February Issue 2014

ct Grand Ledge High School’s

The Comets’ Tale

Nine snow days and counting, Page 6 stuck in a Gymnasts round Polar Vortex out their 100th win What it means to be a Comet

Page 12

Page 7

Tarnishing the hallways Volume 46 Issue 6 February 2014 820 Spring St. Grand Ledge, MI 517-925-5848

Recent ice storms and a flat roof cause streaking brown leaks throughout GLHS after water passes through insulation As students and staff walk around the high EDITOR-IN-CHIEF school, the brown goo dripping from the ceilings and the water leaking into the cafeteria is hard to miss. In the past few months, GLHS has started falling apart, and for some, it has become more than just being gross to look at.

As students walk into the front steps of the high school, they quickly notice the brown drips that rolls down the walls. As the tiles were removed and the brown water began to pile up into buckets, students quickly formed their own opinions of the brown streaked walls.

“I seriously did not even know what was happening or why there was stuff coming out of the ceiling,” senior MacKenzie Classens said. “It looks gross and I’ve heard some of my friends joke that there are dead bodies in the ceiling.”

While the students created rumors of what was happening around the school, principal Steve Gabriel soon nixed the idea that students were making up.

When the high school was built around the 1960s, flat roofs were not an issue, but after a major ice storm that left people without power for almost two weeks, the dripping has begun to pick up. As began to melt in December from this storm, the problem occurred.

“It all starts with the water leaking through and with the weather that we have had with the freezing and thawing and all of the snow and ice, and what happens is we have two sloped roofs, one sloped roof on the gym and one sloped roof on the pool and all that water comes and settles on the flat roof,” Gabriel said. “I wasn’t here when they did that, but I feel that it was a poor design to that.”

While the ice and snow storms have become an issue, it is not the only problem that is causing the roof leaks. As the roofs have started to age, the number of leaks have started to increase throughout the school.

“Some areas of the district’s roofs are only a few years old,” maintenance supervisor John Piper said. “Other areas can be up to 20 years old.

Every year we try to replace as much of the roof as possible that the budget will allow.”

While the pooling roofs have been an issue, they are not the only cause of the leaks. Over the years, the roofs have began to crack, causing the district to repair these cracks with patches.

“Roofs expand and contract with hot and cold weather,” Piper said. “When this occurs, in certain areas we get seams that pull apart and have to be patched. Just stepping wrong on a rock can put a tear or hole in the roof.”

For the past two months, the leaking ceilings and brown stained walls have not just been an eyesore for students, but an issue for the faculty.

After this issue became more prominent, athletic director Steve Baker, was moved from his office due to the roof issues.

“We were able to make the move over the holiday break so we were all set up and ready to go once school was back in session,” Baker said.

While the school believed that they fixed the issue by moving Baker to a new office in a more central location, more issues became apparent.

Shortly after being relocated to an office by the cafeteria, a new leak has begun outside his office, yet again. Before this new leak, Baker expressed that the move was actually better for the athletic department.

“We are excited to be in an area that ultimately is proving to be more accessible for students and staff,” Baker said “That has been the big positive Krystin Verran ‘14

of the move.”

However, the athletic department was not the only place affected by the dripping, but the cafeteria as well. As students came back from winter break, a secretary came over the PA system to announce that parts of the cafeteria would be closed due to water coming in from the ceiling.

As students filed into the lunch lines, the choices were slimmed down and one line in the cafeteria was shut down.

While the water in the cafeteria was only an issue for a day or two, the amount of water that has been dripping by the pool stairs has caused much more hassle that closing down part of the cafeteria.

While the roofs have been the main physical reminder of structural damage to the school, there have been other issues that teachers have been noticing. For just under two weeks, social studies teachers John Elsworth and Justin Heany were out of their rooms due to heating and cooling issues.

“The coil in room 103 (Heany’s room) had a freeze stat that malfunctioned,” Piper said. “A freeze stat is the copper wire draped across the coil. When the outside air damper opens to bring in fresh air from outside, it’s supposed to sense the air temp and automatically close the damper. This did not happen.”

With these issues keeping students out of their normal classrooms, it becomes tough to be able to teach students to the best of a teacher’s ability, however, the school made arrangements to the best of their abilities. However, these accommodations were still not enough and could be seen as a disruption to students’ learning.

“I think initially it made learning difficult,” Heany said. “Obviously it was a disruption and instructional time was used to explain what was going on.”

During the time that the heating and cooling system was broken, Heany and Ellsworth were out of their rooms for about a week and a half. For teachers, this is an issue due to lack of resources.

While Heany was only moved out of his room for about a week and a half, Ellsworth felt much more affected when he was moved twice.

“There is a difference between teaching and just talking, it is the planning of your space and I was deprived of that space and so were the students,” Ellsworth said. “That created more challenges reminding students about things and I think it was a noticeable distraction.”

As the heating and cooling systems only broke in these two classrooms, other rooms have been feeling that the heat needs to be fixed. From room to room, the temperature shifts dramatically.

With these varying temperatures, it has caused issues for students trying to learn.

“Sometime Mr. Mason’s room gets really hot and it is very hard to focus on what I am doing,” senior Katie Denis said. “But when I walk into other classrooms, it is the extreme opposite.”

Lately, students and teachers have seen distractions such as the hot and cold rooms, the leaking ceilings and broken vents causing issues.

However, there is not much the school can do to solve this during the winter months.

At the end of the day, the old roofs and the frozen heating systems have not been enough to keep students out of school. However, Gabriel said that if it were a health or safety risk to students, the school would be closed.

“The district doesn’t feel any roofs are a hazard, but we give more attention to the areas that are leaking,” Piper said. “The district would like all of our roofs to be new, but it is very costly to replace a roof. It can easily run into the millions of dollars.”

Photo left: Ceiling tiles in the high school on Dec. 17, 2013 started filling with brown water due to a flat constructed roof and the Polar Vortex winter. Leaks are appearing throughout the entire building.

The worst visible leaks are in the pool entrance hallway where the athletic office had to be relocated from.

Maintenance director John Piper said that until warmer weather arrives the roof cannot be officially fixed.

Photo 1: Sophomore Leland Showers gets lunch from the moved pizza line after the water invaded the cafeteria directly above the middle island where pizza is usually located Photos 2, 3 and 4: As the flat roof collects water it puddles and leaks into punctured areas. The water drips through the insulation changing its color to brown. Around the school buckets and trash cans try to collect the water from falling onto the floors.

Sarah Sims/The Comets’ Tale

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Courtesy Photo

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Krystin Verran/The Comets’ Tale

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Krystin Verran/The Comets’ Tale

Sarah Sims/The Comets’ Tale

Holt students sit-in to protest district changes Students’ voices heard at board meeting about canceled musical Jackson Vanderlaan ‘16 STAFF WRITER Starting on the morning of the Jan. 15, about opinions,” Holt junior Tracy Edelman said.

150 students gathered in “We needed to do something bigger Holt’s commons area, where than just state our concerns and ask the students eat lunch. HHS questions.” students had a sit in, during their Holt’s school board president John school day to protest a change Malatinsky said that while the switch in the use of their freshman may be difficult at first it offers more building. During second hour, positives than negatives. the principal of Holt, Michael “ The main objection to the plan Willard had everyone come to from [the students] appears to be the auditorium for a questions logistics, they do not want to return and answer session with students. to the building that they occupied as This lasted until the end of third Scan to read “The freshmen,” Malatinsky said. “ What hour. By fourth hour all students Plan” for the Holt this will do is expand the options for were back in class. our seniors – offering them the ability School District The Holt School Board voted to take college level courses on our unanimously to move the seniors into the grounds at no cost to them.” freshman building, and the freshmen into the For the ‘14-’15 school year, five new college main campus building five days earlier on Jan. level classes will be added to Holt’s curriculum, 10, but the public comments were primarily like an Olivet 100 level class, with other negative toward the change. options, including a computer science course, Some students took part in the sit in because to be explored in the next couple of years. “The they felt like administration wasn’t listening to Plan” will be fully implemented by the ‘15-’16 them. school year.

“I felt like the administration/board has been

On Jan. 13, 2014, several parents and students went to the Grand FEATURE EDITOR Ledge School Board meeting to express their concern over the cancellation of the Spring Musical and extra-curricular choir programs. The board members felt that many of the parents and students implied that the requirement for high school teachers to teach during their planning time was the reason that these programs were in jeopardy and continued to say that this is simply not the case. In fact, prior to Monday night’s meeting, the board was unaware that these programs were being considered for elimination.

After speaking with superintendent Dr. Brian Metcalf, it was very clear to the board that no decision had been made regarding these programs. The school board remains committed to supporting extra-curricular programs such as choir, band and athletics, as these opportunities are often the touchstones which connect students to their school.

“In this era of fiscal instability, it is the charge of the board and school administration to find the most efficient means to fund programs so that we may live within our means,” school board president Brody Boucher said. “School funding is an extremely difficult issue. Every district, including Grand Ledge, has several financial obligations, making the level of discretionary funding (money that can be spent on nonRachel Rayl ‘15

academic programs) very small.”

Although the funding is tight, there are several booster groups which contribute significant amounts of time, money and resources to the extra-curricular activities.

“Our hope is that the passing of the upcoming May bond issue will allow us to make needed improvements to our school infrastructure, which in turn would allow the district to utilize money saved from our general fund to be used on programs like these,” Boucher said.

Sophomore Steven Klingbeil attended the meeting and agreed it was progressive, but wishes that there had been a solution to the problem.

“I think we would see these programs again soon if our teachers were not stripped of their planning periods,” Klingbeil said.

“All the teachers in the district were given two choices: take a [potential] 10 percent pay cut, or teach during their planning period. Naturally, many teachers chose to teach during their planning period. Either option was poison. I am a firm believer in people taking action. The best thing to do is gather students, parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, etcetera; and address their concerns to not only the school board, but to address their concerns to our state legislators and senators. Public schooling needs more funding, and that is what it comes down to.”

2 Freak weather causes excessive snow days

nw.

News • February 2014

In January alone, the Grand Ledge District has been forced to STAFF WRITER close nine times due to bad weather conditions. This is a dramatic difference from the last few years when it was rare to see the district reach its snow day limit. However the extra snow days are not surprising as this winter was predicted to be one of the worst this decade by the Farmer’s Almanac, and its only four years in. Regardless the dramatic changes in Michigan’s, and the country’s, winter weather has hit our region hard and taken an affect on our schools. GLHS administrators have already decided to push back second trimester exams to March 12 and 13. Still teachers are desperately searching for ways to make up for lost time.

Over the long weekend from Jan. 24 to 28, calculus teacher Brett McCartney had to e-mail his students review problems for the up-coming test. McCartney felt that the test could not wait because he was running out of days until the AP test.

“They are not rescheduling [the AP exam] just because schools in Michigan are having a lot of snow days this year,” McCartney told his AP classes. “ We have to ‘compete’ against the rest of the country and have far fewer days to get ready.”

McCartney is not the only teacher feeling the pressure, however few would have liked to have school on these particularly harsh winter days. Due to the many different kinds of extreme winter weather the GL area has been experiencing and the extent of the district the decision to have a snow day does not come easily.

“Several of us drive the roads starting at 4 a.m.,” executive director Andrew George said. “ Our district covers 125 square miles so some days the road conditions are different from one end of the district to the other.”

