December 2017 voice

JOSIAH THAO

The Holiday Issue!

Voice The

your school. your voice.

Volume 58, Issue 2 December 20, 2017

NEWS

ILLUSTRATION BY CHAD SANDERS

Failure to turn in household income forms results in tight schools budget

R

Ryan Hicks News Editor

ecently, the school’s budget has gotten tighter and more limited, due in part to fewer household income forms being turned in. The income forms are the blue bubble sheets that students were asked to have their families fill out and return at the beginning of the school year.

Because a good number of students didn’t in the forms at the beginning of the year, the district is receiving less money from the government. Those forms tell the government how much each student’s household

makes each year, which determines how much money the government gives the district to use each year.

“Parents not filling out that form is kind of hurting the district; we want as many people as possible to fill those out,” said principal Susan Cheadle-Holt.

The forms used to be required for any student requesting free or reduced lunch.

Since that requirement no longer exists, there is less incentive for most students to return the form. If they’re not AP students, who need the form to receive free or discounted tests, there isn’t a big reason to do so.

“It’s not that people don’t care about

turning them in. It’s just if you didn’t turn that form in five years ago, you didn’t eat [for free]; whereas now, you can not turn the form in and you still get [free] breakfast and lunch everyday,” said biology teacher Stephanie Robinson.

Students in AP classes still see a benefit to turning the form in at the beginning of the year. “[I turned the form in] because if you have AP exams it gives you discounts,” said junior Kenidee Trafford.

Junior Mariah Chippewa isn’t currently taking any AP classes, and said she didn’t see a reason for the forms.

“If it will help me out then I will [turn it in], but if not, then no,” said Chippewa.

The challenge for Everett is making students understand that the forms actually help everyone by giving more money to the school, that can be used for a variety of things. There’s not a way of requiring students to turn in these forms, but there can be incentives offered.

“I gave my students extra credit for turning in the forms because I know it’s really important for the school,” said Spanish teacher Liela Rotschy.

Since the district isn’t receiving as much money from the government as in previous years, the building is required to fund things

that the district used to be expected to cover, such as substitutes.

“The district used to pay for subs out of their downtown money. Now, when a teacher wants to pay for a field trip, it has to come out of the building budget,” said Cheadle-Holt.

“Just like everything, money gets tighter all the time.”

The building money is based partially on those forms. When the forms aren’t turned in, federal money the school could receive for that student is lost. That’s money that could be used, for example, to pay for subs for field trips or other student-related activities.

Wilson Talent Center offers learning opportunities

RYAN HICKS

2 • The Voice • December 20, 2017 • myvikingvoice.com

Bella Irving Reporter

Wilson Talent Center representative Valetine Moghadam talks to students about their hands-on learning programs. There are a number of different programs offered that can earn students high school and college credit.

The Wilson Talent Center is a program for high school juniors and seniors who are interested in Career & Technical Education courses. They prepare students for college and teach them skills they might need, depending on what career they go into.

“We have students at the Wilson Center already earning a 3rd year science credit, earning a 4th year math credit, and students in our law enforcement program are earning their physical education credit,” said Wilson Center representative Valentine Moghadam.

Many students in Everett have positive opinions towards the Wilson Center and hope to join, as they feel it will help them in the future. “[I am planning on participating in the program]. It will help me more with my career in law,” said junior Zakari Williams.

The Wilson Center is a unique way of teaching young minds, exposing them to college-style courses and job training. “ I love it, it’s an awesome opportunity for our students,” said English teacher Robin Elliott.

The Wilson Center offers programs like the International Security Studies, Science and Technology Innovation Program, and Digital Futures Project. Many of those programs of-

fer numerous amounts of credits for those participating.

“Especially in Programming and Mobile Applications, students can earn up to 66 free college credits towards a Computer Science degree,” said Moghadam.

The Wilson Center is one of many options to students, including Pre-Collegiate Preparation Programs, Upward Bound, and Early Academic Outreach Programs. Offerings like this aren’t a new idea; some of Everett’s teachers took advantage of them when they were younger.

“I had something like this in high school, I did cosmetology,” said Elliott.

WTC FACTS

Wilson Talent Center • • • • • •

2 hours in mornings or afternoons Transportation is provided Earns high school and college credits Offers more than 40 state and national certifications 2 early college programs offered Hands-on learning opportunities offered

NEWS

Students are looking into the possibility of an Everett debate team. If formed, it would be the first debate team at Everett High School in years.

One of the first challenges in getting a debate team formed was finding someone who would be the leader.

“We’re hoping to get Mr. Kamm in on it,” said freshman Adrianna Hahn.

