The Occidentalist Vol 2 Issue 4 February
Watching over the West since 1997
the pill it’s not just for preventing babies page 8
2 The Occidentalist Letter from the editors
We’re
Meg & Chloe (for pete’s sake) Myths and rumors spread like wildfire, especially in a school setting. So, as the student newspaper, we deemed it appropriate to touch on some of these rumors and myths. In this issue, we have focused on the controversial topic of birth control. Most people are familiar with the most obvious use for birth control: preventing pregnancy. However, more people seem to be unaware of the alterna-
tive uses of “the pill.” In this issue, we hope to enlighten our readers, and allow them to set this paper down feeling at least slightly more knowledgable than before. Turn to page eight to learn more about where birth control came from, how it is affecting students everyday and how it is “not just for preventing babies anymore.” This issue also features a spotlight on Vince Gilligan, the writer of the hit
television show Breaking Bad. Check out page twelve and delve into the depths of the show that has many Americans captivated. To all die-hard romantics, fear not! As it is February, we have also featured a special list just for the romantic occassion. And to anyone facing this Valentine’s day alone, well, you are not alone! Peruse page fifteen for fun and flippant ways to spend that spe-
cial day without a special someone. As always, feel free to contact us with any concerns, suggestions, or random thoughts (pertaining to the school preferably). We love to hear from you! Go to page thirteen to see our contact information. Newspapers should be fun and informative, we hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much or more than we enjoyed creating it! Editors in Chief
Table of Contents The Occidentalist 3
extras 4 5 6 7
Hello dog park, goodbye train Do you have a job? The life of a teen mom Preparing for college
10 11 12 13
Car Crash Catastrophe Foster care
14 15
Google+ rivals Facebook Single on Valentine’s day?
Breaking Bad comes to NWS Meet the staff
on the cover 8 The Pill:
An in-depth look at the alternative uses of birth control
page design & graphics credits Cover and pages 3, 8, 9 & 14 M. Sheehan Pages 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12 & 13 C. Foster Pages 7, 10, 11 & 15 L. Milliron
4 The Occidentalist News
Hello dog park In this coming year, Traverse City is looking to install a new dog park so locals will have a place to play with their furry friends without needing to drive all the way downstate. The installation of the dog park will be right next to Veteran’s park. This park will benefit the community by supplying a place to escape from the urban world and a chance for people to enjoy playing with their pets. “I’ve had a dog most of my life and currently have two beagles,” said Gary Howe, Parks and Recreation chairman. “One is a little older and the other is almost three years old. They’ve been a great source of activity in my life. There’s nothing like having an energetic dog in your life to get you
Goodbye
train With every passing year, Traverse City has seen something new happening around town. This year “The Spirit of Traverse City”, the little green, red, and yellow train in Clinch Park that used to take people around the zoo might be leaving, but a new location seems to be coming through. Beginning in 2005, the city began to come up with a vision
of what the West Bay shore area should look like in the future. The area was broken up into three different areas, each with its own mini plan that worked into the vision. This idea went from vision to recommendation, to a concrete plan for Traverse City. Unfortunately, “The Spirit Of Traverse City” was not a part of this vision. “The train probably wasn’t a
Libby Lowran Staff Writer Emily Fancher Staff Writer
exercising and socializing more often.” Rescuing a dog can be very rewarding. It is a chance to help reduce the amount of dogs euthanized every year. Most shelters fix their animals before they are adopted to help reduce the numbers of unwanted puppies. “My most recent dog is from a kill shelter in Baton Rouge,” said Jami Moore, a project contributor and dog park activist. Places like dog parks allow people to bond with their buddies. Dogs promote healthiness in people and tend to give people a reason to get off their couches. If this dog park comes through, Traverse City will be a healthier city
good fit,” said Jeanine Easterday, City Commissioner. “The Spirit Of Traverse City” is part of the Clinch Park area. Traverse City has watched the train break down over the years and not be in use, but this is because the train is about 30 years old. The Spirit of Traverse City was installed in Clinch Park the 70’s. The train has been ridden by almost everyone in the area. “When I was little and I first rode the train, we made a day out of it,” said Courtney Ignace ’15. “I’m really going to miss it.” “The Spirit of Traverse City” is held in many peoples’ memories. Only a few years ago, people visited Clinch Park and took this train twice around the zoo to see a majority of the animals and get a view of West Bay. “Me and my dad used to ride
to live in because of it. There’s just one problem: funding. “If we raise the money we need we are all set to build it,” Howe stated. “I’m confident that the community will invest in what is needed.” The city needs to raise about $15,000. So far, donations come in at an average of $100, but they have only $1,500 from businesses in the area. Funding for the dog park began on December 19th, 2011. The park is expected to be open to the public in May of 2012, however, no progress can be made until the costs are covered. Despite the lack of funding, Traverse City’s dog park seems to be getting closer and closer to being ready to be built. The dog park will hopefully be a great new addition to Traverse City. People won’t have to go as far to give their dogs a chance to exercise and socialize with other dogs. Humans and dogs alike will be able to enjoy this park for years to come.
