The Huron Emery

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The Emery

Volume 4 Issue 4 January 2019

The Student Publication of Huron High School

After 25 years, MD Bagel Fragel forced to relocate Austin Aldrich | Staff Writer

ONLINE: Teachers React to Rate My Teachers - Episode 1 bit.ly/2Fuw63c

PAGE 8: Check out our latest movie reviews

PAGE 5: Student: “I like to be high”

PAGE 6: The Art of RollPlay with D&D club

PAGE 4: Cultural appropriation, A2 Republicans

ceived was from the new landlord of the Broadway

It’s a cool rainy Thursday Square strip mall who had morning at around 10 a.m., and the purchased the mall just two shelves of Ann Arbor’s MD Bagel Fragel days prior. The new landare empty. The bagel shop has been open lord has stayed anonymous since six o’clock in the morning with and all communication customers lined up since 5am. Patricia has been through attorney Rockette is busy behind the counter Bruce S. Schoenberger of putting the last pinch of sugar on two Gressley, Kaplin & Parker, dozen fragels.

LLP.

“This is the last batch right “They wanted us here,” she says while continuing to look out by the 31st which was two down at the deep fried cinnamon raisin days,” Rockette said. “Once bagels.

Ann Arbor people found out,

This delicious creation is they started emailing, calling unknown to Ann Arbor residents of the til we were told we had until the North-East side of town as a “fragel” end of December. “The community’s and it is sold exclusively at MD Bagel support has been overwhelming,” RockFragel.

Rockette, ette told MLive. the owner of MD “We had no idea Bagel Fragel, is not we would get that just referring to this We have been in this strip much response.” batch as being the

The Emlast of the day, but mall for 25 years,” Rock- ery reached out to the last batch at this ette said. “We got a letter Schoenberger for location. As of Dec. interview, but on [October] 29th telling an 20, MD Bagel Frathere was no regel closed its doors us we needed to get out. sponse as of deadat the Broadway line.

Square strip mall Patricia Rockette, owner of MD Bagel Fragel A n d r e on Plymouth Road Coleski has lived in west of US-23.

Ann Arbor since he

“We have was two years old atbeen in this strip mall for 25 years,” tending Northside Elementary, Clague Rockette said. “We got a letter on [Oc- Middle School, and Huron High School. tober] 29th telling us we needed to get He now is a student at the University at out.”

Michigan and had the honor of enjoying

The letter that Rockette re- the very last fragel ever sold at the MD

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Bag e l Fragel Plymouth road location.

“It’s sad,” said Coleski. “There would always be a bunch of bagels and fragels on Fridays at Northside.”

As of now, MD Bagel Fragel is looking for a location that will fit their requirements.

“It cannot take somebody extra time to come to us,” Rockett said.

“Long term, will everyone still come if it is not a convenient location? That’s what you have to think about.”

A potential bagel shop location also needs to have proper ceiling venting approved See more | Page 2

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Two of English teacher R. J. Fox’s books to be produced as full-length feature films Julie Heng | Staff Editor

Robert J. Fox can—and will— write anywhere.

You’ll find him typing away on a laptop just after the kids have gone to bed, or scribbling furiously on a composition notebook, scrap paper, restaurant napkins, or the Shinola notebook he received for Christmas. The point is, the medium doesn’t matter.

The writing utensil doesn’t matter, either.

“I usually just use a cheap old pen like this,” he says, pulling one right out of his pocket.

And above all, the time doesn’t matter. When you have a day job, you make time. You sacrifice sleep. Plain coffee with a dash of milk can get you

the caffeine kick without all the calories and sugar.

After that, it’s off to the races.

As his own literary agent, Robert J. Fox is constantly urging movie directors to read his stuff.

“I’m constantly hustling. Anytime I come across someone who has a connection to the film industry, I kind of hound them about it,” says Fox, who admits to cold-calling contacts. “You have to really advocate for yourself. Authors really have to market themselves.

There’s so many other things trying to fight for people’s attention.”

And that “it’s not a no until they tell you no” mentality has really paid off: not just one, but two of Fox’s novels are now set to be produced as

feature films. Love and Vodka (2015) is a memoir chronicling a trip to Ukraine in pursuit of love, and Awaiting Identification (2018) is a fictional, redemptive exploration of five unidentified bodies that arrive at a Wayne County morgue.

Fox, the screenwriter for both upcoming movies, actually initially wrote both books as screenplays.

“Most of the time, things start out as a book and then turn into a script,” Fox explains. “Since I was in high school, my dream was to be a screenwriter, so I had been doing this for several years before I wrote any prose at all.”

As a screenplay, Love and Vodka wasn’t successful at first, so Fox experimented with a novel format. The book

allowed him to deviate from the specific cookie cutter structure of a screenplay.

“With a book, you’re not as bound,” Fox says. “You can kind of wander aimlessly, take tangents, have flashbacks. I had to cut a lot of scenes from the script, and was able to resurrect those scenes into the book.”

Awaiting Identification underwent a similar surgery. Fox was inspired by an article in the Detroit Free Press about the hundreds of bodies arriving annually in Detroit’s morgues, buried without identities. His original plans saw scenes cut back and forth between the five characters, but his book developed separate chapters for each, with interwoven cameos and progressive revelations.

After publishing See more | Page 2

English teacher R. J. Fox has been dreaming of screenwriting since the tenth grade. And though it’s been a roundabout journey, he’s finally starting to make it. Fox’s first book Love and Vodka, of which he is the author, screenwriter, and co-producer, is expected to be shot as a feature film the summer of 2020. Photo courtesy of R. J. Fox.

Olympic coach and daughter working with Huron divers Learning from scratch: study-

ing at a top university in a new country, language, and lifestyle

Julie Heng | Staff Editor

The summer of 1968, the Olympics were in Mexico City. Micki King, diving for the USA, was leading with two dives to go on the 3-meter springboard.

And then, the unexpected happened: on her next dive, a reverseone-and-a-half layout, King broke her arm on the board.

King’s longtime coach, Dick Kimball, was heartbroken.

“The win’s in your hand, and you lose it,” he remembered.

He had coached King since before Title IX.

“It was hard trying to get her back up,” he said.

Four years later, in Munich 1972, Kimball found himself again poolside, staring intently. King, now known as the “old person” in the competition, was third going into the final dive. And with that final, perfect dive, she leapt into the gold medal position.

That was unbelievable.

Kimball’s had his fair share of shocking diving experiences. He’s coached for 43 years as the head coach at the University of Michigan, after all.

Andrea Cabrera | Guest Writer

After decades of coaching experience, Dick and Vicki Kimball feel right at home working with Huron’s divers in the Ratatorium, even though they went to school at Rochester (in Minnesota) and Pioneer, respectively. Photo by Manit Patel.

Many of his divers have made the Olympic team—five have won Olympic championships, five silver, and three bronze.

He’s become the legal guardian for divers so they can train in Ann Arbor. He’s pioneered and popularized new diving and training techniques.

“I started a system that everybody in the world uses now: on tram-

poline, I can actually maneuver the belt and keep a person spinning,” Kimball explained. He calls it tipping or kipping.

It eliminates a lot of the fear.

It also teaches the divers how to use their eyes.”

He’s even coached a diver who dived for five years without an eardrum.

See more | Page 10

The life of a college student can be rough, starting from the moment you graduate from high school.

And for some it’s not just the struggle of transitioning from a life with your parents to one on your own, but it’s also the struggles that come along with being an immigrant having to learn a new language and a new life style. This is the story of Felipe Cabrera— a senior at the University of Michigan— who describes himself as a self-learner and a product of the many failures he has faced throughout his life.

“I immigrated from Colombia here in 2015, and I’ve been here for three and a half years now,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera immigrated to the United States three and a half years ago with a high school degree and some experience working as a graphic designer.

His life changed from the moment his

Visit our new website at thehuronemery.com and follow us on

dad told him he was going to have to leave everything behind to start a new life in the United States. Cabrera talks about how that experience shaped his character, and how it made him realize that getting out of a comfort zone and taking risks has an impact on people’s lives.

“I became a new person after coming to the States,” Cabrera said. “I have been able to achieve things that I never imagined I would be able to achieve.”

Since then, he has used that experience as a mantra and a way of thinking, giving him the strength to take on challenges such as learning English from scratch, and getting into one of most prestigious universities in the world.

“It took me two years to learn English,” he said. “When I came here I started See more | Emery Online

@thehuronemery

News

MD Bagel Fragel forced to relocate

Huron teacher’s books to be made into feature films

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

by Austin Aldrich | Staff Writer by the city for MD Bagel Fragel to move in. On top of that, Rockette needs to find a way to move a ceiling high walk in refrigerator and revolving oven from the current location.

“We need to find somebody that knows that size of an oven,” said Rockette.

The employees of MD Bagel remain hopeful.

As of Dec. 21, the Save Bagel Fragel Go Fund Me page has raised over 11 thousand dollars. A T-shirt fundraiser with Underground Printing has raised an additional $2,400.

“We plan on finding a new spot and hopefully everyone will continue to come visit us!”

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From top to bottom: 1. On its last day, MD Bagel Fragel’s shelves were emptied by 11 a.m. 2. The shop on 1760 Plymouth has since been closed. 3. Bagels with cream cheese are prepped behind the counter. 4. The last batch of fried bagels at the Plymouth location. Photos by Austin Aldrich.

2 the directors, he continues to write.

While Fox doesn’t set himself weekly or even yearly deadlines, he is always working on a slew of projects.

“I can’t just sit and wait for the movies to happen because I always have to have a creative outlet somehow,” says Fox, who recently submitted a collection of short stories for publication.

“I’m just continuing to work.”

Right now, he’s in a self-described “experimental phase,” playing around with new ideas and old ones.

More often than not, he finds himself working late at a Starbucks, brewing fresh short story plotlines.

“I need to have stimulation around me,” Fox says. “I can’t work in

and creative writing.

