Ramparts March 2011

ramparts VOLUME 19, ISSUE 6

HOLT HIGH SCHOOL

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

MARCH 2011

NEWS:

Photo by Cody Shattuck

Students give back to the community by participating in the annual Blood Drive, sponsored by National Honor Society.

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T he Spring Sports teams get ready for the Hurdle spring season pages 14-15

Sophomore Damien Williamson practices jumping hurdles. The various spring sports teams prepare for their upcoming season.

NEWS:

School Board decides to close Holt Central High School due to funding issues and low graduation rates.

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Photo by Kelsey Manas

FEATURE:

A preview of the latest spring fashions and how to apply them to the school dress code.

PAGE 9 Photo by Will Thurston

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March 2011

F.Y.I.

AP Testing

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams start Monday, May 2 and end Friday, May 13. Any student who wants to take an AP Exam should have already paid their deposit and signed up with their AP teacher or in the Counseling Office. The remaining balance is due on the day of testing and checks can be made payable to Holt High School. Please visit the Counseling Office with any questions about AP testing.

Scholarship Packets Scholarship packets are now available for seniors in the counseling office. Seniors are advised to apply regardless of financial situation in order to get money for college. Completed packets are due on March 31 by 3 p.m. in the Counseling Office.

Success Room

The Student Success Room is available to all 10-12 grade students who want homework help. Sessions are held in the Media Center Monday-Thursday from 2:45-3:45 p.m. and Wednesday morning from 9:1510:15 a.m. Please contact Student Success Coordinator Joann Weil or Student Success Specialist Elizabeth Graf in the Attendance Office with any questions.

Senior Exam Policy

Seniors who wish to be exempt from taking their third trimester exams will be required to maintain good attendance, with no more than three excused absences from their classes. Three tardies equals an unexcused absence. Seniors with unexcused absences will be required to take exams on May 31.

Prom

Prom will be held on May 21 with doors opening at 8:30 p.m.

This year’s prom theme is Arabian Nights. Tickets will be $28 in advance and $35 at the door.

Tickets will be sold during lunch, starting mid-April, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

NHS

National Honor Society (NHS) Induction will be held on Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m. in the Margaret Livensparger Theater. The new members will be recognized, and they will further learn about the Four Pillars of NHS.

News

Holt High School Ramparts

Students and staff of HHS donate blood NHS sponsors drive to help growing need Meg McKay

staff writer Around the world, every two seconds someone needs a blood transfusion.

Every individual who donates a pint of blood potentially saves three people’s lives.

On Monday, March 21, the National Honor Society sponsored their annual blood drive in the gym to help the local Red Cross.

The American Red Cross has been working with HHS for many years.

National Honor Society adviser Heidi Misaras is in charge of the sponsored service opportunities.

With this responsibility comes the organization of the blood drive.

“Blood drives are a common event in a school, since there is a large number of able donors and blood is in high demand. It is a way to reach a lot of possible donors and make a big difference,” Misaras said.

Like Misaras, other teachers help the Red Cross with their mission. English teacher Anne Russo has coordinated Blood Drives in her hometown and

Photo by Cody Shattuck

The American Red Cross came to HHS to service the communtiy. Students and staff were able to go to the gymnasium March 21 to donate blood. works closely with Red Cross.

“Donating blood is the most unselfish, simple way to help others,” she said.

This year’s blood drive will be math teacher Dave Hildebrandt’s 88th time donating blood, his fifth time with school and totaling 11 gallons of blood.

Hildebrandt wanted to show students support and encourage those donating for the first time.

“I felt that if I told them I was going to donate with them, it might help get more students to donate,” he said.

To Hildebrandt, having the drive during school is a good thing.

“It’s a more supportive atmosphere for students who go down to donate with their friends, so they have someone they know waiting and going through the whole check-in procedure,” he said. “It’s also more convenient because it’s right here.”

Junior Connor Klisch, one of many students who participated in the blood drive, thinks having the event during school is better so students can donate with friends around.

“Lately, I’ve been trying to find ways to help people,” he said. “It’s just something you can say you did to help out.”

For some students there is an event that helped them decide to donate blood. Junior Alexis Kuprel knows how the donation can help.

“My dad was in a car crash and lost a lot of blood. It made me want to donate,” she said. “I think knowing it can help makes me feel better.”

For curious students like junior Justin Saxman, there was no problem with donating. Saxman even hopes donating will become a habit. He also had multiple reasons for donating “First, I want to figure out my blood type. Also, my parents have given blood, and it’s my obligation to help too,” he said.

Hildebrandt knows how important it is for students to be aware of their blood type because some types are rarer than others.

“If students knew how useful they could be, it might encourage them to donate more frequently,” he said.

In keeping with challenging students to exceed expectations, Hildebrandt suggested setting goals for HHS students that would outdo other local high schools.

“I think it might motivate students to donate if they could surpass what the other schools did,” Hildebrandt said.

“We’ve had students recently need blood while in the hospital. Students need to be reminded of that.”

Students get head start on careers Work Experience and Mentorship offer alternatives to traditional classes Hannan Gedeon

staff writer Students at HHS have the opportunity to take a class called Mentorship, which gives them a chance to shadow someone who is involved with a career they may be interested in for the future. They also have the chance to work 10 hours a week or more in place of their sixth hour, which is another class called Work Experience.

“I believe that mentorship allows students to develop important networking contacts in the field, which can help later on. Students have received internships and even paid positions as a result of their Mentorship experience,” business teacher Jeff Shane said.

Senior Rachel Beatty works with mentor Steve Pingston, the athletic trainer at HHS. She originally wanted to be placed with a physical therapist, but recently she has been considering other career options such as sports medicine and occupational

therapy. She feels that this is giving her an idea of what these professions may be like.

“It’s not really changing my career choice at heart. If anything, it’s making me more determined to chase my dreams and become a physical therapist or something along those lines,” Beatty said.

While Beatty is working with Pingston, they talk or do hands-on activities relating to his profession.

Senior Jarod Taylor also has Mentorship, and said he would take the class again if he could. He likes being able to go home after fifth hour and is looking forward to the last trimester he has.

“I like having Mentorship; it’s nice to know exactly what a job entails, instead of just guessing about what you would be doing,” Taylor said.

Shane said this class may not be for everyone.

Some students struggle with an unstructured class, which requires that they be responsible for meeting the requirements without the direct supervision of a teacher.

“Learning does not always have to occur within the school setting. Students who are working under the supervision of a person in the workplace can gain valuable hands-on, practical work-experience that often cannot be gained inside the school,” Shane said.

Senior Chantel Nguyen has Work Experience.

She works at Steak n’ Shake, and must work at least

Photo by Meg McKay

Steve Pingston demonstrates how to wrap a leg when it’s injured. This gives Rachel Beatty a visual idea of what she would be doing in the future.

10 hours a week to earn course credit in place of a traditional sixth hour.

“It is definitely worth not having a sixth hour, because I get to miss all the traffic and then go home and relax before work,” Nguyen said.

News

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Holt High School Ramparts

Students celebrate different cultures Foreign language classes unite Collin Mohr staff writer World Language Week (WLW) is an annual event for students to step outside of their comfort zone and into all sorts of different cultures.

All students enrolled in modern language classes participate in the week, which includes guest speakers, the World Cup soccer game, and an assembly run by the modern language teachers.

The idea of WLW is to bring different cultures to students. It is also designed as a fun week for the language students.

“World Language Week is a reward for students who take a language.

It’s a time for the students to come together and have a very eventful and fun week,” said German teacher Janine Baker.

Guest speakers, who are from all sorts of different countries, come in and talk about the cultures back in their home country. Students are presented with information on a certain country, and at the end

Photo by Kurtis Smith

Students participate in Zumba, an aerobic fitness program, on stage during the World Language Week assembly.

Other performances included the Spanish, French and German classes also showing off their dancing skills. are given the opportunity to ask questions to the guest speaker.

“I really liked Isabella [guest speaker]. She was from Germany and I liked when she talked about how their culture was very similar to ours,” sophomore Ashley Marroquin said.

One of the most highly anticipated events of WLW is the World Cup. The World Cup consists of four teams from all the languages. Mexico and Spain, represent the Spanish language department, Germany represents the German language department and France represents

the French department. The past two years Germany has won the World Cup. This year they won 6-5 against Mexico. The event was held at Soccerzone on March 24 at 4:45 p.m.

“Last year when we won the World Cup, it felt so good because all of the German students were screaming and cheering for us when we ran around the field with the German flag,” junior Matt Zajac said.

Assemblies are one of the events that allows students to get out of a class to watch performances from all different sorts of musicians and

classes. Students get involved by dancing to music with their fellow language classmates. Usually the dances have a correlation to the students’ language they take. Also, teachers create a video that was used to motivate the students to get ready for the World Cup game.

“I thought both the Spanish 5 and German 4 performances were the best. They both did a really good job at using their culture’s music to dance to and show all the other students a taste of their language,” senior Webster Ndovie said.

