Issue 4, Vol. 1

THE

CHAR OT Troy High School

Troy, Mich.

Netflix, No chill: ‘Making a Murderer’ exposes flaws in Justice System pg. 8

Volume 1 Issue 4

Feb. 12, 2016

the fliNt Water criSiS: a Government’s failure pg. 5

redhawks Down: troy Beats athens 72-51 pg. 7

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The Chariot

The Chariot

The official student newspaper of Troy High School www.troychariot.org troynewspaper@gmail.com Rahee Patel, editor-in-chief AuJenee Hirsch, assistant editor Leah Graham, assistant editor Jenny Boudon, cartoonist Emily Hamilton, graphic editor Soumeeka Koneru, photo editor Bhavya Sukhavasi, web editor Snigdha Suvarna, public relations editor Brendan Battle, staff writer Kaitlyn Bogdanovich, staff writer Bianca Bucholtz, staff writer Christina Crane, staff writer Hailey Davison, staff writer Sara Dehann, staff writer Deepthi Devireddy, staff writer Jarrod Fortner, staff writer Mina Fuqua, staff writer Silvia Hoxha, staff writer Sabina Ravindran, staff writer April Rice, staff writer Sarah Semon, staff writer Adam Sliwinski, staff writer Jayna Salk, adviser

The Chariot Staff Policy The Chariot is a student-produced news publication that publishes information relevant to the times as well as material that is essential to the overall well-being of its readers. It is The Chariot’s responsibility to cover school, city, state, national and international events and issues that affect the concerns of the campus, its students or its readers.

The Chariot operates as a designated public forum for student expression. The Editorial Board consisting of student editors is the sole decision-making and policy-setting body of The Chariot and has final say over all content decisions. The adviser and administration have a non-review role and may offer advice on sensitive issues and will offer criticisms as warranted but the Editorial Board reserves all rights to determine what material shall be published.

Editorials represent the collective opinion of The Chariot staff. Opinions expressed by individuals and in letters to the editor represent those of the author. Letters to the editor should be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, signature and class or position. Names of individuals may be withheld upon request, pending a vote of the Editorial Board. Letters may be submitted in hard copy to room 204 at Troy High School or via email at troynewspaper@gmail.com. All letters are subject to review by the Editorial Board. Letters will not be edited except to fix space limitations. Should the Editorial Board deem a letter to be potentially libelous or containing content inappropriate for publication it will return the letter to the author with an opportunity for corrections. The Editorial Board is solely responsible for these decisions. Letters need to be received one week prior to print publication dates to be included in print.

How Does one Define Love?

Children, students and a teacher share what they believe the mystery of love truly means.

BY RAHEE PATEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

GRAPHICS BY RAHEE PATEL

As Valentine’s Day approaches, teenagers begin to buy presents and plan dates for their better halves. But what is love, really? The word “love” is commonly used to describe relationships.

Many claim that it is an attachment to another, that it is a type of energy or an emotion.

“Romantic love is a deep feeling of affection that involves intimacy and passion,” psychology teacher Kelly Forshey said. “When people are falling in love, studies have shown that dopamine is flooding the reward centers of their brain, much like if they were addicted to a drug. People feel euphoric when they are with the one they love.”

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is released to produce feelings of joy. The chemical makeup of love explains the centuries of poems and ballads that have been written in its name. For something that is so central to human connection and culture though, love’s actual defi-

nition remains ambiguous.

The perception of love changes for people as they grow from childhood into adolescence, and as a child, love may seem straightforward. Younger kids responded to the question “what is love?” with descriptions of physical actions.

“When you love someone, you kiss them. Seriously, you do,” one Troy four-year-old said.

Once students reach high school, a transition occurs. Pop culture has presented high school as a place where the best love begins, a place where the jock and the nerd can fall into a love that is fit for a fairytale. But real high schoolers seem to have different opinions of what love entails.

“Love is when you have someone that you can share all your personal thoughts and feelings with, and know that they’ll respect everything you think about and every decision you make,” senior Nate Amann said.

For most teenagers, love is strictly a

term used for a strong friendship.

The stereotypical idea that love is based off of kissing dissipates as kids get older. Teenagers realize the importance of love, not only with their boyfriend or girlfriend, but also with friends and family.

“Love is not just two people always in each other’s company. It’s a lot more than that,” senior Roger Dean said. “[Love] doesn’t have to be with a couple; love could also be felt with friends.

My parents always say that they are best friends. It’s a big connection you have with someone, where you can do anything with them and get mad at them, but in the end you will stay together no matter what.”

As people age and grow, their concept of love shifts to encompass what they view as most important in their lives. In the end, it seems as though a person’s definition of love can only be determined by him or her.

Why the Primaries Matter

Voting in primaries is an important democratic process.

A STAFF EDITORIAL

Campaign season tends to bring out the worst in candidates as well as the people who end up heatedly debating about them. Attack ads, botched statistics and misleading rhetoric are all divisive forces in American politics, but they are part of the Pandora’s box that is democracy.

Take for example, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. As Sanders closes in on Clinton’s lead in the polls, their relationship has become more and more combative. Recently, Clinton has accused Sanders of an “artful smear” when he attacked her Wall Street connections. The two Democratic frontrunners have an upcoming debate scheduled for March 6 in our own backyard of Flint, MI. This particular debate is important for two main reasons. The first- Flint is receiving national media attention in the wake of its water crisis and the city of nearly 100,000 is demonstrative of the human toll of big government cost-cutting. The second- Clinton and Sanders will be squaring off two days before state primary elections.

Primaries are how political parties pick their strongest candidate to run for president. Essentially, primaries are

mini elections held in each state. Votes are given to delegates, who in turn give them to the candidates at their party’s national convention. These delegates are usually state representatives, mayors or other officials from a given party. The candidate who receives the most votes from these elections becomes the party’s official nominee.

Although primary elections are instrumental in deciding the two final candidates that run for the presidency, only a fraction of the people who vote in general elections vote in the primaries. There is a pervasive misconception surrounding the importance of primaries in deciding the eventual president of the United States. Voting in the primaries is an important part of the electoral process, and it does matter.

If we don’t vote, we’re ruining democracy for everybody else. A representative government only works when the people being represented actively participate. Democracy is a two-way street.

We can complain about how much things suck now, but change doesn’t just happen. We have to act and if we want to be recognized, we have to vote.

Additionally, being a teenager means

COvER PHOTO BY: SOuMEEKA KONERu AND BHAvYA SuKHAvASI

we have more than a few limitations on our independence.

GRAPHIC BY SOuMEEKA KONERu Voting is our right, and it is how we influence the world we are going to inherit. The US Census Bureau reported that millennials (people born between 1982-2000) comprise more than a quarter of the nation’s population and are far more diverse than any generation to come before. If we want a society and a government that reflects who we are, we have to be active and we have to participate.

One of the candidates selected in the upcoming primaries will make it all the way to the White House. When he or she is sworn into office in 2017, our adult lives will just be getting underway (or at least we’ll be in the final stages of preparing for them).

Leaving home and then going to college in a political landscape we didn’t help shape with a leader we didn’t help pick is not the best way to start the rest of our lives.

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DPS Teachers Protest Condition of Schools

PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

Activists take to social media to share images of the schools’ conditions.

BY SABINA RAvINDRAN AND SARAH SEMON STAFF wRITERS Troy High is one of the top ranked schools in the nation. However, less than 45 minutes away, schools in Detroit are suffering from poor conditions and budget deficiencies.

Teachers from Detroit Public Schools have taken a stand against the school board by participating in “sick-outs” instead of going on strike, which is illegal in Michigan as of 1994. The teachers are banding together

What if Winter Never Comes?

Rumors circulate about “Free Days” in response to lack of snow days.