While George, transportation director John Legus and superintendent Brian Metcalf drive the roads, GL community members are already making decisions on whether or not they Jenna Jardine/The Comets’ Tale think there should be a snow day. It is no secret that students who live in outlying areas endure tougher road conditions The harsh winter weather this year has taken a toll on Grand Ledge. The mid-Michigan area has been affected by everything, from snow to ice storms than those living in the city of GL or the Delta Township area. causing teachers to lose valuable time with students. This loss of time has led to administrators to delay the start of third trimester.

The vast expanse of the GL district is only one factor in the decision for a snow day.

The recent ice storm that took hold of mid-Michigan over decision to have a snow day. School officials know that many students chills are potentially harmful to students who walk to school or wait our winter break took a toll on the GL district snow day limits as well. drive to school and regard their safety as a top priority. The postings for the bus for more than a few minutes. Local news stations were The storm left no one unaffected. The widespread power outages were on the schools Twitter and Facebook feeds show that road conditions warning people to avoid going outside on the days that GL closed certainly felt by GL community members. However school still went were the main concern for calling the snow days that surrounded our school. Dangerous wind chills are only the latest in the stretch of weird on. It was not until a wave of snow storms from the north piled on top winter break. weather that has forced GL to reach its snow day limit only halfway of that ice that officials were forced to close school.

However the most recent set of snow days that caused the second long through the winter season. Now that the GL district is at it’s limit a “After we drive the roads we consider their condition as well as the weekend last month were a result of dangerous temperatures. Many decision must be made on how to make up for this lost time. weather forecast for the day, discuss it and make a recommendation to counties have laws that mandate the closing of school if temperatures our superintendent,” George said. go below 25 degrees, as is the case in Eaton county. These harsh wind The condition of the roads in the district plays a big part in the Jenna Jardine ‘14

Education is a business “There are too many politicians being influenced by big money DESIGN EDITOR and this big money ‘influences’ how politicians make laws and, obviously, in the last three years, the laws passed are to destroy public education,” retired teacher of 38 years, Don Halley said.

Halley believes the “government greed,” sets the unrealistic expectations for educators and schools that is unreachable and sets up the school system for disaster.

Halley started teaching in 1971 and retired in 2007 after teaching sixth grade for 36 years and fifth grade for two years. Towards the end of his career he noticed a slight change “There were many parents who just wanted to have their kids move to the next grade even when he/she were not ready,” Halley said.

Even with students being pushed to pass, the government still intervenes changing the way classrooms work, adding and subtracting from curriculum to set their own ‘standards.’

In a majority of the classrooms at GLHS, students can find white posters in the back of the room listing those standards required by the government. Not many students notice the posters, unless a teacher points them out. Every single Algebra 2 teacher in GLHS teaches the same exact chapters, from the same exact book, in the same time period, then gives the same test on the same day every other Algebra 2 teacher gives it on.

“The teachers no longer have discretion on how they teach,” Halley said. “The individual style of teaching is hampered. The government is making decisions when they know nothing about education. It is like me flying a plane.

I have been on a plane many times, but they don’t let me fly it.”

Don Halley’s daughter-in-law also joined the teaching profession. Mary Halley taught in Japan for one year in 1990 before returning to Michigan to teach at North Adams-Jerome Schools from 1991-2007. She now works for the Michigan Education Association (MEA) as a Uni-serv director, where she advocates for teachers contracts and trains others in the profession. As an educator, and a parent, she feels very strongly about how tax dollars are spent and the pressure of standardized testing that her daughter will feel in the upcoming years.

“The financial structure in the state of Michigan to fund public schools is ancient and not working,” Mary said. “We are far behind in the nation in funding our public schools.

As a taxpayer, I want my taxes to fund public education.”

Michigan’s minimum per-pupil funding is at $6,966 which Sarah Sims ‘15

Courtesy photo

Three musicians, junior Jacob Hoskinds and seniors Johnah Weller and Trevor Spitzley qualified during auditions and were able to perform as part of the highly honored MSBOA band.

Three GLHS band members qualify for MSOBA honors band

The Statewide Honors Band is STAFF WRITER an opportunity for the best high school musicians across the state to play together at Devos Hall in Grand Rapids.

Band and choir members grade 9-12 had the opportunity to audition and be a part of the performance. Auditions consisted of playing an etude, sight-reading and a 4 scale for about 5 minutes. The students who qualified during auditions were notified in December and went on to practice with the other qualifiers and began practicing for the concert Thursday and Friday.

GLHS senior Jonah Weller, who plays trombone, auditioned for the State Honors Band and qualified for the first time to participate in the performance. Senior Trevor Spitzley, who plays clarinet, and junior Jacob Hoskins, who plays percussion, are the two other GLHS students who were a part of the performance.

Allen Hendrick ‘16

“The best part of the experience was being able to see my future colleagues because I’m going into music as a career,” Weller said.

The actual performance took place Sunday, Jan. 18. The songs that were featured at the concert were “Celebration Fanfare,” “Fantasia,” “Fude,” “Mountain Thyme” and “Danse Diabolique.”

“It was a great experience, I got to meet a lot of new people and play some great music,” Spitzley said.

The performance was a very important concert for these three students and they feel that it helped improve their skills musically and was a great experience.

“One of the best parts of the whole thing was being able to play where the Grand Rapids Symphony band plays and many other great musicians,” Weller said.

The performance was a very important concert for these three students and they feel that it was a great step forward in their musical careers.

Comet-in-charge

P r i n c i p a l policy, administration is pleased with its Steve Gabriel outcome. The amount of tardies decreased meets with the most, going form 14,720 tardies total at NEWS EDITOR the staff of the end of first trimester last year, to 5,916 The Comets’ Tale every month for a press first trimester this year. Excused absences conference. Below is some of the information dropped by 7,544, from 31,681 last year that he shared with the staff this month that to 24,137 this year. Unexcused absences he thinks are important for students to know. dropped the least, from 13,603 to 8,806, a ACT Test and Preparation - All juniors will change of 4,797. take the ACT/MME this year on March 4, 5, and 6. The school hosts prep nights every Thursday in February, giving students two more chances to study up for free at the high school with the help of teachers here. There will be two sessions each night, one being from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and another from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The topic on Feb. 19 will be math, and Feb. 26 will focus on science. Writing will be touched on every week.

The goal of the program is to familiarize students with the testing process and fix common errors that students Liz Wood /The Comets’ Tale make before they take the Principal Steve Gabriel discusses the importance of the actual test.

ACT during his monthly press conference. He told the stuAttendance policy - After dents how they have opened up review night for students spending one trimester with the new attendance to prepare for the test.

Bry Leach ‘15

is $142 less than the years of 2006 and 2007. Something like this could mean program cuts and a tighter budget.

Then the government intervened by initializing Common Core which standardized and changed the material taught in schools.

“Common Core was an unfunded mandate,” Halley said.

“Schools were forced to do something but given no money to make it happen. [Common Core] changed curriculum, but no money was given to buy new books and materials so it forced schools to cut elsewhere. With no books or supplies it is hard to teach and have students do well, and it negatively impacts a teacher’s evaluation.”

For example, at GLHS, the spring musical is canceled, and fees for sports are slightly increasing. This is due to having no room in the budget for choir teacher Sheri Tulloch to have a planning period, so it was decided to eliminate the spring musical. Also sports such as lacrosse is not funded by the school so students have to pay a large fee to participate.

One of Mary Halley’s biggest worry is how standardized testing is pressuring educators and students to meet unrealistic standards that the government sets. The government makes schools, including GLHS, show progress of students by using testing. At the beginning of every trimester, students take a pre-test and at the end of the trimester students then take a final exam. Those results get compared and students education is then tracked by numbers and graphs.

“The pressures the government puts on public education is unrealistic and impossible,” Mary said. “The state of Michigan wants every child in public schools to be 100 percent proficient and at grade level. Does that happen in any other career? Of course, the answer to this questions is no. Why then is the teaching profession held to a standard that is not possible? Every teacher wants every student to do their best. Every teacher goes to work every day in hopes of every student learning, but that is just not reality.”

Mary did everything in her power to help students concentrate on school because the pressure of testing was so high. She even paid electric bills for students’ families, just so they could survive.

“I had students who had no homes: their main objective everyday was to find a place to sleep, not to get 100 percent on a state test,” Halley said.

With the government pressure and limited budgets, Don Halley, the former passionate teacher, still believes that public education will work itself out and be strong.

“Public education is not doomed,” Don said. “There are always up and downs and we will bounce out of this too.

People still love to teach and good people will continue to work to make public education work.”

What is Common Core?

Common core provides a structured, consistent education plan for students to follow It is the first step in providing young people with a high-quality education that will prepare them for college To learn more about the Common Core standards visit http://www.corestandards.org/

Promotional bond video to be published soon

On Jan. 20, Drop Drop Studios, a video crew based out of Grand STAFF WRITER Rapids, was at GLHS filming different parts of the building, including the main entrance, several classrooms and a janitor changing out a filter in the boiler room, for a promotional video about the bond vote taking place in May. According to superintendent Brian Metcalf Drop-Drop Studios was hired by the architecture company GMB-Architecture & Jackson Vanderlan ‘16

Engineering. He said the video crews cost was included in the schools payment to GMB. GMB has been working with the school district since 1997 and they are the same company that built the front entryway to the high school in 2011.

If the bond passes this spring, GMB will also be the company that works on the physical improvements to the school.

According to Metcalf the video is expected to be available around mid-February on the Grand Ledge District webpage.

op.

3 What students think about snow days

Opinion • February 2014

Everything Outdoors:

Avid hunting fails

Michael WIlson/ The Comets’ Tale

If you’re an avid hunter STAFF WRITER you have failed at some point while out in the woods. It just happens. Nerves get the best of you and you screw up plain and simple. I have had tons of screw-ups in the woods and while practicing too. You just have to learn from your experiences and go from there. A lot of hunting is trial and error, you just have to make sure your not messing up to the point to were its law breaking or harming others (including animals).

Hunting failure can happen at any age, even when you not in the woods. One time my brother and I were practicing shooting our bows by the house. At first, we used our hunter safety knowledge and put the target in a safe location. But then, I decided to start shooting at different angles and I ended up moving the target so it was on top of our dirt mound, facing the house.

My brother shot at the target and missed. Instead the arrow went up and over the dirt mound, right into our air conditioner! Times like these are when you realize that shooting at a target with your air conditioner in the background is not the smartest idea. We call it air conditioner hunting and it’s a lot easier than regular hunting.

You can laugh at disasters like shooting the air conditioner, but mess up like that in the field and you’ll want to jump out of your tree stand. Would you ever want to see a nice 8-point spook off because your phone vibrated on the seat of your tree stand? I’m guessing not; so don’t make any dumb mistakes like I did when you’re hunting, you will be furious.