New governor proposes budget cuts Schools in Michigan predicted to take financial hit Mariah Massa sports editor After being elected in November 2010, new governor Rick Snyder began making changes. On February 17 he proposed new budget cuts for the State of Michigan. Many of those budget cuts deal with the money going to public schools.

According to the Lansing State Journal (LSJ), Michigan has over 500 school districts, which is more than most states have. The Executive Financial Director for Holt Public Schools, Kim Cosgrove, says that there will be about a $470 cut perpupil in the Holt District. The total impact of this cut will be $2.75 million

less money for the district to spend.

Next year federal stimulus grants will also be taken away from public schools in Michigan. Federal stimulus grants were a sum of money set aside for schools during the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This money is separate from the money schools get from the State. With that source of money gone, Holt will receive another cut of $1.96 million.

“We are going to have to do more with less,” social studies teacher Dave Runyon said, “but that will be difficult without the things we need.”

With less money coming in, Runyon predicted there will be more students in each class, which will make it harder to teach and harder forstudents to learn. Runyon said this is especially important because students are being required to take more difficult classes.

“The less money coming in, the less there is to spend on things like heat, lighting, paper, pencils, books and

calculator batteries,” science teacher Eric Pulver said.

It seems that every year cuts are being made to the state budget.

Governor Snyder has his reasons for this one.

“The economic climate in the state of Michigan has reduced funds available to allocate. The Governor has proposed giving funds that once were all allocated to K-12 schools to community colleges and universities. This helps him balance his budget, without having to rethink the taxing structure within the state of Michigan,” Cosgrove said.

The LSJ reports that 62 percent oppose Snyder’s plan, while 32 percent are in favor, and six percent are undecided.

“It’s tough times in Michigan; you can’t spend what you don’t have,” Pulver said.

According to Cosgrove what the district doesn’t have is enough money to keep spending like they’ve

been spending.

“The taxing structure within the State of Michigan is not set up to provide enough funds for the basic services that taxpayers have had in the past. Either the structure needs to be changed, or individual taxpayers will be paying the same amount or more for less services,” Cosgrove said.

Along with the previous cuts, the Holt District will now be required to pay more into employee retirement funds, adding up to $1.25 million.

These proposals still have to go through the House and Senate, then the Conference Committee for changes, back to the House and Senate and then finally to the Governor again. Along the way, many changes could be made to the current proposal.

“Changes are coming. There will be repercussions no matter what cuts are made,” Runyon said.

March 2011

In Brief

Weekly Challenge

Students and staff are invited to meet in room E212 for The Weekly Challenge. The Weekly Challenge is a continuation of Challenge Day. It was created by science teacher Mary Kay Boulanger to make HHS a better place, to encourage people to be more accepting of one another, to make better choices, and to challenge people to “be the change.”

This also allows students have to an outlet for things going on in their lives. The group is brainstorming activities to do, ways to get students to join and ways to get students to embrace the concept of Challenge Day. Contact Boulanger in room E212 with any questions.

DECA

The eight students who qualified for the Distributive Education Clubs of American (DECA) regionals (Taylor Bird, Dakota Brown, Jake Bulkowski, Cole Caron, Madison Hayes, Brandon Lovely, Joey Myers and Brendan Richards) went to the Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids on March 18-20 to compete in the State Career Development Conference. Myers was a finalist, but did not advance to Nationals.

Art Scholarship Alert Competition

For the first time, five HHS students had a work of art chosen for display in the Art Scholarship Alert Competition. Seniors Julius Blair, Claire Orme, Hailey Richardson, Caitlyn Russel and junior Shannon Perrez’s art was chosen.

Students not only compete for admission into the contest, but a variety of scholarships that come along with admission. As many as 500 seniors have competed for limited spots. The reception and awards night was March 25 at the Lansing Art Gallery.

Power Lifting

The power lifting team ended the season with some strong performances. A regional victory in Sheppard advanced the team to the state meet on March 19. Senior Kyla Walworth placed first in her class, lifting a total of 740 pounds through a combination of bench press, squat and dead lift. A majority of the team is graduating and look to the underclassmen as they prepare for the future.

News

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March 2011

Holt High School Ramparts

District Admin votes to close Central High Low graduation rates force district to close school Kelsey Manas editor-in-chief Beginning June 15, Central High School will be closing . Students have been left unclear about their future.

Holt Central High School has been open for 25 years as the district’s alternative education building. At the beginning of this year, 120 students attended Central instead of other local high schools.

The final decision to close Holt Central was made by a 4-3 School Board vote on Thursday, February 24. According to Superintendent Dr. Johnny Scott, the main reason the board voted to close Central was low graduation rates. Each public school in the state of Michigan must meet minimum requirements when it comes to the success of their students.

Central’s graduation rates were not meeting those requirements, Scott said. Some teachers blame other causes for the close.

“I don’t believe it’s due to a lack of teaching or learning,” social studies teacher Guil Northrup said. “I believe it is simply a means by which the district can save money.”

Holt Central social worker Lois Courter said that students may choose to attend Central or are required to attend for many different reasons.

Some include discipline issues, lack of credit hours, attendance issues, personal situations or troubled home environments.

The consensus among students that attend Holt Central is clear: they do not want the school to close.

Fifth year student Chris Pratt is appreciative of his time at Central, and is upset the school board chose to close it.

“I love this school; it really changed me,” Pratt said. “I didn’t do anything at Eastern, and I came here and the teachers were great, and I actually did my work.”

Regine Cherry, a sophomore at Central said that the teachers are great and make her want to learn, a feeling she’s never experienced.

“I cried when I heard we were closing. It’s such an encouraging environment here. I’m going to miss it.”

Central’s atmosphere is one of its

Photo by Kelsey Manas

Central has a computer lab to provide material and information to help students. Next year, students may enroll in online computer classes.

Photo by Kelsey Manas

Students of Holt Central High School complete class work during the hour and take advantage of Central while they can. Students who attend Central were upset about the decision to close and are unsure about their academic future. biggest differences with the senior high school, says Courter. Classes are much smaller and more relaxed, giving students a chance to be comfortable and feel welcomed.

English teacher Erin Umpstead says that Central provides a closerknit community in which to learn.

“The atmosphere at Central is like a family,” Umpstead said. “The students know that the teachers care about them and they respond positively to them.”

Scott says he is aware of the closeknit family at Central and is upset that it will be taken away. The bottom line and purpose of Central is to give students a chance to receive a high school diploma, Scott said.

“I don’t want to take that [family] away but it’s my responsibility to make sure they [students] have the mindset to function beyond high school,” Scott said. “I don’t take joy in this decision, but it’s my obligation and responsibility to the students that makes me comfortable with the decision.”

English teacher Michelle Fulton taught night school at Central for four years and said she is upset to see the

school closing.

“It was sometimes frustrating and sometimes a rewarding job, but so is any teaching job,” Fulton said. “I saw more success stories than not.”

Courter believes that the community image of Central has a lot to do with the decision to close.

Cherry believes that it’s not fair to judge Central by the way the students look or what people perceive them as.

“For them [the community] to think we’re all bad is like judging a book by its cover. We may look bad, but the students here are good,” Cherry said. “There are students here who haven’t been to school in years, and they’ll come every day because of how much they love this school.”

Scott says that the “community image” has nothing to do with the decision to close Central.

“Having Central located on Cedar, I think there have been things that the community has seen and has influenced their perceptions of the type of students there,” Scott said.

“But this was definitely not a reason to close.”

The question now is where current students will attend school

next year. Individualized, online computer-assisted courses through Ombudsman Alternative Education Center are available for students who are interested. The online classes provide education from math to college and career preparation. These classes will be composed of 75 percent computer learning, and 25 percent small group and individualized learning. According to Scott, the board and he do not want to displace any students and the new programs will include everyone.

Courter believes that this program will be unsuccessful for students, due to all the time spent in front of a computer and thinks some students may just give up. Social studies teacher Guil Northrup also agrees that it may be unsuccessful, saying that students need to develop interpersonal skills as well as academic skills.

Along with the online courses, options for students include Capital Area Career Center (CACC), The Early College at LCC, High School Diploma Completion Initiative (HSDCI) and the choice to attend different school districts. Some students may attend the senior high school next year.

News

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Holt High School Ramparts

March 2011

Prevention Task Force hopes to stop underage drinking Group meets in theater to find ways to keep teens from drinking Brian Proctor news editor Numerous people from all walks of life joined together at HHS for support, guidance and prevention following the recent accident that took the lives of three young adults from Holt.

The Prevention Task Force hopes to create the first stepping stone towards fixing one of the problems in society: underage drinking.

On Thursday, March 17, organizations such as Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Prevention Network and Campus Life set up in the center commons and provided information on what they are doing to help solve the problem.

The Michigan State Police had a booth, as well as two troopers around the commons talking with people about the laws and answering any questions that came up.

Information was handed out to all those who wanted to learn more about alcohol, and to spread awareness of drunk driving.

