Ramparts | February 2023

Photo and page design byJada Price-Williams and Julia Toomey

IS SENIORITIS REAL?

The truth about the last semester for seniors as they try to make one final push towards graduation in June.

ADVENTURES WITH VAN

Behind the scenes of biology teacher Mike VanAntwerp’s life outside the classroom. His experiences as a coach, teacher, hiker and father - all in one.

HOLT MAKES A SPLASH

As the Holt Rams Varsity swim team wraps up their season, dive into the behind the scenes of the swimmers and events.

Fast fashion is out of fashion

The negative impacts of fast fashion and what to do about it

Julia Toomey MANAGING EDITOR

“Fast fashion,” a phrase first heard in the 1990s, has become widely used today, but the negative implications often go unheard. Fast fashion first entered the scene when Zara, a trendy clothing store, first opened with the goal to get high up fashion from the runway to their stores as soon as possible. Their mission statement today has not changed much as it is to, “give customers what they want, and get it to them faster than anyone else.”

Many stores over the past forty years have adopted this same goal with similar mission statements including Shein, H and M, and Forever 21. As these types of stores are becoming more prevalent, issues stemming from them have also come to light. These include their use of environmentally detrimental factories and contributions to global clothing waste.

According to the United Nations

Environment Programme (UNEP, as of 2022, the fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions. Much of this waste is due to the nature of fast fashion catering to people constantly wanting the newest style and throwing out the old ones.

Biology teacher Heather Peterson explained that how quickly people throw out cheap clothing is affecting the environment.

“Our landfills are getting filled, and then they’re throwing trash on ships and trying to send it around the world. Then we are paying countries to take other people’s trash. And I think that we can put blinders on really easily because we live in our little worlds,” Peterson said.

Good news is, these environmental effects are in our control as consumers and are avoidable with alternatives to fast fashion.

It is understandable that young people, especially students, want more affordable clothes, but there are even more affordable and sustainable options out there. Senior

Camden Padgett discussed one of these ways is being aware of impulse buying.

“The biggest thing is, like, Tik Tok trends right now. If it’s something

Sustainable alternatives to popular fast fashion brands:

thrifting goes away so more people feel comfortable doing it.

“Often we go as a family, go to the thrift store. There’s no shame in it. We love it. It’s fun. You can get more bang for your buck,” Fulton said.

H&M

Price range :$4-$220

SHEIN

Price range: $0.40-$200

Forever21

Price range:$ 2-$80

that’s not going to be around for a while and it’s probably like you’re not going to wear it for a couple of years later, then I would probably stay away from that just because it’ll just end up donated or in a landfill somewhere,” Padgett said.

With trends changing so quickly due to influencers and social media, it is important for consumers to be aware of whether trends are passing or long lasting. With this in mind, another way to combat fast fashion is by donating and consigning clothes. English teacher Michelle Fulton explained how consigning clothes works best for her family.

“I can take their old clothes, consign them, and then the money that I get, I just purchase through the store and buy hand-me-downs,” Fulton said.

Similar to Fulton, Padgett also consigns clothes.

“I donate a lot, and then I take a lot and consign it,” Padgett said.

In addition to consigning, another option is thrifting. Fulton explained that she hopes the stigma around

Peterson also noted some environmentally conscious ways to get rid of clothing if donating isn’t an option.

“There are lots of organizations that are recycling clothing and making bricks to build houses, and they can use plastic to make chairs and benches. But they’re using clothing, and that is so interesting to me… Researching organizations that are doing that or how they’re sending things away and how you can, you know, give you your stuff that way,” Peterson said.

As young consumers, building these sustainable habits now is imperative to the health of our planet in the future.

Given that thrifting, consigning, donating and recycling are already being utilized by young people, it seems we are headed in the right direction.

That being said, there is still a lot further to go to really combat how much damage fast fashion has already done, and that change starts one person at a time.

ABLE

Price Range: $10-$230

Patagonia

Price range: $10-$150

Everlane

Price range: $10-$110

Reformation

Price range: $2-$80 $10-$370

Student shops on Shein website

Photo by Julia Toomey

J a

Graphic by Julia Toomey

Often we go as a family, go to the thrift store. There’s no shame in it. We love it. It’s fun. You can get more bang for your buck.

”

Countrywide, teachers buy supplies

When teachers have to buy class materials, we have to wonder why

ElEanor WE stmorEland STAFF WRITER

For other schools, according to nea.org, more than 90% of teachers have to purchase their own supplies. This averages out to about $500 by the end of the school year. Unless someone is teaching without supplies, this can be a reasonably sized financial issue that teachers may have to overcome by themselves.

In the 2023 State of the State address from Governor Whitmer, Whitmer’s budget plan is around $4.5 billion higher than last year’s, making the budget around $24.1 billion

dollars for 1.4 million school children. It’s important to consider going forward what this influx of money could go to.

Currently, the school budget is split into categories oforeach different school in the Holt Public School system. In the high school specifically, this is split into departments.

Math teacher Marty Schnepp does not use many extraneous materials in his class, with exception of a few pieces of

on the National Science Foundation projects where they purchased it, but I worked for them in the summer,” Schnepp said.

Now that Schnepp has most of the equipment, he mostly only has to purchase paper and binders, although the cost of the equipment is unignorable.

Science teacher Heather Peterson is the science department chair and helps decide the budget for the department.

we go to the store and get reimbursed. Sometimes we want to do something special... and we have to pay for that, ” Peterson said.