Kamm is not opposed to the idea.

“At this point we are still gauging interest of students and teachers,” said New Tech social studies teacher Emmanuel Kamm. “But I would be interested in

helping to get it started as long as the commitment was there by students.”

The eventual goal of the debate team is for Everett to debate against other schools.

“Being a part of a debate club can teach students how to see both sides of an issue, they can learn to argue rather than fight about issues,” s a i d K amm.

“It can also teach research skills and how to tie ideas together.”

Other students are excited at the idea of an Everett debate team.

“I think that this debate team is great because we did a project on debating competition,” said freshman Allison Zenker.

Some students see a debate team as a chance to do what they do naturally. “[I’m joining] because I love debating with people,” said freshman Mariatu Fayia.

Other students are joining the debate team to practice their self-expression.

“I really enjoyed debating last year, and I felt like it let my voice out and got points across,” said freshman Jaina McCreight.

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If students can generate enough interest, Everett might have its first debate team in a long time.

Mitten Tree brings in donations

JOSIAH THAO

Josiah Thao Graphics Editor

Mittens representing donated items hang on the mitten tree in the library.

There were many new donations in a short period of time.

Every year the library collects mittens, scarves, coats and other items that students and teachers donate for people who can’t afford them in Lansing.

The mitten tree is a tree in the library that has paper mittens on it with the name of the person who donated written on the mitten.

“It is a fake pine tree with mitts on it, and we add a mitten on the tree every time someone donates,” said librarian Joy Currie When you donate clothing or toys they go to local families in Lansing.

“Once you donate clothing or toys they go to the Dream Center,” said Currie. The Dream Center helps refugee families in Lansing who can’t afford certain things.

This year is the 20th year Everett has done the mitten tree.

Currie is the person in charge of the tree and she wants to help as many families as possible.

“My goal is to help people in Lansing in need,” said Currie.

English teacher Christi McGonigalCross encourages people to donate slightly used or new gloves, scarves or hats.

“There are a lot of children who don’t have mittens or hats or scarves,” said McGonigal-Cross.

Cast members rehearse for what is the school’s first fall play since 2012.

The show was Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the large auditorium.

Check out myvikingvoice.com for a photo gallery of the play.

Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon takes center stage Briana Orta Vazquez Editor-In-Chief The first fall play since 2012 opened Friday, The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon is 200 Grimm fairy tales put together, including characters we have never seen before like the Devil’s Grandmother and the Girl Without Hands.

A small theatre budget makes mounting a large play a challenge, but the directors have been hard at work finding funds for a future show.

“We wrote a grant to do a musical next semester, which we’ve gotten,” said Co-director Cathleen Weaver. “We wouldn’t be able to do a musical if hadn’t got the grant because there is not enough money in the school district to put on a big production like that.”

Weaver has a small budget set aside for

the play, and they are working with they have.

The cast has helped make things for the set, and costumes weren’t a problem.

“We let the cast chose what type of costumes they wanted, so we did the best to match what they were thinking,” said Weaver.

“We have a big costume room, it’s a disaster but it’s full of all types of stuff.”

Weaver said she hopes the play is successful, but that success can be measured in a number of ways.. “‘Successful’ means many things, that everyone shows up and does their best is success,” said Weaver, “I think getting a good crowd is important; the kids that are doing this have worked very hard and it would be nice getting a lot of the community in to see the play.”

All the money raised will be put back into the budget to be used for the next production.

Projects for Puerto Rico Robert Miller Online Editor

At Everett High School, students have been donating money to Puerto Rico fundraisers. All of the fundraisers are being used to help with disaster relief down in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, who were decimated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Although this is an important event, many people were unaware of Pie for Puerto Rico and Popcorn for Puerto Rico fundraisers.

“I was never really made aware of these projects,” said freshman Allison Zenker.

The Pie for Puerto Rico event involved students donating money to the cause, and then nominating a teacher to receive a pie into their face.

“All of the projects we’ve made, were led by and from the ideas of students,” said 10th grade New Tech Teacher Kailyn Jones.

For the Popcorn for Puerto Rico event,

3 • The Voice • December 20, 2017 • myvikingvoice.com

Robert Miller Online Editor

CATHLEEN WEAVER

Everett considers first debate team in years

JUAN MORALES

Students started raising funds for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico in late October.

students and parents who attended the recent showcase could purchase a bag of popcorn for $1.

“The goal of the money making, like the $1 bag of popcorn, is to make as much money as possible, and there’s no hard deadline for the project,” said Jones.