“I feel like creative writing often takes a backseat,” he says, noting that “a lot of teachers might not feel comfortable teaching creative writing because they don’t do it themselves or CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 don’t know how to. And then the focus by julie Heng | Staff Editor just becomes essay writing and analytical writing. Even if it’s a small writing both books, Fox went back to refine the prompt for a journal, it doesn’t always original scripts. have to just be ‘analyze this passage in

This time, it worked. this book.’ You could write a piece of

At one point, Awaiting Identifanfiction about Holden Caulfield that fication even made its way through the demonstrates understanding.” jungle of Hollywood onto the desk of

In his ninth grade class, for exSteve McQueen, Oscar-winning direcample, Fox will ask students to not only tor of 12 Years A Slave. analyze short story structure and plot,

“[That] was pretty incredible,” but then apply that structure by creatFox says. “It’s ing their own really hard for short stories. a nobody to The best access anyone piece of writon that level. ing advice he But somehow can offer is I sent an email, this: just out of “Don’t get the blue, and intimidated they respondby looking at ed within five a blank page. minutes. He If you map out passed on the an outline beproject but it fore you start was this key writing, you moment where at least have Teacher and Author R.J. Fox has published three books: Love and Vodka, Awaiting Identification, and “the forI lost the fight gotten stepchild,” Tales from the Dorkside. All can be purchased on Amazon and at all local bookstores. Photos a roadmap to but still went courtesy of R. J. Fox. follow. Don’t the distance.” worry about

There’s still a lot of work down a quiet room with no sound. Writing is grammar on a first draft. It’s not about the road for these two independent such a lonely thing, so if at least if I’m getting it perfect, and you lose out on films—beyond shooting them, there’s out in public, there’s life happening.” the creativity that might be trying to also a matter of financing, film festivals, If not people-watching, then come out. Even if it’s really sloppy, I can production, and mass distribution in Fox finds himself people-listening, sculpt it later.” theaters or platforms like Netflix—but building up “a database of quirks about At the end of the day, it’s all Fox hopes both will be “something at about conviction. the end of the day that we’re all proud

“The trick to happiness is just of: a good movie.” following your passions,” Fox says. “You

While he acknowledges every can still find happiness even if you have With a book, you’re not screenwriter worries their vision will be to work a different job to make income, as bound. You can kind lost in the movie-making process, Fox even if you have to get less sleep. You says he has full faith in the teams hanjust have to stick to it and not give up.” of wander aimlessly, take dling his projects.

He compares it to having a taltangents, and have flash “I’m hoping they’re happy ented athlete without a burning desire with the screenplay that I’ve given backs. to win. them. I’ve made short films in the past,

“Certain players are just driv- R. J. Fox but having someone make a movie—a en to achieve what they’re setting out to real movie, a feature film? That is the do. They will it into power. I believe in pinnacle of what I’ve been trying to do that sort of thing. You have to fight for for 20+ years.” people.” Being observant is essential to it.”

Of course, Fox doesn’t plan on any writer. Sometimes, those quirks end And one day, even though it stopping anytime soon. up in a story. might take a while, that tenth grade as “I’m engineered to not just “I’m never not thinking about piring screenwriter will see two of his settle for [this],” he says, sitting up [writing],” Fox says. “[Making my stories made into feature films. One straighter. “My ultimate goal is to win dreams happen] is something I wake up step closer to that Oscar dream. an Oscar someday, and if that happens, thinking about and go to sleep thinking “Too many people say they then two, and then become a writer/ about. I’m very fortunate to teach the want to do things but don’t,” Fox says. producer/director, and then make a TV things I’m most passionate about—film, “Anyone can say, ‘Oh, I wanna make a series…” writing, and literature—at Huron.” movie someday.’ But what steps are you

For the time being, as Fox is Still, Fox does wish the English taking to make that a possibility?” waiting for further instructions from Department focused more on creativity

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Celebrating students in the annual Multi-Culti Show 1

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1: APEX’s hip-hop dancers performed a variety of routines for the school during the Multi-Cultural show on Dec. 21. 2: This year, the show featured new acts like Vietnamese singing. 3: Loud and proud, junior Avani Carter belts out Jill Scott’s “Golden” for the school. 4. The Black Student Union performed multiple routines at the double assembly. 5. Lead by senior leader Ritvik Jilala, the Indian Student Association gave an energetic performance. “For the dance, we try to combine the various different parts of India and Indian dance forms,” Kodali said. 6. Flaunting

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his exceptional yo-yo skills, freshman Nico Pontius manages footwork and the yo-yo simultaneously. “I’ve been performing all my life,” said Pontius. “I go to Chinese school where your class performs every year. So, I’ve just performed every year and gotten used to it.” 7. Complete with a dragon, Chinese club represented with an upbeat dance routine. Seen in the picture, junior Zhenbo “Tom” Zhang looks to his right as a dragon marches behind him. 8. Senior Brian Acosta performs with the Latino Student Union. “I performed ‘I Like It’ by Cardi B, and I sang Bad Bunny’s

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part,” Acosta said. “The reason why I chose that song was because it’s live and it represents the Latin culture. 9. Sophomore Takima Banks leads BSU Step in their routine. “We kinda threw a cast party,” said senior Taliyah Morgan, whose mom choreographed. “Everyone came over and played games.” 10. Senior Anisha Sharma graces the audience with a smile, twirling out a semi-classical Indian dance routine.

“I started dancing when I was five because I loved to dance,” said Sharma. “I have loved every minute of it!” Photos by Sonali Narayan; captions by Lauren Rose.

Opinion

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The Emery The Student Publication of Huron High School

Adviser

Louise Depa Jack Harrison Julie Heng Kara Kozma Samantha Ruud Alyssa Salamin David Shen Cierra Slater

Staff Writers Helen Abraha Leonardo Aguirre Austin Aldrich William Beaune Keven Cerda Kade Cupp Louise Depa Keiyon Fifer Jessica Fraser Daulton Meadows Daniel Middaugh Johannah Mogbo Eli Nelson-Ulsh Manit Patel Niya Phillips Jazlyn Rhodes Richarra Roach Cheyanne Roy Alyssa Salamin Zoey Schaap David Shen Cierra Slater Shannon Stocking Johan Villalobos Calderon George White La’Taiya Wilson

late Lunch

6 MINS 6 MINS

12:27

6 MINS 10:57

late Lunch

12:27

Staff Designers

Gold Day

6 MINS

Staff Editors Jack Harrison Julie Heng Sami Ruud

late Lunch

Green Day

1:05-2:35

10:57-12:58

late Lunch

Kara Kozma

6 MINS

Editor-in-Chief

9:21-10:51

7:45-9:15

6 MINS 10:57

Sara-Beth Badalamente

Note: There are many variations of scheduling

What block scheduling could look like

Block scheduling has few drawbacks Clara Bowman | Guest Writer

My eighth grade year, my middle school, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, adopted a new block schedule. Although I only experienced it for one year, I have extremely fond memories of it and strongly believe that Huron would greatly benefit from a similar change. In essence, block schedules are when students visit half their classes each day for a longer period of time (typically an hour and a half) and then visit the other half on alternating days.

Block schedules save a lot of time because far less time is wasted during passing periods and settling into each class. This means that it is possible to have longer lunches and more class minutes while still preserving start and

end times and passing period lengths.

Longer periods also allow classes to do activities that take longer, such as science labs and art assignments. Art classes would greatly benefit because they do not need to spend so much time setting up and cleaning. This is due to the fact that they would only have to do so two to three times weekly with more productivity each class.

There are several variations of block schedules, many of which include eight standard hours. This version allows students to take one more class each semester and perhaps take a class they have always wanted to, but couldn’t because it didn’t fit into their schedule previously. I am also familiar with the somewhat unique block schedule of Walter Payton College Preparatory in Chicago. This schedule

includes “flex days” every other week (typically Wednesdays) where students elect seminars to attend such as clubs, playing various games or study hall.

This type of day can be used in place of the ineffective half days and possibly additional days.

The ability for students to focus is a major concern when bringing up block schedules, and it does require major adjustments from students and teachers. At first, I too was not a fan of 90-minute classes and found it difficult to be productive for the entire time, but after a few months I acquired a strong liking for the new schedule and found it increasingly easier to pay attention during class. I also really appreciated the fact that I had two days to complete my homework, so I could easily adjust my homework schedule

What do students think of block scheduling?

if I was very busy on a specific day.

Also remember that this was a middle school, so if a group of 12 year olds managed to focus for 90 minutes, high schoolers can as well.

The idea of transitioning to a block schedule is currently being brought up at several meetings, such as by Student Council, but it will not go through without student support.

Attending meetings and expressing support will increase the chance of block schedules being discussed by district officials and eventually implemented. Above all, it is important that everyone has patience because it would likely take years for Huron to adopt a new block schedule and yet more time to fully adjust to it.

Giovanni Hugan, freshman

Peter Stenger, sophomore

Divine Obi, junior

Brian Acosta, senior

“I would prefer block scheduling because some days there are classes I don’t want to be in.”

“I’d prefer block scheduling, because homework would be less stressful.”

“I would prefer to have block scheduling because I would be able to get more work done, and I would have more time to spend on sports.”

“I would have more time to do my homework for other classes, and I would be less stressed out.”

Lanya Perry, freshman

Jeongin Bae, sophomore

Carolyn Sackett, junior

Whitney Prince, senior

“Standard schedule because block scheduling would just be too much work.”

“I would prefer regular scheduling because I feel like having the same class for two hours would be boring.”

“I would prefer standard scheduling because I wouldn’t be able to focus in longer classes.”

“I’d prefer block scheduling because it prepares you better for college.”

The Emery Staff Policy The Emery is a newspaper produced by and for the students of Huron High School. The Emery exists to inform and entertain the student body by producing quality content on a variety of school, community, national, and international issues. We at The Emery aim to improve ourselves as writers, thinkers, and communicators serving communities to which we belong, and we strive to maintain the highest degree of journalistic integrity.

All opinions pieces published by The Emery reflect only the views of their authors, not those of the adviser, editor-in-chief, editorial board, or other staff members.

The Emery achieved a Gold Ranking in the Spartan Critique for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years.

