Issue 10 - 2.15.13

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

SINCE 1968

POINTE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013

The battle is on: In- vs. out-of-state colleges SPORTS

Sophomore Kelly Labarge has worn 13 casts over the past two years. But her injuries have not kept her from playing sports.

Page 4

Illustration by Grace Tallarek

Students weigh their options in determining their college choice. Tuition, acceptances and location influence final decisions for graduating seniors.

By Patricia Bajis & Libby Sumnik staff reporter & assistant editor

MID-WINTER BREAK

Begins Friday, Feb. 15.

School resumes on Monday, Feb. 24.

ACT PLAN TEST

Freshmen and sophomores arrive at 8 a.m. and are dismissed at 11:30 a.m.

JUNIOR ACT TESTING

Tuesday, March 5, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

JUNIOR MME TESTING

Wednesday, March 6 from 8 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. & Thursday, March 7 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

SPRING MUSICAL: BRIGADOON

March 7, 8 & 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC.

WINTER SPORTS AWARDS

Thursday, March 14, 7 p.m. in the PAC.

Michigan colleges have lured record-high numbers of graduating seniors into the application process but have not accepted any more than in previous years.

Through college fairs and personal letters, schools are attempting to compensate for the drop in applicants since a peak six years ago, leaving thousands of optimistic applicants deceived.

Senior Marne Gallant’s plan to stay in state ended with a deferral and changed her course to Bowdoin College in Maine, where she will continue her hockey career.

“I’m getting a lot more money to go out of state, which is kind of backwards. It’s a private school, so they give really good financial aid, and it’s gonna be cheaper than it would be going to (the University of) Michigan,” Gallant said. “It’s in the same academic and athletic conference as a lot of the schools I was looking at, so I knew about it, but I didn’t really consider it because I’ve never been to Maine. They

Board of Education sends out residency affirmation forms Random sampling seeks to improve current residency verification process, and is product of strong community voice on residency

By Izzy Ellery & Taylor White

contacted me for hockey, so it ended up working out with them.”

Gallant says that attending college in a new state will be a positive experience, but leaving comes with a price.

“The hardest part will be not being able to come home whenever I want. If I stayed in state, I could drive home on weekends if I missed my family or friends. The school I’m going to is a 12hour drive from here, so that will be hard at first and take some getting used to.”

The University of Michigan is often accused by students of deferring more in-state applicants in order to collect the increased tuition of out-of-state applicants.

“The U of M admissions process considers the merits of each applicant without regard to residency or financial standing,” Managing Director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Erica Sanders said.

Sanders said that applicants are viewed blindly. Name, race, gender and location are not seen by those who evaluate applications.

Counselor Jill Davenport recommends deferred students weigh their remaining college choices and determine where to attend from their accepted options.

“If a student is deferred, the advice that is often given is to carefully consider what your second choice would be and embrace it. Some schools have a high percentage of admits from the deferred list, and others do not,” Davenport said. “I suggest that students visit campuses to

By the numbers 4,943 households in District

1,000

families given Residency Affidavit Form

$85,000

cost of the all-District re-verification preceding the 2005-2006 school year

$700

cost for randomized distribution of Residency Affidavit Form

“

I couldn’t rub a killer red carpet look in any of my

exboyfriends faces, nor publicly

humiliate

“

them through the gift of song.

Page 7

Please recycle after reading.

Thank you! © 2013 North Pointe Volume 45, Issue 10

Anastasia Pitses, mother of junior Chrisoula Pitses, opened the mail on Thursday at her home, directly behind North’s softball fields, and read a letter from the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Naturally, she thought it was her daughter’s report card, but she ended up with something she never dreamed of getting: a Residency Affidavit Form, one of 1,000 sent to a randomized sampling of families in the District.

“I was in the room with her when she opened it, and she gave me the letter to read because I wanted to know what she was laughing about.

Then I read it and started laughing, too,” Chrisoula Pitses said. “What really made it funny was that while reading the letter, I could see the ‘Home of the Norsemen’ sign from where I was standing.”

The form requires a signature stating the signer “understands and acknowledges” residency codes and understands repercussions of violating them. Among these, residents are asked to confirm they understand that only residents are eligible to attend school in the District, that Grosse Pointe Schools is not a School of Choice district, that a $13,030 tuition will be charged to those enrolling ineligible students, and that false statements of residency, including on the affidavit, can bring about perjury charges.

“The issue that sparked it was the group Residents for Residency. The original request was for a District-wide signing of the affidavit with removal of students for those who did not

See q&a on page 2

Board of Education elects new president, replaces Gafa

By Rachel Cullen Staff Reporter

comply,” school board trustee Judy Gafa said.

“This was presented to the board at a special meeting called by trustee (Tom) Jakubiec and (Cindy) Pangborn with an amended version removing the portion of the student being removed from school.

“The idea was to do a random survey to get a statistical analysis of those students who were ineligible to attend the schools. If the numbers were the same, then the District would know the current system works. If the numbers showed a statistically higher number of residency violators, then changes would need to be made.”

In 2005, an all-District re-verification was done. It cost over $80,000 and, according to the Grosse Pointe Schools website, the “impact in terms of identifying or dissuading ineligible students was also inconclusive.”

“I believe the interest of those who recommended we do this was to identify and obtain a document that the person has signed that they reside in a place that is within the school boundaries of the Grosse Pointe Public School System,” Superintendent Tom Harwood said.

“The form makes (families) aware of the consequences for falsifying the information in a notarized document.”

But not all people are supporters of the plan.

Pat Lemanski, a resident who has had children attend Grosse Pointe Schools for 17 years, received the letter and form in the mail on

Joan Dindoffer was elected president of the Board of Education by the Grosse Pointe School Board during their Jan. 28 meeting, replacing previous president Judy Gafa.

Because Gafa lost re-election by a 4-3 vote, she nominated veteran board member Dindoffer, who won by a 6-1 vote. The Board elected Dan Roeske as vice president, Lois Valente as secretary and Brendan Walsh as treasurer.

The newly elected Dindoffer is no stranger to holding officer positions within the Board. She has held a wide variety of roles since joining in 1997, serving as Board secretary, vice president, and president (from 2002 to 2004) and treasurer over the years. Her involvement is, in part, thanks to her three children.

“When my children were in elementary school, it became apparent to me, as a parent, that I needed to be looking far enough ahead to make sure that programs and structures would be in place to afford my children the opportunities I wanted for them,” Dindoffer said.

“As I began to become involved in the schools, I realized that it was vital that stake holders in the school community take that longitudinal interest in the school system as a whole, so that we could plan for the future and benefit from history.”

Dindoffer’s election didn’t come as a surprise for some members of the Board. The months spent searching for a new superintendent, the familiar debate over residency issues and a trend of split voting on many agenda items all contributed to the decision for her presidency.

“She’s experienced. She was president before.

She’s well-organized. She knows the issues well and can work with all members of the Board and administration,” treasurer Brendan Walsh said.

It was partly because of these qualities that Walsh (and five of his fellow Board members) voted for Dindoffer – and partly because he is looking forward to addressing the most pressing issues facing the District with a more reliable and refreshed vigor.

continued on page 2

continued on page 2

8,300

total students in District

31

students excluded from District in 2012-13 school year out of 174 investigated

Assistant editor & staff reporter

IDEAS

help them determine what feels right and figure out what type of environment works for them.”

Davenport also says the majority of seniors attend an in-state college, even though there are others who seek outside The Mitten.

Brain Abud, a senior who applied to four out-of-state colleges, wants to leave the state for an education within his desired industry and experience more opportunities with internships. With an average college tuition of $14,000 though, price has become a leading factor in his decision of where to attend.

“I either want to stay home for school or go somewhere completely new and far away, ideally California. I would only go out of state for a unique experience, but otherwise, I want to stay home for school,” Abud said. “It all comes down to cost because leaving the state can be expensive.”