it almost every time I went to the zoo.” said Alayna Anderson ’15. These visits had become a tradition for some families and a moment that people will remember forever. “When my sister graduated high school, we made it a tradition to ride the train after the commencement ceremony,” said Emily Lambert ’12 . “We had four generations on the train that day: my siblings and I, my parents, my grandparents, and my great grandma.” Despite the train’s possible doom, all hope isn’t lost. The train may be moved to another location, but until then it will be placed in storage. “I don’t know that much money will be saved,” said Easterday. With the train gone, tax payers won’t have to pay for
running costs but, the train was usually even on costs. Every time it broke down it had to be paid for, but some years it brought in some profit. This year the train will do neither of these things. “The Spirit Of Traverse City” is going to be moved from it’s current location and into storage by June or July of this year, but removal will begin in the spring. Traverse City will have to kiss the train goodbye, but it will always stay in peoples memories. Unless it is placed in a new location, Traverse City’s next generation of children will only know the train by pictures and stories. The colors and joy of riding by the bay will be gone, replaced by a new, better version of Clinch Park, Traverse City Michigan.
News The Occidentalist 5
Employment Frenzy
A closer look at some students and their jobs.
Katie Wyatt Staff Writer Olivia Doherty Staff Writer
Student employment is a great responsibility to take part in. “Juggling high school and part-time jobs is a tough act,” according to snagajob.com. It’s not always easy but it’s a great way to prepare any student for their future careers and interests. Kyle Werly ‘13, has worked at La Senorita for two and a half years. He applied there for future job experience and enjoys working at La Senorita because of the good pay, the people, and the experience. Although there are many great things about his job, there are also a few drawbacks such as the extremely hot kitchen and when the bosses get frustrated. Werly makes approximately $9 an hour. “It wasn’t very hard to get my job because my mom and I knew the manager very well.” said Werly. This was Werly’s first job and it was fairly easy to get. There are many different jobs that can prepare high school students for their future careers and college. Sydney Diss ‘13, has been working at Moomers since summer 2011, and she hasn’t had any other job experience. This is her first job
and she loves it because she works with two of her best friends, and the other employees and her boss are very nice. She makes minimum wage and it wasn’t that hard for her to get her job because her older sister worked at Moomers before her. She only had to send in one application to get her job at Moomers and she hopes to have this job as long as she can. Working with friends can make a job a lot more fun than just working alone. Having a job can be a lot more fun than what it seems. A job is a great way to prepare for the future and it’s a way to make new friends. Josh Olsen ‘12, has been working at Ric’s Food Store for eight months now. He works there because he wants to get money to save up for college. Olsen likes his job because it’s something different everyday. Josh doesn’t work with any of his friends and he makes minimum wage. He only had to apply one time for his job and he got the job three hours after he applied for it. Before working at Ric’s, Olsen had a job at a Christmas tree farm/pumpkin patch in Interlochen. Josh plans on having his job at
Ric’s until the end of this year. Working is a way to make money for college and to prepare students for other jobs they may have in the future. Making money now is an investment to make for important costs in the near future. Saving money is a way to get ahead for college and the next school year. Patrick Schuster ‘13, has loved working on cars since he was the age of six. He applied for JPM Automotives three years ago and got the job. Schuster has been working there for six years and has been on the payroll for three years, he makes $12 an hour. It was a very hard job to get considering it takes a lot of experience to work on cars. Although Schuster doesn’t work with any of his friends, he still enjoys working at JPM Automotives because it’s something new everyday and he is doing what he loves to do. It wasn’t too complicated for Patrick to get the job because he has a lot of experience working with cars and had a great interview along with filling out his job application.
