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Community High OCTOBER 26, 2011 Volume 27 • Edition 1
the communicator
NEW BEGINNINGs
CHS CLUBS 6 TANTRE FARMS 13
Mark’s Carts 16
FASHION REFORM 12 GETTING INKED 38 DRINKING GAMES 43 + SENIOR PULL-OUT SECTION 13
Dear Community, “It’s kind of incredible, really.” Those few words, spoken by Quinn Strassel, are words that seem to emanate through the hallways of Community High School. They bounce off the shiny waxed floors of the first day of classes, before the waves of students enter confidently through the double doors into their beloved school after the Opening Day Ceremony. It’s kind of incredible, really, that even in the dreariest of outlooks last year, the whole school saw teachers Strassel, Chloe Root and Laurel Landrum become full-time teachers in our school. We too, welcome the newest addition to our staff, Sarah Roldan. It’s kind of incredible that in our four years at this school we have seen so many of our teachers pink slipped, our class sizes increased, our electives lost, our janitors laid off, and yet, we still have so many reasons to be proud as Rainbow Zebras. We can be proud of the achievements our fellow students accomplish each and every day in the floors of this building. We can be proud of the hard work and passion our staff brings to the school; they deserve the same from us in return. The theme of this years Opening Day was inspiration, and here on the Communicator staff we hope that no matter what may rain down on our small school, you continue to remain inspired to soak in each and every opportunity this school provides. But better yet, to seek out that opportunity where the school cannot, and continue to expand your mind and your horizons. After all, what more can be asked of us when it’s kind of incredible, really, that we are only at this school because of the luck of a draw.
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CONTENTS
Jetty rae
06 LINK 10 06 A look inside Corey Fellabaum’s Liberty in North Korea
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mock trial nationals funding woes
chapter.
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jordan siden photo
letter from the editors
tantre Farms
Tantré farms grows and sells fresh, organic produce every week at the Farmers Market.
Jordan Siden, Kerry Fingerle, Julia Kortberg, Mari Cohen
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Panama exchange
the communicator staff Editors-In Chief Mari Cohen Kerry Fingerle Julia Kortberg Jordan Siden
Art Director Colleen O’Brien
Photo Director Cooper DePriest
Constants Editor Eli Sugerman
A&E Editor Erez Levin
Sports Editor Zach Shaw
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Production Coordinator Julia DeVarti
Staff Matt Busche Stephen Chang Ruthie Graff Hannah King Abby Kleinheksel Clare Laurer Casey MacDonald James Mackin Adam Mannheim Nick Margolis Sacha MoravyPenchansky Brienne O’Donnell Leon Pescador Nate Porter the communicator
Gabriela Rosales Ryan Shea Jeremy Simon Charlotte Steele Eliza Stein Katie Taub Gabby Thompson Lukas Trierweiler Margaret WhittierFerguson
Junior Sarah Zimmerman spent a semester in Panama last year.
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Mark’s Carts
A look at Mark’s Carts, which offers a unique downtown dining experience.
Advisor Tracy Rosewarne
Cover Photos Colleen O’Brien
Back Cover Illustration James Mackin
Vienna Teng
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After focusing on her musical career for eight years, Teng decided to pursue a dual degree at the U-M. table of contents
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Ultimate frisbee
Community’s Ultimate Frisbee team faces a year of rebuilding and reteaching.
shorts Dear
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colleen o’brien illustration
I have recently noticed myself noticing dogs. What do you think this means? -Concerned Enthusiast My Dearest Concerned Enthusiast, As a matter of fact, I was just mulling over this very issue with a bit of leftover bratwurst and warm candlelight the other night. Noticing dogs is a common symptom of “enlarged spleen” disease, which often develops in mammals and arthropods in their respective middle ages. This means trouble. My brother Grünter explained it to me one fine winter’s day as we skied down the Matterhorn backwards. He said, “Dünbar, when one notices dogs, this means trouble.” Use this new knowledge wisely, young one. Yours as always, Dünbar
an ake a m reshm d l f , u d o r o F “I w an.” -Alex i m a D it h.” r mout y, teache o t h e l t i u K ey mo ve it ourtn i C g d ’ “I ay.” n aw n u r d an ma eam eld, fresh r c s H uld -Alex “I wo r .” senio h , c s a n t lu mm eral a rsico-Sha n u f t Pe “Ca nd -Alia box a a n i to t it ollec Then get c y l e . ediat ean Jen estigate.” ry m m I “ ta o D and inv secre rt it t repo tom of it ina Hicks, st ot -Chri the b and oom s.” r d n t a the b nstrumen ior o t i n , jun the dow “Go in one of am Gillies it -S r.” hide locke s ’ e an on some dy, freshm n i t i ad ut uld p -Raven E o w I “ ore phom o ” s . , t i a m at Hylke uld e “I wo -Hannon re ” ith it. sophomo w z t a, al uld w gan Shayn “I wo -Lo ed nd fe g a e in om g it h dog walk n i r b my uld “I wo dogs in r. he , junio t s a it to t ss.” g Mein e -Alex busin
fastFACT
Judith Dewoskin
can Be found in
11 of the 17
school photos on the second floor james mackin illustration
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ann arbor, meet the onion
satirical newspaper the onion makes an appearance in ann arbor this fall. ann arbor introduces “america’s finest news source” and its local arts and entertainment section, the a.v. club.