The Emery is a member of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, and the Journalism Education Association.

Staff Editorial: Why we must support our local businesses

The state of Michigan has experienced economic growth and added several hundred thousand jobs in the last few years. Ann Arbor’s diverse community is reflected by the many, unique small businesses spread throughout the city. Not many communities offer authentic food from more than one culture; not many communities have a central downtown with restaurants and unique thrift shops.

But Ann Arbor does. We must keep it this way.

To ensure that Ann Arbor

maintains its diversity of business, it is critical that we use their services, especially if a large corporation that competes with that business exists. We cannot take services and food options for granted, because there may come a time when we buy our last smoothie, pizza, or fragel from that local company. And we don’t realize how much we appreciate that company until it’s too late.

MD Bagel Fra-

gel, a local Ann Arbor business, provided many in the community with an ideal place to purchase coffee and baked goods. But this won’t be the case for a while, because they were not given an opportunity to renew their lease by new owners, resulting in them leaving their location. As a community, we must show our support for companies when these instances occur, and we must also hold landlords accountable through local government officials.

Although rent in Ann Arbor can be particularly expensive, it is important that businesses are treated fairly by their owners and landlords.

Local businesses and businesses deserve fair rent and fair expectations.

When fair requirements are not alloted, businesses will consider leaving our vibrant community. And

even if they stay in the city, moving supplies is unnecessary, difficult work, and often employees may have to leave their jobs.

The next time you buy goods from a local company, appreciate their service to our community.

To support Bagel Fragel, donate to: https:// www.gofundme.com/ save-bagel-fragel

On Oct. 29, 2018, Patricia and Michael Rockette, who own MD Bagel Fragel located at 1760 Plymouth Rd, opened a Fedexed letter one morning.

But this wasn’t any typical piece of mail—it was from their new landlord giving them just two days to leave. However, they were able to stay for one more month—except at double the rate.

On Dec. 21, Bagel Fragel shut its doors, resulting in an outpour of support from the community.

“They wanted us out by the 31st which was two days,” Patricia Rockette said. “Once Ann Arbor people found out, they started emailing, calling until we were told we had until the end of December.” Photo by Austin Aldrich.

Opinion

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Educate yourself on cultural appropriation Richarra Roach | Staff Writer

even went as far as passing tignon laws to keep Black women from pridefully and peacefully wearing their natural hairstyles in 1786. It is not fair for Black students such as Mya and Deanna Cook of The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School to be punished by their school for wearing traditional black hairstyles while Kylie Jenner is applauded for her “boxer braids” (originally referred to as cornrows) simply because of her white privilege.

Cultural appropriation is also offensive because it robs the cultural aspect that is being appropriated of its authenticity. Additionally, cultural appropriation involves rebranding.

When it is carried out, the culture of origin is discredited and what was once a rich piece of culture is reduced to a trend, costume and or fashion statement.

“Throughout time, society has often either belittled minorities to lessen their value and position within the mainstream or done the opposite by taking advantage of what is deemed cultural (music, fashion, hairstyles, etc.) and profit from it,” English teacher Kimberly Wright said.

“Nowadays, there is a stronger presence of pride displayed amongst minority groups which is slowly changing social acceptance.”

When an aspect of a culture that is specific to a certain group of

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It’s apparent that change needs to be made. The best way to tackle the issue is through the power of education.

- Richarra Roach

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Cultural appropriation is the reality for many minorities in the United States. Cultural appropriation is the adoption of aspects from one culture to another (usually without credit given to the culture it came from) and has caused an even greater social divide among various ethnic groups and is offensive to say the least. One of the main reasons that it’s so upsetting is due to the fact that there is a complete double standard between the ethnic majority and minorities. Minority groups are made fun of, harassed, and/or criminalized for practicing certain aspects of their culture while white people tend to receive praise for carrying out the same acts.

For example, hair is one of the major aspects of Black or African American culture that tends to be appropriated. This can be frustrating for people in the Black or African American community because for a long period of time (as well as in the present), Black people have been called names such as ghetto, unprofessional, dirty and ugly for wearing hair styles that reflect their culture. Congress

people is appropriated and taken over for the sake of a fad, it can cause the aspect at hand to feel less exclusive to the culture of origin, almost as if it is being taken away.

Wright made the point that taking a liking to a certain culture does not necessarily mean one is

appropriating it.

“Some really do appreciate the music, poetry, or art that’s out there,” she said.

Cultural appreciation, however, is not to be confused with cultural appropriation. As said by sophomore Amerique Phillips, Black Student Union social justice director, and senior Alexis Baker, Black Student Union president of The University of Utah: “Cultural appropriation can be defined as the ‘cherry picking’ or selecting of certain aspects of a culture, and ignoring their original significance for the purpose of belittling it as a trend. Appreciation is honoring and respecting another culture and its practices, as a way to gain knowledge and understanding.” While the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation may be slightly blurred, the main difference lies in the fact that cultural appreciation is all about respect and understanding for a culture and cultural appropriation involves the exploitation of a culture in order to look cool.

That being said, it’s apparent

that a change needs to be made. The best way to tackle the issue is through the power of education. In my experience, cultural appropriators appropriate because they see nothing wrong with it and when they’re called out on their ways, they resort to comments such as “It’s a free country,” or “It’s not that serious.” I once had a friend tell me that people are just too sensitive.

It’s this kind of mindset that keeps insensitivity alive and tension on the rise. In order for such a diverse group of people to live civilly, we must strive to understand one another, which sometimes means that we must take it upon ourselves to educate those who have a lack of understanding. The best way to go about this is to simply speak up.

Outside the bubble: The conservative voices of Ann Arbor Nathan Penoyar | Guest Writer

more attention needs to be brought to It’s the issue,” Harrison said. tough

Harrison is an editor for The to be a Emery and writes a column titled, “The conservative Conservative Corner,” in which he in liberal Ann writes editorials from his conservative Arbor. It’s rare point-of-view. For example, he has to find somebody been accused of being a bigot for his who supports political opinions about sanctuary cities. But in positions on the right reality, he is simply trying to broaden side of the aisle. And it’s more rare to the perspective of his peers by showing find those who openly voice this view. I people the issues from a different know. I am one of the few. viewpoint.

Many liberals like to talk about how “tolerant” they are. But The Open Conservatives of Huron when it comes down to somebody

Last year, a group of students holding different political opinions, brought pro-gun posters to the school many self-described “tolerant” liberals walkout, which was a protest in which are quite intolerant. The hypocrisy many students called for stricter gun is incredible. Conservatives are laws. The group tried to make sure that constantly being harassed whenever their signs were as non-controversial they speak up. This leads to many as possible. The signs read, “Pro-Gun conservatives deciding to not express Because We Care About Kids Too,” their opinions for fear of being “Guns and students can coexist,” and ostracized by their peers. While there “Politicians are protected by guns, so are many people on both sides who are why can’t we be?” The purpose was willing to listen to the other side, these NOT to counter-protest the event, people deserve respect because they but to start a dialogue with the other are willing to engage the other side side. Many people were willing to and consider its points. There are still have a calm and reasonable discussion, many liberals in Ann Arbor that are expressing their opinion. But towards extremely intolerant of other political the end, some people came up, started opinions. Many even yelling, cursing and prefer that there be acting aggressively. no conservative voices Some people have at all. whined that while the

The Huron group should have free Young Conservatives Many conservatives in speech, the walkout was club allows students Ann Arbor decide to the “wrong time” for to express their beliefs the students to express without having to fear stay silent rather than those views. That is getting mocked or ridiculous. The walkout voice their political ostracized by others was specifically set up for opinions. for their conservative discussing gun-control, - Nathan Penoyar beliefs. The Huron which the students Young Conservatives wanted to do.

Club aims to keep the “People on the left conservative message described themselves alive and correct as walking out because misconceptions about conservatives they didn’t want school shootings and and republicans within Ann Arbor and want legislative solutions,” junior Seth Huron. Huron Young Conservatives Richter said. “We presented our ideas has had eight of their posters ripped just like anyone else at the walkout.” down, probably due to people who

Richter recorded the walkout targeted the group because of their and posted his video to YouTube. beliefs. (link here: https://www.youtube.com/

“Despite Huron’s diverse, watch?v=Dqo9bXgwzbM) wonderful environment, I don’t always

Within the vulgar group, one feel comfortable expressing my views student yelled, “Watch y’all die next!” and I think the signs are representative hinting that the pro-gun students of this,” senior Jack Harrison, President should die because they don’t support of Huron Young Conservatives, said. gun-control.

“However, our club will continue to

This event demonstrated keep a conservative, compassionate that people resort to personal physical message alive here, and continue to attacks in political conversations correct misconceptions about the rather than dealing in facts. conservative viewpoint.”

Many people who are liberal

The sign ripping was more still have a couple views that than just a one-time occurrence. It got dissent with the liberal to the point that Harrison enlisted the orthodoxy. Junior * help of Huron Administration to use (real identity kept footage of the security cameras in order anonymous out of to track down the perpetrators. respect for his

“Still a year later, I am dealing request for with the same problem, and I feel that privacy) is

“

Nathan Penoyar explains his conservative perspective regarding gun control at the 2018 National School Walkout. Photo from video by Seth Richter.

one such example. Just the fact that * wanted their identity to remain anonymous is proof that many people fear getting ostracized by the far-left mob.

“I am one of the most liberal people in Ann Arbor,” * said.

“However, I am peaceful towards those with a different ideology than me. I don’t like violence.”

In a very polarized society or something like this, * believes that hearing the other side in political discussions is extremely important.

They further explained that both sides are equally guilty of intolerance towards the other side. * believes the majority opinion in an area is the one that is usually guilty of it in that particular area. * once even got slapped in a debate over free-speech because * was defending someone’s right to say what they want to.

“I used to discuss politics very openly,” * said. “Now I don’t because of the current political climate.”

The Silent Conservatives

Many conservatives in Ann Arbor decide to stay silent rather than voice their political opinions. The truth is that there are probably more conservatives at Huron than you might think. Many simply choose to not say anything rather than get ostracized by their peers.