The group moved along to the theater, and thus began the Holt Community Town Hall meeting.

Ideas were brought up, discussed by those who wanted to give their two cents, and would then end up in the professionals’ lap.

Student Success Coordinator Jo a n n We i l , Pa s t o r L aw re n c e King, and parent organizer Angela Stepter unveiled a sign that will be hung across the Holt/Dimondale

community.

The sign includes three words and a question: “Inform. Influence.

Inspire. Are you in?”

Weil hopes the sign will encourage others to think about what they do,before they do it. She hopes the sign will be displayed like Gill, the fish made out of recycled material which travels around the area.

The Prevention Task Force plans on meeting again in the future. The idea of the meeting was to bring to light an issue that is plaguing the community. It was meant to be an eye opener, and for some it was.

Finding a solution to this problem begins with a single step from a person in the community.

The community branch of the Prevention Task Force is centered on law enforcement, consisting of the Ingham and Eaton County Sheriff Departments, as well as the Michigan State Police. Each agency is stepping up enforcement not only on the streets, but in homes.

“Police officers will start to ticket homes where alcohol is given to minors,” Principal Brian Templin said.

Like most groups, the Prevention Task Force has a mission statement, or a message that they wish to get across.

“The mission statement would be: looking to get the knowledge of the law out to our community,” Templin said.

Whether it is by cracking down on

Photo by Brian Proctor

A new banner will be shared around the Holt and Dimondale communities to promote safety and smart choices.

The banner was revealed during the Prevention Task Force Meeting in the Margaret Livensparger Theater. the law, or handing out information at schools, the message is getting spread.

“The state police, who were the first to arrive on the scene of the accident, came in to the P.E. classes and talked to the students,” Templin said.

Around the school, organizations such as Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) and SADD are spreading awareness of laws and ways to prevent underage drinking.

Physical education teacher Al Slamer has begun a mentorship program that reaches out to younger children. High school students would speak to the children about the dangers of underage drinking, much like the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.

Templin warns that underage drinking is not just a school problem but a cultural community problem.

“This is really all about the norms: ‘I’m the only one not drinking;’ and ‘Everybody is doing it.’ The statistics say most teens aren’t out binge drinking. Most teens aren’t out doing heavy partying,” Templin said.

Numerous studies show that not all students drink, Templin said.

“The majority of students don’t drink - about 60 percent. They know you don’t have to drink to have fun,” counselor Bob Bower said. “What we have to worry about is those who do.”

Bower is the coordinator of the “Safe Ride Program”, a proposed alternative means of transportation for students under the influence.

Volunteer students between the ages of 17 and 18 would be available from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., Friday and Saturday nights. Two students would work with a parent or other responsible adult. “ T h e p ro g r a m i s a s t r i c t l y

confidential way to get students home safely. All the students would have to do is call up the volunteers, and they can get a ‘free’ ride home,” Bower said.

Students would not face punishment from school, but would be urged to discuss options for help.

District administration has yet to approve the Safe Ride Program.

No t a l l o f t h e Ta s k Fo rc e’s programs and ideas have been set in motion yet, but leaders say the sooner they are up and running the better.

SADD has begun public service announcements every Friday before the end of school. They hope to spread awarness of alcohol, and its effects on the body.

“I don’t want to see this fail. If we can’t get awareness out and keep the public involved, another accident will happen,” Bower said.

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THANK YOU-RAMPARTS STAFF

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Viewpoints

March 2011

Holt High School Ramparts

Specialize senior schedules

Our View Closing of Central HS is unfortunate Difficult courses Not just a school for the misbehaved, Holt Central High School provides an alternative means of education for students who lack credit hours, have attendance issues or have other circumstances preventing them from attending a larger school. The Ramparts staff disagrees with the school board’s decision to close Holt Central High School.

Low graduation rates are said to be the reason for the closing. Reports from students and teachers alike show the desire of Central students to learn and succeed. We believe that if students have the desire to lean and earn a high school diploma, then they will attend classes no matter the conditions.

Students enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the school, as well as the smaller class sizes. This allows teachers to spend time working one-on-one with students. The school environment benefits not only the students, but the teachers as well. A system like this doesn’t happen often in a high school with large classes.

The Ramparts editors hope that through further investigation and understanding of the situation at Holt Central High School, the negative views about attending students will change to the realization that there are few if any differences between students at Central and students at HHS. Central High School operates at the same time of day as HHS, has six class periods, and follows most of the same rules and codes as all other Holt schools.

We feel that the atmosphere at Central is much different than that of HHS. Central High School has a family feel that welcomes students as they enter the doors. The teachers show that they care about the students, which is why so many teachers aren’t happy that Central is closing.

Even though the graduation rates are low, students that have few other options for their education will be displaced to other school districts or given the option of online courses. The Ramparts editorial staff does not support the School Board’s decision.

ramparts Editors in Chief:

Managing Editors: News: Features: Opinion: Sports: The Hot Spot: Photos and art: Design: PR Rep: Exchange Manager: Staff Writers:

Adviser:

Holt Senior High School

Lindsey Hamlin Kelsey Manas Brian Proctor Kailey Kraushaar Karina Drachman Mariah Massa Jacqui Marpa Chloe Henley Meg McKay Ben Gates Jordan Rakas Joey Myers Iman Ben-Hamza, Ryan Carrier, Hannan Gedeon, Stephanie Le, Collin Mohr, Anna Pavlik, Cody Shattuck, Alyssa Stepter, Will Thurston 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 100 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.

prepare students for future

S

tudents have to make many choices as they start scheduling classes for senior year. The decisions are between challenging the student’s mind and taking “blowoff” classes to have a stress-free year.

Taking the challenging classes helps prepare students for their future education. College isn’t meant for taking easy classes, but to expand the mind and education of students, so why not start in high school?

I understand that no one wants to sit through six core classes a day, but taking all “slacker” classes isn’t ideal either. Students should try to find a balance and challenge themselves by taking difficult classes and easier

classes.

Everyone has a different level of stress that they are able to handle. If a student gets stressed easily, maybe taking all Advanced Placement (AP) classes isn’t best for that student, but maybe take one or two, or just a challenging class that isn’t necessarily an AP class.

Any class can be a “blow-off ” class if the student chooses not to do the work. And as senior year rolls around, it seems like there is a sickness taking over the senior student body: Senioritis.

Students can fight this disease.

Maybe not by antibiotics and bed rest, but by applying themselves in every class and taking classes that are in the field that they want to study.

Asking your teacher what English class is the easiest probably isn’t the best way to start. HHS offers so many different classes to exercise student’s mind and body. Students should take a variety of classes, not just what students perceive to be “easy” classes. Students can start taking classes in the field they are interested in going in to.

If a student wants to go into graphic design, maybe take more art classes.

If another student is interested in science, HHS offers an abundant amount of science classes. Students are able to explore different classes and fields to find what they want to do as a career and to just be a wellrounded person.

With a lot more freedom in their schedules, seniors are able to take a variety of classes. When I was scheduling my classes, I wanted to have a balanced schedule: not too hard but not all “blow off” classes either.

I was able to sign up for a lot more elective classes in certain departments, like English, science, and social studies. Along with those, I had my core classes like AP Calculus and Economics. Taking these electives did help me learn more in these subjects and helped balance my stress with the harder classes I was taking.

So when scheduling, look beyond next year; what is going to help with the future? Don’t shy away from the classes that will be challenging, but try to find a balance. Embrace the challenge and look at how it will benefit the future.

Your View The performing arts deserve recognition Dear Editor, There is one question that I’ve always asked myself when I see a half-empty auditorium during a performance. That question is: Why do students in our school only care about the athletics and completely ignore the performing arts? Every time that you go to a basketball or football game the stands are always full. Why can’t it be the same for school musicals and choral performances?

When people go to an athletic event they pay between $3 and $6 for that game. But for only $2 more they could enjoy a performance put on by some of the most talented students in the Mid-Michigan area. It just seems that the sports teams are getting all of the recognition in the school. The truth is: we talented performers have to practice and prepare for 2-3 months for a special performance that shows for one weekend, and very few students come and support us.

Maybe some solutions to this issue are better advertising in order for the students to know about performances, or maybe we need to choose more popular shows that people are more familiar with.

All I’m saying is that performing-arts students work hours and hours to prepare to put on a spectacular show and they don’t get any recognition from their peers. This is one issue that needs to be solved in

some way or form.

Heather Baum, sophomore

Efforts need to be stepped up to stop bullying Dear Editor, The biggest challenge students go through in schools today is bullying. Bullying comes in many forms. The two most common forms being verbal abuse and physical abuse. Whether the form of bullying is pushing, punching or just plain name calling, victims of bullying can have long-term traumatic effects, especially a low self-esteem.

Most students recognize the problem of bullying, but not enough is being done to eliminate the problem. For most of us who have been bullied, the solution is clear. We need school systems and students working together to educate young parents (with young children) in the community and squash bullying before it kicks off in the next generation.