Students who helped either donate or sell popcorn enjoyed helping out for the cause.

OPINION

Winter is not so bad after all Winter is closer than you think, which means Christmas! It also means snow, and ice.

A lot of people don’t like winter, but I like the winter because while it may be cold outside you get to stay inside with lots of blankets, fuzzy pajamas and warmth.

One reason why people don’t like winter is because the weather outside is too cold for their liking. Sometimes they have to walk home from school in the winter. It’s not even just the cold, it’s the snow and ice that comes along with it. It becomes a big hazard to people that have to drive through it every day.

The people that actually like winter put aside the fact that it is cold outside and find reasons to enjoy the season. There are actually a lot of things you can do that makes winter become more enjoyable.

One idea is playing in the snow or going sledding. As a kid, I used to always enjoy making forts and having snowball fights with my family.

Kids should like the winter because that means winter break, a break from school and a chance to spend time and enjoy the holidays with their families. Winter also means Christmas, and all the food that comes along with it. You can also watch Christmas movies or make Christmas cookies. Having Christmas just makes the winter even better.

Winter is actually very pretty to look at, all the icicles and different patterns each snowflake makes. Some people just like to watch the snow fall.

Winter is one of the best seasons. People who disagree should try to find something good about winter and not just focus on the negatives. You’ve got to live through it either way, may as well enjoy it.

JESSE ORTA

Katrina Schacht Online Editor

The winter snow can be ugly to drive in, but great for winter play like building forts, making snow angels or having a snow ball fight.

Winter break beneficial, necessary for students

4 • The Voice • December 20, 2017 • myvikingvoice.com

Katrina Schacht Online Editor

December is getting closer and closer which means winter break and Christmas are almost here. Winter break is great and all but we only have it for two weeks, which isn’t enough time.

Winter break is the only time that my family all gets together for a few days and spend time with each other.

Winter breaks needs to be longer for multiple reasons; more time to spend with family and friends, traveling, homework, and just getting a break away from stressing over school in general.

Christmas is really important to my family and we do quite a lot together; we all get together, cook different dishes, and share memories and stories of past Christmases.

When it isn’t the holiday season my family is just too busy with their own lives. If it isn’t work it’s appointments, or shopping, or run-

My thoughts

ning errands, it is always something for them and they never get a break to just spend time with family. This is the only time of the year that my family gets to see each other in one spot.

The holiday season is very important to a lot of families and this is the time where they

A longer break would give students a chance to spend time with family, and still get homework done. travel to see loved ones that live further away.

Some students will spend 3-4 weeks in a different state or country to spend the holidays

with their families.

Being in honors and having an AP class I am most definitely expected to get homework over the break. I just don’t want to have to stress about school or finishing any kind of homework when I’m spending time with my family. A longer break would give students a chance to spend time with family, and still be able to get homework done.

Some schools might not want us to have a longer break because we could potentially forget or get behind in school, but that isn’t true just look at schools that are year round.

Year round schools take multiple breaks throughout the school year, breaks that are longer than two weeks and they seem to be doing just fine in schools.

With an extra week of break I would be all caught up with school work within that week and would be ready to get back into routine by the next week.

Having a longer winter break is just overall beneficial to all students.

Want your voice heard?

Write a letter to the Editor! email myvikingvoice@ gmail.com, or drop off letters in room 313

By John Miller

Voice The

3900 Stabler Road Lansing, MI 48910 (517)755-4472 myvikingvoice.com myvikingvoice@gmail.com THE STAFF EDITORS Briana Orta Vazquez (Editor-inChief) Ryan Hicks (News) Briana Orta Vazquez (Opinion) Emylie & Madyson (Features) Itzel Lopez (Entertainment Editors) Charnelle Smith (Sports) Robert Miller (Online) Asia Ruiz (Business Manager) Katrina Schacht (Social Media Editor) Salomon Torres (Photo Editor) Lisa Nguyen ( Voice TV Editor) Josiah Thao (Graphic Design Editor) REPORTER Katelyn Bailey Jennifer Bangura James Childress Justin Gardner Bella Irving Delecia Lilliard John Miller Ahmednur Mohamed Noah Nelson Arianna Orta Erin Smith ADVISOR Chad Sanders Mission Statement The Voice is a monthly publication of Everett High School. It is published the second Wednesday of each month by the sixth hour Newspaper class.

The Voice is distributed free of charge to every student and staff member at Everett. The current issue is always available on the counter of the main office. Subscriptions are also available for $15/year.

The Voice is an award-winning member of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association.

Letters to the editor are accepted at the discretion of the editorial board.

