BGQ BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY
may 2022 // volume one hundred and one
Table of Contents Senior Sports Features: p. 6-13 Luke Venhuizen - Cross Country Julia Flynn - Cross Country Carson Bourdo - Football Sophia Hagerty - Tennis Natalie Dykstra - Basketball Gavin Graczyk - Hockey Izzy Smith - Rowing Dante Williams - Football Shea Harmeson - Golf Ben Van Nes - Baseball Sarah Auger - Volleyball Tyler Stoessel - Bowling Elle Craven - Skiing
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Senior Quote Pages: p. 14-16 Find out who the Class of 2022’s favorite teachers were, the most creative excuses they’ve used to get out of homework, their descriptions of senioritis, and more.
The College List: p. 18-19 Learn more about the Class of 2022’s next steps after high school, whether it be college, a trade, a gap year, or something in between.
Alumni Advice: p. 20-21 Catch up with some of Central’s alumni from the class of 2010 and 2018 and hear the advice they had for this year’s graduating class.
Icons of Traverse City: p. 22-27 Moomers: A Michigan Classic Rediscovering Classic Eats of TC A New Horizon
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Senior Profiles: p. 28-35 Sydney Flaherty - An Ocean Away Tessa Worden - Crash and Chaos Eryn Carmody - A Caribbean Catastrophe Braxton Hill - Becoming B. Hill Everest Noyes - Stepping Up and Taking Charge Maddi Beebe - Seeing Things Through a New Lens Jenna Wesley - Drumming Through Life Lauren May - The Perfect Score
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BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY MAY TWO THOUSAND TWENTY TWO Editor’s Note
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mallory Swope CONTENT EDITORS Ted Arnold Elizabeth Phillips Aiden Preston FEATURE EDITOR Eliana Hermel PHOTOGRAPHY Ted Arnold Susan Roskelley GRAPHICS Eliana Hermel Trinity Whiteford STAFF WRITERS Collin Benedict Averie Brandt Sam Elkins Eliana Hermel Kristen May Lucy Poppleton Aubrey West Trinity Whiteford COVER Eliana Hermel ADVISER Susan Roskelley
After what felt like a forever-long two months, we are finally ready to share the last issue of the BGQ for the 2021-22 school year. Throughout the rest of the magazine, we highlight the accomplishments and profiles of numerous seniors as a way of congratulating them for all that they have worked for the last four years. Immediately following this issue’s Quarterly Showcase by Central’s own Maddi Beebe comes a spread featuring two of Central’s most successful and well-known runners: Luke Venhuizen and Julia Flynn. In addition to Venhuizen and Flynn, we interview athletes from nearly every other sport offered at Central. To wrap up both the Senior Sports Features and the last season for 2021-22 athletes, Coach Draper offers words of recognition and appreciation for all these students have accomplished over the last four years. To read Coach Draper’s letter, turn to p. 13. This year’s senior class has experienced innumerable highs and lows, learning to navigate both school and adolescence through a pandemic, coming to school during a time when school threats were commonplace, and surviving high school as it normally is. We asked seniors to reflect on their experiences at Central and organized their responses into the Senior Quote Pages, starting on p. 14. While the businesses featured in our Icons of Traverse City package aren’t necessarily tied to Central, they’re all at the center of the commnity’s heart. The BGQ staff takes a closer look at everyone’s favorite local ice cream store and farm, some of the most well-known restaurants, and the largest book store in downtown Traverse City. For more information, turn to p. 22. To wrap up this year’s senior issue, we investigate the milestones and achievements of eight of Central’s seniors including Sydney Flaherty, Braxton Hill, and Everest Noyes. Even though not all 395 of Central’s seniors could be featured in this issue, we hope everyone is able to come together and celebrate each other. From the Pub for the LAST time,
Mallory Swope
MISSION STATEMENT The Black and Gold Quarterly (BGQ) is Traverse City Central High School’s student-run magazine. Since its conception in 1886, our publication has evolved with the times, frequently changing in style, format, and even name. However, one factor has remained constant—our staff’s desire to capture the story of our community, to challenge the accepted, and to open our minds to perspectives that we hadn’t previously considered through investigation, research, and inquiry. We are constantly striving to improve our content and artistic elements; after all, the BGQ is a school publication, so educating both ourselves as well as our readers remains one of our primary goals. 4 // BGQ // May 2022
Quarterly Showcase M. Beebe
A Diamond in the Rough by Elizabeth Phillips content editor
Photo Courtesy of Luke Venhuizen
Four years ago, scrawny Luke Venhuizen walked into future coach Bryan Burns’s classroom for a meeting regarding his upcoming freshman year cross country season. Burns teased him, saying “I think you’re around three feet tall.” Since then, Venhuizen has competed in four state finals. During his freshman year, he placed 175th in Division 1. “That’s nothing to shake a stick at all, but the fact that he’s gone from being that deep in the field to being a two-time All-Stater and placing fifth this year [is remarkable]. So, you’ve seen just a really good mark of progression of his improvement. It’s been steady,” Burns shares. Throughout his time coaching Venhuizen, Burns has noticed multiple characteristics that make him a good athlete. “He just has a really unique ability to get mentally focused on the task at hand, and just really lock in. He has a super competitive instinct that he can turn it on when it’s time,” Burns states. Competition is one of the aspects of running that Venhuzien really enjoys. “[I like] just racing people and seeing how far you can go,” Venhuizen says. Burns also notes that Venhuizen is “goal driven and goal oriented. [He] deliberately sits down and assesses, reassesses what he’s been doing, that sort of thing. That’s pretty special.” 6 // BGQ // May 2022
Venhuizen finished off his high school cross country career strong. This year, he traveled across the country to Los Angeles to compete in nationals. “We had to qualify at a regional meet, and then the top ten from that race got to go out to Los Angeles and race against the rest of the country,” Venhuizen says. During high school, he made many milestones, and some of his proudest moments include breaking sixteen minutes his junior year as well as competing in All-States. Venhuizen will continue to compete as he heads to the University of Michigan for college, where he’ll be running track. He looked at both Michigan and Michigan State, but ultimately ended up choosing Michigan. “I really like the coaches there, and I felt like I could become the best I could there, both academically and athletically. [I like] the facilities, too,” Venhuizen explains. Burns is confident that Venhuizen will succeed at Michigan: “[they’re] getting a diamond in the rough. You’re just starting to see what he is capable of, and I think he’s going to be an All-American. I think he’s going to be a major contributor to that team, and I think he’s going to do extremely well.” //
Julia’s Journey by Lucy Poppleton staff writer Photo Courtesy of Julia Flynn
“My favorite part of [running] would just be seeing just learned so much, so I feel like that is my largest my friends every day, getting to push myself and see takeaway and my biggest accomplishment from high everyone meet their goals, and doing it together as school.” Once she leaves Central and moves on to a team,” says Julia Flynn, who is well known for her running collegiately, Flynn feels that she is prepared accomplishments in cross country and track. She but will miss her coaches, teammates, and steady consistently finished first place in meets throughout routine that her sport has given her. her high school career, while also running the second Flynn will be attending Stanford University, where best time at Division 1 finals in the state of Michigan, she will continue her running career. Her other top and finishing twenty-fourth at nationals. Yet, beyond options were the University of Michigan and Duke the achievements, Flynn focuses on her teammates University, but she ultimately chose Stanford. “The and their successes as much athletic program there is very well “I’ve learned so much about how as hers. “She motivates her thought [out], and I met some of teammates by being such to be a great teammate, how to my future teammates before I had a good role model for the committed to going there, and mentally prepare for a race, and lifestyle of a distance runner,” they were also nice,” describes how to approach training from a Flynn, “I just felt so at home when commends girls cross country coach Lisa Taylor, “she very smart perspective and not I went to my official visit and also is very encouraging to met the team and talked to the overtrain.” people around her.” coaches, and I really liked how Flynn has been running the coaches worked together and ever since elementary school, where she found how they viewed me as an athlete and as a person.” unexpected success at a track and field fun run day. Due to her status as an athlete, Flynn had to commit “For some reason, I was in the front, and I didn’t even to college a lot earlier than some of her classmates, know,” remembers Flynn. “Everybody was surprised at who were just starting to write their essays. “It was how I did, and then my mom [signed me] up for cross kind of scary to me because no one else was going country and track, and I thought it was really fun just through this process at the same rate that I was,” exbecause all my friends were doing those sports. Pracplains Flynn. “And so taking that first leap and [saying] tice was just another opportunity to hang out with my ‘I want to go to Stanford’ was such a huge deal befriends, so that’s how it started.” cause…you have to verbally commit before you even Since then, Flynn has continued to grow and mature apply.” In addition to her excellence in athletics, Flynn as a person and an athlete through various programs, was part of the Sci-Ma-Tech program at Central and including the one here at Central. “We have great is looking forward to taking the next step and studying coaches here at this school, and having that access at Stanford. As for her future major, she has an interest to great coaches [and] great teammates [makes for] a in pre-med, but is still undecided. However, she has great environment,” says Flynn. “I’ve learned so much always been confident in her love of running, and it about how to be a great teammate, how to mentally is her favorite part of her day. “Ultimately, it would be prepare for a race, and how to approach training such a dream to become a pro runner,” remarks Flynn from a very smart perspective and not overtrain. I’ve with enthusiasm, “I think that would be so cool!” //
Back to Back All-State
by Collin Benedict staff writer
Central’s football team this year was historic, and behind the scenes was a tightly-knit team that included many talented individuals. One dedicated player on the team, Carson Bourdo, stood out on the field. “I started playing competitively in 6th grade, and it was huge in my family. My grandpa played, my dad played, [and] I just loved watching football, so I thought I’d give it a shot, and it was awesome,” he says. Making a run to states, as well as being first all-state team two years in a row has developed Bourdo’s love for the game of football, but he wouldn’t have gotten here without support. “Coach Odette, both Coach Gles, Coach Schugars and the coaching staff I’ve looked up to [for years],” he says. Along with the coaching staff, he thanks his father, another Central football alum. “My dad played quarterback here for a couple of years. He led them to the state semis two years in a row back when it was one school,” he explains. Football is one of the toughest sports offered by high schools, and Bourdo is no stranger to its intensities. “Football’s a pretty physical[ly] grueling sport. You’re going to get knocked down multiple times. You’re going to have those practices where you don’t want to be there, and it’s pretty tough on your body. Just getting back up and going to fight another Photo Courtesy of Carson Bourdo play is what makes it fun,” he claims. In regards to his future, Bourdo was still undecided heading into his senior season. “At first, I wanted to play the highest level I could, so I was touring lots of Ivy League schools this summer,” he recalls. “No opportunities came from that, so I decided to go to the best school I could. I was able to get some pretty good academic school [offers].” Johns Hopkins was ultimately where he sought to continue his football career. “[Johns Hopkins] has that elite level of academics, and they’re a pretty darn good football team. They’ve won their conference 14 years in a row, they make it to the playoffs in d3 all the time, [and] they were in the top ten last year. I love their coaching staff, I love their academics, I love their football, and it just felt like a great place to be,” he remarks. Bourdo is sad to leave Central so soon, but is looking forward to the future: “I’ll miss all my guys that I’ve grown up with. I’m gonna miss the bonds I had with all the coaches, my teammates, [and] I’m gonna miss Central a ton. I love [Traverse City], but I’m excited to play four more years at [Johns] Hopkins in Baltimore, so that’ll be fun.” //
Game, Set, Match!
