Holt Ramparts

ramparts Holt High School

MARCH 2013

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

Volume 21, Issue 6

Middle college: Go or no?

The administration’s middle college proposal may create a “senior only” campus page 2

Executive Director of Curriculum and Staff Development Dean Manikas talks to students at an informational meeting about different plans the school district has for changes that may take place next year. One plan is to make an early college out of the Ninth Grade Campus.

Photo by Hannah Marsh

News:

Quiz Bowl students take on the staff in their annual “Faculty Challenge.”

PAGE 3

News:

Get a look at what TATU is all about and what they do to prevent tobacco use among younger kids.

PAGE 5

Feature:

Students share what their number one place to visit would be.

PAGE 8

HOT SPOT:

Get a sneak peak at the upcoming school musical”Fiddler on the Roof.”

PAGE 12

Sports:

Check out how spring athletes are starting to train for the upcoming season.

PAGE 14 -15

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News

March 2013

F.Y.I.

NHS Induction

On Monday, April 8, students who were accepted into the Holt chapter of National Honor Society (NHS) will be inducted as official members. The ceremony is set to take place at 7 p.m. in the Margaret Livensparger Theater.

Inductees are asked to arrive by 6:15 p.m. in an effort to line up in the correct order for the procession part of the induction.

They will meet in the hallway on the east side of the theater.

Local Scholarships

Any senior planning to apply for the local scholarships needs to return their application into the Guidance Office by tomorrow.

Applications will not be accepted after 3 p.m.

Senior Exam Policy

For graduating seniors, exams can be avoided by keeping a good attendance record in the second semester. Students who have good attendance in a class are excused from that exam. Any unexcused absences or more than three excused absences in a class will result in exams. Senior exams will be held on Tuesday, May 28.

Model U.N. Conference The Model U.N. will be heading to Northwestern University from April 11 to the 14 for the Model United Nation Conference.

Young Playwrights Festival

Junior Jacob Vaive was one of the six playwright finalists for MSU’s statewide Young Playwrights Festival. His play will be performed by MSU theatre students in the Wharton Center on May 13.

World Language Week

World Language Week will be the week of April 15. Small to X-large shirts will cost $10, while XX-Large shirts will be $12. Students who would like to purchase a shirt, can place an order with any world language teacher.

Holt High School Ramparts

Potential shift causes controversy

News

Holt High School Ramparts

Forensics team works hard to prepare

District proposes new plan to avoid making serious budget cuts

Competitions are every weekend in March

Hannah Marsh

Kayla Lovely

Photo by Hannah Marsh

A select number of juniors and sophomores were invited to an informational meeting that took place during sixth hour on March 1 about the district’s latest proposal to save money without making hard budget cuts.

Students raise their hands with questions about the potential changes. and privileges. The administration is planning to allow students who have reached senior status an open campus lunch. For students who would rather stay in the building to eat, the food services department is planning to revamp the current cafeteria in the building.

The updated cafeteria will aesthetically seem more like a diner and offer a new array of options for lunch. Officials are looking into offering Subway and Domino’s in addition to traditional school lunches.

“I think it’s a good idea, but they need more time for planning,” junior Averie Harris said. “It seems like no one really knows what’s going on. They couldn’t really give us any answers at the meeting.”

Some students are questioning the school’s plan to upgrade the cafeteria. They’re concerned about the decisions to spend money on the school’s cafeteria. Executive Director of Finance and Business Services Kim Cosgrove assured students that it won’t affect the budget.

“Any food-related enhancements will come from the food service funds. The educational money is a completely different account, so we aren’t dealing with the same money,” Cosgrove told students at the district meeting.

The building would also undergo additional changes to accommodate this new idea. Lockers won’t be used at the North Campus, and officials are debating whether to leave them in or take them

out altogether. The library will also be transformed into a student union where kids can study, and eat or work on projects during their free time.

After hearing all the plan, some of the upcoming seniors aren’t on board with the district’s new idea.

“I think it’s stupid. There isn’t enough planning time, and it seems like it’s only for money, not any educational purposes,” junior James Fulghum said.

The senior campus hasn’t been given the green light, the proposal has yet to be voted on and approved. If the plan doesn’t get approved, then by default the alternative option, Plan B, will be accepted. Plan B is strict budget cuts. The cuts will include classes, staff and other forms of school spending. With Plan B, the school will be able to afford the bare minimum of classes to graduate, for example, instead of multiple gym classes there may be only one or two.

As of now, the North Campus and Plan B are the only two official proposals, but according to the district’s website, there have been other proposals from community members.

“We’re still creating this idea. It’s not set in stone, but it’s to avoid cutting classes. We don’t want to scale back and provide the students with less opportunities,” Manikas said. “It’ll be hard for the current juniors, but we can’t sacrifice the needs of future classes.”

Six students were sitting in a circle after school in English teacher Erin Umpstead’s room on March 8. The students are close friends playing ‘Duck Duck Goose’ like they did in elementary school. Only instead of plainly chasing each other around, they were told to squawk and act like animals. Forensics acting coach and senior Andrea Krueger had her team do just this during a practice to help them relax and feel more comfortable.

“You have to be open to having fun and acting crazy,” Krueger said.

Ever y Saturday in March the forensics teams travels to competitions across the state. On April 13 the team will be going to Dexter for regionals, and then to Oakland University for the state competition on May 3 and 4 if they win regionals. The school that earns the most individual points receives a team trophy.

Forensics is a competitive public speaking and drama club. The competition has two sides: public address and dramatic interpretation.

Public speaking focuses on current events and the students in this group perform simulated news broadcasts, practice and revise speeches and research current topics in the news to prepare for impromptu and

In Brief GSA GRANT

TRI-COUNTY TALENT SHOW

Photo by Kayla Lovely

Andrea Krueger coaches the forensics club to relax in a group of people. She had the team play a modified version of “Duck, Duck, Goose” to make them more comfortable around one another. persuasive speeches.

Dramatic interpretation includes storytelling and literature, which could be reciting poetry or a dramatic interpretation of a piece of a play.

Students in this section choose a piece of literature at the beginning of the season. They then rehearse and perform that piece the entire season.

“It’s my passion. You can be yourself. It’s a great experience,” sophomore Rachel Stacey said.

Freshman Emma Hanvey said the tournament at Alma College was a highlight for her.

“It was bigger and we got to compete to see how good we were.”

She said she will be participating in forensics again next year.

Forensics public address coach and social studies teacher Guil Northrup has been involved with this team for 12-15 years. He said he likes being a forensics coach because the students in the club are all highly motivated.

He has the students in his public address group practice and revise s p e e c h e s. S t u d e n t s re s e a rc h topics and then perform them at

competitions.

Krueger said this team was a great experience for her future. She will be entering college soon, and she wants to go into some sort of art.

“It taught me how to be a leader,” Krueger said. “(It’s also) a chance for me to have fun in the school year and not sit at home and do nothing.”

So far this year the team has gone to five competitions. Their sixth competition and most recent was the novice tournament on March 19 in Dexter. Results of the competition are still pending.

Quiz Bowl assembled for last challenge

Students compete against staff Sydney Holmes staff writer

To end their winter season, the Quiz Bowl team participated in the Staff Challenge. The student vs. teacher competition is held three times a year: once in November, once in January, and once in March.

In the most recent Staff Challenge held March 12, the students beat the teachers 2-1. Overall, the students beat the teachers 7-2 for the year.

March 2013

The Gay-Straight-Alliance (GSA) was given a grant to promote safe driving habits for teens. This grant allowed them to give out the bracelets, t-shirts and pins at lunch last month during their “Buckle up, Hang up, Heads up, It Adds Up” campaign. They were competing against other schools, and whichever school did the best to promote safe driving was awarded a prize. The 25 GSA students won first place and now get to go to the Ford Michigan Proving Grounds in April to learn to safely drive new 2014 Ford cars. The efforts of GSA worked, according to their data, which was based on the fact that there were no accidents the night of Winterfest.

news editor

opinion editor Upcoming freshmen and seniors are facing potential changes in the next school year.