Science teacher Joshua Abatie also thought this number might be different for other departments.

we do, paper products, utensils, etc., and sometimes on readily available materials that are useful in the lab,” Abatie said.

equipment.

“All of the equipment was either sweat equity working

“We get several thousand as a department, like $6000 or $7000... we use what we need and decide when sometimes one class needs more one year. Sometimes

“Science is unique in that there are constant material needs, chemicals, glassware, specimens, etc., that do not parallel other departments, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the Science budget is higher than some other departments,” Abatie said.

Abatie also talked about his personal expenses.

“As far as personal spending goes, I will typically spend $200 or more on my classroom each year. The vast majority of my spending is on perishable goods, food for the food labs

In science classes, because the materials are not permanent and need to be replenished frequently, it likely has a higher budget than other departments. This can be different compared to other classes. In her classes, Fine Arts teacher Patricia Pisano uses a wide variety of materials.

“For a full time teacher, for ten sections of art, it was $7500, but they did cutbacks. It’s probably more like $6000,” Pisano said.

Pisano also talked about what she spends out of pocket.

“I use a lot of my own stuff, but I can reuse some of it year after year. Examples of artwork I can use my own, but I would say at least $250 a year,” Pisano said.

Pisano has a drastically different budget to deal with, but she still spends within $50 of the amount that Abatie spends.

As seen, teachers always have to either do work or pay at least a tiny amount out of pocket for supplies. If Whitmer’s plan goes through and Michigan gets a higher school budget, then it will be interesting to see how things change . One thing we can do is listen to what the teachers say about what they want to change.

“When we built this building, any of the equipment that was installed was supposed to be maintained by the building budget. Equipment like my printing press or the ceramic kilns was supposed to come out of a general fund budget, but in recent years, that story has changed ,” Pisano said. “And those things are supposed to, the way I understand, come out of the art budget… That’s what I would change,changing it back to the way it was.”

Photo by Eleanor Westmoreland

Math teacher Marty Schnepp uses a device in his classroom to teach students. Here, he shows it off to senior Anthony Nyugen.

I tend to raid the trash cans and things at the end of the year locker clean out to get three ring binders and papers and things. I spent a lot early in my career

“ ”

Pass policy changes for 2022-2023 classes

Holt High School changes its pass policy, citing student hall pass overruse

Taylor Crosslan STAFF WRITER

In the 2022 to 2023 school year, Holt High School has restricted the amount of time students have to use a pass to go to the restroom or get something from their locker.

The administration established a new rule prohibiting students from using the restroom in the beginning ten minutes of class, the last ten minutes of class, and during the lunch period that the student is not in. For some students, lunch goes through the middle of their class and that leaves them with only 25-30 min to use the restroom if needed.

All teachers have different ways of dealing with passes in their classrooms. Some teachers have restrictions on the number of passes a student can use in a week’s time, or even in a semester. Ohers give students a number of passes per semester and, if they don’t use any of them, they get one point of extra credit.

Chemistry teacher Joshua Abatie has seen other teachers’ pass policies and by mixing those together, he has found what works best for him and his classroom. He has a place to sign out, but doesn’t have any restrictions on how many passes each student is able to use.

English teacher Jessica Kauffold has a different approach.

“I don’t have a pass restriction. I like to think that by this stage, students know what their body needs, and if they need to use the restroom, they need to use the restroom,” Kauffold said.

English and social studies teacher Matt Trunk follows the school policy, which is one person out at a time, and, when they need to go to another teacher, he writes out a pass for them.

“I use the required pass according to school rules for the bathroom. I use a library pass for students to get books.”

Many teachers have different pass policies that work best for their classroom and might not work for other teachers classes

Junior Kaelyn Rozycki has teachers with all different types of pass policies and shared her thoughts on the new restrictions.

believe that students should spend the break on their phone, either. The my class are, in case someone from home needs to find them or there’s an

students don’t drive themselves and therefore are not in control of what time they get to school. I think we should just be aware there are a multitude of reasons someone may be late and extend some grace, especially in the mornings,” said Rozycki.

Teachers could be more understanding with the amount of time needed to use the restroom, or being tardy to classes because of all of the different reasons that there could be for being late to class.

emergency of some kind. While students are in my classroom, they are my responsibility and I need to know where they are” said Kauffold.

School policy says that once a student has three or more tardies, they will need to be assigned a detention and not be able to go to school events until they serve them.

Abatie is usually pretty lenient about tardies, but there might be

“Last semester, [I gave] no detentions, and I think that became abused and was a disservice to some of my students. This semester, I am chatting with those flirting with the edge of a detention, and then assigning one on every third tardy”

Talking to students to see why they would be late and finding ways to combat those issues can help with the amount of tardies a student gets.

“I start with a conversation and go from there. The conversation would generally happen around tardy number two to figure out what’s going on or if there’s additional support I can offer. After that, if I’m seeing a pattern continue, I’ll write it up and that will lead to another discussion,”

Having a conversation about it and also trying to help out with the situation that the student is in will

“Honestly, I usually am not paying attention to the number unless it is occuring often,” says Trunk. If a student is tardy and it keeps happening over and over, then he would talk to the student about it.

Rozycki knows that students have different ways of getting to school and many different reasons to be late to class. “Most of my teachers are pretty good about being understanding, but I think it’s especially important for first hour teachers to be forgiving. Some

Student thoughts on the pass policy

Junior Mariah Mcginnis

“I think its messed up to put a certain amount of times you can use the bathroom because what if someone really has to go or something else is wrong but you have no passes?”

