Issue 2, the Black and Gold, Volume 92

a&e

the

Issue 2

Black Gold

Photo: A. Hilden

Students act in Dogman

2012 MIPA Spartan Award Winner

Photo: S. Hutchison

For coverage of Central’s Fiddler, the Dance Center’s ballet Aladdin, and reviews and recommendations of new music, T.V., and movies, turn to page 6.

&

November 20, 2012

Volume 92

Traverse City Central High School 1150 Milliken Drive, Traverse City, Michigan 49686

Newsline feature

Chorale students participated in the History Center’s Dogman Museum to fundraise for Chorale’s trip to Estonia and Latvia. Alyssa Roush ‘13 was the Dogman and Alice. “I scared people,” Roush said.

“A few said they were going to pee themselves.”

Fiddler takes center stage

Photo: Courtesy of B. Versluis

Brady Versluis and Nathan Olson, both ‘14, ride souped-up lawn-mowers, Mitchell the Magician works his magic, and the You’re Never Alone group comes together to fight bullying on page 4.

fall sports roundup Photo: K. Raymond

Logan Dell’Acqua and Fisher Diede, both ‘14, perform the song “To Life” from Central’s fall musical, Fiddler on the Roof. In the scene, Dell’Acqua, who plays the father Tevye, is toasting the marriage of Diede’s character, Lazar Wolf. Dell’Acqua enjoys the chance to let loose.

“He’s got this deep voice, you put on an accent, and get to dance around like a hooligan,” Dell’Acqua said. “In “To Life,” we’re supposed to act extremely intoxicated. If you let it be candid and slip off the tongue, it feels a lot more real.”

Texting hotline aids bullying victims Photo: Courtesy of Richard Cover

The Trojans finished up an excellent fall sports season, with five teams winning the BNC title. For records of each team and words from the athletes and coaches themselves, turn to page 9.

Justice conference

Photo: K. Raymond

On Oct. 23, the AP Government and Politics class participated in a teleconference with three Democratic Supreme Court Justice Candidates, live-streamed on channel MGTV. “I’ve never done anything like that before,” Bianca Richards ‘14 said. “ You get to learn something different than you learn in the classroom.”

Coffee and apparel

Emma Caldwell & John Minster

T Staff Reporters

*Student Identity Protected Twitter is a great place to connect with friends, see what your family is up to, maybe even check the news - it’s not supposed to be a place where you’re beat up with words.

But Twitter pages @ TCRumors and @TCGossipHurts are anonymous student-run accounts that target Traverse City students. The pages are chock full of fighting words: insults leveled at students and criticisms of their sexual habits.

“I was shocked,” CHS Social Worker Diane Burden said.“Why on earth would someone create something like that?”

Internet behavior like this isn’t unusual. According to UCLA Newsroom, nearly three in four teenagers say they were bullied at least once online in the last 12 months.

To combat the increase in bullying, both online and in school, Burden came up with the “Be the Solution” text line last June.

The text line was created to give students a way to anonymously reach out for help, even if they don’t yet

feel comfortable talking in person.

“The text line is appealing to students because texting has become such a standard of adolescent communication,” Burden said. “It has the added bonus of being anonymous, which allows kids to say what they really think and feel without worrying about repercussions.”

To date, Burden has handled twenty cases through the text-hotline, and said roughly eighty-five percent of the cases have been related to cyber-bullying.

Dennis Bolden,* a student at Central, learned first-hand the toll that bullying can take. Over Facebook, students falsely accused Bolden of using and dealing drugs. He and his mother approached the school immediately to put a stop to the harassment.

The bullying was immensely damaging to him. It not only defamed his character, but it also took away something very important to all of us: trust.

“I feel like I can’t trust anybody,” he said. “You feel hated by everyone.”

Bolden felt that his school life was irreversibly

Hotline #: 231-714-4410

Texting hotline, managed by TCC Social Worker Diane Burden, gives students an anonymous way to ask for help or report a case

Photo: K. Raymond

TCC Social Worker Diane Burden counsels with a student. “It’s so easy to write something nasty, or even tell a lie, and push a button,” Burden said. “These folks are generally cowards. Kinda like terrorists. They sneak in, they mistreat another person, and feel as though this is giving them superiority over that other person.”

altered.

“It made me not even want to go to school,” he said. “You don’t even want to show your face.”

To help kids understand the impacts of cyberbullying, Burden and TCAPS added empathy lessons to the ninth grade advisory curriculum. Because of his personal experience with cyber-bullying, Bolden is even more careful about how he treats others and goes out of his way to be kind.

“It makes me think about how others feel,” he said.

“I wouldn’t want to feel

bad, so I’m not going to make anybody else feel bad. I know it can really hurt somebody.”

Incidents similar to these aren’t rare and some students have even called the police over Twitter abuse, but without a court order, police are unable to pursue those responsible for anonymous social media accounts.

“If it’s something that happens off school grounds, unless it was the netbook being used, we wouldn’t have any information at our disposal,” TCAPS Director of Tech-

nology Todd Neibauer said.

Burden couldn’t believe that students would create and support such cruel pages, but added, “insecure people will bond over the badness of others.”

Although some may assume that cyberbullying only involves the students in question, parents can be held liable for their child’s behavior.

The Children’s Internet Protection Program (CIPA), enacted in 2000, was originally created to

continued, page 10

TCAPS millage goes down on Nov. 6, now what?

Lia Williams Feature Editor

Photo: S. Hutchison

Over 60 students in marketing teacher Pat Rutt’s two “How to Start a Business” classes worked with the Junior Achievement organization to sell coffee and long-sleeve T-shirts and sweatshirts. “I’m President of the 2nd hour J.A. I had to run the company and make sure that everybody did their job,” Dugan Diment ‘13 said.

On Nov. 6, the TCAPS millage proposal failed on a 60% to 40% vote, but TCAPS officials hope to regroup and pitch another proposal within the next two years. The $100 million millage would have funded a laundry list of projects.

“I was very disappointed that the millage wasn’t successful,” Board member Gary Appel said.

“The Board and administration put forward a proposal that we

believed, and still believe, meets the needs of our district, students and community. We were looking not just to the near future, but to the long-term.”

With the millage failure, the Board will prioritize the most critical needs to address in the immediate term, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Paul Soma says.

“Bottom line, the reconstruction at Interlochen, Glenn Loomis, Eastern Elementary, those projects stay on hold,” Soma said. “Projects like Central High School and

Central Grade School, those aren’t even on the list any more at this point.”

Soma said the Board will review election results and interview community members to determine what went wrong with this proposal, and then reform it to earn support from voters, while still meeting the schools’ needs.

“That’s the realization, that this plan didn’t work,” Soma said. “The needs of our school system didn’t go away, and we need to get back to the drawing board and address these issues in a manner that will

garner support from the community.”

One reason the millage failed was because the details of the millage were not thoroughly communicated—something TCAPS will address with the next millage proposal.

“We will progressively help people understand why we need what we’re asking for and the payoffs the community will receive,” Appel said.

Grand Traverse County Commissioner and opponent to the

continued, page 10

2 Opinion

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

W Graphic: A. Korson

We understand that money is tight and that you work hard so that we can get a good education.

We also understand your apprehension about another tax increase, and we even understand your questioning of the scale of the proposed auditorium at Central. We just hope that the next time a school bond vote comes around, you will support us.

TCAPS students are facing a lot: huge disparities in funding between our school district and those across the nation, an increasingly competitive marketplace without any job guarantees, and a world that is just not as easy as when you were in school. The competition you experience in the workplace, we experience in the college application process.

To succeed, we need your support. Most of the properties within our district are upwards of fifty years old, in dire need of structural upgrades--it’s apparent to anyone who bothers to look that paint no longer does the trick at multiple sites.

Given that we are a Class A school district, our facilities should be worthy of Class A distinction.

Degradation is so severe at some sites that if not fixed shortly, repairs will cost even more. Many facilities are dysfunctional and, in a few instances, unsafe. That children can learn with a good teacher, no matter the facility, is a myth. Frankly, the days of the textbook and blackboard, where the technology in the classroom was a phone, are gone. The condition of the environment matters.

When we are competing in a global job market, it’s not even enough to have a computer lab down the hall.

We have an amazing city. Traverse City is vibrant, beautiful, and cultured. We are attracting the arts to our area and this is good for our economy. Central’s proposed auditorium can be rented out by the community and help facilitate the kind of growth we need.

But a city without a strong school district is nothing. Ask any realtor about the correlation between property values and schools. If the schools are weak, families don’t want to settle here, property values decline, and students don’t stay in school.

Students are not only your children and grandchildren, we literally are your future--please remember that next time you go to the polls.

Letter to the Editor Dear Editors of the so-called “Leek,” We here at Student Senate have recently been informed of misleading articles describing Senate-made signs containing misspelled words. This presumptuous article ridiculing Senate must clearly be intended as satirical, since your own articles contain enough mistakes to make your seventh-grade English teacher blush. The innumerable misquotes and wronglyspelled names contained in your paper are an affront to newspapers everywhere. We were planning to publish this opinion in the next issue, but realized that by the time the next issue came out half of us would be in college.

Thank you.

Student Senate

From the Editors: Dear esteemed Senators, We graciously thank you for taking your busy time from governing the affairs of our school to contact us. Since restraint is the better part of valor, we shall respond next issue, as we are actually working.

the Black & Gold

Thank you.

The Black and Gold

Dear TCAPS,

The Black & Gold applauds TCAPS’s history of fiscal responsibility. The district has excellent millage planning; we are one of just 10 Michigan district to receive an “AA” Bond rating from Standard & Poor’s, an independent fiscal integrity rating agency. We enjoy excellent schools, despite funding inequities between our district and downstate.

It is evident that several of our properties are in desperate need of upgrade. We understand that the millage timing was poor given this abysmal economy. However, the outcome shows that your vision for the district was not clear to the electorate. Voters didn’t seem aware that you have always been careful with their money and that it was in their best interests to invest now. The message was distorted by what some perceived as extravagant upgrades, particularly Central’s auditorium that some called grandiose.

We understand that it is better to lump capital improvements together--it’s the way that school districts effectively capture more of the electorate. But with so many proposals, it was a crowded ticket. We also wonder if part of the messaging failure was that upgrades should have been more itemized so voters knew exactly where the funds were going. While this information was publicly available to voters actively seeking it, TCAPS didn’t articulate it well enough.

And speaking of negative views, TCAPS must repair their relationship with the media. Consistent negative coverage shows that something must change if the public is to be correctly informed of and understand TCAPS’s vision.

Instead of playing catch-up as we had to do this fall, we hope that there is more selling to the public upfront about what the needs are and why, before we repackage the millage. Your vision needs to be more clear.

We think it’s the right one.

We just have a lot of work to do.

Dear Jason Gillman,

Frankly, we are troubled by your words, and we’re embarrassed for you. You claimed in the media that you were never contacted by TCAPS, but on numerous occasions, you were invited both by the Black & Gold and the Student Leadership Committee to tour Central’s auditorium, but you never returned our six phone calls. It is shameful that you spent vast amounts of your own time and money to defeat the millage, but deemed a visit to our site “a waste of your time,” as you said in the Record Eagle.