As a result of the state’s economic downturn, less money has been allocated per student from the state. This has had a substantial effect on the school district because more than 80 percent of the district’s revenue comes from state funding.

The administration’s latest proposal to improve the budget involves making alterations to the current Ninth Grade Campus. Officials are working toward making the freshman building into a 12th grade stand-alone college campus, known as Holt’s North Campus.

“We can’t predict what will happen a year from now,” Student Success Coordinator Joann Weil told students. Weil spoke to students at an informational meeting on Friday, March 1 that took place in the east MIC room. “We’re trying to explore our options so we can avoid making serious cuts.”

In an ideal situation, the amount of money that is provided for each student would increase throughout the years. Instead, the funding cut by $470 in the 2008-09 school year and has now reached a plateau. With less money available, the district hasn’t had much choice than to dip into the savings account to help pay for necessary expenditures.

“The motivation behind these changes isn’t only the money issues. We also want to help the students become more college and career ready when they leave our school,” Executive Director of Curriculum and Staff Development Dean Manikas said, when administration presented the plan to students at the informational meeting.

Working with Olivet College, LCC and potentially other schools, the new senior campus will offer a variety of senior-only classes that will provide college credit. The motive to bring these college level courses to the high school is to give the students who participate in dual enrollment the option to stay in the building and receive the same opportunities.

However, in order to attend the senior campus, students must reach senior status, credit wise.

According to administration, students who attend the senior campus will be granted more freedom

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Photo by Sydney Holmes

Quiz Bowl ended their season with a competition between faculty and students. The students won the Staff Challenge 2-1.

“We use [the Staff Challenge] as a way to prepare for important competitions against different

opponents. It’s also a way for students to show the staff what they know and for the teachers to show the students what they know,” math teacher Dave Hildebrandt said.

Quiz Bowl is a question-based game in which two teams compete against each other to quickly answer questions from a range of topics including sports, current events, pop culture and many different school subjects.

Those are just a few of the many topics members of the Quiz Bowl team are expected to know when competing head-to-head with an opponent.

The game consists of multiple four-member teams, all equipped with buzzers, who try to answer

questions as quickly as possible.

Questions are read off and whoever buzzes in first answers. Points are awarded for correct answers and the team with the most points in the end wins.

“My favorite part about Quiz Bowl is that the questions are about really obscure things that most people may not know,” junior Rehja Hammond said.

This past winter season the team ended on a good note by placing eighth out of 20 in the Tri-County league.

“We did better than years before,” Hammond said. “We got eighth place out of roughly 25 teams which was really good.”

Student finalists from the tri-county area will be given the chance to show off their talents Saturday, April 13 at Dewitt High School. Performers who tried out March 2 had one shot to impress the panel of judges in hopes of becoming one of the 16 to possibly win the first place prize of $500. HHS will be represented by three finalists: sophomore Karena Lewis, and juniors Dominic Mosher and Genesis Powell.

DECA

Students who proceeded on from the DECA regionals, took the road to Grand Rapids for state finals Friday, March 15. Coming out on top, senior Austin Carr took first place in the state in the Human Resources event. Senior Troy Delong took the alternate spot in his event. The next step for Carr and Delong is Anaheim, California where they will compete in nationals on April 24-28.

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARTS AND LETTERS

Three students were showcased in the National Society of Arts and Letters poetry contest. Juniors Megan Schneider and Briana Minor were awarded honorable mentions and won $20. Senior Rachel Dillingham won third place overall. These students will read their winning pieces at Schuler’s book store in Okemos on April 25. Anyone can attend to this event and support their classmates.

News

4

March 2013

Holt High School Ramparts

Science Olympiad team qualifies for states Team heads to states once again Maya Fews staff writer The quote “history repeats itself” is something that may cause some people to become uneasy, but for the Science Olympiad team going to the state tournament has been part of the season for many years.

On top of qualifying for the state championship, the team also placed first at the regional competition.

States will take place on April 27 at MSU. “We had worked hard and we saw it all falling into place. It was touch and go at some points. Going into the awards ceremony we were in third place, but only after eight events were in,” science teacher Heather Peterson said.

Science Olympiad includes 23 total events that consist of building events or testing events on subjects like rocks and minerals, astronomy and forestry. The team practices every Tuesday, Wednesday and

Thursday after school. At practice, depending on the event, students either build an object that will be tested at competition or make a note sheet in preparation for competition, where they will be tested on the material.

“The best part is spending time with friends and doing a subject that I love,” sophomore Ian Patterson said.

After the regional tournament, the team took some time off due to the MME testing and conferences and

hard “andWewehadsawworked it all falling into place.

- - s c i e n c e”t e a c h e r Heather Peterson

resumed practices to start preparing for the state competition in late April.

“We will be going over the rules for competition because sometimes the criteria for events change at state, and learn new information because the tests are always harder at states,” sophomore Ellen Weise said.

The state championship will be harder for the team due to the level

of difficulty that may be added to the event, and they will be going against schools from around Michigan who are very strong competitors.

The criteria for states will also change, like the number of students that a school can have on one team.

Each school is only allowed to have 15 students with a maximum of seven seniors. A mock tournament was held at practice to determine the 15 students who would be participating at states.

“States is extremely hard. It differs from regular invitational and regional competitions because of difficulty. You’re practically taking college exams or even higher, and competing against the best schools of your state,” senior Zach Ly said.

This year the team has a total of 48 students, a strength and weakness for the team. Because of the large team this year at the regional tournament, Holt had three teams for regionals: one team where results from events were counted and two alternate teams.

“There will be more people to carry on next year when the seniors are gone, and we have more people to work on the different events,” senior Jacob Casanova said.

News

Holt High School Ramparts

Photo by Alexxis VanPelt

Photo by Maya Fews

Sophomore Kevin Le (left) and freshman Robert Caldwell (right) create and test their boomilevers at a practice for the state championship. Science Olympiad includes 23 total events that consist of building or testing.

TATU aspires to be the change they want to see Teens Against Tobacco dedicate time now for a better tomorrow staff writer

1958 Cedar St Holt, mi 48842 517.694.7788 www.stevenlmarvin.com

March 2013

Juniors Sydney Long, Morgan Seymour, Michaela Krohn and senior Maci Palmer visit Washington Woods fifth grade students to discuss peer pressure and methods of resistance. The audience is involved in an activity where a “what if” scenario is re-enacted.

Rachel Dillingham

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From the beginning of their school days, students struggle to resist peer pressure. Some will withstand the urge to partake in tobacco and narcotic use; some will not. A plethora of reasons initiate this resistance: parents, health concerns, values. Values are obtained from many sources. One organization against the use of such substances in particular is Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU).

“It’s a group of students, roughly 25, who have spent three to six hours of training outside of school,” health teacher Elizabeth Graf said.

TATU is an informational student group lead by Graf, whose goal is to enlighten Holt’s youth about peer pressure and tobacco.

They spend time outside of school teaching younger students that attend Holt’s elementary and middle schools, “We work to promote peer resistance: the choices you make and how to handle it. We also talk about the negative effects of tobacco,” junior Emma Sluiter said.

Informing the youth can be a crucial component for future knowledge, building blocks for a better tomorrow.

“We bring information where it is needed, and it is important for future high schoolers,” sophomore Connor Webster said.

TATU has adopted this concept and made it one of their main foci. Information is the first component. Second is

preparation and familiarity. Introducing and explaining drugs and peer pressure is half of the process. TATU members must understand the cause in order to teach the effects.