Sophmore Brooke Alberts

“The 10 minute rule is kind of dumb as well because sometimes you don’t have time during passing period because there are lines and then you’re late to class.”

HOLT HIGH SCHOOL RAMPARTS

While students are in my classroom, they are my responsibility and I need to know where they are.

Senioritis is on the rise at Holt High School

Jacob Mc Millen STAFF WRITER

Senior year. The final lap.

Don’t run out of gas too early.

After a pandemic and three years of high school, the last year should be the easiest. However, something lurks around the corner. Senioritis: the illness that, eventually, all students encounter.

Whether that be from friends, teachers, or personal experience, senioritis is lethal to a student’s academic career.

Senioritis isn’t an actual medically diagnosed illness, but rather a feeling of giving up. Being a senior means that there’s only a little bit left to go, and, with the fresh start of college on the horizon, it is easy to give up.

People who have already applied and been accepted into their university may feel less drive to complete work; however, giving up completely can be damaging to one’s future.

Senioritis is something that is really impacting me, and a majority of my peers. I have no desire to do any work, and I have no desire to be here. Waking up at 6:00 in the morning so I can make it to school on time is

becoming harder to achieve as the desire to be here goes down. I force myself to do work and keep up with my hobbies, but sometimes ,I wonder why I’m trying at all. If I already know the next step in my life, why can’t I just take it? I want to move on to the next thing, but I can’t, and that is the worst part of senior year.

Teachers are also affected by senioritis. Many teachers say how they notice student effort and quality of work decreasing. I have had teachers who say they dread second semester, just because it is so much harder to teach seniors as the end comes closer. These classes and grades are important, seeing as students will need to maintain a B+ or higher in their classes if they wish to leave in May and avoid second semester exams.

Future college plans can also be affected by lack of work. No matter where someone plans to go after high school, regardless of acceptance or not, all grades are still being monitored.

Of course, places like LCC don’t look into grades the same way that MSU would, but it still matters to a student’s future. A student getting declined from their dream school is the worst possible way to end senior

year.

I think that it is alright to lay back a little, because this is the end. However, instead of resenting the rest of the school year, maybe it is worth relishing. After all, this is the seniors’ last year here. I have had my last first day of high school, my last first semester exams, and my last high school homecoming.

While it is a sign of moving on, it is also something that I will look back on and reminisce about. I have so many fond memories that overcome all of the negativity.

Being in the school band and being able to try so many different things has helped me learn so much about myself. The time I have spent here will eventually be part of the stories I will tell people later. Have fun, don’t be too serious.

All in all, high school is awful. However, these four years are something that all students share. All of the seniors at Holt High School have been through the pandemic, the SAT’s, and and preparing for graduation.

Senioritis will come and it will go, there is nothing able to change that. Students who are not going to college still have to beware of their grades. All seniors need a semester math

credit, one semester English credit, Economics, and possibly more. These classes may feel like no big deal, but students do need all of their credits in order to graduate on time with the rest of their class.

College isn’t the only route to take after high school. There are plenty of trades out in the world. There is a constant neef for many trades that people don’t see as important. While they still take time and cost money, the time and money costs

are significantly less. According to Midwest Techinical Institute, total costs for an average trade school is $5,000-$15,000 while a 4 year university averaged at 9,410 per year. However, this is the end, so let’s knock it out of the park. With less than a semester left, the work is only going to get easier and the end is only getting closer.

Let’s enjoy the last bit of what high school has to offer before taking our next big step into the future.

Managing Editor:

Copy Editors:

Social Media Editor:

Photo Editor:

Staff Writers: Adviser:

Julia Toomey

Grace Laubenthal and Corinne Johnson

Kayla Fogarty

Jada Price-Williams

Abraham Alvarez, Jazmin Anderson, Evie Cook, Taylor Crosslan, Mariahna Hatfield, Jacob Mc Millen, Isaiah Wummel, and Eleanor Westmoreland

Sarah Ashman

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.

Graphic by Grace Laubenthal

As second semester begins, seniors are ready to take the next big step from high school

School provided lunch analysis

Ramparts staff discusses the details of school provided lunches; quality, variety, and more

School provided lunch should be no stranger to any high school student.

Students need nutrients in order to continue learning. Schools recommend a fruit, vegetable, protein, grain, and dairy in order to hit all the core nutrients from the food pyramid. This may take the form of chocolate milk and a chicken sandwich or pizza, a spinach salad, and juice.

The school does not force people to buy the school lunches. While some students choose to eat a school provided lunch, others choose to bring lunch from their home. This gives students more freedom when it comes to what options they have to eat for lunch during the school week.

Regardless of whether a student eats a school lunch or not, it is essential that they are provided.

School lunch at Holt High School typically includes options such as a salad bar, milk, and a main course. This main course may take the form of either one of the two cycling dishes, pizza, or a sandwich of choice. Students are able to pick from a small variety of items.

And if students wish, there is a snack bar that offers stuff not available in the lunch line. The

purpose of the snack bar is not to replace a school lunch, but to add to it. This is why items from the snack bar must be purchased separately from the actual lunch.

Offering these options is something that some students look forward to, and is well received around the school.

The amount of variety when it comes to school lunch is something that does occasionally stay stagnant. There is always pizza or a sandwich of some kind, and two other meals to pick from. However, these meals don’t change often.

Some of the options available are more new, while other options have been the same since elementary school. Having the same food repeatedly, year after year, gets old after a while. Students get sick of only being offered the same couple options.