BY SNIGDHA SuvARNA PuBLIC RELATIONS EDITOR

Detroit Public Schools

Troy High School PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

Gym PHOTO BY SOuMEEKA KONERu

PHOTOS wITH PERMISSION FROM @TEACHDETROIT

Ceilings PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

Being in Michigan, snow days and cold to is if it [is] possible for the city to get days are long awaited and somewhat ex- into all of the subdivisions in a timepected vacations throughout the winter ly manner so that buses can get into the months for high schoolers. However, this subdivisions. That is a big consideration,” year has gone by without either. Whether Machesky said. the blame lies with El Nino or the school This again can vary depending on the district, the fact is there has not been time the snow hits, what type of snow falls a snow day nor a cold day. One major and the type of roads in the district. For question among many students is wheth- example, Oxford has a lot of gravel roads er the Troy School District will give pos- so it is harder for their city to clean up the sible “free days” if there are no snow days roads in time for school. Also, if the snow declared. hits at midnight then there is plenty of “We do not have a specific number of time for the city to clean up. However, if snow days built into our calendar,” su- the snow falls at 4 a.m. it is more difficult perintendent Dr. Richard Machesky said. to clean up. This results in the superinten“There are up to six days that will be for- dent making a final judgment call. given by the state. So if you do not take In order for a cold day to be declared, those days you still have to be in school. If there are different procedures and guideyou do take those days lines used to deter“I do not remember then the state typically mine the situation. will forgive those days, there not ever being a “Cold weather is because as a school dissnow or cold day, so this where we look at trict we are required to what the wind chill is odd.” have a certain number is going to be for a of days and a certain sustained period -Superintendent Dr. number of instructionof time, primariRichard Machesky al hours. If you do not ly during bus stop make those days and hours we will have times between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.,” to make them up.”

Machesky said. “If the sustained wind Even though there will not be a “free chill temperatures are about 25 below, day” given out to counterbalance the ab- then that is typically the point where we sence of snow days, students should be will call a cold day because students and aware of the amount of work that goes staff are prone to frostbite.” into announcing a snow day or a cold day.

The lack of snow days and cold days this “The process is pretty simple. We have year is unusual. a director of maintenance and operations.

“I do not remember there not ever beIf there is going to be a large snowfall over ing a snow or cold day, so this is odd,” night, he will drive around the district Machesky said. “Typically we would have at around 2 a.m.,” Machesky said. “Then had at least one snow or cold day, but he will call me at around 4 a.m. to let me there is probably going to be one. More know how stuff is progressing and what than likely we are going to get hit with the snowfall looks like across the district. some weather here at some point. We just Another thing that happens is all the su- have been really fortunate with El Nino.” perintendents in the local area will have a To the students praying for a snow day, conference call at around 4 a.m. with our Machesky has a message. meteorologist from Michigan State Uni“Being a student once for quite a few versity. We basically report out how it is years, I understand the excitement within our districts. So we will decide as a around snow days. [Students should] not group what we are going to do.” get disappointed on those occasions when Through all this, the main concern is there is not a snow or cold day. The decithe safety of the students and staff. sion about those snow days is really based “The other piece is that it comes down upon the best of our information.”

and using their sick days simultaneously, leaving virtually no staff left to teach in the schools during the sick outs. These sick outs often force school closures. DPS teachers are also spreading awareness about the conditions of the school by posting pictures of everyday occurrences on their Twitter account, @teachdetroit. They say activism will continue until conditions are fixed.

Staircase

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The Chariot

Water Drive Held to Benefit Flint National Honor Society students collect bottled water for Flint residents.

by raHee Patel eDitor-iN-CHief

VS. GraPHiCs by eMily HaMiltoN

Democrats Campaign for Party’s Nomination

Bernie Sanders, a 74-year-old democratic socialist, challenges Hillary Clinton for the lead in the Democratic Party’s race for the White House in 2016.

by silvia HoxHa staff writer

The presidential elections are nearing, and the race for the democratic nomination is drawing to a close. With the leading points going to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, it is difficult to say which liberal will win the primaries in the race for president. Both nominees have qualities that could potentially give them the win: Clinton with her vision of fighting for women’s rights and becoming the first woman president and Sanders with being outspoken about the criminal justice system and climate change. Both senators seem to be aiming for the vote of the younger generation with their use of social media and libertarian views for the future of America.

Teachers and students are forming their own opinions regarding the way the primaries will go, some holding contradictory views while others are unsure of the turnout.

“Hillary Clinton will get the democratic nomination because the Democratic National Committee has stacked the deck to make sure that [she does],” social studies teacher Ryan Werenka said. “They’re holding debates on Saturday night at nine. How many people are really watching? It’s meant to keep turnout low, which in theory is going to favor Clinton. How seriously will [a mainstream voter] take Bernie Sanders?

He’s a 74-year-old socialist from Vermont.”

While some might also agree that Hillary Clinton has the best shot at winning,

others are holding a different stance on who they think will get the nomination.

“Bernie Sanders is going to win because Hillary is getting a lot of heat about her emails and past judgements,” junior Nicole Anderson said. “Bernie is just a trustworthy guy that most of the democrats agree with.

He has good ideas for the future and also has a lot of experience in government.”

Likewise, others have similar thoughts to this, but are more hesitant over his win.

“I think that Bernie will get the primaries, but only if the younger generation votes,” junior Ben Hadad said.

Some people are on equal terms with both candidates, finding faults in both of their campaigns.

“Bernie has great ideas that will help the most people, but I am not sure that he will be able to pull it off,” art teacher Edward Paciorek said. “Hillary Clinton has been training to be president of the United States since she was a zygote. I am not sure how much of what she says is true.”

At the end of the day, opinions differ greatly. The stakes are higher than ever with the recent withdrawal of Martin O’Malley after the Iowa caucus, in which Clinton won by a slight .3% to Sanders. People are able to find the pros and the cons of both Sanders and Clinton, and only time will tell who the official Democratic nominee will be.

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On Friday, Feb. 5, people arrived at Troy High dressed in basketball jerseys andhauling large packages of water bottles. The National Honor Society (NHS) hosted a water drive for residents of Flint, MI. Adviser Tim Marley and the NHS board arranged this opportunity for students to earn volunteer points at the game as well as to help those in need during this time of crisis.

“We usually do a can drive or make some type of donation, and this year, because of the circumstances, we wanted to switch things up,” senior and NHS president Christopher Chen said. “So, instead of a can

PHoto by raHee Patel

drive, we were able to make the water drive work.

Mr. Marley came to [the NHS board] to plan for this drive.”

The NHS water drive kicked off Students unload water during Friday’s bottles at the first drive. game. The organization will collect water bottles at Troy basketball games on Feb. 16 and Feb. 18 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Students in NHS will receive five points for donating.

Colts Take on Verizon App Challenge

Students create an app as a part of the Verizon App Challenge in order to compete for the chance to win money to benefit the school.

by breNDaN battle staff writer

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HS Math 1 800 CAN LEARN

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www.huntingtonhelps.com

PHoto by sNiGDHa sUvarNa

Many teens take the use of cell phone apps for granted, with little thought for the process that goes into creating them. The Verizon App Challenge aims to get middle and high school students to invent their own ideas for apps, and learn about teamwork, critical thinking, and technology skills.

The App Challenge is open to students in grades 6 through 12, in teams of 5 to 7 Juniors Howard Li, Jeff Guan, Maple Xu members with an adult advisor. Teams sub- and David Nie made their own app.

The Troy High team, consisting of juniors mitted a three minute video that presents an innovative idea for an app, and respond Howard Li, Jeff Guan, Evan Jiang, Maple to essay questions. One team from each Xu, David Nie and advisor Rebecca Brewstate will be selected as “Best in State”, and er, submitted the app “Picture This,” which go on to compete for a place among the helps students study with the Leitner sys24 Best in Region winners and eight Best tem, which uses flashcards and repetition in Nation teams, plus one People’s Choice to assist in memorizing information. Their award winner to be chosen through crowd app won Best in State, winning the team voting. The Best in Nation team will submit a $5,000 grant for the school, and tablets developed functioning apps as directed by for each team member. The team was also Verizon Foundation by June 1, 2016 in or- named Best in Region. In the four years der to attend the National Technology Stu- that the App Challenge has been run, Troy dent Association Conference in Nashville, High has gotten Best in State in all of them, TN. The Verizon Foundation will provide and Best in Region in the last two. In the professional support, workshops and de- People’s Choice contest, the 50 Best in State velopment assistance for the Best in Nation winners competed for crowd votes, for which Troy High won 10th place. team to prepare apps for an app store.