Kelvin Young, sophomore Express your view Ramparts wants to hear from you. 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 100 words or less and e-mail it to us at ramparts@hpsk12.net.

Viewpoints

7

Holt High School Ramparts

Sharp “cheddar revolution” Hot or not?

Bill-busting budget creates restless America

Joey Myers

W

hen a protest is started, you never think it would get the attention like the one in Madison, Wisconsin. On February 11, newly appointed Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker unveiled his budget repair bill, which would leave most collective bargaining rights for unions behind, a virtual union-busting bill. As the news of the budget cuts were released, the quick shift of protesters went from 150 to 20,000 in the matter of two days. Positive movements like these give me hope in the American people, how they are able to combine for a common cause.

When 100,000 plus public employees protest it slows things down. Most of the protesters in Madison are teachers, firefighters and police officers. It no doubt endangers people’s lifestyle when there is no school, or no people to put out fires or respond to emergencies.

Capital security, who is taking part

in the protests, has now done its part by not removing the protesters from the building: but when the police and other enforcement units are busy with the protests it really doesn’t matter what they do.

Governor Walker, I understand why you need to budget cut, because they are needed. But on the other hand why are you asking others to sacrifice so much of their lifestyle when you are not? All you’re causing is restlessness to the middle class by not putting such taxes on the upper class as well.

We n e e d t o p u t a w a y o u r differences, and party colors down to join for a common goal. It is time to get things done as a nation, not to be picky. All over the nation, budgets are being cut and they are all affecting everyone differently, you shouldn’t lose your head and make radical cuts to the people who buy and sell goods more than anyone else: the middle class.

For the protesters, I have recently seen on the news when Wisconsin officials enter the building to start their day; they are verbally abused, harassed and items also being thrown. It makes no sense for protesters to do what they want to these officials. They are doing what they can to fix the mess we are in. Get mad when they aren’t doing anything and complaining about it.

Even today, the protesters sit and show strength in numbers for the right of union negotiations to have

a seat on the decision-making table.

Some smaller organizations have also tried counter protests in support of the new budget in Wisconsin: they have failed. The current number of total protesters stands well above 100,000 people.

Currently in Michigan, Governor Rick Snyder has also released Michigan’s new budget bill. Although it has not risen to the level of Wisconsin’s yet, it still has potential to reach such a level sooner rather than later. Michigan’s budget has many similar features to the Wisconsin budget, with different aspects and viewpoints, but the message of higher taxes on the middle class is there. Budgets like Michigan’s and Wisconsin’s have only just started what is to come of the nation’s fiscal and monetary policies to be released some time in mid-summer. This economic depression we are fighting out of will not come easy, and will need dramatic repair, but the way our politicians go about it will be interesting. Keep an eye on it because of the way the people of Wisconsin have reacted.

High school seniors, it is very important for us to pay close attention to local, state and national government actions because most seniors are able or will soon be able to vote for elected public officials. This is the time, now through college to gain political information and viewpoints to form a stance on how you view the world in the future.

March 2011

Hot:

Not:

Getting a base tan before Spring Break

Coming back burnt from Spring Break

Speak up

What’s your idea of a perfect date?

“Watching some football and grubbin’ on some food.”

Kayla Valles, sophomore

“A candle-lit dinner and then a moon-lit walk on the beach; just something nice with not a lot of people.”

Taylor Beck, junior

“Going to a fair and riding rides, also eating a lot of cotton candy.”

Bryce Zippi, sophomore

“Hanging out on the beach, then a nice relaxing movie night after.”

Morgan Counseller, senior

“We’ll go to FunTyme and play a game of PuttPutt then head over to the go-karts and I’ll let her win. We’d go to McDonald’s for dinner then go back to my house and watch some ‘Jersey Shore’.”

Hunter Osborn, senior

Corrections Cartoon by Chloe Henley

In the February issue of Ramparts, the caption on the Fine Arts Festival photo incorrectly identified the group singing as Chorale.

The group was actually Cantique. 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.

8

Features

THINK BEFORE : N O I T CAU

March 2011

Holt High School Ramparts

Karina Drachman Anna Pavlik staff writers In a survey of Americans age 12-17, the average person took their first drink before age 13, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Twenty-four years ago, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) began reaching out to the public by drawing attention to alcoholism and starting the first Alcohol Awareness Month in April.

Although drinking under the age of 21 is illegal, some teenagers still take their chances with alcohol, which could result in a $100 fine and community service. Underage drinking and its effects are a main issue focused on during this month.

The members of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).

SADD are promoting a change among the student body. They have created a ‘Contract for Life’ for parents and students to get informed about laws pertaining to alcohol and the

Photo by: www.istock.com

YOU DRINK

dangers of alcohol.

SADD adviser Kellie Sweitzer said that the contracts were passed out at the town hall meeting on Thursday, March 17.

“It’s a contract between students and parents to be responsible about drinking,” Sweitzer said.

Sweitzer said that she wants to encourage parents and other adults to be the role models and to not drink and drive.

“You may think you’re fine after having one drink,” Sweitzer said. “But your perception of how you feel has been altered.”

An accident on January 30 took the lives of three Holt teenagers. Alcohol was allegedly involved, which has been one of the reasons for a recent increase in alcohol awareness among HHS students.

NCADD promotes an alcohol-free weekend every April to raise public awareness of the effects of alcohol. This takes place the first weekend in April and NCADD encourages all Americans to participate for the full three days.

Alcohol contributes to the leading causes of young deaths, including accidents, homicides and suicides.

The NCADD said that they are making progress to end underage drinking, but there is still a great deal of work to do.

Along with SADD, Students on Call is a student-run organization created by senior Marena Cruz. Even though it is not affiliated with the school, many students have decided to participate in this new group.

“There are four students every weekend who will be on call and promise not to drink that weekend. If students need a ride home, they’re the ones you call,” Cruz said.

“It’s for Holly, Ant and Taylyr.”

Cruz said that she hopes that she can save at least one life and that underclassmen will use this group instead of drinking and driving.

Some students disagree about the group and if it is an effective way to prevent drunk driving.

“I think this group will prevent accidents and give students other options,” junior Ben Blanck said. “It’s part of a solution, but more needs to be done.”

The Students on Call Facebook group advises that students should talk to their parents before becoming a member.

Under new Michigan laws, students under 17 cannot drive after 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. and are only allowed one passenger unless accompanied by an adult.

“I talked to my parents about it, and we decided it wasn’t a good idea for me to get called at 4 a.m. to go pick up someone who’s drunk,” senior Skylar Hunt said.

Others remain strong on their choice to be in the group.

“I don’t want someone to lose a friend, sister or brother,” senior Kasey Carpenter said.

Senior McKenzie Kienitz said she thinks the group is a good idea and hopes that people will take advantage of it and be safer with their decisions.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what I’ve gone through with losing someone,” Kienitz said.

To continue alcohol awareness through the rest of school year, representatives from SADD and Students on Call will make a public service announcement over the P.A. every Friday.



Students participate in alcohol awareness and prevention

Facts about Underage Drinking

If you are under 21 and are caught with alcohol in your possession, you may face a fine of $100, community service and substance abuse services. Getting caught with alcohol in your system if you are under 21 results in up to 93 days in jail. Youth who use alcohol before 15 are four times more likely to be alcohol dependent than adults whose first drink is at the legal age of 21. Studies reveal that alcohol consumption by adolescents results in possibly permanent brain damage and impairs intellectual development. The typical American young person will see 100,000 beer commercials before he or she turns 18. Alcohol kills six times more young people than all illicit drugs combined.

Source: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence

Features

9

Holt High School Ramparts

March 2011

Springing forward with new styles Chloe Henley Kailey Kraushaar staff writers

The sun is beginning to shine and students are trading in their Ugg boots and moccasins for flip flops and Sperrys. When the weather heats up, it’s a perfect opportunity for students to change up their wardrobe and reidentify their style.

Some of HHS’s best dressed students share their tips on how to look fashionable for spring, even though there is a dress code to adhere to.

“Graphic tees can make any outfit look good. There are so many styles that nobody will be showing up at school with the same shirt on.

“Plaid shorts are a necessity for the spring season because they are lightweight, comfortable, and look good. Just be sure to wear them with a solid color tee or else it will clash.”

“I’d recommend the shorts that go to the mid-thigh area, and I like shopping at Forever 21 the most.

“I like capris, sweaters, flip flops, v-necks, cardigans, graphic T’s, and wearing my sister Jazmine’s clothes.

“I don’t like army green, it doesn’t look good on everyone, so it shouldn’t be a trend for spring.”

--Maya Fews, sophomore

--Stevie McKee, junior “ I l i k e Fo re v e r 2 1 a n d Charlotte Russe, they’re trendy and help you branch out on more stylish things.

“It’s hard to see the styles change throughout the years, I know everyone wears polos, but that must be a sign that they are still cool because everyone still wears them.

“Sandals that are strappy, waist belts, sheer scarves and bright florals are my spring favorites.