6 The Occidentalist Feature
teen
At seventeen years old, Brianna Torrey ‘12, had her first child, Grace Ann. She found out she was pregnant when she missed her period and then decided to take some pregnancy tests. “The first test was negative, then positive, then unverified so I went to the Youth Health and Wellness Center near TBA and it was positive,” said Brianna. “When I found out I was pregnant I cried. It was really overwhelming and I didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said. Brianna told her mom she was pregnant when they were at the mall. “We saw one of my old friends with her baby there at the mall. My mom told me that she didn’t want me to have kids for a very long time. We got talking on the subject and I asked her what would she do if I was pregnant. She said she didn’t know but if I were we would push through it and make it work. So then I said I’m pregnant. My mom thought I was joking but I told her I was serious. After that I had to go to work which I was working at Moomers at the time and then I ended up telling my dad when I got home.” Her parents’ reaction were surprising to Brianna. “They weren’t as upset or mad as I thought they were going to be. They were more sad than anything,” she said. Her friends were supportive also. The dad isn’t in-
mom Hanna Farkas Staff Writer
Above: Brianna Torrey sits in her room, a picture of her baby on the door behind her. Below: Brianna’s baby, Grace gnaws on her crib. Photos: H. Farkas.
volved at all in Brianna’s life, “I don’t know where he is. He switched houses, and changed schools,” said Brianna. To Brianna, her pregnancy was easy. “I didn’t have morning sickness or anything like that, It was scary though. It was an experience that no one else can really have but yourself.” For Brianna life is not the same. “ It’s put a stop to my social life. I used to go out almost every night with friends and now I have to take Grace with me or stay home or work. It’s really different,” said Brianna. In some people’s opinion, being a teen mom would be a breeze. “Being a mom in general is a challenge but it’s not as hard as I thought it was going to be,” said Brianna. “I have my parents to fall back on for support. I have always loved kids so I think that makes it easier to be a parent. Just trying to juggle school, work, thinking about college, and my baby is the hardest challenge.” Brianna continues to go to school at TC High. “I transferred there when I had my baby. I am very happy with going there, everyone’s so supportive and wants you to succeed. They make you feel like a family. If I could have gone there my entire school career I would have. Also, Grace gets to come with me because they have a free daycare center and I get to see her throughout the day.” Brianna doesn’t miss out on much. If there is some kind of small activity she might have to miss it because of work or having to watch Grace. “If there is
a special occasion then my parents would usually watch Grace. I do get to go to some things still like Homecoming.” The experience of being a teen mom made Brianna more mature. “I have my own responsibilities now like buying things for my baby or just even staying out of trouble and taking care of Grace,” said Brianna. Brianna had some advice for being a teen mom. “Stay strong and fight through it. There’s a lot of help put there like the pregnancy care center. If you are worried about finishing school I recommend TC High. They give a lot of support. The best thing you can do is tell your parents because even if they don’t take it well just know that they will always love you.”
Feature The Occidentalist 7
preparing for
Kaitlyn Jewell
Staff Writer
COLLEGE
It’s time for the seniors to decide if and where they are going to college. Some have other interests and don’t want to attend more years of school. There are many different options for college, including a big school, small school, in state or out of state. Some might even enter the military. When applying to colleges, some dreams will be made or broken. The journey starts during their junior year of high school when they are preparing to take their ACT. Many colleges want students with higher scores, so students must do a lot of training in the months before it. Some students will take an ACT prep class to prepare. Once they receive their scores, they can see if they have a high enough score for the college they hope to attend. The next step for anyone thinking of attending college is to fill out applications. Some colleges and University’s require you to write an essay. It takes a lot of time to find which college you want to attend and why. It depends on the student, but some may fill out 5-10 applications, all with
their own questions and essays. “I applied for five different colleges, both in state and out of state,” said Vanderbousch ‘12. A majority of students will not only apply for one college, they will apply for many, even if they are not interested in attending. They can apply to more than one college just in case they change their mind later in the year. To find the college that the student wants to go to, they need to know if they would like to attend a big college or a small college. A big college offers more outside of learning, including wide varieties of majors and courses, sports games, events, clubs and a variety of housing. While at a small college students get to know more people, there are smaller class sizes, and hands on learning. “I want to go into nursing school, so I looked a lot for a good nursing school. I plan to attend a community college and then move on to a larger school ,” said Kellie Cannon ‘12.