by Eliana Hermel feature editor The modern game of lawn tennis was developed in the late 19th century. Now, in the 21st century, tennis is still going strong. It’s an Olympic sport, and it’s something many people besides medalists enjoy. Throughout the years, Sophia Hagerty has devoted much of her time and energy to the court. Hagerty’s love for sports was hereditary. “My parents played a lot [of tennis] since it’s a lifelong sport,” she expresses. “They introduced me to it.” Hagerty began to join tennis camps for kids in the summer, which allowed her love for tennis to blossom. After playing tennis outside of high school, she decided to join the team junior year. “I’m proud of being able to start a new sport [in school] and be successful at it,” Hagerty beams. She enjoys the physical nature of tennis, but her favorite part of joining the team has been “the relationship aspect. It helped me with the competitive side of my personality because I’m a pretty competitive person,” Hagerty admits. “Also, you get to meet new people [and] stay in shape. So all around, it was something I was interested in.” Although Hagerty is well-known for her abilities on the court, it took a lot of practice for her to get to where she is. “Sometimes points get really long,” Hagerty mentions. “You have to find that physical capacity to keep going.” Being physically fit is important for any sport; in tennis, however, it is particularly stressed by coaches. A player has to have quick reflexes, strong arms, and agility. Besides the physical aspect, the mental aspect is just as significant. “Staying motivated and positive [is really important],” Hagerty explains. “You’ll have matches where you’re playing a really good opponent and you have to stay confident in order to play well.” Since her time on the Central tennis team has served her well, Hagerty wants to continue pursuing tennis beyond high school. “I’m definitely going to try out for the club team for tennis [at Colgate University],” she says. “I want to get as much time as I can on the court.” Skills take time to develop, but keeping those achieved skills requires never-ending practice. “It’s a lifelong sport,” Hagerty echoes, and she plans to play it all life long. // Photo Courtesy of Sophia Hagerty
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Captain Kindness
by Elizabeth Phillips content editor
In third grade, Natalie Dykstra began to play basketball on her dad’s team to stay active and do something fun with her friends. Nine years later, she has continued to play all throughout middle and high school for the same exact reasons. For the past five months, Dykstra’s life has been consumed by basketball, whether it be the two hour long practices after school, games on Tuesdays and Fridays, or team bonding activities. Photo Courtesy of Natalie Dykstra Being constantly surrounded by her teammates helped her grow closer with them as the season progressed. She became especially close with the three other seniors on the team. “I’m going to miss the connections I made. Obviously I’m still going to be friends with my teammates and everything, but especially my senior friends—I’m going to miss seeing them every day. [Seeing them] became such a constant in my life,” Dykstra shares. Each of them had to work together for every win, and one of the toughest parts “was learning all of the plays and remembering your role and where to go for every play. We just have a lot of different offenses.” Her position in plays was being a center, or as she calls it, “the big guy in the middle.” As a center, she would often get bruises and scratches when she attempted to score. “I think it’s a really physical position, and it’s hard to get positioned sometimes. You have to fight to get a spot,” Dykstra claims. Her love of basketball also stemmed from the support she had from each of her coaches. This year she was coached by Jen Dutmers. “She is an amazing woman and [a] great coach [and] role model, just an overall great person,” says Dykstra. This year, Dykstra was elected as team captain alongside Ashlen Hill ‘23. “It was really fun working with [Hill], leading the team, and uniting us all together,” she says. She preaches kindness and respect as a team captain. “I strive to be kind to everyone. Just being nice to everyone and respecting them, like the golden rule: treat others how you like to be treated. That’s something I live by,” Dykstra adds, “you’re all working together towards the same goal, you might as well do it with kindness and respect.” //
Goals for Graczyk
by Trinity Whiteford staff writer
Photo Courtesy of Gavin Graczyk
Passions often start at a very early age, and Gavin Graczyk found his passion at the young age of four. His parents first started him on his hockey career in Mt. Pleasant, and he has carried it on ever since. “I honestly loved it though, because it was time with the family and time outside of the house, so you get to meet new people and make connections for life, so it’s really fun,” he explains. Graczyk continued his hockey career for multiple reasons, the main one being the hockey team at Central: “Meeting new people and getting to know the people around you and creating a bond like family [is really special],” he continues. Although it isn’t easy, the team meets several times a week, both before and after school. “We get there around 5:30am and start skating at around 6:00. [We practice] O-Zone, D-Zone, and then a power play penalty kill. And then we get off [the ice] around 7:15 and go to school. Usually we do it two to three times a week, so Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.” One of his favorite memories is one he’s not likely to forget: “going undefeated against West, we were 8 and 0, and just winning every time. [It] was really just a fun experience,” he recalls. While Graczyk doesn’t plan to pursue hockey professionally, he still plans to keep playing through his college years. “I’ll probably just play [on] the club team at MSU and see where that goes,” he shares. Graczyk recommends hockey to everyone who wants to try it. Whether that means playing on Central’s hockey team or just picking it up as a freetime sport, “I would say it’s just a great way to meet new people, and it’s always just been a fun sport for me especially,” Graczyk remarks, “and the weather stays the same no matter what time of year, so it’s just a fun sport to play.”//
Rowing Her Boat
by Lucy Poppleton staff writer
Despite only having started rowing sophomore year because she needed a sport, Izzy Smith has excelled, even as someone fairly new to the sport. “I was told that I’d be good at it, so I was like, ‘you know what, I’ll just give it a try. I don’t know if I’ll like it or not, but I’ll do it. I’ll try it,’ and I ended up really liking it,” remembers Smith. Rowing is a sport unlike any other, and one common misconception is that it is solely an upper body workout. On the contrary, rowing uses a lot of lower body power as well. Smith enjoys how the sport is challenging in multiple Photo Courtesy of Izzy Smith ways. “It’s a really fun sport that pushes you…mentally and physically.” Since Central does not have its own rowing team, Smith participates with a club team, Traverse City Tritons Rowing, with students at different high schools around the area. Her favorite part of the sport is the variety of people she rows with. “I’d probably say [it is] the community that comes along with it because it’s so much fun to be in different boats with different people but also [to have] your own set boat and working with them and just having fun on and off the water,” describes Smith. Though she is looking forward to the future, Smith will miss some aspects of Central, including the teachers, especially Mrs. Howe. She will be attending Michigan State University (MSU) to continue her rowing career. She looks forward to being reunited with former Tritons member Carolynn Garner, her role model from her initial days on the club team, who also rows for MSU. Once at college, she will be pursuing business with a concentration in marketing. Beyond college, Smith hopes “to do a lot of traveling [and] maybe go pro in rowing.” In order to possibly be a professional in rowing, she will have to work hard in college to trim down her times. She also feels it is important to broaden her horizons and looks forward to traveling the world in the future. “I think it’s really important to go out and see other things and be immersed [in], discover, and appreciate other cultures,” adds Smith, “just because the world is so big and Traverse City’s so small.” //
Leap of Faith
by Aiden Preston content editor “Finding out I was on varsity as a sophomore opened my eyes to how much potential I had and how much I had to work for it,” shares Dante Williams. Coming off an injury his freshman year, Williams had a lot to prove playing on varsity at the start of his third year playing football. During his time at Central both playing football and running track, Williams has felt more of a connection to football, even though he had been with track longer. “It’s just a feeling when you’re playing, it’s definitely brotherhood, and it’s the only sport that you can really put your heart into,” he shares. “The team chemistry [made it] so fun to watch how a team starts versus how they end,” he reflects, “it’s a night and day difference.” With good teammates and work ethic, Williams and the rest of the team were bound to have a good season. Coming into his last high school season, he had high expectations, most of which were met when the team made it to states and played at Ford Field. Many memories are made when you play sports, and it can be difficult to choose which one is your favorite, but with something that stands out as much as the Patriot Game, some memories are bound to be the best. “[At] the Patriot Game [during the] Covid year, I got two touchdowns; [my] second [favorite] one was probably [the] Patriot Game this year,” reflects Williams, “ the amount of people there—and we were broadcasting [the game]—the atmosphere was just insane.” Being a senior can bring unwanted stress as you search for colleges and decide what you want to do; fortunately, Williams has an idea of what he wants to do in mind. He plans to pursue mechanical engineering and is currently looking at different schools that he has offers from for football and track. To help him make this decision, Williams has been evaluating colleges with the help of his varsity football coach, Tim Odette. “He’s just always been there for me. He’s kind of like a father figure,” describes Williams, who has looked up to Odette ever since he took a shot by putting him on varsity sophomore year. Aside from good coaches and teammates, one of the reasons Williams started—and continued—playing football was because of his parents. With all the time and money they spent on him and his high school football career, Williams wanted to make them proud and prove that their sacrifice Photo Courtesy of Dante Williams wasn’t for nothing. // 10 // BGQ // May 2022
Captain on the Course
by Collin Benedict staff writer
For many, golf is not seen as a competitive sport. People often go out and play it for fun, rather than play competitively. But for Shea Harmeson, the captain of Central’s golf team, golf is a very competitive sport. His passion for the game of golf and love of competing began because of his family. “I started playing golf because of my dad,” he explains, “he would always take me out [to play] and I started to grow a liking [for] it and wanted to keep playing on my own.” Golf has plenty of enjoyable qualities, and his favorite is how it’s “just me versus the course, so it’s my game,” he explains, “with golf, you get the team aspect of all the scores counting, but then it’s you versus that, so it’s just your game.” Golf is also a sport where you can attain the “fulfillment of playing good. After the round you feel good about yourself [and] you feel good about how you played,” he describes. Being the captain of the golf team this year, Harmeson has to find creative ways to avail his teammates in their golf journey. “I try and help them stay focused on the round and not give up,” he says. For him, the hardest part about golf is not losing his cool when he makes a mistake, which is not an uncommon thing in the world of golf. Despite not appearing to be that much of a team sport, golf has its own way of bringing teammates together. Harmeson believes that “the relationship between our teammates is actually really close. We all practice together, and then we do it a lot together when it comes to golf throughout the years,” he recalls. Harmeson was also an assistant captain on Central’s hockey team this year, making him a captain in two different sports. ”It feels good, I mean it’s fun being able to lead your team and being able to win in both sports,” he claims. Last year, Central’s golf team made it all the way to the state championship, in which they placed ninth. This year, he plans to qualify for states and beat Ann Arbor Skyline. Looking ahead to the future, Harmeson plans to try and play golf during his college years. His years of experience with the sport have taught him about more than just the game. “Even if you have one bad part of a round, you can keep going. It’s [just] like with a day; if you have one bad Photo Courtesy of Shea Harmeson part of a day, you can keep going through it,” Harmeson declares. //
Finding the Balance
by Aiden Preston content editor