Forms of speech not protected by the First Amendment will not be published.

Letters must be signed by the author, and will be edited for quality. Direct all questions to room 313. We can be contacted via e-mail at myvikingvoice@ gmail.com The Lansing School District is committed to a policy of providing equal opportunities to all qualified people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental ability.

OPINION

‫ةديعس ةزاجا‬ Chag Sameach

Joyeux Noël

Merry Christmas

sanadka cusub faraxsan

Feliz Navidad

Habari Gani?

umwaka mushya muhire Nyob Zoo Xyoo Tshiab The perfect gift to give this Christmas John Miller Reporter It’s here. That time of year where shops are putting up Christmas decorations WAY earlier than expected, Toys R Us has their yearly toy catalogue of everything in their stores, and tiny tots all over the world are being extra good this year to make sure they get the toy they EXACTLY want.

But throughout the years of commercializing christmas, there is one thing that we forget during this time of year… the love of family when they all get together.

“But what should I get them?” you think to yourself. “What would happen if they hate the gift I give them?” Not to worry, my friend.

I have come up with three things that you can do to have a good gift.

1. Just Ask It’s hard to find a gift that would impress someone and it’s even harder to know what

they like. To fix this problem just ask what he/she likes. Maybe they are into Barbie or Transformers or cars. Whatever it is, you won’t know if you don’t ask. If you want it to be more of a surprise, you can ask their guardian to find out. If you don’t, you’ll just be guessing, and there’s a good chance you’ll get them something they really don’t want or can’t use. Just don’t get them socks. Just don’t.

2. Use Your Words Can’t find a gift? Just write a letter. Maybe you can’t contact them to see what they like, or maybe you don’t have the money to buy them something. Sometimes, the best gift you can get them is a letter or an email. Letters are a good thing to do cause you can put your imagination into what the card would look like and what to write in the letter. Maybe send a picture of something fun you did.

The perfect gift does not have a price tag on it.

3. Pay A Visit Another gift that is appreciated is the gift

of time. Like getting to see all those family members that haven’t seen you since you were a baby and relatives that might have cool stories to tell or grandparents that are very nice to be around. Not only is time together a treasured gift, it will give you a chance get to know them more, and you’ll have more in common.

Remember that a gift is a gift that comes from your heart, whether it is purchased or not. Family is important this time of year, and interacting with family is most important.

who have been used to equal internet access through their mobile providers. If net neutrality is killed that means an additional charge can be added to have easy access to certain sites, including popular social media sites such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. This could affect how many people actually use those sites. If net neutrality is banned, the number of people using social media could drop right away.

More likely, the removal of net neutrality means that service providers could ask for more money to allow these sites to load faster. Big companies like Facebook will pay the extra money, while smaller companies or individuals trying to use the internet to make a living will not be able to afford to have their sites on the faster service. It takes away the equality of the internet, the idea that anyone can make a blog or YouTube channel and grow an audience. So, Google and Snapchat will load just fine, but Vanoss

Gaming might load slower. This could make fewer people want to visit his site because they don’t want to wait for it to load. It will be harder for us to discover people like Vanoss, and no audience means they will go out of business.

Could it mean that Verizon starts charging $10/month for access to high speed Facebook, or $15 for YouTube? Without Net Neutrality, it is something they could try.

Many teenagers had never even heard of this before recently, and almost everyone said they would not pay money to use social media.

“I wouldn’t want to pay the amount that they would require me to pay because I know it’ll probably be a lot,” said junior Arshad Jasem.

Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter were the websites that students thought would cost the most.

Our Voice Give back this holiday season The holidays are here, and most teens are excited to see what gifts they’ll get. Over the years the holidays have turned into getting but the holidays are also a time for giving back and helping others. We should do whatever we can to be more helpful this holiday season.

One reason to help others this season is that we already have too much. We become attached to objects. When you don’t let go of stuff and keep collecting more and more it turns into hoarding. Every Christmas people have something on their list they really want and can’t wait to have it, then open their gifts and use the item for a week or two and forget about it. Do you still remember what you got for Christmas three years ago? Most people will say no because the item was a want not a need.

You should give back because other people are not so fortunate to have what you do.

Just in the Lansing/East Lansing and Ingham County we have a total of 471 homeless people, 29 who are veterans and 29 additional unaccompanied youth under 25. We also have a 4.5% jobless rate. There are people in need right here in Lansing.

You don’t have to be rich to help out. No matter what you make, there’s always a way to give back to the community. When you give to the community or just one person it makes you feel good, it makes you feel like you’re needed. Giving back doesn’t necessarily mean having to give money or food. Volunteering could be a way of doing that; with just a little of your time you can help and not just that but make an impact in someone’s life.