charlotte steele brienne o’donnell illustration
Chicago- based satirical newspaper The Onion hit newsstands throughout Ann Arbor late this summer. The A.V. Club came along as its sister publication, which is the non-fiction arts and entertainment section of The Onion. The A.V. Club reports real coverage of Ann Arbor entertainment with the same brand of sarcasm, but now as locally-produced fare. Production and distribution of the tabloid is under the control of Bopper Media, Inc., founded by University of Michigan graduate Bobby Mitchell. He was delighted to be able to return to Ann Arbor as the president of The Onion Ann Arbor. The weekly paper was first distributed on the campus of University of Wisconsin-Madison as a student publication in the late 1980s, comparable to University of Michigan’s own The Every Three Weekly and The Gargoyle humor rags. Currently, The Onion occupies offices in 14 cities in the United States. Mitchell explained in an interview how The Onion selects a new city: “It’s not an exact science, but The Onion knows its demographics pretty well and tries to find
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towns that match [them] as closely as possible.” Why the venture to Ann Arbor? “The demographics of Ann Arbor fit [ours] very closely,” Mitchell said. “It’s a college town, and the readers have to be relatively intelligent to understand the humor.” He also noted that the similarities between Madison and Ann Arbor made the pursuit a no-brainer. “Plus, I personally have a strong affinity towards Ann Arbor.” he said. Each weekly publication features a compilation of lampooning international and national news stories, sports features, and comics, as well as the The A.V. Club’s chapter, which includes separate sections for national and local pop culture. As the content in the weekly paper hardly skims the surface of what The Onion has to offer, all of the articles in the publication and the rest of their catalogue can be found on their respective websites, www.theonion.com and www.annarbor.avclub.com. They are updated daily with the most recent content. The A.V. Club Ann Arbor’s calendar condenses a week’s worth of happenings into a convenient two-page spread which contains concert listings, film screenings and showtimes, art and culture events, interviews with local artists, and book reviews. The A.V. Club is also keeping an eye on the Detroit area to keep Ann Arbor informed of any other exciting events in the metro-area. The Red Meat comic, a list of weekly events at the Ann Arbor District Library, and A.V. Club crossword are all exclusive features in each edition. The Onion has established itself successfully with local readers and Community High students. CHS sophomore and loyal Onion reader Graham Gerdes regularly picks up a paper from the nearby newsstands at Kerrytown and the People’s Food Co-op.
news
“I’ve been reading The Onion since fifth grade,” said Gerdes, “I haven’t really read The A.V. Club, but I did know that it was the sister publication,” he explained. Gerdes also mentioned that The A.V. Club could help local artists and businesses get their names out. Gerdes said that although “it’s weird that the online [source] is updated daily and the paper is just a compilation of the past week’s articles,” he feels the publication has executed the paper well in their choice of stories that they publish. Along with distributing over 20,000 newspapers weekly, The Onion created two office jobs, four internships, and multiple freelance opportunities in Ann Arbor. A local distribution and delivery company being used by the tabloid has also added staff to manage the project of delivering the papers to over 50 different newsstands at and around popular coffee shops, businesses, and libraries on and off campus. The publication is looking to expand, both in Ann Arbor by adding more jobs at its office and beyond, “possibly to Ypsilanti and Detroit,” Mitchell said.“But right now our main focus is solidifying our place in Ann Arbor and reaching out to as many readers as possible.”