When you’re in high school you have a lot on your plate. Between school, being social, family, and often a job or sports, students can easily find themselves overwhelmed. So when you’re in your senior year, playing three sports, and working, it becomes difficult to balance everything. “I have to prioritize what’s important to me, which is spending time with my family and getting homework and school work done,” shares Ben Van Nes. “So I try to use any time during the day I have off to finish homework, so when I’m done with practice, I can just eat and spend time with my family.” Since his freshman year, Van Nes has been on the baseball, basketball, and football teams for Central and has loved every minute of it. “I started playing each of them when I was younger just because I think that’s what all kids do, they just try out sports,” he explains. He quickly found a passion for each of them, but he has always found something more special in baseball. “I’ve always liked baseball more and I’ve always felt like I’ve been better at baseball,” states Van Nes. His dedication to baseball is something truly special, hence why he is going to be attending Kalamazoo College to play baseball next fall. With so many years of playing each sport, some of his fondest memories were bound to be made on the field or the court, most notably when his all-star Little League team went to the state tournament: “that was a very fun experience and just a fun time in our lives because it’s not every day you can go to the state tournament,” he says. For Van Nes, playing baseball is fun, but he also enjoys the more fast-paced and energy-filled games where the audience comes out in full force. “When I was playing JV basketball, I hit a buzzer beater against St. Francis. The gym was packed, so it was a very exciting atmosphere,” he recalls. Rivaling the energy of the gym during the basketball games is the student section and the rest of the crowd at the football games. “My favorite moment from high school is probably playing in the Patriot Game. That’s just such an unreal experience to be playing in front of 10,000 fans, “he remembers, “it’s just crazy to think about that scale, especially since we’re only in high school.” So while Van Nes has said goodbye to his football days, he hopes to continue playing basketball in college along with baseball, and if he can’t play for the college, he plans to continue playing with a recreational team. High school baseball doesn’t have too much to offer when it comes to the audience, so he will be happy to have more spectators going into college. He has also been able to help coach and mentor his little brother, who plays the exact same sports as him. “I’ve helped him everywhere I can, giving him tips or [answering] if he has any questions about anything,” remarks Van Nes, “so just being able to help him with everything feels good.” // Photo Courtesy of Ben Van Nes
Serving Positivity for All
by Elizabeth Phillips content editor
Sarah Auger was told that if she made the switch to a bigger school, she wouldn’t make the volleyball team. However, after she transferred to Central from Grand Traverse Academy her freshman year, she made junior varsity, proving her detractors wrong. The transfer was a little shocking to Auger. “I was surprised when I came to high school with how much time [volleyball] would take. Especially in the off-seasons, there’s still training. But I think I grew from that [because] playing it all of the time just made me better and it’s something I’m passionate about,” she says. The next year, Auger made varsity. “I learned the most about the game there. I had some really good mentors and I had to rise to the occasion,” she shares, “being a sophomore on varsity, [I had to] earn a spot and earn playing time on top of that.” One of her biggest mentors was Maggie McCary, who graduated from Central two years ago. “I played with [McCary] when she was a senior and I was a sophomore on varsity, and we played the same position. She was going to a D1 school for volleyball, and she was really good. I just watched Photo Courtesy of Sarah Auger her the whole time [and] watched everything she did,” she shares. Throughout her time playing volleyball, Auger has learned how much of a mental game it is. “Most of the game is like any sport: you get a point when the other team makes a mistake, and they get a point when you make a mistake. It’s easy to look at the scoreboard and see all of the mistakes you made, and there’s that period of time when you can dwell on what went wrong,” Auger explains. “So I think the biggest thing is getting over that mental part and maintaining positivity. If you think negatively, you’re going to play that way.” Being a part of multiple teams and organizations here at Central ultimately influenced her to attend Michigan State University for nursing. “I love people. I really like helping people and interacting with them. I think that I’m good at the medical part of things, but I also want to go into nursing because I want to be that person for somebody,” Auger explains, “I want to be that support system for people who don’t have it.” //
Spare the Details
by Eliana Hermel feature editor
Google’s definition of strike is “[to] hit forcibly and deliberately with one’s hand or a weapon or other implement.” In bowling, however, a strike is very different. Instead of a painful injury, it’s a blissful reward. It’s thrilling to watch the ball roll down the lane in perfect fashion and then finish it off with a strike. “[It’s] pretty exciting to know that you are doing everything right,” Tyler Stoessel describes. If anyone thinks they know bowling, Stoessel knows it better. He began bowling regularly when he was 13, which led his friends to invite him to join the bowling team freshman year. “I found it fun,” Stoessel explains. He began to bowl for the varsity team in his sophomore year. From the very beginning, he knew that bowling was something he wanted to get better at. Stoessel also knew that a challenge was now waiting for him: the never-ending journey to get the almighty score. Photo Courtesy of Sharon Freeland To get an overall score of 300 in a game of bowling is similar to finding a decent parking space in the summer in Downtown Traverse City: it’s nearly impossible. “I have never gotten a 300, but a few weeks ago, one of our bowling coaches got it in front of the whole team,” Stoessel beams. Even though he has never gotten a 300 before, it gives him something to look forward to. Having that goal gives his hobby a purpose. “[I get my motivation from] striving to get better,” Stoessel expresses, “[it’s also nice] when you have your team [to] pump you up.” For such a large goal, practice is a must. In fact, practice is the foundation for all athletic skills, especially bowling. Because of this need for practice, Stoessel has found something he enjoys. He also believes that bowling is something that everyone can find entertaining. “Even if you don’t try it [with a team], doing it on the weekends with family is [a lot] of fun,” Stoessel remarks, “[even] if you aren’t good right away, you’ll develop over time.” // 12 // BGQ // May 2022
Skiing Sensation
by Lucy Poppleton staff writer After winning their first state championship last year, the Central High School Girls Alpine Ski team, including Elle Craven, prevailed again this year. “What I’m most proud of in skiing is winning the state championships with my team,” remarks Craven, describing the event as a great bonding moment and one to look back on. “It was definitely a great achievement, and I’m super proud of everyone.” Her experiences on the team helped her to become more of a leader and form new friendships, though “[my] favorite memory is definitely skiing with my older sister,” remembers Craven. Photo Courtesy of The Record Eagle “I was with her for two years on the ski team and it was definitely the best.” Not only did she enjoy skiing with her sister, but she is also grateful to her parents for having supported her through the sport. She began skiing with her mom for fun at the age of three and joined a competitive ski team at the age of seven, continuing in skiing throughout high school. Besides skiing, Craven also played on the tennis team for Central for three years. After leaving high school, she will “definitely miss all the people,” says Craven, “I made so many good [friends] here, and it’s a good community.” Fayetteville is Craven’s destination after leaving Traverse City. She will be attending the University of Arkansas to study business, though her specific major is still undecided. “I’m thinking business because it’s a great general thing that can lead you into many paths,” explains Craven. She chose Arkansas because of the location and was intrigued after paying it a visit. “I definitely loved the southern schools, and I have tons of family down in Texas,” says Craven, “and then I visited Fayetteville and Arkansas, and it was beautiful.” Once in college, Craven will continue to ski for fun, while hoping to make lasting friendships in college and beyond. //
A Letter to Trojan Athletes Class of 2022 Athletes, Thanks for all you’ve given to the community of Traverse City and to Traverse City Central High School. I believe in keeping meetings short and will endeavor to do the same here. Mr. Brumfield and I spoke a few weeks ago about how much your class has changed and in some ways stayed the same over the last four years. He told me when you were freshmen you were occasionally a little rambunctious. There were moments he wasn’t sure you’d ever grow up. You obviously did grow up and are a big part of why expectations are so high for our teams from a performance, leadership, and academic standpoint. One thing Mr. Brumfield said stayed consistent from freshman to senior year is how close you are to one another. It’s easy to take that for granted when you are living in it, but it’s rare! I hope you realize that is a big reason why the Class of 2022 has accomplished what it has. Stay close to the people important to you and who challenge you to be the best version of yourself. It’s cliche, but the people you surround yourself with tend to be the ones who influence you the most. On our basketball team, we talk about taking joy in the success of others. We use the Sanskrit word “mudita” to describe that feeling. It essentially means vicarious joy. It is a trait that can travel with you beyond athletics. When your class reflects on everything you achieved the last four years, you should find joy in being a part of such an extraordinary group of studentathletes. State championships, countless conference championships, All-State recognition, the list goes on and on of what you have accomplished on the courts and fields around Michigan. But success does not necessarily mean winning a championship. Success is often defined as reaching one’s goals. I think that’s a great way to look at it. Take joy in the little and big successes the people around you have and you’ll learn to enjoy your own even more. You’ll realize a mudita mindset allows you to experience the best parts of sports in all aspects of your life in deeper, more meaningful ways. I hope as you approach your future you’re able to reflect on the highs and lows of your athletic experiences and it helps you navigate the highs and lows of life after high school. I think that is the greatest lesson high school sports can give you learning in a low risk environment that highs and lows happen, but how we treat others defines who we are. I say “low risk” because, well, it is. If losing a high school game is the worst that can happen, you can’t get much lower risk than that. Some of you have already realized that your high school athletic accomplishments will become less significant to you over time, while others of you might “Uncle Rico” for a while. Learning how to be a great teammate and how to build and maintain healthy relationships will never be insignificant. Learning how to handle stressful situations with composure and while treating others with respect will never be insignificant. I hope that is what you take away from your time as a Trojan athlete. Stay close to the people who challenge you to be the best version of yourself. Take joy in the success of others. Treat people with respect. -Coach Draper
What is one thing you will always remember from high school? “I think that I’ll always remember freshman year the most because that was the one that was the least disruptive. I think the whole process of going from the smaller school to going to a big public high school was really scary and kind of difficult but it widened my horizons so much and really changed me.” -Lauren May “Respect for teachers because they don’t get a lot of credit for what they do. They end up doing what they can because students are disrespectful and not grateful for what they do.” -Cameron Lane
“I’ll always remember the people because I’ve gotten to know them over the years. Some of them I’m really close to.” -Caroline Kitts
How would you describe senioritis? “It’s like a cupcake on the counter that you want to eat it but you know you probably shouldn’t and there’s a lot of stuff to do but you’re pretty much done.” -Colin Miller
“It gets you, especially after spring break. Right now I’m pretty excited to be done.” -Grant Neuhardt
14 // BGQ // May 2022
“Lots of procrastination. I’ve been procrastinating on a lot of scholarships now and I really need to get rolling on that because my parents are going to beat me if I don’t. And, really just wanting to be done with high school and start college.” -Jordan Barnhart
If you could change one thing about Central, what would it be? “I would change the bathroom policy. I feel that we are old enough that we can just take ourselves to the bathroom, and we shouldn’t have to sign in or out.” -Niklas Fagerman
“I would say passing time just because sometimes it feels like it’s a bit rushed. I make it to class fine but obviously people come in late and stuff. But then you’d have to extend the school day and people wouldn’t like that.” -Isaac Deneen
“I don’t think they should’ve locked the bathrooms. Mainly, however, the parking lots. Literally, this is my only class here [which is in F building], and it takes an extra 10 minutes just to park and then walk all through the school. And this [F Building] parking lot never fills up, so I would change that for sure.” -Ava Coonrod
If you were given a wish by a genie, what would you ask for? “I would ask for Stivani to be my college teacher in all my math classes. I’d wish for him to transfer to MSU with me and be my calc teacher there.” -Colton Warren
“I would probably just push for happiness for everyone. Sometimes I’m not that happy, and I want other people to be happy because it helps me be happy. So, if you’re happy, I’m happy, if you’re not happy, I’m not happy. I just want everyone to be ok.” -Elizabeth Teesdale
“Probably to go back and start over from freshman year knowing what I know now, just enough so it wouldn’t mess up everything on the timeline.” -Ralph Ford
What was the most creative excuse you’ve used to get out of homework? “One time to get out of math homework, I made the excuse of family members passing away. It’s worked a couple of times, but it’s not something you can overuse.” -Parker Kolody
“I definitely overused the ‘my wifi went out’ excuse when quarantine happened.” -Mars Bovee
“That I’m just tired or that I wanted to go on a drive or something.” -Audrey Burnside
Who was one of your favorite teachers throughout high school?
