susan Spiers’ first hour Honors Biology to this challenge at the head of their syllabus. Spiers is experimenting with an in-and-out, hybrid classroom teaching style which is designed to allow students a flexible schedule to complete their class work. Incoming freshmen and sophomores registered to take Honors Biology were offered the opportunity to learn in the hybrid class. This new learning format is geared towards leading the next generation to solve real-life issues, such as cancer and global warming, through their applied learning and research. “To next generation science, it's about applying it. It’s about research. It's about thinking about what you know. There’s some elements of memorization, the traditional kind that we’re used to. There’s some of that involved in every class. I think next generation science and that curriculum is pushing us toward ‘let’s be real scientists,’” Speirs said.

Sunday, Sept. 22

SINCE 1968

POINTE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

Students will be exempt from class each Monday and Friday. The work done during these days will be completed by the students at their chosen time. Speirs believes this flexibility of the class will be more beneficial for students. “What's so magical about sitting down at 8 in the morning that you have to do this and this between this time? When we can organize that learning where, you might say, ‘I have more time Saturday between 2 and 3 to do that.’” Students use programs such as Google Drive, which is where their assignments are posted, Twitter, Schoology, Blogger, Socrative and ThingLink. “The Google account is the main website. They have a Dropbox to turn things in and a view folder where all their handouts will go and have an edit folder where the whole class can look at a particular file that has a concept around it,” Speirs said. “Schoology is a learning platform like Moodle or Blackboard. You can blog, you can upload rubrics, and the type of assessments are mind blowing.” Students work on applying their learning to real-life situations by having a quarterly “i-Search” project. Groups choose a topic they are interested in researching and then collaborate with each other through their Google accounts. Freshman Lindsey Hoshaw is working with her group to research how collagen affects cancer. “We’ve been finding articles and a presentation slide for our i-Search. Our goals are to find out how collagen can affect the risk of getting cancer, why collagen would affect the risks, and if collagen can prevent and/or cure cancer,” Hoshaw said. New Assistant Principal David Reed-Nordwall supports this particular type of learning, as he developed programs similar to this at his former district, Birmingham Public School District. “Something like in (Honors Biology) where you are trying to live the life of a scientist, it actually makes sense to not be stuck in a classroom,” Reed-Nordwall said. “The major question wasn’t, ‘where is another place for them to do their work,’ but ‘what would be a really powerful addition to their learning environment?’”

RAISE THE ROOF CHARITY EVENT

Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Brownell Middle School auditorium.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO COLLEGE VISIT

“

IDEAS

I longed for the days where kids’ phones were

dumbphones, and the only people with BlackBerrys or iPhones drove BMWs and wore

“

kick-butt

power suits.

est

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 5th hour in the Counceling Center.

District switches to Naviance By Patricia Bajis

Staff development editor

The Class of 2014 will be the first to apply to college through the web service Naviance, as the previous program, Docufide, has been scrapped and replaced. All matters of the application process, for both individual and Common Application schools, will be handled through the site. “Naviance is a computer portal that links the high school, student and the university all in one. It’s like one-stop shopping. You can go on there and have your letters of recommendation sent to all of your schools, your transcripts (and) your applications,” counselor Jill Davenport said. “It will also give you graphs of where you statistically match up with other people that were admitted to the school. You can say, ‘I want to go to MSU, and I have a 3.00’, (and Naviance) will show you on a graph whether or not you can get in. It’s a very clean way of keeping all of your application

GPNspire event strives to illuminate student voices By Erica Lizza Staff reporter

The GPNspire Talks will be held on Friday, Nov. 15 in the PAC. The event is patterned after the TED talks but will be given by students for students. One North representative will be selected to join 12 other student speakers from different school districts to speak on the selected topic of inspiration. “It’s not just to inspire students. It’s to help students have their inspirational voices heard so that they can inspire the world. That’s the ultimate goal, to inspire the

@myGPN

process in one spot. Everything is in a pretty little package for you.” Naviance offers services such as requesting transcripts, letters of recommendation and viewing and signing up for school college visits. “It gives you a lot of options like Supermatch, where you can, similar to Career Cruising, answer questions, and the colleges that are best parallel to what you’re looking for will pop up,” Davenport said. “It also gives you career interest inventories, again similar to career cruising, but it’s all in one bundle so it’s easier for you guys to maneuver it. The only thing that is not on here at this point is sending your ACT scores.” Online management of applications was established a few years back by the School Board, and programs have been tested and replaced in order to find the most user-friendly and efficient way to apply. The school has gone through Parchment, Docufide and now Naviance.

By Lauren Semack & Haley Reid web content Editor & assistant editor

There were the Baby Boomers, Generation X, a cluster of teens in 1966-1980 that at first used correction fluid on the typewriter, but were introduced slowly to the computer. Now, there is the Millennial Generation, or Generation Y starting in 1980 to current day that carry a smorgasbord of information in their pocket on tiny computers, being taught in classroom by using the tactics of School 2.0. The idea of “School 2.0” was hatched in the early 2000s before wi-fi and smart phones were everyday tools used to navigate the technological world. The concept of “School 2.0” is a complete renovation and overhaul of what school has been like. Digital Seminar was proposed by both North and South administrations in 2007 as a course that would challenge students to collaborate using technology and managing a digital footprint while learning about fresh, emerging technological tools. Two pilot courses ran in 2008, but due to lack of interest didn’t survive the first year. Revamped this year, the class is taught by Michael Spears who speculates that in 2008 it was harder to run a class that was computer based without the actual hardware in place like available now (i.e. classroom set of Chromebooks). “Flash forward five years and we’re saying a lot of teachers in the school are all having similar thoughts,” Spears said. “‘We really need a class that teaches students how to use these 21st Century tools for learning, for doing research, to make their lives easier, to enhance their productivity skills.’” In 2012, Spears along with Director of Education, Aaron Johnson and Principal Kate Murray submitted to the Board to reinstate the pilot course for the 2013-2014 school year. “A group of us sat down last spring and the district basically gave us a day to work together and we came up with an idea for a class that we now call Digital Seminar. In order to run the class this year, we modeled it after the old Digital Seminar because it was already in the books, so it allowed us to fast track (in devising an updated curriculum),” Spears said. One major issue with the curriculum of the original Digital Seminar course was that most of the technology used in class has already been integrated into the average school day, thus becoming minute lessons in the new course. Technology tools like Edmodo, Moodle and Blackboard, once considered in 2007 “cutting edge,” are now simply habitual resources for students. The new course is more student interests driven and follows a more personalized exploration of topics. “Mr. Spears has kind of described it as more of an independent class where he’ll give you something to do and an amount of time to do it,” senior Josh Champney said. “He’ll say, ‘here’s (a) website, go ahead and look at it.’ He’ll ask you some questions about it.” With a grant from the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education, Champney along with his classmates in this paperless class utilize a class set of Chromebooks, the laptop recently produced by Google, to navigate the web, most recently learning about safe searches.