In every school there is more than likely going to be somebody in the school who will enter the military. Joining the military will make a huge difference on the school you chose. They will need a ROTC program in order for you to attend after training. If the a student is planning on joining the military, their ACT scores aren’t even looked at. Cory Root ‘12 plans to join the military. “I won’t be able to attend college until January of 2013 because I will be at basics training. I plan to attend Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo,” said Root. Preparing for college can to be difficult if you do not have older siblings or someone to help you through the process. Many students are able to prepare during their senior year with many people coming and talking to them throughout the school year. High Schools prepare students by having speakers come in with a wide variety of careers. By the time they need to fill out applications, they will have a great range of ideas. After the long process of
applying for college, it is time to play the waiting game. Waiting to find out if you are accepted varies from a week to maybe a month or more. Some colleges even will wait and watch your grades before they accept you. “My anticipation is so high when waiting. When I get the news from Western Michigan University, I was very excited,” said Root ‘12. If you are one of the students that the college would like to watch and wait, the anticipation is higher. Some university’s are so large it takes many months for them to send you a letter back in the mail. “The anticipation is extremely high when you have to wait until April,” said Vanderbousch ‘12. This is a process that any senior must go through who wants to succeed more in their future. If they aren’t interested in college, many students will have other plans by the time they graduate high school. Four to six more years of school at college and somebody’s future will be awaiting them.
8 The Occidentalist Feature
A pill a day keeps the...cramps away? Chloe Foster
Editor in Chief
She takes the pill. She takes birth control. But not because she’s sexually active—she’s not. She takes it for another reason entirely: to make her periods tolerable. She was in the shower when it hit her for the first time. The unbearable pain. Pain so excruciating she couldn’t breathe. She got out of the shower and collapsed on the floor, trying to catch her breath as pain seared inside her. It was the first day of her period.
Two months later, it happened again. Only this time, it was at school. The pain returned with a vengeance. Enduring pain worse than the first time and overcome with dizziness, she stumbled to her dad’s office at the school. He carried her out to the car and drove her home, as she lay in agony in the back seat. She had to lie down for an hour on the couch, breathing deeply while the pain stabbed deeply in her stomach.
The next time she was at work when the wave of pangs struck again. The pain was severe in her stomach and it confused her brain, causing a nauseous wave to roll over her. She collapsed to the ground, the world fading to black around her. She didn’t think it would ever end. But she wanted it to end. So she went to the doctor. He explained the problem: Every month a huge
surge of estrogen flushed through her, and her body couldn’t handle it, so it caused pain and dizziness and eventual fainting. He prescribed birth control. Now, the birth control regulates her hormones, so she doesn’t get that abnormal wave of estrogen. Now she can go to work and school and take showers without worry of fainting or extreme pain. Now, thanks to birth control, she can live again.
Birth Control: Past and present Meg Sheehan
Editor in Chief
Pre-20th Century Women around the world consume various contraceptive concoctions from mercury to diluted copper ore.
1800s Julius Schmidt creates the first condom out of sausage casings.
1930s 1931 Contraceptive jelly, the first prescription birth control, is developed.
1940s 1936
1941
A law passes that allows physicians to distribute information about birth control to patients. © Crystal Marie Hubbard
Russell Marker creates progesterone from roots of wild Mexican yams.
1960s US Food and Drug Administration approves oral birth control pills for the market.
Feature The Occidentalist 9
Acne
Birth control releases small doses of estrogen, which lowers the amount of androgen produced by the ovaries, creating a clearer complexion.
Breast disease Women who take birth control pills have fewer symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease.
Anemia Women who take birth control bleed less during their periods, lowering their risk for anemia.
Decreases cancer Period cramping
Birth control reduces prostaglandins, chemicals that cause the muscles in the uterus to contract during a period.
Bone thinning The estrogen in birth control pills helps with bone density loss which is common during perimenopause.
