Ramparts January 2012

ramparts VOLUME 20, ISSUE 4

HOLT HIGH SCHOOL

Holt Senior High School 5885 West Holt Rd. Holt, MI 48842

JANUARY 2012 FEATURES:

A year has passed since the tragic accident that took the lives of three former students. Reflect back on how the community has changed.

PAGE 9

Photo by abcmedianet.com.

Used with permission.

HOT SPOT:

TV shows return after a prolonged break.

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Come Together

Recent problems arise in the student section. page 5

Photo by Ana Moncao

Seniors Haleigh DeRose and Tobin Egger and Egger’s younger brother Caiden Ramos cheer on the varsity basketball team against Sexton on January 13.

Photo by Gabi Corbin

SPORTS:

Take a sneak peek into the boys swimming and diving team.

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News

January 2012

F.Y.I.

STUDENT SUCCESS ROOM

The Student Success Room is a place where students can go and study, do homework, or sign up for a tutor. It is held MondayThursday in the library and lasts from 2:45-3:45. Any 10-12th grade students are welcome to attend. Students must have their own transportation home. Contact Student Success Coordinator Joann Weil at 699-6423 with any further questions.

PALS

Counselor Rebecca Fredrigo and members of PALS contacted Lansing Catholic Central High School and plan to have an exchange day after Spring Break.

The members are also planning bullying presentations to present to different classes throughout the high school and the freshman campus. This is in hopes of raising awareness towards bullying.

WINTERFEST

The Winterfest dance will be held February 11 from 7-10 p.m. The entrance fee is $5. The Winterfest court will be presented on February 10 at the pep assembly.

NHS BLOOD DRIVE

The National Honor Society blood drive will take place on March 19. In order to donate students must be 17 years old (16 with parent consent) and be able to meet the height and weight requirements made by the American Red Cross.

MUSICAL TECH CREW

Students are needed to work on the technical crew for the spring musical. The tech crew does the lighting for the musical and constructs the set. If interested, contact Technical Director Dave Runyon or Theater and Events Coordinator Jeff Miller.

RECYCLING

Volunteers are needed to help science teacher Amanda Tabbert recycle water bottles and paper boxes twice a month. Volunteer hours can be used as National Honor Society community service hours. All interested students are welcome.

Holt High School Ramparts

Students prep for Solo and Ensemble Event offers vocalists and musicians a chance to display their talents Zahra Ahmad staff writer Choir and band students have been preparing for this year’s Solo and Ensemble happening February 3-5. Solo and Ensemble is a competition intended as a way for students to display their musical talents.

Students perform within an ensemble, a group of performers, or solo. Participants pick two songs of their choice and perform it in front of two judges.

“I am doing it because it’s just a lot of fun to do with your friends, and you benefit greatly from what the judges have to say about your performance,” senior Amanda Viges said.

Students attending Solo and Ensemble must choose to either participate in an ensemble or perform a solo. If they choose to perform with an ensemble, a group performance, then they are required to audition in front of two judges and then be grouped with others that have also been chosen. Being chosen for the ensemble is based upon the teacher’s overall thoughts on the student’s performance.

“Mr. Bishop said he wants to pick a group of people who are not only planning to stay with Honors Choir, but also a group that is passionate about what they are doing especially when you are being judged,” Viges said.

Solo and Ensemble is not only for vocal students, but also for those who take a band class. Band students must perform in an audition and then see if they are chosen.

“I am doing both a solo and ensemble, but I’m doing band, so I will be playing the French horn,” senior Nathan Haering said. “It’s always so interesting to see people that I know with the same musical interest play together.”

If students do not choose to participate in an ensemble they are allowed to audition for a solo instead. The same process is done for those auditioning for a solo, and requirements are similar.

“I chose to do a solo instead of an ensemble,” junior Cameron Thurston said. “I am doing it

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Photo by Clara Swihart

Junior Cameron Thurston practices his piece for the upcoming exhibition of Solo and Ensemble.

Thurston will be participating as a soloist and will perform two songs of his choice. because I like the challenge of vocal competitions.

Last year was the first time I competed in Solo and Ensemble and I really enjoyed it, but my vocal wasn’t good then and I am hoping I can do better this year.”

The excitement of competition isn’t the only thing keeping the participants going, but practice in this case truly does mean perfect. Students attend practice after school, during class and on their own time.

“Constant practices after school, whether I am alone or with my group are really important,” Viges said. “I play the music once, learn the song, practice alone and then practice with my group.”

For Solo and Ensemble, students have to pick two songs and then learn them from memory, then they will go to a high school where they hold it and

perform to the judges. Thurston explains how he preps for his solo performance.

“How I prep is I go home and with my own keyboard I’ll go through notes until I get them down,” Thurston said.

Solo and Ensemble is not as much a competition to some students, as it is a way to improve on their musical skills.

“The judges have standards, but we don’t really compete against others. It’s mostly to better yourself,” Haering said. “Trust me there are no punches being thrown over who did better.”

Solo and Ensemble is open to the public, so friends and family can come and watch students perform and be there for support.

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News

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Holt High School Ramparts

January 2012

Team gears up for another run at states

ACT AND MME

ACT and Michigan Merit Exam (MME) testing are scheduled for all juniors this upcoming March.

Tuesday, March 6 the school will be administering the ACT. Only juniors will attend school on this day. On Wednesday, March 7 and Thursday, March 8 juniors will take the MME. The ACT and MME are mandatory graduation requirements for all juniors. Students need to bring identification, either driver’s license or student ID, and are reminded to leave cell phones at home. Information and practice ACT problems can be found at www. actstudent.org.

Science Olympiad prepares for upcoming season Maya Fews staff writer Going to the state championship for some teams is a new experience. But for Science Olympiad, going to the state championship is a 22-year time honored tradition that dates back to when Science Olympiad first came to Holt over 20 years ago.

The goal for this year’s team is to take first place at the state championship.

The team is preparing for the Clio Invitational that is to take place tomorrow. The Clio Invitational is the start of the competition season for the team, with two invitationals, the regional tournament and hopefully another run at the state championship, which is to take place April 28 at Michigan State University (MSU).

Science Olympiad is a club in which teams compete against each other in a total of 23 science and math events. Science Olympiad is made up of two categories of events: study and building.

Study events involve preparing to take a test to see how well teams score against each other. Building events require the team to build something and test it at competition.

At practices, the team prepares for the upcoming competitions by working on their events.

“For building events, we practice by building the object, and for study events doing research to learn more about the events,” junior Zach Ly said.

Science Olympiad doesn’t focus on academics all of the time. At practices, members enjoy food and hanging out with friends who share a common interest in the love of science. To add a level of interest to competitions, the team plays Go, Ninja Go! before every event, junior Megan

In Brief

GSA FISHBOWL

Photo by Maya Fews

Trying to get their helicopter propeller to spin, juniors Alex Ching and Brian Klebba search for ways to make it work. Science Olympiad has been at HHS since its national founding over 20 years ago.

Arduin said.

“This year’s team has about 30 students. That includes a group of juniors who have been doing this since freshman year, so there is a strong foundation,” head coach Heather Peterson said.

The team’s large size and the number of students who have experience with Science Olympiad in the past, are strengths that could help them with competitions, along with their ability to perform well under pressure.

Invitational tournaments give the team more practice since the regional tournament determines whether a team goes to the state championship or not.

“Regionals does count, and success there is mandatory in order to move on to the states competition,” senior Tyler Leighton said

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Competitions usually run all day with many events going on at one time. From a coach’s perspective, competitions can be very hectic, with making sure team members have all of the necessary equipment and making sure they are in the right place for competition. When students aren’t competing they enjoy food and bonding time with their teammates, states coach Amanda Tabbert, who coaches Astronomy, Dynamic Planet, Experimental Design, Protein Modeling and Water Quality.

With the State Championship being at MSU, the team will be able to restock supplies if needed and have a sense of familiarity with the location.

The Science Olympiad team practices every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in room W209 from 2:45 - 4 p.m.

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The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) is looking forward to another successful fishbowl for second trimester, The dates are to be announced but should be finalized by the end of January. Students who wish for their class to participate in this trimester’s fishbowl are encouraged to contact advisors Erin Umpstead or Dave Runyon for more information.

RESOLUTION HUNGER

Building Twentyone is starting an event to help Holt’s local food bank.

Students who are interested need to form a group and plan and collect donations. Students who collect the most donations for the Resolution Hunger event will win $250 to aid in the creation of an organization started by their group. Students can contact social studies teacher Robert Dozier in room E209 if they are interested in participating.