Fellow senior Courtney Carroll had a financial incentive for applying in state.

“I could have applied out-of-state if I had really wanted to, but my dad bought a Michigan Educational Trust when I was younger,” Carroll said. “The trust lets you buy college credit for the price it is the year you buy it. So, since my dad paid for two years of college for me in 1995, he paid less for my first two years of college than people who pay for tuition now.”

news

2 – Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 – North Pointe

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Hall monitor Glenn Lachowicz

By Audrey Kam

Dindoffer new School Board president Continued from page 1

staff reporter

Hall monitor Glenn Lachowicz has been a self-proclaimed “sports fanatic” since he can remember.

“The thing I did most was sports,” Lachowicz said.

The oldest of six children living in Detroit, he used to go to the park every day to play sports or watch them. His two favorites were hockey and baseball, and he played both.

“I played hockey through high school,” Lachowicz said. “I played baseball in high school, as the captain of the high school baseball team. I played hockey outside of high school.”

Lachowicz went on to college and joined the Marines, but the sports fanaticism didn’t stop.

Lachowicz says playing sports prior to joining the military made the transition easy.

“Military life was pretty easy for me. It was physical, but I was in good shape, so I had no problem with it,” Lachowicz said.

When Lachowicz was discharged from the Marines, he continued to play hockey until he was 23. He then went to work for Chrysler until he retired in 2002, when he realized he wanted to be a security guard.

He worked for a private security company for four years and then was hired by the District and has been working here ever since.

Lachowicz says he still enjoys sports, but now he enjoys student sports even more.

“The things that I remember around here, besides that it’s a really safe school, in my opinion, (are) some of the sports stuff,” Lachowicz said.

“They’ve been state champions in a couple of sports, and I’ve really enjoyed watching their sports.”

caroline schulte

Before hall monitor Glenn Lachowicz came to North, he was in the Marines, played hockey and worked at Chrysler.

What is your motto?

Gotta get it done, treat everybody equal, treat people the way that I want to be treated. It’s a motto that I think that everybody should follow. A lot of people do.

Who is your hero?

Probably my mother. My mother was able to keep us together as a family.

What exactly is your job at North? ...A hall monitor is sort of like a security guard. We bring notes for students in your classes, but we’re here also to watch the security of the school. Have to keep the kids safe. That’s our job, protecting the kids...

What are you the most proud of in your life?

I think being a good father is the thing that I’m the most proud of – and being a good husband. Those are the two things I think I am the most proud of.

What is on your bucket list?

I don’t have anything else left. I suppose having grandchildren. It’s up to my boys, if they want to have children. I guess staying here at North, doing what I do here, live to be 90 years old.

“We need to agree on a consistent, fair and reliable manner to hold District administration accountable to goals and objectives in a way that promotes District improvement. As the financial stresses are being addressed, we have achieved a great position where we can truly focus on District outcomes,” Walsh said.

Walsh acknowledges that an atmosphere of contention between Board members is often a familiar presence in many of the Board’s meetings.

“Unfortunately, it’s nothing new. Tensions can run high, and there’s a certain amount of grand-standing that has long gone on,” Walsh said. “I don’t think it adversely affects each member’s commitment to making decisions that are in the best interests of the District. The greater harm is that the lack of professionalism displayed publicly can harm the Board’s credibility, regardless of the direction of the District. I believe Board members should state reasons for their votes in terms of the positives of their decisions, not the negatives of those with whom they disagree.”

While he may not agree with the way some members present their votes, Walsh stands by the system the Board uses to cast their votes.

“Democracy can be a messy process, and in this case, the Board conducts this business very publicly and transparently.

Yes, the system works. In simple terms, you can’t be a Board officer unless a majority of the Board agrees to place you in that position. The majority rules, as it should,” Walsh said.

Dindoffer understands what is expected of her as the year progresses, and looks forward to finding new ways to work with the Board, especially as they receive the results of their most recent initiative.

“I want to work collaboratively with all School Board members. I am especially interested in the outcome of the 21st century high school study,” Dindoffer said. “I believe that is one of the most important initiatives we have undertaken in years, and I want to know that our students will be graduating with the skills to allow them to excel in college or the workforce.”

Board of Education sends out forms, seeking residency affirmation

Driver’s Road Skills Test

$5.00 COUPON MICHIGAN DRIVERS LICENSE TESTING Automobile Tests: $45.00 Rental Available: $20.00

continued from page 1

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Feb. 4. He disagrees with some of what the plan entails.

“The proof of residency is a good thing, but as far as having people who’ve been around for so long (do it) is ridiculous,” Lemanski said. “It’s kind of no big deal, I mean I was just kind of surprised we had to provide our residency.”

“My mom thinks that if they want to be thorough, they should include the residency form as part of the registration process instead of randomly picking people,” Pitses said. “I’m kind of indifferent. It was just another thing for my mom to add to her to-do list. I’m more amused than mad.”

Harwood realizes there will be a variance of opinions.

“For some, this will not be an area of difficulty or concern. For some, the one page document may be viewed as limited in requesting a verification of residency and that the process should include more documents shared with the district to prove residency. For some, it may be

Grosse Pointe Driving School WINTER/SPRING SCHEDULE 2013 SEGMENT 1: 6-8 p.m.

Feb. 18-March 7 March 11-March 28 April 8-April 25

SEGMENT 2: 4-6 p.m.

Feb. 18-21 March 4-7 March 18-21 April 8-11

Classes held at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial 32 Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe Farms, 313-881-7511

Grosse Pointe Athletic Club Get Fit, Stay Fit! General Fitness Training Sport-Specific Performance Programs Individual & Group Training 335 Fisher Road, Grosse Pointe (313) 886-8590 info@thegpac.org Student Rate: $35/mo.

Pregnancy Aid Feeling confused?

Pregnancy Aid offers free pregnancy tests and confidential counseling to anyone in need 17325 Mack Ave.

Across from Staples, on the Detroit side

882-1000

courtesy of grosse pointe schools

Meet new School Board president: Joan Dindoffer Graduated from University of Michigan with a B.A. in politcal science Has a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School She is the Vice President of the Wealth Management Divsions of Comerica Bank .

Member of the Michigan Bar Association Her involvement with the school board led to the Michigan Association of School Boards awarding her a certificate of merit upon her completion of board certification and training.

Currently resides in Grosse Pointe Park All three of her children graduated from Grosse Pointe South.

viewed as a huge inconvenience and not necessary,” Harwood said.

Even though some, like Pitses, find the form an inconvenience, community relations specialist Rebecca Fannon has not seen it as a problem.

“We have received only one complaint that I’m aware of, though we have had several questions about how exactly we drew the random sampling. When we shared the procedure used, all have been pleased with the methodology,” Fannon said.

The affidavit was chosen partly because it is less costly.

“The last re-registration was approximately $85,000 and that was seven years ago. This will cost approximately $700, not including the time to process the documents, which we will do in-house,” Deputy Superintendent Chris Fenton said.

Despite the conf licts in opinions, Harwood said there will be “some form of re-verification over the next three years.”

“Thus, the reason for the 25% figure,” he said. “Twenty-five percent this year, and 25% each year over the next three years gets us to a 100% mark at the end of the four year period.” see editorial on page 7 continued from page 1

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Q&A with Mike Cook, senior associate director of admissions at Michigan State University North Pointe: How many applicants did you have last year?

Mike Cook: 30,233 NP: How many were from in state?

Cook: 16,836 NP: How many were from out of state?

Cook: 13,397 NP: We spoke about a “wait list” or being offered a spot for a different term. Of your applicants, how many does this occur to?

Cook: We do not have a “wait list.” Rather, we continue to offer admission for the fall class until we reach the desired projected enrollment target. At the

same time, a number of application reviews require seventh semester grades.