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across the world Vittoria Meloni traveled 4,700 miles from Milan, Italy to live, learn, and experience a new culture as an exchange student at community High School. abby kleinheksel & ruthilah graff gabby thompson illustration
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his semester, senior Vittoria Meloni is finally fulfilling her middle school dream of traveling from her hometown of Milan, Italy to the United States. Meloni first considered a visit to the United States when she began researching exchange programs at her high school in Italy. She and her best friend found a good program and decided to travel to the United States together. While Meloni’s friend was placed in Minne-
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ing in television because we don’t have that kind of stuff.” While she has learned a lot about the U.S., Meloni has also learned to appreciate a lot about Italy. “There are some things about my country that I never really liked and now when you are here there are things that you like, because staying away, I realize that there are some things about my country that I really miss, that we don’t have here, like all the ancient things,” said Meloni.
Being in the middle of both lives trying to live both will be the hardest part.
sota, Meloni soon found herself in Ann Arbor, Michigan: Meloni attempted to explain the major cultural differences between the United States and Italy. “The people in the United States are more relaxed and they don’t care about the way you dress or the way you do things. In Italy, especially with teenagers, it is all about the way you dress, all about what these people are wearing or what they said and judging them. And here everyone is just free to do whatever they want and no one is judging them for what they want to do.” The American high school experience is almost surreal for Meloni. When she attended Huron’s homecoming, she was shocked. “It is like something that you imagine when you think about the teenager highschool life in the US,” said Meloni. “People in Italy don’t believe that lockers exist for real because we do not have them, and like the football matches and dances, which is crazy because we don’t have them, so people who do exchanges say that they are liv-
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“It hasn’t changed my mind about the U.S., but it has changed my opinion on my country.” Meloni misses her high school in Italy. Although she likes all her classes here, she misses classes like Ancient Greek and and Latin. One of the hardest adjustments for Meloni is leaving her friends behind in Italy. “When people write you it is nice because they say that they miss you and tell you what is going on but it also means that they are getting by without you, so I have had some bad days but what you have to do is you just have to stop caring about what is going on at home and focus on the life that you are living here.” said Meloni. During the summer, being homesick was not a problem for Meloni. However, as time went on she began to miss Italy more. It was difficult for Meloni to start school away from all her friends in Italy. “When school started I got more homesick because it is real life and you know that you are missing things at home,” said Meloni. “Being in the
middle of two lives trying to live both will be the hardest part.” As Meloni has been away from her hometown for so long, she has been forced to become more independent. “That is one of the reasons I wanted to do an exchange because after two months, I love my family and I miss them, but I can deal with being away from them, which is good because soon I will go to university where I might have to live on my own and now I know that I can do it.” C
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U S A
Asian Student Union
Sponsor: Judith DeWoskin Student Leader: Clare Jacobson When they meet: Monthly Friday meetings during lunch in Room 303 What they do: They celebrate and make presentations about Asian food, culture, events and political concerns. Goals: They want to bond with others who have similar roots in two different cultures and to create awareness.
U S B Black Student Union
Sponsor: Janelle Johnson When they meet: Every other Tuesday during lunch in Room 212 What they do: They organize and plan events such as Soul Food Friday, Black History Month, and Valentines Day. They are now preparing to host the Forum Talent Show on November 1st. Goals: They wish to increase membership and they encourage the student body to participate and be active.
QSA
Sponsor: Chloe Root Student Leaders: Max Bonilla, Sonny Spears, Charlotte Wolf When they meet: Every Monday during lunch in Room 307 What they do: They educate students about queer issues and create a safe and supportive place for LGBTQ youth. They also address issues in our school. Goals: They hope to get more involved with activism, outreach to more allies in the group outside of school, and keep as many people in the school as comfortable as possible.
Hippie Chupacabras Student Leaders: Oliver Hill and Jonas Gearhart-Hall When they meet: Twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays after forum until 4:30/5 on the back lawn What they do: They learn and practice Frisbee. They play games about once a month. Goals: They want every player to competently throw a forehand and backhand. They also hope for everyone to know the structure and strategies of Ultimate Frisbee.
Community High Athletic Tribe Sponsor: Robbie Stapleton Student Leader: Eliza Stein When they meet: Every other Wednesday in Bodley Hall What they do: The athletes from all schools come together to eat lunch together, support/ encourage each other and have fun. They aslo talk about their sports’ seasons, records and personal accomplishments. CHAT also conducts a major fundraiser each year. Goals: They want to bring in athlete guest speakers from the area. They will also conduct the annual Strong Kid’s Campaign and plan an outing in the Spring together.