And you call the arts fluff. Fluff ? You may not see the value in an arts education, but years of research has proven the worth of incorporating arts into a school’s core curriculum. An arts education is associated with achievement in math, verbal skills, critical thinking, and cognitive ability. The students on our school’s honor roll are in choir, orchestra, musical, dance, art classes--the list goes on. The creativity and problem-solving skills honed in an arts education are invaluable in an ever-competitive global marketplace. At a time when math and science are being prioritized, but test scores continue to drop lower and lower, the solution is not to treat arts as “fluff ” or an unnecessary “add-on.”

For some students, study of the arts is the reason they come to school; it is why they don’t drop out and cost the taxpayers more money.

If they aren’t good at sports (athletics aren’t for everyone), the arts present a community where students can find acceptance, and even excel.

Want kids to graduate? Don’t take away their greatest joy at school.

In the future, we would love a chance to show you what we do. Come to a showing of one of Central’s excellent musical, choir, orchestra, or theatre performances. You’ll be impressed, I guarantee you. You’d be even more impressed if you weren’t distracted by the broken, floorlevel “seat” you were sitting on, the dysfunctional mics, the too-dark lights, or the orchestra crammed in front of you. But you will see plenty of student talent, all crammed together on our too-small stage.

Graphic: A. Korson

David Reinke A&E Editor

Over the summer, at the end of a secret two year review, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) reaffirmed their ban on homosexuals. The ban, initially enacted in 1991, prevents openly gay people from becoming scouts and troop leaders, while also removing them if they “come out” during Scout service.

As also demonstrated in their ban on atheists, religion is high on the BSA’s agenda. In the case of the gay ban, they justify their decision with their “duty to God.” Their official statement reads: “Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed.” In other words, the BSA believes that homosexuality obstructs the “Do my duty to God” portion of the pledge, and is thus a breach of their religious values.

Can they not see how hypocritical their ban is? For an organization that prides itself on teaching both survival skills and moral values, they sure are lacking in the latter.

Further, tenets of Christian doctrine espouse forgiveness, tolerance and acceptance. So it’s kind of pathetic for a Christian organization not to practice what they preach.

This is blatant discrimination. The old Spider-man phrase “with great power comes great responsibility” applies here. They have, not the option, but the duty to act as role models for the youth.

Do they seek to manipulate the Scouts? My beef is not with their religious interpretation, they are free to practice their values... in the right situations. The problem lies in the BSA’s apparent ignorance of power they wield. Scout-aged kids are as impressionable as memory foam, so it’s imperative the BSA sets an example that promotes acceptance, not intolerance. I find myself utterly exhausted with the

A&E Editors

Packaging Editors

News Editor

Sports Editor

Photo Editors

Opinion Editor

Leek Editors

Katie Stanton Ivy Baillie

Feature Editor Lia Williams

Photo: K. Raymond

“Our talent is too big to be in the run down theatre facilities at Central. We deserve a new auditorium.”

-Hunter Bartlett ‘16

“Jason Gillman should be apologizing to students in the art program because we take great pride in what we do.” -Kristina Curtiss ‘16

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

“There was a lot more to fix than just the auditorium, but nobody could get past it, and that was the problem.”

-Michael Payne ‘13

“I was really disappointed and angry it didn’t pass. We need the money for elementary schools so badly.” -Rachel Creamer ‘15

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

“TCAPS should involve a student voice in the millage next time, so there won’t be so much negativity coming from one source.” -Marin Tack ‘14

Disappointingly, the highly esteemed organization had recently reaffirmed their support for excluding homosexual members from amongst their ranks. This is an unacceptable policy

Editors-in-Chief

Katie Stanton Miranda Winowiecki

“All areas of education are important. Just because one person doesn’t favor the arts, doesn’t mean it’s fluff to everybody else.”

-Lauren Ward ‘13

The Boy Scouts of America throw progression to the wind

David Reinke Bryton Lutes

Garrett Kosch

Sophie Hutchison Fiona Muha Autumn Hilden Katie Raymond

Scott Hardin Jake Myers

Graphics Editor

Business Manager

Illustration Editor

Bryton Lutes

Nick Mulvaine Alex Korson

Graphic: A. Korson

Dear voters,

The highly anticipated TCAPS bond proposal failed on the Nov. 6 election in an overwhelming and disappointing 17,845 to 25,067 vote. We at the Black and Gold express our discontent in an open letter addressed to the voters, TCAPS and Jason Gillman

rson . Ko hic: A Grap

Millage disappointment

What does the rest of Central think about the failed TCAPS millage proposal and Jason Gillman’s comments?

parallels between the BSA’s ban and history’s tendency to discriminate against minorities. The ban, rather than being beneficial, is just a painfully obvious attempt by the Scouts to manipulate today’s youth into old-fashioned religious traditions. I’d be fine with this if it weren’t for the BSA’s deep ingrainment in American culture.

As a symbol of America, I’m disappointed the BSA hasn’t realized that acceptance is the best policy when they have such influence.

Are they aware that it isn’t actually in the public’s best interest? It’s more than just the gay community who are offended by this ban. Jesuit organizations have opposed the Scouts’ ban, noting the similarities between it and the Civil Rights movement. UPS also just pulled its Scouts sponsorships. Even parents with no connection to the gay community have scrutinized the Scouts for sticking to their antiquated religious laws. Despite all the opposition, the main men of the Scouts refuse to acknowledge the will of the nation.

Have they even thought of a good excuse yet? The worrisome scenario of sending a homosexual adult out camping with a troop of boys, alone in the woods, seems to knock out any hopes of a reversal of the decision. There are other factors to consider here, though. All the naysayers need to realize that a seemingly harmless straight man is just as likely to abuse a child as a gay man. Not all gay people are out of the closet.

There is no so-called “gay-dar” to detect the homosexuality. Furthermore, women are allowed as Scout leaders and they are predators too.

Did the BSA consider the repercussions? Their message comes through loud and clear for gay kids: don’t come here, homosexuality shall remain taboo. This is in complete contravention of the BSA’s so-called “moral code.”

It is time for tradition to make way for acceptance because it is the moral thing, the Christian thing to do.

Staff Reporters

Madyson Basch Emma Caldwell Kory Cole Jeff Comerford Hunter Kelly Erin Lipp Maddi Miller John Minster Hayley Rozema Allison Taphouse Taylr Twigg- Pahl

Some corrections

- We incorrectly reported the Powder Puff and the Central vs. West football scores. The correct scores, respectively, are 12-0 and 42-28.

- We also apologize for misspelling TJ Schwannecke’s last name, Calvin Marois’ last name, and Riccardo DiMauro’s first name - We would include all of our grammatical errors, which are unfortunately, too numerous to fit.

Opinion

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

No holds barred We highlight the most controversial ads from the 2012 Presidential race- with Romney and Obama swinging punches

Senior citizens take political spotlight Both presidential candidates, along with their Super PACs, produced more negative ads this last election cycle, than any in its history. We highlight the overwhelming onslaught of controversial and even inappropriate ads that aired, and its degradation of the presidency

John Minster Staff Reporter

“My First Time”

Graphic: I. Baillie

One of the most eye brow raising ads coming from the Obama campaign, celebrity Lena Dunham compared loosing one’s virginity to voting for the first time.

Dunham says, “Your first time shouldn’t be with just anybody. You want to do it with a great guy.” Scandalous!

“New Morning”

With gay rights furthering the divide among Republicans and Democrats, this Pro- Romney Super PAC ad forced the gap open more than the San Andreas Fault. In the ad a middle age, soccer mom esque woman states, “Obama’s trying to force gay marriage on this country.” It ends with a nice glittering generality, “Vote for someone with values, vote Romney/Ryan 2012.”

“Understands”

Made by pro- Romney Super PAC Priorities USA this ad features Joe Sopic, a former Bain Capital employee. Sopic accuses Romney, the former Bain Capital CEO, of laying him off and causing his wife’s death because of their lack of insurance.

3

“I’m going to track down Mitt Romney and give him the world’s biggest c**k punch!”

Rewind.

Picture this: five elderly people in a nursing home. These are the folks hailing from our so-called greatest generation, people who had the wherewithal to take our nation to the moon. And these near centurions are actors in a vulgar campaign ad from MoveOn, directed by TC’s own local hero, the notorious Michael Moore.

Oddly enough, the aged matron who dumped the rant on Romney was a frail, wheel-chair ridden elderly woman (who looked remarkably like the one Paul Ryan allegedly had already pushed off a cliff).

No, c**k punching is not the type of language most nice old ladies use; most people expect civility from those of such a venerable status.

The cast of ancient actors supported President Obama’s candidacy--although his campaign did not endorse the ad (sort of). The verbal assaults continued throughout the entire ad, even issuing an oh-so-deadly ultimatum that if Governor Romney defeats President Obama, they will burn this “M****rf****r” (our country) down and punch Romney in his genitals.

Remember the ad’s purpose: this is a presidential campaign ad. We are talking about the office of the President of the United States- arguably the most esteemed position in the entire world. Do we really want anyone using this kind of language when referring to our president, whether we like him or not?

Most political commercials as distasteful are not funded by a candidate’s campaign, but from political action committees known as Super PACs. These organizations raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars and they will say almost anything to get their candidate elected.

Super PAC MoveOn’s pottymouth ad was most likely an attempt to encourage Democrats, specifically young people, to head to the polls.

With old geezers sounding like

With old geezers sounding like inner city thugs, one tends to wonder how far is too far in the world of politics. And with Super PACs dominating the political theatre, there’s no end to the pollution. inner city thugs, one tends to wonder how far is too far in the world of politics. And with Super PACs dominating the political theatre, there’s no end to the pollution.

The political world is a tapestry intertwined with liars and hypocrites, but there still has to be some sort of standard, one would hope, a high standard befitting such a high office. The standard has be set by the reverence of the Presidency.

Contemptible ads like MoveOn’s taint the media, which will lead to the deterioration of the dignified office, our presidency. No ad like this should ever have the privilege

of gracing the airwaves. The fact that MoveOn and Michael Moore even had the audacity to create something like this is depressing. How could they think the ad would help Obama’s candidacy?

Candidates are oftentimes asked about Super PAC ads, and with each election cycle they feign surprise, disassociate themselves, and claim they will institute legislation to stop the PAC gravy train--of course this is after they are elected.

Moore himself publicized his swearing geezer video multiple times, encouraging Americans to watch it. Of this he is proud? No matter how much malice a Super PAC may have towards a candidate, there has to be a boundary for civilized disagreement. When one advocates violence to discredit a candidate, even under cover of satire, lines are crossed.

How about some civility.

By the time this ad aired, most voters were already resolved: the debates were finished, the campaigns were wrapping up. With the exception of a just a few dangler independents, no ad was capable of persuading a block of voters to move. But it could scare people away.

MoveOn’s distasteful ad could have very easily turned off swing voters, but President Obama was lucky; it did not cost him. This is the danger of Super PACs when they stand for ideology the candidate doesn’t support. For the electorate, there’s no obvious separation between ads produced

by Super PACs and those from campaigns. In this case, Obama should have very publicly disassociated himself. By omission, he endorsed the vulgar ad.

Vulgarity has no place in the Oval Office.

Graphic: A. Korson

We look up to the brave, intelligent, and independent thinkers of the fairer sex. We highlight those special ladies here

Katie Stanton Editor-in-Chief

MALALA YOUSAFZAI While riding her school bus home in Pakistan last month, 15-year old Malala Yousafzai should have been free to worry about the exam she’s just taken. Instead, Taliban “operatives” flagged down her school bus and shot her once in the head.