When these grades arrive (normally Jan - Feb), we continue to offer fall admission based on space availability.

When we reach capacity, there are a number of admissible applicants that are offered spring entry. This number varies, but it can be 1,000-1,200.

NP: Of those who you do not accept initially how many end up still choosing MSU for their college?

Cook: This spring, about 350 enrolled at MSU. Again, these are admissible students that unfortunately fall space simply was not an option.

NP: When looking at applications, do you take into consideration residence?

Cook: We examine the entire application, however academic performance, strength of curriculum and test scores are the primary keys to an admission offer.

on campus Union cookies sold throughout the day Actvities Director Pat Gast sold Union cookies between classes for the first time Feb. 13. Students were able to buy two cookies for a dollar during passing time.

“It’ll be kind of fun for the kids,” Gast said. I think it’ll be ... something new and different. I have students coming in all the time begging me to sell them cookies, especially when it’s not lunch time. ‘Please Mrs. Gast, I didn’t have any breakfast, could you sell me some cookies?’ and I know I’m killing everybody with the smell in the morning so, it’ll be kind of a fun day.”

Gast decided to extend the time slot for selling Union cookies in an effort to raise money for the Student Association. Gast says a good amount of money was raised with the green and gold dance, but more is still needed.

“I’m doing it as a fundraiser for Student Association,” Gast said. “It’s a very expensive conference, so I’m doing it to help defray those costs, pay for buses, pay for rooms, pay for kids so that they can register.”

The event was held inside the Student Union all day, and many students were looking forward to the cookie sales.

“It’s a good idea. It’s a good way to earn money for the school, and I think that it’ll be successful because people always talk about how good the Union cookies are so I think it’ll be successful,” junior Melissa Jacobs said.

Gast said it may happen again in the future, depending on its success.

“It depends on how successful it is. If I do it ... everybody wants me to do it all the time. So maybe every once in awhile if it’s successful,” Gast said.

Greenhouse branches into new territories North’s own plant oasis brings ex-storage room to life with new greenery, vegetables and cacti.

We caught up with environmental science teacher Christopher Skowronski to get the details.

By Kaylee Dall & Jenna Belote STAFF REPORTERS

Euchre tournament rescheduled The euchre tournament sponsored by the freshman and sophomore classes has been postponed until March due to inclement weather. Originally planned for Friday, Feb. 8, the event is being moved to an adult friendly venue, with a new date that is yet to be determined.

For $10 per person, students and their families will be given the opportunity to engage in tournaments and mingle.

“Euchre is a competitive, high-energy card game, but you don’t only have to play euchre. You can play any games,” freshman class president Yena Berhane said.

Those who don’t have any prior experience with euchre will be given a short lesson before joining the tournaments with more experienced players.

“You can play other card games with your friends and family, like Gin Rummy, War, Spoons, Texas Hold ‘Em or other games,” Berhane said.

Food and drinks will be served inside along with raff le tickets to help support the freshmen and sophomores.

Gamers can purchase tickets for $1 each or six for $5 in hopes of taking home one of many raff le prizes. Prizes include gift cards from businesses such as TCBY, Aria Salon and Andiamo’s.

Junior class hosts Party Helpers Expo The Class of 2014 student council is bringing back the Party Helpers Expo, a fundraiser created to help students and parents make party planning more fun and efficient.

“It’s an event where you can find different vendors or tent rental companies, like for graduations or any parties. So you can test out what they have and see their prices and compare and get ideas,” junior class president Michelle Austin said. “Last year was our first year, and it was a new idea that one of our members, Brigitte Smith, came up with because she heard about another school doing it.”

Social studies teacher Frank Tymrak also credits Smith with proposing the idea and leading student council through the process of the expo. Tymrak sees the benefits the Party Helpers Expo brings to the community as another great reason to continue the annual event.

“It’s a service for our community members to be able to provide for their recreation activities by using other members of the community,” Tymrak said. “It’s a great community project to keep business in a local area.”

The Party Helpers Expo will be held in the cafeteria on March 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The proceeds will go to the Class of 2014.

By Radiance Cooper, Haley Reid & Chris Elliott

North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 – 3

Faces in the crowd Sean Burrell

Junior Sean Burrell said he discovered a passion for singing about two years ago, when his mom introduced singing to him, and he joined his church choir.

“I just like to sing now.

I never thought it’d be something I like to do,” Burrell said.

While he was previously only a fan of hiphop and rap, Burrell is now open to different types of music, such as R&B. Burrell says one of his favorite artists is Usher.

“I feel like Usher talks about real things, like relationships and other things that could (happen) or go on in a relationship, therefore you are able to relate to his music,” Burrell said.

Burrell said that out of all of his family members, he’s most comfortable with singing in front of his 13-year-old brother, who goes to Parcells and is coming to North next year.

“I feel more comfortable singing in front of my brother because he loves to sing, too, so he gives me that comfort when I am singing,” Burrell said.

Not only does Burrell sing, he also plays football and draws.

Burrell said he is trying out for the football team next year and doesn’t believe that singing will interfere with his other hobbies.

But, Burrell said he is up for the challenge.

Vincent Provenzano

TOP: In North’s greenhouse, you can find plants from a desert or a rainforest. “Starting off as a storage room, we have transformed it into something that North can be proud of, a place where we can grow these amazing plants,” Skowronski said.

UPPER LEFT: There are 1,500 to 1,800 species of cacti, many of which can be found in the greenhouse. “I find the cactus to have its uniqueness that only certain places see every day,” he said.

LOWER LEFT: The living stone, also known as Stoneface, Pebble Plants, Flowering Stones, and Mimicry Plant, is in the Lithops species. “The living stones have this weird feeling to them, almost like touching skin,” he said.

BOTTOM LEFT: “The desert plants are the most interesting. They all have their own personalities to them,” he said. “We normally don’t see these types of plants in Michigan.”

BOTTOM RIGHT: Students planted vegetables, including chives and cucumbers, in these cups as a project for environmental classes.

“The food plants that are edible, like tomatoes and basil, are the essentials and one of the important parts of the greenhouse because we can use the food we grow and donate the excess food as well,” he said.

Freshman Vincent Provenzano started YouTubing after six months of consideration.

To get his feet wet, he made a YouTube channel titled VincentProvenzano. He then posted an introductory video blog (vlog) and sent a link to his friends.

“It’s fun to do, but it takes a long time. It’s really annoying when things don’t work out the way they should,” Provenzano said.

Provenzano was first inspired to start making videos by his friends, freshmen Chloe Bigwood and Olivia Hoover. He intends to make funny skits and vlogs about once every week or two. Two of his favorite YouTube channels are Nigahiga and Smosh, and he plans to imitate them both with sketches and commentary.

To prepare for future videos, he has been researching special effects and how to use them in an effort to make his videos more interesting.

“I like to act, and I don’t have enough time for the play. I like to entertain people,” Provenzano said.

Provenzano received some negative reaction to his first video, but he says he doesn’t let this bother him.

“Don’t let haters get you dow n. Don’t let them affect your mentality,” Provenzano said.

Ali Scoggin

Senior Ali Scoggin has been playing tennis since she was eight years old, and started competing freshman year. She is an all-state player on North’s varsity tennis team.

“My coach definitely got me interested. He has been really supportive all the way through,” Scoggin said.

Scoggin usually plays at Wimbledon and Lochmoor for two hours five times a week.

“I was so excited when I got all-state,” Scoggin said. “All my work finally paid off.”

Scoggin achieved an all-state rank during her junior year, when she made it to the quarterfinals at states.

Scoggin is ready for another season and hopes to maintain her all-state status. She is also excited to be on North’s team again.

“I really love the bonding experience that you have over the season. I will miss it next year.”

Scoggin is being recruited by many Division 3 teams but wishes to focus on academics in college. She hopes to play intramural tennis through college and recreationally afterwards.