After TATU participants have their parent or guardian sign a permission slip, allowing them to leave school for a varying duration of time, visits are held on half day Wednesdays.

“I usually ask my sister Emma Webster for a ride. She is a member of TATU,” Webster said.

This strategy keeps the group from missing full class periods. Members are not provided transportation, therefore, they carpool with those who have a driver’s license.

“We split up into groups of 10. The first group talks about the facts and the dangers, while the second group shares how to deal and resist the pressures,” Sluiter said.

Leaders from the senior high that are proud members of TATU are either recruited by Graf or volunteer for college reference. A member of TATU must have good attendance, GPA and most importantly a positive persona; be a rolemodel, a leader.

“I work hard as a student, and I am proud to be a role model for younger kids. It is satisfying,” junior Kailee Barnes said.

The general gist is to influence younger students to be prepared for adolescent pressures that are in the years to come. TATU uses 10th through 12th graders as their representatives. The philosophy is to use teens, who are more relatable than adults.

“Kids seem really interested in what we have to say.

They get involved when we are doing activities and they aren’t shy to participate,” Barnes said.

Finding rides, making up class work, and learning to teach are just a few characteristics of a TATU member.

“We don’t just learn about a topic and present. They believe what they are talking about; we believe in what we preach,” Sluiter said.



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Viewpoints

March 2013

Holt High School Ramparts

Our View Spring break: Stay safe, stay sunny

A

recent tragedy that occurred earlier this month was the death of a college student from Potterville. 20-year-old Kyle Lamb

Good intentions, bad execution Middle college is not the answer

was found unresponsive around 11 p.m. at Raccoon River

Campground in Panama City Beach, Florida on Wednesday, March 6, where Lamb was camping with his friends for spring break. He was later pronounced dead early the next morning.

Local police believed that Lamb died from an extensive intake of alcohol. Lamb’s death is a reminder to students that when we have more freedom than we usually have, things can go horribly wrong very quickly.

The Ramparts staff would like everyone to be safe and make decisions wisely, during spring break. Here are some tips the staff thinks might help.

1. If you go out for a walk in an unfamiliar place, walk in well lit areas.

There could be strangers looking to take advantage of tourists.

2. Don’t go to places that you aren’t sure of alone. You never know who is there or what could happen. Always tell someone where you are going and what your plans are.

3. Remember drinking alcohol is illegal if you are under the age of 21. A minor in possession citation (MIP) is something you don’t want on your record.

4. If you go to a party don’t accept open drinks from people you don’t know. They could have been tampered with.

5. If you go somewhere for spring break, be polite to the locals. They know the area and can be very helpful to you having a fun and safe time.

6. Don’t get into a car with someone who has been drinking or is under the influence of other substances. Your life isn’t worth the risk. Try to find another ride by calling a parent or friend.

It’s important to be safe and make good choices. By following these tips you can ensure you have a safe spring break.

ramparts Editors in Chief:

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

Adviser:

Zahra Ahmad Zack Gilliland Kayla Lovely Hannah Marsh Maya Fews Cody Worden Noah Goldblatt Sean Bulkowski, Abby Cousineau, Rachel Dillingham, Nadia Gedeon, Sydney Holmes, Courtney Houser, Anissa Martinez, Stacie Skinker, Kylee Voorhis, Bryce Zippi 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.

Stacie Skinker

W

ith national and state debt on the rise, education is the first to feel the beating.

Reductions in both state assistance and federal stimulus have forced school districts everywhere to make tough decisions in order to save money and keep on budget.

As for Holt Public Schools, the new proposal on the block is what school board officials refer to as “Holt’s North Campus” – a plan to clear out the Ninth Grade Campus and convert it into an all-s enior building. Although this plan would allow for more incoming freshman at the senior high, resulting in more money on count day, the negative effects offset the advantages in far too many instances.

First of all, with less than six months until the start of the 201314 school year, why is the public only hearing about this now? For something that could potentially go into effect as early as this September, don’t you think more public planning, and just planning in general would have taken place?

Your View Spring Sports start too early Dear Editor, March in Michigan is freezing.

We star ted spr ing spor ts on March 11. I myself play tennis this spring. It’s cold.

I have to wear sweatpants, two sweatshirts, hats, mittens and really warm fuzzy socks. I think we should start spring sports after spring break.

We have to cancel some of our tennis practices because we can’t get to Court One or MSU. The other day, I saw the girls soccer team practicing in the gym. I also play soccer, and I know for a fact that playing soccer in a gym doesn’t work too well.

We shouldn’t have to bring our winter jackets to spring sports. It still snows in March. What about the track team? They have to run

I’ve attended multiple school board meetings since the new proposal has been dropped on us, and I’ve probably heard “possibly”, “ w e ’ r e n o t q u i t e s u r e y e t ,” “potentially,” and “I don’t know,” at least a dozen times each. That is concerning. With so little time left, we can’t still have questions left half-answered or even unanswered altogether. Nobody wants to go to a school that was thrown together at the last minute, especially since the board doesn’t even vote on this until June. That leaves only a few months until the start of school.

say this “willProponents better prepare

us for college, but isn’t that what we’re in high school for right now?

”

Moving to the Ninth Grade Campus would also cause problems with all of our scheduling. Most of us have already scheduled specific senior classes according to the career paths we want to pursue.

With classes being added and other classes being across the road, some question the ability to make all chosen classes work.

Take Journalism or Yearbook, for example. These two classes are upperclassmen classes. The in the cold and snow too.

The colder it is, the harder it is to play a sport. Even if you stretch and condition, your muscles could still be stiff because of the cold.

We do conditioning in tennis and even after 15 minutes of suicides, foot work drills, hand drills and running laps, we are still freezing. I wake up with a lot of pains because the cold affects my muscles and how they work.

Bottom line is that spring sports need to start after spring break.

Jessica Sweet, sophomore Shop classes should be offered Dear Editor, I have always had a thought that there should be shop classes.

Shop classes like, a woodwork class, a welding class, and an

publications lab is located at the current 10-12 campus. If seniors move, it will disrupt instructional time, class chores, and can lead to more travel hazards. The school store, Weight Training, LINKS and other elective classes would also fall victim.

On top of that, the move wouldn’t make the counselors’ jobs any easier either, dealing with the extra mess of rescheduling. Just thinking logistics, these all won’t work.

Senior year is our year to shine, to feel on top and to be role models for the younger students. To seclude us and deny us of that opportunity doesn’t only impact us, but the grades below us as well. Take away that and our senior year experience is out the window, too.

Even the student body as a whole is still shakey about this new idea.

In a Ramparts survey of 145 1012th grade students, 49 percent of students opposed the idea, 37 percent were unsure and only 14 percent supported the idea.

Proponents say this will better prepare us for college, but isn’t that what we’re in high school for right now?

I understand that the ad min ist rat io n want s to save money, and this is definitely an idea they could look at more in the future, but with the time we have now, it’s just not plausible and organized enough to implement any time soon. For now, Middle College is not the answer.

Viewpoints Holt High School Ramparts

Policy should allow more absences for seniors Semester is too long for only three absences

Anissa Martinez

S

econd semester is here, and that means every senior has the chance of being excused from taking all of their exams. This year, for us seniors, it’s a little different.

Sure enough, there are requirements that must be met in order for that to happen.

Only senior students who have accumulated three or fewer absences with none unexcused in any class during the second semester of their senior year may be excused from the final exam in that class. It’s called the Senior Exam Exemption Incentive and is a reward for good attendance.

The policy still remains the same, but we have moved from trimesters to semesters. Moving to semesters

allows much more time to get three absences rather than when we had trimesters. A trimester was 12 weeks long, and semesters are around 17 weeks long. That is around a month more for seniors to accumulate three or more absences, so can’t the policy change to a couple more days than just three?