CHOCOLATE ROSES

The German Club is raising money to fund their trip to Germany. Help them reach their goal by purchasing chocolate roses from Fabiano’s Candy Company the week before Valentine’s Day. Roses will be on sale during both A and B lunches for $3.

The proceeds will go to the students’ payments for Germany. Your purchase will include one chocolate rose with a paper heart and a personal message to the recipient.

Roses can be sent to people in the building and throughout the Holt district, and will be delivered the morning of Valentine’s Day to the students’ /teachers’ first hours.

News

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January 2012

Holt High School Ramparts

DECA members advance to state competition Participants prepare for the championship

Chloe Henley

editor-in-chief The Retail Management class competed at the Distr ibutive Education Clubs of America (DECA) on January 6 at Eastern Michigan University (EMU).

DECA is a competitive events program that students attend to better their business skills in preparation for college and future careers.

“To me, DECA is a competition on managing different types of jobs and issues that occur in your job or something to make your business grow,” senior Kaitlyn Barner said.

Barner said she sees herself in a business career in the future.

According to deca.org, 90 percent of DECA members plan to further their studies in business and marketing.

However, only 50 percent of members reported that they obtain career experience through employment.

“I don’t see myself in a business career, but I think the program is beneficial to any career, not just business or marketing,” senior Monte Jackson said.

Not only does DECA help students with a variety of jobs, it prepares them to be focused on education, be community oriented, and be

Photo by Jeff Shane

Seniors Kaitlyn Barner and Ericka Halfmann prepare for their event at the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) competition. The competition was held on January 6 at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). professional and effective leaders.

Members learn how by competing in various events that can be either a solo or team effort.

“My event is Marketing Management. It’s a solo event in

which you get a scenario in relations to marketing and management,” senior Tobin Egger said. “I got a scenario where I was hired by management of a company and they brought up customer service and how to improve the relations between

the workers and the customers.”

Similar to Eggers’ marketing task, senior Haja Fofanah competed in an event called Food Marketing.

“In my event, I had to explain a pizza that a company wanted to put into a grocery store,” Fofanah said.

“I made it to states, so that’s good.”

Many individuals made it to states, including Jackson, Egger and Fofanah. For individual events, seniors Chelsea McMahon, Dakota Brown, Jason Ziolkowski, Jared Kinne and Madison Hayes will advance to the statewide competition. Two group teams qualified as well; Andrew Dyer partnered with Clayton Hosifield and Andy Seguin partnered with Chris Seyka.

DECA is divided into 8 regions and the top 8 in each region advance to the statewide competition which will be held March 17 in Dearborn.

Roughly 4,000 DECA members are a part of each conference and about 500-600 individuals are in each region.

“We plan to prepare with more practice tests and hopefully take evaluation on role plays and learn from that to do better at states,” business teacher Dan Knechtel said.

With many moving onto states, the hard work and preparation for the event paid off.

“To prepare, we had tests that we had to take and study for. We had role plays that we practiced in order to get ready,” Barner said.

Preparation for the event can be key to whether or not the student wins scholarships. Business scholarships are given from Davenport College, Baker College and Northwood University usually in the amount of $2,000. Knechtel says students don’t usually get scholarships until the statewide competition.

New club brings hope for young writers Students use their creativity to write short stories through various exercises Zack Gilliland staff writer Students can express themselves through writing. Senior Sara Delgado and English teacher Bruce Kutney have organized a writing club.

Club participants write for about the first half of the meeting, and after they have finished writing, share out what they wrote.

“I really like to write,” Delgado said. “My family encouraged me. There wasn’t a club like it and it helps take your mind off school.”

Delgado comes up with prompts for the group to write about.

One of their prompts was about a proton versus electron war.

Delgado said there is always a lot of comedy when sharing out ideas. Members don’t have to share their ideas if they don’t want

to but are encouraged to do so.

The club plans to publish a series of short stories, using the ideas they have come up with when they meet.

Sophomore Megan Schneider is a member of the writing club.

She said she likes to write about mostly anything that is fantasy or science-fiction.

“I joined the writing club because the English classes weren’t as focused as I would have liked, and my friend told me about the club,” Schneider said. “It sounded interesting, so I joined.”

Another member of the writing club, senior Justin Walser, said he enjoys writing so he joined the club.

“I just like to write,” Walser said. “I don’t care what I write about, as long as it makes a good story.”

Sophomore Marcus Hamilton is also a member of the club and is an avid writer.

“I enjoy writing. We get to write different stories and share out,” Hamilton said.

The club welcomes all who enjoy writing and the club meets every Wednesday for about an hour. For more information about the club, contact Kutney in room W216.

Photo by Zack Gilliland

Sophomore Megan Schneider and seniors Justin Walser and Sara Delgado work on a ten minute ‘drabble’ in which they can write about whatever they want.

News

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Holt High School Ramparts

January 2012

H-Town Posse brings sportsmanship controversy Students react to reinforced rules at basketball games Michael Hua sports editor Students rattle the bleachers as Friday night comes around and everyone heads to the gymnasium to support the basketball team before tip-off. Recently, the students have rattled more than the bleachers. Student cheers at games have caused some controversy. An incident at Everett High School during an away game forced the administration to step in.

Holt played Everett on December 16.

Throughout the game, the student section incorporated new cheers like “Nuts and Bolts” and even called out individual players on the opposing team. Although the game was an away game, students filled the stands and eventually, Holt had a bigger student section than the home team.

During one play, two players from each team collided and fell down together. The Everett player bumped and taunted one of Holt’s players while he was on the ground. They both started to taunt each other and the referees had to break it up before it escalated. Right after the dispute, the student section chanted “Classic Everett”, implying that Everett as a community is used to fighting.

Some parents and students were offended by the chant and tension started to rise in the building. Assistant Principal Chris Billingslea went over to the section and warned students that if another disrespectful cheer was shouted, everyone would get kicked out. Before the fourth quarter ended, a police officer and Billingslea came over to the student section and escorted everyone out of the building before the game ended.

“This was a volatile situation. There have been occasions over the years where there were potential moments for a “crowd-mob”, and this is when security needs to step in. Students may think that what they’re saying is okay in their minds, but in reality, it can be offending and sensitive to others inside the building,” Principal Brian Templin said.

The administration decided to take action after the incident and a guideline of conduct was given to the student section by Athletic Director Rick Schmidt a few games later. The rules indicated that the student section couldn’t bully and chant against individuals on the opposing team, and disrespectful cheers were against sportsmanship rules.

After the guidelines were given, some student section members became upset and said they didn’t feel like the games were fun anymore.

“The Eastern game was the best game so far and we had a lot of freedom in the stands back then, which made it more fun and the team got

Photo by Gabi Corbin

The cheerleaders lead the student section in a cheer during the “White Out” at the January 13 basketball game against Lansing Sexton High School. The H-Town Posse has been under some criticism from the administration because of the negative content of some of their cheers. hyped up from us,” senior Andrew Bonner said.

At the St. Johns game on December 13, stats were obtained by some people in the stands and the entire student section began chanting things like, “1 for 12” when a certain player that had those stats touched the ball.

At the beginning of the Ann Arbor Pioneer game, the rules were first administered by Schmidt. Midway through the game many people stopped cheering and eventually, the entire student section sat down for almost two quarters of play.

“I understand why we can’t be negative towards individual players because it’s bullying, but I don’t understand why we can’t use their stats as cheers,” student section leader Andy Seguin said.

Some student sections members argue that they aren’t making fun of the player by shape, size, or any way except for how he played that night.

Templin explained why individual cheers were prohibited.

“I’d like to see more complicated routine type cheers supporting the Holt Rams. High school environments are different from college environments and humiliating opponents is not what we will be known for,” Templin said.

Templin talked about how pro teams handle adversity and compared it to students cheering at the games. He indicated that students have

to take the rules given to them and support the team to the best of their ability so that the players can have positive energy.

“I want us to be above the traps. For example, the Red Wings had greats like Yzerman and Howe. It was easy for them to be emotionally charged when other opponents bullied them and wanted to pick fights. They stay composed and at the end, they let skill do the fighting, along with playing smart. At the end, this became positive energy for the team” Templin said.

Student Advocacy teacher Ryan Anderson compared the H-Town Posse now to the ‘98-’99 season when the student section was formed.

He was also one of the co-founders.

“Times have changed and the culture is different now. I’m not sure if our student section was censored, but whenever we had a problem and the administration stepped in, we had to communicate and handle situations with them.