To schedule an appointment, please call us at 248-822 9998

2012 W Big Beaver Rd

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The Flint Water Crisis: By the Numbers

Citizens of Flint struggle to accomplish everyday tasks due to lead contaminated water which continues to present problems for Genesee County.

by eMily HaMiltoN GraPHiC eDitor In April 2014, Flint changed their wa- tor who works in the Hurley Medical Center supply from Lake Huron to the Flint ter in Flint, noticed more parents coming River. This measure was only supposed in worried about their children showing to last two years while the city waited for signs of lead poisoning. Shortly after Hana water line to be run from Lake Huron. na-Attisha released her findings to the state, A year and six months later, after com- there was backlash from the government. plaints of brown water that tasted bad and There was also an increase in cases of Lesmelled, the government switched the water gionnaire’s Disease in Flint in the two year supply back to Lake Huron. In Nov. 2015, a period that water was supplied from the lawsuit was filed, which stated that the state’s Flint River. Legionnaire’s is a respiratory Department of Environmental Quality was infection that is spread through bacteria in not adding the anti-corrosive agent to the water mist, but not from person to person. water, which is a violation of federal law. Education officials are also worried about Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatric doc- the amount of special education programs

that may have to develop in the area because of lead poisoning in children. Symptoms seen in children in Flint with lead poisoning include hair, memory and vision loss.

The Flint water crisis is impacting students and faculty at Troy High School. History teacher Mrs. Meghan Riddock is struggling to sell her grandmother’s old house.

“There’s no point in even trying to put the house on the market,” Riddock said. “No one wants to buy a house in Flint. They can’t drink, they can’t bathe, they really can’t do anything.”

On Jan. 14, Michigan governor Rick Sny-

der declared a state of emergency and asked for help. Since then, celebrities and government agencies have donated bottled water, filters, water testing kits and money to Flint.

The National Guard was also called in to assist in the distribution of materials. The residents of Flint fear that they will have to continue to pay for their water bills while the situation is being fixed, but $28 million had been given by the government to Flint to assist in the situation. As of Feb. 2, the FBI had begun investigating the crisis, but it is unknown when answers will emerge from the situation. iNfoGraPHiC by eMily HaMiltoN

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The Chariot

pHOtO by KareN sHreVe

THS Bowling Brings Home Major Wins

The bowling team prepares for a league meet against North Farmington.

by MiNa fuqua staff writer

Brian Zawislak (far right) pictured last spring with the 2015 girls varsity soccer team at the program’s yearly car wash.

Girls Varsity Soccer Coach Retires In 2013, Brian Zawislak was named state coach of the year after he led the girls varsity soccer team to victory at the state championship game.

by april rice staff writer For the girls soccer team, the season is rapidly approaching. This year, the team faces a huge change as they find out coach Brian Zawislak has left behind his coaching position.

Zawislak coached the varsity team for seven years and says he has enjoyed every second of it. Taking on a role of head coach requires dedicating a lot of time to the team.

As Zawislak’s family grew his responsibilities began to pile up. He found himself not able to devote as much time to the soccer program, so he decided to give his position to someone else who could.

“I had additional responsibilities both here and at home, and here I got involved with more committee work and that takes up a lot of time,” Zawislak said. “Now at home we just had another baby, and I just wanted to be available at home.”

In 2013, Zawislak was the head coach of the girls varsity soccer team when they won the state championship. He was also named State Coach of the Year that same season.

Co-captain and senior Cammy Barnett was

on that championship team as a freshman.

“I am not happy that I have to go my last year without him being my coach because I really appreciated everything that he did,” Barnett said.

Zawislak’s plan to leave may have come up unexpectedly but the girls are trying to stay open-minded about a new coach.

“It is so heartbreaking that he is leaving and it has been kind of rough without him so far,” junior Lindsey Bolas said.

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, junior varsity A coach and Boulan Park Middle School science teacher Hank Thoenes announced that Dan Troccoli would be the new coach. Troccoli coaches for Michigan Gators F.C. and his daughter, Sarah Troccoli currently plays soccer for the University of Florida.

Though Zawislak cannot work with the soccer team this season, he still wants to be involved with students.

“At school, I still want to make an impact with students, just in broader capacity, on a broader spectrum than I had with the soccer girls,” Zawislak said.

One target, one powerful swing and there goes a strike. The boys varsity bowling team has been scoring victories back to back. At the corner of 16 mile and Dequindre they practice one step drills three days a week at Five Star Lanes.

From the start of their season, the bowling team has been entered in numerous tournaments and have qualified each time. Junior Carter Scillion and junior Shane Messina are co-captains of the boys varsity bowling team.

During their last few tournaments, the bowling team faced Detroit Edison Public School Academy (DEPSA) and North Farmington. Recent victories have been clinched by junior Daniel Ryan, freshman Ethan Grigoriou, senior Jack Considine, junior Ryan Parker and by Messina and Scillion as well. In a meet against DESPA, Ryan’s overall score coverage was 202, Considine at

192, Messina at 204 and Scillion at 231-225.

During a league meet against North Farmington Messina had a score of 235-212, Ryan at 197-201, Grigoriou at 201 and Scillion at 213-210 points.

These victories by the boys team provide momentum for the girls team as well. “[The girls varsity bowling team] learns a lot from the guys because when they win we get motivated because it's such a competitive sport,” senior captain Noelle Thomson said. “The guys varsity team has many very talented players and I am proud of them for remaining such a strong team.”

Co-captain and anchor Scillion became an Oakland Activities Association champion, placing first in the Oakland County Singles Tournament. Scillion was featured in a recent poll on mlive.com to vote for the Detroit area boys bowler with the best shot at a state title. pHOtO by cHarles DOuGlas

Freshman Ethan Grigoriou practices for a tournament at Five Star Lanes.

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Boys Varsity Basketball Defeats Athens

The Troy Colts vasrsity basketball team clinches a win against rival high school Athens at home on Friday, Feb. 5, by a score of 72-51. by leaH GraHaM eDitOr pHOtO by carOliNe scHliMGeN Students dressed in various jerseys and blackout shirts filled the bleachers of the main gym, talking loudly and excitedly with each other. People had to shout to be heard over the noise, and even then they could still barely understand one another. The clock on the scoreboard counted down to the start of the game, and spectators packed the stands near into the rafters.

On Feb. 5, the boys varsity basketball team played rival Athens at home. Troy High’s starting lineup included sophomore Leon Ayers, junior Isaiah Smith, sophomore Jason Dietz, sophomore Danny Sully and senior David Robinson.

“We prepared for Athens pretty much the same way we do for all opponents,” coach Gary Fralick said. “[We] practice hard, pay attention to detail and learn from film and scouting reports.”

After tip-off, there was a scramble on the ground for the ball and Robinson recovered it. Smith put the ball back into play, and the Colts were the first to make it onto the scoreboard with Dietz capitalizing on two free throws. Athens responded with a 3-pointer. By the end of the first quarter, the RedHawks scored two more 3-pointers while Dietz and Smith made one each. After eight minutes of play, the score stood at 2117 for Troy and Athens respectively.

Athens started the second quarter with a 3-pointer, to which Troy’s Dietz responded with his own. The RedHawks made another 3-pointer, closing in on the Colts’ lead at 24-23. Senior Matt McCabe sunk a three for the Colts, and Troy’s student section began chanting, “We are, we are TC” in challenge to their rivals across the gym. Later on, the home crowd erupted again when Sully blocked a Red Hawk’s layup. The second quarter ended with a score of 35-32, Troy.

At the start of the third quarter, Robinson made two free throws. A timeout was called

with just over six minutes left, and again a minute later following two Athens field goals. A Troy coach dropped his clipboard to the ground with clatter and gestured emphatically to the players circled around him.

A buzzer called for the game to resume and the RedHawks made another three, putting the score at 41-40. During a break in play, Ayers pushed away an Athens defender who had been jostling him as he lined up at the edge of the key. The two stepped toward each other, frowning and hostile. McCabe pulled Ayers back and both teams separated to conference. With 15 seconds left, the RedHawks made a layup- the scoreboard read 46-45. Athens sunk a free throw to end the third, tying the game at 46-46.

The Colts claimed the first field goal of the fourth quarter when Sully made a 3-point-

“We battled all night long.”

-coach Gary Fralick er. Later, Robinson stripped a Red Hawk of the ball and came out of the challenge with a free throw for Troy. The home student section chanted, “You can do this,” and roared their approval when Robinson made his first shot. The second bounced off the rim but Sully grabbed the rebound and tossed it in to make the score 55-46, Troy. A timeout was called with 5:32 left in the game. When play resumed, the Colts started out with a tight combination between all five players on the court. Sully lobbed the ball a little high to Ayers across the court, who jumped and caught it. Ayers then passed to Robinson, who faced pressure from several RedHawks and returned it to Ayers. He found Smith down the court, who sent the ball to Dietz in a rapid one-hop pass. Dietz finished

the drive in an easy layup, making the score 57-46. Again, the crowd exploded, clapping and shouting its praise.

The Colts made two more 3-pointers before a timeout was called. The home team chest-bumped and screamed, encouraged by their peers, who taunted the visiting student section by chanting, “Why so quiet?”