“It depends on where I am,” Richter said. “If I’m

around people I know are going to take things the wrong way, then I don’t talk politics. If I know that people are going to be respectful about everything, of course I’m going to talk about politics.”

Richter considers himself to be a “libertarian conservative.”

Most of his positions align with the conservative point-of-view. The reaction when he does discuss politics with others has been pretty negative.

“There is a perception that I’m brainwashed,” Richter said. “There has been a perception that I’m all the stuff down the list: ‘homophobic, white supremacist, racist,’ all that stuff. It’s all just complete nonsense!”

Richter pointed out that there is a problem on both sides of hearing out the other side. If one side is dominant in an area, then they marginalize the other.

“On every side of political arguments, everyone is always thinking, ‘Oh you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know anything,’ about the other person,” Richter said. He went on to say, “I definitely fear a backlash (for my political views) living in Ann Arbor.

I love a lot of the people here, but there is always going to be not just a disagreement on the other end with some personal attacks.”

Upon observing someone with similar beliefs being ostracized, a person may decide to stay generally silent.

Being a conservative in Ann Arbor means having to listen to many people have no counter-arguments for what conservatives are saying, so they decide to label them as “racist,” “misogynistic,” “homophobic, or “not caring about poor people.”

It is very hard to be a conservative (or anyone with an opinion that differentiates from the progressive orthodoxy) at Huron because of the judgment that exists.

What we need to do is try to understand the other side. We can’t just dismiss the entire other side as being radical. We need to come together and realize that no matter what somebody’s political views are, we are all human. Instead of pointing fingers, we should get together and have an actual discussion about the issues.

If you are a conservative or have views that align with the conservative point-of-view, don’t be afraid to speak out. There are a lot more conservatives at Huron (and Ann Arbor as a whole) than you think.

So stand up for what you believe in, and make sure you know why you believe in what you believe. Consider the other sides’ point-of-view.

Consider what the other side is saying and actually listen to what they say.

Don’t just utilize ad-hominem attacks against the other side. *Indicates student requested to remain anonymous. If you want to attend a Young Conservatives meeting, email: huronyoungconservatives754@gmail.com.

“

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User is blunt about his first time Marijuana user gives his take on his experience smoking

Kade Cupp | Staff Writer Allen Diao | Guest Writer *Those interviewed for this article asked to remain anonymous, under alternative names.

Damon* first got weed from one of his classmates due to his curiosity.

“I found one of my classmates was using weed and he said he could sell me some,” Damon said. “I was really curious about weed so I bought a vaping device and some weed oil for the device. The device was $20 and weed was $60.”

From there he was hooked.

“I use weed at 9 p.m. and I can sleep really well during the night,” Damon said. “I feel even more energetic during daytime if I smoke weed the night before.”

But soon his supplier ran out.

Honestly, I used up all the weed I bought last time and my friend could not get more weed for now, so I’ve not been smoking weed for over a week,” he said. “Though I like to be high, I don’t feel uncomfortable when I stop using weed. If my friend manages to get more weed I’ll buy some

just for relaxing. I’ll lower the frequency I use it,” he replied.

For Damon, the legalization of marijuana will allow him the opportunity to get weed legally.

On Nov. 6, Michigan proposal 1 passed, meaning that Michigan legalized marijuana. Though many don’t use marijuana for medical or recreational use, voters approved the measure. According to the Center of Disease and Control and Prevention Center, 38 percent of teens have tried smoking marijuana.

Damon’s mother, Jane* found out quickly about his use. She was scared that her son’s life could be ruined by weed.

“I had no idea what weed does but I felt like it was some kind of drug which would ruin my son’s life,” Jane said. “I cried and kept asking him why would he do that.”

Jane soon accepted her son’s choice and changed her attitude towards weed after knowing the truth.

“I thought that would ruin his life so I wanted to force him to get rid of it,” she said. “However, I heard that weed would be legal soon. He promised me that he knows what he’s doing. In fact, now he’s behaving normally in daily life

- Individuals 21 and older can purchase and possess marijuana - Individuals can grow up to 12 plants for personal use - Up to a 10 oz limit kept at residences; 2.5 oz on hand - 10 percent sales tax - Licensing programs run by municipalities

O SAL P O R

The Vote: YES: 56% NO: 44%

MI is the 14th state to legalize medical use.

MI is the 10th state

(1st in Midwest) to le-

galize recreational use.

PRO

CON

still get fired from your job and get your driver’s license suspended, possession charges will have to change to adapt to the new law. This brings up the question of what will happen to citizens who have been previously convicted on marijuana charges.

“

The tax revenue from recreational marijuana by the end of the 2019 fiscal year will be around $77 million.

“

Nick Rau | Staff Writer

The vote to legalize recreational marijuana or more commonly referred to as simply Proposal 1, is a very popular topic in Michigan at the moment. Some people tend to focus on how harmful the drug is, but it is rare for people to look into the positive aspects that legalization could have. So here is a list of the positive things that could come out of the recently passed Prop 1 vote.

Firstly, it helps people who need it and have no other alternatives either because other pharmaceutical drugs are to expensive or do not work for certain people. Recreational marijuana is most commonly used to treat people who suffer from seizures, chronic pain, cancer, PTSD, and a few other hard-to-treat diseases or disorders. Another thing people don’t realize is that CBD and THC oil can be the only pain relief for diseases such as arthritis.

The second point is that the legalization of recreational marijuana would provide a large amount of money in tax revenue, meaning that whether you buy it or not it, will be a taxed item meaning that money goes into schools, roads and infrastructure. As reported by Kathleen Gray of the Detroit Free Press, the State Senate Fiscal Agency projected that the tax revenue from recreational marijuana by the end of the 2019 fiscal year will be around $77 million, and will grow to $262 million per year by the end of the 2022 fiscal year.

The third point to make is how the laws will change to adapt to the currently not so clear punishments for testing positive for THC. While you can

For more information about the effects of marijuana, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/factsheets/teens.htm

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What did Prop 1 legalize?

and his career seems to be unaffected by weed.”

It is true that people could get weed when it was not legal for recreational use. Ten percent of Michigan residents smoked weed before it was legalized.

Knowing that weed is legal now, Damon promised to not use weed as frequently as he did in the past, and Jane decided to let go of the issue.

“He tells me that he uses weed less than one time a week,” Jane said. “Weed is legal now and I think weed is not really affecting him in his daily life so I don’t want to regulate him. After all, he’s over the restricted age for weed now and he’s an adult.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Research shows that marijuana use can have permanent effects on the developing brain when use begins in adolescence, especially with regular or heavy use.” In addition, “Frequent or long-term marijuana use is linked to school dropout and lower educational achievement.

The fourth point to make for legalizing recreational marijuana is that it is a new thriving industry that is creating jobs all over the country. 18,000 new jobs were created in Colorado last year.

These jobs include growers, distributors, economists, and lawyers. Now that Michigan has legalized recreational marijuana, we can expect to see more and more jobs open up, which is good for the economy and the people.

While there are also negative effects by legalizing recreational marijuana, these arguments provide compelling reasons to believe that the passing of Proposal 1 will benefit our state.

Jack Harrison | Staff Editor

Yes. I know it passed. The majority of Michigan voters wanted marijuana legalized. It’s completely legalized in nine other states. But when young voters and adults in Michigan flocked to the polls on Nov. 6, they didn’t consider the effects for our state and themselves.

Often, the health effects of marijuana usage are overlooked. According to Smart Approaches to Marijuana, usage increases the risk of a heart attack.

The Michigan Association for Local Public Health notes that usage leads to decreased growth and impaired cognitive functions. Usage was correlated with decreased academic achievement and depression. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Several studies have linked marijuana use to increased risk for mental illness, including psychosis, depression and anxiety.”

Furthermore, marijuana actually creates problems for brain development during teenage years. Another study by Northwestern University demonstrated with MRIs, that “an oddly shaped hippocampus in adolescents who’d used marijuana heavily at ages 16 or 17 for a period of three years formed” This is the region most responsible for memory.

Yes, I understand that there a regulations, but how will this be enforced? If an individual smokes in a public place, are they usually going to be caught and ticketed? No, hardly ever.

If an individual is carrying more than two ounces, will we know? Nope. Many cite the sales tax, but with more marijuana, there will be cases where people can posses it without paying the taxes.

If you smell pot walking the halls at Huron or at your college campus, what are you going to do? With it legalized, the chances are only greater. This breeds a bad culture for educational campuses.

When 13 year olds are smoking pot is it justifiable? Though some smoke responsibly, marijuana can be a gateway drug, and this is especially dangerous for young teenagers.

There are benefits for the economy, but these are all projections.

According to the Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana (CALM) in 2005, “for every $1 collected in taxes on alcohol and tobacco, almost $14 was spent to repair the vast social damages caused by their use.” And tobacco usage can be paired with marijuana usage. And do remember, there is a negative impact for the environment, because electricity is used in the process of production and selling.

The solution:

I believe that in every state, medical marijuana should be legalized since it is not in several states. Marijuana has proven to provide health benefits for people, notably for seizures and muscle pain. But recreational marijuana clearly presents negatives for our state, and it is unfortunate many voters did not consider the consequences. A six percent sales tax will only provide several dozen million in taxes. For perspective, the Flex Route on U.S. 23 was part of a $92 million dollar project. The 2016 state budget was 454.7 billion. Thus, $70 million for marijuana is hardly a dent. It really isn’t that much and I think the tax must be increased to 20 percent.

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Dungeons and Dragons: new club attracts big following Cheyanne Roy | Staff Writer

Dungeons and Dragons club members play in Mr. Lincoln’s classroom. Some students come just to create D&D art. Photo by Cheyanne Roy.

Enter the mystical world just outside of our own just through Dungeons and Dragons, a game of chance, strategy, and imagination.

“Dungeons and Dragons is the tabletop role-playing game that started all the other tabletop role-playi n g g a m e s ,” said a parent volunteer at Huron’s news Dungeons and Dragons club.