“Back then, bleachers were filled and everyone went to the games. The student section now is weak and there’s a lack in numbers. They need to take on the rules and be rowdy with appropriate cheers,” Anderson said.

The H-Town Posse has been around for 17 years and they have a reputation for having crafty cheers and energetic students.

The student section leaders Chloe Henley

H-Town Themes: Tonight: Neon Out vs. Grand Ledge February 3: Brown & Gold Out at Eastern February 7: Red, White, & Blue Out vs. Everett February 10: Toga Out vs. East Lansing and Seguin wanted to improve the student section this year because there has been poor attendance carrying over from last season.

Although some restrictions were put on the student section, Seguin says they still have one focus, which is to be energetic and allow the basketball team to feed off the crowd’s energy.

“I just want to get everyone involved because most of the time, everyone texts or sits down.

We need some school spirit to cheer on and support our team,” Seguin said.

The basketball team will play their next game tonight against Grand Ledge High School. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. at home.

(Full disclosure: Henley is one of the Ramparts Editors in Chief and Hua is a member of the student section.)

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Viewpoints

January 2012

Holt High School Ramparts

Our View Cheering rules limit H-Town Posse

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s a whole, the Ramparts editorial staff thinks that the rules and regulations administration has placed on the student cheering section has limited the ability to support our team.

In recent weeks, the student section has had new rules placed on them as to what they can and cannot do at sporting events. It started when Holt played Everett in a basketball game, during which the student section was deemed by administrators to be cheering in a negative fashion.

Students were calling out individual players on the opposing team and using unnecessary innuendos. These included calling out certain player’s records, but more specifically, cheering that implied Everett was a school used to fighting.

We feel that the regulations and rules the students of the H-Town Posse faces are limiting because the ability to build up our team is diminished.

Cheers and chants incorporating players’ names and stats are not against league rules. Many schools have been using them for a long time, not just us.

We feel it is unfair to take away from our spirit when no direction was given in the beginning pertaining to what we are and are not allowed to do or say. Because of one game, students have been limited to a level where we cannot keep our team spirit up.

Administration does make a valid points, saying students have gone too far during games. There are also some chants that are too much for high school athletics. Every school’s student get out of hand, but it doesn’t mean we all have bad intentions. By no means would we like to be viewed as unsportsman-like, however we would like the freedom to show overwhelming support.

All in all, the administration has not done completely wrong, but has gone overboard in what they are enforcing at sporting events now. The student section has been taken down so far, the tradition of a great H-Town Posse is broken.

ramparts Editors in Chief:

Managing Editors: News: Opinion: Features: Hot Spot: Sports: Staff Writers:

Adviser:

Chloé Henley Meg McKay Cody Shattuck Tori Frailey Anna Pavlik Ben Blanck Michael Hua Zahra Ahmad, Maya Fews, Dalton Gibson, Zack Gilliland, McKenna Glisson, Hannah Marsh, Ana Moncao, Daniel Yu Amy Clark

Editorial Policy: Ramparts is published by the Journalism class of Holt High School.

The newspaper serves the students and staff of Holt High School and as a connection to the Holt-Dimondale community.

The objective of Ramparts is to publish a factual, informative and entertaining newspaper, and to provide a forum for the expression of diverse viewpoints.

The opinions and views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, the adviser, or all Ramparts staff members.

The editors reserve the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment.

Ramparts prints letters to the editor and guest editorials as space allows. Letters must be typed, less than 200 words in length and signed. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit for length. Ramparts will not print letters that are obscene, libelous or that target an individual.

Advertisements that are obscene, misleading, or illegal to minors will not be printed. Ramparts reserves the right to reject any advertisement. To place an ad, contact the adviser or the Ramparts staff at (517) 694-2162.

Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

Too much information How much is too much when posting on social networks?

purpose of allowing people of all ages share of fights over the social media to connect with friends and family, sites that slowly escalate into real life, and to communicate for employment face-to -face confrontations. The best purposes. However, the Internet has option to prevent this is to just keep begun to take a turn when people comments to oneself because they put crude or inappropriate items on can have lasting effects that don’t the web. The sites have turned into a turn out the best. place where people can put anything Most individuals don’t think from a timeline of when and how they that what they would put online threw up, the color, could cause an smell or even the issue. Although taste of it. Nobody The best option i t i s j u s t t h a t wants to see or think that can to prevent this is to mindset about that. create minor slipOther instances just keep comments to ups, students feel that get to webgoers oneself because they that sometimes are the fact that can have lasting effects i t ’s n o t a w e l l couples constantly that don’t turn out the thought-out idea break up and get best. or a respe ctful back together. decision that was Most times, the made. A filter for occasional breakup that takes place what is said should be used because seven times can become a major everyone is watching. Employers issue with the so called ‘friends’ on looking to hire the next best worker sites such as Facebook. It generally take a look at websites you participate doesn’t end well, and doesn’t get a in. This can prolong the possibility of good reaction. getting a job for some.

The massive flood of tweets Watching what you say and do from followers about how a certain on the Internet is something that television show can become one everybody should keep in mind. It of the best things causes other not only makes you look better, it ‘followers’ un-follow. Not every keeps private things that shouldn’t person wants to hear about how hot be viewed as public. the show’s main character is.

Students at HHS have had a fair

“

Cody Shattuck

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ocial media websites have allowed the world to connect and share like never before. But sharing that you threw up four times in one night, however, doesn’t seem like a likely story that anyone would want to hear about.

What is considered too much information online? Could it be that your parents are divorcing, making it known publicly for everyone to critique? Or could it be how many people that your best friend has dated? Whatever the case, a little privacy can go a long way. It doesn’t seem logical to put your personal business online.

Websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr were created for the

”

Your View School heating needs work Dear Editor, I believe that Holt High School should turn the heat up or on during the winter season. People are wearing coats in school and telling everyone that the school doesn’t turn on the heat. All the classrooms, besides the computer classes, are cold. It seems that the classrooms aren’t getting the heat.

I believe the school budgets are a main issue. That’s why the school isn’t turning the heat up.

The students are all cold and we shouldn’t have to be wearing winter coats inside. The school needs to do something about the heat problem.

That means turning the heat up, or just keep it on during the class hours.

The school has some problems with keeping the heat in. In the south hall of the school, the janitors always have the doors open during the school day because of all the equipment that they use.

Sometimes the heat goes out those doors and the whole south end is

chilling. I had an idea: if we got space heaters that could help with the heating problem, but it could cost more for those. We should have a meeting about the whole thing with students and teachers.

Sincerely, Chelsea Pentz, senior Dress code is inconsistent Dear Editor, There is always a never ending debate on what’s appropriate and what isn’t. My issue isn’t necessarily the dress code itself. My issue is the inconsistency of enforcing the dress code. Mini skirts are okey dokey on Tuesday. But wait! Miniskirts are not okay on Friday…It’s confusing to the students. Can we wear that mini skirt, that Bud Light shirt, that pair of jeans with holes? Well, can we? Sometimes it’s fine, other days it’s not. The school officials need to make a decision. Enforce the rules all the time for everyone or don’t enforce them at all for anyone.

Sincerely, Audra Balcarcel, senior

Entrance issues cause tardies Dear Editor, I think that student entrances to the school parking lots are a problem. No matter what time you get to an entrance in the mornings, there’s a huge line, not to mention how bad weather conditions make the Grovenburg entrance in the winter. I think that a better system should be in place at entrances, or simply having more entrances for us to use.

Honestly, I think that there would be much less tardy students, because the lines would be cut down to get in. There would also be fewer accidents.

Sincerely, Nicole Zolnierek, senior Express your view If you’d like to comment on an article in Ramparts, or any issue in the news, write us a letter to the editor of 150 words or less and e-mail it to us at ramparts@hpsk12. net.

Viewpoints Holt High School Ramparts

New Year’s resolutions pointless?

Resolutions seem to be hard to keep all year

Zack Gilliland

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very year many people will make a New Year’s resolution, whether it is to eat healthier or run a marathon or do better in a sport. Resolutions aren’t an easy thing to accomplish, especially if they are hard for you to keep.

Making a resolution is a good way to set a goal for you to accomplish, but not many people keep them.

I hardly ever make a resolution because I will either give up on it, or I get sidetracked with school and work and forget about it and just go on with the year.

New Year’s resolutions are just a waste of time and pointless.

In the past I have tried to set goals and resolutions, and I was only successful a few times. One goal I set and succeeded was a few years ago when I got my grades to

be where I wanted them.