It’s also important to keep in mind that this semester started during flu season, which brings a higher possibility to miss school and add on to absences. For seniors that are student athletes in the spring, the exam policy can be tricky. Getting injured to where you have to miss school for extended purposes is something an at h l e t e c a n ’ t necessarily control.

Even if you’re not sick or do come to school, you still have the responsibility of showing up on time to all six classes throughout the day.

Three tardies add up to one absence.

Personally, the tardy rule isn’t as big of a deal, but it can be if you don’t just get to class.

Although there is this disadvantage of having a longer time to accumulate

“

three absences, the good part is that if all requirements are met for this policy, we only have to take first semester exams. Even if you did have to take your exams second semester, it’s still one less set of exams you’d have to take rather than if we still had trimesters.

Ultimately, seniors at our school are very lucky to even have this opportunity, so it’s hard to complain.

If you do become a senior that has to take exams, you still get out early, but you come in the Tuesday after the rest of the seniors get out to take them, and then you’re free to go.

All in all, there are pros and cons to the senior exam policy with semesters in place. The policy has always been t h e s a m e, a n d it’s meant to be something that’s earned, not given.

While that is easy to agree with, it’s also easy to see the other end of the spectrum where it is hard to not accumulate absences with a longer period of time to do so. Believe it or not, even just given four days instead of three could save a lot of seniors from taking those exams.

It’s meant to be something earned not given.

”

Hot or not?

Being ecofriendly:

Helping the environment.

Plant a garden this spring; recycle plastic and paper.

7

March 2013 Leaving a carbon footprint: Helping pollute the world. Don’t be a drag on our supply of oxygen.

Speak up

If you could choose one food to eat for an entire week, what would it be and why?

“Lasagna because my grandma makes the best lasagna. I could eat it all day long.”

Katelyn Lander, junior

“I would pick pizza because it’s my favorite food.”

Jessica Mendez, sophomore

“Chinese food because it’s good and my favorite food.”

Maurice Armstrong, sophomore

automobile class.

Many students who know what they want to do in life change their mind when they get some experience on what they wanted to do.

For people who would like to work on manufacturing or work in the automotive industry. They should take some kind of shop class.

This would at least make sure what they want to do is what they actually will end up doing in their future.

Alex Gaukel, sophomore

“BBQ chicken because it’s really good,especially when it’s charred.”

Marcus Hamilton, junior

“I would choose pizza because you can put different toppings on it.”

Brittany Swejkoski, senior

Corrections

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 Cartoon by Bryce Zippi

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.

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March 2013

Two Cents

Features Holt High School Ramparts

Book a trip and go global Sean Bulkowski staff writer

Hannah Marsh

How ready are you?

I

t seems like students don’t get the chance to be independent in high school. We don’t get to choose when our classes are, we don’t always get to wear what we want to, and we can’t use our cell phones during the day. Why is that?

School is supposed to prepare us for ‘real life.’ For college and a career. We should be able to decide for ourselves what’s appropriate and what’s not.

If we didn’t have so many rules limiting us from making our own decisions, we might gain a little maturity. If there weren’t any rules it wouldn’t be anarchy. It’s not like we would run around yelling and screaming. In all honesty, we’d probably carry on the same way do now. We’d follow the same guidelines, but because we want to, not because someone is telling us to. This, in the end, would help us function better in ‘real life’ because we’d know how to make these choices for ourselves.

When it’s time to get a job and schedule college courses, no one’s going to hold your hand and say “Don’t use your phone during class.”

Or “No texting at work.” It’s something that you just need to know. When I go to work, my managers don’t follow me around making sure I don’t use my phone. They trust me to be able to make that decision myself. But for some reason, we aren’t trusted with the same responsibility at school.

How will we be prepared for the real world if we don’t have practice making smart choices? And it’s not only cell phones. Granted, I think that’s the biggest thing, but dress code, school bells -- the list goes on.

No bell rings when it’s time for you to go to work. No bell rings when your class starts in college. You have to know how to get there on time.

But all of our preparation for ‘the real world’ doesn’t include the same responsibility. Does that make sense?

Not really.

I think that kids aren’t given enough credit to do the smart thing.

Sure, we’ll make mistakes, but we’re smart. We know how we should behave, what’s acceptable and what’s not. If we didn’t have so many rules telling us what to do, then people would see that.

With nearly 200 countries in the world, the United States is often not satisfactory to many to be the only place to spend their time. Oftentimes just reading about global destinations or viewing pictures doesn’t come close to the in-person experience. Many different factors come into play of why someone wants to visit a certain city or country, and some students share the places they hope to visit and what attracts them to these places.

ICELAND Junior Justin Green hopes to visit Iceland because his grandma had visited and gave a good review.

“Her stories made it seem like a pretty interesting trip, like she saw polar bears and stuff,” Green said.

He hopes to see what Iceland’s natural side is like.

“I would go whale watching, see the wolves and hot geysers and other natural sights,” Green said.

Green hopes to go after college when he has a family.

Germany

GREECE

Sophomore Nick Magee hopes to visit his relatives residing in Munich.

“I have family that mostly live in Munich, so that’s the main reason I want to visit Germany.

I haven’t been able to visit them there yet,” Magee said.

While Magee’s there, he hopes to visit Germany’s biggest festival and see as much of the country as possible.

“I want to visit Oktoberfest, since it looks really fun with parties and things,” Magee said. “I’d also want to take a train tour that goes around the outside of the entire country of Germany.”

Magee hopes to make the trip soon with his grandma, who is 86. ’s

Senior Olivia Krish wants to spend time in Greece to absorb the ancient history it still preserves, while being oceanside.

“It’s on the Mediterranean Sea, which has really clear water and nice weather. It’s just a beautiful country,” Krish said.

“I want to visit the white stone villages, the island of Santorini, the Parthenon, the origins of the Olympics and other museums of ancient artifacts.”

Krish hopes to make the voyage either studying abroad or after college with some of her friends.

Either way, she wants to go while she young.

Dont be bored this break Check out these tips to have fun over spring break Nadia Gedeon staff writer Staying home during spring break doesn’t have to be boring. You can do a lot of fun things without going out of town. Hanging out with friends and family is always fun to do over break.

“I like to sleep, relax and take a break,” senior Sarah Southwell said.

Everybody loves to sleep in when there’s no school, but students shouldn’t waste the day away. One tip: don’t sit in the house all of break.

Here are some things to do to keep busy:

1

Cool Down With Some Ice Cream

Go out for ice cream. Ice cream shops are all over town like Dairy Dan, Sweet Sensations, Cold Stone, and many more.

Some are even close enough to walk to. It’s always fun and get ice cream to go and hang out with your friends.

“People should come to Dairy Dan’s because we have good quality ice cream, and we’re open early,” junior Averie Harris said.

Sophomore Sierra Scheier wants to head down under because she loves Australian accents and is intrigued by what the country has to offer.

“I want to visit the Sydney Opera House, the beach and, obviously, see the kangaroos,” Schreier said.

Photos by Sean Bulkowski and Zahra Ahmad.

Map provided by Bruce Jones design Inc. 2009, Used with permission.

If you’re is a hockey fan, the Red Wings are playing a hockey game April 7 at 12:30 p.m. at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit against the San Jose Sharks.

“I play hockey and I like to watch professional hockey,” junior Jacob Thompson said.

Thompson will be attending the game. Come out and watch if you’re a hockey fan or if you’re just bored at home.

4 5

9

Buying new clothes can keep you busy.

“I like to go to the mall because I like to buy new stuff, and sitting home all day would be boring,” Caitlin Lentz said.

The mall is a great place to go shopping. It’s filled with the stores that teens love. The Meridian Mall, Lansing Mall and the Eastwood Towne Center are all close, so go and shop till you drop.