In Dungeons and Dragons, you create and personalize a character and develop that character throughout quests and achieving goals. It’s a combination of luck with dice, imagination, and creativity.

“You can research and really act and become your character,” said another parent volunteer.

The game also consists of game masters, whose job is to lay out the world for the players. The players can then make choices and see the results of those choices.

“It lets them, explore problem solve, and, most of all, have a lot of fun,” she said.

The complex and highly detailed world of Dungeons and Dragons can be intimidating for a newcomer who knows nothing about it. However there are many beginners guide books

you can read to help you along the way, or you can just jump in with a group that already playing and have them help you out.

“The people that play Dungeons and Dragons are some of the most open and accepting people. We love having people join our groups, and we’ll take you from ‘I don’t know anything’ to having fun at the end of the day.”

Dungeons and Dragons is also gender and race neutral. Although being one race will give you some perks, being another race will give you other perks.

“It’s really about everyone being on the same playing field. I don’t care if your gnome that’s one foot tall or a dragon lord that’s seven feet tall, if you play your character right that gnome cold beat that dragonlord.”

The Dungeons and Dragons club has been at Huron for two years now and has steadily grown into a fun loving group of players.

“I wanted to fill that niche for people who loved fantasy,” said adviser teacher Markus Lincoln.

Dungeons and Dragons have become a safe and fun place for those people to come and play their games.

Dungeons and Dragons can also be expensive with all the books you have to buy, so this club can be a great way to just play the game.

“It just started with a group of us talking to one another, and then it just organically grew. We started with just four of us and now we have close to twenty characters,” said Lincoln.

Dungeons and Dragons club meets every Tuesday after 8th hour and everyone is welcome to join. D&D club is a fun, interesting, and complex game that anyone can enjoy. It’s not only about the game but also about the people you play with that make it what it is.

With a friendly and accepting environment, D&D is a great way to play a fun game and make friends.

1

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3

1. The Dungeon Master uses stats for the monsters that the adventurers are fighting. 2. The adventurer rolls a four sided die to calculate damage. 3.

Lincoln also hosts Magic the Gathering groups in his classroom. Over 30 students meet in his room after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 4. This is the DM’s die set. Both the DM and adventurers use die to determine what happens in the game. The number and types of die are dictated by the manuals. Photos by Cheyanne Roy.

4

Making an impact: German club persists with travel and activities

Emmanuel Uduji | Guest Writer

German club advisor Andrew Smith has been teaching at Huron since 1999. But before studying German at The University of Michigan, he was at Pioneer.

“I took German classes all through high school and college because I thought it was interesting,” Smith said. “I never actually knew that I was going to teach German until I needed a job after college.”

When Smith made that decision, everything took off from there.

The Huron high school German club, sponsored by Smith, is one of the up and coming clubs that are starting to really establish themselves as groups. Smith helped to found the club.

“It helps students find enjoyment in the German culture outside of the German classes,” he said.

He explained that taking a German class is one thing, but being in the German Club is a great way to actually understand the German culture and not just the words they use. The activities that the club members participate in include a trip to Chicago, making t-shirts, and watching movies after school. The biggest challenge is not the field trips or the Germany exchange, it is the t-shirts.

“It is pretty tedious,” Smith said.

First, all the students come up with design ideas. Then they come together and decide on one design and

they modify that design. People who want the shirt can order it directly from Smith and the company then makes as much he needs.

Every other year, students from Huron host high school students from Germany for three weeks during second semester. Then, after final exams in June, Huron students fly to Germany for three weeks and are hosted by high school students there.

“The University of Michigan has a special scholarship available only to students who took German classes at Huron High School, and the German club also spends a day at the University of Michigan each spring. The U of M invites those high school students who are taking German classes to participate in

various activities,” Smith said.

German club has no set meeting time or place, they just decide on any given day to meet and Smith makes himself available to advise. Even with all these great ideas in mind, Smith stressed that creating the German club took a lot of work and still to this day is difficult to run.

“Many people want to be in the club, but don’t actually want to participate in making activities,” Smith said.

Each year, students can compete in the National German Exam, taken by more than 27,000 students nationwide. It looks good on college applications, and can even earn scholarship money.

He said that the number one challenge that the German club faces is

German club members junior Ethan Walsh and sophomore Elizabeth Guenther went to Chicago’s German Market this past December.

“I’m eating a stuffed Bavarian pretzel,” Walsh said. “My favorite part of the market was the hot chocolate because we got to keep the mugs.”

Courtesy photo.

getting the members to be more involved so activities can consistently happen.

Into the world of car modding with Miguel

Jerry Macias | Staff Writer

Senior Miguel Buendia shares his experience modding his car with writer Jerry Macias: How is your car different from a stock G37 Infiniti?

I added a muffler as well as a resonator delete. I installed a K&N dual ram intake and resonated test pipes to make the car louder and sound meaner. So my G37 has custom rims and is not quiet like the stock G37.

What things have you changed on your car?

The things that have been switched or changed are the rims, from the chrome stock rims to black rims, and now my newest set of black rims with a red stripe on them.

What are some things that you have changed that people don’t notice?

A lot of people didn’t and still don’t notice that I now have LED lights because they look almost exactly the same as the last ones but are a bit brighter.

Then no one knows about the decrease in gas mileage besides me because I am the only one that drives the car around.

What are some things that you have changed that people do notice?

The things that people do notice are the different rims that I put on; there

were two different sets. People also notice that I tinted my windows from stock to the darkest I can legally go in Michigan. Another thing that people can’t see but hear is my new exhaust system that makes the car more loud and have back fire.

Do you plan to keep this car as a daily?

My plan with the G37 is not to keep it as a daily or at all but eventually sell it after the winter and buy maybe a 370z or a Mitsubishi Evolution 8. I want something a little faster and sportier than the G37. Don’t get me wrong, it is an amazing car, but I just believe that the 370z or Evolution will fill that place a lot more than what the G37 can.

What else do you plan on changing in or on the car?

As of right now I think the car stands a little high, and I think that the car looks better lowered. So I want to drop it a few inches, it will make it look better and a little more mean compared to the stock ride height.

Do you like the straight pipe exhaust more or the stock? Why? Yes I like the straight pipe exhaust more than the stock because there are more pops out of the new straight pipe. I also like the straight pipe more because of the raspiness it brings off, it is just so beautiful. But there is a downside to this; it is just so loud now, and at times can get a little annoying

Miguel Buendia sits on his G37 Infiniti. Photo by George White.

because of how loud it can get inside the car.

Do you plan on adding a turbo or supercharger?

On the G37 I do not want to add any-

thing to the engine, just because I am planning on selling it after winter. But no doubt I want to add a turbo to my next car, they sound so nice.

If you were to sell this car what other car would you get and why?

I would get either a 370z or Evolution because they are sportier, and I could get them to 500+ hp easily without doing much or spending a lot of money. It is just the smarter option I believe.

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Door To Door: Victor Lee's Environmental Campaign Position Cheyanne Roy | Staff Writer

In recent years, issues involving the environment have been making more mainstream headlines. With issues such as global warming and carbon emissions, our planet's health has been slowly worsening. In light of that there have been many groups fighting for the health of our planet for future generations to come, senior Victor Lee works with one of those groups advocating for the environment.

“I’m a field manager at an environmental campaign,” Lee said.

Lee just began officially working with this environmental campaign, after being previously involved.

“I was on their congressional campaign since November and I really liked it so that's why I decided to stay involved,” Lee said.

Victor Lee, a senior at Huron, is very passionate about his current position educating the public on environmental issues. Photo by Manit Patel.

Now as field manager, it's Lee's job to get people through the door for the campaign.

“I mainly recruit people to work on our team, and I help people start on the campaign,” he said.

Lee and his group go around the city to try and educate the public on environmental issues.

“We work on going door-todoor and let people know about our efforts and how they can get involved to help us protect the environment,” Lee said.

There are many environmental issues that impact the Earth today.

“I’m most concerned about our president pulling out of the agreement we had that says we would do our best to reduce our carbon emissions.” Lee said.

President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement because he believed that climate change was a hoax to hamstring the economy. This was very concerning for any environmentalist as climate change and the impact of carbon emissions is a very real and serious issue that greatly

impacts our planet.

“Another issue we are concerned about is getting rid of our reliance on oil and finding cleaner alternatives to fuel,” Lee said.

Oil is the main fuel source in America and also has cause major pollution to the air and water. But groups like Lee's are trying to help change that to better benefit the planet.

Lee didn’t used to be passionate about the environment until joining the campaign.

“It's not the issue I’m most passionate about,” Lee said.

But after learning about all the environmental issues that impact the planet and what's being done about it.

“I'm mainly passionate about it because our legislators don't really care about it; they turn a blind eye to it,” Lee said.

Hala Boles Helen Abraha | Staff Writer Q: How many years have you taught?

A: I have taught for almost 42 years.

Huron High School vs.

Foreign High Schools: A personal perspective with Nhi Nguyen Sao Ohtake | Staff Writer

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am from Vietnam. I used to go to a public high school.

Q: How long had you been going to your previous school, and what is the biggest difference compared to Huron High school?

A: I went to public high school for three years in Vietnam. The difference from the U.S. is that we have to pay for school even though it is public school. I had to pay 9000 Vietnam dong which is 400 dollars in U.S. dollars per year. In addition, in my previous school, we had nine periods in a day. At Huron High School, students have to go to the classrooms however, in Vietnam, teachers have to move to the class to teach us. Therefore, we had our own classmates, and we spent the same class in the same classroom all day for year.

Q: Which school is better for you?

A: For me, Huron is better than my previous school because I feel like, when I am studying at Huron High School, I can focus on study more than when I was in Vietnam. Moreover, in the U.S., we have school buses so you can come to school everyday without worrying about who is going to take you to school. However, Vietnam is also comfortable for me because we do not have to move around school all day.

Q: How do teachers grade you in Vietnam?