It isn’t expected that a new dish be made available every day, but it would be nice to see the occasional swapping of a dish for something different. Even if only offered rarely, it’s exciting for students to have a new lunch option to try.

The quality of school lunch is another hot topic. It’s always perceived through television that school lunch looks like some sort of

unappetizing, gray, meat slop. And while that disgusting extreme isn’t the case at Holt, there definitely are some meals that are better than others.

Some meal quality is pretty good, and others are acceptable, though there are sometimes where the food doesn’t look or taste the best. Every student has a different opinion on the quality of school lunches in general. Some think they’re average and others think they’re awful. Not everything can be a hit, but there are some meals that could be cut from the menu in place of others.

School lunch is appreciated by students. Some students rely on school lunch for a reliable meal supply and school lunches are always available for any student, no matter their financial situation.

Schools offer reduced costs and free lunches for other students who cannot afford to pay for the school lunch regularly. This ensures that all students have access to food every school day.

While school lunches have room for improvement, there are still a large number of students who choose to eat school lunch, and there is still a large enough supply for those students.

SPEAK UP

Do you think that school lunch has improved in past years?

“I think the quality of school lunch has improved since freshman year.”

Senior Ema Cook

“It hasn’t gotten better; we need to get more food. It feels like the same thing every day.”

Junior Josiah DeMond

“I think they’ve declined. Lunches used to have more options and better supplies. It’s degraded a bit. I like it, but it’s just not as good as it used to be.”

Sophomore Aliison Wieger

“School lunch has not improved, lack of good options. There’s only lettuce and spinach.”

Freshman Gagan Bhandari

Graphic Made by Grace Laubenthal and Jacob Mc Millen

Poll of 168 Holt High School students. Graphic by Jacob Mc Millen

Concussions, the invisible illness

Concussions, in college and high school sports have taken an all time high in 2022

Cook STAFF WRITER

The brain is the control center for the body, like a computer and it’s core. Concussions are the movement of the brain hitting against the skull, and they have become one of the most common sports injuries today.

In the United States alone, about 3.8 million people get concussions. Five to ten percent of that 3.8 million are from sports-related injuries, according to the University of Michigan Concussion Center. While technology is evolving to make the injury less likely to occur, somehow, we’re at an all time high this year in professional football.

As technology advances help

ensure the safety of players, there is still a problem with the number of head injuries around the NFL.

As the 2022-23 season wraps up, studies show that the NFL is at an all time high for head injuries. Reports are showing numbers north of 135 head injuries as of week 17. These concussion injuries have varied from mild to severe on the field, and clips have shown players not being able to walk due to their bodies tensing up, while others are more mild and are just a little dizzy and unable to focus.

While experts are trying to find better ways to keep the players safe, there’s still a major concern surrounding concussions in the NFL, as well as high school football

Senior football player Dyelan Arnold, a victim of concussions, described his story from his injury.

“I could barely open my eyes. I was sitting in a dark room. I couldn’t sleep, it was so bad. I don’t even remember talking to my dad about

it,” Arnold said.

Concussions don’t only come from football, and they can come from all types of sports, including dance, cheer, soccer, and basketball.

Junior Samantha Pell suffered a concussion during the 2022 spring soccer season and shared her experience.

“It made it really difficult to watch my teammates all play, and I can’t play with them,” Pell said.

On top of missing out on important sports events and experiences, concussions can cause lasting damage to the brain and how it makes a person’s body function. Patients can suffer from issues like hand-eye coordination, short or long term memory loss, and post concussive syndrome.

Post-concussive syndrome occurs when the effects from a mild-traumatic brain injury last longer than expected. Symptoms for post-concussive syndrome

include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, concentration, and memory problems that can last from a couple months to a few years.

Contrary to popular belief, Dr. Nathan Fitton believes staying in a dark room and not doing anything isn’t an effective way to treat a concussion.

Fitton says that patients who hang out with their friends, and return to light activities earlier on have a faster recovery than those who don’t. Patients can return to activities as long as they don’t have the risk of being hurt again and it doesn’t make their symptoms worse. It’s also been recommended to patients to wear color tinted glasses like rose or amber colored glasses instead of dark sunglasses.

Overtime, the wearing of dark glasses can cause more light sensitivity and prolong concussion symptoms rather than improve them.

Some myths about concussions

are that a person has to lose consciousness to have a concussion which is not true seeing as though 90% of people don’t lose consciousness, according to the U of M Concussion Clinic. Concussion symptoms also do not appear right away, many develop hours after the concussion occurs similar to Arnold’s experience.

“I remember everything from the events. It didn’t start to hurt until I finally got home,” Arnold said.

The effects of concussions, are often prevelant even hours after the injury. Athletic trainers are in schools to help students with injuries including concussions, to help them heal from these injuries and get them back onto the field.

With concussion rates rising in sports, staying informed about causes, effects, treatments and prevention is one step in lowering the number of injuries during the season.

EviE

AbE AlvArE z STAFF WRITER

“We have like a pretty intense procedure here through the athletic department and through our like athletic trainers. So if we have a girl who has a concussion, the amount of time that they’re out can be like extensive because they have to keep retesting. So concussion protocols have changed.”

My Story

On Oct. 4, I was at my dance studio participating in a stunt and got elbowed in the face, breaking my nose. I went to urgent care and they didn’t even think to check for a concussion. It wasn’t until a week later that it was diagnosed. For a week, I stayed home from school and slept. I was then referred to Dr. Jason Chesney from Mid-Michigan ENT, who told me I would need surgery.