Australia

6

Dodge A Puck At A Hockey Game

7 8

Shop ‘til You Drop!

Junior Austin Sehy finds interest in the culture and architecture that China contains.

“I want to get into architecture when I’m older, and I’m really intrigued with the architecture in China and also their really unique culture with their political system and society,” Sehy said.

Sehy’s strong interest in architecture leads him to simply want to go sightseeing.

“I just want to see unique cities and buildings to get a feel for their architecture and to learn as much about it as possible,” Sehy said. “I also think it’d be really interesting to see the Great Wall of China.”

Photo by Abriel Cousineau

Many students spend spring break in front of the television all day, as junior Sarah Shaffer demonstrates above.

2 3

The roller skating rink is a great place to go over spring break. It’s fun to go skate and hang out with friends or family.

“You can play laser tag with your friends. It’s a lot of fun,” senior Nick Harmon said.

CHINA

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Holt High School Ramparts

Skate For The Health of It!

UGANDA

Senior Surayya Maultsby wants to set sail to Uganda in order to pursue her interest in humanitarian aid.

“Uganda has a deep history of struggle, such as political struggle, stories of child soldiers, war and so-on in their country, and I just feel the people there have a lot of potential to be a well-off country.”

“Instead of just throwing money at them, I feel it’s better to go in and get them educated and more self-sufficient so they can be successful as an independent country. It’s like the saying, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’,” Maultsby said.

Maultsby hopes to go there for study abroad or go after college for two to three years when she can really put the time needed to make a difference.

Features

Rock Out At A Concert

Forever a Hero will be performing at the Loft March 29. The local rock band will be performing their last concert at 6 p.m. Tickets are $8. See them perform hits like “Reflection”.

Hit A Home Run With The Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are going to be playing an intense game against the New York Yankees on April 5 at 1:05 p.m. This big game will be played at Comerica Park in Detroit.

All the baseball fans should come out and support the team. The prices can range anywhere between $8 and $581 depending on where you sit.

Get Dinner And A Show

Want dinner and a movie? Go to Studio C located in Okemos. The restaurant there is Oscar’s Bistro, which has great food. They play all the new movies that are coming out plus serve dinner.

Catch A Flick!

“Jurassic Park” comes out in 3-D at Celebration Cinema on April 5. Movie fans will enjoy this big production, especially the fans of the “Jurassic Park” series. People who have never seen the movies can experience it for the first time in 3-D, which would make it that much more fun.

Watch Your Hometown Heroes Play Hoop

The Detroit Pistons are playing a game in Auburn Hills against the Toronto Raptors. On March 29, the game starts at 7 p.m. The price can range between $10 - $210, Basketball fans should really enjoy this event.

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Get Two Parks For The Price Of One

Who doesn’t love amusement parks? Michigan Adventure located in Muskegon is a lot of fun to visit over spring break.

The rides are big and fast and those who don’t like big rides, there’s smaller rides for those people, too.

One ticket costs $28, so come out and have fun and enjoy the rides.

March 2013 

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March 2013

Tips For Survival

Abby Cousineau

Simple Solutions

I

went through a stressful week this month, taking the ACT’s, the test that decides what your future will be. I was going into overload with studying and doing my other school work, and I really wish I had known then how to properly manage stress.

But I got through it somehow, and afterward I learned a lot of new tips about how to handle stress, and even how to avoid it altogether. And what better time to learn how to de-stress than a week off from school and stress itself? When you return back to school from spring break you will be able to manage stress effectively and know the tips to do it.

You may be dealing with stress in unhealthy ways, like by spending hours in front of the TV or computer, overeating, or even by turning to drugs or alcohol as an escape. But there are much better and healthier ways to manage your stress, like by taking a short break, exercising, spending time outdoors, relaxing, taking deep breaths, or doing a fun activity that you enjoy.

It is very important to find the balance between fun time and work time, though. If you spend too much time doing either one, it will cause even more stress. It is not healthy to spend all your time studying, nor is it healthy to spend all your time doing recreational activities.

Some more helpful tips that will help you steer clear of stress include: • Don’t procrastinate. Waiting until the last minute to do important tasks is never a good idea.

Always try to save enough time to effectively accomplish them.

• Make lists. Put the most important task at the top and cross things off as you accomplish them. This will help put things in perspective for you.

• And try to avoid the people, places and things that cause you stress.

Stress management is a useful skill to learn that can be used throughout the rest of your life, especially going through emotional situations, school, and going into college and your future jobs.

Features Holt High School Ramparts

Rules for the open road What to know before you get the keys

Team iPhone Students express themselves through phone cases editor-in-chief Many types of cases are avaible for the iPhone. Some of them are to protect the fragile phone, such as the Otter Box. Some people may get a certain kind of case to show off a favorite action hero, like Wolverine or Captain America, or to reflect their personality.

staff writer There’s one thing that stops you from taking the open road for the first time, and that’s the road test.

Whether you decide to take it way past your 16 th birthday or right when you turn 16, before you get that cool little plastic card with your face on it, you have to pass the test.

For most people it’s a breeze. For others, it may not come as easy.

With practice and two segments of driver education, passing should be a piece of cake.

Sachiko Robison

that may have confused y o u .

Correct y o u r mistakes.

The next time you practice, pay particular attention to correcting any driving errors you made the time before.

“After I passed I felt fabulous and free,” senior Nathalie Dalton said.

Keep these pointers in mind and passing the road test should be no problem.

Second time’s the charm Unfortunately, not everyone passes the road test their first time.

“The most common mistakes for failing are turning on an unprotected left turn, blowing past red lights, and running stop signs,” Kauma said.

Senior Alexis Dorer was willing to admit she did not pass the road test her first time taking it.

“I was so sad and upset; I thought I was never going to pass,” Dorer said.

Luckily you can re-take the test as early as the next day.

“The second time taking it, all I thought to myself was ‘watch for stop signs and relax’,” Dorer said.

With that, she successfully passed.

Even if you fail your first time or maybe your fourth time taking it, you

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Holt High School Ramparts

Zack Gilliland

Anissa Martinez

When do you plan to take it?

Every teenager wants to get their license right on their 16th birthday.

“My 16th birthday is in May, so I plan to take the test some time before my birthday,” sophomore Megan Winquist said.

Some teens will wait until a couple of months after they turn 16 or even as late as 18 years old. The road test can be set up by calling Capital Area Driving School, or any driving school that is convenient to plan a time and place.

“I have a lot of adults that still take the road test,” driver education instructor Ben Kauma said. “My advice is just to take it as soon as you feel ready.”

Easy peezy lemon squeezy While the road test is a big step into adulthood, it can be easy if you’re prepared properly. According to some states’ Department of Motor Vehicles, the biggest key to passing the first time is practice, practice and practice. Most people feel confident taking the test with minimal experience, which is a common reason for failure the first time. Some drivers need more practice than others.

Minors must complete 50 hours of b ehind-the-whe el training (including ten hours of required night driving) before taking a driving test. When you practice, pretend you are taking a driving test. Ask your accompanying driver to calmly point out your mistakes. Ask questions about a particular driving situation

Features

Phone case: Case with wings Where she bought it: Rue 21 Why she got the case: “It was cheap and I liked it.

I think it shows I’m a free spirit. I really like the color and the wings.”

Amount spent: $5

March 2013

Josh Wiles

Nick Harmon

Phone case: Hulk Where he bought it: Meijer Amount spent: $10, on clearance Why he got the case: “Because the Hulk and Captain America are awesome.”

Type of case: Waterproof case Where he bought it: Best Buy Why he got the case: “I wanted to be able to swim with my phone and not worry about my phone getting damaged.”