By Cydni Newman, Mallika Kanneganti & Anu Subramaniam

SPORTS

4 – Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 – North Pointe

QUICK HITS dance team senior solos

Sean O’melia

The dance team performed during halftime at the varsity basketball game. “Our (performance) is a hip hop dance. It’s a collaboration of all our ideas put together. The dance gives seniors the opportunity to showcase all the things we worked on and learned to our friends and family,” senior Kyndal Echols said.

North’s dance team will be performing during the halftime show of the girls varsity basketball game tonight, with a featured solo done by the seniors.

The seniors will be dancing in the center of the gym, performing a number that they created themselves.

The other members of the team will be backup dancers.

“I feel happy. I feel like we’re gonna kill it; I feel confident,” senior Corree Hayes said.

North will play Chippewa Valley at 7 p.m.

“At the same time, I’m really nervous and excited. I can’t wait to do it,” senior Raven Harrell said.

To prepare for the performance, the team will practice their routines, while the senior soloists practice individually.

“We’ve worked on it for a couple weeks now, and the four of them have been working super hard and they’re doing a great job getting the moves coordinated. I think they’re gonna look great. This is like the finale,” dance team coach Nina Wojcik said.

Wojcik isn’t the only one enthusiastically awaiting the senior solos.

“I’m excited to try something new.

I’m excited to put everything out there,” senior Kourtney Allen said.

“I feel very excited for it. It gives me a chance to show off my talent to the school. It gives me an adrenaline rush,” senior Kyndall Echols said.

Gymnastics league championship

As the injuries pile up, so do the casts

By Sean O’Melia staff reporter

Injury-prone would be an understatement for sophomore hockey player Kelly Labarge.

“I don’t know; I wouldn’t say I’m clumsy.

It just happens, I guess,” Labarge said.

In her two years of playing high school hockey, Kelly Labarge has sustained four injuries: to her stomach, to her foot, a concussion, and most recently, a shoulder injury.

But now she is back on the ice after her shoulder injury, in which she dislocated her shoulder and tore her labrum.

Labarge explained her injured area as “the bumper around the shoulder ball, and when you dislocate it, and when it goes back in, it tears it.”

While Labarge is cleared to play at the moment, if the shoulder is further injured, it could result in serious damage. To prevent this, Labarge is implementing new methods to strengthen her shoulder. With new home exercises, that will make her shoulder stronger, she is less likely to pop out her labrum.

Even her teammates have noticed Labarge’s unusual string of injuries.

“It’s kind of a joke now. It’s a big a joke now, like, “Kelly don’t fall,’” junior Susan Tomasi said.

Even as her injuries are a joking matter at times, Labarge’s dedication – showing up to practices even while injured – is recognized.

“I respect that. There’s other people on the team who don’t show up when they’re injured,” senior Katie Bowles said.

Labarge sometimes feels powerless in helping her team while watching behind the glass.

“You get a lot more frustrated with your team, because you’re, like, yelling out instructions on the sidelines. But yeah, you wish you were out there, like, ‘Uhh, if I was out on the ice then I could do it,’” Labarge said.

Karina Lucchese

Sophomore Kelly Labarge has aquired 13 hard casts over two and a half years. “I kept the first one just because I thought it was cool since everyone signed it and stuff. But as I kept getting more I thought it was funny to see how many I would have to get. I call it my shelf of shame,” she said. “(They’re) kind of like trophies that I collected along the way.”

While Labarge may get frustrated, hockey coach Joe Lucchese believes it’s best to not rush anything.

“If you’re injured, you’re injured. It’s hard on the player. In the scheme of life, it’s not a big deal. I don’t want to see a player come out and get more hurt,” Lucchese said.

In the past Labarge has had to let go of other sports because of her health.

“I think I get frustrated,” Labarge said.

“My injuries have kept me away from doing some sports. Because of my foot, I stopped playing volleyball. And I used to play soccer, but I stopped that because of my foot and stuff, because I had surgery on it.”

Yet, Labarge refused to give up hockey.

“Hockey is one of the things that I re-

Freshman shakes nerves to join cheerleading team

fuse to stop doing. It probably doesn’t, like, make my injuries better. It’s just something I don’t want to give up.”

And now that she is back, she hopes to continue to push forward with her goals in hockey.

“I’d like to score more goals,” she said.

“I’m not really a goal scorer, I’ve scored one in the past two seasons.”

And as playoffs are approaching, Labarge would like to help her team do what they have in the past – and more.

“Last year we made it to states, so I hope that we can make it back and win it this year.”

Winter sports cool down as the weather warms up

By Melissa Healy & Sean O’Melia Staff Reporters

By Natalie Skorupski staff reporter

Sarah Schade

Junior Meagan Curran works on a floor exersize during practice. “I’m very excited, I think we’ll come out on top,” she said. “Our team is amazing. We get along really well.”

Tonight the girls gymnastics team will crowd into Hunt’s Gymnastics Academy, hosting the league championship. Usually held above the gym, the meet was relocated due to scheduling conflicts and the plethora of teams participating. North’s gym just couldn’t accommodate the meet.

“Our league is Grosse Pointe. We’re (made up of) a combined North/South team, Dearborn and Fraser. We take turns hosting this meet,” coach Courtney Schafer said. “This year, we have invited some Oakland Athletic Association teams to participate because they lost their league meet this year. So Farmington, Birmingham and Troy are coming this year, too.”

The hosting team gets to pick the theme that the gym will be sporting, which this year is Candyland.

“We all thought it was cute, so we went with it,” senior Emily Griffith said.

“We also have our league meet shirts.

They are light blue with ‘League Meet 2013’ written in candy cane, and then the back has the name of the teams.”

“The meet is just to decide league champions in all of the events and for the teams,” Schafer said. “The winner will be the league champions for 2013.

The regional championship, the first weekend in March, determines who goes to states.”

“I don’t really pay attention to rivals because I think as long as we try our best, nothing else matters,” Griffith said. “(But) I think our biggest worry is Livonia Red.”

By Mallika Kanneganti & Sarah Schade

emily huguenin

Freshmen Imani Brown drops into the splits. “My favorite part of the season so far was our last competition (Feb. 6),” she said. “One of my favorite parts is wearing the cheer bow, but I get nervous before all the competitions usually, too.”

Jitters are nothing new for freshmen Imani Brown. As one of the only two freshmen on the varsity cheerleading team, it’s safe to assume that she has had her fair share of them, which have gone hand in hand with each new cheerleading experience.

“I started cheer in fifth grade, stopped in sixth, started back up in seventh and eighth, and then continued from there. In fifth grade I cheered for the Red Barons, and in seventh and eighth grade I cheered for Parcells,” Brown said.

“The (North) varsity coach saw me at Red Barons and told me she would like me on her team, so that really pushed me to try out this year as a freshman.”

At tryouts, Brown was not convinced that she had done enough to secure a varsity spot and was shocked when she heard the news that she had made the team.

“I was really nervous for tryouts. We had to learn a lot of stuff, and since I was nervous I didn’t think I was going to make varsity.

When I made it, I went home and was like, ‘Mom, oh my God, I made varsi-

Maria vasquez

TOP: The wrestling team defeated South and Lakeview High School to win team districts Monday, Feb. 4. “We will put up a good fight (at Regionals),” senior Paul Menth said. “But it will be tough to win because we have a young team and Dakota has more upperclassmen that are more experienced.”

ty!’ And she was just like, ‘That’s amazing!’”

Brown was also nervous, once on the team, wondering if her teammates would welcome her.

But her fears vanished.

“I was scared coming on the team because I was a freshmen and I thought the girls were just going to be really mean to me, but they actually were really nice. We’re all really close on the team,” Brown said.

“Every time before we run on the mat in a competition, we hug each other and do this little hand game before we start.”