A couple weeks after the surgery, I was still suffering from concussion symptoms where I was then diagnosed with postconcussive syndrome by Dr. Nathan Fitton. I was referred to physical, occupational and speech therapy. I have been going to therapy since November and just graduated from physical therapy and occupational therapy but still have to attend speech therapy due to my lack of retaining new information.

Everyone’s story is different and having post-concussive syndrome while dancing is still a challenge for me. Learning to adapt and grow and heal from this experience has been emotionally and physically draining, and it’s been hard to keep my motivation.

Concussions aren’t just hitting your head. Even getting hit in the face can cause lasting damage. Everyone heals differently, and giving people time to recover while not expecting them to be perfect is the best thing for the mental health of the patient.

“I think the thing that we always try to emphasize with the athlete [about] their brain is they get one. And while missing a game or a practice, or however long it takes, might be disappointing, it's more important for them to be able to function later in life.”

“You can't prevent concussions, but you can limit them and their impact through proper neck training and strength training. But it's tough. You know, if player brain injuries are real, and you lose those players for some time, and you have to make adjustments as a coach, but obviously the health of the athlete is our primary concern.”

“We do a lot of neck exercises in the off-season, because that’s kind of like your shock. We do prep kids in terms of how to tackle, how to make sure our body is ready to absorb those hits so that we can keep the concussions down. Our helmets are top notch - like five-star rated.”

Stacie Forbes

Girl’s Varsity Lacrosse Coach

Chris Bishop Athletic Director

Greg Miller Football Offensive Coordinator

Grant Melville Football Coach

EviE Cook STAFF WRITER

Staying Active

Rams give their tips and tricks to stay active and healthy by going to the gym and keeping a well-balanced diet

Being healthy and having good remedies on a day to day basis is key to living a happy life. While it may be hard to maintain a good physique and stay in shape, we have gathered information from students to help get over the hump and get into some good routines! Senior Lukas Hartley, Isabella Scott and Ryan Vandlen, along with junior Jacob Harris share, how they keep a healthy and well balanced lifestyle and what motivates them to do so.

Senior Isabella Scott

1

[I work out] to gain strength and endurance for sports and for sports conditioning.

2

I stick to a 4-day split where I hit different muscle groups each day with one day of rest.

3

I use MyFitnessPal to track my macros each day and I use that app to log my food, exercise, and to make sure I’m getting enough protein, carbs, and healthy fats per day.

Senior Lukas Hartley

“I usually workout 5-6 days a week and eat healthy. I don’t track my calories, but I make sure I’m getting 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to maintain and build muscle, and I try to limit unhealthy foods when I can, but I’m also lucky and have a fast metabolism, which means I usually need to worry more about eating enough than eating too much. My biggest thing is I try to incorporate as much protein as possible, such as chicken, fish, protein bars/ powders, eggs, and limit processed carbs like chips, cookies, etc. I’ve recently tried incorporating healthy fats to help me bulk up, like avocado, nuts and other oils.”

Jada Price-Williams

Photo EditoR

abraham alvarez Staff WritEr

Senior Ryan Vandlen

“My motivation comes from wanting to make myself better. I also always want to stay in shape for sports, and since I decided to stop playing basketball this year, I’ve had to push myself more at the gym to stay in shape for lacrosse season. Many students from our school strive to get in better shape than what they are in; no matter the age or gender, they all want to stay fit in order to stay healthy.If someone wants to star, I would just say watch videos because that’s how I learned the right form and good workouts. What keeps me motivated is Isabella Scott, because [she and I] work out together or will try to push each other to do better.”

Junior Jacob Harris

“I suggest healthy [foods]; usually I stick to the main, like protein and carbs, sometimes some veggies and fruit. Every once in a while, I will have a little cheat day, like the sugars. How to maintain muscle definition? Usually, I go to the gym about five times a week.

What motivates me is to continue to see self improvement. Knowing that everyday I am improving myself one small step at the time. The gym helps me reach personal goals for myself, and this all motivates me to workout and keep improving.”

VanAntwerp: after the bell

Life changing adventures explored by science teacher Mike VanAntwerp

marathons, races, and being outside.

In 2002 at 27 years old, science teacher Mike VanAntwerp had the opportunity to teach in South Africa at Ntongande High School, pursuing his desire to become a science teacher.

“My parents had both lived in South America and my mom had taught in Bolivia, so traveling and experiencing other places and cultures was valued when I grew up,” said VanAntwerp.

VanAntwerp expressed how teaching there was different in many ways than teaching here. Environment, attitude, and experience were huge factors when visiting and teaching in South Africa.

“What was amazing there is, they started the day typically singing, so the kids would sing and I just thought that was uplifting and a really neat way to start their day,” VanAntwerp said. “Kids there, they valued education differently. For them, education meant a way to a better life.”

The attitudes of the students changed the teaching for him.

“Kids looked at school as an opportunity versus here, it tends to get looked at as something they have to do. Instead of students saying we get to be here, they are more saying we have to be here. South Africa definitely made me realize what the opportunity that kids are provided with,” said VanAntwerp.

This opportunity fueled VanAntwerp to continue his career of teaching biology here at Holt.

Apart from his teaching, outside of school he participates in things such as coaching lacrosse, running marathons, even ultra

“I grew up in the country and lived next to a Nature Center which was basically like having 200 acres as a backyard. We just explored a lot so I liked the outdoors. We moved to the city when I was ten, though, and got away from the access to nature. A lot of my friends liked the outdoors, so we would camp and hike and just be outdoors a lot,” said VanAntwerp.