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world,” English teacher and event coordinator Jonathan Byrne said. “We didn’t think that students had enough opportunities to do that. So that’s what we wanted to create.” The North representative will be selected to present his or her speech by a committee made up of one student, teacher and administrator. “It can be something that inspires you. You could talk about something that you’re inspired by; you could talk about an idea that you have that you think is inspirational. Or you could talk about a person that inspires you and what makes them inspiring,” Byrne said. Students should submit video auditions of their speeches to http://j.mp/gpnspire no later than Friday, Oct. 11. Students will be notified of the selection by Oct. 30. Speeches should be approximately five minutes long and have a clear, inspiring message.

www.myGPN.org

Digital Seminar classes cater to next generation

GPNspire talks should: Appeal to a wide audience Be approximately five minutes long Have a clear and inspiring message Be given without the use of notes or a script Be accompanied by at least one presentation silde (not required for audition) Be video recorded, published on YouTube or Vimeo, and shared by URL at: http://j.mp/nspiretalk Not be of a political, controversial, or religions nature

VOLUME 46, ISSUE 1

news

2 – Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 – North Pointe

Switch to Naviance

ting at a computer and pushing the buttons. I will love it, but it’s becoming comContinued from page 1 pletely familiar with it we all need to do. I’m learning the answers. We’re learning “Parchment was required by the state at the same time you are,” Davenport said. so that all transcripts were sent out elecLike past programs, Naviance is able tronically instead of paper being sent and to link a student’s Common App account mailed. And then the state (allowed) us with its services, allowing for the two acto do it through Docufide, and now it’s counts to share information. through Naviance,” Davenport said. “We However, recent difficulty with send(switched to Naviance) because we felt it ing transcripts has caused issues between was more user-friendly for the kids. Today their connection. it’s the most effective program out there, “The Common App right now is havso if it maintains its integrity of being the ing a crisis. If it’s a Common App school, best, then we’ll stay with it. If it’s within (the transcript) didn’t get sent out yet, beour control and affordable to the school cause things aren’t married yet. So until then we will stay the Common with it until it’s App situation no longer meetis resolved, ing the services they won’t go of our students.” out. As far as Enables simple sign-up for college visits the regular Students are required to use appl ic at ion s, the online ser See how your GPA and ACT match up (records clerk vice for all parts Paula Staperagainst those who were accepted and of their applicafenne) started tions. Student inprocessing denied formation is also them, she just sent, upon re Allows students to request transcripts started. Part of quest, electronithat is because cally through the system is Can invite teachers for recommendation the site. new, we’re all “It makes me making sure Allows students to view their applica- the I’s are dotnervous that everything deted, the T’s are tion status pends on this crossed and one program. that every “SuperMatch” pairs one’s interests with thing is done If I make one a college that best suits them mistake or a right,” Daventeacher or counport said. selor does, then it Sen ior s could have serious were introduced repercussions,” senior Andrew Sharon to the program toward the end of last year said. and have had the program available to Senior Jordyn Parent shares some of them all summer. Sharon’s worries. “It was confusing at first, but once I ex“It is online, which can always be plored, I got the hang of how it worked. It’s nerve-racking, not knowing where it’s a great idea, having everything right there actually going and if it got there, which is on one website, but I’m old fashioned in pretty important when applying to col- the idea of sending things through mail leges,” Parent said. and getting an acceptance letter in the Updating to the newest system has mail rather than by email. It seems more been a learning experience for students personal coming in the mail,” senior Katie and staff alike. Perna said. “When (students) email me a question, I can’t necessarily (answer it) without sit-

Naviance Benefits

Digital Seminar Continued from page 1

“We logged onto a website and we had to answer questions about safe searches like on the internet and we do a lot with learning how to use it responsibly,” Champney said. One thing students can look forward to when signing up for this class is the opportunity to develop their own mobile app for free (and possibly compete against fellow classmates for the best) towards the end of the semester. “It’s cool because not many people can say that they’ve made an app, or that they know how to make one,” Champney said.

Link Crew leaders connect with their freshmen The Class of 2017 had a different first day experience than those of previous freshmen classes. Upperclassmen leaders of the Link Crew welcomed incoming freshmen to North through engaging activities. “My mentor was really nice the first day I met her, and they were good mentors,” freshman Megan Lowers said. “It was a pretty big help.” After playing a few introductory activities, the freshmen were put in small groups and toured the school while being led by Link Crew leaders who recounted their own experiences at North.

Advanced Learning Center helps students The administration will take an alternative approach to in-school suspensions (ISS) this year. In the old ISS model, students were individually responsible for filling their suspension time with homework from missed classes. The new Alternative Learning Center (ALC) will provide a structured school day for students and keep them academically focused. “(What) we struggled with is for those students who it (ISS) is not necessarily a punishment, it is a gift where they don’t really want to be in school. So in a different way, they get away from the learning environment, so our thought was to try to find a different learning environment that has a different feel to it,” Assistant Principal David Reed-Nordwall said.

“I want to make an app related to sports because it’s something that I’m into.” Spears claims though that one selling point of the class is the idea of students being able to manipulate the direction of the class towards their interests. “In this class, I want to run it in such a way that if a student needs to ask a question, and it would really spark a good discussion in class, we’ll learn more about it in class in the future,” Spears said. “There’s no reason why we can’t let the content of this class evolve as well. It’s a class thats going to evolve a lot, not just semester to semester, but even from week to week.”

“It helped me. It helped assure me that there are going to be problems but there are people here to help me,” freshman Danielle Bennett said. Link Crew has furthered their efforts to help the Class of 2017 by organizing future events to check up on their mentees. They also are seeking to expand their involvement with their underclassmen. “They’re gonna be putting up locker signs on all the freshman lockers, just kind of ‘Hey, how’s your first week going?’ Then we’re planning, in early October, an allfreshman event,” English teacher Joe Drouin said. “We are going to take some of the Link Crew leaders to a Link Crew retreat for a day’s activity where they’re (going to) meet leaders from other schools and talk about what they’re doing and what they’ve done so they really can compare ideas with other school districts.” Receiving the punishment of attending a day in the ALC has the same goal as ISS but takes a different view on it. In the ALC, students will have seven different academic core teachers, one for each hour. The teachers each specialize in one department (i.e. social studies, math, etc.) and assist students with work in that department’s subject. Some days will have preparation for the ACT, such as giving students practice test questions. The main goal of having the different teachers throughout the day is to help students catch up on homework. “Our thought was ‘What could we do to help you in the bigger, higher-stake tests that are your future, like the college ACT-style test as test prep becomes more computerized where you could get instant feedback and so they could really come out and be better?’” Reed-Nordwall said. By Radiance Cooper & Caelin Micks