I worked hard and did homework.

Doing the work paid off, and the grades came up in the A-B range.

But a resolution doesn’t always have to be a resolution. It can be setting a goal for yourself.

Like when you were a little kid and wanted to learn how to ride a two-wheeler bike. We all as little kids were determined that we would learn to ride without training wheels, no matter how many scratches and bruises we got.

That was the one thing I wanted to do, and I had help from my grandparents with that goal. They got me something I could put on my bike, but if I wanted it I had to ride the two-wheeler first.

So I practiced and practiced.

After a while I just gave up and didn’t even try to accomplish my goal, making my point that goals aren’t always successful.

After a while I decided to get back to it and finally accomplished my goal. I wasn’t sure if I would hit my goal or not.

Other than accomplishing those goals, none off my other goals have had success. I’ve tried to cut back on how long I play video

games, which can be a few hours to all night, leaving me tired and sleeping the entire next day.

When tr ying to cut back on something that you enjoy doing, it’s hard to not do it as much, because you can find yourself back doing whatever it was you were doing.

Peer support m a k e s a difference in whether or not you succeed in accomplishing your goal. The more support you have the better your chances of keeping your resolution.

Without the help from people close to you, it’s more likely you won’t succeed.

The next time you go to set a goal, have someone help reach your goal, whether they just support you, or are setting the goal with you.

You, the person making the resolution, are the only one who can set the goal and reach it. No one can reach it for you, so if you have failed in the past and can’t seem to get success, try changing the way you work at it, but remember not everyone succeeds.

“Making a resolution is a good way to set a g o a l fo r yo u to accomplish, but not many people keep them.”

Hot or not?

NFL Playoff Games:

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January 2012 NFL Referees:

The referees aren’t calling penalties that should be called, giving other teams an advantage in the game.

Games are very intense and are getting fans pumped for the Super Bowl.

Speak up

What, if anything, really gets on your nerves?

“I hate how polar bears are going extinct because I love them in the Coca-Cola commercials.”

Clayton Hosfield, senior

“When people use their mechanical pencils at school and squeak them when they write.”

Alexis Akers, senior

“Loud and obnoxious people at school really get on my nerves.”

Jacob Dowling, junior

“When people give up because they’re quitters, and I find it really annoying.”

Emma Webster, junior

“I really hate when guys compliment themselves because they seem cocky.”

Emily Peltier, senior

Corrections Cartoon by Chloe Henley

Ramparts is committed to printing news that is both informative and accurate. If we get it wrong, we want to put it right. If you are aware of any errors of fact in our reporting please contact us in room E221 or send an e-mail to ramparts@ hpsk12.net.

Features

8

January 2012

Holt High School Ramparts

Injuries of student athletes could be prevented Many students unaware that education can go a long way in sports Anna Pavlik feature editor As with any type of physical activity, high school sports provide a risk of injury to student athletes.

With many athletes not being aware and not knowing ways to prevent injury, it can be a risk for athletes to participate regularly in sports.

In a matter of seconds in a game or practice, an athlete’s body can become injured. During last spring’s soccer season, junior Anissa Martinez tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

“It happened in about the last two minutes of the game against Williamston,” Martinez said.

“I turned my body towards the ball and my left leg didn’t completely turn with it, and it buckled down on me and snapped.”

Martinez faced surgery and physical therapy before being able to return to play this spring.

While some injuries are very serious, other injuries may only be very temporary.

“I dislocated my pinky while playing basketball,” senior Haley Powers said. “For now I have to wear a splint for 10 days. I may have to still tape it, and it may still hurt a little,

Photo by Anna Pavlik

Working on a football player’s leg, Steven Pingston is the school’s Athletic Trainer. Taking simple precautions such as stretching before activities can decrease the chance and risk of injury. but other than that I could still play.”

Injuries such as severe concussion or tearing of a ligament may result in not being able to play for the rest of the season.

Two years ago, senior Nick Fiasky was injured during a soccer game.

“I was playing soccer, and as I approached the sideline, I was tripped from behind,” Fiasky said. “I fell into a concrete wall and I was unconscious for two minutes.”

When Fiasky’s doctor told him that he had a skull fracture and hematoma and that he was

Injury Rates in Competitive Sports The results of the High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study from nine sports. Each injury rate is the number of injuries per 1,000 athletes exposed to the given sport. The chart shows the injury rate for competition and practice.

In each sport the competition injury rate was higher than in practice.

not going to be able to play soccer again, Fiasky said that it was a setback he wanted to conquer.

Fiasky was not allowed to play soccer until he returned his senior year.

The High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, sponsored by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), was a study conducted for nine sports: baseball, football and wrestling (for boys); softball and volleyball (for girls); and basketball and soccer (for both girls and boys).

With certain specifications for injuries, certified athletic trainers affiliated with the

National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) reported injuries weekly.

An estimated 1,442,533 injuries occurred among the 100 schools who participated in the study. The overall injury rate was 2.44 injuries per 1,000 athletes exposed, with football having the highest of the nine sports.

Not only do sport practices expose student athletes to injuries, but competitions and games provide an even higher injury rate.

Due to the continued injuries and known risks of student athletes, a few students choose to train as athletic trainers.

“As an athlete, I wanted to know ways to treat and prevent injuries,” junior Erin Chapman said. Chapman has been a student athletic trainer through the school since she was a freshman.

Student Athletic Trainers are taught how to keep student athletes safe, including knowing how to tape for different injuries.

“A lot of student athletes don’t drink enough water or stretch before or after practice, so we enforce healthy routines, so injuries are prevented,” junior Allison Pingston said.

Although many athletes know the risks and dangers of injuries, many think that it’s still worth playing their sport.

“Every sport has some type of risk of an injury that we’re all aware of, but it shouldn’t stop you from achieving and playing a sport you love,” Martinez said.

With the proper care and knowledge, being a student athlete can end with a win instead of ending with an injury.

Rate Sport

Practice

Competition

Overall

Football Wrestling Boys soccer Girls soccer Girls basketball Boys basketball Volleyball Baseball Softball

2.54 2.04 1.58 1.10 1.37 1.46 1.48 0.87 0.79

12.09 3.93 4.22 5.21 3.60 2.98 1.92 1.77 1.78

4.36 2.50 2.43 2.36 2.01 1.89 1.64 1.19 1.13

Total

1.69

4.63

2.44 Source: Center for Injury Research and Policy

Features

9

Holt High School Ramparts

January 2012

A year of

remembrance

A year has passed since the tragic accident that took the lives of three students. Has the community learned from the past?

Hannah Marsh

J

staff writer

anuary 30 represents a day of remembrance, a day of sorrow and a day of change for the Holt Community.

A year ago, on this day. Holt lost three students to a tragic car accident that left an impact on many members of the community. Many students, staff members, parents and friends look back on this day with pain.

A year ago on this day On January 30, 2011, two HHS students lost their lives while the rest watched with heavy hearts as a third struggled to survive.

Senior Holly Bossenbery and 2010 graduate Taylyr Cochran were killed as passengers in a drunk driving accident. Senior Anthony Harris, also a passenger in the car, was admitted to the hospital where he held on for three days before he passed away on February 2, 2011.

The lives of fellow students Brett Johnson, driver of the vehicle, and Makenzie Schafer, another passenger, were changed forever.

Holt experienced a great loss, and with that loss came a vow - a vow to change, a promise to progress. Many students chose to change their ways and keep themselves, their friends and their families safe. Have these students stayed true to their word? Or have they drifted away from the goal?

and choices.

“Since the accident I have changed the way I live. I am very careful about the choices I make, and I try to help others make responsible choices as well,” Schafer said.

As the community adapts to life without three of its students, Brett Johnson adapts to a life he’s never known before.

Currently, Brett is serving time at the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer, Michigan, for operating the car involved in the accident while under the influence of alcohol.

His sentence began on June 8, 2011, and was set at 4-15 years.

Brett’s new life denies him of simple choices most students enjoy.

He can’t make the choice to do what he wants, when he wants to, his mother said.

“Everything is on a strict schedule,” Cyndi Johnson said. To keep himself grounded, Brett has turned to religion. Every day he is reminded of what he was involved in, every night he prays for the families of his friends, she said.

“Have the strength and

courage to make the call, take the keys, and possibly not go with a friend if the situation is questionable.

Life after the accident Since the accident, life has changed for the friends and family of Anthony, Taylyr and Holly.