VanAntwerp has competed

such as baseball, basketball, and soccer. When going into highschool, he stayed with soccer and also started playing lacrosse. He only stuck with soccer for two years as he wanted to put more focus on lacrosse. Going into college at MSU, he played Division 1 lacrosse. Since that, he has had some great opportunities just from being in MSU, some opportunities given for sports, and some for his career.

that I know but I don’t know in the same way. So it’s a little weird but it’s kind of fun to have that rivalry a little bit,” said VanAntwerp.

VanAntwerp fully plans on continuing his adventures once he retires but aims to push himself to do even more than what his current achievements are.

in multiple different running events in his lifetime. They range from just small jogs to full marathons. Some runs are more difficult than others.

“Last summer, I ran one in Lake Tahoe that was really hard like physically hard for me to keep moving at the end. It took me 14 and a half hours for 52 miles,” said VanAntwerp.

VanAntwerp makes the most out of running, not just doing it to do it, but doing it for every single reason behind it. Seeing how much he can go mentally and physically brings him an opportunity for another adventure.

“I love being outside. I also really like to compete. As you get older, there are less chances to compete in sports, but you always have yourself to compete with and see how much you can push yourself.

Running really far lets me see how much I can push myself physically, but even more so mentally. That to me is super fun; taking what I thought was beyond what I could do and then setting a new level,” said VanAntwerp.

Before all of this, VanAntwerp grew up playing various sports

“I played college lacrosse so I got the chance to play at Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, with 6,000 people watching and that was pretty sweet,” said VanAntwerp.

VanAntwerp now coaches lacrosse at Okemos High School. He stated that he had never even thought about coaching when he was younger, but after he stopped playing lacrosse, he still wanted to be involved with the game.

“I didn’t really think about coaching much when I was younger. I knew I really liked playing lacrosse and wanted to be around the game. It was a coincidence that during my first year teaching at Holt, they were also hiring a lacrosse coach for the first time. I coached here for 10 years prior to my current coaching job,” said VanAntwerp.

With VanAntwerp coaching at Okemos but teaching at Holt, he expressed how he deals with the rivalry between the two schools as he goes from teaching coaching.

“It was more weird when I first switched because my first year over there I was coaching against kids I’ve coached the year before, so that was weird. Now it’s, you know, it’s kids

“My big goal when I retire is to run a 100 mile race. I just don’t have time to train for one now. There’s also 200 milers and beyond which think would be pretty awesome, so hopefully I’m not too old for those when I retire. I hope to do lots of traveling though for sure. So many adventures still to have,” said VanAntwerp.

Mariahna hatfield STAFF WRITER

You always have yourself to compete with and see how much you can push yourself .

Excited for next Wednesday A general overview and review of the recent Netflix hit

IsaIah Wummel WEB EDITOR

“I’ve always hated the expression ‘write what you know.’ It’s a hall pass for the imagination-impaired,” said protagonist Wednesday Addams in her popular television show.

The hit Netflix original series, “Wednesday,” follows this rule to a T. This show was captivating in a way most viewers were not expecting. Wednesday follows the prodigious, yet troubled, Wednesday Addams. The show begins with her being expelled from Nancy Reagan High School for putting piranhas in the pool when she found out that

Pugsley, her little brother, was being bullied. Getting expelled has been a pattern for Wednesday. Because of this, Wednesday’s parents Morticia and Gomez Addams, decide to send her to Nevermore, the school they went to.

Nevermore is famous for being a school of outcasts. While attending school, she has to deal with rivalry, love, a monster, a prophecy and a secret society

This show did what a lot of others couldn’t. It took the cult classic, “The Addams Family,” that was well established in pop culture, and redefined it. This is all in part to Tim Burton, and the wonderful cast he assembled, including Jenna

Ortega in the titular role, Emma Myers, Percy Hynes White, Hunter Doohan, Christina Ricci, and many more.

One special thing about this cast that most might not realize is that Christina Ricci, who plays Marilyn Thornhill, was the original Wednesday Addams in the film series. Seeing her pass this role onto Jenna Ortega was really cool, and older audiences might reminisce about seeing Christina Ricci.

On the topic of Jenna Ortega, I would say she crushed this role. She perfectly encapsulated the traits of Wednesday, such as her callous humor, that make her such a loved character. One of my favorite lines

was in the show’s first episode: “Why should I let a bully like that reproduce?” she said. I felt this type of humor was relatable to a lot of teens.

One of the things I liked most about Jenna Ortega’s take on Wednesday was the lack of emotion and facial expression. One thing I noticed about Wednesday is that she rarely blinks. These handful of times when she blinks, it shows the rare times when Wednesday becomes more vulnerable and open, which is very polar to her character. This showed the tremendous growth Wednesday made over the course of the series.

Another great thing was the amazing contrast with Wednesday’s roommate Enid, played by Emma Myers. The

characters are, in almost all ways, opposites, and yet they still work amazingly together.

This also provided a chance for the scene creators to represent the contrast on set, making their room a perfect split of color compared to dull gray and black.

All of these components made this show an absolute crowdpleaser, and, in all honesty, there is so much more that I can’t even put into words about this show. There are even rumors of a season 2 coming out.

In all honesty, I’m hoping for this to be true, and I wish for Netflix to provide us with more content like the masterpiece, “Wednesday.”

Ramparts would like to thank the following sponsors for making this publication possible.

Graphic by Isaiah Wummel

Holly Black’s return to Elfhame

A new book has been released in the same world as The Cruel Prince

Grace LaubenthaL COPY EDITOR

“In Faerie, there are no fish sticks, no ketchup, no television.”