A: In our grade system almost everything is like in the U.S., but, instead of using A, B, C, D, we used 1 to 10 for grading students. 10 is the best score in them. Additionally, we do not have PowerSchool. Each year we will have 4 letters with grade reports. However it is not sent to our house. The teacher just gave these to us in the school. After that, we have to give it to our parents for parents signature and bring it back to the teacher.

Q: When did you start teaching?

A: I started teaching when I was 16. My first job was teaching at church as a volunteer.

Then I started as an ESL tutor in Ann Arbor in an elementary school for nine years. I also taught for one year at Washtenaw Community College. After that I came to Huron High School and taught for 15 years.

Q: Is it hard to teach the students who come from different countries?

A: Not at all. It is a joy! It is a lot of fun.

Q: Is it hard to teach all the students that speak so many different languages?

A : It is great to teach them. I feel the world is inside the classroom because students come from different countries and share their knowledge, language and culture.

Q: Is it easier for some student to learn English depending on what country they come from?

A: Students can learn English from any corner of the world. A strong first language often translates to a strong second language learning process. Student motivation and effort is key to success!

Q: If you had the chance to travel the world for free, which countries would you like to visit?

A: I would take a tour around the world.

Q: What is the hardest part of your job?

A: Working with non-English speakers on the first day of school and watching how exhausted they are by the end of the day.

Q: Do you remember something funny that happened in class?

A: Words that are mixed up during pronunciation and can impact meaning.

Photo by Sami Ruud

Mental Health and its toll on education: the life of a burned out student

Mental health is one of the biggest growing issues for students and society. Anxiety and depression are harmful to any student and the rise is concerning. Schools expect students to spend around six to eight hours in classes, do extracurricular activities, and spend time studying and doing homework for multiple classes at home. Students are up to any challenge thrown at them, but students are also preparing for the responsibilities of being a adult, including getting a job, taking care of young ones, doing volunteer work, and helping out in the community.

Junior Laisla Carla believes that schools aren’t helping out with mental health and that relaxation is key for a successful student.

“Schools address it all the time briefly, but their actions never relate or speak to actual help they want us to get,” Carla said. “They need to actually step in and make school easier

to work with and actually care about our health, while being productive and still having a challenge.”

Students are constantly tired due to the fact that they have to wake up between five and 7 a.m. in the morning, which is not acceptable, especially for this age group. It's not that students are lazy, but that this age group’s bodies are still developing, and it’s not healthy for them to receive low amounts of sleep due to standardized tests and final exams. It's destroying the physical and mental health of students.

It ruins the motivation and confidence of students.

Junior Emmanuel Flores believes this is a huge conflict in education, explaining his concerns about the physical health of students.

“The environment, like waking up at 6 a.m. and dragging your feet through nearly seven hours of mostly useless classes to totally drain your energy and motivation,” Flores said. “You wake up tired, go to school tired, stay there tired, come home tired, and go to

sleep feeling exhausted, only to repeat important in life. the process.”

“When I was at Huron, we

Students would really apprewere forced to take Personal Project ciate if the educational system would and even take seven classes,” Pacheco actually help them prepare for adultsaid. “I know it’s a IB school, but that hood other then just college. Yes that’s doesn't mean that more classes mean a why our parents are here, but they beneficial education. We should take always have lots of the classes we believe stuff on their hands. If ourselves will be good students are forced to for us but not forced.” spend seven hours in There are also many a school and be forced It's a simple equation: If other non-academmental and physical health to learn and take ic reasons why high classes they feel don’t are not good, then that means school is one of the functioning academically will most stressful times in benefit them, then why not have import- be a struggle. someone's life. Bullying ant classes actually be and issues at home required. For example, can really affect how money management, a student performs peer facilitating, and academically. Many anything related to health and physical students may experience their parents education. getting divorced or abuse at home.

IB schools are also more Many schools tell their students to seek demanding. With this comes more opmental health but many students fear portunities along with feelings of stress. or are scared to seek help, and leave it Freshmen Daniel Pacheco believes that to themselves causing serious anxiety we need to focus on what's actually and depression.

“ “

Juan Gonzalez | Guest Writer

“My parents got divorced.

It was hard for me to focus on school while still having to deal with teachers who don’t care about anything other than irritating and making our lives more stressful,” Pacheco said. “I'm fine now but schools don’t understand we have a life outside of just studying.”

Overall the educational system and schools need to make the students' well being and health as their main priority, then are academic success next. It's a simple equation: If mental and physical health are not good, then that means functioning academically will be a struggle. Students are willing and dedicated about their future and deserve the right to be challenged. Students just want more cooperative and functional schools. The people who run the education system need to understand that students will keep striving for are academic success, but they really need to make the system a lot easier to cooperate and handle by offering more academic and mental health resources.

Entertainment Green Book - A comedic look at a harsh racial divide Daulton Meadows | Staff Writer

A dramatic film about two men who crossed the racial barrier by becoming friends, complete with fantastic performances from two powerhouse actors, as well as a good message. It’s hard to believe that all came from Peter Farrelly, the director of Dumb and Dumber To (2014) and The Three Stooges (2012), but it did, and it is just as good as you have heard. Green Book tells the tale of Tony Vallelonga, an Italian bouncer, and Donald Shirley, an African American pianist, as they make their way through the deep south in the early 60’s. Over the last few weeks since the Toronto Film Festival, it has been gaining tons of Oscar Buzz for awards, with many people predicting Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor, with an anticipated win for Mahershala Ali as Donald Shirley. Now that we have the hype out of the way, let’s break down why, in my book, Green Book is one of the year’s top films.

So, let’s start with the best component of the film, which is without a doubt the leading performances from Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. Now, Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling are being given heaps of praise for their performances in A Star is Born and First Man respectively, and they do deserve it. However, after seeing Green Book, Viggo Mortensen, who similar to Gosling and Cooper, has never won, is the one who truly deserves the coveted award. He plays Vallelonga with a sense of pride and attitude that lends itself to the role of the burly bouncer perfectly. Now, the crown jewel of the film is Ali, who has already won an Academy Award for Moonlight (2016), which may hurt his chances. As Dr. Donald Shirley, Ali is a picture perfect portrait of sophistication and class, even in the face of racism, prejudice, and homophobia. He still maintains his dignity even when harassed by cops who simply do not believe he has the right to live. It is certainly one of the best supporting actor performance of the year. The rest of the cast also does well, especially Linda Cardellini as Dolores Vallelonga, who while not Oscar-worthy, is still very good.

The second best aspect is probably the chemistry between the two leads. For all I know, Mortensen and Ali both hate each other behind the scenes, but even if they do, it is just a testament to their acting ability. They have such a back and forth sense of friendship in which you get a sense that they both legitimately care about each other. This can also be attributed to a fantastic screenplay which contains lots of hilarious comedy. The jokes are peppered throughout the film and never feel out of place, which is a problem many “dramedies” such as Burn After Reading, which stacks all of the comedy at the front and slowly becomes a very serious film. Green Book is the opposite as it takes the comedy and throws it in every scene in the film, making it one of the best comedies of the year. I definitely anticipate a “Best Original Screenplay” for this film.

However, speaking with those broad topics, there truly isn’t much left which stands out in Green Book. Besides some great production and costume design, the rest of the film is just average.

First and foremost on the list of the less than stellar components is the storytelling. It operates as a very basic story, and, while it does have a lot of heart, it still doesn’t separate itself from other stories about friendships across race like The Butler with Forest Whitaker. However, I have had much worse problems with films than some unoriginality in the method of storytelling. The only other problem I had was a small amount of historical inaccuracies, such as the traditional “White Savior” wherein Tony is responsible for bringing Dr. Shirley back to his African American heritage. Shirley’s brother in real life was quite upset about the fried chicken scene, but I can certainly look the other way.

So that wraps up my thoughts on Green Book, which is without a doubt one of the best films of the year. Now, when you combine the incredibly impressive acting with the fantastic writing, you get a movie that I predict will receive at least five Oscar nominations. One of the best films of the year deserves recognition as such, and Green Book deserves all the recognition in the world.

8

Bohemian Rhapsody: mediocre or masterpiece?

David Shen | Staff Writer

For a film named after what is arguably one of Queen’s greatest crescendos, Bohemian Rhapsody is only fixated on the crescendos of the band itself, a fixation that ultimately does not succeed in capturing the individuals behind the music. Freddie Mercury’s tale packs all the emotional punch necessary for a Freddie Mercury movie, but with 75 percent of the film devoted his struggle as history’s greatest frontman, Bohemian Rhapsody lacks the collaborative spirit needed for a Queen movie. After all, the creation of the film’s namesake song, considered a musical masterpiece by millions, was itself brought to fruition by not only Freddie Mercury, but also by Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. While Mercury’s lifetime struggle for acceptance and direction indisputably makes him the most fascinating of the band’s four members, one cannot but feel as if the spotlight lingers too long on Rami Malek’s admittedly stellar performance. The other three members of the band, uncannily portrayed by their respective actors, are tragically relegated to a position behind Mercury despite their immense resemblances.

More of a highlight reel than a true depiction of the struggles of the band, Bohemian Rhapsody, as is customary to any large budget “biographical” Hollywood film, blurs the line between fact and fiction, displaying an inclination for the exaggeration of both the pivotal and seemingly mundane moments in the band’s history. Mercury’s struggles with his sexuality and the increasingly strained relationship between his band members seem almost operatic, far too coordinated to seem plausible. While Malek maintains an exemplary performance of the famed frontman, at times seeming to be Mercury back from the dead, the wavering details of the plot still manage to derail Malek’s performance. Annoyed at how childish and blind Mercury was

in discerning an obvious solution, I decided to research his various personal dramas, only to discover very few of those depicted in the movie were grounded in reality. For approximately 60 percent of the film, Mercury chooses to adopt the persona of the arrogant jackass, generating very little sympathy for his ridiculous behavior.

Yet for all its faults, Rhapsody is capable of leaving one breathless with its admittedly faithful portrayal of Queen’s heart and soul: the music. Providing an insight into the creative process of the band’s compositions, the cast’s chemistry shines brightest when producing and performing the many masterpieces available to them. On stage, Malek seems to be possessed by the spirit of Mercury himself, gallivanting before the crowd with the trademark confidence of the famed frontman. Reality seems to be suspended whenever the film emulates the greatest moments of Queen’s history, and, with the spitting images of the band on screen, scenes such as the faithful recreation of Queen’s historic Live Aid performance seem to merely be different angles of a beloved memory.