“My life has changed tremendously in the past year. I miss my son’s daily smile, his laugh, his touch, his jokes, talking about sports with him, eating meals with him, watching movies and so much more,” said Dalia Luera-Harris, Anthony Harris’ mother.

“It has been a tremendous loss to me personally, it has also reminded me to love more, forgive others more, tell those you love them more often, I will drop anything for my family and close friends because I really know that tomorrow is not promised,” Luera-Harris said.

The accident changed the lives of many, but for Makenzie Schafer, it changed life forever. The accident changed the way that she makes decisions

”

A change in the community Positive changes have emerged from within the community, ways to help keep the parents, teachers, students and friends from experiencing another heartbreak.

“A lot has changed in the last year,” counselor Bob Bower said. “The accident had a profound impact.”

Since the accident, new programs have developed in the community. Holly’s Ride, a program dedicated to the safety and well-being of the students, was created to provide students with a safe ride home in situations where they did not have one. If students had been partying or drinking and felt that they couldn’t drive home, or the ride they had couldn’t safely get them home, they could call Holly’s Ride, no questions asked.

“Holly’s ride is successful,” junior Katelyn Danford said. Danford is member of Holly’s Ride and was a friend of Holly’s. “People don’t really call us much, but it makes them want to have someone there for them. A number that they know they can call.”

Holly’s Ride was created by students in response

Photo by Hannah Marsh

Holt students preserve their memories of three former students Holly Bossenbery, Taylyr Cochran and Anthony Harris with a plaque in the school’s west side memorial garden. to the accident, with hope that the community will not have to endure another tragedy.

“I am very proud of Holly’s Ride. Anyone who knew Holly, knew she was Holly’s Ride,” said Christine Bossenbery, Holly’s mother. “To date I believe Holly’s Ride has had a positive impact on students. There have been many efforts to facilitate raising awareness of underage drinking, drinking and driving and to empower teens and young adults to make the right choice, the safe choice.”

Students also have other options to make safer choices. Building Twentyone, a teen center where students can attend “fifth quarter” parties after games and go to spend time together, has formed out of a dedication to keep young adults safe.

“This started as an idea for a drop-in teen center, and due to tragedies it became a reality,” teacher Robert Dozier said. “Building Twentyone is not just a teen center: it’s a mission to create a safe, positive alternative for students.” Dozier, an active supporter of Building Twentyone, explained that if even just one student was utilizing it he’d consider it a success.

“Building Twentyone and Holly’s Ride are great if they really reach out to students,” said Cyndi Johnson. “Some kids are making better choices, calling a ride or staying over when they feel they can’t drive, but we would like to see all of the kids making better choices.”

Change that’s yet to come Many students chose to change their ways after watching their friends experience the consequences of underage drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol.

“The accident did have an impact on everyone, but after a while most people went back to their old ways,” Danford said. She felt that as life moved on after the accident, the new mindset, safety and preparedness, slowly drifted away.

“I would love for underage drinking to stop, but

if not at least for people to be responsible about it, don’t brag about it all over Facebook, and Twitter,” Luera-Harris said. She said she hopes to see students learn from what has happened to her son.

“I would like to believe that the students, parents, staff and community learned some very important things from the tragedy that killed Holly, Anthony and Taylyr. Unfortunately, these types of situations happen more frequently than we would like to think. There is this mindset that this is not something that happens to us or to people we know, but it does,” Christine Bossenbery said.

Young people don’t think it will happen to them, but the accident taught HHS that it can happen to anyone, she said.

“You would never imagine it’d happen to you,” Cyndi Johnson said. “It’s a parent’s worst nightmare.”

A parent’s worst nightmare is to hear their son, their daughter, has been involved in a tragic accident, has lost their life, was present as their friend passed away, said Cyndi. The parents of these children ask that current students remember what happened to their children; remember their story, their parents, their friends.

“The advice I have for younger students is to just never get involved into partying and drinking. You may think it is all fun and games at the time until you experience something like I did,” Schafer said.

Every person has their own story. The stories of Anthony Harris, Taylyr Cochran and Holly Bossenbery are powerful ones that affected the lives of many people.

“I would ask that each one of you remember my daughter and remember her story,” Christine Bossenbery said. “So that should you find yourself in a compromised situation, whether now in high school or when you get to college and beyond, that you have the strength and courage to make the call, take the keys, and possibly not go with a friend if the situation is questionable.”

10

January 2012

It’s in the genes

Anna Pavlik

A girl’s best friend

T

here is a lot to be said about a person who only wants to see you happy. Although I have some of the best, supportive friends and family members in the world, I never overlook or take for granted the love and comfort I get from my friendship with my dog.

When we adopted Emma as a puppy four years ago from the Humane Society, it was clear that she had been abused at her previous home. She cowered whenever someone she didn’t know tried to pet her. She used to hide and whine in the corner anytime she knew that she did something wrong, scared that we might hurt her for it.

Raising her, we gave her more love and attention than any dog could ever hope for, and it’s surely reflected in her personality.

As I came home from school the other day, I went into my room to put my backpack and coat away. My cat, Merlin, was lying on my bed. No more than a foot away from him was Emma, laying with her eyes closed and her face very close to my cat, Anyone who’s ever seen this happen in my house always asks me the same question: “Doesn’t your dog chase your cat?”

But she doesn’t chase him; she loves my cat. In fact, she’ll walk up to Merlin and lick his face. It’s an amazing sight to see. That’s the power of nurture over nature.

Emma is the world’s best listener, always by my side. She’s the greatest comforter, resting her head on my lap when she can tell I’m upset. She’s always happy to see me, instantly wagging her tail the moment I walk in the door. She’s one of the most grateful creatures, always happy whenever I play with her or take her for a walk. A phenomenal protector, she barks and stands in front of me whenever someone she doesn’t know enters my house.

Some people argue that pets are not “family”, but after having Emma as a dog, I strongly disagree with those people. She’s compassionate, loving, supportive and a good listener. What better of a family member is there?

Features Holt High School Ramparts

Risky business: driven to distraction How to deal with being a distracted driver on the road Cody Shattuck

news editor Texting while driving is illegal in the State of Michigan. However, that doesn’t stop everyone from participating in the activity as well as other actions that might be distracting.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) Drivers Distraction Program defines distraction as: “A specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity instead. A distraction can also include fatigue, the physical condition of the driver and emotional condition of the driver.”

In the United States, 660,000 drivers use a handheld device while driving. The 2010 census showed that nine percent of drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 years old used a phone or other handheld device while driving. The majority of those users were female.

Lower percentages were seen in the ages of 25 through 69 years old, with a total of seven percent. The numbers dropped off with ages 70 and over.

Ramparts surveyed 100 students on what they thought were the most distracting activities or items while on the roads. Of the students surveyed, 21 percent said texting was number one distraction. Following close behind it was talking on the phone with an 18 percent vote.

Although there is no technical law

What’s Got You Distracted?

A Ramparts survey was conducted to find what were the most commonly seen distractions students notice. The top ten activities, items or conditions are seen in the above chart.

Source: Ramparts Survey

against it, driving while distracted can be harmful to the driver, as well as anyone sharing the road.

“I believe that it is a good thing to have laws like no texting while driving because you lose all your focus and it creates a better chance of an accident,” sophomore Betsy Borton said. “Also, I am a new driver, so I think to myself when I feel rushed on time that I would rather follow the laws and be close on time than be pulled over and be extremely late.”

With the laws in effect and some in the thought of being made, the NHSTA advises drivers to take initiative while on the road.

As of May 2011, eight states put laws in place that would prohibit the use of handheld cell phones. These states were California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Oregon, New Jersey and Washington.

Michigan, along with 31 other states, has set laws that ban texting while driving.

According to the United States Department of Transportation,

in 2009 a reported 5,474 people were killed with an estimated 448,000 people injured in accidents involving distracted driving. Out of all the drivers that were involved in accidents, 18 percent or 995 reported drivers were using a cell phone when they occurred.

The age group that was the most commonly seen involved in these accidents were under 20 years old, at 16 percent of that portion reported as distracted.

S e n i o r Ma d i s o n Haye s wa s involved in an accident, but it didn’t involved being distracted.

“I wasn’t involved directly in a distracted driving accident, but I was driving in the rain, and a bus in front of me slammed on the brakes and I hit it,” Hayes said. “My advice for preventing such accidents would be to be careful of road conditions and watch out for other drivers.”

The total number of crashes has increased along with the number of fatalities nationwide. Accidents that resulted in crashes and deaths have

gone down over the years, with fewer drivers being on the road, and with laws being put into effect to ensure safe driving.