In routines, Brown can play multiple positions, her favorite being a base.

“I am a flipper, I fly, and I base. I like basing the most because it makes me feel powerful, like lifting people up in the air.”

Brown’s favorite competition was her latest on Feb. 6., where the team placed third, exceeding their own expectations.

“Our stunts were really good. We didn’t drop any students, which is good, and we were flipping all over the place, just like all really good.”

LEFT: Senior Jenna Paglino handled the ball against Dakota, Thursday, Feb. 7. “I’ve done really well this season and I have improved a lot from last year, which is the main thing,” she said. “Our team has also done really well and we’ve worked very hard this season.”

Sean O’melia

Sean O’melia

BOTTOM: Junior Justin Kennedy ran through a line-up of teammates and cheerleaders before the boys varsity basketball team took on L’anse Creuse Friday, Jan. 25. The Norsemen defeated the Lancers 49-39.

Life

North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 – 5

PDA: how much is too much?

By Andrea Scapini assistant editor

The two-minute warning bell is signal for juniors Mackenzie Snitgen and senior Jack Stefek to part.

It has become routine for the couple to share a hug and kiss. They recognize that public displays of affection (PDA) are shown in all forms in the hallways, but they say it’s no big deal.

“I’m just comfortable, and he’s comfortable. I know I’m not gross about it, and I’m not in anybody’s way,” Snitgen said. “I can still go without it, but it is a habit because if he didn’t kiss me or hug me before I went to class, I’d be kind of like, ‘what?’”

The couple said they try to ignore looks they sometimes receive from students and teachers after a brief kiss or when holding hands.

“I feel like people are watching me a little bit but it doesn’t really affect me,” Stefek said. “In some cases, others can be sometimes raunchy, and that’s not supposed to be done in public. But if it’s just a kiss or a hug, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Despite the fact that some publicly intimate couples aren’t aware of their surroundings, their actions don’t go unnoticed.

“Some couples look at each other and pretend like in the hour that they’re going to be away from each other they’re going to blow up. They’re too touchy with each other,” junior Valentina Izzi said.

“If I had a boyfriend, I would not make out with them every hour before class. They act like they’re not going to see each other for a whole week.”

Other students think PDA is acceptable within reason.

“If they’re holding onto you for a long time, it’s just like, ‘Get some air,’” junior Kaylin Causley said. “I feel like holding hands, or if you see them you hug them, or if they do a quick kiss before they leave, that’s fine. But if you’re getting way into it, it’s not.”

Izzi said she doesn’t allow PDA to become a distraction to her. Junior Tess Kolp, however, is dis-

turbed by these displays in school.

“There are some forms of acceptable public displays of affection like small hugs that don’t last too long, hand-holding, things like that. There are some people that take it way too far, which is really disgusting, and I’m quite uncomfortable from it,” Kolp said. “Personally, I think it distracts from the purpose of being in school. You have a lot of time to do that outside of school. Focus on learning.”

When staff members see affection in the hallways that pushes the school-appropriate limits, they take measures to stop the smooching.

“There’s a time and a place for everything, and school is a time and a place for learning, not making out. I usually will just shout out, ‘Hey, stop that! Boys have cooties. Girls have cooties,’” hall monitor Jaime Peralta said. “I try to make light out of it because I don’t want to embarrass them, but it is actually against the school code of conduct. You are not supposed to have PDA in the hallways.”

This behavior falls under “inappropriate physical behavior” in the student Code of Conduct.

Some staff members have noticed that many times, underclassmen engage in PDA more than the older students.

“There are others that you can tell it’s probably new to them, the relationship, and they probably don’t get a lot of contact outside of school,” Peralta said. “It’s probably the only place that they actually see each other during the day.”

Assistant principal Tom Beach finds it important to stop PDA, especially amongst underclassmen.

“At this age, they’re learning boundaries.

They’re learning about each other, and they’re learning about society,” Beach said. “Our job is to help them learn those rules because when they get into a job, they may feel that way about someone, but if they do some of the things that I’ve seen here, they’re going to lose that job.

“So our job is to kind of help set those limits on themselves. I think it’s natural that they’re going to push those limits; that’s what teenagers do. But most of the students are just fine.”

Caroline Schulte

The sound of

SILENCE Hard-of-hearing siblings rely on each other to manage their everyday lives

Brigitte Smith

By Brigitte Smith & Chris Elliott Staff Reporter & Intern

Imagine a silent world: walking down the hallway seeing mouths moving without purpose.

“What was that?”

“It doesn’t matter. Nevermind.”

When junior Adam Roach was 3 years old, doctors discovered he had extreme hearing loss, which meant hearing aids for the rest of his life. Shortly after, his younger sister, freshman Sophia Roach, was diagnosed with the same hearing loss.

Due to their condition, they have learned to read lips.

“I hear through my eyes,” Adam said.

But as anyone can imagine, lip-reading has its shortcomings; in classes, in the hallways and, for Adam, at wrestling practice.

“I have a hard time in class when the teacher is talking or we’re taking notes,” Adam said. “In practice, when coach tells them to do things like double-leg or single-leg stuff like that, and I would have to ask my teammates, like, ‘What did he say?’ And I would have to read their lips because I’m a lip reader.”

Everyday communication can turn futile for Adam and Sophia.

“I mean, they ask me a question, and if I don’t know what they said, I ask them again,” Adam said. “You know they don’t answer, they just look the other way, and I’m like whatever. And then I look the other way, too. It doesn’t feel good, but what are you gonna do?”

These situations are inevitable. Since there is no way around their condition, both Adam and Sophia must put in extra time to keep up in class by asking their teachers for notes after class. But despite their efforts, school is still a struggle, both academically and socially. In their daily efforts to interact with others, numerous obstacles stifle communication between the Roach siblings and their peers.

“It’s really hard with friends because either they are impatient because they don’t want to repeat things, or they don’t have any time to repeat things for me,” Sophia said.

“It’s really hard to try to keep up in conversation, and it’s really frustrating sometimes.”

At the end of the day, all of the frustration that has

accumulated sometimes makes it difficult for Sophia to leave North with a smile on her face.

“If I had a bad day at school, I’ll come home and be frustrated, and I’ll tell my mom and get emotional and all,” Sophia said.

Adam has learned to not be bothered so much and be patient with himself, both qualities Sophia says she has grown to appreciate.

“He’s just laid back,” Sophia said. “(Adam is) strong and a really good brother. I don’t know what I would do without him. (He’s) very positive. I just really look up to him.”

Knowing that she has someone to fall back on who is enduring the same tribulations puts Sophia at ease.

“If I have a problem, I can go straight to him, and he’ll give me advice. It’s common sense, but when he tells me something, I’ll just feel better about the situation and everything. He seems to handle it better than I do.”

Even though Adam pushes those away who refuse to patiently work with him, he doesn’t allow himself to feel inferior.

“I have learned to be more patient with myself, and I care less about other people that are not patient with me,” Adam said.

There is a possibility that surgery could be an ultimate solution to the restrictions that limit them.

“I could get a Cochlear implant, but it involves surgery, and I don’t know if I want to go down that path,” Adam said.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the implant submits signals that are generated from a processor to an electrode array located within the head. From there, the impulses are sent to the correct auditory nerves. Because the sound is calculated through technology, it is not interpreted in the same way a human ear would decode it, so it takes time to “re-learn” how to hear.

This procedure doesn’t completely restore a person’s hearing, but if it works for the Roach siblings, it will greatly improve it.

After the appropriate recovery time, Adam may be able to talk on the phone and be able to engage in a conversation without depending on lip-reading.

The procedure may not go as planned, though.

“Something wrong might happen, and it might not im-

prove; I’m afraid of that,” Adam said. “If I get the surgery, I will be deaf, completely deaf.”