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IDEAS iLove my phone The cool, smooth black screen. The sleek edges. The iconic home button. The iPhone hit the market in 2007 and soon “Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression its popularity skyrocketed around the globe and reinvented the world as we know it. I knew and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether all of this, but for years I despised the iPhone the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular, because I knew that receiving one was out of critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.” the question. My parents had made it clear Board of Education Policy that I didn’t Maria Liddane Andrea Scapini Gabby Burchett Melina Glusac have a prayer in Editor-in-Chief NEws editor Managing EDITOR ideas editor the smartphone Izzy Ellery Colleen Reveley Lauren Semack Sydney Thompson department, so life editor sports editor web content manager business manager I made do with Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board my “well loved” consisting of the editors above and staff members phone. Texting Erica Lizza and Jennifer Kusch. and calling was My TURN all I would ever Jennifer Kusch have and something that I had to grow to accept. That is, until my parents bit the bullet and surprised me with a shiny new iPhone. My world was thrown into a tailspin. I had been the proud owner of a dependable yet somewhat prehistoric phone that did what it was meant to do and nothing more. My phone had persevered, drop after drop, with just a few chips in the way of battle scars, leaving me with no shattered screens or hefty repair costs to deal with. I had prided myself on my willingness to accept my fate with grace and maturity. I even went so far as to tell myself that I didn’t need to group chat, I didn’t need the internet in the palm of my hand, and I didn’t need to be playing Candy Crush at all hours of the night. I knew what the consequences would be if my parents caved: my hands would reach for the phone to check the status of everything that had a status: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. My days of making eye-contact would be over. Like my peers, my conversations would be peppered with glances at the screen — the unspoken third party to any conversation. I thought that I was better off without it

OUR EDITORIAl

Hybrid classes can work, but upperclassmen are better candidates

Technology reimagined the world of education in one fell swoop. A few years ago, all classes were taught in a room, with a teacher lecturing and their pupils anxiously memorizing their every utterance. However, recent innovations have placed an entirely new and interactive experience within reach of most students, and technology is being integrated into the classroom in previously unanticipated ways. North is currently offering a new hybrid first-hour Honors Biology class, which blends new innovations with tried-and-true classroom methods into a cutting edge experience. In this new class, students spend two days a week learning their lessons online and the other three periods in class, having questions answered and discussing their lessons and projects. This method is supposed to encourage students to apply their knowledge in new ways while also promoting skills like collaboration and communication by providing more convenient time to work on projects. The research students are able to work on seems to be true-to-world – a characteristic we can benefit from. Since everything around us is evolving at an everincreasing pace, these skills are essential to survive and thrive. This all makes sense. However, Honors Biology is a class traditionally taken by underclassmen, who may not have the luxury of driving themselves to school a period later in the day. This leads to a potential inconvenience for families and carpools that are disrupted twice a week. Upperclassmen have more experience with high-level classes and many can drive to school. They could take part in a hybrid experience, like this, more easily. Looking into the many potential hybrid course options and trying out the good candidates is absolutely something we need. Classes of the hybrid sort have succeeded already in more straight-forward, right-orwrong subjects. Students in math teacher Greg Johnson’s AP Calculus classes have partaken in a similarly unorthodox class experience, where they watch instructional videos online at home and use class time to complete their homework with the teacher at their disposal. This math class works well. It cooperates with the normal class schedule – a big plus. And too, flexibility is not always the best practice with high school students. The ever-present procrastination gene tends to shine through when we’re permitted to pick a time slot for work. Ideally, those taking Honors Biology would be students who do well with some independent learning. And those who sign-up for the class will likely consider themselves so. Hybrid learning can work, but the logistics of altering class time is something that needs consideration.

because no one has the self control to wield a smartphone and still manage to communicate like a human being. I longed for the days where kids’ phones were dumbphones, and the only people with BlackBerrys or iPhones drove BMWs and wore kick-butt power suits. Sadly, those days were long gone, and everywhere I looked I saw a sea of glossy phones clutched as though they were the only things holding people on the ground. It seemed as if even elementary schoolers were light years ahead of me, running around on the playground with supersized Galaxy 4Ss in tow. But who was I kidding? Deep down, I longed to be a part of the club. Behind my facade of disgust at both the cost and connotation of the superiority that came with owning a smartphone, I wanted one—really, really wanted one. Not that my public stance was without merit. Thirty dollars a month for data for three kids? You do the math. Battery dead after one school day? Mine lasted for a week. Although common sense ruled in favor of my brick of a phone, even my parents could not turn a blind eye to the fact that I could not open group messages, which left me out in the cold whenever a practice was rescheduled or a Student Council meeting cancelled. Although the years of wailing about my stunted social life fell on deaf ears, my parents could not ignore the fact that it was becoming nearly impossible to function as a student with my old phone. My phone had become an endangered species on the verge of extinction, and it was time to move on. Now that I have that shiny phone in my pocket, I have forgotten my earlier qualms. The transition from dumbphone to smartphone was instantaneous, and although the iPhone is a fragile and expensive status symbol, it has made — Hold on, let me take this call.

“I thought it was fun, and it was nice to see that I was helping out the freshmen, and they were nice too.”

“I thought it was good and helpful because if I had a question, I could ask. I just thought it was better than it was going to be.”

“One of my (Link leaders) was really cool, he was really awesome.”

Micah Darnell

Carmen Weinkauf

John Cwiklinski

Junior

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 – 3

freshman

YOUR TURN: How was Link Crew Freshman Orientation? By Dora Juhaz

“It was awesome. Odell (Snyder) was an awesome Link Crew leader.”

“I can tell that our relationships with the freshmen are going to kick off really well. Everybody there was pumped up, and we just had a great time.”

“I really like being a part of it because I’m getting to work with students outside of the classroom and getting to see you guys in a different light.”

Alex Vandoorne

David Gerlach Junior

Kristen Lee

FRESHMAN

Link crew 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 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane public forum without prior review. ComMANAGING EDITOR: Gabby Burchett ments should be directed to the student SECTION EDITORS: Andrea Scapini, Melina editors, who make all final content decisions. Glusac, Izzy Ellery, Colleen Reveley, WEB CONTENT EDITORS: Marie Bourke, Lauren The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do Semack WEB MANAGERS: Emma Puglia, Anu Subrama- not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe School System. niam BUSINESS MANAGER: Sydney Thompson We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic STAFF DEVELOPMENT EDITOR: Patricia Bajis Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press DESIGN EDITOR: Kristen Kaled Association, National Scholastic Press AsPRODUCTION MANAGER: Dayle Maas 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 Cooper, Dora Juhaz, Erica Lizza, Emily Martin- One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purbianco, Brittney Hernandez, Malika Kanchased. Our editorial policy and advertising neganti, Caelin Micks, Diajah Williams rates are available online at myGPN.org. The INTERNS: Dana O’Donnell, Thomas Remenar, Emma Brock, Mora Downs, Kristina North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper. Kowalski, Haley Makino, Isabella Meteer, Billy Moin, Ritika Sanikommu, Addison CONTACT US Toutant, Calix Waldrop, Olivia Asimakis, 707 Vernier Road Alex Batts, Josie Bennett, Yena Berhane, Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Dajai Chatman, Claire Dalian, Lia DePhone: 313.432.3248 Coste, Erin Haggerty, Lawrence Lezuch, Kayla Luteran, Lillian Rancourt, Josie Riley, Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Stephanie Roy, Maya Sewell, Gowri Yerramalli Twitter: @myGPN FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, CJE