However, students like senior Karel Zuidema feel that laws don’t always help, since drivers break the law and find loopholes around them.

“I think that some of the laws for driving don’t necessarily help with taking down distractions because like texting, kids still text and drive now,” Zuidema said. “Making more laws would have little effect.”

Other possibilities that can help alleviate distractions of a driver include asking someone else to text or answer the phone, having them turn the radio up or down, or to turn to another station so that focus and hands are kept on the wheel and road if a passenger is present. Limiting the number of passengers that are in the car can also help to reduce distractions. ”When your phone goes off and you hear it you can’t help but wonder who it is and what they said making it harder to focus. Put your phone on silent or out of reach so you won’t hear it,” Shassberger said. “As far as friends go, having people in a car with you is not a problem, but listening and joining in the conversation with them can make it harder to focus on the road.”

A test pilot called “Phone in one hand, Ticket in another” was launched by the NHSTA in Connecticut and New York in April of 2010. The program found that cell phone use dropped by 57 percent while texting while driving decreased by three-quarters in Connecticut, and one-third for phone and texting in New York. With the results gathered, the NHTSA plans to test this same program state wide in the future.

11

Features Holt High School Ramparts

January 2012

Social media slips: Thanks for oversharing

Posting too much in social media is the wrong way to get attention Ana Moncao staff writer

Only a few people admit that they overshare on social networks, but many complain about how annoyed they get when someone posts irrelevant or innapropriate comments.

Some people don’t realize how much they post, or even worse, how addicted they are to the Internet.

“It’s definitely possible to be addicted to social networks. I got a Twitter in October and I’m addicted to it,” junior Caroline Fredline said. “I’ve never heard that I overshare, but sometimes people say I post weird stuff. I would never tell someone that they should stop posting because it’s their life and they can do whatever they want, I would just unfollow or unfriend them.”

Posts that talk about every single thing that happens such as “I had French toast for breakfast,” and talking about relationships with comments like, “I just broke up with my boyfriend” are the type of comments people are not interested in.

Fighting indirectly by posting things about someone without using their names is the most annoying topics people can post, according to a Ramparts survey of 50 students.

Students also said that people overshare because they don’t have someone to talk about what’s going on in their lives.

“Some people are really lonely and they need to release their feelings, and sharing in social media is the way they do it,” junior Bryce Zippi said.

Students think that too much free time is another reason for oversharing. Once people don’t have much to do, they stay on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network the whole day.

“I think that people need a couple days between each post they make,” junior Morgan David said.

The most mentioned reason for all the overwhelming information people post in social networks is to get attention from others. Some people just enjoy showing off about whatever is going on in their personal lives.

Posting personal information on the Internet can be more problematic than just being annoying to other people. It’s an easy way of getting into danger, by giving out too much information

that can be used by bullies, predators and all kinds of malicious people.

“Social media is a great communication tool, but the fact that your information is shared with everyone makes it a bad thing too,” teacher Margo Strong said. “Be careful about privacy, what you post today even if you delete later, will be forever on the Internet and it can come back to haunt you.”

There are a few tips that may help to be safer using social networks. For example, don’t post information you are not comfortable with everyone seeing.

“If it’s super personal, don’t share it with the world,” David said.

According to Strong, restricting the profile’s access is something everyone should do. It is a good way to help keeping information more private. Don’t ever post your cell phone number, address or any of your personal information.

“Never give out on the Internet your address, where you’re going or what you’re doing,” Strong said.

If perhaps you’re making your life more open than it should be, it’s time to start using the Relevance Rule: before making a post think of how relevant that information is to everybody else, if it’s not relevant, don’t post it.

Illustration by Chloe Henley

Am I oversharing?

Students shared what kind of information they think is innapropriate and should not be posted in social media. They also said what are the reasons for oversharing.

• You update your status all the time, posting about everything that happens in your life.

• You post about your sex life.

• You talk about illegal things that you’ve done.

• You post inappropriate pictures.

Why people overshare?

• They don’t have someone to talk about what’s going on in their lives.

• They have too much free time.

• To get attention from other people.

Source: Ramparts Survey

12

The Hot Spot

January 2012

Holt High School Ramparts

Shows return from break for new excitement Some of TV’s best are back on screen as the new year kicks off to a thrilling start

Meg McKay editor-in-chief As the new year unfolds, TV shows are returning with new episodes.

Fear Factor is back from a few year break, while Pretty Little Liars returned from a temporary break.

A new bachelor starts his journey to find love, and the girls of the Abby Lee Dance Company are back to take the stage and impress viewers across the United States.

Fear Factor

Under the direction of producers Matt Ku n i t z a n d D av i d Hurwitz, NBC’s Fear Factor returned to the air on Dec. 12, 2011.

With returning host Joe Rogan, the show received between 8.5-8.7 million viewers during the back-to-back twoepisode premier.

Four teams of two compete through challenges until there is one person left. That lone person wins a prize of $50,000.

Junior Zach Walsh said he likes the craziness and action of Fear Factor.

“I like it best when they have to eat stuff in the second challenge,” he said. “Watching people chicken out, knowing I could do it, and watching the girls do stuff the guys wouldn’t is the best.”

Watch Fear Factor Monday nights at 9 p.m on NBC.

The Bachelor

As one guys gets to meet a gorgeous group of 25 women, a journey to find love begins. Season 16 began on January 2, with new bachelor Ben Flajnik and women from across the United States. As the show progresses and the search for love continues, each week another girl is let go. With each sent away, Flajnik is closer to finding the girl of his dreams.

Psychology teacher Russ Olcheske said he likes The Bachelor for its ridiculousness.

“I like to analyze the people on the show and figure out if they are sincere, genuine, etc.,” Olcheske said. “Being a psychology teacher, I always recommend people watch shows in which they can analyze human behavior.”

He also said he enjoys watching the “crazy ones”, referring to the girls on the show.

To see what happens next, tune in to ABC Mondays at 8 p.m.

More Winter Shows

Monday: Chuck 8 p.m. on NBC

Starting March 19- Punk’d returns to MTV Tuesday: American Idol 8 p.m. on Fox

Teen Mom 2 10 p.m. on MTV Wednesday: American Idol 8 p.m. on Fox

Law and Order: SVU 9 p.m. on NBC Thursday: Jersey Shore 10 p.m. on MTV

The Big Bang Theory 9 p.m. on CBS Friday: Supernatural 9 p.m. on the CW

Blue Bloods 10 p.m. on CBS All photos used with permission by abcmedianet.com and nbcumv.com

Pretty Little Liars

As the second season returned from break Januar y 16, Hanna, Emily, Spencer and Aria found themselves back in trouble. Their search to find ‘A’ continues with more exciting tales and adventures.

The four girls face challenges that threaten to tear them apart.

Senior Alexis Kuprel is an avid viewer of Pretty Little Liars.

“The suspense to find out who ‘A’ is leaves me hanging so I keep coming back,” Kuprel said.

Watch the show with other ardent viewers on Monday nights at 8 on ABC Family.

Dance Moms

When the name Abby Lee Miller is brought up in a conversation, everyone knows someone is talking about the hit show Dance Moms. The show highlights the hard work young girls put in to being world-renowned dancers with the Abby Lee Dance Company, as well as the drama of belonging to such a prestigious company.

With sometimes overly-supportive mothers and a hard dance instructor, Maddie and Mackenzie, Chloe, Brooke and Paige, Vivi-Anne, Nia and Kendall all work to excel in a world of harsh competition.

Junior Teryn Henderson makes sure she watches all the episodes.

“I dance, and a lot on the show reminds me of my dance studio,” she said.

Henderson said her favorite girl on the show is Chloe because she’s better than Maddie.

Dance Moms airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m on Lifetime.

The Hot Spot

13

Holt High School Ramparts

New Tech Toys of 2012 Watch for new electronics being released this year

January 2012

My Tunes We’ve selected two people to interview and find out what music they love this month.

What’s stuck in English teacher Bruce Kutney’s head?

Daniel Yu staff writer The new year brings with it the newest innovations in technology. Many highly anticipated products are planned for 2012 release, like new tablet PCs and gaming consoles. Engineers are pushing the limit to what technology can create. Although nothing can be said for sure about the products until they are released, rumors have leaked and companies have provided sneak previews of their new tech toys.

Nintendo Wii U

Photo by XtremeMac/MCT

Nintendo revealed their latest product recently, the Wii U , in their E3 presentation and gave details about the possibilities of the Wii U. It’s the new version of the Wii that includes a touch-screen controller.