“I like boat shoes, but I can’t stand when people wear them with socks. It ruins the whole look.”

“I’d recommend not wearing dark colors like black and grey.

It looks depressing in the spring.”

--Monte Jackson, junior

--Sanda Vazgek, junior

“I like to wear half-calves because they look good with shoes and they’re different.

“Jean shorts (jorts) are a definite no.

I wore those when I was five.

“I like longer skirts and light sweaters.

“I like to shop at the Polo outlet because they always have all the deals.

Locally, I shop at Hollister and Pacsun.”

“I’m into jumpers and florals, along with gladiator sandals for spring.

--Damon Ellis, junior

“I think the key to being more stylish is shopping at the right stores. I like Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters. They make being fashionable easy.”

“Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch are my two favorite stores to shop at. They always have the latest trends.

--Alyssa Furney, junior

“I wear clothes that make my skin complexion look good.”

“I’d recommend wearing cardigans to cover up straps, and when you wear flowy skirts and dresses they tend to look less short.

--Trey Williams, senior Wearing his favorite spring fashions, junior Monte Jackson demonstrates how to dress for warmer weather.

Jackson likes wearing Hollister, because they tend to have what’s in style for each season.

“I really like shopping at Angiehearts, ASOS, and Urban Original. They’re online stores and are really good quality.

Dressed in floral, senior Chantel Nguyen shows how to dress appropriately for school while still being in style. Nguyen says accesorizing is important in spring, since you have to do more with less clothing.

Photo by Chloe Henley

“I like flowy dresses, skirts, and the color white a lot lately.”

Photo by Kailey Kraushaar

--Alexa Caskey, senior

10

Features

March 2011

Connecting the Dots Jacqui Marpa

Proper hygiene shouldn’t be optional

T

he teenage years are considered to be one of the critical stages in life. Different factors, ranging from the uncontrollable roller coaster of emotions to dealing with hormone imbalances, contribute to different levels of pressure encountered by teenagers.

Our hormones are in their most active while we are teenagers. This is one of the reasons why there are bacteria causing body odor when we don’t take care of our bodies like we are supposed to. This is when proper hygiene plays a critical role in the teenage phase.

Since we sweat a lot, get oilier and have grown pubic hair, our bodies become more prone to emitting distinct odors, and for that reason it requires us to make a point to take a shower, use deodorant, wear clean clothes and a pair of socks and brush our teeth daily. But as ugly as it sounds, some of us think that proper hygiene is optional.

Proper hygiene shouldn’t be inconsistent. Feeling clean and fresh every day helps increase our selfesteem because everybody will want to be around us when we smell and look awesome. Plus, I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to be in the vicinity of a person who has a horrible body stink. It’s difficult to keep our focus if we smell something funky in the air.

But what if your friend doesn’t observe hygiene that well? I personally don’t have friends who have distinct odor, but I think that it would be for their own benefit if you addressed them about their issue. When talking to them about the issue, don’t make it sound too harsh or create a joke out of it because your main purpose is to keep them from embarrassment, and hygiene is not a laughing matter.

What if I’m told about my hygiene negatively, and know it’s true? Accept it gracefully and consider following your friend’s suggestion. They didn’t address your hygiene because they hate you, in fact they are the type of friends that you want to keep because they keep you from getting hurt. Think about it.

Holt High School Ramparts

Finding laptops that are your type Technology prepares students for college Ryan Carrier

staff writer If there’s one thing all graduating seniors are interested in as they’re heading off to college, it’s a laptop.

Laptop computers can be beneficial for schoolwork with their portability for taking notes in the classroom, writing papers in the library and doing online research; but they also can be a source of entertainment.

Because laptop computers are so abundant in number, knowing what to look for will help get students the best laptop available.

Business teacher Aaron Smith also teaches Computer Programming classes. Smith said that all students

really need is a laptop to run all of their applications for school.

“Getting a really expensive laptop for college isn’t necessary,” Smith said. “The basic needs are running Windows and a DVD/CD player and burner.”

Another teacher with advice for students searching for a laptop is business teacher Margo Strong. Strong said that students have to know what they’re going to use it for.

“General students just need a laptop with Microsoft Office, but if you’re going into something like music, you will need more hard drive space and memory,” Strong said.

Some students have been searching for their perfect laptop and already have their minds made up. Two students with similar tastes are seniors Caleb Haddad and Tyler Ennis; they are both looking at purchasing an Apple MacBook Pro. Haddad, who wants a laptop to

Dell XPS: $799.99 •2.3GHz/3MB cache Intel Core i5 processor •Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit OS

•15.6 in HD WLED TL Display with SkypeCertified 2.0MP HD Webcam

•4 GB memory

•500GB SATA hard drive @ 7200 rpm Photo used by permission of dell.com

support his video making, said he likes that the MacBook Pro is creativebased and has tools like Final Cut Pro that allow for the best video editing.

However, he said he knows that this computer is definitely not cheap.

“They’re expensive, but they’re fast.

You get what you pay for,” Haddad said.

Ennis is interested in a MacBook Pro because of his interest in music.

“It comes with Garage Band and is compatible for any music software I wish to use,” Ennis said. “I’m in a band, so it helps to have something I can hang out, relax and just write music and express my feelings.”

However, not all students are interested in an Apple laptop. Senior Cole Caron said he likes how a Dell XPS laptop is a bit less expensive than the other options available.

“I like how it has a lot of memory, how it looks and how it is kind of middle of the road price-wise,” Caron

Acer Aspire AS1830T-6651: $699.99 1.33GHz/3MB cache Dual-core Intel Core i5 processor Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit OS

said.

Even students who aren’t graduating may already be looking for the right laptop, such as junior Tyler Leighton.

Leighton also is favoring the Dell XPS for his future laptop.

“The Dell XPS Laptops are my favorite because they were engineered

by Americans,” Leighton said, “The Dell XPS lets me play games, is very fast and is a testament to American ingenuity and industry.”

Yet other students, such as senior Hannah Shuler, don’t have a specific computer picked out yet, but have general characteristics in mind.

“I want a computer that is really small, and it has to have a webcam,” Shuler said.

No matter what computer students end up buying, Strong offers advice that she has learned from stories of common accidents with laptops.

“Get the extended warranty,” Strong said.

Apple MacBook Pro: $1,799 •2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor •Mac OS X •4 GB memory •500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive @ 5400 rpm

4 GB memory

•15 Inch Widescreen display

500GB Serial ATA hard drive @ 5400 rpm

•Backlit keyboard

11.6 inch Active Matrix TFT Color LCD display Photo used by permission of acer.com

•Intel HD Graphics 3000 Photo used by permission of apple.com

Features Holt High School Ramparts

11

March 2011

Oh, the wonderful places around the globe Hot spots for the most anticipated spring break

Stephanie Le staff writer With spring break a couple of days away, students are solidifying their vacation plans for this one-week hiatus from school. With destinations ranging from Cancun to Paris, these vacations spread across a wide spectrum.

Some students are planning on spending the week on the beach in a tropical place, others are planning on staying home and relaxing, and even some are going on mission trips with their church. Here are some spring break plans students have for this year.

Tropical Places Popular destinations for people to go are the tropical places filled with the sun, warmth and ocean breezes. Some of these places include Mexico, Florida and even the occasional cruise.

These places attract the masses with their many beaches and the various theme parks.

“I’m going to Florida because it’s warm, there’s no snow, and because that’s where Hogwarts is,” junior Elizabeth McKerr said.

McKerr said that she plans on visiting the new Harry Potter Theme Park located in Universal Studios: Orlando. She also plans on getting to the beach as much as possible in her time there.

“I want to get a nice tan while I’m there,” McKerr said.

Similarly, senior Holly Servis said she wants

Photos by Claire Orme, Kailey Kraushaar and Emily Washabaugh

Heading to the beach, going to mission trips in foreign places or staying at home are among students’ whereabouts during spring break. Students look forward to this one week of sleeping in, staying up late and escaping from all of the pressures dealt with while in school every day. to relax in the sun on her spring break. to help build houses for the poor.

Of course with all those who are leaving for “I’m going to do a lot of swimming and “It’s going to be a lot of churches coming break, there are the people who choose to stay definitely a lot of relaxing,” Servis said. together to give back to the community home for the week. Some students wouldn’t like Servis said she is going on a cruise which and ultimately bettering ourselves in the staying home, but sophomore Justice Jacobs takes her to Florida, Mexico and South America. experience,” Marlan said. said she has no problem with it.

“I think people go to tropical places because Another student going on a mission trip is “I don’t have a problem with staying home. it’s warm and relaxing,” Servis said. junior Dallas Davis. Davis said he is also going I think people get bored with Michigan, but Senior Meghan Hanrahan agreed and said to Kentucky to help build houses this spring. they just need to find something fun to do,” that people like to go to warmer areas because “Basically it’s a mission trip to Kentucky and Jacobs said. it’s a change to what they usually experience we are going to be building houses to improve Jacobs suggested that people could take a in Michigan. the community,” Davis said. mini road-trip to Chicago or New York. She also “After all the snow, I think people just want Davis said he went on a mission trip last year said that they could spend their time working to be warm again,” Hanrahan said. and he found the experience gratifying. if they had a job.