Editor’s desk Melina glusac

The madness of Miley Cyrus We all watched. Well, most of us did. Those of you that cherish your eyesight chose not to, and I salute you for that. But to those of us that endured: by golly, did we get a show. We watched America’s former girl-next-door explode on stage at the VMAs, “twerking” around with psychedelic teddy bears, doing things with a foam finger to make any church lady around the world straighten up her collar and rattle off a rampage. The witty tweets poured in, the snide remarks laced entertainment television, and I figured that would be the end of it. We saw, we tried to forget, and yet we were unsuccessful. People are still talking about it. I can’t forget it. Believe me, I’ve tried. And that’s just the genius of it. But before I get deep, let’s backtrack a bit. Miley Cyrus, the tween queen of Disney Channel with her hit show Hannah Montana, was relatively normal a few years ago. Sure, she put out that “Can’t Be Tamed” video and did that rather fleshy Vanity Fair cover, but that hubbub lasted a hot minute. We got over it. Then she decided to chop her signature mermaid tresses into a bob. ‘Okay,’ I thought at the time. ‘That’s actually chic. Should I start calling her Ms. Cyrus?’ And then came the haircut we see now, a la Ellen DeGeneres moonlighting as a Billy Idol impersonator. The craziness foggily dates back to those scissors and that day. So, maybe as Miley cut off more and more of her hair, she lost more and more of her mind. Or, as she cut off more and more of her hair, did she get closer to her true self? I’m not sure. Her fans look at it one way; her haters, the other. I’ve never been one to be a “hater”, but I’m not a fan of Miley. The whole shindig seems a little fake to me, like she’s trying to be edgy to get attention. I don’t think this is her true self. And although I can’t twerk, I don’t believe Miley possesses this rare gift either. That being said, I think there’s a little stroke of genius in her, something that many “mad” people have. All this insanity, all the flesh-toned bikinis, all the weird inch-long pigtails— it’s memorable. The entire country was talking about Miley Cyrus, and they still are. To me, that’s the key to fame; get people talking and keep them talking. As the old Phineas T. Barnum saying goes: “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” As long as you’re being talked about, can it be bad for your fame level? Miley doesn’t think so. So whether you like her or not, she’s one smart cookie. She reached her goal, her fame, her notoriety. Her name will go down in VMA history. And to the haters and fans alike: don’t you kind of secretly crave seeing what absurd thing she’s going to do next? She’s like a tragically beautiful wrecking ball. Whether you scoff at it or swing with it, it will still bring the house down. We all will be watching, Miley. Congratulations on your madness.

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 – 4

Life

Fall play casts four fall athletes

Faces in the crowd

Freshman Lolly Duus, sophomores Andrew Nurmi and Lucy Dodge and senior Pierce Reickert have been cast in “Almost, Maine.” These students must now split their time after school between sports and theatre.

Matt DeZeery

After five years of football, senior Matt DeZeery has decided to call it quits. Feeling the financial burden of college, DeZeery has chosen to extend his summer job and work full time at the Woods Park. “It was a very hard decision for me to make; to quit one of the best sports organizations I’ve ever been a part of,” DeZeery said. “It took a lot of time to think it over, and even though I have and will have regrets of not playing this year, I think this was the most beneficial option for my future.” Although DeZeery believes that he chose the most profitable path, there will be aspects of the game that he will miss. “What I’ll miss the most is the glory of being on (North’s) varsity squad. That jersey gives you so much prestige, and makes you feel like you’re on top,” DeZeery said. “I also miss hitting people. That was pretty fun.”

By Brigitte Smith photographer

RIGHT: Senior Pierce Reickert is on the cross country team and in the play. “I know that in both of them there are ways to improve myself. In cross country through running and making myself physically stronger, and in acting through understanding the characters you can understand more about yourself,” senior Pierce Rieckert said. “I just couldn’t give up the feeling of either of them.”

Alex Eklund

For three months, freshman Alex Eklund has been teaching himself to play the ukulele. Once he figured out the notes, an interest sparked, and he plans to pursue it further. Eklund first discovered his love for the instrument at home. “My sister had a ukulele and I just started playing it, and then my dad got me a ukulele,” Eklund said. He plans to play in the lunchroom at least once a week for the rest of the school year. “It is so different from the other instruments,” Eklund said. “And I like the people’s reaction when I play the ukulele because they always think it’s really cool that I can play that instrument.” In addition to the ukulele, Eklund plays bass in the orchestra. His prior knowledge of rhythms allowed him to pick up the ukulele even faster. Since then, he has been practicing and playing some of his favorites, including the Harry Potter theme song.

ABOVE: Sophomore Lucy Dodge, a member of the varsity volleyball team, was seeking a new adventure, so she turned to acting. “I wanted to to try something new and go out of my comfort zone and being in the play was one of them,” Dodge said.

Chris Collins

RIGHT: Sophomore Andrew Nurmi savors the atmosphere of the play and cross country, so he divides his time to participate in both. “I generally just go 50/50. Some days I go to cross country and some days I just go to play rehearsal, but I can’t really fit in both all the time,” Nurmi said.

ABOVE: Senior Pierce Reickert and sophomore Andrew Nurmi practice their lines together during play rehearsal. MIDDLE RIGHT: Play director Sean Kifer talks to Lolly Duus, far left, who has just come from cross country practice. “We (Kifer and the cross country coaches) try to kind of share them, I guess, depending on what the most important thing at the moment.”