The controller gives the player another view into the game and allows for many new game types. The controller can also be used to browse the Internet, video chat and share images and videos on the television.

Another cool feature that the Wii U will have is the ability to play a game on the new controller while the television is in use by someone else. The controller itself is almost like a tablet PC. The Wii U is taking the next step into game immersion with the addition of the second screen. The player is much more involved with the virtual world than before with just motion controls. The Wii U is scheduled to be released in the second half of this year according to WiiUInsiders.com.

Style of music: “Eclectic. It goes in phases for awhile.”

Photo by Sony/MCT

The Vita has a camera on the front and back of the device, as well as motion sensors inside for more interactive play. Like a small tablet, the Vita has a touch screen and many apps available. It is compatible with the Playstation 3, and like the Wii U, it can play games while the television is taken.

“I have an Xbox, iPhone, two desktops and four laptops,” junior Alex Ching said. Ching also said that he wouldn’t jump on the bandwagon right away when new consoles come out because they usually have problems.“The Xbox 360 is going to be around for at least another two years anyways and they will have time to fix the new consoles.”

Fire, Nook Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab. The price from these range from $200-$550. The differences between these are usually storage size of the memory and 3G capability. So not all tablets can browse the Internet anywhere, but all of them have their strong points and they all have fun apps to play with. The iPad 3 is rumored to be released sometime this year, according to cnet.com.

“I can’t imagine what new tech the iPad 3 will have. There’s already so many useful things in the iPad 2,” senior Brandon Lavigne said. “I’m looking forward to what they can make with technology today.”

Tablet PCs

According to cnet.com, Apple may release the iPhone 5 later this year. Possibly coming out in the fall, the iPhone 5 is rumored to be slimmer than the iPhone 4, and Digitimes claims that the back of the device will be metal, which was asked for by previous iPhone owners.

However some don’t believe that the small upgrades are worth the price.

“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” psychology teacher Russ Olcheske said. Olcheske says that everything he has is fine and works well. His cell phone can text and call people and that’s all he needs.

“If what I have is working then I don’t need the latest and greatest,” Olcheske said.

Tablet PCs have become very popular recently, and for good reason. Tablet PCs can do almost anything a regular computer can, but they are much more portable than laptops and have many features that aren’t available in laptops like a full touch screen and the ability to easily read books. Tablets are sleek and use a touch screen to operate the device.

Apple iPad 2 is the most well-known tablet PC. The iPad 3 is also rumored to be released sometime this year according to cnet.com. But if the price of around $500 is a little too steep, other brands offer tablets at a lower price.

Popular alternatives to the iPad 2 are the Kindle

Apple iPhone 5

Playstation Vita Playstation is releasing its new gaming system, the Playstation Vita, on February 22.

It’s a handheld console much like the PSP (Playstation Portable) before it, but with new upgrades. It will have 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities so one can access the Internet from almost anywhere.

“Bird Land” by Maynard Ferguson “I like the trumpet work. It’s structured for the trumpet. I like the variations by different artists.”

“Rain Over Me” by Marc Anthony “It makes me want to jump up from my desk and dance with happy feet.”

“Short People” by Randy Newman “It’s satirical. It makes fun of people who are prejudiced.”

“Political Science” by Randy Newman “Again, it’s satirical. It pokes fun at America’s love with large weapons.”

“The Blues is What I Got” by Big James Montgomery “It’s a great blues standard; it’s a fast good time not a ‘my baby left me’ type song.”

What’s stuck in senior Sonny Ly’s head?

Style of music: “I like to listen to rock and beat because I like the bass and the beats in the music.”

“Remember The Name” by Fort Minor “It’s just a sweet song and I really like the lyrics.”

“All About Us” by He is We “I like this song because it’s really chill, and I can actually fall asleep at night.”

“Strip” by Chris Brown “I guess I don’t really have a specific reason.

That’s a good question.”

“Faded” by Tyga “I’ve always liked Tyga and his work.”

“Should’ve Kissed You” by Chris Brown “I like it because it’s a good song to dance to, just not in a dirty way.”

If you’d like to tell us what songs are stuck in your head, e-mail a list of five songs and your comments to ramparts@hpsk12.net

Photo by Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/MCT

14

Sports

January 2012

The Press Box BOYS BOWLING

record: 5-1 season highlight: “This year is looking promising, and we are looking forward to the playoffs,” junior Martin Welch said. in their words: “I’m excited for the team because our chemistry has improved and we have a lot of potential,” junior Steven Lidel said.

GIRLS BOWLING

record: 0-6 season highlight: “Our division is pretty tough this year, but if we practice we’ll keep it up,” junior Darion Greenlee said. in their words: “Team work is what bowling is about. Our team works well together and that’s helping us to accomplish our goal,” sophomore Katelyn Lander said.

CHEERLEADING

season highlight: “Getting our new warm-ups and learning sweet new stunts,” senior Kali Schlee said. in their words: “I like cheerleading because I’m always around my friends and we’re always having fun,” senior Hannah Johnson said.

DANCE TEAM

season highlight: “We always look forward to competing at the Palace of Auburn Hills Pom competition because it’s our biggest competition of the year,” junior Haley Livingston said. in their words: “Our team works well together, always puts forth a huge effort, and we all strive to meet our individual goals,” senior Alyssa Robinson said.

BOYS BASKETBALL

record: 1-4 season highlight: “Eastern was our biggest game because going into it nobody thought that we would be able to hang in the game. Even though we lost, we showed the conference what we were made of,” senior Harrison Ammon said. in their words: “I expect us to not just win, but grow as a team which in the end, will help us during and after the season,” senior Jordan Herron said.

Holt High School Ramparts

Super Bowl party preparation begins Fans prepare for celebration of favorite teams competing for national title Tori Frailey opinion editor Millions of people in the United States will tune in at the beginning of next month to watch two football teams compete for the winning title of Super Bowl champions.

The 2012 Super Bowl will be the 46th consecutive bowl aired on national television. Super Bowl XLVI will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on February 5.

The Super Bowl is the championship game that decides the winning National Football League title.

It consists of the top teams from each of the NFL’s conferences against each other.

This game features the winning teams of the AFC and NFC championship games, which are decided after a 16-game regular season followed by two rounds of playoff games.

In America, sports is one of the biggest pastimes.

So, it only makes sense that Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest days for celebration.

While baseball seems to be the sport we think of as “American”, a 2010 poll taken by Harris Interactive shows that football is the country’s favorite voted sport, beating baseball, which was the second favorite, by 19 percent.

Being the staple sport, football fans dutifully throw numerous parties on this day of the big game. These celebrations consist of the “three F’s”, according to sophomore Aaron VanDeventer.

“Food, football and lots of family time are what I look most forward to in an ideal party on Super Bowl Sunday,” VanDeventer said.

It seems almost as a holiday, as families everywhere share traditional finger foods, and the gift of a great football game.

Preparation for these parties, however, starts long before the big date. Grocery shopping, house cleaning and perfect placement of the TV are all important factors of the Super Bowl.

Not only do the food and family atmosphere bring comfort to fans, but also the famous commercials the Super Bowl is known for. These are the type of commercials during which fans don’t want to get up take a bathroom break.

According to CBS, the commercials aired on Super Bowl breaks cost on average about $100,000 per second of airtime. A 30-second ad could cost

Screenshot from Youtube.com

The 2011 Doritos advertisement reached over 2 million views on Youtube after it was voted one of the favorite Super Bowl commercials. Many new commercials are expected to air during the 2012 Bowl . between $2.5 million and $2.8 million. While the game itself may be one of the biggest events in American culture, the advertisements and commercials are almost always the most watched program of the year.

“The Super Bowl is my favorite thing to watch on TV because I love the commercials, especially the E-trade ones,” senior Jasmin Bird said. “They’re so funny.”

From Pepsi to E-trade, the Super Bowl’s commercials have been favorites of the fans for decades. The Doritos commercial was voted top favorite of viewers for the Super Bowl commercials aired in the 2011 Super Bowl. The “Told you so” Doritos advertisement consisted of a neighbor trimming his hedges as he stares across the fence at two men in short shorts eating a delicious bag of Doritos by the pool.

The humorous aspect of the commercials is what really catches people’s attention. Many more entertaining commercials are expected for the 2012 Bowl.

“By far my favorite thing is all the commercials.

They are all pretty good since they cost so much

money to air. My favorite ones are usually the E-trade ones because the talking babies are always funny,” senior Kevin Lentz said.