The use of birth control for four or more years helps prevent endometrial and ovarian cancer.
Quick Fact:
About 1/3 of of the prescriptions written for birth control are actually given for the noncontraceptive benefits, rather than to prevent pregnancy.
Many names, many uses
With over 90 different brands of birth control on the market including Apri, Leena, and Yaz, it is now commonly used to treat and prevent many other things besides just pregnancy
1965 Supreme court rules that laws forbidding birth control were unconstitutional.
1970s
1980s
Discoveries are made that lower doses of hormones are needed to prevent pregnancy.
Scientists develope the multiphasic pill, that gives hormones in natural levels to regulate women’s menstrual cycles.
1988 FDA recognizes other uses of the pill: decreased forms of cancer, help with cramps, PMS, acne, and more.
1990s
2000s
1994
2001
Female condoms become available in pharmacies.
First birth control patch is introduced, and the first vaginal ring is also approved by FDA.
10 The Occidentalist Feature
A Smash, some Stitches, and a Scare... Aaron May Staff Writer Chris Cortright Staff Writer
Thanksgiving day, November 24th, 2011 was an awful day for Austin Tondreau, a senior here at West who got into a car accident. At the time of the accident, Austin’s sister and two of their cousins were in the car with him. His cousins and sister were checked out clean, but Austin had to get five stitches on the left side of his head. The car accident will be something that Austin will never forget. “The accident happened because I was going kind of quick through an area I wasn’t familiar with and I came up to a corner that I thought would be a slight turn, but as I got closer, I realized that it was a sharper turn than I expected.” said Austin. “I tried to make it around the turn, but my car started to power slide. If you don’t know what that means, it is pretty much when your car unexpectedly starts to drift. That’s when my car rolled over three times. During those three rolls, my car had taken out a small tree. I was happy that all I got was
a couple stitches in front of my left ear.” It was scary for Austin because this was his first accident, and he had other people that he really cared about in the car with him. “I realized when I started to lose control how irresponsible I was being by driving too fast and putting three other lives, as well as my own life, in harms way, which is never a good thing. It is a very scary thing.” said Austin. “I don’t wish it upon anyone. There is nothing louder than the sound of steel crunching; it’s the loudest noise I have ever heard and one
not easily forgettable. It was a big mistake on my part. At first when we stopped rolling, we went air born, rolled three times, and took out a small tree. I honestly thought it was a dream. I thought to myself how bad it was and I couldn’t wait to wake up, then I realized it wasn’t a dream. It really happened.” Austin’s parents were almost as scared as he was when they heard about his accident. “I literally thought my parents were going to kill me, I really did.” said Austin. “I thought no one was going to trust me after that. I didn’t really get in trouble, I just got yelled at.” Car accidents in high school can be very tragic for both students and parents. After the accident, it took Austin some time before he got back behind the wheel. “I’m still not recovered from that
accident, and I’m sure I won’t be for a long time” said Austin. “Today is 2 months since the accident. It happened November 24th, 2011. I’m sure the others have healed and are getting over it, but as the driver I feel so responsible for them. My reckless decision put their lives at risk. They all have forgiven me, but it will never be the same for me. I will always feel horrible for what I have done. As for starting to drive, it took me a few days, but I got behind the wheel. I was expecting it to be a lot harder then what it was, but I will always live with that on my mind. I just thank God my little sister and two cousins walked away with just a few cuts.” Luckily, Austin’s car took more damage than him or his relatives. Austin was disappointed that his car got totalled, but he was happy that none of his family members were hurt in the accident and that he walked away with only a few stitches.