“You are giving back to the community and Similarly, junior Casey Harkema said it’s all Mission Trips you just feel good about yourself because you about state of mind.

With the increasing need for human aid “What people need to do is pretend you’re at around the world, it will come as no surprise are helping people,” Davis said.

Marlan agreed, saying that her trip will differ the beach, but really you’re in your living room,” that some students are choosing to go help from the normal vacation.

Harkema said. the community in need. Mission trips, usually “I think that this will be different than a Senior Jennifer Polin said that sometimes church sponsored, aim to better the helpers and better the community. On these mission regular spring break trip because people usually spring break is too expensive to indulge in trips, people travel to various locations and go somewhere to relax and have fun,” Marlan every year.

“I imagine that some people are staying perform acts of kindness that somehow give said. “Where I’m going, we are helping people.

I’ll have to wake up early and work through home because of the money aspect,” Polin said. back to the world.

“I could see how people would rather save their One of these students is sophomore Katie the day.” money rather than spend it on spring break.”

Marlan. Marlan said she is traveling to Kentucky Home

“Wait, I can’t leave home yet without my ...”

Students talk about the belongings that they carry with them all the time

Zach Kniffen, senior Car keys “It would suck to leave them home, because I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.

It would be wise to make a duplicate key of your car keys as well.”

Jacqui Marpa entertainment editor Almost all of us have something that we own that we can’t leave home without. Either we become completely restless if we don’t have our possessions with us, or we would rather go back home, despite being late to our destination. Some HHS students shared with us the items they can’t walk out the door without.

Zoe Howard, sophomore Cell phone

“If I leave it home I’d feel weird. It won’t be a big deal, but I’d feel weird because I’m used to it.”

Desa Hither, sophomore Glasses and hearing aids “I had my glasses in first grade and my hearing aids because of the car accident I got into during the summer of 2009.”

Photos by Jacqui Marpa

Lauryn Stubblefield, junior Bracelets

Angelina Wallace, senior iPod

“I have my iPod with me because I always have to listen to music, whatever I am doing.”

“I’ve always worn my bracelets and I never take them off. My friends got them for me. Whenever I wear them I feel like I’m always connected when they’re not with me.”

Monique Bailhe, junior Hair tie

“I need to have a hair tie because I do sports after school, and I always end up having to have one.”

Nathan Haering, junior French horn mouthpiece “I feel like it would be irresponsible of me to leave my french horn mouthpiece because then I couldn’t play the instrument, and then our section (french horn) wouldn’t be able to play that well just because I forgot my mouthpiece.”

12

The Hot Spot

March 2011

Holt High School Ramparts

SATURDAY best skits throughout history

NIGHT

LIVE Benjamin Gates

I

staff writer

n the past 36 years, no show on television has parodied contemporary American culture and politics better than late-night sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). The show premiered on NBC on Oct. 11, 1975, and has left its audience laughing since.

Compiling the best sketches of a show with nearly 700 episodes is not an easy task. Some of America’s top actors, athletes, political figures and musicians have stood in Studio 8H in Rockefeller Plaza, New York to contribute to SNL’s timeliness. Unforgettable performances and quotes from Chris Farley, Dan Aykroyd, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and many more, make “Saturday Night” the hilarious and respected show it is today. Without further ado, here are some of the most memorable and funniest skits “Saturday Night Live” have blessed audiences with throughout the years.

1975

Land Shark

1977

Two Wild & Crazy Guys In its third season, SNL introduced its viewers to Georg and Yortuk Festrunk, played by Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd. The brothers were political refugees who escaped the 1975 riots in Bratislava. Their shimmying shoulders and attempts to talk like Americans make the skit a hilarious masterpiece.

The Czech brothers are continually trying to pick up “swinging chicks” and fit into the American culture. Georg and Yortuk are “two wild and crazy guys” that gave SNL a great reputation from the very start.

1982

Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood

1989

Sprockets

1993

Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker

No one on earth could play motivational speaker Matt Foley better than the way Chris Farley did when the skit was introduced in its 18th season. Foley is essentially the exact opposite of a good motivational speaker, harsh, clumsy and unfortunate. Farley enters the scene wearing a bulging tight button shirt, blue-checkered blazer, khakis, and thick glasses. In case you didn’t already assume Matt Foley was a big goon, he makes sure he gives his audience an introduction, with the famous lines, “I’m 35 years old, thrice divorced, and living in a van down by the river!” Throughout the skit Foley repeats his trademark phrase by telling them that same line. Whenever a member of the audience responds with a statement of accomplishment Foley responds with, “Well, la-dee-frickinda!” Chris Farley’s character as a motivational speaker is hands down one of his finest and debatably makes for one of SNL’s best ever.

2001

More Cowbell!

SNL appeared to be having a hard time living up to the standout years of Steve Martin, Mike Myers, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy and Chris Farley, until in 2000 when they performed “More Cowbell!”. The skit pertains to 1970’s band, Blue Oyster Cult, recording their hit song “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” Featuring guest host Christopher Walken as music producer Bruce Dickinson and Will Ferrell as a fictional cowbell player by the name of Gene Frenkle.

In midst of recording the song, Frenkle’s cowbell playing becomes overpowering and throws off the band. Although the band is opposed to the intense ‘cowbelling’, Dickinson repeatedly advises more cowbell, even to the point where he tells them, “I have a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!” As Ferrell’s tummy progressively hangs farther out his shirt and Walken tells the group they have a “dynamite sound”, it’s clear exactly why this sketch is one of the most memorable of all time.

2005

Digital Shorts

New sound, old generation: Re-covering classics A list of covered songs done by today’s artists Cody Shattuck staff writer Remade. Rerecorded. Out comes a new version. Songs over the years have been redone by many artists. Numerous renditions have been made better than the original, while others by the first artist or band still stand as the best. However, what makes a cover version of a song the best one ever? Does matching the pitch, same formation and style of the song make it better?

“I feel what makes a good cover is someone who can really show off vocal range, as well as bring a totally different unique sound to the song. Making it their own,” sophomore Cameron Thurston said.

“Crazy Train”

Original: Ozzy Osbourne (1980) Cover: A Bullet for My Valentine (2008) Ozzy’s version of the song reached number nine on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. The basis of the song that Ozzy implied was that the world became rather crazy. With his life, he felt it was literally on a crazy train.

A Bullet for My Valentine, who later covered

the song, did it as a version that appeared on their album “Scream Aim Fire”. However, the album reached number five on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, but did not rank. “’Crazy Train’ by a Bullet for My Valentine is one of my favorite songs because of the instrumentals that they incorporate in the song,” junior Jessica Weldon said. “I found it randomly and loved it. I knew it would be a good cover due to the instrumentals.”

“Highway To Hell”

Original- AC/DC (1979) Cover- Marilyn Manson (1999) Originally based on the way the band was touring, it was said that it was a highway to hell.

AC/DC had some success with “Highway to Hell” with it reaching number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Manson later covered the song in a 1999 version, which appeared in the movie “Detroit Rock City”. The song was featured in the movie with its counterpart, the original song by AC/DC. “My favorite song is ‘Highway to Hell’ by AC/ DC because I like classic rock. So that really drew me to this song,” senior Allie Grafe said. “I feel like AC/DC is really awesome and that the cover just won’t be that good.”

“If I Told You So”

Original- Randy Travis (1988) Cover Carrie Underwood (2007)

Originally performed as a local song by country artist Randy Travis, which became a hit that was frequently requested. The theme reflects the vision of love when someone left, and then wanted to come back into it, feeling bad. The ballad by Travis reached number one on the Billboard Country Charts.

In 2007 “I Told You So” was covered by another country artist, Carrie Underwood. She also performed a version of the song in 2009 with Travis, which reached number one again on the Billboard Country Charts.

“I followed Carrie Underwood through ‘American Idol’ and saw that she had a great vocal range,” Thurston said. “That’s what makes her cover of ‘I Told You So’ good. Randy Travis is true country. I feel he was too laid back in his version.”

“Last Kiss”

Original: Wayne Cochran (1961) Cover: Pearl Jam (2003) “Last Kiss” was at first unsuccessful when Wayne Cochran originally sang it. The song was written by Cochran after being in a near fatal accident which inspired this song. “Last Kiss” recieved a three star rating when released by the Billboard Chart.

Pearl Jam covered it in 2003 on their album “Lost Dog”. “Last Kiss” reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, which gave Pearl Jam its biggest hit to date.

“American Woman”

Original- The Guess Who (1970) Cover- Lenny Kravitz (1999) Originally debuted on February of 1970 by the Canadian band The Guess Who, “American Woman” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in March as a single.