Amount spent : $80

Brendan Goodrich

Phone case: Pictures of him and his girlfriend Where he bought it: “I designed it and bought it off Casetagram.”

Why he got the case: “It was a surprise for her birthday.”

Amount spent: $30-40

Jacklyn Johnson Phone case: Pictures of her and her boyfriend Where she bought it: It was customized on casemate.com Why she got the case: “It was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend.”

Amount spent: $30-40

Photos by Zack Gilliland and Rachel Dillingham

Illustration by Anissa Martinez

are always able to retake the test until you pass.

What to keep in mind While first-timers for the road test might be nervous, keep in mind that the road test only usually lasts around 20 minutes, not including the parking.

“Stay relaxed and don’t over think,” Dalton said.

Learning to drive safely does not end with your driving test. Your license means you have met the driving test requirements. However, in everyday driving you will have to deal with many situations and problems you did not encounter on your driving test. The best way to deal with unexpected situations is to always use the same safe driving habits and the responsible attitude you demonstrated on your driving test.

Did you know?

• According to the University of California-Irvine researchers, bad driving is hereditary. About 30 percent of Americans have a specific genetic variant that results in being a less-skilled driver.

• Playing “Grand Theft Auto” can make you a worse driver.

According to a Dartmouth College study, adolescent drivers who regularly play “Grand Theft Auto” are nearly twice as likely to be pulled over by the police.

• We could take driving tips from ants. Army ants are some of the most efficient commuters in the world. Animal behaviorists have found that ants “commute” along trails that function like three-lane highways with welldefined rules of the road.

Source: theweek.com

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March 2013

That’s Entertainment

Bryce Zippi

Drugs in Films

I

s the use of alcohol and drugs in film, becoming an issue nowadays?

The answer is yes. I do believe that movies that contain those substances like “Project X,” “21 and Over,” or the newly released “Spring Breakers,” are becoming an issue in the Hollywood Industry.

“Spring Breakers” is especially getting a lot of controversy because kids are seeing Selena Gomez on TV drinking and smoking, and parents are furious. I can see why. That’s why “Spring Breakers” got a hard ‘R’ rating. Without the drugs and alcohol, “Spring Breakers” could have easily been PG-13.

Dating back, drugs and alcohol weren’t much of a problem in movies.

Movies such as “Grease,” or “The Breakfast Club” didn’t really encourage it as much. There would be a plot with a character doing drugs or drinking, but it wouldn’t focus on it. But now, movies seem to only focus on those things.

Whether characters are smoking or drinking, people don’t watch the movie. They only look at how much fun the characters are having while doing it.

Kids think it’s okay to drink and party like the characters in “Project X,” or be a stoner like the ones in “Pineapple Express.” I’m not trying to diss on these movies-I actually enjoy them. But throughout the movies, characters are either seen drinking or smoking pot. It just gets old after a while. Honestly, do you really want to watch someone get high for an hour and a half?

Parents right now are concerned and think that any movie with drugs or alcohol in it should get an ‘R’ rating.

I don’t think that’s right because kids will still see the movie anyway when it comes out on DVD or Blu-Ray. Kids are sneaky and they find anyway to see it as possible. But parents need to trust their kids and what they are doing.

An ‘R’ rating wouldn’t do anything except keep immature kids from seeing these movies. Maybe if movies didn’t have that much drugs and alcohol in them, we wouldn’t have this problem. It was a problem moviegoers should have been asking themselves a long time ago instead of right now.

The Hot Spot Holt High School Ramparts

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ in the theater Actors put on rendition of Broadway play

Abby Cousineau

sports editor



staff writer Have you ever tasted a food that you haven’t had in a long time, and come to realize that it doesn’t taste as good as you remembered?

Well, this is because as you grow older your taste buds change, and so does your preference in other things, too. Your tastes in music and entertainment change with you, as you grow older and more sophisticated.

“As I matured my taste did too. I went from watching cartoons to watching more mature shows that have more adult humor,” junior Alex Reid said.

When you were a younger, you probably watched developmental shows that taught you good morals or simple skills. But now, you have moved on to more sophisticated

“Rugrats’”was our first favorite. The main characters were kids who went on funny adventures.

Photo by Maya Fews



things like reality television. Funny how that works isn’t it?

Being a kid was easy. You didn’t have a lot of school work or drama to worry about.

Reminiscing about the good old days brings back a lot of good memories. And the shows we used to watch when we were growing up will always be remembered.

So let’s take a journey back in time and visit the T V shows that students used to love when they were little. And also s ee how our preference in television has evolved over time, as we grew up.

In elementary school...

In Kindergarten...

(Left to right) Junior Adam Parry, senior Jake Hitchcock, junior Elaina Coscarella, senior Makayla Kost, sophomore Julianna Drachman, and freshman Maddie Roberts practice at afternoon rehearsals, which take place Monday-Thursday.

The play will be the last play for Halle Snead, and sophomore Katie in the play is the chance to express themselves, and try new things.

McCarthy at HHS, and he looks back Finnerty.

“It’s our passions, which makes it The actors in the play say they like upon his career fondly.

“I’ve been in two plays, and six or performing because of the people more fun to do,” Kost said McCarthy says the subtle nuances so musicals, and I’ve had fun in all of they work with and the attitude of of acting are what makes the play those involved. them,” McCarthy said.

“I like being in the play because of worth it.

One of the main parts of the story “I like to go out, try different energy is Tevye dealing with the changing the family atmosphere,”said senior times, and trying to reconcile his Makayala Kost, who plays Grandma levels and try to do good things with it,” McCarthy said. traditions and religion with the new Tzeitel in ‘Fiddler.’

The play runs Thursday, April 18 Sophomore Melodie Baker, who way of life. through Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m.

Tevye also has to deal with his five plays Goldie, agrees with Kost.

“The fun that we have makes it and Sunday, April 21 at 2 p.m. in the daughters growing up, and beginning worthwhile, we all have a lot of good Margaret Livensparger Theater. lives of their own.

Tickets are $10 for general His daughters are played by times in the play,” Baker said.

McCarthy and Kost both agree admission or $8 for students with ID seniors Heather Baum and Megan Myers, juniors Emily Hadick and that one of the best parts of being or seniors over the age of 60.

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Holt High School Ramparts

Students reminisce about favorite old TV shows

Noah Goldblatt “Fiddler on the Roof,” a play set in a Jewish village dealing with changing times in Tsarist Russia circa 1905, will be put on by students actors from April 18 to April 20.

The play was first performed on Broadway in 1964, and is Broadway’s fifth longest running musical in history.

The musical also was nominated for 10 Tony awards and won nine, including awards for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Choreography.

There was also a movie version of the play in 1971, based off the 1964 version, which received critical acclaim.

The play is directed by social studies teacher Dave Runyon, and the actors rehearse every MondayThursday from 3-6 p.m.

The lead role of the play is filled by senior Colin McCarthy, who plays Tevye, the poor, religious farmer and milkman the play is centered around.

McCarthy has been active on the stage since his freshman year and estimates he’s starred in 8-10 plays and musicals.

He likes the plays because it gives him a chance to live a different life and be a different person.

“I get to step out of my own shoes and into another character’s. I get to be creative, and express myself onstage,“ McCarthy said.

The Hot Spot Back in the day

“‘Rugrats’ was funny, and it was also kind of relatable back then because all the characters were kids,” sophomore Emily Russell said.

“Spongebob’” and “Catdog”are cartoons, both featured on Nickelodeon. “Catdog” is on during “The 90’s are All That” program on TeenNick.

“I could never really relate to a sponge, but I liked the childish humor,” junior Trevor Clark said.

Photo by Nickelodeon. Used with permission.

Photo by Nickelodeon. Used with permission.

In ninth grade...