They knew the answer, but they still enjoyed asking.

When the quarter continued, a series of free throws occurred, and with less than a minute left the Colts were ahead by a score of 69-51. Other players subbed in, and as Smith retired to the bench, he hugged his coaches and teammates. He turned to the audience and thumped his chest with a Sophomore Jason Dietz handles the ball during the boys smile. Back on the varsity basketball game against Athens on Feb. 8 at home. court, junior Stefan Palincas skinned an Athens defender on the long and really played strong defense in dribble, and the spectators howled in sup- the second half. Our competitive nature port. Palincas was then fouled and awarded was apparent all night.” two free throws, both of which he made.

The final score of the game was 72-51, “Our performance on Friday night was the Colts winning a decisive victory over solid,” Fralick said. “We battled all night the RedHawks.

Marching Band and Color Guard Play at Pistons Game

Students perform their cadence series at the Palace of Auburn Hills in a pregame routine as part of a fundraiser to purchase new unifroms and flags.

by DeeptHi DeVireDDy staff writer For the Troy Colts drumline and Color Guard, the opportunities to perform are endless.

Recently, the Detroit Pistons organization came to the band with a fundraising offer. They offered the band a deal in which for every individual that bought a ticket through the band program, the band received $5 back.

In an effort to motivate other band members to attend, they also invited the Troy Colts Color Guard and drumline to per-

form at the pregame.

The drumline and Color Guard each hadthree minutes to perform their routines.

“We only have three minutes to perform, so we performed our cadence series,” senior Kyle Christie said.

This was not the drumline’s first big performance. Recently, on Jan. 23, the drumline was also invited to perform at the Detroit Auto Show. They also are invited to perform at the annual tree lighting during the holidays at City Hall and other various

events around the city. One of the most important locations for the drumline to perform is at local elementary schools, where they inspire students to join the band, and eventually drumline.

The performance at the Pistons game was on Feb. 8 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

“It was kind of stressful at first, but once we got organized, the performance went smoothly and we got to enjoy the game afterwards, so it was really fun,” Christie said.

pHOtO cOurtesy Of trOycOltbaNDs.OrG

Color Guard and Marching Band on the field at half time during Homecoming.

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The Chariot

Why Netflix’s ‘Making A Murderer’ is so Frustrating

Liberty Justice For All?

The streaming site’s latest docuseries has sparked controversy over the story of one Wisconsin man’s murder trial, prompting petitions to the White House and national debates about the American justice system.

by leah graham editor

T

here is nothing chill about Netflix’s “Making A Murderer.” Halfway through one of the episodes, I hit pause so my sister and I could fully take in the suspicious glares of several particularly fed-up journalists frame by frame. They were as irritated in 2005 as we were in 2016, but, just like us, they couldn’t abandon the twisted story unfolding. It was almost comforting to see our own frustration mirrored on the screen.

The true crime documentary centers around Steven Avery, a man who spent 18 years in prison for a sexual assault he didn’t commit. The story begins with Avery’s wrongful conviction in 1985. After his exoneration by DNA evidence in 2003, Avery returns home to Manitowoc, WI, and files a lawsuit against the local police department for $36 million. Then 25-year-old Teresa Halbach disappears in 2005, and local police quickly arrest Avery when Halbach’s car and burned remains are found on his property.

But Avery’s implication in Halbach’s murder is not an open-and-shut case, at least not according to filmmakers Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi. The two spent 10 years working on the series, investigating and documenting the Manitowoc County sheriff ’s department’s conflict of interest in criminally prosecuting Avery for a second time.

The docuseries itself is masterfully crafted, although critics often cite various pieces of evidence left unmentioned (such as the fact that DNA from Avery’s sweat was found on the hood of Halbach’s car), but other viewers are more interested in the questionable conduct of law enforcement.

Hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions asking President Obama to pardon Avery and conspiracy theories are discussed extensively on sites like Reddit.

Manitowoc officials have been harassed and even threatened.

The most prevalent response to the show, however, is frustration. I can’t watch more than one episode in a single sitting because I get too angry to keep going. I need a break to walk it off or take a nap, anything to cool down a little because it is just so infuriating.

You feel helpless and enraged, desperately searching for a voice of reason that will give you all the answers- is Avery guilty or not? Did Manitowoc PD plant the evidence?

What really happened to Teresa Halbach?

Why is prosecutor Ken Kratz such a jerk?

Yet the barebones style of the documen-

The American Justice System’s quest for order and stability jeopardizes innocent pe

by Jarrod FortNer StaFF writer

Photo illUStratioN by eliZabeth graham

tary means there is no guidance or explicit direction to offer sanity. All the narration is told through real footage, so you are essentially subjected to the long and arduous legal process with Avery, and it’s absolutely exhausting. But you keep watching, waiting for that moment when clearheadedness will prevail and pull the truth out of an intensely muddled mystery.

And you’re supposed to feel this way. Yes, Demos and Ricciardi refrain from including several pieces of evidence from the prosecution’s case, but “Making A Murderer” is not a campaign; it’s a case study. They want you to feel frustrated with the American legal system, not just Avery’s situation. On “The Daily Show,” Demos and Ricciardi told Trevor Noah that they “did not intend to have an impact on that particular case.”

Maybe Avery did kill Halbach, but that’s not what “Making A Murderer” is trying to prove. They used Avery as their subject because “his story [is] this incredible window through which to look at our justice system.”

In the words of Moira Demos, “We have a long way to go before we can have a reliable system.” People shouldn’t have to succumb to financial ruin in order to hire a capable attorney, live in fear of incompetent or malicious officials or worry that they will rot in jail for a crime they didn’t commit. Nobody should, regardless of who you are or where you’re from, and that is where the American justice system has failed.

The notion of punishing an individual for committing a crime was envisioned to create stability and order since ancient times. Though the definition of crime can vary by culture and community, punishments such as imprisonment remain consistent across the world. Although the legal justice system remains an important instrument in maintaining peace, it has ruined and even taken the lives of innocent people unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. For people like Steven Avery, 18 years were taken from him for a wrongful sexual assault conviction. From 1989 to 2012, a total of 873 exonerations were handed out to wrongfully convicted criminals, Avery among them. While wrongful convictions are not particularly common in the United States—873 cases out of 2.4 million prisoners—it is undeniable that 873 individuals spent time in prison for a crime they did not commit. In Canada in 1959, 14-year-old Steven Truscott was convicted of killing a 12-year-old girl and sentenced to life imprisonment, only to be released on parole 10 years later and be finally cleared of charges in 2007 when forensic evidence was reexamined. In Truscott’s case, a wrongful conviction took away his teenage years and gave him a felony mark on his permanent record.

On the psychological side of wrongful convictions, those that are charged often find coming home and resuming a regular life to be extraordinary difficult, as family members gradually adapt to their relative no longer being in their lives and being a convicted criminal, innocent or not. Additionally, post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition commonly found in those wrongfully convicted, as the combination of stress and anxiety from being charged when innocent creates a state of despair and hopelessness. This problem of charging the wrong person isn’t limited to first world countries like the United States and Canada, as it is often found in dictatorships like North Korea, where wrongful imprisonment is used to remove a particular person from society who may be going against the government. While being released from

prison and proven innocent can in some ways person’s life, the time stolen by a wrongful con cannot be returned.

Accompanying prison sentences is the e ic cost of holding prisoners, in addition to la maintenance costs rising and posing an inc economic risk. According to the VERA Inst Justice, an average of $28,117 is spent on each er every year in the state of Michigan, for an total of $1.3 billion in 2012; the budget in 2 prisons in Michigan—which was $1.2 billio unable to cover the total costs of $1.3 milli Michigan Department of Corrections (MDO get consists of money gathered from taxes and to pay for not only the inmates, but for employ efits such as healthcare and pensions. The ris of maintaining prisons left the United States in debt of around $5.4 billion, as the cost of m ing a prison is more than what state budgets al While convictions and prisons are negativ pacting the economy, on the streets, police b is becoming an increasingly intricate issue th leads to wrongful arrests and accidental de 2010, police searched the home of Detroit r Mertilla Jones in the pursuit of a homicide s in the process, a flash grenade was thrown i home and impacted Mertilla’s 7-year-old Panicked, Jones struggled with police and Aiy ceived a fatal gunshot wound in the process. Th dent was claimed to be filmed, but any eviden alleged to be confiscated swiftly by police. The who opened fire, Joseph Weekley, was charg involuntary manslaughter and recklessly disc a firearm in Oct. 2011, only for both charge dismissed on Jan. 28, 2015—leaving the Detro munity wondering who really shot Aiyana.