So I stressed how important it is to practice before you go hunting, but if you are hunting an animal for the first time you have to make sure you know that animal from the inside out. I went bear hunting for the first time last August. Bears are very dangerous animal to hunt. Its not polar bear hunting by any means, but it is still very dangerous. It’s not the kind of hunt you want to just jump right into and all I really knew was that you have to wait until the bear is quartering away (facing away at a 45 degree angle) from you to get the best shot into his vitals (heart, lungs, liver). What I didn’t know was that bears could make the hairs on your neck stand up when you first saw them. Bears click their teeth together when they know something is up. Nine times out of 10 they know you’re in the stand but the bait is more important to them. I also didn’t know that you were lucky just to see a bear— let alone the four that I saw my first night hunting. The second day I was in Canada, I saw the dominant bear in the area I was hunting. He had to be a good three-hundred pounds and was about 10 yards away from me. He was almost facing away from me but he gave me a good enough shot. I found out bears have to be at the almost perfect angle so you can actually kill them, not wound them like I did. If I would have studied up on bears a little bit more, I would have been paying $500 or probably more than that for a beautiful trophy bear mount, instead I had some stories and a tiny bear compared to what I could’ve had.

These are the moments, the lessons learned, the what ifs, and the woulda, shoulda, coulda, moments that happen in hunting. Take the time to study and put some effort into what you love. These opportunities don’t happen everyday, so that extra effort pays off in the end, you won’t be sorry.

Rollin Brummette ‘14

Most students love every Jessica Cotter ‘16 opportunity to have a day off STAFF WRITER from school. The best days off are those right next to the weekends, whether it’s a professional development day, or the student favorite, a snow day. But snow days are not always the best thing. There are surprisingly students and teachers who wish we did not have as many snow days. The reasoning for this is because if you go over the six-day limit which Grand Ledge, and many schools across the state are pushing their limits going over the amount of days they can take off.

When you do go over the selected number of days you will find your teachers stressed out later in the trimester cramming to get the required amount of curriculum in. This also can put a lot on the students because they are even more stressed for the final exam, not only are they learning new material all the way up to the day before the exams, they have to take a test during the week of exams for the previous days that they couldn’t come to school due to closings.

When teachers plan a test for a Monday or Friday and then we end up having a snow day, some students would look at this as a good opportunity to get more study time in. But then there are the students like myself who forget everything they had learned that was going to be put on the test because they had three whole days to forget what they were going to study and sometimes that they even had a test planned. Especially when teachers have a test planned for a Friday and we end up having a snow day that day, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of a long weekend and when you return to school on Monday you had completely forgotten about the test.

Many coaches and athletes can be in a tight situation if the weather is bad enough they cancel all evening events. So they are out a game, which they have to end up making up at the end of the season or cram and try to fit it in in the middle of the week. Also if everything gets canceled they are out a gym time. This can be a threat if they have an important game or match that week against schools like Holt and East Lansing. So many athletes along with myself cannot afford a snow day.

It is important as a student not to assume there will be a snow day the next day because as many of us have found this is not always the case. So do not put of your homework and studying and tell yourself that you will have a snow day tomorrow and you will study then. That next morning you may find yourself in a bad and stressful situation.

Personally on days that I cannot afford to miss a day of in class studying or having a teacher in class to help me I would rather not have the snow day.

This keeps my focus on point and allows me to be ready and prepared and not forget everything over a long weekend.

Liz Wood/ The Comets’ Tale

I know when I get the call or turn on Channel 6 News STUDENT LIFE EDITOR and see that Grand Ledge will be closed, its like the night before Christmas. If you ask a student what they think the best part of winter is, odds are they will answer with snow days. The best snow days are the ones that are called the day ahead that way, you do not have to go to sleep early or you can go out with friends. Snow days are all together great because they give you an impromptu, much-deserved break.

Even though some teachers get annoyed by a day off, we all know that they secretly love the break away from work. I know my math teacher definitely gets stressed about the missed lessons but she always tells my class that she was glad she got to spend the day with her kids. Snow days are an unexpected surprise for teachers so they can just kick back with their families. It also can give teachers time to plan for the days to come, especially if they don’t have a planning hour.

This year already, there has been nine snow days. On those days, I went to the movies, the mall and even went up north on a three-day weekend.

The only obvious downside to snow days is when they happen multiple days a row, like what happened on Jan 6-8. The giant snowstorm caused the district to close the schools for three days, adding those days onto the six-snow day limit that the state government sets. If the district goes over six snow days, they must add extra days (however many days exceeded the limit) onto the end of the year to make-up for the missed days. With the polar vortex and frigid temperatures, it is not even in doubt that we won’t stop having snow days for a while. Weather or not we go over the limit— all these mini-summer breaks give us a break away from all the school stress.

Snow days also are great for that last minute study session before a big test or to do those last few homework problems you didn’t quite finish. If a teacher scheduled a test, then that day was canceled, it gives you more time to study.

Snow days are good for sports teams too. The coaches could schedule longer practices, or set those times for first thing in the morning, or even do two-a-days. Of course if the roads are too bad, practices and games could be canceled which could impose a problem but usually, that happen very often.

Personally, I think snow days are beneficial to everyone—teachers, students, administrators, and even parents can feel more at ease knowing that their kids are safe at home and not out on the bad roads.

Amy Case ‘16

What do you like to do on snow days?

“I go sledding sometimes on snow days,” sophomore Megan Emmons said.

“I do the homework that I didn’t do the night before, or go sledding with friends,” senior Lauren Glasgow said.

“I stay in my house and sleep in,” freshman Nick Crocker said.

“I haven’t had a car, so I sit at home unless someone picks me up, then I’ll go out with friends,” senior Mitch Hankerd said.

Uneven cuts cause unbalanced opportunities in the district At the beginning of the year, the school board decided to make numerous cuts, affecting more than just teachers, but the students as well. While teachers and students are being affected by these everlasting cuts, the rest of the school district has gotten off scot-free. The amount of activities that have been cut by the high school is unproportional to that of the middle and elementary schools with GLHS being the most affected. When making cuts, the school board needs to find a more efficient way to make cuts without affecting students’ high school experience.

As of this year, GLHS has been forced to cut teachers planning time to almost zero, causing teachers to resign from coaching positions and cut after school activities to make time to efficiently plan for their classes. While some teachers are teaching during their planning hour just two out of three trimesters a year, this is not the case for all teachers. In some areas of teaching, teachers have been forced to work all three trimesters without planning hours.

Teachers such as foreign language teacher Ginger Metivier, AP economics teacher Steve Delaney and choir teacher and musical coordinator Sheri Tulloch are no exception to these cuts. For Tulloch, these cuts meant cutting the spring musical this year. After announcing that there would be no spring musical, seniors were disappointed EDITORIAL

Cartoon by Gianna Ferraro/The Comets’ Tale

Mission Statement The Comets’ Tale, a newspaper produced for and by students of Grand Ledge High School, will provide the student body with information pertinent to events, activities and issues that affect GLHS students.

Editor-in-Chief Krystin Verran Managing Editor Jake Thomann Design Editor Sarah Sims Business Manager Mary Vu Photo Editor Elizabeth Wood

Copy Editor Sarah Clinkscales Student Life Editor Amy Case News Editor Bry Leach Sports Editor Zach Kramp

Entertainment Editor Katt Gonzalez

Staff Writers

Emily Bellar Rollin Brummette Jessica Cotter Gabrielle Cushman Kathrine Davidson Alicia Degroat Morgan Douglas

Zoe Halbeisen Allen Hendrick Jenna Jardine Emily Magoon Brianna Martin Robert Mitchell Kaitlin Peacock Rachel Rayl Ciera Roberts Katie Twarozynski

they could not have one last hoorah before they graduated and underclassmen lost hopes of gaining more experience.

These cuts not only affected the teachers, but students’ high school experience as well.

Along with cutting after school programs, Grand Ledge has had to decline funding for clubs, such as boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, hockey, pom and bowling to keep on budget.

For these clubs this has meant raising the price of pay-toplay funds. As the funds begin to increase, the amount of athlete participation has been dropping due to the lack of not being able to pay for the club. But as these clubs raise their funds, other sports soon fear that they are going to lose this funding as well. However, these cuts are only seen at the high school level.

In the past year, the students and staff at GLHS have witnessed first hand the vast amount of cuts that the school and district has implemented. However, at the middle school and elementary level, major cuts like these have not been seen. In the last year, more problems have occurred with teachers lack of time to help participate in extracurricular activities, making it harder for students to be fully involved. With these cuts come a lack of the high school experience that students hoped to get. If Grand Ledge would spread these cuts out around the district and not only in the high school, the lack of activities and clubs would soon replenish and student could have a much better and fulfilling high school experience.

Jackson Vanderlaan Alexis VelasquezMayhew Michael Wilson Adviser Sara-Beth Badalamente

Letters to the Editor are encouraged by The Comets’ Tale staff. Letters may pertain to an article written or simply act as a form of student expression. All letters must be deemed publishable by the Editorial Board including the adviser. They should be 200 words or less but may be edited for content of length. All letters to the Editor must be signed. To send a letter to the Editor, students may drop them in the publications room (room 113).

Opinion • February 2014

Corrupt

e g a u g n a L

ed

hard to explain. Now it can describe anything from a movie to a hamburger. It is the most overused word ever. When someone says this I just shake my head. I want to say: Really? Was it truly epic? Is there no other word to describe it? Maybe good or even wonderful. But I doubt that the $2 burger you just ate in four bites would have been described as epic by the creators of the word. The Odyssey is epic. Beowulf is epic. The latest celebrity scandal is not epic. Everyone should look up the definition of epic. So if it’s not epic, then don’t say it is.

There are certain words that creep into almost every conversation that takes place in the life of a teenager. Most of these are a product of pop culture, Jenna Jardine ‘14 social media and a declining education system. We are intelligent people and we know how to gauge what something means STAFF WRITER to us, so why do we use fake words to describe real emotions?

While I can respect some words produced by our modern society, they must have an honest purpose. New terms such as ‘Arab Spring’ and ‘fiscal cliff’ came about as a product of society to describe something that the world had never seen before. But all productive words do not have to pertain to newsworthy topics. Words like ‘hick’ and ‘hipster’ are used in day to day language because they provide a term for a movement taking hold of people in our community. Pop culture has produced many words over the years and while revolutionary terms are helpful, some pointless anecdotes have overstayed their welcome. The following are my top 6 words that need to die a terrible death.

3. You Know?

6. Presh

2. Swag

Only certain words can be shortened from perfectly fine versions for the sake of making a tweet 140 characters. Just so you know, precious is not one of them. When I hear people say presh all I can think of is the movie “Mean Girls.” This is only a short jump from Gretchen Wieners’ “fetch.” And not to say Regina George is any kind of intellectual role model, but stop trying to make presh happen! This has got to be one of the most sixth grade things to say. Seriously, we are shortening precious to make it sound more cute. I cannot believe it has come to this. I challenge anyone to tell me one thing wrong with the word precious. Helpful hint: saying ‘presh’ is not always precious.

5. No offense/ Just sayin’

“No offense but did you do your makeup with a Crayola crayon?” they ask. “You could do better than that weirdo, just sayin’” they mutter. We do not need to use these pointless disclaimers. Adding them on to a sentence just forces the person to automatically take it the wrong way. It seems that with all the disclaimers we use our statements may be insults in disguise. We use these phrases to show how we really feel without hurting someones feelings, but let’s try and just tell the truth for a change. Perhaps go back to an even older phrase that had a bit more merit: “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.” If you were speaking to a real friend it should not hurt their feelings to tell them the truth. “Hey, do you want to go redo your makeup with me?” and “I just feel like you are better than this” would be a more honest option. Real friends will understand and if you think they won’t, then keep your opinions to yourself. Using these phrases makes you sound condescending, passive-aggressive, and dumb, no offense.