Entertainment The Occidentalist 11
Foster Friendly Austin McClintock
What is it like to live in foster care? It is a question not many people think of, and it’s not very well known either. Foster care is a program where the child is able to find a safe and loving family to live with and help them if they need it. They are given a chance to live a life without abuse or neglect from their biological parents. Also, they can find a way to grow up in a safe environment with parents that support them. But there are potential problems that a child placed in foster care may face. “Twenty eight percent of all foster care children are from the age of eleven to fifteen,” says Foster Care Alumni of America, “Most children stay for a period of two and a half years.” Foster care is a program for children whose homes are unfit to raise a child. These children are removed from the home either willingly or by court order. If a child has been abused or neglected, the child will be removed from the home by the court and placed in foster care. Others are removed because the parent feels like they can’t take care of the child. Those children are removed willingly and placed in an alternate home, which can be temporary or permanent. But even though they are removed from the home, the problems don’t stop there. “The children who live in foster care sometimes don’t want to live there, they don’t like the rules and they want more freedom,” said Lauren Gentry, a counselor here at West. But Gentry believes “ Foster care is a good program, because it gives children who have no where to go a family to live with.” True, children in foster care sometimes feel this way. Sometimes they feel like they are responsible for leaving the home and want to
return to their unstable past, even if it makes things worse for them. Sometimes they feel guilty and think they don’t deserve a second chance or they deserve to live in chaos. These problems are worked on while they live in the secondary home, the foster parents will help the child control the feelings or thoughts that trouble them. The reason foster children may feel this way is because they believe that if they return, the biological parents will want them to return to their homes. Sometimes the child believes that because they were removed from their home, they are unwanted. They will run away or refuse to do anything, These sort of challenges can be major problems for the foster parents because they may not be able to help the child without more problems coming out of it. “Sometimes I ask myself if my parents
Staff Writer
gave up,” Emily Winfrey ‘ 15 said “you are never ready for it, sometimes you are fearful, and nobody likes it. I have been in foster care from the age of five until the age of eight, and adopted at the age of nine.” There are also other challenges that foster parents face. Foster parents are people who are willing to let a child into there homes without knowing what will be required of them. These parents have to worry about their income, relationships, and the new member of the family. As for helping the child move on with their life, this is done by approaching the child slowly and building a relationship one step at a time. This is a problem that is hard to deal with because the parent doesn’t know how the child will respond. Also, they don’t know what the child expects from the foster parents in order to
feel welcome in the new home. But within all the potential challenges they face, there are many positives. The child will observe a home that is not built on a chaotic foundation. The home is peaceful and calm, as well as helpful. Once the child adapts, it can also be enjoyable. The child sees a way to live that doesn’t involve pain or suffering. The child will be able to live a life they want and still be able to help around the house and be involved with the family. Foster Parents will be able to help a child they never knew and possibly change their lives for the better. These are just some of the ways that foster care is a positive choice for children with unstable home life. It may not be for everyone, but it gives many children the chance at a better life, and that is what matters most if they are having a hard time.
12 The Occidentalist Feature
Chemical 24
Cr ime Ti me
Chloe Foster
Editor in Chief
22
Vince Gilligan, writer of Breaking Bad, kicked off the fourth season of the National Writer’s Series A caterpillar turns into a butterfly, the ugly duckling grows into a beautiful swan, a good-hearted chemistry teacher becomes a drugdealing killer. Metamorphosis truly is remarkable. Walter White is a dull high school chemistry teacher who discovers that he has cancer. With nothing to lose, and in an attempt to make money to save his family, Walter begins making and selling methamphetamine. The twist comes when Walter eventually is cured and left with a choice to continue along his darkening path or return to his old, quiet life on the bright side. This isn’t real life, it’s the premise of the hit television series Breaking Bad. The show’s creator and head writer, Vince Gilligan, was in Traverse City earlier this month to kick off the fourth season of the National Writer’s Series and to talk about the show. “I see the show as a character study about this one guy,” said Gilligan. The idea for Breaking Bad
was formed during an outing with Gilligan and his friend. A New York Times article was centered on a man with a meth lab in his apartment, which led to a sarcastic conversation between Gilligan and his friend, envisioning themselves driving around with a meth lab in the back of an RV. “This idea of someone like us who would do such a thing intrigued me,” Gilligan said. And Breaking Bad was born. The show was and continues to be an experiment. “Television relies on self imposed stasis,” Gilligan said. Breaking Bad lacks this stasis, which is what gives it such an experimental air. With each episode, the protagonist transforms more and more into the antagonist. “I want to take Mr. Chips and turn him into Scarface,” said Gilligan. With each step Walter takes toward evil, Gilligan and his crew run the risk of losing viewers. Yet they continue to write new episodes, pleasing themselves first,
with the hope that the audience will be just as amused. “All we really set forth to do was tell an entertaining story,” said Gilligan. “A man starts good, becomes increasingly bad, then we wrap it up.” To some, the show has become much more than that. From one perspective, it may be viewed as a commentary on America’s health care system, from another, an analysis of the human psyche. There is no right answer. “We leave the audience to put meaning to it,” Gilligan said. “Half the time, I hate to admit it, but we’re not thinking as deeply as our fans are.” The show that started in 2008 has just wrapped up its fourth season and Gilligan and his writers are currently working on the last 16 episodes of the fifth and final season. “We just want to wrap it up in the most satisfying way possible,” Gilligan said.