There are plenty of opportunities where you’ll find yourself singing along to Queen’s greatest hits (such as the gradual composition of the film’s titular song), and I guarantee that you too will be resisting the urge to bellow your appreciation during Rhapsody’s most climactic moments. As a Queen fan and as a fan of music in general, I left the theater sufficiently satisfied, with my heart pounding from a flawed yet undeniably exhilarating roller coaster of a film from beginning to end. Not quite a masterpiece, but far from mediocre, I believe Rhapsody is a solid 3.5 out of 5.

Looking at controversy in the current music industry Alyssa Salamin | Staff Writer

At age 13, Bhad Bhabie, year later, Bregoli became the youngotherwise known as Danielle Bregoli, is est female rapper to appear on the known for her billboard 100. Bregoli is now 15 catch phrase and has released a lot of music “cash me outincluding her hit single “Guside, how ‘bout It’s not her fault that [Bregoli] cci Flip Flops,” featuring Lil blew up overnight, she has had to Yachty, and her newly released dat.” Bregoli put in at least some work to keep album “15.” Her fame has been was brought her fame. onto Dr. Phil thought to have been “handed Junior Vivian Barrett in 2016 for an to her” due to her rapid social interview with media following her viral video her mother, and meme, meaning that some where her people don’t think she’s had to catchphrase became a viral video and work for the fame she’s got, compared meme that started her fame. About a to other respected rappers and music

artists. While her unexpected fame and music career grew fast, she’s received a lot of hate about not only how she became famous but also her music and personality.

Being known for her bold personality, Bregoli is often called out for the way she acts, specifically being accused of “acting black” on social media. She’s claimed to be from the “streets” and to know what the hustle is all about, which is something she often raps about in her songs, but she was raised in Boynton beach, Florida, which is nowhere close to the culture she

the release of her album “Invasion of Privacy,” which was number one on the Billboard 200 and broke several streaming records. But Cardi hasn’t always been this famous, because she’s worked her way from the bottom to the top. Cardi’s real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, and she was born and raised in The Bronx, New York. Her first look at fame was when videos of her stripping as a stripper went viral on social media. From there, she was casted on the television show, “Love & Hip Hop.” Her wild personality and boss bitch attitude were televised, and the

she’s also been a part of some social me- who identify as transgender, which she dia scandals, parhas done in the past on ticularly involving social media. No matter transphobic posts. what’s thrown at Cardi, In September of she always claps back and If it was anybody who wasn’t on this year, Cardi defends herself against the top that [made a transphobic posted a meme controversy. She stands comment] they would have never on her Facebook up for what she believes been forgiven. But since it’s page that stated, “I Cardi B, [everyone] pushes it to is right and continues hope nobody sees to lead a boss bitch life, the side.

Senior Jalen Walker this tranny leave not allowing anything to my house,” during bring a downfall to her which Twitter career and lifestyle. users confronted

her for being offensive towards people

“

Singer and rapper Cardi B has become a music sensation this year with

with the name Daniel Hernandez. songs, including the use of the phrase Tekashi’s rise to fame occurred in 2017, he commonly used, “treyway.” Tekashi with the release of his single “Gummo.” has been a part of multiple legal issues He is from Brooklyn, starting as far back as New York, where he in 2014, before he found dropped out of school [Tekashi] did what he did and fame and a huge media after being suspended I’m glad he’s finally doing time, following. These legal isin the eighth grade because [what he did] was just sues are where the controand sold drugs as versy on Tekashi sprouted disgusting. an income source. from. He has been a Senior Courtney Williams Many people know part multiple domestic of Tekashi for his violence cases, including rainbow colored hair an alleged rumor that he and his multiple (69) tattoos that cover hit his girlfriend, Sarah Molin, who is his body. Tekashi is also known for bealso the mother of his child. One of the ing aggressive in his rapping style and more controversial incidents included a often referencing gang activity in his child sex case that Tekashi was involved

“

“

A collaborator of Minaj’s, 6ix 9ine, has the most controversies of all. Otherwise known as Tekashi69, he was born

problems began. Cardi’s main controversy sprouted from the beef between her and singer and rapper Nicki Minaj.

There is a viral clip of Cardi taking off her shoe and throwing it at Minaj, then attempting to fight her. Minaj’s fans and social media users attacked Cardi for coming at Minaj by throwing shade on Cardi’s mothering skills, insinuating that she was a bad mother for trying to fight Minaj.

Cardi has also received hate for being a stripper and being so publicly open about it. While Cardi receives hate for her lifestyle choices,

“

“

“

claims to be from. While she receives a lot of hate for pretending to be something she’s not, Bregoli defends herself against the hate. For example, in an interview with The Fader, Bregoli stated that “you can’t act a color,” and “I look at that cultural appropriation shit, and I just ignore it because it’s ridiculous, it really is.” Bregoli isn’t easily bothered.

She doesn’t care about what people think about her or what they have to say. She acts however she pleases and won’t apologize for it, which is what makes her the controversial artist she is.

in.

In October of 2015, Tekashi pleaded guilty to a felony and was charged with three counts of offense on an incident that occurred in February earlier that year. The incident that occurred involved the videotaping of a nude 13 year old engaging in sexual activity with a separately charged defendant while Tekashi was there smacking her butt. Other videos included visuals of this 13 year old being groped by the other defendant and sitting naked on Takeshi’s lap. Under his plea deal, Tekashi was given probation terms, which included not committing a crime for the next two years,

which was not something he followed.

On November 18, 2018, Tekashi was arrested again with RICO(Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) and firearms charges. His charges included conspiracy to murder and armed robbery, along with the suspicion that Tekashi is a part of a “violent sect of the bloods(gang),” known as the Nine Trey Gangsters. He’s facing 25 years to life in prison, and while he has support of some rappers such as Minaj behind him, others want him to pay for the bad decisions he’s made.

Entertainment

9

Huron’s gamers share their faves Drew Donaldson | Staff Writer

PLAYER 1: Carolyn Sackett

PLAYER 2: Andrew Waddles

PLAYER 3: Richard Chen

PLAYER 4: Trevor McCullough

PLAYER 5: Sean Reilly

- junior - has been playing for 5 years

- senior - playing since 2 years old

- senior, played since elementary school

- senior - played “ever since I was old enough to hold a gameboy”

- junior - played since 3 years old (first game: Pokemon Gold)

Junior Conor Jones, practicing his guitar before a rehearsal with his band. Jones, a member of Huron High School’s newest band, works on songs for their first album, expected to be released in February.

Courtesy photos.

A Rising Star:

Favorite game/ Favorite new game?

The start of it all Eli Nelson-Ulsh | Staff Writer

P1: Firewatch/Far Cry 5 ing a favorite would be P2:”I’m afraid I can’t answer that. Pick ter World hard. Impossible, really.”/Monster Hun ate P3: Smash Ultimate/Smash Ultim onored 2 P4: “That’s tough. Team Fortress 2.”/Dish would have to be P5: “My favorite video game of all time Super Smash Bros 5.”

Junior Connor Jones wants to be a rockstar.

Jones has always wanted to go big in the music industry.

He has been playing guitar since he was seven years old. But now, he wants to put it into practice and sell out shows. However, if he wants his band to go big, he has a long way to go. He has made many steps though.

“Most of my life has been accumulating toward me playing guitar for a living,” Jones said. “It will be very hard. And their is a very low chance of ever going big.

But with the opportunity I have been given, it would be a waste to not take advantage of it.”

He already has his group established with Huron, Pioneer, and Community High School juniors Seth Richards at secondary guitar, Rachel Shazer as singer, and Victor Montalvo at the drums. Rachel, Victor, and Conor have all known each other for six years having all gone to Tappan Middle School together. And met Seth freshman year at Huron.

They all became friends over their love for music.

The band has not yet decided on a name. But right now they like the idea of being named The Moodswingers or The Detour.

As for the type of music they will be performing, they will be an Alt/rock and Blues band because that is the kind of music they love to play and listen to.

The band’s first album will be released in next month.

Favorite platform?

P1: PC P2: Probably PS2 or Xbox One P3: “I’m a PC guy.”

P4: PC P5: Nintendo Switch

Favo r ite

P1: “RPG genr .S e?

P2: “Hac omething with a k and sla lo sh adven t of stories.”

P3: “I’ll ture jus P4: “Ma t go with advent .” n, I have ure, that ’s to go wit P5: “RPG h the ste a pretty commo .” reotype! n First per theme.” son shoo ters.”

Possible is everything.

Lawrence Technological University isn’t for just anyone.

We want the future designers, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs who will create the innovations of tomorrow.

Why do students choose LTU? ltu.edu/studentstories

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Architecture and Design | Arts and Sciences | Business and Information Technology | Engineering

Sports

Family coaching experience takes to Huron pool

This past year, sophomore Annie Costello placed 2nd at the state meet. Her coaches are well known for training high-level divers. From left to right; junior Sami Ruud, coach Dick Kimball, Costello, coach Vicki Kimball, and senior Becca Darnell. Courtesy photo.

came in third, before going unbeaten Vicki was exposed to diving for four straight years in high school. early on, trying 1-meter and 3-meter

Back then, the team would springboards since she was young. Oh, hitchhike to summer meets throughout and at one point, Micki King was her the state. During practice, no space was babysitter. set aside for divers—the swimmers were “It’s a little harder coaching right underneath the board. your kids because you’ve got to go home

“The ceiling wasn’t very high,” at night,” Dick said. At one point, trainKimball said. “We could jump up and ing mode has to turn off. grab a beam

“When we above us.” were at my dad’s div N o w , It’s a little harder coaching ing camp near Tamdiving runs in your kids because you’ve got pa, we would be divthe Kimball to go home at night. At one ing while there were family. His son, tornado watches in point, training mode has to Bruce Kimball, nearby cities,” Vicwon the Olym- turn off. ki said. “That’s the pic silver medal Dick Kimball truth! We would be for 10m platdiving 10-meter.” form in 1984. His

They would daughter, Vicki be up training until Kimball, who now also coaches Hu- late at night, only realizing the danger ron’s divers, was two-time Michigan of being on such a high outdoor platHigh School Champion and four- form once they got home. time National Age Group Champion “Your hair would stand up at Pioneer, and she qualified for the with all the electricity,” Dick said.