Book Club
Leaders: Nat Powell Student Leaders: Jake Becker and Kaylona Holden When they meet: Every third Thursday of the month at lunch in the Library What they do: They share and promote reading, discuss books, and recommend similar books/authors Goals: They wish to make reading a life long entertaining endeavor.
Depression Awareness Group
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Sponsor: Courtney Kiley Student Leader: Melanie Langa When they meet: Every Monday during lunch in Room 318 What they do: They fulfill the ecology void at CHS and are currently working on a rain garden. They also raise salmon in the classroom, read science articles about current events, and go on fun sience field trips. Goals: They wish to go on a canoe trip, a winter hike, and to the Natural History Museum. They also want to expand the salmon project to elementary kids to educate them. Who can join: Students who like science and want to improve Ann Arbor by making it more environmentally friendly
Youth Activist Training Network Sponsor: Chloe Root Founders: Fauster Kitchens and Dylan Croasdill When they meet: Every Tuesday during lunch in Room 307 What they do: They provide a bridge between different activism communities, create awareness about community issues, and give students the opportunity to learn more about activism. Goals: They wish to take more action in our school, work, and local community. They want to reintroduce radicalism and show that youth can be an effective radical force. Who can join: Anyone who is interested in activism and politics.
Community Ensemble Theater
Sponsor: Robbie Stapleton When they meet: Every Thursdays during lunch in Bodley Hall What they do: They learn about mental health, and they raise awareness, decrease stigma, and provide resources to students. Goals: To raise awareness and decrease stigma. 06
ECO CLUB
school news
Sponsor: Quinn Strassel Student Leaders: Jessica Shapiro, Etsie Arruda, Gabrielle Vuylsteke, Laura Waltje, Gabby Thompson, and Briana O’Neal When they meet: Every day after school in the Craft Theater What they do: They construct and perform plays. CET makes sure every student who wants access to theaer has the opportunity. Goals: They want diverse types of shows and students. CET also wants to keep shows energetic and fun.
Poetry Club
Leaders: Danelle Mosher When they meet: TBD Purpose: They prepare for the trip to France and learn about French culture. They also write to their home-stays, keep students up to date with current slang, and cook French food and watch French films. Members do not need to go on the French trip. Goals: To prepare students for the trip and to prepare others to get by in France easily.
Sponsors: Ellen Stone Student Leaders: Kerry Fingerle, Mari Cohen, Hind Omar, and Julia DeVarti When they meet: Every Wednesday during lunch in room 304 What they do: They write, analyze, critique and appreciate poetry together. They also support poets and prepare for performing. You do not have to write poetry to be a member. Goals: To create energy throughout CHS about writing poetry and to do a fall reading and shorts on the ledge.
Liberty in North Korea Mock Trial Sponsor: Chloe Root When they meet: After school, in Room 307. Meeting frequency increases throughout the semester. What they do: Students try out for different case positions and then the group simulates a legal case. They compete against other teams. Goals: They wish to keep up the level of rigor and engagement that Cheryl Grace had. They also want to keep as many people involved at the same intensity. Who can join: Anyone; there is room for different levels of involvement.
Game Club
Sponsor: Cindy Haidu-Banks Student Leader: Corey Fellabaum When they meet: Every Friday during lunch in Room 305 What they do: They raise awareness and inform about the lack of human rights in North Korea. Goals: To gain membership and to raise $2500 to save a North Korean refugee. Visit the club’s website at: www.wix.com/communityhighlinkcha/home
Forum Council Sponsor: Steve Coron Student Leaders: Emma Share, Shadi Ahmadmehrabi, and Hind Omar When they meet: Every other Thursday during lunch in Room 113 What they do: They discuss and bring student issues to administration. They also plan student events such as volunteering as a school and Multi Culti. It’s a place where students can propose to sanction, stage, and implement an event. Goals: Carve out the identity of Forum Council.
Want to start your own club Sponsor: Nat Powell Student Leaders: Hank Bedard and Dillon Gilbert Hakken When they meet: Every Thursday from 2:304:30 What they do: They provide an outlet for socializing and friendly competition. They hang out and play video games such as Halo and Wii system games. Students are welcome to bring in their own games and systems. Goals: They look forward to another Game Night, a fundraiser to raise money for a charity. Game Club would also like more girl memebers.