The bullet pierced her skull, went through her neck, and stopped its trajectory in her shoulder.

Malala was shot for doing something we take for granted, and even have the luxury of resenting five days a week. She had the audacity to attend school.

Malala grew up under fundamentalist Taliban rule in the Swat District of Pakistan. Until the Pakistani army drove them out in 2009, the Taliban marauded through the streets, beheading citizens who deigned to disobey and whipping women whose tent-like burkha did not cover their ankles.

Even today, as the attempted assassination on Malala shows, Taliban soldiers still conduct targeted killings.

In 2009, the Taliban forbade women from leaving their homes or being educated. They blew up many girl’s schools. So Malala took a risk every time she boarded her school bus. At the age of 11 she began a BBC blog using a pseudonym about her life under Taliban rule and her fight for educational rights. This was very dangerous--the Taliban discovered her true identity. Malala appeared in the media advocating female education.

Rising in prominence, Malala took a position as chairperson of the District Child Assembly Swat, where she led discussions about children’s rights.

Most notably, Desmond Tutu nominated her for the International Children’s Peace Prize, and she won Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize-all before she was 15.

Malala knew her advocacy was dangerous, yet she vowed to fight. She is currently recovering in the U.K., and there is a high chance that she will heal without any brain damage. The Taliban has said they will try to murder her again, but Malala has resolved to continue her fight.

Her courage has proven an inspiration for girls all over the world. She has mobilized millions to speak out for women’s educational rights. She shows the power that just one girl can have.

I admire her work on behalf of girls all over the world. For her intelligent and poised leadership, for her steadfastness in the face of danger, and for her willingness to press on, take heed of Malala Yousafzai.

HAVE A QUESTION? Shoot us an email at the blackandgold.opinion@gmail.com A COMMENT? or drop of a letter to the editor in room F-158 A RANT? Harmless religious expression photoshopped out by school officials Louisiana State University removes crosses from students’ photo, placing their own agenda regarding the sepration of church and state over while shoving freedom of speech to the side Packaging Editor The cheers of Louisiana State University football fans roar across Death Valley, home of the Tigers. Covered in purple and gold body paint, the Painted Posse leads the student section. These super fans, identified by a small cross painted on their upper left chests, show up at every LSU home game to combine their love for football and Jesus Christ.

When a biweekly LSU recruitment newsletter came out, Posse members weren’t surprised to see their picture featured, along with other notable LSU student organizations. However, they were surprised to see that the small painted crosses had been photoshopped off their bodies.

Since 2003, the Posse has been so ingrained in LSU student culture that they are almost synonymous with school spirit. Members of this student club delight in supporting their team and setting a Christian example for fellow students.

At LSU football games, students are neither forced to take a flyer, nor pressured to talk to Posse members, nor asked to pray-so the Posse isn’t violating separation of church and state. Every student has a right to be sheltered from state-sanctioned religion, and protected from peer pressure. But in this case, the Posse’s crosses are students’ chosen expression of their Christian faith. As fierce as the term posse sounds, the Painted Posse’s role in LSU’s campus is invigorating, a source of school pride that boosts the school’s state and national profiles. The Posse was featured for a reason.

The irony is that in this age of mandated tolerance, encouraged equality, and heightened political correctness, Christians are singled out. The blatant discrimination Christians endure is ridiculous; we’ve obviously drawn the short straw. Because the Painted Posse is a Christian group, school officials feel no compunction to discriminate, yet if these were Muslim students sporting burqas, LSU would be touting its diversity. LSU would never dream of removing the Islamic star and crescent, or the Hindu Om from a student photo because it’s afraid of the resulting outrage. With the influx of world religions to the United States, politicians are preaching and families are teaching acceptance and lenience. This diversity has extended into schools for Buddhists, Muslims and Atheists, but to mention Christianity in a classroom is taboo. Forget the historical role of JudeoChristian values in the foundation of America, even the literary importance of the Bible and allegorical texts such as Frankenstein and Pilgrim’s Progress--they’re trifles. Christianity should receive the same religious tolerance as all other religions. We’re not asking for something extravagant, just the treatment everyone else receives without asking.

I understand that in America, religion is a touchy subject. I know my history and why we hate religious persecution. Our founding fathers understood the pressure of state-organized religion, but they also understood the state’s potential to corrupt and impede upon it.

The Supreme Court has ruled that speech extends to symbols, so by removing the Posse’s crosses, LSU infringed upon the students’ free speech. Even more egregious was the fact that students were not informed of the photo’s alteration before publication. LSU officials state that in the future, they plan to avoid pictures that could potentially advertise Christianity.

Cowards.

LSU values the possible misinterpretation by prospective students and their families over recognition of an exemplary group of students it already has.

RELIGION IN AMERICA

Miranda Winowiecki

FREEDOM OF RELIGION CASES each black dot represents a case based on the freedom of religion brought to the Supreme Court

Editor-in-Chief

TOP 10 CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS

the most popular US Christian Denominations

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 1 SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION 2 THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 3 THE CHURCH OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS 4 THE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 5 NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION, USA 6 EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH 7 NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION OF AMERICA 8 ASSEMBLIES OF GOD 9 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10

RELIGIOUS MAKEUP the percentage of major religions followed by US citizens CHRISTIAN 80% UNAFFILIATED RELIGIOUS 6% UNAFFILIATED SECULAR 6% ATHEIST 2% AGNOSTIC 2% JEWISH 2% BUDDIST 1% MUSLIM 1% Information Courtesy of: the Pew Research Center

Graphic: I. Baillie

Fiona Muha

GABBY DOUGLAS AND MISSY FRANKLIN Since middle childhood they were blessed with a gift, and because they really wanted to see to what lofty heights they could ascend, this was their schedule: Get up. Train. Coaching session. Seven hours of school. Video debrief.

More coaching. More training. Study session with tutor. Repeat, day-in-day-out, year-after-year.

Somewhere packed in there is food and sleep.

Injury? That’s what tape, Ace bandages and Ibuprofen are for. This is the price--some would say sacrifice-- of admission to the biggest game on the planet held but once every four years, the summer Olympics.

At last summer’s London games, individual gold medal Olympians Gabby Douglas and Missy Franklin captivated the world as they dominated the Olympic stage--and they’re both still in high school. Most athletes my age worry about a huge rivalry game or playoffs, not competing before the eyes of millions.

Douglas, a member of the “Fab Five” US Women’s Gymnastics team, is only 16 years old-barely allowed to drive a car -- and she already has two gold medals. And Franklin, at just 17, holds the world record for the 200-meter backstroke. WORLD RECORD. Wow! We athletes get stressed thinking about our two hours of practice, tomorrow’s chemistry test, and what we are going to do Friday night.

Every athlete here gets the sacrifices we have to make to do it all well, but would any of us want to be in their spandex suits? Yes, the glory and the endorsements must be great, but these young women live and breathe their respective sports more than we’ll ever know.

They epitomize sacrifice, and dedication; certainly they put a new face on what it means to be “disciplined.” I look to these young women as role models--they inspire me. I’m older than both of them, yet they are already what I want to become--not an Olympian but a game changer.

For their laser-focused dreams in realizing their talent, years of sacrifice and for reminding us what youth are capable of, take heed of Gabby Douglas and Missy Franklin.

Photos: Courtesy of

4 Feature

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

An unconventinal use, starting with a lawn mower

Z

Student engineers Brady Versluis ‘14 and Nathan Olson ‘16 transform used lawnmowers into off-raoding tractors

Hayley Rozema Staff Reporter

3

1

Photo: Courtesy of B. Versluis

4

Photo: Courtesy of B. Versluis

Photo: Courtesy of B. Versluis

5

Photo: Courtesy of B. Versluis

1. Nathan Olson ‘16 has been modifying lawn tractors and driving

2

Photo: Courtesy of B. Versluis

off-road since last spring. “Why would you drive them on the road?

It’s boring,” Olson said. “You can get some sick angles going when you’re driving off-road.”

2. Brady Versluis ‘14, equipped with his welder and angle grinder, digs into the tricky business of modifying his lawn mower. Luckily, Versluis has only suffered minor cuts and burns in the process. “One time I welded my own exhaust and went underneath it to look at something,” he said. “Something went wrong, and I burned my arm.”

3. (Right) Versluis had been working on his tractor for about a year and a half. (Left) Olson has been working on his lawn tractor for a year now. He said it looks much different than before. “I don’t really try to make it look good,” Olson said. “I just throw some paint on.”

4. Besides breaking down, Olson and Versluis’ tractors often get stuck in the terrain they go off-roading through. Versluis’ most frightening accident was when he rolled over the front of his tractor. “I was crossing a mud pin and there were two trucks going that way,” Versluis said. “I flew over the hood and freaked out.”

5. Versluis and Olson never miss a chance to drive their lawn tractors--even if it means offroading in the snow. “It’s more fun to drive in the summer time because there’s more areas that you can go,” Olson said, “but it’s fun to drive on the pavement in the winter.”

Zipping down a two-track at lightening speed, with dust flying every which way, Nathan Olson ‘16 and Brady Versluis ‘14 are in their element.

They aren’t in a car or on motorcycle though-they’re on their lawn tractors. Versluis and Olson spend their days modifying used lawn mowers and riding them through mud and dirt.

“Going through single track mountain bike trails is fun,” Versluis said. “They’re like tight trails you can barely fit though.”

After becoming fascinated with YouTube howto modification videos, Versluis and Olson were inspired to try it themselves.

“I don’t even know how I found it, it just came around,” Versluis said. “Then I got a lawnmower for free.”

After Olson found out that Versluis had one, he wanted to buy his own.

“Brady had his lawn tractor before I did and we were modifying that,” Olson said. “We just wanted to drive something and go off-roading.”

Versluis hopes to further modify his tractor so it can go faster than its current 10 mph, but is discouraged by the costs.

“I want to put a motorcycle engine in it and get rid of the transaxle,” Versluis said, “but that costs a lot more.”

Olson and Versluis fabricate most of their lawn tractors the parts. Modifying lawn tractors is a crucial part of their sport, because lawn mowers aren’t made for off-roading.

“The hardest thing to do is keep it working, which is impossible,” Versluis said. “It sucks when they break, because then you have to spend more money.”

The time that Olson and Versluis spend fixing up their lawn tractors is dependent on their wallets and inspiration.

“They’re never done being modified, I just come up with an idea for something to do and go do it,” Olson said.

Although Versluis doesn’t plan to go into engineering, he wants to continue fabricating. And when it’s all said and done, Olson and Versluis are proud of their rusty, rideable contraptions.

“I’m pretty happy with it just because you can’t buy modified parts for lawn mowers, so you have to make everything,” Olson said. “It’s fun because it’s completely different from all the other lawn tractors.

Limitless: Mitchell works his magic

Saving lives, one kid at a time

Mitchell Mosley ‘15 reveals his life as a magician

Anti-bullying group You’re Never Alone takes a stand against all odds

Maddi Miller

ics: N.

Graph

Staff Reporter

ine

Mulva

Taylr Twigg-Pahl Staff Reporter

Did you know? Mitchell: Knows over 120 card tricks Juggles knives Invented over a quarter of his tricks Performed before 35,000 people twice Has only had one major failure when he accidentally pulled a two of hearts during a card trick Says the biggest perk of being a magician is being able to do things almost no one else can Doesn’t like watching magic tricks on TV shows such as Britain’s Got Talent because the tricks are “understandable.”