“I would probably say Algebra Two freshman year with Ms. Howard. She was pretty exciting and energizing.” -Michael Booher
“I’d probably have to say Engineering with Mr. Baran. He’s a really fun teacher, and he’s really cool. It’s just a really fun and interesting class.” -Robert Eshleman
“One of my favorite teachers was Mr. Stivani. He was just a pretty funny guy, and he made going to that class not horrible.” -Chase Adams
16 // BGQ // May 2022
Class of 2022 Post-Graduation Plans Graphic: T. Whiteford
Albion College Casey Heiman
Alma College Kianna Carpenter Arizona State University Kiya Garcia Kendall Hannon Brynn Moore Morgan Soloman
Cornell University Keegan Opper Davenport University Ethan Ramsey Daytona State College Taylor Workman Eastern Michigan University Bren Jorgensen
Aveda Institute of South Florida Tessa Worden
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Miles Lettinga
Butler University Scott Harvey
Emerson College Sydney Flaherty
California Polytechnic State University Fergus Dutmers
Evergreen State College Alice Blanchard
Central Michigan University Derek Henderson
Ferris State University Chase Adams Cameron Lane Sophia Manning Rachel Pascoe
Colgate University Sophia Hagerty Cornerstone University Rachel Collins Meredith Mead
“There is a good reason they call these ceremonies commencement exercises. Graduation is not the end; it ’s the beginning.” -Orrin Hatch
Gap Year Jadyn Eisner Jazryel Freeland Jenna Froese Braxton Hill Averey Krol Jaycei Kruger Morgan Nagy Lauren Pauly Alyssa Riplow Carter Schmidt Tyler Stoessel Dante Williams
Kent State University Lily Jenkins Kirtland Community College Bryce Roy Lake Superior State University MacKenzie Bergemann
Lawrence Tech. University Zachary Childs Lindenwood University Gwendolyn Urbain
Marian University Grand Valley State University Carlya Sato Brianna Barton Marquette University Ashley Bird Olivia Strom Mars Bovee Michigan State University Audrey Burnside Sarah Auger John Chouinard Remy Bacigalupi Aiden Darrow Scott Barnhart Lauryn Everhart Audrey Benedict William Paniagua Eryn Carmody Kailey Poortenga Nicholas Caruso Micah Reed Gavin Graczyk Maisie Smith Samuel Gurthet Brett Weaver Hayden Hansen Kathryn Windholz Gabriel Howard Jordan Zak Keaton Klingelsmith Lilly Kuberski Hope College Colin Miller Nazea Chowdhury Mia Moeggenberg Kennedy Clark Matthew Ochoa Mallory Gilbert Kailey Parks Lindsey Hart Anna Paul Travis Holl Cole Poteet James Howard Malia Rogers Independent Studies Brynn Roy Monroe Rosendahl Ethan Shaw Indiana University Logan Sheard Michael Booher Isabella Smith Addison Swanson Johns Hopkins University Mikayla Thon Carson Bourdo Colton Warren Jenna Wesley Kalamazoo College Benjamin Wilson Niklas Fagerman Madeline Winberg-Doyle Mariah Moore Lauren Stallman Benjamin Van Nes Kendall College of Art Isaac Deneen
18 // BGQ // May 2022
Michigan Tech. University Colin Elliott William Haapala Nolan Joynt Joseph Kratovil Keagan Reimers Montana State University Alex Schwartz Mount Vernon Nazarene University Tyler LeSarge Northwestern Michigan College Mehgan Antcliff Nathan Barbera Marin Barrett Madison Beebe Giancarlo Berrones Charles Black Taylin Chinn Kaden Clark Ava Coonrod Avery Elsenheimer Robert Eshleman Daniel Eychaner Michaela Gadzinski Amelia Goodrich Ethan Haase Miles Hale Taj Hood Saroiny Hosler Sydney Irwin Marcus Johnson Emily Laferriere Mikayla Lautner Anna Leask Kathryn Leask Adam Lessard Damon Livingston Lauren Mastee Keenan McIntosh Betsie Novik Gavin Oslund Dolan Jack Pepaj Meredith Perron Vida Radtke Sarah Russell Ethan Schweitzer Caroline Sheerin Ali Teeple Elizabeth Teesdale Mackenzie Volz Parker Waskiewicz Maggie Wentzloff Raeleigh West Lia Yang
Northern Michigan University United States Military Hannah Diego Natalie Anderson Evan Haskin Madison Cox Emma Crissinger University of Arkansas Stella Lawrence Elle Craven Madeline Michutka Zachary Mooney University of Chicago Evan Reister Conrad Dobreff Mallory Swope Rachel Wares University of Colorado Boulder Jackson Brizard Parker Schmidt Northwood University Amien Buyssens University of Colorado Denver Princeton University Kiely Maddasion Alexandra Maxwell University of Kentucky Rose Hulman Institute of Tech. Lauren Keeney Sage Brown Mally Ulatowski Saginaw Valley State University University of Louisville Lily Maki Lily Derthick Kadyn Warner Stanford University Julia Flynn Syracuse University Lily Chase Lauren Richmond Abigail Rockwood Trades Anthony Barr Grant Ford Gibson Hart Max Ulatowski Travel Holden Gembis Klara Riederer Undecided David Benitez Caroline Kitts Lillian Lomasney Gabrielle Surprenant Bradley Thornton Darci Trierweiler Jacob Van Horn Elzaya Williams
University of Michigan Josephine Baldyga Leonard Chown Drew Cummins Zakyah Ellis William Galsterer Colin Gordon Paco Haas Samantha Henkel Maria Linck Grady Luyt Lauren May Samuel McDonough Grant Neuhardt George Parvel Isak Robinson Luke Venhuizen University of Michigan Dearborn Tyler White
University of North Florida Kaitlyn Deplanche University of Notre Dame Joshua Burnham University of Rochester Malia Dickinson University of Wisconsin Emma Corrado Wayne State University Jordan Barnhart Ryan O’Connor Western Michigan University Natalie Dykstra Ralph Ford Clayton Kipfmueller Samuel McGuire Austin Sill Tioloman Traore Work Gabrielle Campbell Evan Coulter Devin Dollaway Patience Flesher Kirsten Hall Emma Hayden Samaira Hooker Garrett Hulett Davis Hurley Seanna Jorns Jasmyne Kaggwa Coral Lopez Serenity Lynch Emily McAllister Matthew Reed Tiffany Tran Adrian White Asa Woodruff
Central High School by Averie Brandt & Aubrey West staff writers
Alumni
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Mikulski
Upon entering the main office at Central High School, you’ll likely find Sarah Mikulski ‘10 working away at the front desk. Not many people might know who she is behind the mask, though. Mikulski attended Central over a decade ago and discovered that music was her passion. “The musicals here [and] the [choir] program really helped me find what I loved to do,” she explains. Growing up, Mikulski took dance classes and developed a passion for that as well as singing. She was often seen as the shy kid in classes, but she longed to perform. “We had a long term substitute coming into choir, and he told us Old Town Playhouse was doing a musical and they needed some kids. I [had] never really sang in front of people before by myself, and [there was] something about it [that] I was like: ‘hmm, I wanna try that,’” Mikulski recalls. “So I did a musical at Old Town Playhouse called Carousel, and I just kind of fell in love with it.” She also enrolled in summer programs during school that gave her the opportunity to become someone else, or to break into a new character. “I think that whole idea of becoming another character really helped me grow up a little bit and come out into the world. And it’s totally changed who I am because of it, and it’s great,” she expresses. Mikulski took nearly all of the choir classes offered at Central while also becoming involved in other musical opportunities in her teenage years. She particularly enjoyed Rendezvous, a jazz concert, in the spring, and in the fall, she prepared for school musicals. “I was never really a sporty girl,” she admits. “I was really focused on the singing stuff, and it took [up] a lot of my time. I was 20 // BGQ // May 2022