1. Define the purpose of the club. 2. Find an adviser who will commit to attending all meetings for liability. 3. The club has to be financially self supporting. 4. The club must follows district/federal rules (has to be open to every student). 5. Email Dean Jen for her approval.
chs clubs
French Club
julia kortberg & gabby rosales brienne o’donnell illustration
school news
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from the ground up
ruthie graff illustration
The ecology club, along with a top architecture firm, is taking on a new project: Making community high a greener school melanie langa
70% of pollution in streams is runoff from yards. rain gardens significantly reduce this number
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xtreme Makeover: Back Lawn Edition. When students came back to school this year they could see the beginnings of what will be a native rain garden and a larger basketball court on school grounds. The rain garden will be located on the southwest corner of the lawn. Its purpose is two-fold: to beautify the grounds and to filter the run-off from the campus. “What a rain garden does is it catches the water that runs off the parking lot and also the field and prevents it from going into the storm drains and ultimately the Huron River by having plants that can live in drought situations and wet situations…their roots soak up a lot of the water,” said science teacher Courtney Kiley, who worked with the Ecology Club on plans for the garden. Improving the quality of runoff coming from Community is of increased importance because of the increase in size of the blacktop used as a basketball court. A larger area of
impervious concrete means more dirty runoff that needs to be cleaned. The rain garden will counteract this extra pollution and reduce CHS’s impact on the local environment. “[The goal was to] take our concrete slab and add to it to create a half
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and… I’m going to have the basketball hoop moved to the end of the new court so that when kids go to dunk the ball they don’t run into the fence,” she said. Beyond simply creating the garden and basketball court, the project on
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We went to the school district and pitched our plans and basically they said that they would really like to implement some of our ideas.
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basketball court,” said Dean Jen Hein. While the new part of the court is currently unusable because of the placement of the basketball hoop, Hein is hopeful that this problem will soon be remedied. “I did have a conversation with an administrator from buildings and grounds
the back lawn will require a further step. Portions of the back lawn near the garden have been be re-graded so that they drain into the garden rather than onto the sidewalks or parking lot. Furthermore, there will be a series of small check dams to slow the water draining off the basketball court so that
it doesn’t damage the rain garden. While students have been eagerly awaiting the expansion of the basketball court, the expanded blacktop has led to some unexpected advantages for students. “Whenever it’s nice out I eat there,” said CHS sophomore Isabel Sandweiss. “I really like it. It’s nice because when the grass is wet or when it’s a nice day it’s nice to have a place to sit where you don’t get wet but you can still enjoy the weather.” Because the basketball hoop has remained in its previous position, instead of being moved to one end of the new asphalt that was put in during the summer, those eating lunch on the new cement aren’t in the way of the game. “The basketballs don’t hit you because there is that side area,” said Sandweiss. The planning for these improvements began last year when the Ecology Club worked with employees of the JJR Landscape Architecture firm to create a plan to make the campus grounds more environmentally friendly. Last spring,
photo courtesy of courtney kiley
Green school An overhead view of CHS and the possible new green technology that the Ecology club soon hopes to implement with help and funding from the district. This map was produced by JJR Landscape Architcture firm.
once these plans were completed, they were presented to the district for consideration. “We went to the school district and pitched our plans and basically they said that they would really like to implement some of those ideas overtime with the first step being putting in a rain garden out by the fence,” said Kiley. Because the original plans presented changes for the entire campus, not just individual locations around the school, it was not economically or practically feasible to implement them all at once. However, it is possible that other facets of the plan could become reality in the not so distant future. Once it was clear that more detailed cost estimates were determined district administration approved the rain garden and basketball court expansion. “The district was inspired by what the Ecology Club had suggested so the district met with their architects and had the plans revised,” said Hein. This summer, the district added additional space next to the existing
basketball court and designated an area for the rain garden. The Ecology Club will continue work on the rain garden throughout the fall with the hopes of having it completed before winter begins. “We need to have a proper mix of planting soil which is sand and potting soil and compost so that water can infiltrate through that soil…and some of the area needs to be re-graded so that it actually drains into the rain garden,” said Kiley. The necessary re-grading took place during Forum Day. On Sunday, October 2nd, the Ecology club began planting the garden. Most of the plants used in the garden were purchased from a local native plant supplier. However a portion of the other plants in the rain garden came from the gardens of CHS families who were willing to divide their plants and help give part to the new garden. Once the planting is finished the garden should not require very much maintenance. This is one of the many advantages to native plants that can
survive in varied conditions from drought to flood without serious problems. “We’re going to have to figure out a system of watering every other day but basically rain gardens are good because in the spring they don’t need a lot of maintenance but we’d have to weed a little bit,” said Kiley. This project will be funded by a combination of district bond money and donations from Community High’s neighbor Zingerman’s Delicatessen. Community is also able to do what Hein called “very minimal landscaping” with further funds allocated by the district. These funds will be significantly less than the various donations, but will be enough to make a dent in the many projects that the Ecology Club hopes to accomplish throughout the year. This will most likely involve dealing with the railroad tie steps near the northeast corner of the building that are breaking down. “We want to make sure that we keep the campus safe and that we don’t have soil erosion,” said Hein.