Sophomore Chris Collins’ favorite book is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Collins was introduced to this classic by his mother, who insisted he read “something” summer. “It felt like (Dostoyevsky) was telling the story from his own perspective.” Collins said. “And every moment leaves you on the edge of your seat.” Dostoyevsky’s classic was the first among many classic books Collins consumed. His mother played a significant role in his continuing thirst for the classics, buying him books and recommending her favorites. Collins continued to search for new reading material on his own, too. “It’s like… reading Shakespeare. You read Hamlet, and you’re like “Oh, I heard about Romeo and Juliet, I’ll go read that.”” In addition to whetting his appetite for classic novels, Crime and Punishment taught Collins a few valuable lessons. “(It) opened my mind up to more moral values, a few life lessons, it gave me a wider outlook on the human mind really.” By Colleen Reveley, Katelyn Carney & Audrey Kam

Senior studies psychology at Stanford By Dayle Maas

Production Manager

Senior Conner Blaine had the opportunity to live and study as a college student months before he even started his college applications. For two months this summer, he lived over 2,000 miles away from home at Stanford University in California taking college level psychology courses through a program at the university called High School Summer College. “They just sent me a letter saying, ‘Hey Conner, this is a program for students like you. You should think about applying,’ so then I applied back in January and got accepted around April,” Blaine said. Blaine left for Stanford in June

along with 600 other students from 42 different countries. “We were apprehensive about sending Conner to Stanford, as it is far way from Grosse Pointe, and he would be on his own for the whole summer,” Conner’s parents Scott and Jamie Blaine said via email. “However, the opportunity to learn and the opportunity to meet so many people from around the world far outweighed our concerns.” Blaine labeled the experience “unique.” “From the big differences in daily lives to the small things like calling it pop or soda,” Blaine said. “The house I lived in was the most diverse of any single house in the program. You could just walk into a house meeting on Sundays and just see people from around the globe.” Students were able to take classes in a variety of subjects. Blaine hoped to study chemistry and psychology. “I had gotten (psychology and Spanish teacher Jennifer Weisbrodt) to write me a letter of recommendation for this program

because you needed one, and so I was gonna take psychology no matter what…,” Blaine said. “...I was trying to take chemistry as well, but it didn’t work with scheduling, so I just ended up scratching all the chemistry and going with psychology, but I thought that was a better decision….” Weisbrodt said she was proud of Blaine for taking his studies further. “I am living vicariously through Conner. Stanford’s psychology program is phenomenal, and I am thrilled that he was driven enough to make the experience happen,” Weisbrodt said. “I want all of my students to take what they learn in B201 into the world outside.” The classes weren’t exclusive to only students in this program. “(Classes) were open to Stanford students and visiting students from other colleges,” Blaine said. “For example, I had people my age all the way up to post masters (degree) students in my social psych, and in developmental psych, I was the only high school student in my group for the final

Senior Conner Blaine stands in front of the Oval, a large field in front of the main quad at Stanford University, where he studied psychology this past summer.

PHOTOCOURTESY COURTESYOF OFCONNER CONNERBLAINE BLAINE

project.” Blaine’s interest in psychology began before taking any type of psychology course, but his interest really grew after he took AP Psychology at North. “It always just kind of intrigued me, and then after taking AP Psych, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is really interesting,’” Blaine said. Blaine wants to take his passion for psychology into his future as he looks into becoming either

a clinical or research psychologist, or a psychiatrist if he decides to pursue chemistry as well. He hopes to go back to Stanford next fall as a college freshman. “After the first two weeks (at Stanford), it was like I would absolutely go here and keep doing this if I could,” Blaine said. “It was just fantastic. It was wonderful to learn about, and I just thought, ‘Wow, I absolutely wanna keep doing this.”

Life

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 – 5

Biking

in the

The Detroit Slow Roll works to revitalize biking and the Motor City By Andrea Scapini News editor

Removing the speed and protection of her dad’s red Ford F-150 truck and instead viewing Detroit behind the handlebars of her bicycle gave sophomore Olivia Bloomhuff a new perspective on the city. “I was struck by the beautiful architecture of so many of the buildings,” Bloomhuff said. “I noticed details you don’t see when driving by in a car.” Bloomhuff, along with her parents Deb and Brad, and about 1,500 others biked in the Detroit Slow Roll Sept. 1. The Slow Roll, an event that takes place at differing locations in Detroit every Monday, was started by Detroit Bike City owners, Mike MacKool and Jason Hall. The bike ride is paced at 8-12 mph with a distance ranging from 12-15 miles. What began in 2011 as group of eight friends biking through Detroit as a way to catch up, has spiraled into a phenomenon that has reached up to 17,000 participants – many local Detroiters but also hundreds who live states away. “People realized that once you start doing it, you want to keep doing it and you want to expose it to your friends,” MacKool said. “Early on it was just, ‘Hey if you like what you’re doing and you like what we’re doing, come back with a couple friends.’ That kept just spreading and spreading.” “I don’t know if I could put my finger on any one thing that made this happen. We did get a lot of exposure from The Detroit News, Channel 4, Channel 7, but those are kind of the result of us getting so big. I think we just did the right thing at the right time.” Bloomhuff admired bikes decked out in LED lights and ones that projected Motown music from speakers. And besides the lure of seeing Detroit in a different light, she said the overall feel of the Slow Roll makes for an event greater than just bike riding. “The energy was so positive. Everyone is there to have a great time and experience the city. The residents in the neighborhoods came

Assistant principal looks forward to making North his perfect fit By Kristen Kaled DESIGN Editor

Assistant Principal David Reed-Nordwall has finally found the home he’s been searching for: North. “In a way, I was kind of looking for it,” said Reed-Nordwall. After being a teacher for ten years, he began to change his focus. Reed-Nordwall had always been concerned with what was going on outside of the classroom, so he also coached. Later, he took a job as an administrator who focused on helping teachers with instructing students in the classroom. Because of that job, Reed-Nordwall had to work out of 12 different buildings. “I felt disquiet. Because I was in 12 buildings, I felt without a home,” Reed-Nordwall said. “I needed a home.”

outside and cheered us on. The little kids were high fiving us as we rolled by,” Bloomhuff said. “It was a great night.” This energy brings more than just good vibes but hopes of contributing to the improvement of Detroit as a whole. “The atmosphere is inviting and includes a group of people that care about the city and want to see a revitalization of the city,” Deb Bloomhuff said. With the common attitude of bettering Detroit, MacKool notes the strength in numbers that can influence many existing movements happening in Detroit. “We’re not only advocates of cycling, but we’re also big advocates of the city of Detroit,” MacKool said. “We’re hoping to be a part of the positive change in Detroit. We have the ability to showcase other movements going on right now. That’s really the power of Slow Roll because we now have such a strong following that we can use those numbers for other sources of good.” MacKool and Hall want to show the rejuvenated sections of Detroit to people from all over the country. “It’s a genuine thing that we’re doing and that really gets people’s attention,” MacKool said. “That’s our main goal, that we make sure that people realize that there are areas in the city that are thriving and that are beautiful. There are some neighborhoods that aren’t, but we need to bring attention to all of them.” Bloomhuff plans on attending the Slow Roll again, hopefully this season. “I definitely believe that more people should be involved and experience the Slow Roll. It gives you a whole different perspective of the city of Detroit – literally a different perspective because you’re on two wheels,” Bloomhuff said. “You’re able to see different areas of Detroit that you don’t always get to see and you get to realize how closely linked all of the different areas of Detroit are to one another.” For those interested in participating in Slow Roll or would like to find more information, visit www.detroitbikecity.org.

photos COURTESY OF larry graessle

TOP: Sophomore Olivia Bloomhuff and her mom Deb take a stop during the Detroit Slow roll. “My favorite part of the slow roll was meeting new people, being a part of Detroit and seeing the city from a new perspective on 2 wheels,” Olivia Bloomhuff said. “I was not scared at all. You are in a group of about 1,200 people and everyone looks out for each other. There are also corkers. Those are the team of sweepers that ride ahead and close off the streets for you.” BELOW: Slow Roll participants ride their bikes during the Slow Roll on Sept. 1. Around 1,500 bikers participated that day.