For about a month after the implant is surgically implemented, the ear will be completely deaf and Adam will not be able to hear anything out of that ear. Then, slowly on alternating weeks, the device will slowly be turned on and adjusted until it is at a comfortable volume.

“It’s a lot of work, and I don’t want to go through that, so I’m not sure,” Adam said. “It’s all up to me. My parents think I should do it but, again, I’m not sure.”

Engaging in normal conversation is extremely frustrating for both Adam and Sophia, but they have hope that things won’t be so hard in the future. They plan on going to a college in New York, Rochester Institute of Technology, a school that specializes in students that are hard of hearing.

“They are familiar with the hard of hearing, deaf kids, and they can provide you the help,” Adam said. “They already know what you’re going through. They can give you the help so you won’t be as frustrated. And here they don’t know what (to) do and they just push you away.”

Sophia has been taking sign-language lessons and teaches her brother as she goes through the process.

Alongside Sophia, Adam’s girlfriend, senior Maria Vasquez said she, has been teaching herself and Adam sign language too. Vasquez said she supports Adam emotionally and helps him realize that there are people who want to help him.

“You know, there are just going to be some people who are like, ‘Oh, you’re just some deaf kid,’ but you know those kids are jerks anyways. But I just remind him that there are people out there, like me, who don’t mind slowing down and don’t mind repeating themselves,” Vasquez said.

Through their time together, Vasquez has come to recognize how much people take for granted in everyday life.

“Like, when someone’s talking to you, especially a teacher, like if they face the whiteboard, I can hear everything they say, but Adam can’t hear anything, he’s like, ‘Okay, as soon as you’re not looking at me, I can’t hear anything that you’re saying.’ So I think it’s just like the simple things like that,” Vasquez said. “It just shows me all the things we take for granted and all of the things to be thankful for.”

LIFE

6 – Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 – North Pointe

How the progressive rock band’s newest album and a subsequet performance developed a devotee

By Jacob Barry Staff reporter

When you hear the words “Coheed and Cambria,” hopefully you think to yourself: “Aren’t they that band with the 5-foot-tall lead singer whose hair outweighs his body and sounds like he’s inhaling helium?”

But more likely you’d remember how they had their more notable song, “Welcome Home,” on Rock Band.

Or you’ve never heard of them in your life and think their name is unusual. If any of the above, read on.

I’m just here to say the aforementioned stumpy helium-sucking hairball, Claudio Sanchez, sure knows how to write music.

Though, be warned, there is a method to listening to C&C. When I first heard their music, I really didn’t care much for it. I thought Claudio Sanchez’s voice was screachy, and the lyrics lacked poetic merit.

It wasn’t until the chorus from one of their songs, “Ten Speed (of God’s Blood and Burial),” was caught in my head that I listened to the album again. That time around, more of the songs stuck with me. I’d get goosebumps when the progression swelled; I was no longer bothered by the singing.

Slowly, their music was absorbing my life. Now, I’ve been to two concerts and even have a C&C hoodie that I wear frequently, but I have yet to be consumed by the books and graphic novels Claudio Sanchez writes that drive lyrics and content of his music.

So when listening to their new album, The Afterman: Descension, keep my justified affection in mind.

Their opening track “Pretelethal” has lyrics that feed into a gross cliché, singing “who will repair this broken heart” in a drawn-out whine, which almost made me stop listening right then.

But I had faith.

The next song, “Sentry the Defiant” is what brought me back to my second listen. It has a melting chorus. The lead guitar comes in to emphasize the lyrics and then continues with this beautiful, melodic riff that excited me for the rest of the album, which did not disappoint.

The middle tracks on the album sound pretty typical for progressive rock, and didn’t grab my attention until my third or fourth listen. Then I was hooked on them just like the rest.

The song “Iron Fist” is notable because of how different it is from the rest of the album. It’s an acoustic ballad with alluring ambient noise in the background. The tempo is nearly half that of “Gravity’s Union” and the message behind the lyrics is the easiest to understand and the most touching.

It takes a patient music listener to like C&C. I didn’t think too highly of this album on my first listen, but it grew on me like wildfire.

After that, I was pretty excited for the show I went to last Friday.

Coincidentally, they opened with the two songs just mentioned. When they got to the latter, the audience was insane.

The C&C fanbase may not be very sizable, but they definitely make up for it in devotion. I thought I would be in the ranks of the hardcore fans with my hoodie I bought from their last tour, but I was upstaged by the people with logos tattooed on their biceps. When the show started, there was seldom someone in the audience not singing along, which is especially impressive

coheedandcambria.com

when the songs they were playing came out three days before the show.

With such a devoted fan base, the mosh pit would naturally be intense. It felt like there was a 300-pound gorilla trying to condense the people front and center to get closer to the band, which worked for me because I ended up only a few feet away from the lead singer for most of the performance.

By the end of the show, I felt gloriously steamrolled. It wasn’t until I felt the dopamine wear off that I regretted submitting to that steamroller.

When all is said and done, I saw an exceptional album performed three days after it came out, and I recommend that album to anyone interested in progressive rock.

REVIEWS flow free app

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Eyeem

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Zero dark thirty

The lumineers

Slide your finger across the touchscreen as you trace the line from one dot to the other dot, connecting them.

However, www.play.google.com there’s a catch.

You have to connect them correctly around the grid or a connection can’t be made.

This game going by the name of Flow Free, has a myriad of levels to choose from, from easy (5x5 chart) to hard (9x9 chart). The higher the level is, the harder connecting the dots is.

A black, gridded background offsets all the various colors of the dots so you can easily see them, and it helps you keep track of the line you’re tracing in case you make a mistake. If you don’t want to experiment through trial and error, though, the app will only annoy you.

However, if you like the challenge, the playing experience isn’t limited to just the levels on the Flow Free app you purchased. In the Apple Store, you can download even more levels to play.

Overall, Flow Free is a fun, addicting game with a variety of levels that help stretch your mind.

EyeEm is a social photo sharing app and website. There are a variety of filters and a slew of border choices that you can access with a swipe of www.eyeem.com the finger. You can tag your photo with a category for people to find it. You can also tag it with a location and share it on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Foursquare.

The idea of EyeEm would have been great – if it hadn’t ripped off Instagram.

It consists of pretty much all of the same features Instagram does. The app also has issues saving information to your personal profile, and it crashes constantly.

Navigating through EyeEm can be very confusing and overwhelming as well.

With a list of nine different links to navigate through, it’s more reading than looking at actual pictures.

The app does allow you to crop and cut your photos any way you like, unlike Instagram, but the problems are still aggravating.

EyeEm is a decent app to download if you want to explore your social network options, but I wasn’t impressed. It’s a weaker version of Instagram and falls flat when compared to photo-based websites.

Zero Dark Thirty is a movie that follows one CIA agent’s quest to topple AlQaeda through the aftermath of 9/11 to the death of Osama bin www.Zerodarkthirty-movie.com Laden in 2011.

Jessica Chastain plays CIA agent Maya, combining a perfect amount of determination, grit and stone-faced apathy that brings surprising candor to the role.

Zero Dark Thirty raises serious political questions. It explores the somewhat tumultuous relationship between the bureaucracy and the ground-level intelligence operatives and how out of touch some government higher-ups are.

The film also touches on the dismissive attitude toward women in political and government positions and the debate over using torture to obtain information.

Zero Dark Thirty is an almost perfect blend of action and intellect. Its only flaw is the sluggish pace with which the SEAL Team Six raid begins.

Although it involves graphic violence and action, Zero Dark Thirty is a thoughtprovoking movie about the roles of foreign intelligence and torture and the politics intertwined with them.

We’ve all heard “I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart” of The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” in countless commerwww.Thelumineers.com cials, and on most mainstream radio stations for a good three months now.

Sure, the catchy chorus has stuck in our heads and created a surprisingly successful single for the rookie band.