4. Epic

This word used to have meaning. Epic used to describe something so extraordinary that it was

4

When you are telling me a story, do not say you know? after every three sentences. If you are telling me this then no, I obviously don’t know. That is why you are telling me. Okay sure everyone has done this before and it works when you are looking for an opinion but it should not be used when you are telling me a fact. It drags out your story even farther than the other pointless language that will most likely be present.

This is a question used to draw information from someone. If you are going to just keep talking then you didn’t mean to say this. You know is not a phrase to just insert in your conversation, you know?

This word does not even have a meaning. A definitive definition has never been set, and ‘just cool’ does not count. This is the spawn of modern street language. Almost everyone has used it at some point. The difference come in those who have grown out of it and those who have not. While I can respect some words formed in the hubs of pop culture, this word has no base. More often than not people use it to describe themselves, too. Oh yeah do you have swag? Do you have to describe yourself as cool? If you think you are that cool then you should not have a problem finding other people to tell you this. Saying swag is not clever. It is not intelligent. It is not cool.

1. Selfie

Like many words born on the Internet, selfie has overstepped its bounds, big time. I loath the people who, while taking pictures of themselves out of pure boredom, decided to come up with a special word for it. People do not need another word to confirm their obsession with themselves. We all know who these people are. Okay, yeah, if you want to post cute, artistic pictures of yourself then you friends will appreciate it. However, everyone just scrolled through the 15 you posted yesterday all with this horrid word in the description. If two of your pictures can be set next to each other and look pretty much the same, then something is wrong. At least mix up your composition a little. However typing this word is only a minor offense. It is one thing to use a word born on the internet on the internet but quite another to say it out loud. Oh the people who say it out loud.

In one way or another, no matter what you say, we have all used these words at some point. We have used them on purpose too. As much as I would like to say I have only ever used these words sarcastically, I can’t. They have been a part of urban vocabulary since we were preteens and it is almost impossible to just get rid of them. But please, please, let’s try.

Inequality and discrimination is still an issue for LGBT It wasn’t until I was 10-years-old that my dad told me STAFF WRITER my uncle Darwin was diagnosed with AIDS. He didn’t want to tell me my uncle that he was gay when I was younger because he was afraid my family would influence my feelings about the LGBT community. A part of my family shunned my uncle Darwin and did not want to claim him as a part of the family, just because he was gay. My father wanted me to maintain the good relationship I had with my uncle, rather than chance I might push him away like the rest of my family.

People looked down on my uncle Darwin just for loving the same gender.

When he was in public with his significant other, the amount of dirty looks he would receive were infinite. After four years of battling with AIDS, he passed away. His life was not easy, being discriminated against, hated on for no apparent reason, it’s not what he deserved, but he did live a life he loved.

As the people of America deny gay rights, it is turning down the basic rights of America.

Having freedom and being equal is what America is known for. Homosexuality does not “rub off” on people. It is not like a sickness, to where if you are around somebody who is gay, you will get ill. I was around my uncle all the time, he was like a best friend to me. I did not “catch” his AIDS; his homosexuality did not rub off on me. Although Alicia Degroat‘16

loving the same gender is frowned upon in much of society, being gay is not a choice, it is simply a way of life. The LGBT community is just the same as anybody else. If you saw somebody walking down the street, could you tell the difference? No, you would treat them just the same as any ordinary person. Yet, as soon as one might say something about being gay, some might look down on him or her. If a couple is making out in the hallway or at a store, nobody wants to see that. Whether it is a guy and girl or a girl and a girl, it is not wanted to be seen in public period. If anything, people should respect the LGBT community.

Homosexuality does not harm anybody physically nor emotionally around you; it does not put an impact on our children. It does not make our nation’s society look any different. If anything, it helps our nation. For instance, when it comes to adopting, rather than being in child care with no family, it changes a whole world for a kid, it provides them with a stable home. Take my uncle for example, him and his significant other adopted a child, and the kid isn’t gay just because his parents were, he is an all around great kid.

The LGBT has a way to support their community, in addition to being non-judged. Every year in the summer, there are Gay Pride parades all over the U.S. This parade brings hundreds of thousands of the LGBT community Courtesy Photo together, it is a stance against discrimination and promotes LGBT people.

Sophomore Alicia Degroat’s uncle Darwin pictured Do not just agree that it is okay to be gay, come support it at Gay Pride, above when he was 18. Darwin was a member of the August 23, 2014.

LGBT community.

Dont go out without CeCe’s dating tips It is 2014, if you think that STAFF WRITER your relationship is going to be Peaches and Cream and no arguments, you are wrong. These days couples argue over likes on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

What you see on T.V is not going to be what you’re going to get, with that being said here are

Him: “ Well my bro told me that he saw you…”

Me: Click! Hangs up phone.

If you are going to call someone about something you heard, that is not trust. People in the world today will purposely lie on the person you’re dating. Its haters in the world. Don’t listen to he say she says the dog barked the cow mooed. Rumors are rumors.

some dating tips that will help you.

Ladies, this is mainly for you. I’m going to be honest. I follow a lot of you on Instagram and those risqué snap chat and #NoFilter pictures are absolutely not cute. It’s ok to not look your best, but remember you’re in a relationship so be careful what you decide to post.

CeCe Roberts ‘14

1.

Morning Texts

While most girls like this, personally I hate it because I don’t see the point in why I would read a three-long text message about your feelings, sending a simple “Good Morning :),” is enough. But if they like the cute long messages then send them. It all depends on the person.

2.

The Cute Stuff

When you’re dating someone, you absolutely got to do the cliché’ cute stuff. Holding their hand, or opening the door, or buying flowers just because.

It does not have to be a holiday; you should at least do something cute like once a month.

Some Type Of Way

If you have been in a relationship, and the both of you decided to “Take A Break” that does not mean you can go out and be dancing with other people.

That is not right. That shows that you are moving on, and that’s not being truthful to the other person and cheating. Just break up.

3.

4.

Lies You Tell

This one is mainly for the guys. Just in case you didn’t know, us ladies know everything! You cannot foul a woman’s intuition, you might think you did, but trust me boo boo when we catch you, it’s bad.

Hang up… Call back

Ladies, if you’re like me, I tend to hang up on people when I get frustrated. For example, Him: “Hey Cece we gotta talk” Me: “About what I’m watching Jerry Springer is it important?”

Him: “Yes its about what I heard.”

Me: “Hold on, are you really listening to rumors?”

5.

6.

Woke Up Like Oooh Get ‘Em

7.

#TBT

‘Ight, so I know everybody does throw back Thursdays, but if you decide to throw it all the way back and post a picture of you kissing an ex as your TBT, hmmm don’t expect to have a girlfriend or boyfriend after that because why would you post that. There is a reason why that person is an ex. Hash Tag Cece Told You!

8.

Anniversaries

9.

Dress Code

You know you slipped up when you don’t even know your anniversary. That is the day you and your boothang decided to date. That is an important day for the both of you. Forgetting that is like forgetting that McDonald’s has a dollar menu! It’s important honey. It’s rare.

This one is mainly addressed for the ladies.

Ladies, I cannot stress enough about how guys really feel about some of the clothing us women wear on a daily basis. I have had so many guys complain to me about what there girlfriend or crush is wearing. Ladies, its ok to show off your cute little outfits, but if your boyfriend is not comfortable about that, then you need to change.

Think of it as this, if you wouldn’t wear it around your parents, why you wearing it? Mhmm go ahead and get your jacket girl.

All nine of these tips play an important role in a relationship. If you feel as though your relationship is dry, and no fun look at these tips and learn from it. Or if you are a person who is not in a relationship, use these tips to help you work on getting one.

Steryotypical kids Get to know your classmates before making judgement

look at people who look different than I do in a bad way, so why do it to me? I get STAFF WRITER horribly made fun of all the time and called emo and all these different things and it isn’t fair. I don’t judge people for wearing I walk down the hallway Hollister or Aeropostale, but because the with a green streak in clothes that I wear are less mainstream, my hair and skulls on my there’s something wrong with them. pants, getting judged by It does not matter what students wear or almost every person I see. They look at me how they do their hair; not every stereotype like I’m insane and don’t belong. Every is true. Many students judge other students person has a right to go here, so I don’t deserve to be treated as a misfit. I’m human, based off of their appearance. If one student is wearing a tail, then they are a just like everyone else, and I have feelings.

“Furry.” That I’m sick of is completely being treated untrue. Some like nothing students who just because I wear tails express myself are showing in a different their religion. way than Therians wear others. tails because they Having dyed believe they were hair is fun and animals in a past expressive, life. The animal this is how tail they wear is I do things. based on their But, of course -Alexis Valasquez-Mayhew Therian type. because I stick Therians wear their out of the crowd, tails to get closer to everyone thinks their Therian type. there’s something No matter how wrong with me. much someone dislikes another person No one takes the time to get to know me, or or does not know another person, they do anyone else for that matter, because I wear not have the right to treat them badly. The dark clothes and fun hair. I listen to odd doors in our school are not very hard to bands and do odd things, but I also listen hold open for three seconds longer. It is to what everyone else does. I like some of not very hard to pick up a single piece of the same clothes other people do, but I like trash in the hallway. If not saying that one what I wear more. I get judged for that and mean comment could save a student’s day, get told that I’m wrong for wearing what just keep it to yourself. Keeping a positive suits me best. It’s unfair and hurtful. attitude towards others is the best moral to I’m actually really nice and when I try to have. smile at someone or say hello, I get ignored.

I even get dirty looks sometimes. I don’t Alexis Valasquez-Mayhew ‘17

{} “I don’t look at people who look different than I do in a bad way, so why do it to me?”

5

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Entertainment • February 2014

W

hether you fancy pop, country, electric, rap, classic rock and roll or all of the above, you are sure to find the best music festival in Michigan this summer.

These weekend music festivals, though different in music genres, are very STAFF WRITER similar: they draw large crowds of people who are passionate in their music and are elated to see their favorite artists live. If great music isn’t enough of an incentive, then consider the experience you will get for an affordable price. Music festivals are advantageous because it allows you to see multiple bands for the price of one concert. So be kind to your wallet during these hard times and get ready to have the time of your life at the best music festivals Michigan has to offer this summer. Other popular musical festivals in Michigan this summer include Movement Electronic Festival in Detroit which drew in a crowd of 107,000 people last year, and Faster Horses Festival, a three day country and camping music festival that will host performers like Cassadee Pope, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw. So whatever gets your foot tappin, Michigan’s festivals are sure to get you snappin.

Zoe Halbeisen ‘14

At The Palace of Auburn Hills July 18th

If you are an adamant fan of alternative, metalcore, pop-punk, electronic, etc. then you have probably already been to Vans Warped Tour, or have always dreamt of going . With over 40 bands each year, this festival is really what it’s called; a tour. Traveling all over North America, this festival headlines the most popular bands ranging from pop-punk to metalcore. They have already revealed 29 bands who will be performing this summer, among these bands are Mayday Parade, The Devil Wears Prada, The Maine, and Cute Is What We Aim For. More bands will be released each week leading up to the event. Past years have featured notable bands such as Blink 182, All Time Low, A Day to Remember, Plain White T’s, Taking Back Sunday, Paramore, and Hey Monday, which was lead by The Voice winner, Cassadee Pope. There is no doubt that this summer, the 20th anniversary of Vans Warped Tour will be the hypest yet. Following suit from last year, this one day festival will be held at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn, MI. Tickets will raise in price as Warped Tour gets near, so buy either your Early Bird ticket for $43.25, or 20th Anniversary.