This was the opening line to The New York Times-bestselling author Holly Black’s “The Folk of the Air” series. The Cruel Prince, released in 2018, was the first book she published that takes place in Elfhame, though her previous series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, of which she was a cowriter, also takes place in the same world.

The trilogy takes place in the Shifting Isles of Elfhame, and is told through the perspective of a mortal girl, Jude Duarte.

Jude has lived at the High Court

since her parents were murdered, but many of the Faerie Folk dislike humans. She wants to belong to the only home she’s ever known, and she’s determined to find a way to do so.

However, in Elfhame, not everything is as it seems. Even though the Folk cannot lie, they can hide the truth. Jude must determine who is truly on her side and who she can use to advance herself in the Faerie world.

One of the people she works with is Prince Cardan, the youngest son of the High King. They form a dangerous alliance, risking their lives to save Faerie.

The story is one of political intrigue with a subplot of romance. It involves deception, betrayal, trickery, and bloodshed.

Fans of the series often rave about the enemies to lovers’ romance, but first time readers who go into the series expecting a romance will come out disappointed.

Romance is not a dominant aspect of the books.

When I read the books, I found that they have a perfect mix of Faerie politics and romance. It is only when readers expect it to be the main story being told that they feel dissatisfied.

The Cruel Prince was followed by The Wicked King, and the series concluded with The Queen of Nothing until the novella, How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories, was released in 2020.

That novella was the last readers had seen of Elfhame until January 3rd of this year, when Black released a new book including characters seen in the previous series.

The Stolen Heir is the first in a duology taking place in the world of Faerie. This time, however, instead of following the story of Jude and Cardan, one of the main characters is Oak, Jude’s younger brother.

Oak is the heir of Elfhame and, in a desperate attempt to save his father, partners up with the protagonist, Suren, a queen cast out of her kingdom in exchange for taking her mother down in the process.

The two characters, along with Oak’s friend and guard Tiernan, form an unlikely alliance as they work for their own gains.

This book is a road trip-style novel that contains many riddles and plenty of deception.

It has a different energy than The Cruel Prince, and doesn’t actually have Jude or Cardan appear on page, but it still gives readers the satisfaction of journeying back to the world they remember.

As someone who enjoyed The Cruel Prince a lot, I was happy with The Stolen Heir because it didn’t try to replicate the previous series.

It is a story in and of itself, taking small elements from the trilogy but creating something entirely new at the same time.

As of February 8th, The Stolen Heir is rated 4.20 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. In my opinion, this is a worthy rating for this book.

It was very enjoyable to read and the journey the characters go on provides much more information about the world the book takes place in.

The second book in the duology, The Prisoner’s Throne, will be

released in February of 2024. The first book was told through the point of view of Suren, but this one will be told through Oak’s eyes.

In this book, I predict that there will be a lot more of Jude and Cardan. Adding these two beloved characters is sure to add a fun dynamic to the new duology.

To see the characters years after their story concluded will certainly be appreciated by the fans.

The Folk of the Air series is a perfect introduction to fantasy for readers

who haven’t previously read within the genre, but is also an entertaining story for present fantasy readers. Holly Black is a masterful author with a precise writing style. I would recommend her works to fans of Sarah J. Maas and The Witcher. Black’s stories have shocked readers with plot twists all throughout her career, and she’s sure to continue doing so in her future novels.

Photo by Grace Laubenthal

The Stolen Heir Promotional Photo

The life-saving skills of athletic trainers

Behind the growing knowledge of the importance of athletic trainers in sports

Kayla Fogarty SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

“Members of the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals staff were recognized during Thursday night’s NFL Honors show in Phoenix for their heroic acts in helping save the life of second-year safety Damar Hamlin after he collapsed on the field from cardiac arrest during a Week 17 matchup at Highmark Stadium,” Fox Sports said.

After NFL Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field during a Monday night matchup against the Bengals, the athletic trainers rushed onto the field.

If it wasn’t for the Buffalo Bills athletic trainers staff giving Hamlin immediate attention on the field by providing CPR, Hamlin may not have been able to have a full recovery.

However, athletic trainers are not only needed at the professional level. They are also needed at high schools, as well, for a variety of reasons.

Sophomore volleyball player Breonna Williams described why athletic trainers are beneficial to have at her volleyball games.

“I think [athletic trainers] are very beneficial being there for games because if someone gets hurt, they are right there and know what they are doing so while you wait for the ambulance, if it’s serious, they can help make you feel comfortable and safe or even save someone’s life,” Williams said.

Williams continued on by saying that the athletic trainers have an impact on how she performs.

“I do think they have an impact on how I perform because if it wasn’t for them taping my knee or letting me ice when I needed to, I would probably be in a lot of pain towards the end of my games or tournaments,” Williams said.

Many other athletes agreed that their performance benefited from the presence of athletic trainers.

Senior gymnast Lexi Guardiola described how athletic trainers help her perform better.

“I feel safer and more confident

knowing if something does happen there’s someone there,” Guardiola said.

Williams also agreed that athletic trainers have given her a sense of comfortability at games.

“I was at Ionia and tore my quad muscle and there was an athletic trainer right there to help me and make me feel comfortable,” Williams said.

Here at Holt High School, there

ways to live a better life and prevent injuries,” Miller said.

Miller continued on by describing what would happen if athletic trainers weren’t available to high school students.