here almost every day after school. It was great, though.” Since leaving Central, Mikulski has earned two degrees. “I went to Western Michigan for my Bachelors degree in Music and Vocal Performance,” she explains, which consists of both classical voice and opera singing. “I also have a masters of music in vocal performance from the Manhattan School of Music.” Her music career quickly took off and she got to perform in several big cities. Before coming back home due to Covid, she was living in Chicago, working retail along with her music career. Mikulski has always loved routines and having a schedule, so being in Chicago and having a normal schedule was fun for her, especially after pursuing her education. After she moved back home, her mom Eileen, who works for the TCAPS music department at Central, said there were openings in the main office and felt she would be good at that type of thing. As an alumni of Central, Mikulski has learned a lot since graduation. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is to be open and always explore what you love. I think, especially in this generation, when you’re getting ready to graduate and move on, you think you have to make all the decisions about your life, like where you want to go to college and what’s going to be your job, and I just think it’s okay to not know what you want to do and be open to exploring things,” Mikulski reflects. “There are so many opportunities in this world to spend time doing something that you really enjoy. Finding things to make you happy that you do want to do in life, if you explore those opportunities, it’ll make your life happier.” //
Photo Courtesy of Caleb Kemp
Caleb Kemp ‘18 developed a passion for French after taking his first semester of French freshman year at Central. “I fell in with it and grew a passion over the three and a half years I was taking it in school,” Kemp says. Most students take their chosen language either for their benefit or just because it’s a requirement, but Kemp instead became fluent in French. Kemp spent lots of time and dedication to learning the language; he participated in many out of class activities like watching French movies, reading books written in French, and listening to foreign podcasts. He took German for two years, which he enjoyed, but he had a huge passion for French and was able to put more time into it. During his last years of high school, Kemp didn’t spend much time at Central. Because of his involvement in the early college program, he was spending most of his time at NMC. “I was at NMC for one year before I started anything else,” Kemp states. He mainly focused on French during his school years and didn’t really know what he wanted to do long term. Kemp finished high school, earning both a diploma from Central and an associates degree from NMC. Three days after graduating, he took a month-long trip through Europe with some friends,
which set up his future travels. “Before I decided to move to [Paris and] London, I took a trip to Europe, and that’s what made my mind set on wanting to work and live there,” explains Kemp. After his trip to Europe, Kemp researched different schools abroad and found one that stuck out most: the University of Paris. It had a good rating, and tuition wasn’t bad. Being able to live full-time in a foreign country has allowed Kemp to be immersed in the French language and culture. All the hard work from high school to now has paid off. Currently, Kemp is planning to stay in London, where he lives now, for the next two years but is open to coming back to the United States. He has considered coming back because his family and many of his friends are still here, and that it comes down to weighing between the distance of the ones you love and the experience you get to have.“You’re young. Don’t take life too seriously and focus on your future, but [know that] you have enough room and time to experiment with things you love,” Kemp advises. “Just take it slow.” //
All Photos Courtesy of @moomersicecream
Moomers: A Michigan Classic by Trinity Whiteford staff writer
A throwback to the history of one of Traverse City’s tastiest landmarks
The front door of the best ice cream parlor in town swings open and you’re immediately hit with the overwhelming scent of fresh waffle cones and the soft chatter of others around you, the essence of Moomers at its finest. Moomers has been around since April of 1998, meaning that they have been scooping ice cream for 24 seasons, and are back again for yet another season. The store itself is a Northern Michigan favorite, a staple of road trips and visits to TC. Luckily for tourists and locals, Moomers welcomed their 25th season of scooping ice cream this year on March 3rd, and they will be open for the remainder of their normal season. The original idea for Moomers came from Nancy Plummer in the 1990s; she was a wife, a teacher, and, in her free time, a mother of 4. The family had a very successful cow farm and then the idea of Moomers came about. For a while after the initial idea came to be, there was a bit of processing time before Moomers finally surfaced on Long Lake Road in 1998. After several years of Moomers being open, two of their children took the reins of the operation, Jon and Becky. 22 // BGQ // May 2022
The two figured that, with their unique location and ice cream, Moomers would be worth the time and effort. Together, they brainstormed how the business would be laid out and created plans for service. They decided on building the ice cream parlor next to their cow pasture, so that the public could watch the cows while they eat their ice cream. As expected, the people loved it—so much so that they had soon had thousands of people coming to visit Moomers daily. The Plummer siblings have continued their journey with Moomers to this day. “Both customers and staff have been frequenting Moomers for 25 years,” Jon Plummer remarks. “It’s a community gathering and celebrating destination. As always, the Moomers experience includes a great product served in a unique setting by excellent customer service.” Plummer hopes that his kids and his sisters’ kids will continue on with the Moomers traditions for a third generation. Although he hopes for future generations to carry Moomers forward, Plummer acknowledges that he won’t force them to continue to carry on with the business if they want to pursue other passions. “It’s a seasonally demanding business, which takes a
lot of work to run,” he admits. It’s not just locals who love Moomers; the business was nominated for best ice cream in Traverse City multiple times in regional and national competitions, and Moomers has been a well known hotspot for tourists ever since. Word of mouth being their best form of advertisement, everyone is guaranteed to know about Moomers when leaving Traverse City. Plummer explains that Moomers had a banner back when they got nominated and “it really put us on the map.” Tourists and locals alike were coming from far and wide just to taste Moomers ice cream. This didn’t happen just that year; Plummer adds that Moomers continues to get 1,500 to 2,000 people daily in the summertime, and that’s not even one of their busy days. Here at Central, Moomers is a popular destination amongst staff and students. Lorena Martin ‘24 has a huge passion and love for Moomers, as well as ice cream in general. Martin explains that her love for Moomers first started when her third grade class took a field trip there and watched how the ice cream was made. “I feel like it’s just really inviting to go there, and I like the people that work there and I also have some friends that work there,” Martin explains. Similarly, Danielle Finch ‘25 has an admiration for Moomers. Finch explains that she hasn’t lived in the area very long, but she used to visit here from time to time just to taste the ice cream at Moomers. Finch’s first trip to Moomers was also in third grade, but it wasn’t a school field trip; her family had just taken a vacation up here for fun, and she fell in love with Moomers. “I really liked the Cherries Moobilee ice cream,” Finch recalls. ”Back where I was living, cherry ice cream was not as big of a flavor.” She had tried cherry ice cream before she visited Moomers, but it was nothing compared to Cherries Moobilee.