Jam bands and electronic music ring through the woods of Sherwood Forest. Surrounded by hammocks and lights, this four day music festival combines music and camping. With art exhibits, yoga classes, and story telling, this festival is more than just music. Last year, Electric Forest featured nearly 100 bands including Passion Pit, Pretty Lights, Empire of the Sun and Knife Party. Although this year’s lineup has not been announced, many ticket packages have already sold out.

Other ticket packages still available range from $264.50 to $5,945. So buy your tickets now to this magical circus-like music festival that is Electric Forest.

June 26-29

Birthday Bash 22: June 7-8

If you are a country fan, then this festival is the one for you. This festival also draws in a large audience due to it’s sponsorship by B-93 radio station. All of its most loyal fans come out for a weekend of fun and good country music. The best part about this festival is that it’s free. Just tune in to B-93 before the festival to find out where you can pick up your ticket. Although this year’s lineup has not been released, Birthday Bash has a reputation of bringing in big names in country music. Last year’s performers included Randy Houser, Uncle Kracker, Hunter Hayes, Gary Allen, Kacey Musgraves, Lee Brice and Florida Georgia Line. If you are really stoked about country music then you can purchase reserved tickets for $39 and two day parking passes for $60. Birthday Bash will be held at the US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

July 8-13

Common Ground is one of the most popular festivals in the area due to its location along the Adado Riverfront Park in Lansing, MI, and because of its long standing reputation. For 15 years, Common Ground has featured big names in music such as Three Days Grace, Lights, Ludacris, MGMT, Styx, Trey Songz, Eric Church, Snoop Dog and so many more. Since their lineup covers many genres,

“Reality Boy”

The best of action, drama and humor Katie Twarozynski ‘17 STAFF WRITER Living in a world where everyone expects something different from you can be challenging. Gerald Faust, protagonist of “Reality Boy,” knows all about the troubles this life holds. In A.S. King’s newest novel “Reality Boy,” Faust is a high school senior with extreme anger issues.

These issues did not come from the everyday struggles teens face as they grow up; these issues surfaced when his mom made the dreaded call to a reality television show, Network Nanny, to come and film their slightly dysfunctional family 12 years ago.

Now that he is older, he is still haunted by memories of the show, lack of communication between himself and his parents, lack of friends and being placed in the special education classroom. He will do anything to break free of the lockdown he is in from his sister’s constant tormenting and claim the girl he likes.

Throughout the story, Faust makes risky moves that could jeopardize not only his job but also the relationship he is trying to create with a fellow worker. He attempts to move out, confront his family and prove to the world that he is more than just “The Crapper.”

Readers can relate to Faust as he grows and finds out who he truly is. I enjoyed the book because there is action, drama and humor all in one. “Reality Boy” is a good story for anyone who is interested in learning how to cope with distress and how to come out of it as a better person. This book is definitely a good read for teens and young adults, showing that even the angriest and shyest souls can break out of their shells and show their true colors.

“Helios” An album sure to be worth the wait

they always entertain to a large crowd. Performers for this summer have not been released yet, but there is sure to be a group that will appeal to each style. You can buy tickets at www.commongroundfest. com. An $89.50 ticket package will allow access to every day of the festival, or single day tickets are also available but prices are to be announced.

All illustrations by Michael Wilson/The Comets’ Tale

for Valentine’s Day Go Comets! Top fiveTopapps apps to woo your significant other this month Katt Gonzalez ‘15

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

1. Red Stamp 2. A Talking Bear

Tammony on the Ponds

7605 Heritage Dr. Lansing, Michigan

Phone: (517) - 622 - 0622

Packed with hundreds of templates and modern designs, Red Stamp is a great app for sending loved ones and family personalized cards and invitations online. Make your cards personal with photos or edit the words to show your significant other how you really feel.

This simple app is sure to make your holiday a hit.

Send your significant other a sweet bear that’s interactive. This digital teddy bear talks to you, lets you play games with it and comes all wrapped up in a simple app on your smartphone.

Choose from over 20 cute and fun messages to show your loved ones that you really care.

3. Floral Valentines

Feb. 14 is an extremely special day for anyone with a significant other, but any day of the year is a good day to let a loved one know that they’re appreciated – and what better way to do this than with flowers?

Before picking the wrong one, check out this app, which tells you the meanings of different flowers so you don’t make a dating faux pas and show her you only want to be her friend when really, you don’t.

4. Love Quotes 500

If you are feeling cheesy, send your loved ones a quote that says how you feel about them without you doing all the work. With quotes from authors like Shakespeare, this app is sure to drive an arrow of love through your boyfriend or girlfriend’s heart.

5. Helpful Romantic

If you have trouble paying attention to detail, this is the app for you. Enter information about your significant other into this helpful app - things like anniversaries, personal traits, hobbies, and clothing sizes.

This app creates suggestions for dates based on the interests of the people you love - and won’t let you forget an anniversary ever again.

Katt Gonzalez ‘15 ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“This record is all about running to the front lines of what we’ve done and pushing our borders even farther. Electronic instruments, drum samples, enormous backing vocals, and opening our writing to folks outside our camp,” said Isaac Slade, frontman and lead singer of The Fray. An American alternative rock band that has topped the charts in past years, The Fray is releasing “Helios,” their fourth studio album, in February.

Lead single “Love Don’t Die” is “different from any other Fray song”, according to the Celebrity Cafe. Driven by organic-sounding music, and a twangy, repetitive guitar riff, this song is deceptively simple. Slade’s raspy tenor compliments the jazzy sound of the guitar, truly distinguishing this early release from other albums and giving a positive sneak peek to their future music.

“Helios” has been available for preorder on iTunes since Nov. 25, 2013 and is due to be released on Feb. 25, 2014.

6

ft.

Feature • February 2014

Soaring to Comet PRIDE New Comet PRIDE policies pose mixed feelings for students When students came to school this year, signs were plastered on every STAFF WRITER wall about Comet PRIDE. Their first hours were taken over with this new concept and every teacher was instructing the same thing: Positive, Responsible, Integrity, Determination, Engaged. Most high school students love or hate this new idea. In addition to Comet PRIDE, across the district the PBIS program is taking place. PBIS stands for Positive, Behavior, Intervention, and Support.

“The whole idea here is that we want to acknowledge and encourage positive behaviors,” science teacher Courtney Lutz said.

“One of the arguments that PBIS fights against is that students already known these behaviors. You will hear a teacher or anyone say ‘well students should already know this,’ that isn’t always true; maybe it’s true that students should but that fact is that they don’t.”

Through these lessons, students have learned about the new tardy and absence policy and hallway behavior.

“I think it is good because it is encouraging students to do better in class and helping them try to achieve better test scores and hopefully have a more positive attitude about school,” senior Trevor Spitzley said.

Lessons are taught for the first 30 minutes of school shortening each class hour of the day. While Spitzley supports the idea, he is weary of when the ideas are taught.

“I don’t like those lessons because they are in first hour and that’s interrupting my calculus time; which is interrupting my learning environment,” Spitzley said.

Other students have different thoughts about this acronym in general. They do not know what PRIDE really is for or if it serves its intended purpose.

“I think that nobody on Earth knows what Comet PRIDE means so it is kind of pointless,” junior Grace Billman-Benveniste said.

Katherine Davidson ‘17

“I guess if they make it standing for something that’s not hallway safety, it could be kind of cool, but right now all it stands for is hallway safety and nobody takes it seriously because it is not that big of a deal.”

A lot of students just blend in with the crowd, and do not really care about what it is or what it means. For those people, it is just easier to not worry and just hang out with their friends, not causing any trouble.

“No one cares about it, no one pays attention to it, and it is something that we already known,” freshman Rachel Arking said. “It’s common sense to walk in the hallway, but some people run if they are late and that is understandable. It is just really stupid of them, trying to enforce these rules on us, and they are the same thing over and over again.”

Whether or not this acronym works, all Comets are learning about it.

“This is not just a GLHS thing; freshmen will know that they talked about this at Hayes,” Lutz said.

“It is actually not just district wise but countywide; the expectation to have a PBIS program in place. We have chosen the acronym PRIDE, we have tweaked some of the letters from what Hayes called them to ones we thought made more sense to for the age group of high school. But yes, it should be sticking around, you can plan on that.”

The lessons will only continue throughout the school year. The next lesson is going to take place at the beginning of third trimester and it is going to be a review on the hallways. Also there will be a lesson right before spring break about the dress code.

1.) During the Schools Rule segment on WILX, GLHS students found the perfect opportunity to show their Comet PRIDE. This year, the new Comet PRIDE polices took affect and students are expected to promote and follow these new policies 2.) Being the first students to show up to the Schools Rule assembly, seniors take the front row and show the community their best Comet spirit 3.) The pom team begins to preform in front of the cameras for News 10. Teachers and students are proud to be a Comet with GLHS’s outstanding sports, academics and arts. Part of being proud to be a Comet means being a part of the community.

1.

2.

3.

All photos by Krystin Verran/The Comets’ Tale

Attendance improvement through Comet PRIDE What it means to have Comet: Unexcused Tardies

14,720

Unexcused Absences

13,603

8,806

5,916 2012-2013 school year

2013-2014 school year

2012-2013 school year

2013-2014 school year

What being a Comet means to students

Senior Codie Drake “It means being community.”

in

a

great

Freshman Jazmyn Ayers

Sophomore Alex Totte

“I think it means having Comet pride and trying your best at everything.”

“It means being kind to others and being a part of our school.”

P R I D E

Positive Behavior: In the hallways- Keep language and behavior G-Rated, keep a positive attitude and help to keep the hallways clean. Students should not be throwing trash on the floors, using profanity or using excessive PDA, instead, they should put trash in the proper can and recycle when they can.

Responsible behavior: In the hallways- Be on time and prepared for class, step aside to use technology, walk on the right side of the hallways. Students should be on time and prepared to class and avoid walking with distractions.

Integrity: In the hallways- Look out for others, have a legitimate hall pass and respect classes that are in session.

This means students need to hold doors for other students, not just letting them swing back in a students face, be aware of their surrounding and make sure they have a hall pass when in the halls during class time.

Determined behavior: In the hallways- Serve others, move purposely to your destination, and conduct yourself in a safe and appropriate manner. This means get to class without dawdling, help someone with papers that they dropped, and not running through the hallways.

Engaged Behavior: In the hallways- Be considerate of others, be aware of your surrounding and make a positive impact. This means student should respect personal space, leave the hallway nicer than they found it and greet students and teachers when they are spoken to.

**Information from the lessons given at the beginning of each trimester

What makes Mr. Gabriel proud to be a Comet Grand Ledge Athletics:

Grand Ledge Academics:

Grand Ledge Performing Arts:

Grand Ledge Publications:

•GLHS football recognized with highest GPA. •State championship bowler, Barbara Lawson.

•All sports being successful.

•High school AP classes are one of 477 schools listed on the AP honor roll.

•ACT scores have improved over the last year.