But do these indie underdogs have what it takes to stay in the spotlight?

On their self-titled debut album, country-folk band The Lumineers create a unique world of raw, earthy guitar and soulful lead vocals that are perfect for a relaxing drive.

The songs of the album range in mood from cute and innocent like, “Classy Girls,” to the very heavy “Dead Sea.” Difference in overall style and sound is rare though.

The quirky piano of “Submarines” is a refreshing break in the monotony, but by far the catchiest of the tunes is “Stubborn Love,” which has true hit potential with its singable chorus.

Overall, The Lumineers have an impressive debut; they’re bringing sweet, nostalgic melodies back into our electronic ears.

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By Diajah Williams

By Erica Lizza

By Melina Glusac

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IDEAS

North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 – 7

Wet noses and sight for the blind: “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

Dayle Maas NEws editor

Jordan Radke Editor

Emma Ockerman Managing EDITOR

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Melina Glusac, Audrey Kam and Jacob Barry.

OUR EDITORIAl

Strengthen the accuracy of sample: re-verification documents should be required with Affidavit Any debate of residency verification in the Pointes should be able to come to at least one conclusion: It’s just fair that the students in our schools be the students of this community, one that has adamantly opposed Governor Rick Snyder’s calls for open district lines and one that pays higher taxes for their children’s education.

In School Board Treasurer Brendan Walsh’s words, “no one is in favor of lax residency policy enforcement.”

The source of contention, then, is how to enforce our residency policy, which limits eligible students to those residing within the District, but with additional stateand federal-mandated exceptions and just four specialscenario exceptions provided by the Board of Education.

The District now investigates residency by examining cases with returned District mail, staff recommendations, information from municipalities or information from concerned citizens via their anonymous tip line. The District is also verifying yearly and month-tomonth leases.

This year, they’ve asked 31 students to leave the District after 174 closed investigations, or around 0.4% of all students in the District. There have been 54 community tips this year, a significant uptick from the last four years, when the number averaged around 13.

Www.gpschools.org does not release the number of students excluded from the District from investigations that stemmed from community tips. Still, there has been no increase in the exclusion rate even with so many community tips. If anything, it has diluted it; 18% of investigations this year have resulted in students being asked to leave the District, compared to 28% in the seven years prior.

Anecdotes provide us a reason for concern. But we also think more information needs to be gathered for our community members who, justifiably, wants to make sure their school District is comprised of residents.

The Residency Affidavit Forms that have been sent out should ask for documentation though, as well – a true re-verification, without the cost of a District-wide one (prior to the 2005-2006 school year, which cost over $80,000). A full re-verification of 1,000 families would provide more accurately the number of violators in the sample.

If the exclusion rate from our proposed fully reverified sample is significantly higher than what the District produces now, residency policy enforcement needs revision.

PDA should be addressed in student handbook When was the last time a student looked towards the couple engaging in their third passionate warning bell induced kiss of the day with gooey sentiments of affection? Probably never.

These displays, public displays of affection (PDA), threaten the line of appropriateness. Some actions are relatively unnoticeable – hand holding, for example.

Yet, there is reasonable concern as behavior in school must be monitored for its distraction factor. Whether it be mildly or intensely so, PDA is a deterrent to a professional-learning environment. This behavior in our halls is not likely permitted in a workplace. It’s school, but nonetheless, we’re here for a purpose.

Naturally, it would make sense that canoodling students be checked for disrespecting those around them who do not prefer PDA. But this sentiment seems to be missing in the student handbook. These actions do not fall under sexual harassment because of their consensuality. So instead of leaving it to hall monitors to disband young lovers, PDA should have a spot in our handbook. This way, before students lock lips, they know the consequences for their decision. Perhaps it could have a subsection below “Inappropriate Physical Behavior” on page 44.

the perspective granted by two four-legged humanitarians

Stella sits at my feet and talks to me, through a Nylabone I feel sorry for. “Reearrarghfwj,” she usually says, to my rewards of “good girl.” (I am operantly conditioning her to be as cute as possible, and “Reearrarghfwj” is quite cute.)

“Wa rg g h f,” she adds today. “Of course I would love to serve as an anthropomorphic editor’s desk addition to your Jordan Radke column.”

“No, Stella, not anthropomorphic; you’re not just a black Lab,” I remind her. “You’re my k10, because you’re more than a canine with human qualities – you’re a person. Remember?”

“Chomp, chomp, rghrghh,” Stella says in affirmation of her personhood.

Sometime this fall (assuming she surmounts two pathetic and inexplicable fears of children and statues), she will have completed her year-long stint of socializing and basic puppy training with us, plus an additional four-month training period, and will be a leader dog for the blind, like her older sister, Jazzy, a yellow Labrador. Her frame will fill out, her fur will be coarser, and she’ll be somebody else’s.

I type. Stella engages in an earnest, attention-seeking staredown.

“Meaningless!” Stella says, rephrasing Ecclesiastes. “What do you gain from this toil at the computer? Certainly not the privileges of a game of fetch, of lying down with me, or of me staring at you until you stare back (what a thrill!). But it’s okay. Your transgressions are forgiven. I’ll always be here.”

“It’s cute to see two people who are genuinely happy to be with each other.”

Julia Babcock Freshman

She won’t, though. Her presence, as Jazzy’s was, will be meteoric in my life. We have a strange relationship of strange noises and a little too much wrestling and never enough cuddling and a tacit understanding of the number of times she must yearn in the general direction of the door and then yearn in the general direction of me before she is let outside (two to four).

It is bizarre, but also pure, perfect, and timeless. For a moment, Jazzy and I had it, until I looked up from my work and the house was empty, save a dusting of shed yellow hair – flotsam in her wake.

Rita is older, has retinitis pigmentosa, speaks with infectious animation and exhibits a remarkable sensory awareness to make up for everything she can’t see.

Jazzy guides Rita in Indiana now. Rita emails us, telling us when Jazzy learns new routes (e.g. to the grocery, the church), how they play together, and how beautiful everyone tells her Jazzy is, and suddenly all I have left isn’t the shed hair; Rita has more so I have more. The experience of raising Jazzy would have been transient, if it had been in and of itself.

But it wasn’t: Rita is a person and I am a person and Jazzy is a person-dog and Stella is a person-dog and we are connected by a lattice of support that is reciprocal and lasting.

Jazzy does not live here and she is Rita’s. Stella is mine, temporarily and always.

We are all each other’s and we are all together – I am Stella’s, I am Jazzy’s, Rita is Jazzy’s – because we all learned a while ago that when needy dogs are cared for, they yield the things that will last longer than my stint with Stella will: love, affection and sight for the blind.

“I guess it depends on what they’re doing. What’s too far is when they are making out in the hallways. I think that should be meant for somewhere else.”

Olivia Angott

“I don’t know ... it’s something you should do on your own time. Blatantly making out in the hallway, if you’re like clearly hooking up, like, no.”

Rhys Williams Junior

Sophomore

YOUR TURN: How do you feel about PDA in the hallways?

By Sydney Thompson, Jennifer Kusch, Katelyn Carney & Anu Subramaniam

“There’s a time and a place for everything and PDA in the halls is not the time for it.

Swapping spit, that’s too far.

Simple peck on the cheek, or peck on the lips is fine.

“A simple kiss is fine, but when it gets overboard, it’s disgusting. Certain things are private – leave them private.

“Personally, I am tired of the girls continually hitting on me. There is an appropriate hug. There is a hug, there is a hug, and then there is a hug.”