Connect with us The Occidentalist 13
Connect with us! www.theocci.com The Occidentalist has its own website this year, where the staff will be posting exclusive stories and photos not published in the monthly issue.
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COURTESY DRIVING SCHOOL
1-800-256-9559 www.courtesydrivingschool.com
Guaranteed Lowest Price!
We will beat anyone’s advertised price by $5 at our nearest location to our competitor in your town when you bring in their ad on registration day only. Honored for Segment I, II, and Road Test.
Classes Held: TRAVERSE CITY WEST
www.flickr.com/photos/theocci We take a lot of photos, and most won’t make the printed version. Find the surplus on our flickr, where you’ll probably see your face!
Staff Kerri Wosek
Adviser
Meg Sheehan
SEGMENT I: 24 Hours Lecture, 6 Hours Driving: (3 Weeks) March 5* M,T,W,TH 3:15-5:15 p.m. (*No lecture classes during Spring Break – March 23-30) Apr. 9 M,T,W,TH 3:15-5:15 p.m. May 7 M,T,W,TH 3:15-5:15 p.m.
Chloe Foster
Editor in Chief
Chase Schelling Assistant Editor
Linny Milliron
Assistant Editor
SEGMENT II: 6 Hours Lecture, Defensive Driving: (3 Days) March 7, 9, 14 W,F,W 3:15-5:15 p.m. Apr. 17, 19, 24 T,TH,T 3:15-5:15 p.m. May 15, 17, 22 T,TH,T 3:15-5:15 p.m.
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Classes also held at: Traverse City Central High School and
Traverse City Cass Commerce Center
$45 AUTO
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Google+ 14 The Occidentalist Entertainment
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Facebook is much more advanced with its gaming - as far as people involved with it and how much more its evolved over time. Also, Facebook has “Facebook Credits” that can be purchased through their games to get upgrades. However, Google+ has its range of games too. Starting with titles like Angry Birds, Bejeweled Blitz, Zynga Poker, and Sudoku they have a really good selection. “Their games are okay but aren’t all that entertaining,” said Wentworth.
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separate company. Due to the way we grew, through various acquisitions and the fierce independence of each division within Google, each product sort of veered off in its own direction. That was dizzying. But Google+ is Google itself. We’re extending it across all that we do—search, ads, Chrome, Android, Maps, YouTube—so that each of those services contributes to our understanding of who you are,” Anthony Horowitz, Google’s VP of products explained in an interview with Wired Magazine. Google has had a few previous attempts at Social Networking type services, including Google Wave, Google Buzz, and Orkut. None of these were very successful, and it seemed like Google wasn’t going to have much success in the area, but at last they jumped on the social networking train with Google+. But was it a good idea? The opinions vary. “I only really use google as a search engine, nothing more,” said Jesse Olsen ‘12. “It wasn’t a bad idea, I’m not sure if it was ‘smart’,” said Jonah Laursen ‘12. “They don’t have much experience and the market is already saturated with Facebook, Twitter, ect. Unless it was something revolutionary it wasn’t worth the try.” said Wentworth. Anyone wishing to form their own opinion about Google+ is welcome to, the steps to getting an account are quite easy. Go to plus.google.com, and just simply follow the instructions to set up an account. Be sure to upload a silly picture of yourself, invite some friends, and have fun exploring!
Google+ offers the standard text chat, and the ability to send a message, but it also includes sending an email and the Google+ hangout (video chat). Facebook, on the other hand, also includes the standard text chat and an email-like messaging system, along with video calling (which takes a bit of work to set up) and the ability to “poke” friends. This category is a tie - Google+’s chat and messaging isn’t quite as easy to use as Facebook’s, and the ability to “poke” and have “poke wars” is a really fun feature.