The criminal justice system succeeds in order within the United States so that people normal lives, but when it fails and ruins a lif pursuit of the greater good, society is left to q if solitude is worth the misfortune of a select

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10

The Chariot

Students Gain Experience by Working Outside of School By taking on jobs in addition to their classes and homework, students learn how to balance academic responsibilities with their extracurricular pursuits.

BY KATIE BOGDANOVICH STAFF WRITER Students have a lot to juggle: school, sports, extracurricular activities, a social life and even jobs. Many of them struggle to balance all of their responsibilities, but others have shown it to be possible.

Studies from an article published by “Think Progress” show that almost 80 percent of students have a part time job during the school year.

Some working students focus on prioritizing their obligations or stay organized by keeping a planner to keep stress at a minimum.

“It can be stressful sometimes but I try to plan out my days when I know I will have time to work,” junior Daria Bradley said. “I will also try to get my homework done early when I know I will not have time later.”

Some students work longer hours than others. Those with heavier loads often do not have much time for personal relaxation.

“I get to pick my own hours so it is not so bad, but I have to go right after school so I do not have much time for myself,” Bradley said.

Many students start working so that they can have some spending money, but with the cost of college, having a job could really help.

“My hours fluctuate a lot, but I work around 20-25 hours a week, and the money’s good,” junior Allison Frey said. “It can be really difficult to balance school work, sleep and friends. Part of why I think this school year seems so hard is because I have an extra responsibility.”

Often, first time employees struggle to acclimate to the working environment. Eventually, many get into the swing of it.

“It was hard at first,” senior Charlie Douglas said. “But once you get used to the schedule it is not that hard to keep good time management.”

While many students work to make money, others, however, start working for their own personal reasons.

“I started working so I could get an experience in customer service and get a new feel for different jobs,” Douglas said. “I worked in the restaurant Camp Ticonderoga for a year and a half and I wanted to broaden my knowledge of different jobs, so then I switched to [working at] the Troy Community Center.”

As students, keeping a handle on things can be tough. Trying to balance what seems like twenty things at once can build up stress, but students have been able to find a middle ground and make it work. By finding work around Troy, students gain firsthand experience in addition to earning paychecks.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LEAH GRAHAM

features

11

Troy Theatre Ensemble Stages One of its Largest-Ever Productions After months of rehearsal and set building, ‘Shrek the Musical’ will open on Friday, Feb. 26 and will also be performed in school for all grades to attend.

BY LEAH GRAHAM EDITOR Students mull around the auditorium, some chatting with friends, others scrolling through various apps on their phones, waiting for rehearsal to start. A large set of stairs in a dull green color is to the far left side of the stage, and an oversized brown outhouse that looks swollen with its disproportionate size stands next to it. A half-finished sign with the words ‘SWAMP’ and ‘DULOC’ painted on it in white points to nothing.

The opening night of “Shrek the Musical” is getting closer, and the Troy Theatre Ensemble has been meeting more frequently to prepare. Rehearsals have become an after school staple for the students working on the play.

“The rehearsals are going excellent so far. I am having a lot of fun and we just enjoy being together,” senior Kristen Hansen said. “I want [the audience] to be amazed at how awesome [‘Shrek’] is because I think it is going to be one of our best shows we have ever done.”

Rehearsals are every day after class from Monday to Thursday, and cast members typically stay until about 5 p.m.

“The most stressful day of rehearsal was our first day off-book and we had to have all our lines memorized,” Hansen said. “It was our first time running that specific scene and it was super stressful because I did not have faith in myself.”

Someone calls the members of the Troy Theatre Ensemble to order, and over two dozen of them gather on the stage, taking their positions for one of their musical numbers.

“At rehearsals, we go over our dances and what we have to do,” senior Ryan Lenihan said. Lenihan plays the Big Bad Wolf and Papa Ogre.

“Troy High’s a big school and [‘Shrek’] is a big challenge, and it’s going to be really hard, but when we pull it off- because we will pull it off- it’ll be amazing and it’ll be in the history books.”

Director Rick Bodick selected “Shrek” as this year’s musical, and auditions were held

PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

Cast members of “Shrek the Musical” practice the moves of the musical number “Freak Flag” during rehearsal in the auditorium.

before winter break. Rehearsals started in January once students returned from vacation. “Shrek” is going to be one of the Troy Theatre Ensemble’s more ambitious shows to date, as it includes a large number of cast members and an elaborate set design.

This makes the production a more technical show for both the technical crew and the actors.

Many of their senior members graduated last spring, specifically from tech crew, so this year has been a building year for the Troy Theatre Ensemble.

“I am actually really surprised because earlier it was like, ‘Is this going to work out?’

But it is really looking good so far,” senior Brian Ball said.

Ball is playing Lord Farquaad in the musical. At one after-school rehearsal, Ball sat in the audience while members of the ensemble- students who don’t typically sing or have speaking roles but participate in big group numbers- ran through the steps of the musical number “Freak Flag.” He snacks on a croissant from Starbucks before he is called to contribute to the rehearsal. Senior Jordan Held sits near him in the aisle way, looking over her homework.

“I am playing Fiona so I am really excited,” Held said. “I like seeing the show come

together bit by bit. Every week we seem to get better and better; it’s a fun process to see.”

“Shrek” has eight moving set pieces and eight different backdrops. Bodick spent $6,000 to get the rights to perform the play.

“I really like that [the musical] has a much more deeper meaning than the movie does,” Held said. “The movie is just kind of out there while this one has a deeper meaning about fitting in and accepting yourself and

letting your freak flag fly.”

“Shrek the Musical” is based on the 2001 DreamWorks movie “Shrek,” in which Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy voiced Shrek, Fiona and Donkey respectively. The movie won an Oscar in 2002.

“I really hope that people like the musical a lot,” Held said. “I hope that this years’ seniors say that this is their favorite show from all four years.”

Purchase your yearbook!

Yearbooks are now $80! Come to the Yearbook lab, room 206, during lunch for more info!

12

The Chariot

After seeing another high school’s Cereal Club in an old yearbook, juniors Tiffany Nogoy and Caroline Schlimgen decide to create their own.

BY HAILEY DAVISON AND LEAH grAHAm STAFF WrITEr EDITOr A half an hour before school starts, senior Cereal Club member Charles Douglas totters down the science hallway on a hoverboard. It is Jan. 29, and Cereal Club is meeting for the fourth time. Science teacher John Morrison, who sponsors the group, observes as Douglas joltingly maneuvers the toy. Douglas abandons it, and fellow club member junior Trevor Witz replaces him. With a bowl of cereal in hand, Witz balances easily on the board, gliding back and forth. He poses for a picture, which is then tweeted from the club’s account, @the_cereal_club.

Juniors Caroline Schlimgen and Tiffany Nogoy founded the group after seeing photos of a similar club from a different high school’s old yearbook.

“Tiffany and I were flipping through old yearbooks and we saw they had a cereal club,” Schlimgen said. “We both looked at each other and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, let’s do this.’

We were totally kidding at the time, but after a while we were both totally serious about starting the club.”

To do so they needed the permission of an administrator.

“We had to get a petition and have 20 people sign it but we got almost 60,” Nogoy said. “We went to talk to [Assistant Principal Dan] House. He thought it was a joke, but he said he can’t stop us from meeting, so that’s how it started.”

Inside the classroom, students cluster around a group of tables shoved together, eating cereal out of plastic bowls and talking animatedly with each other.

“My favorite thing about the club is spending time with random and fun people that I normally wouldn’t talk to,” junior Natalie Guisinger said.

Cereal Club’s first meeting was held on Monday, Jan. 4.

“Five people not including Tiffany and I were there, and two of them have Morrison first hour so they don’t really count,” Schlimgen said. “At our last meeting we had about 30 people so we have really moved up in the world.”

Senior Ellen Barker was one of the first students to join.

“I was walking through the third floor one Monday morning, back when Cereal Club was on Mondays, and Tiffany approached me and told me to come to Cereal Club,” Barker said. “Cereal Club is honestly the very best part of my

Cereal Club members meet before school to eat cereal and talk with friends in room 315.

Friday mornings; it’s great. I love it.”

Morrison shares Barker’s enthusiasm for Cereal Club.

“It’s the most important meal of the day,” Morrison said.

“Come to Cereal Club. I just provide a room. It’s amazing.