Photo: Courtesy of M. Mosley

This summer, Mitchell Mosley ‘15 breathed fire using a flaming sword downtown at Friday Night Live.

Fire breathing is one of his more flashy tricks. “It’s a crowd favorite, which makes it one of my favorites,” Mosley said.

Three years ago while volunteering at a church, serving soup and playing board games with the homeless, Mitchell Mosley ‘15 struck up a conversation with an old man who treated him to a magic trick. Mosley was enthralled.

“It just made me light up watching him,” Mosley said. “It was like I became a different person.”

Mosley’s church experience seeded his passion for magic. He was so intrigued by the man’s trick that he managed to learn about 60 magic tricks in just three weeks.

“I was just throwing down tricks at that point,” Mosley said. “I wasn’t really working on techniques, I was just trying to learn as many tricks as I could.”

Mosley has been practicing magic for three years now, and professionally performing for two. He learns some of his tricks from books, some from other magicians, and some--like his favorite trick Metamorphosis--he invents.

“Metamorphosis is probably my favorite because I built it, and it’s just so visual,” Mosley said. “It’s a quick-change box trick and it’s also the most difficult trick I perform because you have to do so much, in such a small space.”

Metamorphosis takes about three minutes to complete, and is the trick Mosley will be performing at Central’s talent show.

“I can guarantee that by the time I am off the stage, everyone will be amazed. It will probably be the most stunning act there,” Mosley said.

Mosley performs three different types of magic tricks: stage, close up and visions, but he specializes in card tricks and close ups. His tricks range from thrilling to terrifying.

“The scariest magic trick is a knife through the

arm. All this blood squirts out, then you wipe off the blood and there’s nothing there,” Mosley said.

Some of Mosley’s more dangerous tricks, such as fire breathing, have long term effects. Fire breathing can lead to liver damage or mouth cancer.

“One-time fire breathing can cause the same damage as downing a whole bottle of rum,” Mosley said.

“I don’t do it too often though, so as long as you’re careful, it’s nothing too severe.”

No wands are used by Mosley during performances, but he does use cards, a flaming sword, and knives as his magician’s tools.

“I have caught my hair on fire once, and half of my face,” Mosley said. “I didn’t have to go to the hospital though, it just singed my eyebrow.”

His magician’s apparel is dependent upon atmosphere and scenery. When performing on the streets, he tends to wear casual “street-worthy” clothing, but for staged performances he typically dons a suit and tie.

“I like to dress in a way that relates to the scene,” Mosley said.

Mosley performs in a wide variety of venues, ranging from wild Friday Night Live crowds, to thrilled young children and adults at weddings and private parties. He charges according to the scene.

“Through the duration of Friday Night Live, I typically have around five hundred people stop to watch,” Mosley said.

But Mosley’s performances aren’t limited to local events. He has displayed his skills in two downstate competitions. The first year was in front of an energetic crowd, similar to Friday Night Live. The second year to an audience of 35,000 people--his largest gig ever. Both years, Mosley has taken third place out of about 100 competitors.

“It was intimidating at first, but then you really get comfortable being onstage,” Mosley said. “I was very happy with my performance both years.”

In the future, Mosley thinks magic will be more of a hobby than a career, but he is astonished by the possibilities it offers.

“Magic intrigues me because there’s no end to what is possible and what’s not,” Mosley said. “There’s always more. It’s almost limitless.”

West Senior High student Molly Davis ’13 knows what it’s like to be bullied.

“It would be as simple as being called a derogatory name in the hallway with people laughing at me,” Davis said, “or someone posting untrue things on Facebook. It sounds like a movie, but if it were you, you’d feel different.”

As the attacks mounted, Davis found she could no longer handle the bullying.

“I think it was a point when I would refuse to go to class,” Davis said. “I didn’t want to go to school some days, and it led to depression.”

Finally, when a close friend of both Davis and West Senior High student

“Trying is better than standing back and doing nothing.”

-Molly Davis ‘13 Madi Lawton’s ‘13 committed suicide due to excessive bullying, Davis and Lawton decided to take a stand.

“When our friend passed away, we knew we wanted to do something,” Davis said. “We both struggled with bullying and realized what a problem it was.”

In March, the month after their friend’s suicide, Lawton and Davis started a non-profit organization called You’re Never Alone that aims to prevent bullying. The organization is open to all students. Club member Jack McKay ‘15 said the student-led group is more effective in dealing with bullying because it is run by peers.

“Kids have a better time relating because they’re the ones experiencing it,” McKay said, “and sometimes parents don’t

Photo: K. Raymond

West student Madi Lawton ‘13, Co-President of You’re Never Alone discusses the effects of cyberbullying at their meeting last Tuesday. “Kids are afraid to tell teachers and administrators what’s going on,” Lawton said.

“Instead, they retaliate.”

understand. It’s nice to know your peers are there for you.”

Davis and Lawton agree their peer-focused way of dealing with bullying is different, but they believe it is more effective in reaching out.

“The group is run by students who can relate to the same issues,” Davis said.

“Adults will definitely ask questions about it, so that’s spreading more awareness.”

You’re Never Alone has spent the past nine months to planning and holding dances, their most popular event was a Halloween Dance at Twin Lakes Park.

The group has used the profits from their fundraising to hold more events and bring the Bullycide Project to TCAPS. “Most of the money has gone toward the Bullycide Project and trying to bring them to the district,” Lawton said. “It’s a fun and educational play about bullying and suicide for teens.”

Focusing on more teensuited events and projects attract students and spread the group’s bullying message, Davis said.

“Instead of meetings, we do dances,” Davis said.

“When kids go to these dances they’re going to question what it’s for. It’s

our chance to tell them about our group.”

McKay understands that helping to solve bullying is a momentous task, but he’s resolute.

“It’s hard to just solve bullying,” McKay said, “But this group needs to be supported. It’s about letting people know they’re not alone.”

From her journey, Davis has discovered that no one is alone. Davis encourages all students to join the group for its strong support system.

“The group is full of so many different types of people, and we’re very accepting,” Davis said.

Through their work at You’re Never Alone, Davis and Lawton hope to make a difference.

“Trying is better than standing back and doing nothing,” Davis said. “If we can change one life, then that’s better than changing none.”

The next dance will be held Jan.4 at the Great Wolf Lodge. Anyone between the ages of 13-20 is welcome. Admittance will cost around $6. For those interested in joining the You’re Never Alone group, go to www.facebook.com/ ItGetsBetter or call Molly Davis at (231) 499-0539.

Weekend

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

Weekend hot-spots

5

Graphic: N.

Mulvaine

It’s yet another Friday evening and you didn’t make plans. But no need to fear, here’s some of Central students’ favorite “hot spots” around Traverse, from the Open Space to the Brew

Skate Park

Allison Taphouse

Graphic: A. Korson

Top three things to do this November Autumn Hilden Photo Editor

1.

Breaking Dawn Part II

Nov. 16 The epic love story between Bella and Edward concludes in this final chapter of the Twilight series. Bella’s transformation into a vampire will leave you breathless.

Photo:

2.

Wikipe

dia

Santa & Tree Lighting

Nov. 30 Magic strikes downtown when a community sing-a-long of favorite holiday car- ols opens the Christmas season beginning at 5 p.m. The excitement continues with Santa’s arrival at 6 p.m. Sometime during all the festivities, a ginormous tree is lit, delighting children and providing ambiance for holiday shoppers.

Photo:

Wikipe

3.

dia

The Turkey Trot

Nov. 22 The 5K Run/Walk starts at 9 a.m., you will find yourself shoulder-toshoulder with fun runners and families ready for a bit of exercise prior to stuffing down the biggest meal of the year.

n

Firecrackers, souped up cars, bonfires, and some ‘good’ ideas are really all Jesse Kaminski and Justin Moore, both ‘13, need for a good-time.

“Jesse always comes up with a lot of good, well maybe not always good, but fun ideas,” Moore said.

Kaminski and Moore don’t need a crowd when they’ve got fireworks, things that explode, a pond and time to kill.

“We threw the fireworks in a pond that we thought didn’t have any fish,” Moore said.

“But there were fish and one just ate it. We heard the firecracker go off and the fish just swam around for a minute and died.”

Brought together by their love of cars, and being just a little more country than your average TC-er, Kaminski and Moore share the best of times being buds.

“We’re kinda like brothers in a way,” Kaminski said. “I call his mom, mom. They’re like a second family to me.”

so

Teenagers aren’t the only ones who know how to party--parents can get down as well. One of the craziest parties Jacqueline Ewing ‘14 ever attended was thrown by none other than her own father. The typical parent get-together was transformed into an adult “rager” as the beverages poured and the lights dimmed.

“There were a lot of people there, and the cops eventually came,” Ewing said. This didn’t surprise Ewing, as sometimes her dad’s parties get interrupted for noise ordinance.

“That time my dad told them it was a family reunion,” Ewing said, “so, we were off the hook for the night.”

Although the parties tend to get a little rowdy, Ewing looks forward to them every year.

“They are a lot of fun,” Ewing said. “And I get to invite my own friends so it’s sort of like my own party too.”

Photo: A. Hilden

.K or

Photo: A. Hilden

After having dealt the first move in a brewing prank war, Peter Pappas ‘13 found that his enemy had struck in response. When Pappas opened a photo sent to him via text he was shocked. On his cell screen was his black Audi, covered in Saran Wrap and artfully decorated with flowing streamers of white toilet paper.

“I was going on a tennis trip and had left my car in CPL for the weekend, thinking it would be safe like any other time,” Pappas said. How wrong he was. n ilde Bearing an industrial-sized roll of toilet paper and Saran Wrap, Taylor Fa.H A : vour ‘13 and some friends dressed for the caper in all black oto Ph attire. Their mission: to deliver their counter attack to Pappas.

“We had almost completely covered every inch of his car,” Favour said.

“It all went well until we were taking a picture on top of his car and the alarm went off. At that point we all ran away through the tennis courts.”

But Favour’s satisfaction only lasted until the next morning, when the tennis coach’s wife, Mary Nykerk, cleaned off the debris before the boys arrived home.

Ph ot o: “I had seen the pictures, but when I got back, everything was gone,” PapA. H pas said. “I wish I would have been able to see it. But I was glad, because it ild en would have been horrible to have to take it all off myself.”

:A

Two-man party

The sketch- party

The party- party Aside from chips and dip and a little music in the background, a typical highschool party usually features a little rebellious behavior--teens testing the limits, and dancing like nobody’s watching.

When he hosts late night festivities, Joey Corcoran ‘13 prefers to try and get the party to be themed.

“I had a toga party last summer,” Corcoran said.

“A lot of people ended up dressing up and it was a good time.”

But, Corcoran also likes more loosely organized occasions, spending his evening at a party just going with the flow, ready for mischief at any moment. Parties often feature altered versions of daytime events, where ordinary activities turn a bit hazy and crazy.

“Late at night last summer, me and my friends were like, ‘Dude, let’s play some b-ball,’” Corcoran said. “It started as shirts and skins, and then we were like, ‘screw these pants.’”