During an intense game people usually go for the snacks that are easy to grab and eat without taking much cleanup. Things such as chicken wings, nachos, pickles, mini wieners, cheese and meatballs are all good foods to serve distracted dinner guests.

Every Super Bowl, McDonalds takes the initiative of easy accessible foods in their 50 chicken nuggets for $9 deal. Many purchase this deal as a party favor, or even for the mere enjoyment of having 50 chicken nuggets.

“The chicken nugget deal is really good especially with all the sauces they offer. It’s a good idea for parties,” VanDeventer said.

No matter who the winning team is at the end, fans can all agree that family time, and amusing competitions between different fans are what makes this Sunday so special.

“My family always gets a cookie cake, and we decorate it dividing the two teams. The Super Bowl is always so intense. I love it,” Bird said.

What are Holt Students saying about their dream teams? “ I would love to see the Lions go to the Super Bowl eventually, but that isn’t possible this year.”

-senior Kevin Lentz

“The Broncos are my favorite team because Tim Tebow is my hubby.”

-senior Jasmin Bird

“You have to have faith in your team to pull through, and my faith is in Eli Manning.”

-Student Success Coordinater Joann Weil

“Go Lions!”

-senior Jenny McClumpha

Sports

15

Holt High School Ramparts

Gymnast to become future Tar Heel HHS student becomes elite gymnast

January 2012

The Press Box GYMNASTICS

record: 5-1 season highlight: “We have a hardworking team, we’re hoping to go far,” junior Taylor Hull said. in their words: “Our team is looking really strong. Our score is getting better every meet and we are right on target to make it to states in March,” junior Jenny McKee said.

Dalton Gibson staff writer Sophomore Lindsey Lemke’s parents had her jump straight into gymnastics when she was only seven years old. She only grew to be five feet tall, but with her height she is able to attempt and land various flips and spins in the four events in gymnastics. She does vault, beam, floor, and bars.

Lemke competes with the Gedderts Twistars, located at the Summit. She was asked by University of North Carolina to attend the college in 2014.

Lemke is a level ten gymnast and has been for the past four years. Level ten is the highest rank in gymnastics. North Carolina offered her a full scholarship, and although she can’t completely sign with them until she is a senior, she has verbally committed to attend the college.

“I think that she will really enjoy being a Tar Heel. She is very motivated and I am sure she will be a big asset to the gymnastics team,” teammate Grace Williams said. “She is a great teammate and supports the team very well. Her positive attitude in the gym will be greatly appreciated by her UNC teammates.”

Lemke was competing at a level ten in 2010.

She has been a key member of the Twistars team.

Lemke won bars, beam, and the all-around at the battle of the Champions meet. She won bars, beam and the all-around at the For Love or Money meet. She ended her season at Junior Olympic (JO) Nationals, placing fourth on bars and ninth on beam, the only two events she competed in.

In 2011, Lemke placed second all-around at the United Gymnastics Academy Classic. She won beam and the all-around at the Illinois Gymnastics Institute Chicago style. At the World Olympics Gymnastics Academy Classic, she placed fourth all-around. She won bars and finished second all-around at the Arena Classic. At the State Championships, she won bars and the all-around.

She finished second all-around at Regionals. At JO Nationals, she placed first on bars and sixth on floor. She finished fourth all-around.

“She’s easy going, very trustworthy, fun to be around, and an all-around amazing friend. I



HOCKEY

Photo by Christy Lemke

Lindsey Lemke competes at the Twistars Invitational. She does this move during her floor routine. honestly have no idea what I’d do without her.

Leaving her when I go off to college is going to be one of the hardest things ever,” teammate Nicole Eastmen said. “She is an outstanding gymnast.

She’s very dedicated and a really hard worker.

North Carolina has a real gift coming.”

Lemke was a 2011 JO National Team Member, 2011 JO National Bar Champion, 2011 Region 5 All-Star Team Member, then a 2010 and 2011 JO Level 10 National Qualifier. These are some of the performances that helped her get noticed and getting an offer from UNC, which was her only offer. She also got noticed by UNC from YouTube, and from there had scouts come and watch her perform.

“Being committed to gymnastics can interfere in my social life because it is very time consuming and I’m at practice 25 hours a week. I can almost never sleep in, I’m busy with meets on the weekend and I’m always gone and out of Michigan.” Lemke said. “The next two years will feel like forever. I don’t want to be in Michigan anymore, but I do have to stay focused so I can maintain my skills so I don’t lose my scholarship.”

Lemke plans on participating with the Gedderts Twistars until fall of 2014 when she graduates.

From there she will then go on to compete at the college level with her new team, North Carolina.

She will then be a Tar Heel.

record: 4-3-1 league standing: Fourth place season highlight: “We have to keep working hard because the end of the season is when it matters the most,” senior Connor Bowman said. in their words: “The team is very close this year, like a family.” senior Tyler Mariage said

SWIMMING

record: 5-0 league standing: Tied for first place season highlight: “Our biggest meet will be against Okemos which is in the first week of February,” senior Erik Fiasky said. in their words: “The boys have been working hard, and we are expected to win conferences.

We plan to send 8-10 boys to states,” senior Kurtis Smith said.

WRESTLING

Photo by Christy Lemke

Lemke finishes her floor routine in front of the judges giving her third place. She had a score of 9.55 for the routine.

conference record: 9-10 season highlight: “Our biggest meets so far were against Rochester and Ohio.

Our biggest upsets have been against East Lansing and Lansing Eastern,” junior Doug Hall said. in their words: “I want to see us stick together and be a team this year,” senior Jeff Lyon said.

GIRLS BASKETBALL



conference record: 4-1 league standing: Tied for second place season highlight: “I would say our biggest game so far has been Waverly. Although we didn’t win, we played really well and as a team,” senior Haley Powers said. in their words: “This year we are more of a team. We aren’t dependent on just one player,” senior Autumn Baker said.

Sports

16

January 2012

Swim and dive team start season undefeated Swimming and diving team is determined to win

Swim/Dive Meets Feb. 2 at Okemos High School 6 p.m.

McKenna Glisson

Feb 9 vs. Grand Ledge HS 6 p.m.

staff writer The swim team is determined to make this their year.

They all have a similar team goal in mind, and that is to win the conference meet. In the way of that is Okemos.

Okemos is their biggest competition because for the past three years HHS has lost to them. Winning or losing to Okemos determines if they go to conference meets or not. But they aren’t going to let them take their year.

With a few meets already behind them and a 5-0 record so far in the season, they are getting closer and closer to the conference meet in Febuary. They have two meets left.

“I think we started off a little slow, but we are ready to win,” senior Drew Leverich said.

Coach Marty Pohl is pushing his swimmers to do the best they can.

“To prepare for Okemos we are training very very hard. We swim 10- to 11,000 yards

Feb. 11 at MISCA Meet 9 a.m.

Feb. 24 at CAAC Meet Pre Lims 5 p.m.

Feb 25 at CAAC Meet – Finals 2 p.m.

Photo by Ana Moncao

Senior Erik Fiasky swims the breast stroke swimming against Haslett. He helped out the team and the swim and dive team ended up winning the meet. a day,” Pohl said.

As the underclassman move up they are learning more and more about what it takes to go all the way.

This year is a bit different because the team is made up of more seniors than in the past. Having a bigger senior class helps push the underclassman to catch up to them

Don’t Miss This Girls Basketball January 27

The team will be playing Grand Ledge tonight at home. The game will start at 6 p.m.

Boys Basketball January 27

Tonight the team will play against Grand Ledge at home following the girls game. They will start at 7:30 p.m.

Gymnastics February 18

The CAAC tournament will start at 9 a.m. Come support the girls at St. Johns High School

Hockey Febuary 3 The boys will be playing against the Vikings of Jackson High School. The game will begin at 6 p.m. at the Summit.

and become as good or maybe even better.

They have also started lifting weights to increase their much needed strength to swim those long meets.

“We are tired, we are sore and we are ready to kick some butt,” senior Eric Dawdy said.

They also all have individual goals.

Team goals and individual goals are very

important to reach their full potential.

“My goal is to make it to the state meet.

Last year I just made it to regionals and I’m going to go all the way this time,” sophomore Chris Kruger said.

To accomplish these goals they practice most mornings at 5:30 a.m. since that isn’t enough, then every day after school from 3 to 6 p.m.

They also sometimes swim on Saturdays and days that they don’t have school, instead of sleeping in and spending that time with other friends.

“We now focus on our events and train according to what we swim,” senior Collin Harris said.