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On Facebook, accomplishments are automatically published into the news feed, which can get quite annoying if someone who doesn’t care much for gaming is looking for something specific on the gamer’s page, and has to look through 20 posts about new farm tools or new fish that the user acquired. Google+ avoids that type of thing from happening through their “Circles. ” Users can also join circles for topics that they are interested in, which will all go to their stream too - making it more than just following their friend’s every move.
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book stepped up the competition and threw in some updates that allowed users to do the things that Google+ was using as bait to attract new users. Interestingly enough, it sounds like most people’s curiosity of Google+ was from the wide-spread (on the web at least) controversy on how Google+ might take over Facebook. “I found out about it when my sister mentioned it one day and how it might overcome Facebook, but so far I don’t know many people that use it. Basically, I was just curious so I made an account and added a couple people,” said Clare. Another little intriguing part of Google+ is that since October 2006 when Google bought YouTube, Google has been updating YouTube and making it more compatible with their accounts, videos, and other services. Because Google owns YouTube now, Google+ has a few neat features that other social networking sites don’t. One feature is the YouTube search bar, that finds music and videos based on keywords and creates a playlist from the results. This will then pop up in a separate, small window. That way, people can listen to the music, and then share it with their friends on other sites instead of just on Google+. Another feature is if someone is watching a video on YouTube and wants to share it with a few friends, they can share it in a Google Hangout - making it possible for all of them to watch it at the same time. These sorts of things are just part of how Google+ makes their site a very personal experience. “Until now, every single Google property acted like a
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Now welcoming Google to the social networking craze, we have Google+, a site that even non-tech savvy grandparents could use. This new site finally appeared after 15 months of development, with new things like “circles” and “hangouts” to help users stay in touch with their friends and keep everything organized. “Circles make it easy to put your friends from Saturday night in one circle, your parents in another, and your boss in a circle by himself, just like real life,” is how Google+’s info page describes it. “Hangout” allows up to 10 friends to video chat in the same conversation. One way this feature has proven to be really awesome and helpful is how the popular rock band Chickenfoot uses it to let their fans talk to them face-to-face (or, rather faceto-computer.) The thrill of being able to talk to the lead singer of a popular band isn’t so hard to achieve anymore, thanks to Google+. By the way these two main offered services sound, Google+ seems like it would be a big hit, like Facebook and Myspace were when they first came out. However, some people at West seem to have a different opinion. “I’ve used [Google+] and it kinda sucks...a lot,” said Kurt Clare 15’. “I don’t like it, the way it flows is uncomfortable and [can be] easily replicated in Facebook,” said Sebastian Wentworth 15’. Between Google+ and Facebook, there really isn’t much of a difference. There may have been initially, with Google+’s invite only policy, and a few other revolutionary ideas, but Face-
Google+ rules this category with its “Circles,” that allow its users to catagorize their friends and keep family and different groups of friends separate. “[Google+] emphasizes the “circles” way more than Facebook emphasizes it’s friend lists. And you can see what gets the most “+1s” (which is equivalent to a “like”) from anyone on google plus,” said Laursen. Facebook allows grouping and privacy settings when posting (so you can keep people as friends but block them from seeing the posts), but with Google+, everything is automatically categorized and all set.
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The new Facebook? Julie Foote
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Entertainment The Occidentalist 15
Found yourself single on the big day of love? Fear not! Here’s a list of things to do for the bachelors and bachelorettes of West.
V-Day ToFor Single s:
Do List
Have a pa rty with y our other Watch a r single frie omantic c nds omedy th at you’ve Sulk never see n before Go to Kilw in’s and t ry some V alentine’s Buy a bou chocolate qet of flo s wers for y our mom Pretend it ’s an ordi nary day a nd do wh If you hav at you usu en’t alrea dy, read T ally do he Hunge Write a le r Games tter, longh and, to so meone yo Make han u care ab dmade Va out lentine’s c ards for y Read som our friend e Forever s and fam Alone me ily mes Go see a movie at the State Theater Make an effort to t alk to you r crush (if Eat a box you have of conver one) sation he arts
Curl up o n the cou ch and w atch a rom The Note ance mov book ie, like.... J u s t F r iends Dirty Dan cing How to Lo se A Guy Never Bee In 10 Day n Kissed s Pretty Wo man