Because of the financial strain the district is currently under, money for further improvements proposed by the Ecology Club will most likely come from outside sources if they are to happen soon. “School districts don’t have the funds any longer to make that kind of financial commitment to the outside of a campus but first impressions do make a difference,” said Hein. If the rain garden is a success, the Ecology Club will be looking for further funding in the form of donations or grants to continue improving the look and the sustainability of Community High’s campus. Hein recognizes the difficulty in procuring funding but is optimistic that improvements can and absolutely will be made. “This is going to be a project over time. We’re going to ask all part of our community to be involved: students, parents, staff, business owners, and other individuals in Ann Arbor who may be willing to work with us to develop our campus,” she said. C
If a rain garden is made correctly, water will not stay in it for more than 24 hours
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liberty
jordan siden photo
the pursuit of
through his liberty in north korea chapter, Senior Corey Fellabaum hopes to spread the word about the human rights crisis in north korea and make a change mari cohen
According to link’s website, North korea is consistently ranked last among other countries for level of press freedom
to learn more about fellabaum’s lINK CHAPTER, VISIT HIS WEBSITE: http://www.wix. com/communty highlinkcha/ home
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typical Friday lunch period at Community High sees students sitting at the tables in the hallway, soaking up the warmth of Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea across the street, trickling through the doors of nearby restaurants, or traversing the back lawn. There is usually laughter on Fridays, brought on by relief and anticipation as another week comes to a close. But senior Corey Fellabaum chooses to spend his Friday lunches focusing on a place far beyond the back lawn, and is willing to give up Friday lunch laughter to do so. Fellabaum and the other members of the Community High Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) chapter spend the lunch period discussing the human rights situation in North Korea and working to make a change. Fellabaum founded the CHS LiNK chapter in February 2011 after representatives from the national LiNK group visited CHS in the fall. The LiNK representatives, who showed a video and shared information about North Korea, were looking for someone to start a chapter at CHS. Fellabaum, who was adopted from South Korea, was up to the task. “I had a relationship with the Koreas because I was born in South Korea, and I just felt that it’s really wrong that they are being tortured and that kind of stuff … I wanted to do something and then I just started a chapter,” Fellabaum said. Before last November’s visit from the LiNK representatives, Fellabaum knew that people in North Korea lacked
many human rights, but was unaware of the specifics. He now knows how dire the situation really is. North Korean citizens do not have freedom of speech, press, assembly or association. Criticism of the government is prohibited. Political prisoners are kept in concentration camps, where human rights violations, including torture, are routine, and many prisoners do not survive. Furthermore, North Korea is also experiencing a food crisis, due to government neglect, previous natural disasters, and a lack of arable land. According to the LiNK Global website, 33 percent of the North Korean population is currently undernourished, and 23 percent of children under the age of five are underweight. The country relies heavily on international food aid. LiNK was founded in 2004 with the mission to help North Korean refugees, raise awareness about the situation in North Korea, and advocate for North Korean citizens. Since then, LiNK has established underground shelters in China and Southeast Asia to help refugees fleeing North Korea, who could face torture or death if captured. However, it costs money to rescue refu gees. That’s where the LiNK chapters come in. The LiNK chapters, such as Fellabaum’s at CHS, spread the word about North Korea and raise money to rescue refugees. Fellabaum explained that the price to save one refugee is $2,500, which provides for transportation and amenities. The CHS LiNK chapter got started last year with a bottle drive fundraiser that raised around $35. Fellabaum plans to