“The shows were more relatable and entertaining because the characters were teenagers. I could relate to Freddy Beson on ‘ICarly’ because I hung out with a lot of girls like he did,” Reid said.

Photo by Nickelodeon. Used with permission.

“Pretty Little Liars” and “ICarly”both have characters that are teenagers. In “ICarly”, characters host a web show. And in “Pretty Little Liars”, characters are being tormented by the mysterious “A”.

And now...

In middle school... “‘Zoey 101’ was more grown up than cartoons, and it made me think about what high school would be like,” senior Gabby Gomez said.

Photo by Nickelodeon. Used with permission.

“Zoey 101” and “Drake and Josh” were our favorites. Both shows were featured on Nickelodeon. The shows were popular comedies and the characters were teenagers.

“The Walking Dead”and “American Horror Story” are suspensful dramas. Both revolve around supernatural events. In “The Walking Dead”characters try to survive a zombie apocolypse.

And in “American Horror Story” characters are being haunted by spirits and past mistakes. “‘American Horror Story’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ are my favorite shows right now. I like them because they are artistic, entertaining and they are really good stories,” sophomore Patrick Johnson said.

Photo by Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Time/MCT)

March 2013

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

What’s stuck in business teacher Nancy Meredith’s head?

Style of music: “My favorite type of music is classic rock.”

“Le it be” by The Beatles “There are times you just have to let things be.”

“So Far Away” by Carol King “I loved all the songs on her ‘Tapestry’ album.”

“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac “I love the group.”

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

by The Rolling Stones “It is so true.”

“Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton “It’s a sad song, but it has good memories for me. My husband used to play the guitar and my eight-year-old niece would sing the song.”

What’s stuck in senior Jacob Heisey’s head?

Style of music: “I listen to country and alternative music.”

“Tip it on Back” by Dierks Bentley “It reminds me of summer.”

“Radio Active” by Imagine Dragons “It doesn’t sound like anything else on the radio.”

“Lost in My Mind” by The Head and The Heart “It’s a very relaxing song, and I like to drive to it” “Cruise” by Georgia Florida Line “It gets me excited for spring break.”

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

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March 2013

The Press Box BOYS BASKETBALL

record: 18-7-0 league standing: First season highlight: “Being conference champions and then winning districts was just a really cool moment for us to reach as a team,” senior Cullen Smith said. in their words: “A memorable moment would be the district finals game when I got in and made two free-throws and a layup,” junior Alec Gnass said.

CHEERLEADING

season highlight: “Hitting a liberty. It is a stunt where the flyer stands on one foot. We finally got it during a practice,” senior Me’Ayla Woods said. in their words:“It was a different experience being on varsity. The student section and crowd is very interactive for the varsity games,” Woods said.

Sports

Holt High School Ramparts

Sports season springs into action Pre-season preparation brings high hopes to the spring season athletes Courtney Houser, Kylee Voorhis, Bryce Zippi staff writers

Baseball

The first pitch will begin another exciting year for the boys varsity baseball team. With only three returning starters, getting back in the wing of things may take a lot focus.

Committed seniors Andrew Sabrosky and Blake McHenry will be representing the team with college scholarships set in stone.

“It’s going to be a young team, but the outlook of the season should be good,” senior captain Andrew Sabrosky said.

With the loss against Howell at regionals they ended the season with a 30-6 record last year. Moving forward, the young team plans to take advantage of the practice hours they are given to further the expectations of last year to achieve yet another successful season.

season highlight: “Regionals were fun. I was the only guy who qualified for states, as did Darion Greenlee. Everything this season seemed fitting for me. All my practice and hard work really paid off,” senior Martin Welch said. in their words: “I gave the younger bowlers this speech: Are you going to look back at the season and say if only we pushed a little harder, maybe one more throw, one more spare? No! You will use every second you can and you will be successful,” Welch said.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

record: 16-7-0 league standing: Third season highlight: “Winning districts for the sixth consecutive year was a great feeling and this year was easier too, since I knew what to expect as it was my second year on varsity,” sophomore Tara Lierman said. in their words: “Senior Night was memorable because reality finally hit us that this was the last year the seniors would all be playing together and how weird it is to think when tryouts come around next year we won’t be attending,” senior Kayla Valles said.

Lifting and conditioning are some of the ways the girls softball team members prepare themselves for their upcoming season, as well was weekly practice hitting.

“I think we’ll have a very competitive team this year. We are a very dedicated team and we are going to work hard to reach our season goals,” senior Erin Chapman said.

Last season, the girls were 25-12 and came in second in the league.

At districts the girls won, but they lost in the regional championship.

“We just work hard so we can go to districts,” junior Dana Hagerman said.

This year, the girls will be having a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s disease during the Okemos game on May 9 at home and will be going to Myrtle Beach over spring break for training and practice.

“Our main focus is to have the best season in the history of softball at Holt. We have only won the league and districts together one year (2010) and want to win the regional for the first time in school history,” coach Kim Reichard said.

The captains this year are seniors: Erin Chapman, Courtney Houser, Rebecca Howe and Ashlyn Dormer.

Holt High School Ramparts

March 2013

Boys Lacrosse

Photo by Courtney Houser

Soccer

Taking a few practice pitches, senior Andrew Sabrosky talks strategy with junior Mitchel Thurston.

Tennis

Photo by Bryce Zippi

Photo by Courtney Houser

Last fall, seniors Cameron Eliers, Sanda Vazgec and Chris Ford lead the roar of the student section in hope to uplift the boys football team.

Finishing last year’s season with an 18-2 record, the boys plan to pick up where they left off. Heading to the weight room in mid-September, the team had no problem with the early start.

“I have high expectations for the upcoming season,” senior Michael Welch said.

Losing approximately 11 seniors, many of those being essential starters who had led the team to the state finals, raises the bar for the returning players. With the hard work and preparation put in during the off season, their goals plan to be met, each becoming a closer step to the big picture in hope to raise the bar even further.

“I’ve played eight years of lacrosse and a whole lot of training got me to where I am know,” junior captain Paul Shalau said.

Committed to the University of Massachusetts, Schalau’s extended lacrosse career is right around the corner. With his scholarship set in stone, Schalau’s achievement may be able to give that extra push of encouragement the boys need to come together and accomplish their goals for another successful year.

Students toga-out on February 22 boys basketball game.

Boys Golf

Photos by Courtney Houser

Photo by Courtney Houser

Playing indoors every week and practicing two hours every day is how the girls tennis team prepare themselves.

Some of the girls have actually been taking lessons since winter to stay in line.

“Our goal is to finish in the top half of our conference and in the top half of our regional,” coach Patricia Somers said.

Last year, the girls finished in fourth place in the league and went in the bottom half of the regionals. This year, the girls will be getting new uniforms.

“The team has been getting together to discuss what we want this year,” senior Ashleigh Egler-Williams said.

Their expectations this year would be to try and get second place in the district and to beat East Lansing and Grand Ledge.

“Hopefully all of our hard work pays off and we get the outcome we’ve played so hard for,” Vazgec said.

The captains on the team are the seniors: Sanda Vazgec, Caroline Fredline, Mackenzie Fox, and Ashleigh EglerWilliams.

15

Softball

Preparing for the season, girls varsity soccer has been doing after school workouts, twice a week with MSU trainers. Most athletes have been working out in the gym or have been playing with their club teams in the off season. The team is ready to be one of the better teams in the area, senior Gabi Corbin said.

Finishing last season with a record of 9-0-10, one of the main goals this year is to be in the top three and compete in the Gold Cup. The team’s main rivals this year are Okemos, East Lansing, Mason and East Kentwood.

“Our main focus is to beat Okemos and to make it past the first round of districts,” junior Megan Kelly said.

The team have a positive outlook for the season overall and are excited for all of the skilled players they have on the team this year.