The love for Moomers continues to spread around Central today as students make special stops year round to visit the cows and taste the delicious ice cream. Moomers as a whole decided that they wanted to make their ice cream more convenient for everyone, so they started distributing to grocery stores and other local hotspots in Northern Michigan. Even if you are far from the original location, you can grab Moomers ice cream any time. However, Moomers originally had no plans to put their product in the market. ”To employ 6-8 kids and be open a bit more seasonally, say May-October [was our original plan]. We did not have any intent to enter into wholesaling our product,” Plummer explains. Now, their wholesale product makes up almost half of their revenue. It’s crazy to think that something that was never intended to be sold in stores and was only sold during the summer months is now such a staple in freezer isles in the area. If asked, almost everyone in the Traverse City area would say that they have made some of their best memories at Moomers. Whether that be from childhood fun or just recently, Moomers continues to serve good ice cream alongside fond experiences. From hay rides to look at the cows to elementary school field trips that show how the ice cream is made, nothing says nostalgia like a cone of Moomers ice cream. //
Photo: S. Roskelley
24 // BGQ // May 2022
Photo: T. Arnold
Rediscovering Classic Eats of TC by Samuel Elkins staff writer
Some of Traverse City’s most iconic restaurants have been around for quite some time
Traverse City’s restaurant roster is ever changing, with new places popping up all the time. However, some restaurants have been around for quite a while, with several being nearly a hundred years old. One of those restaurants is Sleder’s Tavern, established in 1882, making it one of Michigan’s oldest restaurants. Madison Cox ‘22’s parents bought Sleder’s in January 2020, just before the Covid pandemic. Prior to the purchase, Sleder’s was owned by her grandparents. “Sleder’s Tavern is a family bar and restaurant with a whole row of booths and tables. It’s a great place for people to go with the family,” Cox explains, “[it’s] not a rowdy bar. People don’t get crazy or anything like that. [It’s] regular, standard bar food.” Cox explains that she worked a few shifts here and there when her grandparents owned the tavern, but now she busses and hosts full time. Working at Sleder’s has inspired her to become a bartender in the future. Sleder’s, like other local restaurants, faced its share of difficulties in staffing during the Covid pandemic. “It was definitely [a] negative experience. We lost quite a few employees because they were ready to move on, and also it was a time of transition that no one had ever experienced before. We had a lot less customers coming in for a while,” Cox shares. Now that the mask mandates and other pandemic restrictions have been lifted, business is back to the way it used to be, and Sleder’s continues to be a nostalgic staple of Traverse City’s west side. Over on the east side of Traverse City, another popular classic is Don’s Drive In, which is the only drive-in currently operating in the area. It was founded in 1958, and serves up a “plethora of [classic] American food,” according to employee Ryan Hein ‘23. The classic pink and mint green building has stayed true to the 1950s aesthetic
since the beginning. “[Don’s Drive In] is that classic pink building on the water,” Hein says. “You haven’t been to Traverse City if you haven’t been to Don’s Drive In.” Hein started working at Don’s about a year ago during the Covid pandemic. Hein mentions that at the beginning of the pandemic only the drive-through portion was open. Don’s initially reopened their dining area at half capacity and then slowly reopened fully. A visit to Don’s isn’t complete without trying one of their famous shakes and burgers, which have stayed the same since opening over 60 years ago. Just outside of downtown is a highly popular destination for flatbread pizza with a unique history. The building housing The Filling Station was originally a railroad depot, but after the train station portion closed, many businesses came and went at the location. Operating since 2012, The Filling Station is a microbrewery and restaurant in the old train depot. It has many details throughout the restaurant that reflect its roots as a former train station. Like other restaurants in the area, the summer is their busiest time. Molly DeBruyn ‘24 currently works there, and describes her experience as “a place I can go to enjoy being around people.” Debruyn has been there for almost two years now. Her favorite thing about the place is the people, “it’s a more accepting community,” DeBruyn adds. “The people who come in are just the nicest people ever who I like to serve and spend time with.” There’s no better place to make memories than going to restaurants with family and friends, and Traverse City has a plethora of options to do just that. Despite the setbacks of the Covid pandemic, these restaurants have proved themselves and continue to be places for making memories that will last a lifetime. //
Photo Courtesy of @horizonbooks
Photo Courtesy of Jacque Burke
A New Horizon by Kristen May staff writer
Horizon Books is helping bring the community closer together
There are so many staples of downtown Traverse City. From North Peak to Cherry Republic to Mackinaw Brewing Company, many places have been downtown for such a long time and have seen many of the changes that Traverse City has gone through over the years. Residents of Traverse City have made fond memories at all of these places for generations. While all these shops and restaurants are an important part of 26 // BGQ // May 2022
Traverse City’s history, there’s one store that defines downtown, and that’s Horizon Books. Can you think of a time where Horizon Books hasn’t been a part of downtown Traverse City? No? That’s because Horizon has always been there. When you think of downtown, the first thing that comes to mind is Horizon. Thousands of people have gone to sip coffee and read a book or to take shelter because it’s cold or raining outside.