A cover version of the song by Lenny Kravitz appeared in the movie “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” in 1999. Even though it didn’t have a chart-topping impact, it still ranked 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Take my Breath Away” Original: Berlin (1986) Cover: Jessica Simpson (2004)

Berlin’s original recording of ”Take My Breath Away” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1986. The song appeared in the movie “Top Gun” and its storyline reflected the two main characters’ love.

Jessica Simpson’s cover only reached number 20 on the Hot 100. Simpson’s rendition was of a love she encountered, similar to that of Berlin.

Both versions embody the same style and theme: love.

“I like this song because Berlin gives it a good element of music,” junior Bekah Owens said. “I feel that Jessica Simpson just messed it up and gave it no musical part. That just made the song seem stupid.”

The Hot Spot

13

Holt High School Ramparts

March 2011

Popular artists spring into Michigan My Tunes Alyssa Stepter staff writer

Lil’ Wayne

Saturday, April 2, 7 p.m.

The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills Tickets starting at $60.65

“I’m` Still Making Music” “Everything gets better with time and time is Tour forever.”

Wiz Khalifa

Monday, April 4 , 6:30 p.m.

Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti $28.25

Fairly new rap artists “Good things come in good time.”

Wiz Khalifa is promoting his his debut album for Atlantic records “Rolling Papers”

Usher ft. Akon

Sunday, May 15, 7:30 p.m.

The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills $40.95

“OMG” Tour

“Strivers achieve what dreamers believe.”

Glee

Monday, June13, 7:30 p.m.

The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills $65

From the hit Fox TV show, live on stage

Glee is a musical comedy television series that about a fictional high school choir, also known as a glee club, set within William McKinley High.

Sunday, June 26, 7 p.m.

Spartan Stadium, East Lansing $48

“360°” Tour

“People say we take ourselves too seriously, and I might have to plead guilty to that. But I don’t take myself seriously, we don’t take ourselves seriously - but we do take the music seriously.” Bono

Katy Perry

Tuesday, June 28, 7 p.m.

The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills $48.65

“California Dreams” Tour

“I think you can have it all. You just have to work really hard, because great things don’t come easily.”

American Idols Live

Friday, July 1, 7 p.m.

The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills $40.45

From the hit Fox TV show, live on stage

“American Idol” is a reality singing competition based off of the popular UK show “Pop Idol”, where winners are chosen directly by voters and win contracts as single recording artists.

Adam Lambert

Wednesday. July 13, 5:30 p.m.

Riverfront Park, Lansing $26

“Glam Nation Live” Tour

“Growing up I wasn’t very confident. I always used to look at being different as a bad thing, but I’ve learned that you need to take pride in the fact that you are unique.”

Christina Aguilera and Liona Lewis Rihanna ft. Ke$ha

Sunday, July 24, 7 p.m.

D.T.E. Energy Music Theater Clarkston $31

U2

& Nicki Minaj

Monday, August 22, 7 p.m.

D.T.E. Energy Music Theater Clarkston $27.25

“Bionic” Tour

“Last Girl On Earth” Tour

“You can take it or leave it, but I’m not going to change, not for anyone.”

Success for me isn’t a destination it’s a journey. Everybody’s working to get to the top but where is the top? It’s all about working harder and getting better and moving up and up.”

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

What’s stuck in vocal music teacher Monty Bishop’s head?

Style of music: All “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith “I really like Aerosmith, because they tell stories within their songs. Their music is good in general.”

“You Shook me all Night Long” by AC/DC “It reminds me of my wife, how I felt about her, how beautiful she was.”

“Do Not Stand by My Grave and Weep” by Elenor Daley “This is one of my favorite choral pieces. It’s really a song of faith.”

“Jerusalem” by Hoppers “It shows where I am in my life. It meets me where I am at. It’s just a good reflection of me, who I am.”

“I am Loved” by Bill Gaither “I like this song because it is a song that I sang to my kids.”

What’s stuck in junior Andy Seguin’s head?

Style of music: Hip-Hop “That’s all she Wrote” by Eminem ft. T. I. “It’s a really great song full of meaning and true stories.”

“On My level” by Wiz Khalifa “It’s motivational. It motivates me to have fun and just be me.”

“Do the John Wall” by Troop 41 “Because I flex them haters. I also like this song because the beat is really sweet and the lyrics go perfect with it.”

“Bill Gates” by Lil Wayne “I like to make money, who doesn’t? And because it’s about making a better life for yourself, and showing how hard work pays off.”

“Welcome to My Hood” by DJ Khaled featuring Lil’ Wayne, T-Pain, Rick Ross, and Plies “When I think about this song, I think about Holt and how it’s our hood.”

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

14

Sports

March 2011

The Press Box GIRLS BASKETBALL

record: 15-8 league standing: Third season highlight: “Beating Okemos at home by 20 was my season highlight this year,” senior captain Mandy Johnson said. in their words: “We are all so close and get along really well,” sophomore Sarah Gray said.

BOYS BASKETBALL

record: 9-13 league standing: Fifth place season highlight: “The best part of the season was Tim’s [Scott] game winning buzzerbeater shot against Waverly. It was sweet how the crowd went crazy and started a huge mosh pit,” junior Harrison Ammon said. in their words: “What I liked most about the team is how, though our record wasn’t the best, everyone kept fighting,” senior Tony Alvarez said.

Holt High School Ramparts

Spring season rains in new sports Sports teams begin their season with a variety of different expectations Benjamin Gates Jordan Rakas Will Thurston staff writers

Girls Track & Field Coach: Pam Stafford Next Meet: April 13 at HHS

Season Preview: The team strives to win conferences and ultimately send as many as possible to the state meet. The girls graduated some quality performers but still have a lot of returning members.

“We will do well. We have a lot of returning talent this year,” senior Kyla Walworth said.

The excitement of becoming leaders is hitting many of the veteran members of the team.

“I am super excited about competing. This year will be different because I am a senior, and therefore, I have taken on a leadership

CHEERLEADING

season highlight: “This season overall was a lot better than football season, because our old coach returned,” senior captain Shayla Kanouse said. in their words: “For many us senior girls who are leaving for college next year, this was a great last season to end our high school cheerleading career,” Kanouse said.

GIRLS BOWLING

record: 7-3 league standing: Second season highlight: “Everyone had a lot of energy and we came closer. We became dependent on each other,” junior Lauren Strong said. in their words: “We had new coaches, which has been different. We realized it was a good thing and energy they brought was really good for us,” senior Shelly Teague said.

Girls Tennis

Coach: Pat Somers Last season: Fourth in the league First match: 4 p.m., April 11 at Waverly Season Preview: The girls look to improve from last year’s fourth place performance as they head into a very competitive league. Senior leadership and experience will contribute to the team’s success.

“We should be better than last year. We have a lot of returning players,” senior Jamie Hulteen said.

New, upcoming players will also have an impact for the season.

“We will have upcoming underclassmen that will change the team dynamic. All in all it will be a great tennis season,” junior Haley Powers said.

Softball Coach: Kim Reichard Last season: League and district champs.

First game: 4 p.m., March 30 at Eaton Rapids

BOYS BOWLING

record: 13-2 league standing: First place season highlight: “When I broke the record for highest score in a two-game series,” junior Zach Ammerman said. in their words: “My favorite thing about the team is how much fun we all had and the atmosphere that was made,” senior Caleb Wyatt said.

Photo by Benjamin Gates

Working with her teammates, sophomore Sanda Vazgec watches her ball after she hits it. The senior-laden team hopes to use their experience to help the young players.

Photo by Benjamin Gates

Practicing shooting, the team prepares for their games. They hope to build off last seasons success.

Boys Lacrosse

Season Preview: Although the Rams graduated a lot of seniors, they have a core group of starters and some potential talent coming up, making them contenders once again for the league and district titles.

“We are defending back-to-back league champs and also won the district last year, so we now have a target on our back,” Reichard said.

The team is looking to pitchers Colleen Lierman and Erin Chapman, as well as catcher Molly Gray, to lead the team to victory.

“I expect to have fun and go all out. I just need to remember that I only get to play a couple months longer and to make it memorable,” Lierman said.

Coach: Mike Van Antwerp Last season: Reached the regional finals Next game: 6 p.m., March 31 at East Grand Rapids

Boys Golf

Season Preview: After coming off the best season ever by a Holt boys lacrosse team, the players look to continue their success and make Holt into a lacrosse powerhouse. In order to do this, they will have to beat some of the best teams in the state. This year they play a brutal schedule, against teams they don’t traditionally play, but coach Van Antwerp welcomes the challenge.

“To see the strength of our team, we play the top teams in the state,” Van Antwerp said. “We also see how far we have come as a program.

According to the Van Antwerp, this is a team made up of hardworking players. He also said he believes that their defense is one of the best in the state.

Coach: Doug Harkema Last season: Second in the league. Reached regional finals. Finished in the top 10 in the state. 9:30 p.m., April 15 at Marshall First meet: April 15 at Marshall Season Preview- The golf team didn’t lose much from last year’s squad and they look to use their experience to help them try to go beyond how far they went last season.