There are many places you can volunteer, many of them having no type of requirements to be able to pitch in.

The Ronald McDonald house is always happy to receive help, there you can help by cooking, hosting, listening, nurturing, or by simply being there and helping in any way.

Even if it’s something simple, it’s filling a need and helping where you can.

At the Hill Center two times a month they have Weekend Survival Kit assembly. You have the opportunity to help restock the assembly line, break down the boxes as they empty out, work at a station packaging an item, or loading a truck to distribute. These kits go out to different places such as schools in the Lansing area.

The Salvation Army has many ways you can volunteer such as Ring the Bell, where you just ring the bell while greeting and wishing shoppers a happy holiday. They always have different events going. At salvationarmyusa. org, you can get information and join the volunteer list.

Many parishes around the area like Cristo Rey church welcome volunteers. Other places like Sparrow hospital and the Human Society require more commitment and training, but if you have the time you can really help out.

Finally, if all these selfless reason aren’t enough to convince you to help out, volunteering can help you develop new skills and make social connections. It makes you feel good and looks great on your resume. Hopefully, these aren’t the only reasons you would want to help others, but these are side benefits of helping.

We should be more helpful this holiday season because we can make an impact in our community. Together, we have so much power to change things for the better.

Asia Ruiz Business Manager Last week, the Federal Communications Commission voted to end Net Neutrality protections. Ahead of the vote, many online petitions were signed, and Facebook and Twitter were flooded with messages posting about the upcoming vote. A week after Net Neutrality has been taken away, not much has changed. But many say that in the coming months and years, internet providers will take advantage of the repeal of Net Neutrality. Should we be worried?

Yes, we should be worried. The removal of net neutrality laws is bad for the public, it’s bad for you and me. The only people it’s good for is service providers like Comcast and Verizon.

Net neutrality is responsible for the internet being free and open. It has been a controversial topic, especially to teens

“Snapchat because everyone uses it for streaks everyday,” said freshman Laylah Mack.

Snapchat was a site that all students seemed to love.

“I couldn’t live without Snapchat,” said sophomore Tyrese Windham.

It could lead to taking away freedoms of everyone to use a vital technology.

Facebook Messenger is a gateway for people to communicate no matter how far they are.

“I need Messenger because it helps me talk to my little sister,” said junior Tony Anderson.

TORRES 5 • The Voice • December 20, SALOMON 2017 • myvikingvoice.com

Net Neutrality repeal could create unequal access

Net Neutrality is a regulation that prevents internet companies from giving unfair advantages to consumers, such as asking for more money to allow sites to load faster.

FEATURES

With unique options for classes and clubs, Everett’s diversity shines through

Still time to donate toys

Robert Miller Online Editor

MADYSON GILLETTE

Salomon Torres Photo Editor

Kira Rivet and Niles Rapin define humanity for a project in New Tech English teachers Brittney Dambro and Cat Weaver’s classes.

MADYSON GILLETTE

Koren King and Tiecarria Perry define humanity for a project in New Tech English teachers Brittney Dambro and Cat Weaver’s classes.

MADYSON GILLETTE

Enrique Limon-Trimue defines humanity for a project in New Tech English teachers Brittney Dambro and Cat Weaver’s classes.

“I enjoy going to gaming club on Fridays because I can hang out with my friends and do things we all like,” said freshman Jakob Cloutier.

Blood drive has more donors than Red Cross can handle Robert Miller Online Editor

On Monday, October 9, Everett students ages 16 and older were able to participate in a blood drive hosted by the Red Cross of Michigan.

The blood drive was to help donate blood to the situation like Texas and Florida, who were ravaged by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which caused billions of dollars in damages, which killed around 107 people and displaced millions of Americans.

“I’m not able to donate,” said freshman Kimberlee Middleton, “but I would if I could.”

Everett had an exceptionally high amount of volunteers for disaster relief and the school has decided that the next blood drive will have more room and tables, as some people who signed up were not able to donate.

ARCHIVE PHOTO

6 • The Voice • December 20, 2017 • myvikingvoice.com

Everett is an incredibly diverse school and is an incredibly mixed bag of students.

This diversity is one of the things the school district sees as a strength.

“When you’re in a super diverse environment, you’re exposed to a whole lot of viewpoints and experiences that you wouldn’t normally be exposed to,” said English teacher Jekeia Murphy.

Students at Everett think positively of the diversity.

“I think that one of Everett’s strong suits is how diverse our whole school is,” said freshman Allison Zenker.