“If athletic trainers weren’t there, then I feel we would have a lot more student athletes that did not speak up about injuries,” Miller said.

Miller not only has had hands-on experience through this program but has dealt with her own adversities in her sport when it comes to injuries.

“Personally I have dealt with injury and the athletic trainers helped me through my recovery,” Miller said.

is a program where students have a chance to get hands-on experience in the field of athletic training.

A member of the program, senior Sophie Miller, described why she feels athletic trainers are important in high school sports.

“I feel like athletic trainers are important because they have a source of knowledge that informs people on

Overall, athletic trainers are a necessity when it comes to sports for multiple reasons. All athletes benefit from having athletic trainers available to them.

“I think athletic trainers are so important because athletes need an easily accessible place they can go to ask for advice or get help on injuries or pain they are feeling,” Guardiola said.

If athletic trainers weren’t there I feel we would have a lot more student athletes that did not speak up about injuries. ”

Swimmers of Holt take their mark

Everything to know about the Rams in the water

Corinne Johnson ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR

What is the best way to burn off energy?

Is it to run around a neighborhood for hours? Throw around a basketball and hope that it makes it to the rim? What about swimming?

Swimming is a valuable skill to have for anyone, even if they don’t think that they would join a team. It can help prevent drowning and it is a good form of cardio for those who don’t like running. More than just cardio, it is a full body workout. Kicking is essential for all strokes and using arms is required for others, like butterfly.

Swimming is essential to life as it can help prevent drowning but some decide to take it a step further and swim for high school or, potentially, college if the swimmer decides to pursue it.

Swim coach David Metts has been swimming for a majority of his life.

“I’ve been swimming since I was 12 years old and I was a late starter. I’m 52 now so I’ve been swimming for about 40 years.”

A huge part of swimming is the environment. It is hot and muggy on the pool deck, oftentimes there is screaming or complaining coming from one of the locker rooms, but there are also lifelong friendships that form.

Senior Jace Lund said the friendships that form are a major reason he kept swimming.

“Patrick was also a reason I kept swimming because he was a good friend of mine and I had so many other friends on the team like Colin, Brogan, and Caden, my other fellow seniors. And I just kept building bonds with the other swimmers and high school came, built more bonds

and just something I didn’t think I could quit,” Lund said.

As a captain, Lund makes sure the team is on track and doing what they are supposed to. He also makes sure that everyone is in a good headspace and are ready to put their best foot forward as they step onto the starting block.

“I push myself hard, just so the freshmen this year could look up to someone. Also trying to come to practices every day every morning, just so they have someone to look up to. I always find that coming to practices, especially the morning practices, but sometimes you need to motivate the class,” said Lund.

Practice runs six days a week with practices Monday through Saturday with morning practice three times a week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. There are dual meets almost every Tuesday and Thursday that have twelve events.

The first event is the 200 Medley Relay, a four person race consisting

longer distances are one of his favorites to do.

“My favorite stroke is freestyle. I really like just working on form and doing long distance freestyle. It’s the event with the most variety of distances so there is always something to improve on,” said McKinney.

Event three is the 200 yard IM, or individual medley. The swimmer will start with butterfly and continue with backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

Event four is the 50 yard freestyle. Probably the simplest event, the swimmer just swims back and forth once.

Event five is the one meter diving. The divers use springboards to launch themselves into the air and twist their bodies into specific forms and then land in the water perfectly. Diving is the unofficial halftime for most swimmers due to the break for divers to warm up.

Event six is the 100 yard butterfly.

I push myself hard, just so the freshman this year could look up to comeone. Also trying to come to practices every day, every morning, just so they have someone to look up to. I always find that coming to practices, especially the morning practices, but sometimes you need to motivate the class

”

of 50 yards done by a person. Each 50 is different, it starts with backstroke, and continues breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle to finish it off.

Event two of the night is the 200 yard freestyle. The swimmer will go back and forth four times while pacing themself so they don’t run out of steam too quick.

Junior Peter McKinney said that

Butterfly is one of the harder strokes due to the sheer core strength it requires. The arm motion also is difficult, as the swimmer’s arms are swinging over their heads and back down to the water.

Event seven is the 100 yard freestyle. Also a simple event, the swimmer goes back and forth in the pool four times. When a person swims

freestyle, they can choose any stroke so it’s often an easy way to try out new strokes without having to swim with heavy competition.

Event eight is the 500 yard freestyle. This is the longest event offered in high school swimming and the swimmer will go back and forth 20 times. Some swimmers dread this event but others enjoy it, such as Senior Collin Hoag.

“I prefer long distance over short, because I think it’s much more of a challenge, and I am much better at pacing myself than just going fast,” said Hoag.

Event nine is the 200 yard freestyle relay. Similar to the 200 medley relay except that this event is one stroke.

Event 10 is the 100 yard backstroke. Very similar to the 100 yard freestyle,

but the swimmer competes on their back.

The second to last event is the 100 yard breaststroke. Breaststroke is considered one of the hardest strokes due to the kick required. Most of the disqualifications in this event comes from illegal kicking.

Last but not least, the final event is the 400 yard freestyle relay. It runs the same way as the other relays, but each swimmer competes a 100 yard freestyle, adding onto the total amount of 400 yards.

Swimming is something that is essential to life and it can be a way to find new friendships that last a lifetime. If you or someone you know are interested in joining MMA (Mid Michigan Aquatics) or the highschool team, contact Dave Metts.

expires 3.30.23

Senior Jace Lund warming up for the 200 IM before the Holt vs Okemos meet. PC Corinne Johnson