Albert Kelly

Dan Gilleran

Tom Tobe

senior

social studies teacher

Interim principal

Jeffrey Valentic, Katelyn Carney, Miranda Barry, Olivia Pullen, Radiance Cooper, Mallika Kanneganti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane EDITOR: Jordan Radke MANAGING EDITOR: Emma Ockerman SECTION EDITORS: Dayle Maas, Kim Cusmano, Lauren Semack, Gabby Burchett ASSISTANT EDITORS: Kristen Kaled, Andrea Scapini, Libby Sumnik, Amanda Berry, Marie Bourke, Izzy Ellery STAFF REPORTERS: Patricia Bajis, Colleen Reveley, Melissa Healy, Natalie Skorupski, Sara Villani, Rachel Cullen, Jacob Barry, Danae DiCicco, Sydney Thompson, Taylor White, Audrey Kam, Brigitte Smith, Melina Glusac, Jennifer Kusch, Courtney Veneri PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caroline Schulte (Photo Editor), Emily Huguenin (Assistant Photo Editor), Sean O’Melia, Kaylee Dall INTERNS: Haley Reid, Sarah Schade, Anna Hopkins, Jenna Belote, Anu Subramaniam, Brittney Hernandez, Caelin Micks, Carrie Rakowicz, Chris Elliott, Cydni Newman, Daijah Newman, Dora Juhasz, Emily Martinbianco, Emma Puglia, Erica Lizza, Erin Armbruster,

The North Pointe is edited and produced

by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions.

The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe School System.

We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com.

One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at myGPN.org.

The North Pointe is printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Twitter: myGPN FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, CJE

Editor’s desk Emma Ockerman

Dear Taylor Swift,

We need to have a serious talk, Taylor Swift – girl-to-girl (or whatever alternate personality you’re projecting with these days).

I’ve tried to see life from your perspective in hopes of better understanding your psyche. I too own a guitar and have a mediocre voice, bangs and a handful of jerk ex-boyfriends.

I was starting to question when I would metamorphose into a pop-country sensation like yourself, Miss Swift. I hoped it’d be the case.

Frankly, I don’t have that “Swift charm” that transforms an average girl into a shining star.

I’m not painfully immature, a trait that has become unique to you, Miss Swift.

When you first introduced yourself into the already vast world of the musically untalented, you were a mere annoyance I skipped past on the car radio, an itch I so longed to scratch entirely off the face of the planet.

You had curly hair. Yet, you had your sanity.

Then Joe Jonas came along, and John Mayer, and the several others who would tarnish your once-radiant sheen.

Did they rip the sanity from you, Miss Swift, or did you simply hand it to them, like an American housewife serving her husband carefully burned meatloaf?

Did they beg you for mercy when you pulled a sunburstfinished Gibson out of its case, a sly smile on your red lips as you hummed the taunting tune, “Dear John”?

Are those teardrops still molded into your guitar, their weight crushing your inability to avoid heartbreak, or are they drowned out by the bloodcurdling screams of the several men you’ve scarred with your infamous three-chord ditties?

Alright, listen, I know I’m being a little harsh here, Miss Swift.

These men don’t own your intellect, or deserve the time of those sad songs you so frequently write. There is more to life than a series of three-month relationships, leaving you with one broken heart after another.

I know that, a 12-year-old would know that. Why don’t you?

You have therapists I don’t, Miss Swift – Burberry, Prada, and Chanel – to cope with slightest of wrongdoings. Even if they’re bad memories of your infamous past, it doesn’t hurt to reminisce about frolicking with Conor Kennedy on a beach.

I couldn’t rub a killer red carpet look in any of my exboyfriends faces, nor publicly humiliate them through the gift of song.

It didn’t take much for them to get that we are never, ever, ever getting back together.

Trust me, I had my ways of making them know.

Frankly, Miss Swift, my reactions are far more normal than calling Harry Styles out at the Grammys during your performance, mocking his British accent. Much more normal.

Weren’t you the one to cite that girls can do much better things in their life than dating the boy on the football team in your song “Fifteen”? You seem to be making a career out of hunk-chasing and boy-bashing.

Get it together girl. You’re still that nuisance I wish to flick off my radar like a piece of stray lint, but I can’t deny that you’re a hot tamale.

And the bangs, Miss Swift?

Those are my thing.

photo

Insta-North

North Pointe - Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 - 8

By Caroline Schulte & Emily Huguenin Photo Editors

By the numbers

By Sydney Thompson & Gabby Burchett staff reporter & assistant editor

800,000 photos of Hurricane Sandy 575 likes on Instagram every second 81 comments on Instagram every second 78 million photos 37% of Instagram-ers have never uploaded a photo

Skater Boy

Queen of Selfies

www.huffingtonpost.com

By Kim Cusmano

By Andrea Scapini

A picture of a skateboarder, edited with the effect called Hefe and captioned with #skateboarding is a classic Instagram picture for sophomore Luke Sturgill.

“My pictures are usually shoes, socks, skateboarding, myself, sometimes, things I find funny, stuff I’m doing, landscapes and miscellaneous things,” Sturgill said. “Usually pictures of skateboarding get the most likes. Skateboarding is actually pretty big on Instagram.”

Sturgill joined the Insta-family in December 2012, and at press time, he’s posted 359 photos, obtained 364 followers and followed 460 accounts.

“My favorite accounts to follow are professional skateboarders. They always post cool pictures of skate spots, new products from their sponsors, places they’re going and them skateboarding,” Sturgill said.

Sturgill used to be “really into it,” but as of late, he is not so concerned about gaining followers and getting likes. The real motivation behind his Instagramming is the photography.

“I like that a picture can portray something better than a Facebook status or a tweet can,” Sturgill said. “It literally gives you a look at what a person is doing or where they are.”

The day of the week is irrelevant to sophomore Olivia O’Hara’s decision to post selfies on her Instagram page. A lthough some strictly stick to #SelfieSunday, it’s a different case for O’Hara.

“I normally just do me and friends, then sometimes I do selfies,” O’Hara said. “Sometimes if I see a cool scenery, I’ll put a picture of a scenery.”

Even though her pictures mostly display aspects of her personal life instead of more professional photos, O’Hara has gained success in the number of likes she receives on them.

“I went on a photoshoot in the snow, in the forest, and it got 178 and I don’t know how,” O’Hara said. “That was the one I got the most likes on.”

While some use Instagram with the hopes of becoming “insta-famous” or racking up hundreds of likes on each picture, O’Hara doesn’t have those kind of expectations.

“It doesn’t really matter about the likes,” O’Hara said. “My goal for Instagram, basically, is to just share my pictures and for people to enjoy them.”

editor

Insta

assistant editor

Caroline Schulte

The Photo Fanatic

By Marie Bourke assistant editor

Senior Kylie Johnston uses Instagram for much more than #throwbackthursday or #selfiesunday.

Instagram is where Johnston posts photos of food, her dogs, nature and portraits to her 4,200 followers.

Having this large sum of followers is already an achievement in the Instagram world, but Johnston is always trying to become better with every photo she takes.

“I have already made the popular page, which was really flattering and cool,” Johnston said.

“I’ve never really had any goals, but if I had to make one, I’d say to have a ‘K’ after the amount of followers I have.”

Johnston’s inspiration is often derived from fellow photographers and the beauty she sees in things.

“Photography is something I’ve always been good at. It’s what I want to do with my life and it impacts me everyday,” she said.

As for “hashtags,” one of the more popular additions to captions of photos, Johnston says she rarely uses them.

“The only time I do is when it’s part of a project. Such as, #fromwhereistand or #whp (weekend hashtag project).”

Another crucial part of the Instagram experience is the filters available to use when posting a photo. Johnston sticks to using her iPhone 4S for taking the photos she posts, instead of her variety of other cameras, but often times does not use the “filters” featured on the app. Instead, she edits her photos on other apps and then posts them.

“I edit on other apps because Instagram’s filters don’t do photos justice. With other apps, I am able to manipulate my photos more and make them look as good as possible.”

For Johnston, Instagram is majorly for developing her photography skills and receiving feedback.

“Instagram is what you make it, and for me it isn’t about front camera selfies and baby pictures.”