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continue fundraising efforts this year, and is optimistic about the group for the 2011-2012 school year. “I think that it will a better chapter this year because we started only the winter semester last year, and we didn’t have a full year to get people,” he said. The group currently has five or six members that attend meetings regularly. Though Fellabaum hopes that more people will join, he feels that the current number of members is a good start. “I think it’s good … it’s not just like one person,” he said. Fellabaum is the group’s president as well as its founder. Though he is aided by the other group members and by the staff adviser, Social Studies teacher Cindy Haidu-Banks, Fellabaum takes on a lot of the responsibility of leading and organizing the group. One of the most difficult things that Fellabaum has to do is deal with the heavy subject matter, which can be an obstacle to adding members and spreading awareness. “There are some pictures that are really sad and sometimes some disturbing photos, like someone being tortured or something like that, that some people can’t handle,” he said. Fellabaum does not want to force anyone to see the images, and believes that it is a matter of personal choice. However, for Fellabaum, the benefits of leading the Community High LiNK chapter far outweigh the challenges. Fellabaum has been able to improve his leadership skills, and working on the LiNK chapter has changed his outlook on the world. “Now I can see that there
are other people that are suffering…we Americans have a good life and other people don’t,” he said. Furthermore, Fellabaum has been able to help a place that he has a personal connection to. Though he was a baby when adopted from South Korea, Fellabaum still feels that he has a relation to the Koreas. “When the Korean War happened, it split families and friends and that kind of stuff. And it kind of does touch me a little bit, because I don’t know if I have family in North Korea. I don’t know,” he said. Fellabaum believes that the LiNK chapter’s message has also had a positive effect on the CHS student body. “A lot of people are now talking and saying ‘How is your LiNK chapter going?’ and they ask me some questions about North Korea…it’s made people more open to seeing some other views, like the pictures,” he said. The successes of leading the chapter have inspired Fellabaum to continue working with LiNK after he graduates from CHS. He currently plans to attend Washtenaw Community College and later transfer to Ball State University, and he wants to look into starting LiNK chapters at both institutions. College, however, is a year away. For now, Fellabaum is focused on the upcoming year of fundraising and spreading the word for the Community High LiNK chapter. He hopes to inspire the student body with his message: “People in North Korea are suffering, and they need help from you, and we are a globally united people that are able to help other people.” C
kate summers photo
bringing ‘class’ back to the classroom kate summers
CHS teacher courtney kiley HAS HIGH HOPES for her personal wardrobe this year.
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ommunity High School Science teacher Courtney Kiley often gets mistaken for a student. For this reason, Kiley decided that one of her professional goals was to bring class back to the classroom. “I got pretty casually dressed last year when I was pregnant…wearing sweats and stuff to school, so I [am really trying] to make an effort this year to put the class back in the classroom and dress up a little more,” Kiley said. However, her view of the word ‘classy’ is not the same as most people’s view of it. “I am talking about not wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts every day, and that would basically be it. I also think wearing black is classy…I wore a pretty fancy sweatshirt the other day. Most people would look at it and say
it’s just a sweatshirt, but it had some embellishments on it that made it classy,” she said. Kiley says she started out strong. On the morning of the first day of school, she was wearing nice pants and
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of me [on] the first day for not being dressed up...I was pretty discouraged actually, because I thought I was doing a good job. They don’t seem to recognize when I make efforts,” she said. Starting to slip back into the routine
I set out to be a long term thing, but then I quickly realized that in order to be classy I have to buy the clothes, and I hate shopping.
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a blouse, until her five month old threw up all over her. “So I dressed up in something that I still thought was pretty classy, like a nice little sweater and some nicer jeans, but my hall mates, who set the bar pretty high for fashion — Liz and Tracy — immediately made fun
of wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts, Kiley is thinking about easing into this goal by starting with Classy Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, many Community students sport their finest clothing. Kiley admits that bringing class back to the classroom, “…was a long feature
term goal. I really set out to dress up every single day… I mean I admit I’m the worst one dressed in the science department and Tod [Tharp] wears Crocs to school, so that says something about what I dress like… I set out to be a long term thing, but then I quickly realized that in order to be classy I have to buy the clothes and I hate shopping. The classy Wednesday thing is a good thing to shoot for.” The Communicator has decided to help Kiley out. Throughout the weeks we will be posting pictures of Kiley’s clothing. C Want to see more of Courtney Kiley‘s outfits? Go to: http://the-communicator.org
the communicator
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