•Three band members recognized for All-state band.

•Choir is ranked with a one at Solo and Ensemble.

•Musical productions sold out every time.

•Two time Spartan winning newspaper.

•Students honored with awards from Michigan Interscholastic Press Association.

•Yearbook’s Spartan winning theme.

•Haley Kluge named to MIPA’s all state staff.

Liz Wood/The Comets’ Tale

Emily Magoon/The Comets’ Tale

Krystin Verran/The Comets’ Tale

Emily Magoon/The Comets’ Tale

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Winter Freeze

Feature • February 2014

Less days, less time

Since winter break began for GLHS, the school has faced challenges with getting students to school safely. Because of this, the school administration has had to cancel school several days this year. Below are some statistics concerning the topic of snow days during the 20132014 school year:

As of Feb. 10, 2014, GLHS ha s had a total of:

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From Dec. 21 to Dec. 28:

sn ow days.

416,000 Consumers Energy customers lost power.

Due to the large amount of snow days, GLHS has a potential to add:

210,000 DTE customers lost power.

2

40,000 BWL customers lost power.

days to the second trimester.

Multiple snow days lead to discussions on how to make up lost school time With all of the snow days FEATURE EDITOR building up this 2013-2014 school year, Michigan’s lawmakers are discussing the options of how to deal with lost class-time. As of right now, no definite changes have taken place, but different ideas are on the table. Representative Phil Potvin (R- Cadillac) and Senate Education Committee Chair Phil Pavlov (R- St. Clair) plan to bring back the version of last year’s law that allowed school districts to lengthen Rachel Rayl ‘15

their school days to make up for the lost classroom time. The minimum time of school day lengthening would be about 30 minutes a day. Last year, this was a “onetime fix.” This year, Potvin would like to see it become permanent. Representative Andy Schor (D- Lansing) disagrees, and wishes to add days onto the end of the school year. As of now, no decision has been made statewide, but second trimester exams for GLHS have been moved from March 10-11 to March 12-13 due to the amount of lost class time.

Jenna Jardine/The Comets’ Tale

Bitter cold temperatures over the past few months have brought several problems to the state of Michigan, from lost electrical power to lost school time.

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Polar vortex brings bitter temperatures during January

H i g h e s t te mp e ra tu re during the month of January 2014:

Lowest temperature (in degrees) 10 20 15 5 0

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The decision on how to make up lost time won't be made until the state makes the the final call on what all the schools will be able to do.

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Days of January 2014

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-13 d eg re e s Not including wind chill, information from accuweather.com

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Feature • February 2014

Students drawn to teach at alma mater Grand Ledge graduates rank high in the hiring process, regardless of being former Comets

While students at GLHS can boast their Comet pride, so can many teachers. Of 80 NEWS EDITOR staff members at GLHS, about a quarter of them are GL graduates. This year, 00 people have been hired, and 00 of them studied here.

Principal Steve Gabriel, himself a former Comet, feels that his time here has given him a greater connection to the school.

“When I first went into teaching, I envisioned coming back here and teaching and being the track and cross country coach,” Gabriel said. “So when I got the opportunity to come back and be an administrator, it definitely was something that I wanted.”

While many people find inspiration to become an educator from the teachers they had as students, they may also want to go back to their home district to work. In the past, teachers would apply to GLHS with paper applications that were gone through by hand - giving, possibly, more room to hire GLHS grads. However, under the new director of human resources at GLPS, Andrew George, the district has changed it’s hiring process to being all virtual. This, George said, prevents any bias when the district is hiring.

“I think a lot of people who want to go into teaching, what got them into teacher was their teachers in high school or some of their teachers in maybe elementary or middle school,” George said. “I think that also has a pull for them to come back, but I think a lot of people also Bry Leach ‘15

want to go get experience elsewhere and I would always encourage them to go somewhere else, to another town or state, and then come back rather than just go to school and then come back.”

Through their online system, George says that they have about 2,000 applications total. However, after telling the system requirements for a certain area of work, a minimum degree and minimum years of experience, it narrows down to about 10 applicants, who will then be interviewed. George says there is no number on how many applicants or interviewees are from Grand Ledge, because he does not usually look into it. However, if qualified teachers approach George, they could get an interview without having made the cut online. George said he feels like people in the community may have better interviews.

“If you graduate from GLPS, I think you probably interview better because you know the system, you know the community, you understand what it’s about and I think you probably have the chance to shine in that sense because you come across in your interview that you want to be here for a specific reason, because you love this community and you grew up here, you want to give back, and I think oftentimes that comes out,” George said. “I could hire someone from another community that loves Grand ledge’s community, moved in here that would have just as much potential as someone from Grand Ledge. That’s not what it’s about, it’s about getting the best person.”

History teacher Fred Hutchinson was a student here and after working at Hastings schools got the opportunity to come back. He feels that his experience here helped him know what he was doing and where to go once he started working, but that it did not impact his being hired.

“I think when they interviewed me they really looked to see that they had the best candidate, so that when i got hired i know that i had a really good interview, did a really good job and had really good references, being here wasn’t really a determining factor in getting a job here.” Hutchinson said.

Like Hutchinson, many teachers work elsewhere before they start here. George feels that it is very important for teachers to get more experience before coming back here where they may feel comfortable.

“Grand ledge is a sought after place to work, so [applicants] know they have to work somewhere else before they can even get an interview in GL.” George said. “As big as Grand Ledge is, it’s a pretty small community and if that is all you have to draw from I don’t think you can compete with another person who’s gone to another state or in another district or worked another job, I don’t think you can compete with that, it would be hard because they have more to draw from.”

Andrew Huard Class of 2007

Scott Millbrook Class of 2006

Kellee Auge Class of 1999

Shelby Logel Class of 2000

Amy Heriford Class of 2003

Amanda Hengesbach Class of 1998

Steve Delaney Class of 1997

Justin Heany Class of 1997

Gail Armstrong Class of 1991

Fred Hutchinson Class of 1993

Angel Horjara Class of 1994

David Jones Class of 1989

Sara Hamelink Class of 1986

Jeremy Howe Class of 2007

Diane Cichocki Class of 1975

Dan Malkewitz Class of 1981

Steve Gabriel Class of 1985

Carroll Shults Class of 1970

Courtesy photos, Grand Ledge High School Yearbooks

Mrs. Pippin’s Chinese Club Recipe

STEP 1 Prep.

You need: 2 eggs, 6 celery stalks, 2 inches of ginger root, a 3 inch piece of leek.

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Discard the egg yolk. Place the egg white into a small bowl.

Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Scramble the eggs in hot oil. Chop the cooked eggs into fine pieces. Place in mixing bowl.

Clear a space for the dumpling making process.

Wash and peel veggies. Finely chop the celery, ginger and leek. Place in mixing bowl.

STEP 2 – Mixing the filling You need: 1 pound of ground pork, – Tbls. , soy sauce (10 second drizzle), 1 Tbls. oil, sesame oil (3 second drizzle), – c. water

Wrap about a tablespoon of filling in each wrapper. Brush the edges with egg white to help seal the dumplings sheet.

STEP 4 – Cook!

You need: oil if pan frying dumplings Boil (approx. 5 minutes) or pan fry dumplings (until golden brown on both sides).

Mix all of the above ingredients together with the veggies and scrambled eggs.

Krystin Verran/The Comets’ Tale

Seniors Alyssa Murphy, Chandler Weatherby, Chase Anderson and Chelsea Moshkosky cut vegetables to make dumplings in Chinese Culture Club on Feb. 11.

STEP 3 – Bao jiaozi! Make the dumplings !You need: dumpling wrappers, 1 egg white, 5 spoons

STEP 5 – Enjoy!

Consider dipping into soy sauce, black vinegar or a mixture of the two. Also delicious with Mama’s black bean hot sauce!

GLHS students participating in MSU youth choir

Freshmen Hannah Chappell and Eryn Fleener participate in the Michigan State STAFF WRITER Young Women’s Choir, a prestigious choir for serious female teenage vocalists between the ages of 15-18 who wish to perfect their voices. Chappell is a soprano in the choir, meaning her voice can strike higher notes in music pieces. Fleener is an alto and second soprano in the choir, meaning her voice ranges a little lower than a typical soprano. Chappell has been in the MSU music program for five years, enjoys being in the choir and meeting new friends along the way.

“I really like the fact that we are all very close,” Chappell said. “It is like a musical family that I can relate to. We spend a lot of time together with rehearsals and performances so it is important that we are all close.”

The choir is helping young singers progress in terms of singing. They learn new techniques and styles of music such as group pieces and a cappella numbers each week they practice.

“This choir really challenges you to be the best you can,” Chappell said. “I have definitely learned quite a bit from experiencing others singing around me and with us helping each other.”

Joining the young women’s choir is a big decision for anyone who Katie Twarozynski ‘17

wishes to perfect their voice. Singers have to be dedicated and ready to perform their best.

“I would recommend this group to any singer, but only if they are ready to be seriously committed,” Chappell said. “It is fun, but you have to work hard for it.”

The choir meets to rehearse every Monday from for an hour and 15 minutes and performs around four to 11 times a year. The group performs in different locations other than just on the MSU campus. Last year, the choir traveled to Ithaca, New York.

“It was such an amazing experience,” Chappell said. “We met so many talented people and sang songs that challenged us which was nice.”

When the group goes and performs, they have designated uniforms they wear to help them stand out and look uniform.

“We wear black dress pants, a black v-neck shirt, black socks and shoes, and a green scarf,” Chappell said. “They have had these outfits for awhile, but we look professional and I feel like they help us perform our best.”

Depending on how long each member has been singing, each member describes the choir difficulty differently. Sight reading, voice exercises and solos have challenged each member to try their best no

matter the situation.

“The difficulty depends on the individual member,” Chappell said.

“You just have to work hard to learn everything, whether it comes easy to you or not.”

Fleener, a member of MSU choir programs for nine years, also finds ways the choir is helping her to improve her technique and voice.

“It has made me more confident as a singer,” Fleener said. “The choir has also helped me to read music better.”

The choir has had many moments they like to share together, such as remembering past numbers they’ve performed or deep pieces that give them chills. All of the songs strengthen their bonds and help them to perform as a whole even better.

“Two years ago we sang a song call Transmigration,” Fleener said. “It was about 9/11 and it was an amazing experience and a difficult piece, but we became closer and it was totally worth it.”

As the choir continues to perform and practice, young women aspire to be singers and have their musical side shown. The MSU Young Women’s Choir keeps helping girls use their singing voices correctly and efficiently and helping them achieve high goals.

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Feature • February 2014

TechMANAGING EDITOR nology has evolved over several years and has gradually merged itself into our daily lives. The television, cell phone and computer have become so popular over the years that it is rare to not see one during our day. But these devices may find a new category of gadgets that will also become the social norm for many: wearable technology.

Wearable technology is a category of electronic devices that the consumer can wear instead of putting inside a pocket. Most of these devices are modern day accessories that have been given an electronic makeover, such as glasses and watches. The newest and most advanced batch of wearable technology was recently revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which took place from Jan. 7 to Jan.10. Although a few wearable gadgets were revealed and released last year, the era of these devices was not made popular until the start of this year.