Everett has a mini school inside it with a project based focus called the New Tech High, and it has a good reception by people in the program.

“I enjoy New Tech because of all the group work,” said 7th grader Niko Pehlivonogle.

Everett also has a wide array of interesting course options.

“I really enjoy being in Japanese class, because I enjoy learning a new language,” said Zenker.

The school also boasts a bunch of extracurricular clubs and activities.

“I really like competing in Science Olympiad because I enjoy learning about and applying science,” said Freshman Gabe Menzie.

While there are academic after school activities, there are also recreational clubs.

A student gives blood in October 2015. This year’s first drive had more donors than the Red Cross could handle, and some were turned away.

Some may be reluctant or unsure about donating blood, but students and staff say that donating is important.

“I would tell them that it’s important because there’s always a need for a good blood storage size,” said Librarian and NHS president Joy Currie.

While this blood drive was extremely successful, for the next ones to be even better, word has to spread properly.

“To advertise, I’d pass out flyers to classes, instead of putting small posters on the wall and forgetting about them,” said freshman Allison Zenker.

The holidays are approaching quickly, and with that the best time of year for children is almost here...but not for all. For many children and their parents, it can be a rather gloomy time of year due to the lack of money or they are financially focused on more important things. According to www. salvationarmyusa.org millions of children will not be receiving gifts this year. Simply because their parents can not afford them.

“There are some kids that their parents can't afford toys for them and are more concerned about food and bills and those kinds of things,” said art teacher Pamela Collins.

Donating and being involved in the community helps people have a sense of care and responsibility for the community around them says https://www.teenlife. com/.

“It makes the community a caring community if you can do those things for each other,” said Collins. “Especially around this time of year.”

There are places and drop off centers you can donate to around Lansing. Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us, Capital Area District South Lansing Branch, serve as drop off centers for the corporation Toys 4 Tots. Toys 4 Tots is a corporation run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, and they aim to give less fortunate children new and unwrapped toys for the Christmas season. More information can be found on https://lansing-mi.toysfortots.org.

“I donated to Toys 4 Tots last Christmas, it felt good to donate to a child in

need,” said sophomore Robert Richards.

“It’s cool knowing that you could really make a little kid smile.”

Other places like Goodwill, the Salvation army, and Volunteers of America take in toys and other items to sell to families in need to ensure that they have access to low-cost gifts.

“Places like thrift stores and such are a great place to donate,” said sophomore Amy Phan. “They can really help buy things for people who aren’t as fortunate.

However, there are restrictions to

donating toys at any organization. Many organizations like Goodwill, Salvation Army, Volunteers of America, the Ronald McDonald House and much more do not accept broken toys, items with pieces missing, and toys or pieces that can fit in a toddler’s mouth. More details of things to avoid can be found on https://www.moneycrashers.com/.

WHERE TO DONATE TOYS Toys “R” Us Babies “R” Us Capital Area District South Lansing Branch

ENTERTAINMENT

Traditional Christmas dinners around the World Christmas dinner here in America is pretty basic, you have your traditional turkey or ham, mashed potatoes with gravy, roasted vegetables, and pudding or pie.

However, around the world, people have all sorts of foods on their menu. They have everything, all the way from spicy to sweet.

MEXICO In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from December 12 to January 6. Instead of Santa, most kids believe in Los Reyes Magos (The Three Kings) which come on January 6.

This gives Mexicans a long period of time for enjoying wholesome meals.

A popular drink in Mexico during Christmas time is called ponche navideño.

This drink includes several ingredients such as cinnamon, tejocote, sugar cane, and sea-

sonal fruits such as guavas, pears, apples, and oranges.

As a main dish, Mexicans enjoy eating tamales, enchiladas, or pozole.

Buñuelos, Rosca de Reyes, and pineapple upsidedown cake are popular desserts.

“We make tamales. We do that every year around Christmas,” said sophomore Joe Hernandez VIETNAM

In Vietnam, most people are Buddhist but Christmas is still an important holiday.

There’s a tradition in which children leave their

shoes in front of their doors, expecting Santa to fill them with presents.

Food is one important part of the Christmas celebration, for dinner the Vietnamese love to eat chicken soup or wontons in chicken broth,

sticky rice, bánh xėo (rice crepes), cha siu bao (pork buns), che dau hu (sweet tofu custard), taro puffs, and roast goose or duck.

A common dessert is yule log cake. This is a sponge-like cake that is baked to resemble an actual yule log. It is commonly filled with chocolate, buttercream or icing.

