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Volume 52, Issue 1 October 19, 2011 Everett High School 3900 Stabler Rd. Lansing, MI (517) 755-4472
Fall Homecoming 2011
New school year brings new crackdown on electronics AlecXis Glass Online Editor
Seniors Connor Bilodeau and Anessa Suniga were voted Mr. and Ms. Senior by their senior class Jacob Venable and Elexus Beauchamp were crowned king and queen at the homecoming game.
Spirit week, homecoming game and more inside!
You’re in class and your pocket begins to vibrate. Your first tendency is to grab your phone. You notice the teacher happens to be glancing over in your direction and you try not to act suspicious. But the urge inside of you is building up, you have to see that text. You take a quick glance around, making sure the coast is clear and you go for it! For students, strategy and luck are the key factors in order to use any electronic devices in the classrooms, hallways and even the lunchroom. This year, Everett students are no longer allowed to have cell phones or iPods visible before school, in the hallways, during class, or during lunch. Public safety officers say they are simply enforcing what should have been enforced in the past. After the first two weeks, officer Mark Langschwager said he had taken six phones so far. “I haven’t had any problems keeping people off their phones,” said Langschwager. However, some students continue texting in class despite the policy. “Yes, [I text in class and] I haven’t been caught because I was sneaky,” said senior Pedro Alviarez. Up until now, students have always been able to text and listen to music at lunch.
“At lunch time we should at least be able to text or listen to music,” said senior Josh Nicolas. Many students are upset they can’t get in touch with their parents during school unless the parent calls the office. However, parents have mixed feelings about the policy. “[I don’t call the school when I want to reach my child] because my child has a cell phone,” said parent Brenda Porter Miller. “But I do know it could be a distraction so I don’t have a problem calling the school,” This policy is not only at Everett, it is district wide. Six weeks in, staff are holding strong, but public safety officer Curtis Couthen said he knows there are probably a few who will start to back down. “97 percent of staff will follow and 3 percent won’t,” said Couthen. Most staff members think the new policy will last all year as long as they stick together. “[This policy will last] because the school is finally doing what they should do,” said business management teacher Gregory Clugston. Some students disagree, and say the policy will simply fade away like past policies. “I don’t think it will last all year because the kids won’t tolerate it,” said junior Vincent Verway. -Anessa Suniga contributed to this story
School gets $5,000 Dance program future uncertain, Best Buy surprise
Anessa Suniga Photo Editor On Friday September 23, the day of fall homecoming, students were visited by alumni Earvin “Magic” Johnson at the already riled up pep rally. Along with him were one of his business partners, Best Buy. Shawn Score, the president of Best Buy Mobile stood in the middle of the gym and presented a $5,000 check to viceprincipal Ella Dickson. “[The money] means a lot to Everett because Magic graduated from Everett and for him to come back and give shows the values and importance of education,” stated Dickson. Magic Johnson, in a neat pin-striped suit, gave the students a motivational speech on succeeding and taking care of business, at school and every day.
The gym was silent as students listened to Magic’s soft-spoken, yet strong words of encouragement about his success and how he achieved through hard work and perseverance. “Set your goals high, go to college and apply yourself and take care of your business in the classroom because for everything you do in life you need a quality education,” said Johnson. Many students are wondering how the $5,000 gift will be spent and how the money will benefit them “[The money] will be used at Best Buy, and we haven’t really decided what will be purchased. [I would like to see it go towards] computers,” said Dickson. “Principal Cousins will make the decision, along with staff and the department chairs.”
classes still without full-time teacher Victoria Smith Reporter Walking into class the first day of school, most students expect to meet their new teacher. On their first day this year, dance students met a substitute teacher, who explained that a permanent teacher had not yet been hired. Students who were expecting to continue their training with dance teacher Heather Vaughn-Southard were surprised that she was no longer at Everett. “I was shocked and a little upset,” said senior Velnique Bowman. Bowman, along with several other students, are in a class called Company, for advanced dance students. The Company was created by Southard when she was an instructor at Everett in 2005. Southard is now the dance instructor at Pleasant View School for the Arts. “Ms. Southard didn’t think the dance program here would exist for much longer. And she thought if she could get the kids young, she would give them Senior Dance students Jasmine Jackson, Jessica Kiel, JaBarie Anderson a strong base for when they reach high school,” said and Nikayla Williams practice their dance they created as a class without a teacher. dance class substitute Dana Billings. Although skeptical at first, students are coming around to not having a teacher. want to teach dance. Billings is working with Southard to incorporate her “I hope they find a qualified dance teacher before next curriculum and keep the dance program going. semester so we can get the knowledge and actual dance The district is searching for a new teacher who fits the experience we should have been receiving from the beginning qualifications: they must have at least a bachelors degree and of the school year,” said Bowman.
Frankie Price
Shawn Score, president of Best Buy Mobile, presented the $5,000 check to Ms. Dickson during the Fall Homecoming Pep Assembly. The money will be used at Best Buy.