Eggs, Saran wrap and toilet paper: the perfect ingredients to pull off the revenge prank. The rules are quite simple in a prank war--the rules are there are no rules; there are no boundaries and nothing, absolutely nothing is off limits. All’s fair in love and war Staff Reporter

Staff Reporter

Photo: A. Hilden

The return of the pranksters

hic

Allison Taphouse

5

“We just like to ride, hang out and goof off,” Reid Nelson ‘16 said. “A lot of my friends hang at the skatepark, so it’s kind of a meeting point for anyone who wants show up and do whatever comes around.”

rap

Each weekend is heralded by a collective hoorah from Central students--Frrrrriiiiiddddaaayyy, at last! Dreams of reenacting Projext X and living the motto ‘YOLO’ drives teens to a multitude of affairs. We investigate the various parties students attend, from the sketchified blowout bash to the two-man party.

“I like to watch the scenery outside the window, the glistening of the water is so beautiful,” Brie Goodno ‘14 said. “Everything seems to be prettier out there.

The study of botany really pushes me to take a long drive, almost down to the tip and back. It makes me feel enlightened.”

G

Weekend warriors

4

“It has the best atmosphere,” Christina Karakos ‘13 said. “I mostly go after school or at night. I love drinking mochas, listening to the live band and doing homework.

It’s so cozy and artsy.”

Cruzin’ da P

3

Brew

2

“It’s the company you meet there,” Marlee Larosa ‘14 said. “Just about every time I go, I meet someone new. There are a lot of activities you can do too, and it’s just so beautiful.”

Open Space

State Hospital

1

“I like to walk my dogs there,” Chris Hall ‘14 said.

“There aren’t a whole lot of people on the trails, and the paths are more well kept in the winter. Plus, I know the grounds pretty well.”

6 A&E

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

Fiddler on the Roof Filled to the brim with intense material, Central performers tackle the emotionally charged Fiddler on the Roof

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

We give you our expertise on the latest in entertainment. Starting with reviews (the good and the bad) and finishing with recommendations

Bryton Lutes

A&E and Business Editor

Reviews Movie: Paranormal Activity 4 Despite the hype, the newest installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise disappoints.

Director Oren Peli struck horror gold in his groundbreaking debut with expertly crafted door-creaking tension, rather than special effects, which earned the Paranormal Activity series a top spot in the horror genre. However, the latest installment fails to deliver anything but a lackluster storyline and been-theredone-that scare scenes. The whole mystique has vanished like one of Peli’s offed characters. Unlike its predecessors, Peli’s newest installment is dead on arrival. Where we once sat on the edge of our seats biting every last bit of our nails, now we try not to snore and hope the popcorn is good. C TV: American Horror Story The first thing the viewers will notice in the premiere episode of American Horror Story’s second season is the story line’s subtlety, which differs from the debut season’s random acts of madness and freaky circumstances. Season 1 felt rushed, and ended with too many open padded rooms. The sequel, however, has organized the madness for one cohesive purpose. Needless to say, American Horror Story hasn’t taken the time to sit down over a candlelit dinner and learn it’s manners from Sister Jude; rather, it’s still thrashing in its straight jacket with screams, sex, jolts, mashed faces, and psychotic behavior, all packed in one nice coherent asylum. B Music: Lotus by Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera is arguably one of contemporary music’s most powerful vocalists-just listen to her anthemic breakout song “Beautiful” and her rendition of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” from the 49th Grammy Awards. However, the blue-eyed soul singer’s newest album Lotus isn’t as satisfying as her previous works. She has an emotional moment--maybe two--considering her divorce was finalized in 2010 and her movie Burlesque was a flop.

And when she’s emotional, she sings best. The title track “Best of Me” gives us those gut-wrenching, beautiful belts we remember, like a shadow of her previous song “Fighter.” But Lotus has one too many dance-heavy radio-esque hits that are brief and undeserving of her soprano voice. A stellar voice deserves stellar songs. B

David Reinke A&E Editor

Recommendations Movie: Your Sister’s Sister With all the mythological creatures, possessed kids and secret agents blowing up the box office, a good helping of chilled-out shenanigans brings sweet relief to a movie-hungry mind. This mellowed-out Indie drama featuring a troubled guy, his best girl-friend and her sister welcomes you into its gentle arms like a loungin’ hammock. The cast is not simply brilliant, but absolutely flaming in their moments of glory--each of whom have many. This tale has all the dramatic tension of a divorce, just with more grins. And tequila...and sex. It probably sounds like Homecoming night to some of you. I assure you, although it has its swingin’ moments, the relaxation-inducing tone provides a paradox that is simply stellar. If you’re cool as a cucumber, then it’ll definitely float your boat.

TV: Bones Perhaps the most compelling thing here is the diversion from typical crime investigation shows. There are as many CSI clones as there are fishes in the sea, so when a show of that genre comes along with a fresh spin on the crime-solving duo, only magic can result. The two leads, Bones and Booth, have more chemistry than a meth lab. Where other shows feature good cop/bad cop triteness, Bones excels in its rounded characters. The entire production can be summed up with a scene: Nov. 5’s episode featured a soul-melting moment where Bones danced, or rather, flailed, to T. Rex’s “20th Century Boy,” which sheds some light on the show’s tone. True, at times it is sappy, but we welcome such stickiness: it’s comfy.

A Emma Caldwell Staff Reporter

Attired as a traditional Orthodox Eastern European Jew, Ben Cockfield ‘15 reaches up to balance a heavy green bottle atop his black hat. Concentration creases the faces of Cockfield’s fellow actors. In unison, they touch their knees to the ground, and then rise steadily, until a sharp movement throws the bottles off their heads, and the performers triumphantly catch them.

Parents, students and others first saw this difficult dance at Central’s Nov. 8 premier of Fiddler on the Roof. Cockfield played Lazar Wolf, and thought the “Bottle Dance” was the hardest of the night.

“It requires more concentration and focus than any dance I’ve ever done,” Cockfield said. “In most dances you can miss a step or two, but in this if you miss a step, the bottle falls and you’re done. It’s so meticulous, if you don’t do it perfectly, you fail.”

The “Bottle Dance” takes place during the wedding scene, one of the few happy moments in the production. Fiddler is one of the darkest musicals Central has ever put on, contrasting sharply with recent productions like Grease and Oklahoma!

McKenna Cartwright, who played Hodel, said the relationships in Fiddler had more substance than other productions she’s participated in.

“The couples in Fiddler are going against traditions and changing society,” Cartwright said, “and that makes their relationships more significant.”

In choosing Fiddler, the CHS musical program challenged themselves to live up to a distinguished and emotional production. The esteemed play was performed over 3,000 times on Broadway over a 10 year span and won nine Tonys.

It was adapted to a film and won three Academy Awards and two Golden Globes. Both the CSH cast and directors felt pressure to perform the production well, given Fiddler’s reputation.

“Our director has high expectations because it’s such a classic,” Grayson Lowe ‘15, who plays Perchik, said. “There’s definitely that feeling of ‘we need to get this right.’ There are so many great examples of the show and so many different groups doing it very well. We don’t want to fall in the middle.

Many members of the crew found that the musical was deeper than plays of the past.

“Grease had very little depth beyond the social relations amongst high school kids,” Connor Brady ‘13, who played Fyedka, said. “It didn’t carry more value than drama and trivial, early-life things that everyone has to go through.”

Brady thought it’s meaning was more impactful than Grease. “Fiddler’s theme was ‘Nothing can be sustained forever, change is inevitable for all things,’ Brady said.

Actors observed that it took a lot more effort to embody the dynamic characters than it did to portray the shallow ones of past productions.

“There’s a lot more acting in this one,” Cartwright said.

“It’s challenging and you have to be emotional. Showing that emotion is so much harder than being happy all the time, like in Grease. For the audience to actually believe you-- that you are feeling what these characters would feel--is a lot more difficult than you’d expect.”

Although this was hard to pull off, many enjoyed the challenge.

“The ending of Fiddler is a lot more sad than other plays we’ve done,” Charlotte Noble ‘14, who plays Tzeitel, said.

“It’s more difficult, but I like it because of that. You can challenge yourself to work harder and each time put even more emotion in it. You can get really invested in what you’re doing.”

The CHS theatre felt accomplished by the time the musical ended.

“After the first run, we usually have a clean-up rehearsal between weekend showings,” Lowe said, “and this year we didn’t have one because we did very, very well. This speaks to the fact that everything went great. The orchestra was always right on, the set worked well, and we got a lot of good comments and feedback from people who saw the show. ”

d

n aymo

: K. R

o Phot

Photo: K. Raymond

(Clockwise from top) Accompanied by Logan Dell’Acqua ‘14, Eva Nienhouse ‘13 in the CHS’s production of Fiddler on the Roof, passionately executes an emotional scene. “I can channel my emotions when I act. I’m proud to say I’m part of the music program.” (Bottom) David Stone ‘14 reprimands Chava for marrying outside of her religion. “You get to be someone you’re not,” Stone said, “and interact with people in a way you can’t during everyday life.” (Left) Grayson Lowe begins singing to his character’s future wife.“I love theatre, I get to take on different personas and hang out with my best friends.”

Dare to compare Members of the Fiddler cast found similarities and differences between themselves and their characters

Rabbi

played by Preston Zoellner ‘13

Photo: S. Hutchison

I guess we’re similar and different. I’m similar because he’s kind of funny, the Rabbi.

There’s this one part where he’s like, “I say...

I say... Let’s sit down.” Everyone laughed forever. He’s being serious and people take it as funny, so it’s kind of dry humor. We’re different too. He kind of sits there in the back and is quiet. Also, he’s older and I’m not old.

Golde

played by Kaila Szafranski ‘14

Photo: S. Hutchison

I’m Golde, the mom. She’s kind of mean and very business like. I’m different from her because I think I’m nicer and sweeter than she is. Golde is really bossy and is always saying, “clean the barn” and “wash the floor.” I don’t like to be bossy, I hope I’m not bossy. I think that I am nicer when I ask people to do things for me. She bosses her family around a lot, but she’s fun to play.

Central students interpret Aladdin Graphic: A. Korson

Four Central students dedicate their time to The Dance Center’s performance, Aladdin. The students were challenged to tell an abstract story through visual elements and movement

Kory Cole

Staff Reporter

Music: ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

by Godspeed You! Black Emporer Much to the chagrin of music lovers, the practice of 20 minute pieces have become a long forgotten art these days. In Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s decade-awaited album ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, we find them meticulously crafting their hour-long album into four instrumental noise rock beauts, resurrecting that noble form of art.

Allelujah!, as unconventional as it is, will be important in reanimating a genre that seems to be running on a vampire pulse these days. Certainly a case can be made that its tracks are just a random collage of earthly noises like helicopter propellers and gas leaks-that’s technically true for the most part. But if you go into Allelujah! with that kind of mentality, you will miss the moment where seemingly random things transmorph into cosmic statements like “Mladic,” which will surely melt your face.

Graphics: N. Mulvaine

Photo: K. Raymond

Photos: S. Hutchison

During the performance of Aladdin two weeks ago, the audience was spellbound by fortune telling, flying carpets and twirling dancers. Traverse City Dance Center put their own spin on the classic tale, omitting all dialogue and replacing it with unique choreography.

“I think it worked really well,” Traverse City Dance Center’s Youth Ensemble Director Korin Drilling said.

“It’s a ballet. There’s no talking, no speaking, or even singing, so you have to tell the story through movement.”

Though Aladdin was a success, adapting a fantasy-based story proved difficult. With nothing but a program guide and maybe some general knowledge of the story, it can be a challenge for the audience to follow the plotline.