For many Vietnamese American students, their Christmas celebrations are more American than Vietnamese.

“Christmas is kind of the same. We have festivals and we hand out money in red envelopes. We mix the [American] holiday with our own culture,” said sophomore Amy Phan.

INDIA In India, Christmas is widely celebrat-

ed in places like Goa and Kerala.

Pine trees are tough to find, so Indians decorate mango or banana trees with garlands made of palm fronds with small stones or dolls.

Tr a d i tional dishes served are pork vindaloo, kobbari annam (coconut rice), Kheer (sweet rice with nuts), biryani (spicy mixed rice), and chicken fry.

A well-known snack that is particularly eaten during the Christmas time is rose cookies.

These rose shaped cookies are fried and are made from flour, eggs, sugar, and coconut milk.

ITALY In Italy, children wait until Epiphany, January 6 to open their presents. It is believed that their presents are delivered by Befana, an old woman who rides a broomstick.

Since there is no present opening ceremony on Christmas day, Italians enjoy big meals. Stracciatella (egg drop soup) is a must on Christmas. Many different types of pasta are eaten, like lasagna, cavatelli, rigatoni, scialatielli, tortellini, and many more.

Seafood is popularly eaten during Christmas. Some Christmas favorites are shrimp scampi, grilled eel, crab cannoli, and fried cod.

Panettone is something you will most likely see on every Italian’s table. This sweet bread is originally from Milan and contains fruit and raisins.

“We don’t do anything special, My family celebrates it the American way,” said freshman Misti Positano, whose family is Italian.

How to become a better version of yourself for 2018 Delecia Lilliard Reporter There’s a common saying: ‘New Year, New Me!’ This means the past is in the past and it’s time to be better than what I was before.

Now around November and December people seem to start making New Year’s resolutions.

Most believe these can only happen if you are determined and confident enough in yourself to do so.

“It will be possible if you work at it,” said senior Rayandre Jackson.

Now, not everyone has to make a New Years resolution to change themselves.

Sometimes it’s just in you to change because you know you’re capable of being a better person.

“To better myself I’m going to surround myself around positive people and things,” said junior Kingsley Caldwell.

According to English and Psychology teacher Jennifer LeRoy, “Positivity is always a great choice. Being around people and or

environments that aren’t good for you will have an impact after a while.”

LeRoy said she believes that becoming a better person starts with a choice.

“Everyone has a good and bad side to them, and it’s their choice on which side they want to bring out more than the other.”

Teens seem to have the biggest problem within themselves when being in high school such as “A high school student is just beginning to learn what she wants her identity to be,” writes Aramenta Waithe in Common Struggles

in High School. Most teen struggles can happen by things like lack of attention (from family or even friends), depression, the way they were raised, work or school environment.

“At this moment I don’t know what I can do to better myself, but I do know I have to keep my head in the books,” said senior Byron Atwater.

Life moves at the pace you give it. Some move in the fast lane and others just go with the flow. Some roads you take are going to be filled with obstacles but it’s your choice if

you want to overcome them or give up.

“I rethink the problems and respond to them,” said LeRoy. LeRoy said she uses many methods when obstacles come in her life. She changed her mind into a “believer of radical thankfulness.” Everything bad or good she’s thankful for it, because there’s always a reason for it to be happening.

Commitment is the key to changing yourself whether it’s for yourself or others around you.

7 • The Voice • December 20, 2017 • myvikingvoice.com

Jennifer Bangura Copy Editor

SPORTS

EV grad Cyrus Saydee returns to coach at alma mater

8 • The Voice • December 20, 2017 • myvikingvoice.com

Josiah Thao Graphic Editor

At Everett there is a new varsity basketball coach, K.C. Keyton. Players are eager for the season to start.

“I am very excited for this upcoming season,” said sophomore Shamar Howard.

Fans at Everett are excited as well, and hope that we can also go to the Breslin this year. Some of the players said they think that the team can even win it all this year.

“I think we can go deep into the playoffs this year and potentially win it all,” said junior Albert Mask.

Before the season began, players were already preparing. There were “workouts” held every weekend because they couldn’t officially practice as a team yet. Players were getting used to their new coach, and said that they think they can do good things this year.

Former varsity coach Desmond Ferguson, who took back-to-back trips to the Breslin in 2015 and 2016, said that this team can make it to the Breslin.

“I think if the team comes and stays together, and is able to play hard and play tough defense, as well as Marquez and Allen being the seniors leaders that they need to be, then they give themselves a good chance on going to the Breslin Center,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson, who stepped down to fully

focus on running his business, Moneyball Sportswear, said he has full confidence in the new coach.