EMily huguenin

courtesy of kate derringer

That home is now North, which Reed-Nordwall took to from the start. He likes the students and finds them to be extremely polite, and he also enjoys the school’s overall energy and passion for one another. “You see respect for the teachers, respect for each other. I feel quite comfortable here,” ReedNordwall said. “Staff—I think we have the best leadership team.” As rare as free time can be in the midst of a busy schedule, Reed-Nordwall enjoys spending most of it with his family. His wife and three daughters favor doing active things together such as bike rides, or a swim— anything that connects him to them. They also like to get away. Over the summer, he and his family took a trip to Myrtle

Beach. “We spent a whole week on the ocean; my girls had never seen the ocean,” Reed-Nordwall said. “From there, my wife tried to play this trick on us. She’s like, ‘Look how close we are from Orlando!’, and Myrtle Beach is eight hours away from Orlando, but I said ‘Ok fine.’” In Orlando they got to take part in reenacting some Harry Potter scenes at the Wizarding World, and they also took on some of the park’s roller coasters. Other than traveling, ReedNordwall enjoys making things with his daughters. He picked up woodworking as a hobby, but he’s beginning to share it with his family. “It’s so cool to just make something that wasn’t there,”

Reed-Nordwall said. “And it’s even cooler to make something big enough that you can actually be inside of it.” So far they’ve created a play house and bird houses; ReedNordwall looks forward to making more of such related creations. In addition to woodworking, Reed-Nordwall has uncovered a talent for quiltmaking, which he also shares with his daughters. He got his mother, who helps his daughters make them, into it as well. “It’s just kind of creating stories I guess,” Reed-Nordwall said. “Creativity is a big thing for my family.” As for his work life, Reed-Nordwall has put a spin on average student-faculty bond time. He has found that the best way to connect with students may in

fact be as simple as a friendly game of ping pong. “I do believe that quote ... ‘You learn more in an hour of play than a lifetime of talk’,” ReedNordwall said. Reed-Nordwall grew up playing ping pong, so at his previous teaching job, he and one of his friends decided to get a ping pong club together. “We thought we were pretty good, but we started playing these students who were really good,” Reed-Nordwall said. “It started getting pretty competitive.” Soon, it became the biggest club in their school with over 100 students. It became the students’ goal to beat the teachers and vice versa. Reed-Nordwall said it’s one of his favorite things, seeing staff and students able to bond with play. “I believe if you really wanna know someone, find what they like to do and go play. That’s really what ping pong was,” ReedNordwall said. Now here at North, upon finding some tables in a back room, Reed-Nordwall and one of the other teachers has already talked about the possibility of getting a club together. As for his future here, ReedNordwall looks forward to working with the school, administration and staff. “Of all the places, the team— Mrs. Murray, Mr. Beach, Mr. Banfield and the staff—felt like home,” Reed-Nordwall said. “For me, the second I walked in, I knew it was right.”

reviews

6 – Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 – North Pointe

A ‘Million Seconds’ spent keeping up

NBC’s live trivia game show Million Second Quiz premiers confusion – discouraging continued viewership and frustrating would-be participants By Maria Liddane Editor-in-chief

Content promotes interactivity but interactivity ridden with glitches MSQ queries plenty of pop-culture questions with a healthy dose of world or United States news and just a sprinkling of history. And many of these mainstream topics are fresh – happening the day before. “The U.S. Men’s Soccer Team clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup by beating what country last night?” This plays into the interactive aspect and the theme of “anybody could be here in New York, fighting for the two million dollar prize!” Relevancy appeals. (To more people than an all-historical quiz would, anyway). The MSQ App, with about 1.3 million users, glitched significantly in the first couple of days. It rejected my account when I tried signing up. And after successfully doing so, it still has problems – making me re-sign in if the app is closed out and not allowing me to click the answer I want when playing Suzy from South Carolina. The coolest part was syncing to the live show. I hit the button and held

On the Million Second Quiz, Contestants play on a stage under an hourglassshaped figure in Manhattan.

Graphics and gimmicks can’t cover-up confusion MSQ pleases aesthetically with a palette of blues and greys and silhouette skylines on the website and app. And the flashy, three-story hourglass with a gleaming white-paneled floor to match Ryan Seacrest’s dazzling smile doesn’t hurt either. The money-counting ring encircling the money chair occupant’s head attempts to add intensity and plainly show off the potential cash to be earned. “Video questions,” where Seacrest turns over the question-reading to another celebrity, are kind of fun but don’t serve much purpose. Jimmy Fallon, Hoda and Kathy Lee, Bob Costas, Blake Shelton, Heidi Klum and numerous other “big names” read a question that connects to them in some fashion, and the show continues on. But plopping in famous figureheads is just an obvious tactic to gain or maintain viewership.

maria liddane

It’s an hour of intricacy. Million Second Quiz, or MSQ, is a byzantine of rules to sort through during 60 minutes each night in its prime time slot – 8 p.m. on NBC. Not even host Ryan Seacrest has time to explain as he desperately attempts to place definitions on a slew of MSQ-specific jargon and reiterate key points before starting the next bout. ... The next what? Competitors face off for something like 300 seconds answering multiple-choice trivia questions on the live show in Manhattan, on the stage under an hourglass-shaped structure. Viewers can participate through the MSQ App, answering just 10 questions. Each mini-game makes a “bout." The show runs for 12 days consecutively, hence “Million Second.” Even when it’s not on T.V., the show is constantly played and can be watched on livestream via the MSQ App. According to FoxNews and Deadline Hollywood, the show had 6.5 million viewers at the start of its premiere. Five hundred thousand viewers flipped the channel after 30 minutes with viewership declining each night. It’s not hard to see why.

my phone near the speaker of my T.V., and I was in the game, playing the person I could see on the television in the “money chair” (an oval seat in the hourglass where the person sitting racks up $10 per second). And it actually worked on the first try. On the app, players earn points by winning bouts against other virtual players or by playing along live. In the Manhattan hourglass, challengers fight in person to gain control of the money chair, hoping to maintain it long enough to make enough money to knock off one of the top players on “Winner’s Row.” In Winner’s Row, four contestants who have made it to the chair, made the most money and are now living at the hourglass in funky futuristic bed pods and apparently eating Subway for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Got to get the sponsors in there somewhere. By winning enough points on the app you become eligible to be a “line jumper”, where they might fly you to New York to cut in front of everybody and challenge somebody on Winner’s Row to potentially take the chair and make enough money to be in Winner’s Row. See where the intense migraine comes in?

the money in the end? The last person in the seat? It’s running for 12 days straight so is this a one-time show? And not being able to keep track of the rules or stakes for different bouts is frustrating, too.