One of the most popular wearable devices available today are smart watches. Features that are on these watches include applications, games, alarms, and connectivity to the consumer’s iPhone, iPod Touch or Android device. The Pebble Smartwatch, a veteran smartwatch that was released last year, recently revealed an updated version of their device, which will feature a steel strap and a waterproof casing. The price for a Pebble Smartwatch is $150 but the consumer can upgrade to a nicer looking and better designed version of the watch called the Pebble Steel for $250. The battery on the Pebble lasts between 5-7 days, which is great considering the fact the consumer will not have to constantly charge the device. Smart watches by far look like the best and most promising type of gadget in the wearable technology category.

Glasses are also getting a technological remake alongside watches. Although not as popular as smart watches, smart glasses have some advantages that may attract some consumers. The most talked about pair of smart glasses are Google Glass, which feature a sleek, durable titanium frame and a small glass lens that covers part of the right eye. The device has the capability of displaying the time, taking pictures, recording video and giving directions, all hands free. The features the glasses have are amazing but the device has drawn some criticism for its high price tag and its unattractive appearance when worn by the consumer. However, the device is just starting out and has plenty of time to fix both of these issues. Google Glass is not currently available for consumers, but is rumored to be available sometime this year.

Smart glasses and smart watches are only a small sample of what wearable technology has to offer. A few fitness trackers were also revealed at CES. These trackers have features that include the ability to measure how fast a consumer is running or how many calories

5:32 pm

Jake Thomann ‘16

they have burned during a workout. Although there are few options when it comes to picking out which device to get, the number of products available for purchase will greatly expand as the year continues.

The concept of wearable technology is amazing and has the capability to change how we live, but one issue with the devices might destroy the entire purpose of wearing one: the design. Some devices are extremely large and others are made of cheap plastic that is not very attractive. The main word to describe most of the gadgets is ugly. The design for most of these gadgets are poor and, as a result, might actually turn consumers away from the idea of buying one. Some devices, like the Pebble Steel, accomplish the task of making wearable technology look appealing and hopefully they will convince the others to make their devices appealing to the consumer.

A much smaller but still important disadvantage of wearable technology is the fact that consumers look strange and weird with some of the devices they wear, especially Google Glass. Google attempts to pass the smart glasses off as a cool and stylish device to wear but fails. It might be the fact that we have never seen anything like this before but wearing some of these gadgets just make the consumer look silly.

Privacy is also a big concern when it comes to the smart glasses because of the cameras that are included in the devices.

Consumers that wear these types of glasses can take pictures just by winking, so others could be completely unaware that someone could be taking a picture of them. This could cause serious problems when it comes to the privacy of others.

If companies were able to fix these types of issues then these gadgets will have the opportunity impact our daily lives. The features they have, like the smart watches’ capability to connect to your smartphone, are very useful and the long battery life of some devices means the consumers will not have to worry so much about the gadget’s battery dying halfway through the day like most smart phones do. Even the fitness trackers could benefit athletes who want to bring technology into their workouts.

To those who believe that wearable technology will immediately fail, the best advice to take is to wait. Almost every electronic device, from cell phones to tablets, had several doubts before their releases and many thought they would never succeed. Looking back on these devices and their reception before release, it is only logical to give these wearable gadgets a chance to succeed.

These gadgets are only the first batch of wearable devices we have seen. Over the next few years, we may see new devices introduced that will expand on the number of choices available for consumers to choose from. The future of wearable technology is very bright and if the design of these devices can be improved, they could become a part of our daily lives much like cell phones and computers are today.

Google Glass Google Glass is currently not avaliable to the general public, but a select few were able to take part in a program that gave them the chance to try the device before its official release. Features include taking photos and videos hands free, GPS, and live video chatting.

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Pebble Smartwatch

The Pebble Smartwatch is a veteran in the wearable technology category and is for those who want to revolutionize their modern day watch into something more futuristic. For those willing to spend $150 for a glimpse at what the future of wearable technology has in store, this is definitely the product to get.

LG Lifeband Touch

Perfected for athletes, the LG Lifeband Touch features a touch screen and compatiblity with your iPhone, Android, and Galaxy smartphones. The activity band lets athletes track speed, calories burned, timing measurements, and many other features designed for workouts. No release date has been announced for the product at this time.

All illustrations by Sarah Sims/The Comets’ Tale

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Student Life • February 2014

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Online versus public schooling

Grand Ledge graduate lands role in “West Side Story” Rachel Rayl ‘15

FEATURE EDITOR

From a chorus member in “Fiddler on the Roof,” to his last show as Chuck Cranston in “Footloose,” 2009 GLHS graduate Sam Rohloff has been hooked to the stage.

Since graduating, Rohloff continued his musical education at Oakland University and studied for four years to receive a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Musical Theatre. During those four years, Rohloff grew as a performer and businessman. Soon after college, Rohloff was given the opportunity to audition for “West Side Story” through the North American Non-Equity Tour, where he landed the role of Baby John, the youngest member of the Jets.

Compared to his high school musicals’ rehearsals, there is a certain amount of professionalism that comes with his role.

“It’s my job, not a hobby or after school event, I get paid for what I do so it’s much more serious and professional,” Rohloff said.

“We also have managers, directors, choreographers and dance captains that run the rehearsal. Also our rehearsals were set in New York City, in a studio, not on a stage.”

Rohloff believes his job could be considered a risk to other people. Continuing to say that he was quite lucky to receive a role right out of college, and that when the tour is over, he is back to auditioning and looking for a new project.

“If you have the passion for performing go pursue it,” Rohloff said. “Push yourself and become educated in all aspects of theatre; whether that is singing, dancing, or acting.

Become proficient in all aspects. Have fun. Share your art with others, and believe in yourself.”

Courtesy Photo

Nexis Academy sophomore Alison Katherine works on online geometry homework in her homeroom at the school in Lansing. Nexis uses the ‘blended learning’ method of teaching, which is half online and half in the classroom. Not all students agree with this form of teaching including Katherine. “I would honestly rather be in a regular school because I feel like I can learn better when sitting in a classroom and having a teacher explain things to me face to face,” Katherine said.

As online schools were becoming more popular Alison Katherine and her family had a decision to make. They needed to decide STAFF WRITER how Katherine was going to experience high school, whether it be in regular high school or online. The hesitation behind online schooling is whether or not students will receive the entire high school experience that will better prepare them for the future. Katherine’s parents met in the middle of online and regular.

Sophomores Katherine and Erika Valencia attend Nexus Academy in Lansing. Nexus uses the ‘blended learning’ method of teaching, which is half online and half in classroom learning. They spend four hours in a classroom each day, either participating in classes or staying in their ‘team room’ and working on their online “I like the set up of the school,” Katherine said. “I like how open it is and how I am not just sitting in a small classroom and sitting at a desk all day. Although I don’t particularly like the online technology because it can be stressful or if the Internet stops working then I can’t do any school work.”

The online part of it is both praised and disliked by students. Even with students in regular public school, the online parts have people on both sides.

“I think [being online] helps my education,” Valencia said. “With being online I have the Internet at my disposal and there are online tutors open for help when you need it. It’s very student oriented and made to help you get your work done.”

Emily Bellar ‘16

MSU FCU Student Art Exhibit 2014

Come out and support Grand Ledge High School artists at MSU FCU Headquarters [3777 West Road, East Lansing, MI]. Area high school artwork will be on display from February 1-25.

Vote at the headquarters or online through the website or Facebook page!

Students who are used to regular have a harder time transitioning into online school and vice versa. While students from both schoolings are interested in the other, not all of them are willing to switch.

“I think online school would be a lot harder,” GLHS Sophomore Alicia Hinojosa said. “I feel like in regular school it would be easier to learn and get help.”

It takes a lot of self-discipline and focus to get work done in either atmosphere. Social networks and games provide equal distraction to both kinds of homework, but when half of your workload is all online students say it is really easy to be distracted.

“Online work isn’t necessarily hard,” Valencia said. “It just takes a lot of self control to not procrastinate and motivation to get everything you need done on time. I am not keeping up with deadlines for my work and I am very easily distracted so it makes it a bit difficult.”

While online school sounds more appealing to people, it actually requires more responsibility and discipline than regular school does according to students. Online schooling may work well in certain situations, but it cannot replace the social and developmental aspects of the high school experience.

“I would honestly rather be in a regular school because I feel like I can learn better when sitting in a classroom and having a teacher explain things to me face to face,” Katherine said. “I think it’ll prepare me more for college. I like how regular schools have more extracurriculars.

Also there is a lot of diversity there and it’d be quite easy to fit in.”

Senior/ Lexi Loveland My Southern Life

Senior/ Mark Mills The Guardian

Junior/ Jacob Karr The Hay Mow

Junior/Emmery Macsay Vintage Closet

Junior/ Dominic Kinsely Squid-phant

Senior/Meghan Mateer Untitled

Freshman/ Gracia Ruark Untiltled

Junior/Jacob Karr After the Party

The high school with the most voters win the School Spirit Award!

Scan here to vote for your favorite!

https://www.msufcuart.com Junior/Emmery Macsay Summer Cottage

Senior/Danielle Reinhart Lone Wolf

Long distance relationship advice and experience

Sarah Clinkscales shares tips on long distance dating and how she maintains her relationship July in South Carolina is sweltering hot.

COPY EDITOR Getting dressed in the hotel room I was more nervous than excited. My hair was frizzy from the humidity and I could feel the sweat running down my back; I looked like a mess. July 18, 2013 was the first time I would see my boyfriend, Private Ricky Small, since he left in May. I used to think going a week without seeing him was hard, but after going months with the only means of communication being letters, it seems silly that young couples are so dependent on seeing each other all the time. I never thought I would be in a long distance relationship (LDR), that I just couldn’t handle the separation, but you never know how strong you are until you have to be.

Dating someone in the Army has tons of challenges, one of the hardest is going months without seeing your significant other and only having certain times to talk.

Long distance relationships are not like “Dear John” or “The Notebook.” It is not romantic, but for me the gratification of seeing Ricky after months is the best feeling ever. Every time I see him he’s matured more than I thought possible. The Army changes a person more then anything, and sometimes it feels like I am meeting an entirely new person each time he comes home.

The Army has rules that have to be followed nearly all the time, even when he is not on base. Any public displays of affection while Ricky is in uniform is prohibited, so no hugging, no kissing, no holding hands. One of my favorite rules is that he can not get a Sarah Clinkscales ‘15

severe sunburn, it is considered damage to government property.

Dating long distance has tips and tricks for how to deal with the separation. Here are a few of mine.

1. Let the small things go.

Don’t stress about the small things in your relationship.

When things seem like everything is not going your way, or that your relationship is one-sided, take a deep breath and step back from the situation. Things will work out.

2. It’s a two way street The relationship works both ways. Your significant other and you should both be putting in effort to make it work. If something is wrong speak up, and encourage your partner to do the same.

3. You are still independent Being in a LDR can be hard because you spend so much of your schedule towards theirs in order to be with them. This does not mean you should drop other things in your life like friends, sports, school, work and family.

Stay active and busy.

4. It’s okay to walk away LDR is not for everyone; there is a lot of pressure and sacrifices. You care about your significant other, that much is clear, but you need to do what is best for you.

Junior Sarah Clinkscales and her boyfriend, Private Ricky Small have been dating since Feb.19, 2012. This picture was taken at Small’s basic training graduation back in the July of 2013.