The kids do 100 percent of the work. It’s just very cool and it’s gotten bigger and bigger every week.”

Students can become “official” members- the club itself is not technically official- by bringing cereal, milk or bowls to a meeting. New members are inducted in mock knighthood style, tapped on one shoulder and then the other solemnly with Morrison’s blue plastic light saber.

“I feel really good about Cereal Club now,” Schlimgen said.

PHOTO BY LEAH grAHAm

“We want to take a field trip to milk cows because then we can bring our own milk.”

Nogoy’s 17th birthday coincided with one of the club’s meetings, and the students present sang to her over their milk and cereal when she arrived at the meeting. She smiled and struggled with her iPhone, trying to open up the camera. By the time she’d started recording the serenade had ended, and she sheepishly said, “Do it again.” The rest of the club laughed and obliged, launching into the song a second time after Nogoy had pressed play.

Cereal Club meets every Friday from 6:50 to 7:15 a.m. in Morrison’s classroom, room 315.

features

13

Stugo Preps for Snowcoming 2016 Juniors in Student Government annually take the lead in organizing Troy High’s winter dance; this year the Snowcoming theme is ‘The Great Gatsby.’

BY LEAH grAHAm EDITOr The final bell dismissed students over an hour ago. The hallways are deserted and classrooms are vacant, except for the small section of the history wing within the afterhours jurisdiction of junior class adviser Kelly Forshey.

“Hey, Natalie, do you know any major hits from like 2006?” junior Drew Adams shouts down the hallway to fellow Student Government member junior Natalie Guisinger, scrolling through his phone while a blue portable speaker plays the Jonas Brothers. Guisinger looks up from the tree she’s drawing, thinks for a minute and answers, “You know what, just give me the aux cord.”

Further down, one of Snowcoming’s several Spirit Week committee chairs, junior Sara Cooper, is mid-stroke when her paintbrush falls apart. She mumbles her dissatisfaction under her breath, impatiently picks up one end of the brush and continues with her work. It is Monday, Jan. 11, and Student Government’s first decorating meeting for Snowcoming 2016 is today. Snowcoming is a semi-formal winter dance and this year it is planned for Feb. 19.

“Sometimes it seems like no one takes a second look at the decorations, but we have fun at decorating,” junior Julia Alaimo, another Spirit Week committee chair, said.

“We listen to music and get to just hang out while painting.

We get to see the dance come together before our eyes.”

Students in Student Government were required to attend at least four after-school decorating sessions.

“Staying after school takes time out of your day but you get to spend time with friends and it can be fun to take leadership roles on projects,” junior Brandon Burlage, another Spirit Week chair, said. “It does stink that people don’t realize how much work we put into this because if there was a dance where Stugo didn’t do anything then people would notice.”

Burlage shrugs, then returns to discussing plans with one of the decorating committee chairs, junior Elizabeth Graham.

Waking up half an hour earlier on Tuesdays and Thursdays to attend morning meetings and spending hours in the afternoon decorating is a substantial commitment.

Still, most Stugo members find their work rewarding.

“When the day comes and everything looks amazing, you get an overwhelming sense of pride for all that you and the other Stugo members were able to accomplish,” Graham said.

Snowcoming is primarily the responsibility of the juniors in Stugo, as the seniors tend to take larger leadership roles during Homecoming. However, fewer students attend Snowcoming than Homecoming.

“We want everyone to join in the dance so we can incorporate everyone in school through different activities,” Burlage said. “[This year], it’s a fun Gatsby theme, so it’ll be like a crazy party.”

Back in Mrs. Forshey’s room, Graham floats the idea of a confetti cannon for the night of the dance to mimic the scene from the 2013 movie adaptation of the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The thought is met with excited appraisals from the other Stugo members present, and Graham goes with Burlage, junior class President Ricky Young and junior Diana Leybin, another decorating committee chair, to ask Stugo adviser Ryan Werenka for permission.

Outside of his classroom, Werenka tells the group to get

approval from the custodians first. A small search party ventures off to find someone from the janitorial staff.

When they return from their expedition nearly a half an hour later, the confetti canon seems like a definite possibility.

By 4 p.m., posters in various states of completion cover most of the desks and available floor space visible in Forshey’s room. The remaining Stugo members decide to leave the mess for tomorrow, promising to return and clean up before second hour starts.

Graham grabs her car keys, turns to go, then says, “I think we had a pretty good turnout for the first day- I mean, look at everything we got done.” She and the other Stugo members will be back at 6:45 a.m. the next morning for another meeting, and again on Wednesday for the second of many more decorating sessions.

Junior Audrey Thompson traces a car from the 1920s on a poster for this year’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ theme.

PHOTOS BY LEAH grAHAm

Juniors Elizabeth Graham and Brandon Burlage discuss plans for decorating to prep for Snowcoming.

Juniors Ricky Young, Diana Leybin, Elizabeth Graham and Brandon Burlage consult adviser Ryan Werenka.

Juniors Alyssa Asmar and Julia Alaimo paint posters during one of Stugo’s after school decorating meetings.

14

editorials

Photo courtesy of emily lourim

Confessions of an AP student Troy High’s AP students share their thoughts on Advanced Placement classes.

By rAhee PAtel eDitor-iN-chief

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are very common among students at Troy High School. Some students have braved through over 12 AP classes throughout their high school careers while many others have never even taken one. To understand these tedious classes, Troy High’s seniors and juniors express their opinions about their experiences with AP classes.

THS students dress as Gossip Girl characters during preppy day, 2015.

High school: TV versus reality

“I still don’t know how taxes or student loans work, but thank goodness AP Calculus taught me how to find the derivative of every trigonometric function and its inverse.” –junior Rebecca Schroeder

How TV shows influence misrepresent the reality of high school.

By christiNA crANe stAff Writer Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Glee, 90210, and High School Musical are the reason that freshmen are scared to walk the halls on that first day of school. They worry about the divisions in the lunchroom and they are eager to belong. Once they begin their first day, however, students realize that Troy High is completely unrelated to any of the shows on television. TV shows have shaped the interpretation of high school for many years. Most people worry about the cliques and the drama that takes place in these popular television shows, but here at Troy High that is not an issue.

“The TV shows are really different because they put an emphasis on how there are so many different cliques, like there are the smart kids, the jocks, the art kids and the theatre kids. I just do not see that. Troy High is more open and it is not so defined.

You can have multiple interests and not just have friends in one group,” senior Kristen Hansen said.

Everyone belongs to many groups of friends and no one feels tied down to a

certain group of people. Troy High does not stick to the status quo. There are not any students flying to New York to get dinner or having their driver pick them up from school, “I have so many friends with so many different reasons of how and why we became friends, that it would be a shame if I could only be friends with one small group of people,” Hansen said.

Students try their best to avoid drama and make people feel welcome and comfortable in their surroundings. People here are more focused on their own friends and their own school work, and most people stay out of the drama.

“Everyone really gets along and there is not any terribly big drama,” junior Abby Miya said.

This school really allows for every student to find where they belong and figure out who they are. While nothing is perfect, Peer Mediation will say that Troy High comes pretty close to a bully free, drama free zone.

“Troy High is such a safe place. There are so many way to get rid of bullies here,” senior Harsh Patel said.

“AP is APsolutely hard.” -senior Jun Lee said.

“The good thing is it challenges you. The bad thing is you don’t have a life.”

- senior Artea Muherremi

“It’s okay to cry but just make sure you have others to cry with you. #APs.” -senior Joseph Salib

“If you think AP Chemistry is just about finding how many s’mores you can make with one bar of chocolate, you are in for a rude awakening.” –senior Jennifer Cui

“I dunno wear I would b in my life without AP English.” -senior Muhammad Qureshi

The Green Harvest

How corporations are scamming consumers.

By ADAm sliWiNsKi stAff Writer November 27th. The day after Thanksgiving 2015. Also known as Black Friday.

Although the day is regarded to be filled with sales filling up the shelves, many look past the certain dangers that this American holiday can create.

Tradition is always something hard to let go when it is close to the core of a culture.

From the beginning, Black Friday has had people camping days before stores open at midnight for the first place in line. However, like all long lasting traditions, they tend to evolve. With online shopping booming, store websites have allowed these stores to produce even more sales. Rather than sit in the cold weather in an ominous parking lot, you can simply sit at home with a cup of coffee in a warm bed to get your dream items.

Technology is always the hottest section of items during the season. Televisions, computers, phones and more are discounted immensely which adds to the technological desire. It makes one wonder how these items are allowed to decrease by such a huge margin. The reason is that these items are a knock-off version of the original.