“We have a lot of good leaders, and we have younger players that are stepping up,” Corbin said.

BOYS BOWLING

Sports

Hitting golf balls since Christmas and practicing at the dome is how the golf team prepares for their upcoming season. With returning players as well as new players, this will be one good season.

“We’ve got a good group of golfers coming back,” coach Doug Harkema said.

This year the boys will be getting new uniforms as well as ‘funky pants.’ Last year, the team went to regionals Their expectations this year are to go to state finals and to compete for state.

“We’re making history,” senior Austin Carr said.

Girls Lacrosse Beginning their season at the Summit Ice Arena with indoor lacrosse, the girls brace for a new year with a few changes. With a limited number of girls trying out, the girls lacrosse program had no choice but to eliminate the freshman and JV team and merge them with the varsity team.

“We must learn to work with the changes,” sophomore Laura McKee said.

With past JV coach Megan Shalau now returning and taking hold of the varsity head coach position, the girls will be given the chance for a fresh start as they face the season.

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” senior Katie Marlan said.

With 8-8 record last year, the girls plan to head toward a victorious and competitive season together. By breaking down their weaknesses to build a strong defense and zone, the hopes for a successful season are high.

Boys Track and Field

Girls Track and Field

The boys track team has a lot of new athletes who will contribute to the team this year, along with the returning players.

“People have gotten better; I can already tell,” junior Ian Velasquez said.

The boys are looking forward to districts. One of the main goals for the team this season is to make it to states both as a team and for individuals.

“Another main goal of ours is to get better, get stronger, get faster, jump higher,” coach Dave Foy said.

In order to reach these goals, the boys have been practicing in the off season. They have been running on the indoor track, conditioning, doing plyometrics and abdominal workouts, and lifting weights.

Th e b oys w i l l b e h o st i ng multiple special events this season, Photo by Bryce Zippi including the Holt Relay Invite on Junior Grant Colligan runs a few laps April 10.

They will also be hosting before practice. Due to the weather, regionals on May 17 and the Honor students have been practicing Roll meet on May 29. indoors.

The girls track team has been working hard during the off season to get ready for spring.

The y have b e en doing workouts and conditioning e v e r y Tu e s d ay and Thursday to get in shape. The team finished last year with a season record of 3-4, Senior Brittany Swejkoski does a stretch during ranked fifth in the track practice after school. The girls meet every CAC. day after school either on the track, field or This year they inside the school. are working to beat their biggest rivals: Jackson and East Kentwood. Their main focus for this season is for the team to try their hardest and always being there to support their team.

The athletes and coach Pamela Stafford have a positive outlook and have high hopes for this season.

“I am very impressed with the attitude and motivation this team has shown the first week of practice. I am looking forward to an exciting and very good season for these young ladies,” Stafford said.

“My favorite thing is all the meets and being there to cheer on my teammates and to hear them cheer me on as well,” senior Keyana Pratt said.

The Press Box GIRLS BOWLING

league standing: Fifth season highlight: “Senior night was the last official night I got to bowl. This was a very sad and special time for all the senior bowlers. I told the juniors to hold down the fort for next year,” senior Darion Greenlee said. in their words: “The team needs to come together opposed to one and two. They really need to cut out the drama and work as a unit,” Greenlee said.

GYMNASTICS

record: 8-2 league standing: Fifth season highlight: “At regionals we got our highest team score; the first 136 in a long time,” sophomore Abigail Mealy said. in their words: “It was a pretty consistent season,” senior Taylor Hull said.

HOCKEY

record: 3-6 league standing: Fifth (tie) season highlight: “For senior night we beat Dewitt - St. Johns, which was a pretty-big game,” senior Erick Sundstrom said. in their words: “The hardest part of this season was really trying to compete with others because we had a pretty short bench,” junior Jake Thompson said.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

record: 10-14-2 league standing: Fifth season highlight: “Probably competing in the conference meet because there was a lot of teams, so the pressure was really on,” junior Noah Verdeyen said. in their words: “It was really hard when our coach left because we had to get a new coach right at districts,” junior Chris Kruger said.

WRESTLING

league standing: First season highlight: “Winning districts by beating Grand Ledge at home was a great moment for the team,” junior Adam Turner said. in their words: “It was a really cool moment when me and Bennie [Gomez] won states. We practiced together all year so it showed that all our hard work paid off,” senior Shayne Wireman said.

Sports

16

March 2013

Holt High School Ramparts

Fans march with brackets in hand toward victory Nationwide fans predict the winner of NCAA tournament Zahra Ahmad editor-in-chief Every year college basketball fans gather up for March Madness and begin to make predictions about who will win the national championship. The National College Athletics Association (NCAA) will be having its 75th anniversary of March Madness.

March Madness begins in the middle of March and goes into the first week of April. This is a time when fans begin making brackets of the teams chosen to participate in the national tournament and predict the top teams from each conference.

“Big Ten teams of course. I see Georgetown, Louisville, Gonzaga, Duke and Miami. I’m sure all of them are going to be on the brackets this year,” senior Ashlyn Dormer said. “I really want the Big Ten teams in there because I love watching Big Ten Basketball. As for the other teams, they’re just as good.”

The objective when making a bracket is to pick the winner of the national championship.

“I make my bracket by looking at their records and just the basic knowledge of the teams that are going to be playing,” senior Blake McHenry said.

Besides just having a team on a bracket, fans plan out which teams will continue on to the Final Four. This is where four teams will face each other, the winners from the two games will then go on to the championship game. Every fan hopes for the perfect Final Four teams.

“In the perfect Final Four there would be three good teams and then a Cinderella story team,” junior Noah Veredyen said. “I’m thinking Duke, MSU, Indiana and Gonzaga would be a good Final Four.”

The point of March Madness is competing with other fans’ brackets. Another point is

Don’t Miss This

Photos by Jose M. Osorio/Chicago/MCT, Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT, Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/MCT.

Ohio State University player Aaron Craft, Michigan State player Gary Harris and Indiana player Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell will all be playing in this year’s tournament at the NCAA’s 75th anniversary of March Madness. Each team has been placed against other teams in the starting brackets. picking the winning team.

“I really think Miami is going to win it all.

They had a good non-conference schedule and conference schedule,” senior Kori Ramirez said. “They’re very underrated and have been consistent.”

Many times friendly bets are made by seeing whose bracket went the farthest throughout the month.

“It’s a lot of fun just having to try and pick which team is going to win it all. Plus, it’s always fun to have a little competition between friends,” McHenry said.

For most fans, March Madness is something

Boys Lacrosse March 28

Boys lacrosse plays their third game of the season against East Grand Rapids at home. The team is looking to repeat as district champs, and follow-up on a 18-2 season last year.

Girls Lacrosse April 9 Girls lacrosse takes on Midland, in their second away game of the season. The team has a new coach Megan Schalau, and wants to start the season off on a high note.

Baseball April 9 Baseball plays their second game of the season against St. Johns at home. Come support the team.

they wait all season for. Ramirez explains how important this tournament is to her.

“I like March Madness because it is a basketball game every day. There are some good game upsets,” Ramirez said. “People usually only like basketball in March, but for a true basketball fan, March Madness is the finale of the play. It’s the last act. Anything could happen when teams come to win.”

Aside from the friendly competition, all fans hope to see their favorite teams win the title of national champions. Dormer explains who she picked and why.

“I really want University of Michigan to win.

They are my favorite team, always have been,” Dormer said. “Not only do they have talent, but it’s just a great school overall.”

However, placing a fan’s favorite team as national champions is easier said than done. Fans must realize their teams’ biggest opponents.

“I think MSU can make it all the way if they can get past Louisville,” junior Kaleb Akers said. “The only reason I think they might not be able to make it is because Louisville is a really good team.”

March Madness began on March 19 and will end April 8.