Either way, everyone has been to Horizon and have made so many great memories there. When the owners, Amy Reynolds and Vic Herman, suddenly announced their plans to close the store, it came as a shock to the community. “[It] was extremely sad [and] a little heartbreaking,” recalls Alice Hilner, a librarian at Central High School. The combination of growing older and financial pressure were the main motivations for closing the store. “My husband is older and we wanted to have some time together to travel before we couldn’t,” Reynolds states. During the time that Horizon was expected to close, many people flocked to the store and sales went through the roof. It was obvious how many people wanted the store to remain open, and how heartbroken everyone was at the possibility that it would close. However, the owners later announced that the store was going to remain open. People were happy, but also a little confused. Why would the owners decide to remain open when they seemed so intent on closing the store earlier? “We had a lot of interest with selling the store and buying the building, but when the virus hit [the buyer] absolutely pulled out,” Reynolds explains, “[we decided] nobody would see Horizon Books better through this crisis than ourselves [so] we kept it [and] we were really happy about [staying open].” When you’ve had a business for as long as Reynolds and Herman have, it can be difficult to give it up, and when hard times hit, sometimes the best thing to do is just stick with it. Horizon Books has a lot to offer, whether it be coffee, books, or simply a place to gather and make memories with friends and family. They offer a wide selection of books—from local authors to nationally-known writers—but the best part is that they offer a homey environment that’s open to all. Everyone is welcome, and whatever kind of books you like, they are almost guaranteed to have them available. It’s also a place to experi-
ence entertainment, whether it be a music concert or just sitting down and reading a book. The feeling when you get to read a book that you enjoy and also get that in-person experience that you can’t find online is indescribable. Getting books online may be more convenient than driving downtown, walking into the store, and buying them, but you don’t get that personal touch when the employee hands you the book you’ve been looking for and wishes you a good day. That feeling is what draws a lot of customers in, and continues to be one of the most alluring parts of Horizon Books. Horizon isn’t just for adults, they also take part in some events that revolve around kids. By supporting Battle of the Books, a reading comprehension question-based competition for children in 4th and 5th grade, Horizon has changed the lives of so many kids. “If you were to ask kids in the area who’ve done Battle of the Books [if Horizon got them interested in reading and writing] you would find a lot of them saying yes,” asserts Jacque Burke, Education Manager at the National Writers Series. During the 61 years Horizon has been open, hey’ve made a huge difference in Traverse City. So many people have gotten their first book there, making so many memories with their loved ones by their side. It’s amazing how one store can feel like the heart of downtown and capture the hearts of its customers. In the past, Horizon hosted many events in the basement of their store, allowing authors and musicians to share their talent with others. “I really hope that [the basement] will open back up again at some point for the local writers and the musicians that would perform there,” Burke remarks. Whether it be providing a space for people to gather or supporting a local children’s competition, Horizon has changed this community for the better. //
An Ocean Away by Ted Arnold content editor
Photo Courtesty of Sydney Flaherty
Most high schoolers are lucky if they travel outside of the United States even once while they’re in high school. Some, like Sydney Flaherty, get to live and learn in other countries while in high school. In her sophomore year, Flaherty went on an exchange trip to Altamura, a small town in southern Italy. In preparation for the trip, she had to interview with the Rotary exchange program and attend Rotary conferences for over a year. She remembers that it was “really difficult to be away from home and [have] to learn a new culture and stay with people that I didn’t really know.” Culturally, Italy was very different from Traverse City, “everyone was just really, really talkative,” she recalls, “which was kind of difficult for me because I’m not very talkative.” There were differences at home too. “The families were a lot more tight-knit,” adds Flaherty, “at first it made me feel isolated, but then it helped me learn more about them.” School was different too, “The teachers were really strict, and they would interview people in front of the whole class. Everyone was just really stressed out,” she remembers. Flaherty’s time in Italy taught her a lot about what she enjoyed in life, and showed her how to implement that into her own life. Unexpectedly, it also bolstered her self-confidence, “I accidentally took the wrong train and then ended up like two hours away from where I was supposed to go. Normally, I’m a really shy person, and I don’t like 28 // BGQ // May 2022
things that deviate from the plan. That was really overwhelming for me, but because I was alone and I didn’t really know where I was, I kind of had to figure it out by myself and that gave me a lot more confidence to take [on] other challenges when I got back,” she feels. Despite setbacks and challenges, her exchange trip was the most rewarding experience of her high school career. Afterwards, Flaherty began looking for ways to occupy her time at home. She is a member of Key Club, National Honor Society, and Model United Nations. Her favorite club is Model UN, “you get to go to a conference as opposed to just going to a classroom every week, and it’s really interesting, having a simulation like that,” says Flaherty. Academically, her favorite classes have been AP U.S. History and AP U.S. Gov., “I think Mr. Ludka and Mrs. Paul are just really great teachers. I also really like history, just in general, as well as government,” she notes. After graduation, Flaherty wants to ”write in some way, either like political speech writing or freelance writing.” She will be attending Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts next year, but wants to go back to Italy as soon as possible, “I really want to see everyone and also go to other places.” Flaherty strongly encourages everyone who is interested in going on an exchange trip to go, because it was “really, really fun.” //
Photos Courtesy of Tessa Worden
Crash and Chaos “I was in the backseat unbuckled, my head was on my boyfriend’s shoulder, my feet were up on my friend Cam, and I went to go take a nap because it was really late, so I was sleeping,” Tessa Worden recalls, “and all I could process in the split second that it happened was that I saw a stop sign super close, and all of a sudden this insane, intense, lifting feeling. I [could] just feel myself go up. I cannot describe it, except I can feel it. I know that internal feeling that you could just remember.” The car accident took place at the intersection of Harris and Cedar Run Road, on the west side of Traverse City. Worden and four friends were in the car, the sunroof was open, and her seatbelt was unbuckled. She says the accident was a huge life changing event for her, and she looks at life completely differently now than she had before. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about it,” she explains. Car crashes—or in this case, accidents—are becoming increasingly common, mostly as a result of inexperienced drivers or even adults who aren’t paying attention. Worden explains that the individual who crashed into their car was a man who was on their phone, not paying attention to the stop sign at the intersection. The driver of her car panicked and hit the curb, sending their car into the air and barreling off the road down a hill. She flew out from the top of the car through the sunroof because she was unbuckled. The car ended up on its side with Worden pinned under it, though no one else was injured. She ended up in the hospital, and the extent of her injuries was extreme, but her physical recovery only took a few days. “[It was] a miracle,” she says. The moment she realized what happened was when she woke up from
by Aubrey West staff writer
the accident in the hospital. She was up and talking on the phone with her mom, not knowing where she was or what was going on, still in a state of shock. While her initial recovery didn’t take long, she’s still mentally recovering from the accident. Worden feels that the accident has had a huge impact on her life in both positive and negative ways. She still thinks about it to this day, and it affects almost everything in her life. She now has a stronger mindset after going through this life-changing experience. She thinks it’s really sad that people take advantage of having the choice to wear their seatbelt, even in the backseat. “I want to spread awareness: wear your seatbelt,” Worden advises, “I get that [it’s] annoying and you think that it’s never going to happen to you, but I thought it’d never happen to me.” //
A Caribbean Catastrophe by Averie Brandt staff writer
Photo Courtesy of @eryn_carmody
It’s not every day that you wake up and go to school on your computer while sitting in your pajamas, or are able to travel while going to school online. Many people enjoyed not being at school during shutdowns for the Coronavirus, as well as not having to be at their house while in online school. The desire to be on vacation while still going to school was present for many students. For Erin Carmody, this desire became a reality. When going on a senior trip—or any trip—you tend to focus on all the good things and fun activities you have planned. Nothing could go wrong, right? Unfortunately for Carmody, her plans got slightly derailed. She was quarantined in Turks and Caicos while on her senior trip, staying 10 days longer on the islands due to quarantine rules at the time. Prior to this mishap, Carmody had been looking forward to her upcoming vacation, despite the hoops she had to jump through to make it happen. “I was excited. It was a lot of work, because we had to get tested multiple times,” she explains. She initially had a lot of fun activities planned, and fortunately was able to accomplish much of her list before the trip went south. “We went snorkeling, we went on day trips, and [we] were going to go horseback riding. We didn’t actually do that, but things like that,” she says. The feeling of being excited to go on a trip 30 // BGQ // May 2022
and thinking nothing could go wrong fills the heads of many. Thinking you won’t get quarantined or you won’t be delayed going home for a week because of Covid is usually far from your mind. Fortunately, Carmody wasn’t alone in her accidental adventure, “my sisters were seniors the year before when covid started, so they didn’t get a senior trip, so we just moved it to this year,” she shares. This was right before the whole school ended up online due to Covid in January. “I already missed a week of school for being on the trip, but then missed another week because we had to stay [longer],” she explains. “But we went online the week we got quarantined, so it was kind of nice that I could do it online while in quarantine.” Having to stay somewhere longer is either a good thing, or in Carmody’s case, a bit of a bad thing. “I was kind of upset because I wanted to get home, and I wasn’t planning to be there that long. So it was rough to have to stay longer,” she recalls. After a while, she became bored and really wanted to get back home. After her lengthy quarantine, Carmody finally set foot on U.S. soil again. Although she ultimately enjoyed her experience, she might not be so keen to travel internationally again anytime soon. //
Becoming B. Hill by Samuel Elkins staff writer
In today’s world, anyone can be a music star. Services like Spotify, YouTube, and Soundcloud make it possible for the average musician to create their own music and push it out to wider audiences. Soundcloud in particular gave a home to many aspiring rappers, including Braxton Hill, who started his music-making journey in 2020 when everyone was stuck at home trying to find things to do. He started off with his own miniature starter kit, mainly using his phone for recording, but eventually he got professional recording equipment. Since beginning his new hobby, Hill has released seven songs on Spotify, including his most recent single: “apollo.”. Hill mainly is a studio rapper, but he would like to play for a public audience at some point. Although he hasn’t had any performances outside of the studio, his following has grown tremendously over the last few years with a near 55 regular listeners on Spotify. His reach has expanded beyond Traverse City, reaching places other towns in Michigan like Novi and West Bloomfield, and going as far as Cleveland, Ohio. Hill prides himself on being self-made, not taking any classes or using anything to assist his music creation other than his voice and recording materials. He goes on YouTube for the beats though, searching up what’s called “type-beats” as he can’t do the beats himself yet. “[I] put my own lyrics to them and make [them] how I want to,” he explains. His supporters are mainly his father and peers, but his main influences come from other rappers, as that’s how he gets all of his