This scam is not used by all companies, but

some companies produce TVs with less functions or connectivity ports that devalue the TV, but not its looks. The way the TV looks does not change and customers see no difference in the product. So, they feel they received a great deal on it. Beware of the look alikes!

With so many people running around stores, store employees are extremely busy from midnight well into evening. Although stores take precautions against scams and false credit card information, someone that is inexperienced or has been working since midnight has less of a chance to see something sketchy going around the counter.

Credit card information can be stolen in the hectic rush of all the deals. Buyers must make sure to use credit cards sparingly, not just to prevent a hole in your wallet, but also to prevent the possibility of having to cancel them.

All in all, people should never forget that if something seems too good to be true, it could be and that companies are trying to blind consumers with fancy percents.

At the end of the day they are still making money off of the consumers.

editorials Raven-Symoné on “Ghetto Names” Two Chariot staffers share pros and cons of having a “ghetto” name.

For the past month a huge controversy has become prominent within America: discrimination against “ghetto” names. Raven-Symoné, one of the biggest Disney Channel stars from the hit show That’s So Raven and co-host on The View, brought some attention to herself when she commented on a segment in the show called “Are You Judged By Your Name?” Symone’s comment received a lot of criticism and led many people to believe that she was a hypocrite because she has, as Ebony magazine put it, the “blackest” name in entertainment. The statement Symoné made was this:

“I’m not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea,” Symoné said. “It’s just not going to happen. I’m not going to hire you.”

The Pros The Cons

By APril rice stAff Writer

Twitter blew up with a bunch of negative comments on Symone’s view on the situation, but I think she kind of has a point to what she is saying. Most people, when looking at this comment that Symone made, would jump to conclusions and assume that it was a racist comment, but we have to look at the interviewer’s side of the story. Getting a resume handed to you for the first time and not knowing who the person is at all, you are most likely going to judge by their name.

In this generation, there are many stereotypes about “black” or “ghetto” names. For example, if you saw a movie today there is always a black character that acts in a “ghetto” way, and seeing this kind of behavior everyday you would think that African Americans behave this way. I feel that if you ever have a child and before you name him or her something that you think is unique, you should think about the child’s future and what he or she might have to go through with a name like Watermelondrea or even Sharkeisha.

Even though it may seem terrible to judge people on their ability to work just by their names, we have to understand that the person hiring is there to hire people that will make their company look better and this is a very critical job. I am not agreeing with Symone entirely on her comment, I feel that we should just try to place ourselves in someone else’s shoes and look at it from their perspective.

By AuJeNeé hirsch eDitor

I think the comment was extremely rude.

I have one of those “ghetto” names that Symoné mentioned. Many people believe my name is French and while it was inspired by the French language, it has been around long before I was born.

My name has many different spellings.

There’s Ah’jonay, Asianae, Aujohnae-the list goes on. Now here’s my question for you: if you were to hire someone with my name, would you hire AuJeneé or Aujohnae?

Studies show that you would hire someone whose name is spelled AuJeneé simply because it looks more “white-sounding.” In a study done by the American Economic Association, names like Emily Walsh and Greg Baker got nearly 50% more callbacks than candidates with black-sounding names like Lakisha Washington and Jamal Jones.

This study shows some racial bias among employers. I understand that you want to hire someone who will make you your company seem more professional, but what if Emily Walsh does not have as much experience as Lakisha Washington? By hiring someone with a simple “white” name, you could be limiting your business and be missing out on an employee who could do great things for your company.

My final thoughts are this: whether your name is spelled AuJeneé or Aujohnae should not matter. What should matter is what is on the resumé that you give the employer. Let the experience do the talking, not the name!

15

Say Hello to Vevo’s Newest Queen Adele’s new single breaks Vevo’s record for most views in 24 hours.

By BhAVyA suKhAVAsi stAff Writer This week, Adele is the big thing- again.

After a four year hiatus, Adele returned by dropping the first song off her record, and the people loved it. “Hello” broke the record for most views on Vevo in 24 hours, beating out the former holder of the title, Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.” “Hello” also is the second fastest video in Youtube history to reach 100 million views.

“Hello” is a make-up song, picking up where Adele’s second album- a self-proclaimed break up album- left off. In an interview with CNN, Adele described her new album as “a make-up record.” She continued saying that her album was dedicated to addressing all the “making up for everything I ever did and never did.”

This tune begins with Adele contemplating a past relationship that did not end well over clean piano chords. The song slowly builds to something grander, something more dramatic, and then recedes again back to the piano chords.

Adele’s new album, “25” will be available in stores Nov. 20.

The music video is in a black-and-white tone, obviously set in the past as Adele uses a flip phone to call her ex. The somber mood of the song points to a regret that the relationship ended, but not necessarily a desire to get back together.

In the end, Adele’s “Hello” does nothing but makes me more excited for her upcoming album, because if every song on the record is as powerful as this one, I won’t be listening to anything else. Ever.

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The Chariot

The Truth Behind Our Minds: Misusing Mental Health Terms Different mental health terms are being misused in everyday speech, causing the severity of the issues to be habitually understated.

BY BIANCA BUCHOLTZ STAFF WRITER

Imagine waking up everyday and knowing that you have to walk a different road than the rest of the world. Knowing that your daily routine consists of a more detailed examination of yourself. You struggle to grasp who or what you are.

Your brain shifts and thoughts intensify in your mind. Your mind deludes and fervent emotions arise. Welcome to the world of someone with a mental disorder. People casually throw around phrases like, “I have such bad anxiety,” “I am so depressed” or “I am so anorexic.” Medical terms are being used as slang. Disorders that haunt the lives of millions are being turned into jokes, and it is not ok.

Anxiety Disorder: What is anxiety? So many students claim to have severe anxiety, however, most of them have no idea what it is. Contrary to popular belief, it is not an emotion. It is not that feeling you get before stepping on stage.

It is so much more than that. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, these disorders are diagnosed if a person’s response is not appropriate for the situation. Those who suffer from anxiety have no emotional control over themselves. Symptoms are expressed by horrible fear and pain, ranging from migraines to random bursts of anger, possibly leading to other issues, including Panic Disorder.

During a panic attack, people irrationally believe they are in life-threatening danger. Panic attacks are extremely severe and yet teenagers use them as exclamations of nerves in common language.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): “He is just socially awkward.” That is something I hear so often in daily language. Kids seem to believe that just because someone is shy, they have social anxiety. Just because someone is a little weird or is a little off, doesn’t make them disorderly. People with SAD experience reactions in their brains that cause severe fear when in public situations, not discomfort. It is not being nervous around new people; it is locking yourself in your bedroom for weeks, not eating, not going to school, nausea, migraines, all over something as simple as going to the grocery store.

Depression: Something we all know of and know the severity of it, yet it is something so ignored and generalized.

We all have moments where we are down and experience loss of hope. Depression does not mean someone is having a bad day. It is the inability to breathe. It is feeling so down that the possibility of feeling normal is gone. It is not knowing if happiness exists. It is the inability to sleep, drink, eat, work and, in some cases, live. Depression can literally last a lifetime; some extreme bouts last for over two years. Two years of living in the dark.

Bipolar Disorder: No, you are not bipolar because one day you are happy and the next sad. Sorry to break it to you, but that’s just how life works. Bipolar disorder is rapid emotional changes. It can be severe for not only the person with bipolar disorder but for the people around them. Loved ones sit and watch a person they’ve known forever go from extremely happy to extremely sad within minutes. It can be the cause of losing once strong relationships.

Psychotic Disorder: Okay, so you are acting crazy one day. You go a day with random thoughts and actions.

That doesn’t make you psychotic. Psychotic disorders are more than just a crazy off day. They are mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and dazed perceptions. People suffer loss of reality and hallucinations of the world around them. They have no grasp of the real world and live life as a false delusion.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KAT FRAUS

Schizophrenia: Imagine your whole life being a fragment of your imagination. You wake up everyday and have imaginative visions of reality. The face you share with the world is flat and represents a lack of life. Common speech is a struggle for you. The functions of your body react differently from everyone else. Your memories fade and change due to extreme delusions. Your genes are permanently damaged. That’s what it’s like living with schizophrenia.

“Disorders that haunt the lives of millions are being turned into jokes, and it is not ok.”

Anorexia: Please, I beg of you, stop saying you are anorexic because you didn’t eat for a day. You want to know what real anorexia is, here it is: anorexia is obsessing over every part of your body. It is not eating for weeks at a time.