“Coach Keyton will have them prepared,” said Ferguson.

Keyton said that he is very excited to be coaching at Everett this year.

“I am very excited to be back at Everett Coaching. This is the place I want to be!” said Keyton.

Keyton has big plans for the players.

“My expectations are to mold young men into great basketball players, great student athletes, and great people on and off the court.

I feel if we all can make that commitment to each other then we will win a lot of games,” said Keyton.

Keyton also plans to “continue to build off the momentum Coach Ferguson has established over the past five years. Instill toughness and a winning attitude in my players, and try to win every game we play.”

Coach Keyton has been working with the team since August 1 and talking with them about their goals and what they want to get out of the year.

Coach Keyton said that coach Ferguson stepped down because he wanted to spend more time with his business Moneyball Sportswear. He felt that he accomplished what he wanted to: put Everett Basketball back on the map as a respected, competitive program.

D PH O TO SU BM IT TE

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Two soccer players were named AllConference at the soccer honors banquet November 13. All-Conference awards are chosen at the end of a season by coaches from the Capital Area Activities Conference. This year, junior Antonio Lopez and freshman Lawn Kim were chosen for the awards.

“I felt happy and honored for being chosen, I didn’t think my performance this year would make me be chosen for conferences,” said Antonio Lopez.

“I was glad that someone appreciated and liked the way I play but I also couldn’t done this without my teammates; part of my performance was due to them.”

It’s not often that a freshman receives an All-Conference honor, but this year Lawn Kim did just that.

“I feel very great; it’s hard for anyone to do this so I’m really glad I did win this,” said Kim. “Maybe I’m just lucky.”

The boys’ soccer banquet saw two players, Antonio Lopez and Lawn Kim, awarded All-Conference honors this year. Kim is only a freshman, making winning All-Conference even more impressive.

JOSIAH THAO

Keyton Excited to Coach Everett

Arianna Orta Reporter

IT T E D

Cyrus Saydee’s life has changed from playing soccer. He came to the United States in 1999 and was raised in Lansing. Saydee attended Everett, graduated at the age of 16, then went on to do major things before the age of 20.

Saydee came to the United States from Ivory Coast at the age of seven. He and his family members left their native country, Liberia, because of a civil war in the late 1990s.

“I grew up in Lansing, my family moved here in 1999,” said Saydee.

He came to Lansing because his brother, Benny Saydee, had already come here. Saydee was very young throughout his high school years. He was already ahead of most teens his age, and he skipped some grades when he was younger.

“I skipped 2nd grade, and went into 3rd and spent a month and a half and got moved on to 4th grade because it was still too easy. I completed that, I went to 5th grade for two or three months and went to 6th grade,” said Saydee. “From there it was normal throughout high school.”

Despite his young age, he still pursued

soccer in high school. Cyrus made varsity his freshman year, which he said was a little awkward at first.

“When I was a freshman I was kind of intimidated by the other people because they were bigger and older,” said Saydee. “I actually ended up tearing it up my freshman year.”

Coming back to coach is something Saydee had thought about for some time.

“I always wanted to come back and coach at Everett,” said Saydee. “It was always something I would think about ...helping kids like I was helped when I was growing up.”

After graduation, Saydee played soccer for MSU. He currently plays as a midfielder for Detroit FC, a semipro soccer team.

Cyrus is seen as a role model to some because of his personality and his soccer skills.

“He is a great person as well as he is as a player,” said friend of Saydee, Jesus Garcia.

“He is considerate of others, and his actions influence others around him to do better.”

Besides influencing people around him, Saydee has been setting a positive mindset in his players.

“He made us play as a team, win as a team, and lose as a team,” said junior Alaa Naeem. “I’m grateful to have him as my coach.”

SUBM

Salomon Torres Photographer

Varsity soccer players named AllConference

The boys’ varsity face off against Bridgeport in their first game of the season. They won, 73-70.

Coach Keyton wants his players to be great student athletes, and great people on and off the court.

Kim echoed Lopez when it came to taking credit for the accomplishment.

“I don’t think it was just my work, it was mostly because of my teammates [that] I earned this,” said Kim. Freshman Xavier Garcia is a friend of both soccer players, and said they are worthy of their honors.

“I feel proud of both of them they both are very good at playing soccer,” said Gracia. “I hope they...get into a professional team and never give up.”

After Lopez won his award he plans not to give up and to keep going to school.

“After high school I want to go into a engineering field since right now I take precision engineering at LCC with a early college program. I don’t know yet what school I will attend after this,” said Lopez.