Photo Courtesy of @b.hillmusic
beats to make his lyrics and songs. Another big influence on his music and his life is God. Currently Hill is verified on Spotify and has an extensive music portfolio on Soundcloud. With multiple songs on both platforms, he is attempting to extend his reach as far as possible. He also has merchandise for sale on his Instagram page, and all profits from merchandise sales are dedicated to helping his next album release. His merchandise is mainly hats, with “@b.hillmusic” on the front. He has recently released teasers about his new album, titled “apollo.” after his most recent single. One of the teasers hinted at a music video for his eponymous song debuting at the same time. The album is his first ever, which is a huge milestone in his rapping career. Hill also wants to take his career to the next level by going to college to make his own beats and produce his own music. He is first going to take a gap year, then will try his best to go to college for audio engineering. He looks forward to being taken seriously as a professional rapper, though he is very young. “A lot of people know who I am, but [not everyone has heard my] music yet,” Hill comments, “it’s what I want to do for my career.” //
Stepping Up and Taking Charge by Aiden Preston content editor
Photo Courtesy of Everest Noyes
Staying busy can be a tough thing to do, but Everest Noyes makes it look easy. “I kick for the football team, I’m the captain of the varsity soccer team, I’m in NHS, and I’m the governor of the Student Senate,” he states. He has participated in Senate for all four years of high school, but for his senior year he got to have a bigger role as student governor. “It’s a chance to lead the Senate, so every year there’s a governor, and the governor takes the roles of things like helping the underclassmen who haven’t been in it, they give a speech at graduation, and I’m kind of like the face of Senate,” explains Noyes. However, leading Senate is no easy task. On top of being in charge and making sure things run smoothly; he also has to “put away stuff I see as fun for what’s responsible, because now I’m the older kid that [has to] shut stuff down that we are not going to be able to do—almost like the older brother of it,” he says. When Noyes was looking for classes as a middle schooler, he landed on Senate because instead of doing traditional classwork students get to make change in people’s lives. “Being able to do things that you see have actual change, like supplies drives; we just did a supplies drive for all those dogs that were found,” Noyes shares, “[for] the can drives we do every year, we donate about 8,000 cans to Father Fred, which has an actual impact on our community and the people in it [and] that’s huge.” He was re32 // BGQ // May 2022
ally inspired by helping out both Central and the community and has stuck with Senate because of that, as well as the bonds he has made amongst his peers. “I’ve built a ton of close relationships. My best friends are all in [Senate], [and] we’ve just grown closer [because] we’ve been in there for four years,” he reflects. Senate is broken into seven different communities: Public Relations (PR), Student Activities, Student-Staff Relations, Community Service, Executive Board, and Trojan Pride. They all have vastly different jobs and tasks for their daily work depending on the day of the week. “We’ll get in there and have all of the stuff that we’re going to do for the day, I’ll talk to the class about what we need to do, and then we break out and do different things,” describes Noyes. “PR will be putting signs up, advertising for different games, [other] people could be coming up with student section themes, people could be planning lunch time events, field day events, dances, and pretty much everything that goes on,” he explains. While he is nearing the end of his time with Senate, Noyes is making the most of it while also planning for his future. He plans on attending Michigan State next fall and studying business. Thanks to his experience as Senate governor and involvement in extracurricular activities at Central he plans on pursuing a leadership position in his future. //
Seeing Things Through a New Lens by Kristen May staff writer
Maddi Beebe discovered something magical when she started pursuing photography in 2017. After taking a photography class in middle school, it became a big part of her life. Over the last few years, her photography has become more advanced. As a result, she’s been able to take more elegant and complicated shots, which has helped her make a name for herself. Throughout high school, Beebe has photographed many of Central’s football games. “I’ve gone to a lot of their games such as the Patriot Game and then Ford Field and all of the playoff games out of town, and then [there are] a lot of in-town games that I’ve gone to as well,” she states. Using photography, she is able to get into events and uncover sides of them that most people never get to see. While taking pictures of the football team, she developed friendships with the entire team, and was able to photograph them on and off the field. One of Beebe’s favorite events, combining her passions for photography and sports, was going to Ford Field earlier this year with the football team. It was a remarkable event, one that she will never forget. “That was a pretty crazy experience because not only did I get to go, but I was [also] on the field with other photographers and media people. Most of them were men and most of them were in their 20s or older,” she notes. Pursuing photography is challenging when you’re as young as Beebe, but she makes it seem easy, and it’s inspiring to watch her work. She sticks to her road of photography, no matter how rocky it may get. There are many types of photography, but her favorites are candid and nature photography. “Candid photography is taking pictures of people, mainly, and it’s not posed, so you’re just capturing the moment,” she claims. Beebe doesn’t just use photography in school; she also runs a side business, “I’ve tried a little bit but it’s hard though, especially with me being as young as I am,” she admits, “[but] occasionally I do
people’s senior photos.” In her future, Beebe sees herself pursuing a career in photography. The challenging part is figuring out what path she wants to go down. There are so many options, like concert photography, as well as traveling around the world and taking pictures of different climates and cultures. “Someday I would like to travel and document it in some way, whether that’s concert photography [or] doing something geographic,” she explains. Having a career in photography requires some sort of education. “I was thinking about places out West. There was one school in Switzerland that I thought was really really cool, [but] next fall I’m just going to be going to NMC for two years for business to back myself up if I need to,” says Beebe. In the end, all that matters to her is that photography stays as a part of her life, even if it doesn’t end up looking exactly how she planned. //
All Photos: M. Beebe
Drumming Through Life by Kristen May staff writer
Photo Courtesy of Jenna Wesley
Jenna Wesley has known from the moment she picked up a pair of drum sticks that she was destined to be a drummer. It’s no surprise either, seeing that her entire family is musically inclined. Throughout high school, she has worked with her drum set, continually getting better and better. Drumming has been a huge part of Wesley’s life for a long time. “I started [band] in 6th grade and I started drumming when I was eight years old,” she states. Wesley’s family was a huge part of her discovering her talent for music. “My mom’s a singer. She majored in vocal performance, and my parents actually met in choir. My dad played the trombone, so pretty much everyone in my family [was doing] some type of music when I was born,” she acknowledges. If her family weren’t so involved with music, Wesley may not have discovered her passion for drumming, and she wouldn’t have made so many wonderful memories during her time in band. Playing in the band is a huge time commitment, especially marching band season, where students are required to attend all of the home and playoff games. However, even though it’s a lot of work and preparation, there’s no doubt it’s one of the best experiences members of the band get to have. It’s especially fun when you’re in drumline. “Playing at games, that’s my favorite thing to do because I’m in drumline and it’s the coolest thing that we get to do because we’re jamming out the entire time and we get to watch 34 // BGQ // May 2022
the game,” Wesley reveals. Coming into high school for the first time can be nerve-racking, but Wesley felt more at ease thanks to drum camp. “Drum camp starts right after school, like the week after school ends, [so] after I finished eighth grade, I started to get to know all of the people that were in drumline, and that was fun,” she recalls. “I got to work with them and get close to them the whole summer, and then I went to school and it was nice to have some people that I knew going into it.” While transitioning to a new school isn’t always the best experience, having people that you’ve already shared experiences with is a sure way to make it a lot less daunting. It may come as a surprise that when Wesley goes to college, she doesn’t want to major in music. Instead, she wishes to major in environmental biology. Although her career path may not include music, she still hopes to keep it in her life. “I’m going to Michigan State next year, and I’ve always wanted to be on their drumline because it’s really good. I have my audition in about a month and if I get it I’ll be able to keep drumming in college,” she explains, “even if I don’t I’ll still keep my drum pad around because it’s something I love to do.” Although the future is uncertain right now, Wesley’s affection for drumming will always be with her. She plans on continuing to make memories with her drum set and find a way to keep this passion alive. //
The Perfect Score by Ted Arnold content editor
Photo Courtesy of Lauren May
All students in the state of Michigan are required to take the SAT their junior year. Most set a target for themselves, and study a little each night in advance ahead of the test. Lauren May was no different, except that her goal was perfection. The seed was first planted in her mind in middle school, when a teacher mentioned that he had gotten a perfect score on the math section of the SAT. May thought, “that’s pretty cool, what if I did that on both sides.” What really set her on the way, however, was a perfect score on the PSAT 9. After that, May recalls, “I was like: ‘okay, well I think this is actually within reach.’” After intermittently studying, “[I] dug into it a month or so before I knew I was going to take the SAT,” she notes. May’s time was spent primarily focusing on the reading section, which was her biggest weakness going into the test. May thinks she went through every question available on Khan Academy, practice that she found very valuable. Her studying paid off, and when she checked her score and found a 1600, it was “like a shock for a second, but it was also what I was trying to do in the first place. It was my goal, so it also felt very good to achieve it.” Testing doesn’t give the full picture, as May is extremely involved at Central, being a member of the band, track team, and cross country team, as well as a member of Tech Girls and co-president of SEA Club. May has also focused her time at Central on environmental organizing, through both SEA Club and the Michigan League of Con-
servation Voters, where she had an internship and is a frequent volunteer. Her internship gave her “good insight into what organizers actually do,” and was a great chance to learn “things like the political, the social, the scientific, all those different issues that I’m going to need to know if I’m going to go into a career in that.” May’s love for the environment started at a young age, when she decided to become a vegetarian to support animal welfare. That original goal led her to even greater reasons for her vegetarianism. “You very quickly come across a lot of environmental articles when you go down that kind of route of research,” May recalls. “I learned all about climate change and the extinction of species, and it was very clear to me at that young age: ‘oh my gosh, we have to do something about this.’” This awakening not only strengthened her dietary convictions, but also drove her to volunteer and begin organizing with other people who shared her concerns. Next year, May will be attending the University of Michigan, where she hopes to pursue math and environmental studies. Afterwards, she hopes to work in government, ideally something related to the environment. Ultimately, May says, “you don’t have to get a perfect score on the SAT, but improving your score by a lot is really, really attainable. Set your own goal and don’t compare yourself to other people.” //
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