“We return everybody from last year, so this team has the potential to maybe be one of Holt’s best teams ever,” Harkema said. “But golf is a tricky sport, only got to be good one day. (This season) will be interesting.”

Sports

15

Holt High School Ramparts

March 2011

Boys Track and Field

Girls Lacrosse Coach: Paul Carr Last season: 5-10 Next game: 5:30 p.m. April 13 against Tecumseh at home

Coach: Jack Rarick Season preview: The boys track team graduated a lot of exceptional athletes. However, they have more depth in several events and are looking to be more successful at each team meet.

Season preview: The girls lacrosse team is young and inexperienced this season. They are made up of mostly sophomores and juniors.

Due to the youth, expectations are a little down this year. However, the players are just focused on playing hard.

“This will no doubt be the hardest working group we’ve had in a very long time,” Rarick said. “Very serious and very focused on improving.”

“I want to do really good this season,” senior Megan Shiels said. “But with our young team, I expect to win about 7 or 8 games.”

This year’s team is going to start a new tradition called “Fun-Fridays” to make practice fun and keep the players from doing the same old thing over and over again.

Athletes to watch include Kyle Bort in pole vault, T.J. King in the high jump, Kenny Rogers and Sawyer McFadden in the shot put and Chris Morgan in the 400 meter.

“I expect to go to states, break the school record and get 15 feet or higher,” Bort said.

Photo by Will Thurston

“We will either dress up in pajamas or have a neon day or have a water fight,” Shiels said.

Coach: Nathan Potts Last season: Regional runners-up First game: 4 p.m. April 12 against St. Johns at home

Senior Travis Sweet said he is looking forward to one game in particular.

“I would say our biggest game is definitely going to be the Grand Ledge game because they’ve always been a rival of ours,” Sweet said. “They have a very talented squad and so do we; it should be a great match-up.”

record: N/A league standing: N/A season highlight: “Going to the Palace of Auburn Hills and performing in front of all the people,” sophomore Allison Nastally said. in their words: “There is never any drama, and we all get along really well, which makes the team really fun,” Nastally said.

GYMNASTICS

record: 7-4 league standing: Fourth place season highlight: “When senior captain Jacke Zussman went to states,” junior Dakota Brown said. in their words: “The best part of this year was having Holly on our team,” sophomore Taylor Hull said.

record: 12-14 league standing: Fifth place season highlight: “Scoring two goals on senior night for Anthony, Holly, and Taylyr,” senior Brandon Bet said. in their words: “Everyone is really cool and nice and we all get along really well,” Bet said.

Baseball

“We have an extremely strong offensive team with a few question marks on defense,” Potts said. “We look to have those answers following our trip to Florida over Spring Break.”

DANCE

HOCKEY

Preparing for the 110 meter hurdles, sophomore track member Damien Williamson works on his timing.

Season preview: The baseball team is only replacing three seniors from last year’s regional runner-up team and according to Potts, they have some promising young talent coming in. They hope to make another strong run in the playoffs.

The Press Box

BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING

Photo by Jordan Rakas

The girls soccer team goes for a run to prepare for the spring season. The team has been working on getting fit and in shape. Their first game is on March 30 at home at 6:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer Coach: Aaron Smith Last season: 14-7 First game: 6:30 p.m. on March 30 against Eaton Rapids at home Season preview: This year’s girls varsity soccer team hopes to use its cohesion and shared love of the game to help them have a successful season.

“We want to work hard, play as a team and play to our strengths,” senior Brooke Smythe said. “Our team strengths are that we communicate well, and our team’s main goal is to just play hard.”

The team is led by seniors Amanda Johnson and Jamie Zelenski and sophomore Emma Webster. Those three possess leadership skills and lead by example, according to the team.

record: 5-3 league standing: N/A season highlight: “The improvement we made over the season,” coach Marty Pohl said. in their words: “The majority of the team is coming back for next year, and I hope to get more people able to qualify for states and score at the state meet,” Pohl said.

WRESTLING

record: 22-2 league standing: First place season highlight: “Individuals placing at states,” junior Joey Hemenway said. in their words: “I joined late in the season, and I could tell they were really accepting of me. It was tough, but I learned a lot and hope to do well next year,” Hemenway said.

Sports

16

March 2011

Holt High School Ramparts

The water cooler Will Thurston

Not as it seems

N

CAA sports are a big money business. They like to promote themselves as caring about the student athletes, supporting integrity and about having fun. Don’t get it twisted though, they care more about the business aspect of sports than the things they claim they stand for.

This has become very evident with the recent drama with the Ohio State football team. In December of 2010, it was discovered that that a number of Buckeye players accepted improper benefits from a tattoo parlor. They sold their personal memorabilia such as jerseys, shoes and championship rings for discounted tattoos. Those involved were also big-name players.

Once this was discovered by the NCAA, they suspended the players.

However, the punishment was a joke. The players were suspended for five games, but not the BCS Bowl game they had to play, the first five games of the next season. Basically this says, the star players can play in the nationally televised game because if they don’t people might not watch or attend the game and then money is lost. So, suspend them next season when they play three weak opponents that nobody really cares to watch.

This isn’t even the best part of the story, though. The real laugher is what happened to the head coach, Jim Tressel. Earlier this month, it was discovered that Tressel knew that the players were committing NCAA violations and didn’t tell anybody, didn’t punish the players himself and lied to the university and the NCAA when they asked him about the situation. Tressel’s punishment? He gets suspended for the first two games of the 2011-2012 season. Those games are against two MAC teams. It’s like he got to pick which games he wanted to be suspended for.

People ask how could those suspended get punished so lightly?

The reason why is, Ohio State is big bucks. It is probably one of the top five football programs in the NCAA. Jim Tressel is probably the most prestigious coach coaching now.

The NCAA doesn’t care about the athletes like they claim too. They are all about the business.

Students look up to pro athletes Students look to pro athletes to learn new skills Iman Ben-Hamza staff writer Student athletes look to their favorite professional athlete to help them to reach new levels of their sport.

Seeing another athlete succeed at the sport students play can motivate and reassure them that with a lot of hard work, being a professional athlete is possible.

Professional athletes may have special techniques that are unique to them, so looking up to a pro athlete can introduce student athletes to new skills. Senior Katrina Majeske swam for the boys varsity swim team, and she looks up to Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. Phelps is known for his 16 Olympic medals, six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008. He has competed in a number of events ranging from 100 butterfly to 4x100 meter medley relay.

Photos by Iman Ben-Hamza and Ron T. Ennis/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT

Sophomore Blake McHenry (left) looks up to his favorite Athlete Josh Hamilton (right). Hamilton is pictured getting ready to hit for the Texas Rangers.

“Michael Phelps influences me because his techniques obviously work for him, and I attempt to imitate the greatness,” Majeske said. “He has great underwaters, which I try to achieve.”

Some athletes, like senior Kyle Bort, may have other sports role models that they look up to, such as a coach who made it professionally. Bort is on

the varsity track team and one of his events is pole vaulting.

“I look up to my coach Paul Babbit because he was at the Olympic trials, and he coaches me when I go to Indiana to train,” Bort said.

Sophomore Blake McHenry has even been lucky enough to meet the athlete he looks up to. McHenry will

Don’t Miss This Girls Lacrosse: Wednesday, March 30 The girls JV lacrosse team faces Eaton Rapids High School at 4 p.m. at home. The girls varsity lacrosse team plays at Eaton Rapids at the same time. Come out and support them.

Boys Lacrosse: Thursday, March 31 The boys JV lacrosse team butts heads with the Eaton Rapids High School team at 6 p.m. at home. The boys varsity lacrosse also plays at 6 p.m. at Eaton Rapids High School.

Baseball and Softball: Tuesday, April 12 The varsity baseball team plays the St. Johns High School team at 4 p.m. at home. Also, the JV girls softball team faces the Waverly High School team at the same time.

be on the baseball team, and he looks up to MLB player Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton is currently an All Star outfielder for the Texas Rangers. He was drafted in the MLB in 1999, but after injury and serious drug addiction put his career on hold in 2001. But he made a comeback after training back to the MLB and was a nominee for the MVP. McHenry looks up to his skills as well as his comeback, as it shows he did not give up.

“After being drafted and kicked off the MLB Josh Hamilton trained really hard and made a comeback,” McHenry said. “I met him in Arizona, and I got the chance to talk to him and he gave me some good hitting tips.”

Some students may see their favorite pro athlete being successful as uplifting. Senior Katrina Schlicker, who dove for girls varsity swimming and diving team, says she looks up to diver Yahel Castillo for his ‘perfect’ dives that are one of the hardest styles to do. Yahel Castillo is a Mexican diver who ranked seven at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 for men’s springboard.

“When you watch him it’s almost discouraging because he’s so good,” Schlicker said. “But then seeing him be so good at his dives gives me hope that with a lot of hard work I could do that too.”