Verdict If you can spend an hour watching people answer questions, enjoy profiles of contestants (all of whom just happen to paint a perfectly-diverse picture), endure excruciatingly awkward interactions between newscasters and “surprised” line-jumpers*, and if you don’t attempt to figure out how or why anything is happening, then this is the show for you!

Grade: C-

An original idea with poor execution The concept is clearly overcomplicated. For an intrigued viewer, it is a turn-off to watch for almost five days and still have basic questions: Does only one person win

*The app requires an email and phone number so that if selected as a line-jumper, producers can contact you, yet the live show presents line-jumpers as being ambushed and surprised.

“APPLAUSE”

Magna Carta...Holy Grail

The 1975

Yours Truly

The meat d ress-wea r i ng , w ig-cha ng i ng femme fatale is back. After recuperating from a crippling hip problem, Lady GaGa reemerged clubdancemixes.com with her new concept-album idea, ARTPOP, due to drop Nov. 11. The only song released so far is “Applause,” and it is worthy of just that. “Applause” begins with synthesizers galore, building up anticipation for the first beat drop. After that, the entire song is bursting with energy, and, if possible, the chorus explodes with more. The lyrics are typical GaGa: quirky, intelligent and rife with references to her Little Monsters. And although her delivery of the first few lines of the song can be off-putting (her voice resembles that of an old lady), she works it out in the chorus with her signature powerful pipes. It’s not The Fame, The Fame Monster or Born This Way; its catchiness vaguely reminds you of the hits of the sister Fame records like “Just Dance,” but it is not as melodic as the songs from the less-popular Born This Way album. “Applause” is its own thing, a futuristic sound that only makes you more excited for ARTPOP. So put your paws up and give GaGa a round of applause.

The legend of Jay-Z continued when his new album, Magna Carta... Holy Grail, was released on July 4, 2013. The highlyanticipated drop metro.co.uk lived up to lofty expectations – that is, if you just began listening to Jay-Z as of July 4, 2013. For the most part, Magna Carta consists of the typical rap traits that we hear far too often: shallow lyrics, repetitiveness and a common beat that drops after the first ten seconds of the song. Although the album can seem mainstream at times, Jay-Z’s experience shows through several songs. “Holy Grail” with Justin Timberlake has grabbed the attention of many for its surprising content on how fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. With references to other celebrities such as Mike Tyson, MC Hammer and Kurt Cobain, Jay-Z describes their hardships in dealing with the spotlight. This track, as well as “Tom Ford,” and “Part II (On the Run)” featuring Beyonce and “Jay-Z Blue” (in which Jay-Z talks about his fears of parenthood), sets the rapper’s album aside from the more cliche, inexperienced ones being released. The songs are more mature than what other naive rappers have produced, a ripeness that is distinctively Jay-Z.

From riffheavy indie rock to atmospheric and lyrical tunes, The 1975’s album, The 1975, debuted at number one on U.K. charts. Based The1975.com in Manchester, England, the band is being catapulted into the mainstream with hits like “Chocolate,” “The City” and “Girls.” The album, released Sept. 2, has been receiving non-stop attention not only because of the band’s fresh new sound, but also because of the support of other U.K. artists-turned-fans like Ed Sheeran and One Direction’s Harry Styles. Although the album has just recently debuted, the band had a head start in gaining popularity with its series of EPs, including their breakout hit “Chocolate.” The 16 songs that make up the album are perfect for late-summer jamming on the way home from school and will transition well into the laid back fall nights to come. They vary in genre and style, like only an alternative band’s songs could. The band took aspects from the music stylings of Michael Jackson and Sigur Ros, to name a few, adding an R&B feel. Overall, it added a lighter vibe to music that tends to have a heavier tone. If “Chocolate” hasn’t been on your play-list recently, then it should be now.

By Melina Glusac

By Diajah Williams

A r i a n a Grande may play a petite and immature girl on Nickelodeon, but she is far from the stereotypical actress-turnedsinger. Off camfox.com era, this seasoned young diva can sing. Grande’s music style is primarily R&B pop, some may say Mariah Carey-based, featuring lots of “shoobe-doo’s,” snaps and claps. But whether you’re a bubbly music lover, or you prefer it slower, this album is for you. Vocally, the 20-year-old is unbelievable. She can belt out any note, leaving you in awe with unpredictable songs. Grande surprises throughout with guest artists including Mac Miller and Big Sean, creating a coherent sound despite the opposing voices. Contrary to the vocals, the lyrics can get repetitive and “childish” on tracks like “The Way,” but considering her controlled high notes, the repetition is forgivable. Adding variation, Grande strategically includes slower beats to the album with a lyric delivery that keeps up the mood. This way, the listener gets to hear more relaxing sounds without ruining the good vibes. Through this contrast of up-tempo jams with slower beats, Grande manages to have the album feel as if every song has its place.

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Sports QUICK HITS

Meet Coach Catherine Clay

North Pointe – Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 – 7

New Thor has big boots to fill

By Colleen Reveley, Sydney Thompsion & Jenna Belote

Catherine Clay, math teacher and assistant coach of the girls cross country team, has her work cut out for her.

Editor, Manager & Staff Reporter

Now on her fifth year, she was presented with the opportunity of becoming assistant coach by head coach Scott Cooper. Becoming a bigger part of the team helps her bond with her students. “I love when I have the girls and even boys in class because we can talk about cross country,” Clay said. ”That connection I really enjoy. That’s probably the main reason I continue to do it.” Balancing teaching with coaching provides a challenge for Clay. “You just have to be very organized and expect late nights while working,” Clay said. She loves watching the girls grow and achieve personal goals. “Cross country is fantastic because it’s a team, but it’s also personal,” Clay said. “Every single runner has their own personal goal.” The runners and coaches of the cross country team share a significant bond. Whenever Clay has a difficult day at school, she can look toward the team to turn that around. “It is a family. You feel very supported; you feel like there’s always someone there for you if you’re having a rough time,” Clay said.

MEet Katie snow: varisty volleyball Freshman Katie Snow couldn’t imagine a world, let alone her life, without sports. This love has transcended into a passion and is one of the main reasons she is the only freshman on the girls varsity volleyball team. “I don’t really know how it happened. I just went to practice one day, and the varsity coach pulled me aside, and she asked if I wanted to practice with them,” Snow said.