“Long distance relationships work if you take the time to communicate and really want to make it last,” Clinkscales said.

Courtesy Photo

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Sports • February 2014

Girls’ varsity team shoots for end of season success At their season opener against Dewitt on Dec. 6, the girls’ STAFF WRITER varsity basketball team lost to the Panthers 61-53. And they haven’t looked back. After winning districts against East Lansing 5149, winning regionals, and making it to the quarterfinals last year, the success of last season has brought forth a new level of skill and a new perspective on determination.

“Our whole team was really upset after the loss because we do have such big goals this year,” senior guard Lauren Rambo said. “It motivated us a lot in practice, and it was definitely a wake up call for where we plan to be.”

Although the loss was a setback, coach David Jones won’t let that stop his team and hopes to make each year better than the last.

“Right now, we are at a place with our program that we want to go out and win our conference, win our districts and win the regionals,” Jones said. “We want to make it to the Breslin.”

Senior forward Codie Drake also has her eyes on the prize for the team with hopes of going to states. Last year, the team won their regionals and made it to quarterfinals. The defending state champions, Grand Haven, narrowly defeated them (43-35).

“The quarterfinal game last year was unreal,” Rambo said.

“The energy from the student section and on the court was amazing and I think it really helped us perform better.”

In addition to already having an 13-2 record, several girls have already received scholarships for college. Drake will be attending Kentucky Wesleyan on a basketball scholarship.

Seniors Hannah and Lindsey Orwat also will be attending college, receiving a basketball scholarship at Oakland University. Adding to this list are junior Cori Crocker who has verbally agreed to attend the University of Michigan for volleyball and senior Lauren Bachert received a scholarship from Saginaw Valley for her softball skills.

Even though these girls have already been signed with a college team, Jones does not think that will change their mentality on the court.

“There is a lot of pressure on athletes to perform well and my seniors are great competitors,” Jones said. “If anything, I think it helps them to make those kind of college decisions early and then they can just focus on making the most of their last year of high school basketball. As a team, there are still a lot of goals we need to accomplish.”

Personal goals are also very important to this years team.

Rambo’s goal is to work hard and be ready at the end of the year.

“There is pressure, but it’s all good pressure, Rambo said.

“We’re really motivated to show our competitors how bad we want it.”

This season, the Grand Ledge team has only lost to two teams, Detroit MLK and Dewitt. Although Holt has always been one of their biggest rivals, Grand Ledge had a great game and beat the Rams by 20 points.

“They returned some really good players, and they are one of our main focuses,” Rambo said. “They are definitely our best competition in the conference.”

The competition will be great for the team, according to Rambo, who thinks the team needs pressure to be successful.

The teamwork and drive to win help lower the nervous pressure and really helps Drake play her best.

“I am really looking forward to growing up and getting pushed,” Drake said. “But that won’t change the way I play this year. I think that if you are on a team, you should put your heart and soul into that team. If you are on a team, you need to do as much as you can and work as hard as you can to make them better.”

The team’s next game is on Feb. 14 at Lansing Eastern High School.

Amy Case ‘16

All photos taken by Kaitlin Irish/The Ledge

A timeout is called by coach David Jones to help get his team reorganized while playing the Dewitt Panthers. “During a timeout we talk about the defense and offence and what to do when we go back onto the court,” sophomore Maddie Albert said. The Comets are ranked #1 in their conference.

Above: During a home game on Dec. 6, senior Laruen Bachert plays defense on a DeWitt Panther. The Comets lost 62-51.

Right: Senior Hannah Orwat attempts a layup in a home game against Everett where the Comets won, 70-54. “On a fast break lay-up I try to focus on hitting the square on the back board,” Orwat said.

Roses are green: Making the special trip to Pasadena After watching Michigan State secure the Big Ten SPORTS EDITOR (B1G) Championship game in Indianapolis against the then undefeated Ohio State, GLHS junior Jonathan Dobie believed that was be the last time he would watch his Spartans in person until next fall. That changed when Dobie received news that his New Years would not be spent in Michigan but 2,204 miles away in Pasadena, California.

“My first reaction was a big smile and little bit of shock because [my family] had talked about it and decided we probably weren’t going,” Dobie said.

The last time Michigan State made the trip to California was 26 years ago when the Spartans beat the University of Southern California 20-17 in 1988. With that in mind and not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, future MSU student and 2012 graduate of GLHS David Occhiuto could not pass up the chance to watch his Spartans play in the Rose Bowl.

“I knew it would be something special because it might only be a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Occhiuto said.

And many Spartan fans felt the same way. Ticket demand skyrocketed and getting to the game would be an adventure in itself.

“We drove across the country in four different cars because there was 15 of us,” Occhiuto said. “We stopped at the Grand Canyon and stayed the night in Las Vegas and it was pretty funny that Mr. Lorson (who has been long time friends with one of Occhiuto’s cousins} was with us along with [GLHS graduate] Connor Thompson and other members of my family.”

When it was time to put the pads on, Spartans from all over the country flooded Los Angeles and Pasadena with a Michigan State pep rally approximately drawing a crowd of 27,000. The Rose Bowl Stadium being estimated at 65 percent full of green with GLHS junior Austin Blatt being one of these dedicated fans.

“The days leading up [to the Rose Bowl] were crazy, there Zach Kramp‘14

were so many Spartans out there,” Blatt said. “The atmosphere during the game was amazing, almost like a concert. Every big play got a standing ovation and not to mention it was loud. I get chills just thinking about it.”

The 100th Rose Bowl had 18.6 million viewers and was the most viewed program on cable-TV since the 2013 BCS national championship game. The game itself was filled with momentum swings with Stanford jumping out to a 10-0 lead before Michigan State cut the score to 17-14 before halftime.

The second half was mostly dominated by the Spartans outscoring the Cardinals 10-3 with many big plays leading to the Spartans first Rose Bowl win in 26 years coming from both sides of the ball.

“My favorite part of the game was Connor Cook’s touchdown pass to Tony Lippett because that’s when we really started to break away from Stanford,” Occhiuto said.

The play that secured the B1G’s third win in the Rose Bowl since 2000 was from backup linebacker Kyler Elsworth on fourth and one.

“The most memorable moment of the game is when ‘Max Bullough’s backup’ made the fourth down stop to steal the victory,” Thompson said. “Everybody was hooting and hollering!”

When GLHS junior Chris Occhiuto looks back at his trip to Pasadena, he will not just think of the game but of his journey as a whole.

“My favorite part overall was just the pure adventure of it,” Occhiuto said. “Thirty-four hours in the car sucks if you look at the place you are going as a destination. You have to take it in as if its a journey and savor everything.”

Those who were a part of the 100th Rose Bowl left California with memories that will never be forgotten.

“My favorite part of the whole experience was the once in lifetime opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl,” Dobie said. “ It Is something all college football fans dream of and I was lucky enough to get to experience it.”

Austin Blatt/The Comets Tale

Above: Michigan State fans surround the Rose Bowl Stadium prior to the 24-20 Spartan win on Jan 1.

Left: GLHS graduate David Occhiuto and junior Chris Occhiuto stop at the Grand Canyon with their dad, Charles, on their way to California.

Class of 2014 GL athletes sign with colleges Krista Magness LCC Running

Lauren Bachert Saginaw Valley State Softball

Michael Buffin LCC Running

Keefer Johnson Yale University Football

Courtesy Photo

Lauren Sharp SVSU Tennis

Joe Reverman Hillsdale Football

Kaitlin Irish Jackson College Soccer

Nathan Langenfeld LCC Baseball

Codie Drake

Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball

Christian Keller LCC Baseball

Hannah Orwat

Oakland University Basketball

Brennan Cummings LCC Baseball

Lindsay Orwat

Oakland University Basketball

Good Job Comets!

ps.

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Photostory •February 2014

The Grand Ledge girls’ gymnastics team has been making headlines in the Lansing STAFF WRITER COPY EDITOR State Journal, on mlive.com and Grand Ledge Independent to name a few. The girls won their 100th consecutive meet on senior night, Feb. 3 against Haslett/Williamston/ Bath.

“We had the largest crowd I’ve seen at a home meet in all my four years,” senior captain Presley Allison said.

The Comets became just the fourth team in Michigan High School Athletic Association history to accomplish this goal. Their winning streak includes all dual meets, all invitational meets, six straight CAAC titles, six straight regional crowns and six straight state titles.

This year, the Comets hope to put their skills to the test once again, not only keep their undefeated record but to also win the title of state champions for a seventh year in a row. To achieve the team’s lofty goals, the girls practice Monday through Saturday for two hours, a 66 percent of their practice time is spent on the beam and bar, the other 34 percent is spent on vault practice and working the floor. With practices being so intense, the girls take time outside of grueling practice to become great friends.

“We have t e a m Jess Cotter ‘16

Sarah Clinkscales ‘15

sleepovers so that we can bond and have fun doing activities outside of gymnastics,” Allison said.

When walking into practice sophomore Rachel Hogan knows exactly what she has to do to become more successful and push her limits.

“I think we all work hard at every practice,” Hogan said. “More importantly because we all want to get to the state championship this year, I want to help them get there.”

Allison has been a big part in the gymnastics team; she helps the team at every meet come out with the win. Since joining the team her freshman year the gymnastics team has won the state championship for three years in a row and Allison hopes to make it a fourth.

“One of my goals from this season is to win states again in March,” Allison said. “Also I hope to win the all around in Division 1 this year.”

The only other senior captain on the team, Taylor Stevens, has high hopes for CAAC on Feb. 14 through the 16.

“With CAACs coming up this weekend, we as a team have to pull it together and hit a 145 team all around to prove our spot in state and to ourselves that we can win another state championship,” 3. During Stevens said. “As a team captain I know it is possible.” her routine on the balance Whether it is blisters from bars or muscle soreness beam senior Taylor these girls do not give up. They will not let anything Stevens performs a stop them and will do whatever it takes to succeed handstand and helps during their season. The Comet gymnastics towards the teams dreams team stands 100-0, the strength and drive of being undefeated. comes from their hard work, love for the pressure and their commitment to the 5. The GLHS girls’ gymnastics team hudchallenge. dles and cheers together before going for there 96th straight win against East Lansing.

7. The gymnastics team warms up before their meet against East Lansing. Since then the team has reached their 100th victory with wins against Lumen Christy, Northwest, St. Johns and Haslett High Schools.

1 1. Sopomore Tiana Seville performs her floor routine to the song “Red Hot” at the GLHS gymnastics meet against East Lansing. Seville took first with a score of 8.25

2. Putting chalk on her hands before competing on the bars senior Presley Allison mentally prepares herself for her event. Allison won her event, with a final score of 9.55

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Kyle Platte/The Ledge

Liz Wood/The Comets’ Tale

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6. On beam, sophomore Alexis Payne shows her flexibility in a straddle jump at a home meet against East Lansing.

8. Freshman Janelle Hall competes a half on half off vault during a home meet. “ I did club gymnastics for a long time and I joined the high school team for a change in environment,” Hall said.

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4. At a home competition against Holt, senior Presley Alison completes a handstand press down. She ended the meet with a score of 9.4 taking the win being a reining All State individual division two champion. Allison tries to keep a level head going into the competition. “I’ve been working on upgrading my routines, mostly on bars and floor because I will be moving up to division one this year.

Kyle Platte/The Ledge