The cohesion of the story depended almost entirely on the dancers.

“It’s not easy adapting a story through dance,” Ella Dorman ‘16, who played the Genie, said. “You have to use a lot of facial expressions. Your goal is to try to intrigue the audience so they’re not watching dance, they’re watching a story.”

Telling a story through ballet is more than just moves. Many other elements such as music and visuals contribute to the plotline.

“The music was needed to express the mood of each scene,” Morgan Scollard ‘15, who plays the Persian Slave, said. “When the bad guy was in the scene, the music got panicked and chaotic. When the princess was dreaming of Aladdin, the music was soft and quiet. When Aladdin was first introduced, the music was cheerful.”

Lights and props are also key to telling the story. The lights changed according to the emotion of the scene, and the props allowed the audience to visualize the story.

“We had a really great set this year,” Scollard said. “There was this gold thing the genie stood in. Our dance teacher would always call it the ‘Genie Mobile.’ The genie came out of it, kind of like how the genie came out of the lamp in Aladdin.”

All of these visuals, changes, and additions amounted to a unique performance.

In the end, everything went perfectly.

Drilling decided to tweak the storyline.

In the original story, the Genie is African, as is Aladdin’s uncle. However, the cast lacked a male dancer to fill the role, so it was changed to a woman’s part. The ballet also introduced two new characters: a fortune teller to narrate and “set the story,” as well as a servant girl who had a crush on Aladdin.

“I definitely think it was the best performance,” Sydney Johnson ‘13, who played the lead Jasmine, said. “Nothing went wrong or was unorganized. It was all ready by the time we got on stage.”

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

Music: a Rosetta Stone for learning

Music students speak the the transferability of music skills to other forms of learning Sophie Hutchison

A Packaging Editor

Arts programing in school systems across America are under attack. Pressure to raise standardized tests scores and literacy rates is compelling schools to cut music and other art courses from their curriculum. But schools that neglect the arts are missing out on the benefits derived from students’ music study.

“A music class’ most valuable aspect is that it prepares students for their future,” Choral Director Tamara Grove said. “It teaches them collaboration, creativity, how to work well in a team setting and confidence--these are all life skills that everyone will have to encounter no matter their profession.”

Performing art classes teach students how to control nerves in performance.

This skill is advantageous in areas beyond performing arts--once a student can sing or play an instrument in front of

teach me to put the letters together to form words and read them quickly.”

Mattis’ experience shows that rote memorization can’t teach all skills that children need at a young age.

Alec Reznich ‘13 also profited from musical training, beyond improved reading proficiency. He asserts that learning music increased his affinity for learning in other realms.

“Once you learn different formulas, you can apply them in different ways,” Reznich said. “You expand your mathematical vocabulary similarly to that of expanding your musical vocabulary. The more you know, the more expansive your vocabulary is and the more opportunities you have to apply what you’ve learned.”

Reznich has been singing since fifth grade and strumming his guitar since sixth

mind and creative expansion that is really important in kids,” he said.

Reznich has derived much enjoyment from music throughout his life. “If I hadn’t been involved in music, my life would be in a completely different place,” Reznich said. “Overall, music has been a positive staple that has given me happiness over the years.”

Zoe Gerstle ‘15, a member of Wind Ensemble, believes the most beneficial aspect of her saxaphone lessons is the dedication and diligence they have taught her.

“The work ethic saxaphone taught me is that if I want something, I have to work for it,” Gerstle said. “And music was something I knew I really wanted to excel in.”

Music classes also provide students a break from grueling core classes, finding relief in a creative atmosphere. “Basically, my music classes are what get me through the day,” Mattis said.

Perhaps it’s the catchy tunes that attract so many people to music, or the chal-

Music

Classical composer heros inspire music students at Central

Students throwback to the classical era to describe the elements that make their favorite composers unique and why they love to play their pieces

Fiona Muha

Packaging Editor

Photo: S. Hutchison

Leah Jurik ‘13

John Piatek ‘14

Graphic: A. Korson

grade. He stresses music immersion at a young age also has other benefits.

“Music encourages stimulation in the

lenge of learning a new language, but students who study music see rewards in all aspects of their lives, especially enhanced cognitive ability.

“I see a lot of smart people in music classes,” Gerstle said. “I’m not sure if it’s because music makes you smart or if smart people take music. But I think it’s a little bit of both.”

Private lessons for prodigies in training

Students at Central take private music lessons to improve their talent outside of the classroom. From piano to voice, these students invest time and money to study solo repertoire and prepare for a possible future in the musical field

Helen Cullen ‘14

Hunter Kelly Staff Reporter

Photo: S. Hutchison

Nick Suminski ‘15

Photo: S. Hutchison

Micalea Jankowski ‘13

Photo: S. Hutchison

As college and adulthood creep closer, students at Central contemplate their future careers. While some dream of becoming a teacher, a chef or a doctor, others pursue the arts. For the latter, following their passion means more in-depth study to be college ready.

“Private lessons help out a lot more than just being in choir, where you have a lot of other people with you,” Helen Cullen ‘14 said. “With oneon-one lessons, the lesson is tailored to your specific voice.”

Cullen chose to dedicate herself to singing four years ago when she began private lessons. Cullen would like to eventually become a professional singer and is considering attending either Western Michigan University or the University of Michigan because of their excellent music programs.

“These schools are two of my top choices because I have friends that have gone through their music programs and enjoyed them,” Cullen said.

“Also, I like them because they are relatively close to home.”

Nick Suminski’s ‘15 passion does not come through his

voice, however, it comes when his fingers touch his piano’s keys. Suminski has been a talented player since he was little.

“I got the choice at age four to play either the flute, piano or violin,” Suminski said.

“I enjoy the sound a piano makes, and that’s one of the main reasons I decided to take piano lessons.”

Suminski comes from a musical family.

“My family and I are in a trio,” Suminski said. “My mom plays the cello, my brother Ivan plays the violin, and I play the piano.”

Along with his mother, Suminski is also a part of the Traverse City Symphony Orchestra (TSO), TC’s adult civic orchestra. Suminski relishes playing with the TSO. However, Suminski says that nothing can replace his one-on-one time with his instructor, which allows him to attend to details to better understand each piece of music.

“I feel like private lessons are more personalized to fit you,” Suminski said.

Suminski is not sure whether or not he will pursue playing the piano as a career, but he will continue to play it for the rest of his life.

Micaela Jankowski ‘13, a member of Chorale, Choral-

Aires, and musical, has been a fan of the arts since she was a child, and has been taking voice lessons for eight years.

She studies privately to make sure that she can perform her best during big performances.

“Being in two choirs and in musical, I need to be accountable for my voice and make sure I sound good,” Jankowski said.

In contrast to Cullen’s aspiration of singing professionally, Jankowski doesn’t plan on making music her profession.

“I will keep music in my life, but I will not pursue it as a career,” Jankowski said.

Like any instrument, singing takes years to perfect.

And expansion of range and repertoire are important. And while one does need to act a little while performing with an instrument, in vocal performance, acting is crucial.

“Musical takes active thinking, it’s all in your head. You control how you sound,” Jankowski said.

Suminski agrees that music takes hard work and lots of repetition, but he says that it’s worth it.

“I love trying to perfect and polish to make everything sound good, and I like making people want to listen to my music,” Suminski said.

Photo: courtesy of Wikipedia

Frédéric Chopin

“He wrote melodies that connect different ideas in really creative ways, which makes them complex.

The harmonies he uses just float along. I listen to his music to calm down.”

Photo: S. Hutchison

an audience, they can speak and be in front of crowds with ease.

As multiple scientific experiments prove, musical study enhances intellect and stimulates the brain.

Makenzie Mattis ‘13 began her piano training when she was only five years old, and believes her training reading music helped her learn to read and write in school.

“I didn’t start off as a very good reader,” Mattis said, “so learning how to read notes fast and create a song helped

7

Photo: courtesy of Wikipedia

Johann S. Bach

“I like how his music sounds because some of it has a darker tone, which is fun to play in a large orchestra. It’s slow, but at the same time it’s pulsating and driving.”

Photo: S. Hutchison

Colin Huls ‘15

Photo: courtesy of Mubi

Modest Mussorgsky

“His piece, ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’ has interesting stuff for the piano. The finale is really cool, the volume, scale, size of the finale is pretty powerful. I play piano, so certain things are fun to play, but also challenging.”

Photo: S. Hutchison

Keely Golden ‘16

Photo: courtesy of PBS

Ludwig van Beethoven

“There are so many different elements, different movements. Not only is it amazing music, he was a genius. He was able to compose magnificent music, even though he was becoming deaf. His perseverance reminds people that greatness can come from struggles.”

8 Sports Future greats walk the halls of Central every day.

From future politicians to young chemists. Here, the future greats of the sports world are decorated a few years early because of the dedication, persistence and outstanding athletic ability they show

Miranda Winowiecki Editor-in-Chief

n rso Ko A. ic:

aph Gr

Award: Olympic individual all around gymnastics gold medal

Photo: K. Raymond

“It’s definitely a lot of hard work. You feel like you miss out on some stuff but then you have to remind yourself that it’s all worth it.”

- Holly Ryan ‘13 Cheers erupt, camera flashes flicker and the music thunders as the Olympians file in for the closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Central’s Holly Ryan ‘13 is decked out in America’s red white and blue, brandishing her new individual all around gymnastics gold medal. Ryan will be a future great.

Recently Ryan signed with Michigan State University’s women’s gymnastics team, fulfilling her long-term goal of continuing her gymnastics career. This kind of success never comes easy, though. Athletes’ recruiting process is more mind-boggling than one of Ryan’s uneven bar routines, made even more serpentine at the D-1 level. I’m no expert, but I’ve been through enough of the process to know its stresses. The process is defined by uncertainty you ping-pong video all over the net--coaches constantly contact you, and then all of a sudden, radio silence.

The Big Wait. And wait. . .

Do these coaches still want me? Did I do something wrong? Is anybody out there? All of these questions wreak havoc on your confidence, when in reality, it’s just a National Collegiate Athletic Association dead week-zero contact allowed from any division one coach.

Under the critical eyes of college coaches, one wrong move can make the difference between a significant scholarship, or no offer at all. Performing under this pressure can make or break an athlete’s post high school career.

This mental strength is the stuff of champions.

The commitment for college-level readiness is enormous. Ryan practices four days a week, anywhere between four and six hours a hit. When the rest of us are at a Friday night football game, Ryan is on the uneven bars. We’re at the Brew sucking down a latte; she’s chugging down a granola bar and Gatorade, just five minutes off the beam. This discipline is what separates Ryan from the crowd--that, and the gift she was born with.

Her hard sacrifices paid off. In less than a year, she will be chucking her leotards for Spartan colors, and vaulting onto a new gymnastics stage. For four years, it’s green and white; after that red, white and blue.

I bestow upon gymnast extraordinaire Ms. Holly Ryan the individual all around Olympic gold medal. Ryan, a once and future great.

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

Hitting the slopes in CO Wanting to get a leg up on their steep competition, members of Central’s downhill ski team kickoff the season with a trip to Copper Mountain for basic training

T Erin Lipp

Staff Reporter

Taking a deep breath of fresh mountain air at 6 a.m., with the slopes to themselves, Central skiers start their first practice of the day at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

“It’s really dark and cold outside, but worth getting to see the sunrise,” John Whiting ‘16 said. Some of Central’s skiers left last Thursday to train with Central United States Ski Association (CUSSA) coaches, Dan Janowiak and Scott Winquest. Skiers find that their mountain excursion takes their racing to the edge and is great for team-building.