It is drug abuse and self-induced vomiting. It is denial and distorted body perception. It is fear and pain. It leads to bone thinning, brittle hair, yellow skin, anemia and muscle damage. It leads to constipation, low blood pressure, brain damage, organ failure, drop in body temperature and infertility. People with anorexia life their lives in constant fear and lack of hope. It is not something to take lightly. It is not being skinny-it is deadly.

Impulse/Addiction Disorder: No, you are not addicted to netflix or chocolate or reading. People living with actual addictions are trapped within the world of their addiction. They have no control over their mental ability to resist something and cannot stop themselves. Alcohol and

drugs are the most common forms of addiction and due to society’s stigma, people who suffer from addiction rarely get the help needed due the fear of judgement. Addicts ignore the world around around them and become engulfed in their addictions, many of which lead to bodily harm or death.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): OCD is a common disorder but is overgeneralized in our society.

OCD can be extremely disruptive to a person’s life. OCD causes intense urges and fears. Symptoms generally lead to aggressive thoughts, excessive cleaning, precise organization, repetition of movements and compulsive counting. It is not being grossed out by germs or enjoying a clean room.

It is the farthest thing from it.

Mental health extends far beyond what I will ever comprehend. It is not something to take lightly or to make jokes about. It is so easy for us to assume and become oblivious to the severity of something. Our society views mental health as something so taboo and exotic. When someone is struggling with a mental disorder, they rarely seek medical help because of the judgment that may follow. So many people in the world suffer from a mental disability and yet they are completely ignored. When someone is diagnosed with a disorder they become defined by it and placed in a category of our society. Youtuber Jack Harries said, “Mental health disabilities are an illness, not a weakness. They are an issue, not an identity. Mental illnesses are a thing. They’re real, and they’re very present. And we need to talk about them.”

Please. If you are struggling with a mental disorder or know someone who is, please don’t hesitate to get help. Mental illness is not something to take lightly and each disorder requires specific treatment. Please do all you can to help those struggling and again, if you think you may have one of these disorders, contact a specialized adult immediately.

editorials

PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

Trends to Leave in 2015 In the new year, there are some specific trends from 2015 that really need to be left behind.

BY SABINA RAVINDRAN STAFF WRITER

As we enter 2016, we have noticed some very disturbing trends that have not gone away. It’s been over a year now of hearing kids say things like “lit”, “watch me whip” or “YAAASSSS.” We are done with these overused and annoying terms that are said constantly amongst teenagers. Please end them.

HIC BY GRAP

ERU

KON EEKA

SOUM

Music Trends to Look For in 2016

Now more than a month into the new year, students share their current favorite music choices.

BY BIANCA BUCHOLTZ AND SARA DEHAAN STAFF WRITERS

Relationship Goals: “OMG, Sandy and Danny are like total relationship goals.” No they’re not, because no relationship is perfect. No friendship is perfect. No two people should make you feel like your relationship is any worse.

If you are happy in your relationship and love the person you’re with, then that is all that matters. Do not compare yourself or your relationship with others. Your “goals” should be based off of what makes you happy, not what others are doing.

Netflix and Chill: Okay, we all know what it actually means, so can we please stop hiding it beneath a streaming website. Netflix is a fantastic site, it shouldn’t be a cover for what some people do under the covers.

Savage: What does savage even mean? Whatever it is, I am done with it. Every day I walk into school and my friend looks at me and says, “You’re such a savage.” I have no idea what that means. Savage makes no sense and yet every human in our school seems to be a savage. It has to disappear, and soon.

Donald Trump: Does this need an explanation?

Bae: Calling your boyfriend or girlfriend “bae” may seem cool, but according to Urban Dictionary, bae actually means poop in Danish. How romantic.

Fleek and Slay: Can I not be reminded of the fact that you look so much better than me EVERY DAY? Furry Snow Boots: Every time I see someone wearing these boots I wonder if they’re about to climb Mt. Everest after school.

Squad: Posting a picture of you and two other friends is cool, but do you need to caption it “Squad” every time?

Saying Hashtags: You know those super awkward parents that say something really awkward and you’re super embarrassed by it? Okay, that’s like saying the WORD hashtag. Leave this in 2015, please.

Same: Dropped your book on the ground? Same. Tripped over a step? Same. Sick of hearing the word “same” in reaction to everything you do? SAME.

15

Music is something everyone listens to whether it be just in the car listening to the radio, or in every spare second of the day. While music tastes of the students of Troy High differ, something they can agree on is that 2016 will be a year filled with new music and concerts.

According to the Official Charts company, in 2014 vinyl records were selling at their highest point in the last 20 years, at a peak of 1.29 million sales.

Old Trends are the New Style Fashion and fads from decades past are making a comeback, leading to a unique combination of ‘then’ and ‘now.’

BY KATIE BOGDANOVICH STAFF WRITER

GRAPHIC BY EMILY HAMILTON

What is old is new- and that includes some good old fashion trends that were “hip” during our parents’ days. Now that is not to say we should bring back all trends, like denim on denim or flared jeans- please keep those in the 90s.

But I have fully embraced the scrunchies, record players and chokers.

I think growing up in the sort of household I did has an effect on that. I grew up on The Beatles, Nirvana and every band in between. I would travel back in time in a second: the music and culture from the 60s all the way to the 90s has stolen my heart. Now as I wait for a time machine to be built so I can finally go to Woodstock or a Beatles concert, I am falling in love at the record shops.

There is something about vinyls that I cannot quite put into words, but just the feeling of laying in bed and putting my favorite record on or aimlessly wandering through the record shop only to buy a random one and totally fall in love with it is a wonderful experience. My parents have told me countless stories of when they were at parties and someone had just bought a new vinyl and they would all dance around the record player- that is something we should definitely bring back.

Not only the music has my heart, but the clothing as well.

1970s peasant tops and flowy pants to 1990s jean jackets and chokers are my favorite. I am pretty sure I could wear rings forever, even though I am constantly losing them. My dad keeps asking why I have so many, but I will constantly buy more.

The thrift shops are a perfect place to go and find retro throwbacks, such as old skirts or vests.I love pairing things from then and now together and dancing around my room in them, or putting my hair up high in a scrunchie and a pair of high top sneakers. There is so much fashion from past years that should never fade out.

I find it kind of funny that our generation’s fashion sense is a mixture of our own and our parents’, but I dig it.

I guess it is true when people say history tends to repeat itself, so let’s embrace these throwbacks.

JuNIOR ROHINI veRMA LIKeS: eveRyTHING Q: What are some of your favorite artists of the moment?

A: “Definitely feeling Kendrick Lamar, Melanie Martinez, Halsey, and Bon Iver.

Q: What concerts are you looking forward to this year?

A: “I already have tickets to see Justin Bieber, Melanie Martinez, Vance Joy and Halsey.”

SeNIOR KATIe LIeBeTRAu LIKeS: ALTeRNATIve Q: What is it about the music you listen to that you love?

A: “I love how it makes you feel.

It pumps you up and makes you feel on top of the world.”

Q: What concerts are you looking forward to this year?

A: “I am hoping that this year I’ll be able to go to Lollapalooza.”

SeNIOR eMILy BuRReLL LIKeS: INDIe POP Q: What are some of your favorite artists of the moment?

A: “Adele, Ben Howard, Ed Sheeran, and Grouplove.”

Q: What is it about the music that you listen to that you love?

A: “The talent the artist has and how I can connect with their songs and lyrics.”

SeNIOR KM RAHMAN LIKeS: HIP-HOP Q: What are some of your favorite artists of the moment?

A: “Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Joey Badass, Logic and Drake.”

Q: What is it about the music that you listen to that you love?

A: “It lets me escape from reality and indulge in my imagination.

It makes me feel powerful.”

PHOTOS BY SOUMEEKA KONERU

Upcoming Show Dates:

Melanie Martinez- March 20 at The Royal Oak Music Theatre Vance Joy- March 22 at The Fillmore Detroit Justin Bieber- April 25 at The Palace of Auburn Hills The 1975- May 21 at The Meadowbrook Music Festival Panic! At the Disco- July 8 at DTE Energy Music Theatre Halsey- July 27 at The Masonic Temple Theatre Adele- Sep. 6-7 at The Palace of Auburn Hills

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Boudon’s Blueprint

The Chariot

BY JENNY BOUDON CARTOONIST

Come enjoy a delicious and refreshing smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe!!

We are located at:

1569 N Main St. Clawson, MI 48017