World and Olympic Trials three times.

Vicki said there were times Coaching his own kids, however, was when she would land flat on a dive and different. refuse to learn any new ones, when she

“ “

“His dad, an ears-nose-throat doctor, tried everything to get his eardrum to grow back,” Kimball remembered, smiling. “He just had an ear plug and would clean it out after the workout. Finally, after five years, one day he came in and he had an eardrum. It grew back. His dad was surprised.”

There was also the meet in East Germany.

“We just got ripped off in the judging. There was so much cheating,” Kimball said. “Later, we talked to the German coaches. They said, you think you got robbed here? Wait until you get to Russia. They had a guy sitting in the stands calculating and telling the judges what to give.”

When Kimball’s swimmers saw that happening, they sat in front of the man so he couldn’t get the manipulated scores to the judges.

“So they gave him a table and chair [poolside]. And he sat on the deck and calculated.”

Kimball himself started diving as a seventh grader on the high school team, placing ninth in the Minnesota state championship. In eighth grade, he

was around 10. (“My parents kicked me off the team twice, because they thought I wanted to quit.”) Her dad would crawl to the foot of her bed and whisper to her about the next day’s training.

“He did it more than once,” Vicki said. “If I was awake, I would yell at him.”

“There was another 10 year old girl living with us at the camp,” Dick added. “At night, I would write her a notes saying things like, ‘tomorrow, full twist one and a half or else.’”

Vicki laughed. “He was evil!”

Vicki’s coaching style has elements of her dad’s, but she’s adapted it to the teams and divers she’s worked with.

“I think that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Vicki said. “I teach the skills very similarly, because I learned from him. There may be things that he would do that I wouldn’t. Sometimes I would tell dad what I wanted him to do with the divers after workouts, and he would make them do more dives than I wanted. But it’s fine. It’s like a coaching marriage.”

She remembers one time the University of Michigan was hosting nationals.

“I was standing next to my dad, and there was a cameraman right behind us,” Vicki said. “We were watching the board, standing exactly the same way, same hand and everything. You learn body language from your parents, I think.”

Both say the most challenging part of coaching is asking kids to do dives knowing what it feels like to go 35 miles an hour off a 10-meter platform, hitting the water on your stomach or back. It’s important to know when to push and when to back off.

“It’s hard to be a coach,” Vicki said. “It’s like being a parent, probably, and you don’t have control over the fact that your child is going to be sad or not doing well in school. You can’t go take the test for them. I can’t go do the dive for them.”

10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Vicki Kimball

• currently working as a Special Education Teaching Assistant at Logan Elementary School • in HS: two-time Michigan State HS Champion and four-time National Age Group Champion • three-time collegiate All American, eight-time Senior National Team member • represented the US internationally • qualified for the World and Olympic Trials three times

Dick Kimball

• NCAA springboard champion in 1957 and Professional World Diving champion in 1963 • coached the University of Michigan diving team from 1958 to 2002 • coached the U.S. Olympic diving teams in ‘64, ‘80, ‘84, ‘88 and ‘92 with 11 Olympic medalists (3 gold) • inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame[1] and the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor • Minnesota high school diving champion 1952 - 1956 • key to Michigan’s 69–61 victory over Yale in 1957

Julian Lewis living up to and exceeding family basketball expectations Kade Cupp | Staff Writer eing only 15 years old and playing against 18 year olds who have more experience and are likely bigger and stronger, one has to enjoy the obstacles they have to face in order to succeed.

“I like the challenges,” sophomore Julian Lewis, a starter on Huron’s Varsity Basketball team, said.

Lewis is held up to high standards and expectations being the youngest of three brothers who have played varsity basketball for the River

B

Rats. Both of his brothers, Avery Lewis who graduated in 2018 and Mike Lewis, who graduated in 2012, have also played collegiate basketball, which adds to the pressure Lewis feels in the sport.

“I love the expectations, because I want to be better than them one day,” Lewis said.

Lewis’s father, Mike Lewis, is also a part in the basketball family as an assistant coach for the varsity team.

Mike also works at the high school as a community assistant. Although having his dad as a coach has some up-

sides and downsides, Lewis said the positives of having your dad as a coach definitely outweigh the negatives.

“He can always be around me, at practice and at home, so he can correct something I am doing wrong at practice and he can continue to help me with it at home,” Lewis said. “I don’t have to wait for more help until the next day.”

Mike also agrees that there are some positives and negatives that come along with coaching his son.

“Sometimes it can become personal, and that’s the negative,” Mike

said. “But the positive is I can always be around him, mentoring him through the process that is high school basketball.”

Having two brothers go through the same process of high school academics and athletics along with moving on to college basketball successfully, many ho are betting on Julian to go far with his skill set would be a good wager.

“When it’s all said and done, I will be the best out of me and my brothers,” Lewis said.

Julian Lewis takes a three-point shot on Dec. 7 against Brother Rice. Huron won 55-52. Photo

by Manit Patel.

Huron Basketball not rebuilding team, just reloading lineup

1

2

3 1. Kingsley Perkins, 24, runs onto the court before Brother Rice game. 2. Sophomore Devin Womack shoots a free throw. 3. Michael Davis, junior, goes up for layup. 4. Sophomore Julian Lewis shoots over a Brother Rice defender. 5.

Sophomore Tyson Edmondson hits a buzzer beating 3 point shot to defeat Brother Rice 55-52.

Photos by Manit Patel.

Manit Patel | Staff Writer

Lewis Willis. Avery Lewis. Art Caldwell. Bobby Olawale. And last but not least, LJ Dewolf. Two full-tuition scholarship athletes. Five graduated seniors. Five starters on last year’s basketball team. The River Rats will now have to count on underclassmen more than ever with only three returning varsity players and one senior.

This year, the captains for the Rats are senior Aayush Unadkat, and sophomores Devin Womack and Julian Lewis. Not only did their roster have a turnover, but former head coach Jay Shunnar left the Huron Basketball program to take a job at the University of Michigan as a graduate manager. In his stead, former coach Waleed Samaha has returned to coach the men’s team. He returns after being away from the men’s program for two years, in which he was the University of Michigan’s Director of Basketball Operations, and then returning to coach the women’s basketball program. During his original 14 year tenure, Samaha compiled a record of 229-89 with seven SEC (Southeastern Conference) Red Division championships, and six Division 1 district championships.

The returning varsity players that the Rats will count on are Unadkat, Womack, senior London Dottery, as well as 6’6” Michael Davis. Additions to the roster from last years Junior Varsity squad include sophomores Lewis and Tyson Edmonson, Trey Gardette, Kingsley Perkins, and twins Ben and Jack DenHouter, and juniors Michael Robinson, Dylan Studstill, Keimar Crawford, Dylan Studstill, Toussaint Fancher, and Ira Brann joining that group of youngsters are seniors Unadkat, and London Dottery.

Against the Birmingham Brother Rice

Warriors, sophomores Tyson, and Trey were tasked with switching in and out for each other in the winding down seconds. Edmonson nailed a clutch 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left to give the Rats a 55-52 lead, and then took a seat for Trey Gardette who went onto the court, and shut down Warriors #11 Jon Brantley, who’s red hot 3-point shooting had led the Warriors back from a 12 point deficit.

The Rats ended up winning 55-52, and then the next day knocked off a talented Detroit Henry Ford team 82-46. This team combines shooting from beyond the arc with a talented defensive core, and not relying on one or two players to carry the main load for the team.

Any player on that team could go off any given night.

The expectations for this team are the norm explained coach Samaha.

“They never change from season to season,” he said. “We expect to contend for championships every year.”

Around town though cross-

town rivals Skyline and Pioneer also enter the season with aspirations and salivations of a trip to the Breslin Center for the State Championship.

Skyline returns Holy Cross (Division 1) commit Ryan Wade, and DeSean Munson, while Pioneer returns Holy Cross commit Drew Lowder, and Kasean Pryor.

According to Lewis, the key for the Rats to beat these two teams is to “try our hardest and give 110 percent since they both have more age wise than us, and while our average age is a sophomore, that requires us to work as a team to beat them.”

Womack kept it more brief, advising to “stick to our gameplan.”

The average player on the team is a sophomore, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem. The absence of expectations and experience for this young team only fuels their fire.

“It makes us hungry. We want to improve and get better every day,” said Womack.

4

Junior Michael Robinson also weighed in on the strategy.

“It means we gotta work better together, we don’t have any individual talent that stands out, it’s more of an all-5 mentality,” said Robinson.

“It helps the bond on the team, we play a lot more fluid with each other,” Lewis added.

There was no guarantee of spots for anyone on the team, but several players dedicated themselves this offseason. One of them being Robinson. He said he “hooped all summer, and played AAU travel team as well.”

He is now a starter, and a valuable player, which showed during his 17-point, 8-rebound performance against Brother Rice. Meanwhile, returning varsity player and starting point guard Womack leads the team in points per games, noting that his scoring mentality is to “only take the necessary shots,” and that he is willing to “play whatever role coach puts me in.”

Such versatility and variability among players is useful when you’re in the hunt for a state title. While expectations might be “low” for this team, sophomore captain Lewis has a different kind of expectation he’d like to shatter. His older brother Avery, earned a scholarship to Saginaw Valley State University after his graduation last year.

Lewis said that he wants to “be better than my older brother. He’s a great player and an amazing brother; I hope to be able to be as good as him.”

Although this year’s team is young, look for them to gel on the court in upcoming games against Pioneer on Feb. 8 at home and Skyline on Feb. 12 on the road at Skyline.