“Going to ski camps the past four years have been some of the best weeks of my life,” Shannon Weaver ‘13 said. “I’m so blessed to have the opportunity to go back one more time before I graduate and shred some powder with my best friends.”

In addition to having a blast out on the long, fresh powdered slopes, since there is no snow in Michigan, the trek jumpstarts their season.

“Individually you become a stronger athlete and you have a jump on everyone else,” Weaver said. “It’s nice to work on fundamental skills for a week before getting in the gates.”

Before the slopes are even open, campers prepare in the warming shed at 6 a.m., while their coaches set lanes on an area reserved just for them. They train for around four hours, doing both gateless and gated training. After morning training, campers have some time for free skiing, and then lunch for wolfing down some carbs. In the afternoon they dryland train and do some team-building. They have a little free time in the evening.

“We get a lot done for skiing and it’s really fun to be with all your friends,” Whiting said.

“You’re away from home in a really cool part of the U.S.” Last year during her free time, Madison Ostergren ‘15 met U.S. Ski Team member Julia Mancuso and learned from observing her. “I only saw a little bit of her training, not a whole lot, but it was really cool to meet her and see her train,” Ostergren said. “It made us realize that she was like us just a few years ago and that if we pursue skiing and work hard, we can be like her. She is my inspiration.”

Although there are huge benefits in the Copper Mtn. trip, the extreme environment makes it physically hard, even for young ath-

letes. “The elevation change is a big adjustment,” Weaver said. “You get really out of breath easily and you have drink lots of water so you don’t get altitude sickness.”

While perfecting their racing strategy and having a blast out on the slopes, the team has to keep up with their schoolwork. This year, they will be gone the whole week of final exams.

Whiting took a few of his exams before he left, and has a few waiting when he returns.

“It is going to be hard,” Whiting said, “but it’s worth it.”

Missing school will pay off this season when

skiers begin races in four different techniques: slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill.

“My favorite is downhill,” Ostergren said. “It gives you the most adrenaline rush, plus, you get up to like 50-60 mph on your skis.”

While the rest of us are cramming or jamming in that one last unit, skiers are cutting it up in the mountains.

“The speed you gain when you are skiing in Colorado is so much faster than in Michigan,” Whiting said. “The runs are so long that when you get to the bottom, you’re so exhausted, you can hardly stop.”

Photo: courtesy of Ann Nash Photography

Madison Ostergren ‘15 takes her Slalom run at Junior Olympic qualifiers last year when she won.

Ostergren’s hard work at previous Copper camps has helped her technique and racing strategies improve. “I kind of go into auto-pilot when I race. All of things I have worked on in practice pay off and I can just try to go as fast as I can,” Ostergren said. “In this race I was focused on getting to the finish line as fast as I could and feeling good at the end.”

Graphic: A. Korson

Smooth sailing to the finish line Sailing team finished the season placing third at States as a team along with placing individuals and sixth at the Great Lakes Championship

Mady Bach

Staff Reporter Throaty cheers erupted from Head Coach Dave Gerber as Central’s Sailing Team captured a momentous sixth place at the Great Lakes Championship held in Chicago, Ill., “We all saw what we could achieve,” Alexandra Anderson ‘15 said. “We beat several of the teams once, we knew we could do it again.”

The team also placed third at States, and three individuals placed in two categories. Colton Geber ‘14 (coach’s son) placed first overall in the 420 A class, with crew member Zander Terrell ‘15 by his side, meeting their goal for the season. The duo also met their goal of finishing in the top five at the Great Lakes Regatta, taking fourth. A regatta is a series of boat races over a period of time.

“I worked very hard for States,” Colton said. “I went knowing I could do it, although I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

Dirk Phelps ‘15 also placed third in the Laser Radial Class at States and sixth at the Great Lakes Regatta. Phelps won several regattas this season and hopes to win many more, including States next year.

“It definitely boosts confidence when you win a regatta,” Phelps said.

“It makes you feel that you actually are somewhere and that you’re not terrible.”

Although none of the other team mates brought home a big win, they are hoping to next year.

“We just need to get a little bit stronger and be more consistent,” Phelps said. “I feel that we can do it, we just need to keep working on it.”

Coach Gerber attributes much of the team’s success this season to their natural ability to work together early on.

“What’s especially unique about the group of kids from Traverse City Central is that they have done a fantastic job of coming together as a team,” Coach Gerber. “If you’re not doing well as a team, you’re not going to be successful.”

The sailors, though, attribute the success of their strong season to their new coach. “Coach’s really made the whole thing more serious,” Phelps said. “He instructs the team daily on sailing techniques and regatta rules.”

Being a long time sailor himself, Coach Gerber knows the tricks of the trade. ”I know what’s going on,” Coach Gerber said. “I have experiences I can pass onto the kids, and a lot of knowledge of the drills that we need to do and how to practice.”

Sailing requires not only mental commitment but physical strength too and the ability to read the wind.

“You have to be strong with your upper body strength, as well as lower

Photo: courtesy of Jim Sorbie

Dirk Phelps ‘15 passes the committee boat as he heads to the finish at the Grosse Ile Invitational Regatta. “It was physically challenging to keep the boat going,” Phelps said. “We were sailing with a wind speed of fifteen knots.” Phelps placed third at the Grosse Ile Invitational.

“Overall, I was pretty calm with the conditions,” Phelps said.

body strength,” Anderson said. “On really windy days you have to be able to pull in the lines without struggling.”

Through their grueling practices, Coach Gerber offered not only encouragement, but also asked the sailors to strive for greatness.

“Coach Gerber really pushes us harder,” Anderson said. “I think I’ve learned a lot more from him than I have in previous years because he just seems motivated.”

Last Aug. the team worked on fundamentals and it took about two months for everything to click.

“We hosted a regatta in early October with seventeen teams from the midwest,” Coach Gerber said. “Suddenly, they saw that they could do well, and could win.”

This not only got the Trojans sailing in the right direction, but helped the team gain confidence for States and the Midwest Regionals.

“Any extracurricular activity helps you evolve into your future,” Coach Gerber said. “One thing about sailing is that you can do it very late in life, you can always enjoy it. It’s a lifelong skill set.”

Fall Roundup

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

“The tradition of excellence here at Central continued this fall in the athletic program. Whether it was on the court, field or course, Trojan student-athletes excelled, bringing home Big North Conference titles, MHSAA District and Regional titles and All State recognition both academically and athletically.

As the Athletic Director, it gives me a great sense of pride that our coaching staff and our studentathletes excel at the highest level. Fall sports certainly set the tone for the rest of our sports teams. I believe in the theory that success breeds success.”

-Athletic Director Cody Inglis

Editor-in-Chief,Sports Editor,Photo Editor,Reporter

-Record: 9-2 -BNC champions -District finalists -Set a record in averaging 36.4 points per game -Team: Nominated for Academic All State

Photo: S. Hardin

Weston deTar ‘13 jumps to intercept the ball in the playoff game against Bay City Western.

“I payed more attention the the quarterback because he was the biggest offensive threat,” deTar said. “Our defensive strategy was to not allow them any big plays. I will always remember the second the ball hit the ground in the second overtime.

It was over and we had won.”

-BNC champions -Regional champions -State Finals: 4th place -Team: 1st place Academic All State -Molly Peregrine: All State “Each day of practice was all about the final goal of a high finish at State Finals. They earned this by getting more fit and faster as the season progressed. It ended the season in a way that made all their hard work worth it.” -Coach Lisa Taylor

tesy of R. M attarella

Miranda Winowiecki, Garrett Kosch, Katie Raymond, Jeff Comerford

“Regionals was an important meet because it helped us gain confidence. We took seven of the top 14 spots.” -Lila Dreves ‘13

Photo: Cor

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

“The team proved they could win big games. They worked hard in the off-season and mastered their game plan during the week. This year’s team will be remembered and recorded forever in the storied tradition of Trojan football. It had been 22 years since we hosted and won a playoff game. Many have said that our 48-47 double overtime win over Bay City Western in the first round of the playoffs was the best game they have ever seen at Thirlby Field.” -Coach Tom Passinault

9

“The playoff game against Bay City Western made history.” -Jordan Lutze ‘13

-BNC champions -Regional: 2nd place -State Finals: 9th place -Team: Academic All State -Courtney Dye ‘13: All State -Nonie Tompkins ‘13: 1st place individual Academic All State

ton of D. Long rtesy

Photo: S. Hutchison

-Record: 14-5-5 -BNC: 2nd place -District champions “From the start of the season, they played as a team. They accomplished things no other team in the school has since the split from West.”

-Coach Rob Boynton

Photo: Courtesy of K. Nolan

“Winning the Ogemaw Invite was a great accomplishment because we were competing against downstate schools with better facilities and we still came out on top.”

-Erin Cover ‘13

tesy Pho

“At the State Finals, we ran our best and were right up there with some of the best teams in the state.”

-Kyle Dotterrer ‘14

kerk of M . Ny

“The ultimate goal is to go as far as you can and win a state championship. This team put in the hard work to do that.”

-Coach John Lober

urtes y

“Sometimes you have a rebuilding season where you just try to improve. Over the season, these girls worked hard to improve their technique and had more energy to finish their races stronger.”

-Coach Kevin Ott

-BNC champions -Regional: 2nd place -State Finals: 10th place -Team: Academic All State

-BNC co-champions -Regional champions -State Finals: 6th place -Team: Academic All State -Sean Soupiset ‘13 and Cameron Young ‘14: Broke a state record with 43 doubles wins in a single season -Hayden Drury ‘15 and Caleb Heimburger ‘14: All State

o: Co

-Ogemaw Invitational champions -Erin Cover ‘13: Qualified for MISCA finals (Michigan Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) -Suha Augenstein ‘15 and Lily Bussineau ‘13: Qualified for diving Regional Finals

our

Ally Schultz ‘13 tees off at a tournament at the Traverse City Country Club. “It was really cold and rainy that day, so my strategy was to keep things in the fairway,” Schultz said. “I wasn’t shooting for distance.”

“West is our biggest rival and if we lost to them, our season would have been over. We used the things we did well against them the first two times we played them and stayed composed in the shootout to win.” -Taylor Cook ‘13

“The team experienced hardships from injuries to illnesses. We had a lot to overcome, but we ended up improving tremendously and overall, I am very pleased with our season.” -Coach Larry Nykerk

Phot

Photo: Courtesy of R. Cover

“Golf is an individual sport, but by the end of the day, we are a team. What you do affects the team. We really came together to win the BNC.” -Courtney Dye ‘13

Adam Stepan ‘14 fights for the ball in the district playoff game against West.

“I played aggressively and kept the team pumped up,” Stepan said.

“It was very rewarding to finally beat West.”

C to:

“The conditions throughout the season were brutal, but the girls were dedicated to getting better and learned how to handle the elements.”

-Coach Lois McManus

“We knew that States would be a whole different level of competition, and we tried out different techniques so we could improve from Regionals.” -Jeannie Longton ‘13

ing

Jessie Kushner ‘14 prepares to spike the volleyball in the home game against Petoskey.

“The strategy was to let them make the mistakes,” Kushner said. “Then we could play more aggressively.”