While Norsemen may not notice the different spring in Thor’s step this year, it is well known that alumnus Sean O’Melia will no longer be filling the fluffy boots. Though one doesn’t need to look a certain way to be Thor, they certainly must hold the heart that he does. “There aren’t too many requirements for being Thor. You don’t need to be this tall or weigh this much, but Thor needs to be a certain kind of person,” O’Melia said. “A person who will do what’s right even when it’s not popular, and a person who will work tirelessly for the bigger picture. But most of all, Thor needs to have a big heart, whether it’s taking a second to take a picture with the kids or still being able to forgive South fans after they pull your braids,” In agreeance with O’Melia, staff member Pat Gast believes that Thor is not just a costume, but rather the symbol of the attitude North holds. “Thor is the personification of what is positive here at North, and the spirit as well,” Gast said. “He (Thor) is there to boost the students’ participation and positive attitude towards the teams and the school.” Thor may bring on fun and games, but being the character isn’t all play. “Sure, there was a lot of pressure and it took up a lot of time being Thor, but there was one thing that I didn’t like about it above all else. Thor is an easy target for people to mock, and boy does he get. You’ve to have a thick skin to do the job, and at times that gets hard,” O’Melia said But working through the hardships of being the school mascot was more than worth it according to O’Melia.

Andi held

“If I were asked to do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat, it was a roller coaster of a ride, with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but because of Thor I made so many strong bonds with ... all the North students ... I wouldn’t trade that for the whole world,” O’Melia said. Though O’Melia’s identity of being Thor has been revealed now, who the current Thor is will remain a secret.

“Will the secret come out? Maybe. But if the person who portrays Thor keeps it a secret, everyone will have more fun with it,” Gast said. “If students look at this person as Thor himself, it is a different portrayal than looking at the person that’s wearing just wearing the costume.”

This one practice ended up being her golden ticket. By the end of her second varsity practice, Snow was invited to be a new middle hitter for the varsity team. “I really wanted to take it and was glad I was on varsity, but I was scared of what my freshman team would think … they’re all of my best friends, and I didn’t want to leave them,” Snow said. “But I knew it was something I had to do as an athlete.” Although being a varsity player is more demanding than any other team she’s played on , Snow likes the challenge and sticks by her decision. “I love playing volleyball - it’s a part of me,” Snow said. “It was like I was born to play.”

By Luke Sturgill & Brittney Hernandez

Sophomore Connor Sickmiller finishes his race at the Stoney Creek Invitational on Sept. 14 with a time of 17:31.

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Brigitte smith

Sophomore takes strides towards breaking times and making personal records By Izzy Ellery life Editor

The sunny weather on Sept. 10 mimicked sophomore Connor Sickmiller’s disposition as he raced his way to lowering his personal record (PR) by one minute and three seconds at his cross country meet. “I felt great, like I didn’t even feel tired because I was so happy,” Sickmiller said. Sickmiller was hoping to break 17 minutes, but instead beat his goal by 19 seconds, getting a time of 16 minutes and 41 seconds. He feels his success was partly because of the nice weather and flat course. Sickmiller wasn’t the only one happy about his time, which ranks him as the number two sophomore on the class list — last record set in 1989. His coaches and teammates were also impressed. “My coaches were really happy,” Sickmiller said. “My teammates were like astonished I guess. They were surprised that I did so well.” Sickmiller credits most of his success to his coaches. “All of my coaches have been helping me out a ton, especially Robby Fisher before the races,” Sickmiller said. “He’s our new coach. He was helping me out a lot mentally before the race, telling me how to go out and everything.” Ironically, Fisher is the one who holds the number one spot on the sophomore class list. So for the rest of the season, Sickmiller will be working to kick his coach’s 16:14 time off with a 16:10—his end-of-the-season goal. Cross country coach Chris Skowronski foresees a bright future in Sickmiller. “With Connor, he’s had a great start to the year, and

it’s really important for him to keep moving forward and realize that the sky is the limit,” Skowronski said. “Even with him, he’s still very young, and he’s only gonna get better. He really is. He’s gonna get stronger and get a lot faster.” “So being a sophomore and running these times, I mean it wouldn’t be crazy to have him think about being all-state and all-region and being all-division; that should be all his goals for the long term. This year, getting him to the state meet would be a great goal and definitely letting people know that he’s here.” These times will not and do not arise from thin air, though. To work toward his goal, Sickmiller trained diligently in the summer. “During the summer I ran around an average of seven miles a day,” Sickmiller said. “In the first couple weeks before the season I was putting in 10-12 miles a day, and I went to a running camp to prepare for it. So just a lot of training.” And even after all of the training and dedication, Sickmiller doesn’t always reach the time he desires. He ran an 18:09 on his race on Sept. 10, which is a minute and 29 seconds longer than his PR. Even though he’s still an underclassman on the team, Sickmiller still offers advice to fellow teammates. “You gotta run every single day,” Sickmiller said. “Increase your mileage if you need to, and just keep working for it. You gotta stay dedicated.”

SPORTS

8– Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 – North Pointe

Kicking and screaming North boys’ varsity soccer defeats L’Anse Creuse at home on Sept. 12. By Andi Held Photographer

LEFT: Senior captain John Kusch runs off the field. “The best part so far would probably improving so much from last year and having so much more success than teams in the past,” Kusch said. “We played in a league this summer to get ready and I would run almost everyday in the summer to be in shape.” “Being pulled up from JV and put on the varsity team.” junior Brian Keelan said. He also trained for this season by playing on a club soccer team during the winter and spring seasons. BELOW RIGHT: Four year varisty soccer player Vince Bruno defends the Norsemen goal. “This season I think we have a stronger team and should get more wins,” Bruno said. “The best part of the season so far has been getting a couple of good wins.“ “The best part so far is really just being able to play out there and get a feel for winning. It’s not something this program is very used to,” junior Chris Bahr said. Junior Will Colborn knows that you are required to be in shape to play the game. “The hardest aspect is definitely the fitness, it’s almost 90 minutes at a full sprint,” said Colborn.

ABOVE LEFT: Junior goalie Nathan Steinkampf makes a save versus L’ Anse Creuse. Junior Graham Eger, new to the team, feels unfamiliar with the faster pace of varsity soccer. “This season is my first year on varsity. The game is much faster paced; there is very little slow play,” Eger said. Not having to face much defeat last year, Eger prepares for the worst. “The hardest aspect of any sport is losing and having the strength to come back out on the field with a positive attitude.” ABOVE RIGHT: Junior Chris Bahr attempts to carry the ball towards the goal. He did not get to train over the summer with the rest of the team due to an injury. “I was suffering a back injury and had been out for a long time,” Bahr said. Bouncing back from his injury Bahr looks forward to achieving his team’s goal. “I’d describe my team this year as a group of guys with the same goal: win. When we all work together really we can beat anyone, and it feels good being a part of that.“ BELOW LEFT: Senior captain Joey Garvin hopes to clear the ball out of Norsemen territory. BELOW RIGHT: Senior Tyler Benz follows through as he shoots the ball.

BOTTOM LEFT: Junior Will Colborn strides down the field in hopes of scoring. “For me it is the feeling you get after your team scores a goal. Nothing compares to it. It’s one of the main reasons that I love the game,” Colborn said. BOTTOM RIGHT: Goalie Nathan Steinkampf makes a save against the Lancers.