“We were focused on our last home game. It was the senior night against West. We were pumped up and played really well but came up short.”

-Maddy Duensing ‘13

run P. B of

Photo: M. Loveland

Girl’s XC Football Equestrian Volleyball Boy’s Soccer Girl’s Golf Boy’s Tennis Swim & Dive Boy’sXC

“This team’s performance at Regionals was excellent. We hadn’t made it in four years and we functioned as a team to win it.”

-Coach Mike Zerbe

: Cou

“We had a talented team that had a tough season.

I set up a competitive schedule and we didn’t always come out on top.”

-Coach Katherine Brege

-District champions -Regional champions -State Finals: 7th place

Photo

-Record: 21-16-4 -BNC: 4th place -District semi-finalists -Team: Academic All State

“Winning regionals was a great accomplishment because we moved up to Division 1 and hadn’t won it in 13 years.” -Daniel Fedor ‘13

10 Ads

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

Millage failure

continued from front page millage Jason Gillman said he was glad the millage didn’t pass because of the resulting extra taxes. He also had a problem with the Central High School “performing arts center.” A musician himself, Gillman said the renovations to the auditorium were “unnecessary.”

“It’s in a state of disrepair,” Gillman said. “I understand that it needs help, but maintenance can be done through the existing bond of $65 million left over.”

TCAPS Superintendent Stephen Cousins said the Board plans to use the current bond.

“We’ll move forward for some of the construction,” Cousins said, “but with the current authorization we can probably only do one of the reconstructions on the elementary schools.”

Unlike Gillman, Choir Director Tamara Grove doesn’t believe the bond was “extravagant,” as

Texting hotline continued from front page minimize students online exposure to pornography. The law is now mainly focused on prosecuting parents of minors who use social media to abuse others. Parents of a minor who harass, threaten or defame the reputation of another person can be held criminally and/or civilly liable.

“The netbook contract and the student handbook informs parents,” Head Principal Rick Vandermolen said. “We’re using the

Acceptable Use Policy to inform students and their parents of what they’re agreeing to when they use a netbook. Our Acceptable Use Policy and our filtering system meets CIPA standards.”

Some district staff believe the netbooks, which were given to students as part of the “One 2 World Program,” have caused an increase in cyber-bullying by providing more students with Internet capabilities.

“People are using these vehicles (netbooks) in very harmful ways,” Burden said “Potentially, the school could be held partially liable.”

However, Neibauer believes that bullying prevention starts with the students, not technology.

most opponents of the millage claimed, and said the renovations to the auditorium were--and still are--very needed.

“We put band aids on everything and rent lights every year. We’ve had to spend hundreds of dollars patching the black curtains, and then they’ll rip again,” Grove said. “Walking into the Central auditorium, you just see it’s an auditorium. It’s until you work in there year after year you see what you have to work with.”

Cousins and Board President Kelly Hall said the Board will propose another millage in the next two years, but the details remain undecided.

“Right now there’s more questions than answers,” Soma said. “There’s a series of things that we have to consider, and those things are going to be answered over the course of time.”

“It needs to happen from a behavioral standpoint, from a human decency standpoint,” he said. “Kids being able to police themselves, maybe even recognizing that their own behavior has been bullying in some way. Sometimes people are tone deaf to their own actions.”

Although administrators are always available to help, victims must take the first step and reach out. Bolden says if one is being bullied, alert your parents and school.

“Take it to an adult,” he said. “It made me feel relieved. They’re going to take care of it.”

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20, 2012

Ads

11

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

12 The Leek

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 20 2012 real stories, real people

Disclaimer: C’est faux, ce n’est pas vrai.

Bringing back the spank News in brief Jake Myers

Scott Hardin

W Leek Editor

Leek Editor

Student Senate artists recieve mixed reviews

We at The Leek are calling for the reinstitution of corporal punishment in public schools, especially at Central. Quite frankly, American students are too wussified, and what doesn’t humiliate them into a crippling depression can only make them stronger.

Back in the day teachers used “the dunce cap.” This was employed when a student was so woefully unintelligent that he was publicly shamed for polluting the gene pool.

The offending child was forced to sit in the corner wearing a coneshaped, representing the extremity to which the student failed to live up to societal standards. Dunce caps would best benefit students who don’t turn in homework or insist on being that one girl in English 9 who reads everything in a poor Shakespearian accent.

At Central, one of the most serious obedience problems is students’ behavior in the cafeteria. While they have knives, our lunch ladies have never been properly trained to deal with the rising tide of student mischief. They could use their handy wooden spoons on the knuckles of students who are caught with no ID card or charging on their already debt-ridden accounts. The cafeteria staff always gets their money.

Always.

In dealing with the greatest cafeteria offence of all, underclassmen weaseling their way off campus to eat, our lunch ladies should dish out spatula justice, the time-honored tactic of spanking students with a

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

Wielding a choice paddle for the first time in years, Senior Discipline Administrator Joel Douglas prepares for a new age. “When you draw first blood, you feel a twinge of remorse,” Douglas said. “But once the obedience high kicks in, you’re hooked.”

stainless steel spatula.

Let’s examine spanking as a whole.

This is done in lots of places in the world. Teachers should spank students when they act out, just like they do in many enlightened places such as the bucolic villages of North Korea. Take for example, the Bible Belt where students fear the spank more than God. Obviously, this has been an edgy topic since the ceramics exam spanking incident of 1999, the stains of which remain on the floor of F168 to this day.

Violations meriting some version of the spank are exhibiting bodacious cleavage, sleeping in class, parking in F-lot, eating in the library, or refusing to do SLC’s. For the latter, said spank shall be held at the monthly TCAPS board meetings.

Central’s second most rampant obedience problem is in gym classes, where students never dress out. The new pole dancing curriculum has helped with student engagement, but not enough. We at The Leek

are taking it old school and suggest some biblical punishment. Students who refuse to dress out shall be tied atop a pile of wrestling mats and stoned by the Brothers Gle. Of course, actual stones would be replaced with less than lethal tennis balls. This means no more walking on cardio day for you, fatty.

In one final throwback to the golden days of corporal punishment, we call for the reinstatement of Central’s famed courtyard stockades (pictured above). Students may be familiar with the stocks emplaced by the Leyndyke regime, but removed by Vandermolen. Replacing the stockades will strike fear in the hearts of our students. But if they persist, and are caught doing donuts in the CPL, exploring the vast tunnel system, or being late to Biggar’s first hour, the stocks shall teach them.

The future of America depends on having less wusses around.

Certainly we could use less of them here at Central.

Leek Food:

Photo: Courtesy of Reuters

Rum Raisin Ice Cream: Why is it here? What does it want from us? What does it mean?

Photo: K. Raymond

French art critics Monsieur Jacques Marcel and Monsieur Sebastian Hubert critique a piece of art in the F-building. “Oui, the art spoke sweet love to me,” Marcel said. “You see the pretty colors, no?”

However, Hubert’s opinion of the piece differed from his partner’s. “Que? What is this?” Hubert said. “Is that supposed to be a vegetable? A dead tree? Ça ne me plaît pas, it brings pain to my eyes, Monsieur.”

At the invitation from Student Senate, art critics from around the world came to Central last Wednesday to dish out much praise and criticism of the aspiring Senate artists.

“We’ve given 110% of our Senate class time to work on these pieces,” Senate advisor Ken Burger said. “I think some of these kids have a real future in mismanaged student government, and it was about time they got a chance to have their work seen by the eyes of professionals.”

Seventy-four art specialists from seventeen countries came to Central to adjudicate Senate’s art, and the reviews ranged from high praise, to quiet demurrers.

“Zee strong line quality and complimentary colors are really activating unity and asymmetrical balance in some of these pieces,” Pica McLopez, from Argentina said.

“The artistic misspellings of ‘Trojan’ as ‘Trogan’ really represent the central idea, but the warm color pallets are rather derivative of late Rembrandt.”

Local part-time art critic Jason Gillman was one of the toughest sells for the artists, handily dispensing stiff negative reviews to almost all of the pieces.

“Ugh, fluff, fluff, it’s all fluff!” Gillman said. “They should reconsider what they are doing. Maybe they should join athletics, I love athletics.”

DEADLINE UPDATE: Twinkies no more, President declares nation is in state of emergency

Leek Weather:

A battered Traverse City picks up the pieces in wake of Superstorm Sandy

Global Perspectives On the basis of “freshman” being sexist language, the University of North Carolina has recently replaced “freshman” with the term “first-year” in the school’s official vocabulary. What do you think?

“See? This is what happens when you allow UNC to do anything other than basketball.”

Stacy Muff Meter maid

“Oh, I thought everyone was just calling them ‘unemployable’ nowadays.”

Mo Vorlenza Life Coach “Dis is big twouble you get when you awow women to get education. This would never happen in great People’s Repubwic of China.

Huuuoooww!”

Tokyo Mitsubishi Cosmonaut

“First years right this way! O first years, first years!”

Minerva Mcgonagall Alternative educator Photos: Courtesy of Reuters

Photo: S. Hardin

Ask

The Leek Dear The Leek, My GeoTracker dies in the CPL like every day, so I have to walk home because I’m too embarrassed to ask for help. I have no idea how to jump a car! Help! parkinglotphailure Sent via word of mouth Dear parkinglotphailure, You’re in luck, because jump-starting a car is a piece of cake. First, turn off your car and pop the hood. Then, attach the red jumper cable to the positive terminal on your battery, and the black cable to any unpainted metal part under the car’s hood. Next, connect the other ends of both cables to your fingers.

BE SURE TO LUBRICATE. The Leek recommends a product like WD-40 or Mrs. Butterworth’s Homestyle Syrup.

There are two schools of thought on how to create electricity. The classic method is to have a friend rub a balloon on your sweater to generate static, but a more modern way developed by our Japanese correspondents is to Truffle Shuffle until the engine starts.

The Leek has spoken, XOXO S+J

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

A Coast Guard emergency response team airdrops crates of Hostess products to disaster victims stranded on top of a Cleveland warehouse. “This town has turned into a friggin’ war zone now with Hostess gone,” survivor Christabella Solong said. “It’s like we’re in a Third World country.”

Hostess Brand Inc., the maker of Twinkies, has announced it is going out of business due to labor disputes. Following the announcement, President Obama made a late night address to the nation declaring that the U.S. was in a state of emergency, effective immediately on Friday.

“If we all band together, we can beat this,” the President said. “But for the time being, hold on my fellow Americans. Twinkies may have carried America since the Founding Fathers. I just happen to know that they still have some original cases of them at the Smithsonian. In fact, they were handing them out to the elementary children on a field trip last week. But Americans can chug on without our nation’s lifeblood, that sweet, sweet, cream filling. . . I hope.”

Emergency measures have already been enacted in forty-two states. Quarantines have been set up in major disaster areas such as New Orleans and Wayne County, Michigan, and martial law is in place in other major metropolitan areas nation-wide.

According to the Leek’s Detroit bureau chief Steffen Williams, who is soon to be transferred to Chicago where all the action is, downtown Detroit victims have sought haven atop the Renaissance Center. “I don’t understand how something like this could happen,” an anonymous citizen perched on a balcony in the Rencen’s Mariott Hotel said, while stuffing a Twinkie in his mouth. “Where do we go from here?” he gulped between bites. “Everything I thought I believed in is shattered. I don’t know who I am anymore.”