The Huron Emery Volume 5 Issue 6

THE

HURON EMERY

@THEHURONEMERY

HURON HIGH SCHOOL, 2727 FULLER RD., ANN ARBOR MI 48105

VOL. 5 ISSUE 6

2 FEATURE:

Freshmen start a new podcast

3

PAGE 9

1 OPINION:

Huron’s seniors say goodbye PAGE 10

1. Junior Maya Scott and senior Vivian Barrett attending a Black Lives Matter protest. “It felt really good to be a part of a huge group of people fighting for the change that the world needs,” Barrett said. COURTESY OF BARRETT. 2. Senior Lex Lyon attending a protest in Arborland. COURTESY OF LYON. 3. English teacher Letitia Simmons holding up a sign saying ‘enough.’ COURTESY OF SIMMONS. 4. Protesters taking a knee on June 9 in a moment of silence for George Floyd. AVA KUNNATH

The reality of being a black man AARON GARRETT STAFF WRITER

“The Last Dance” review PAGE 12

My entire life, I have watched my parents come home from work and turn on CNN, Fox News or MSNBC. They each talk about a range of topics: the presidential election, foreign policy or changes in the economy. However, an unsettling topic is covered by all: black men are continuously being killed by officers.

Lately, I have been questioning a lot. Being a black man in America, I have been raised to always abide by the police officers’ “rules.” Do as they say at all

Campaigning through COVID KAITLYN SABB FEATURE EDITOR

Even with limited human interaction, campaigning is still continuing through the COVID-19 pandemic. Students such as juniors Aakarsh Verma, Joann Sun, Priyanka Naik, Elizabeth Guenther, Meredith Linzmeier, Leslie-Cecilia Contreras and Anna LePage have begun to intern for Eli Savit’s Prosecutor campaign.

Savit is a civil-rights attorney and is now hoping to become the Washtenaw County Prosecutor after t h e

Aug. 4 election. Savit has a support group spanning across Michigan, New Jersey and Colorado. He also has over 80 interns helping him in his campaign efforts, 41 of which are high school students .

“Every intern does two jobs, and those are finance research and phone banking,” phone banking captain, Aakarsh Verma said. “Finance research finds people who are willing to donate. Phone banking normally goes door-to-door to see if they are interested in the campaign or if they want to know more.”

Many students from Community, Pioneer and Huron High School have started working for Savit’s camping due to his progressive agenda.

“We had a good solid core of high school interns,” Savit said. “But, I’d say our roster of high school interns

See INTERNSHIP, PAGE THREE

times. If you get pulled over, make sure that you keep your hands visible. Don’t move unless you are instructed to do so.

My parents taught me to speak and make them aware of my movements. However, I am starting to believe that these rules barely have an effect on the ultimate outcome of situations between police officers and black men.

The truth is even if you follow all of the rules, you could still be a victim of police violence. I have seen black men with their hands gripped onto steering wheels so tight that it reminds me of being on a roller coaster ride. In the same

way, on a rollercoaster, how I would grip the bar from the excitement of the unexpected turns and high speeds. Those black men aren’t gripping their steering wheels with excitement. They fear for their lives. Too often, I see police officers beat and kill unarmed black men.

Some wonder why we protest.

We fear for our lives. We want to be heard. We want to be acknowledged as human beings and not treated like animals. We stand in the streets with signs screaming “Black Lives Matter” to try to change the outcome of these situations.

See BLACK LIVES MATTER, PAGE SIX

`

Cybersecurity

club places 12th in

national competition

NEWS

Sports:

4

briefs RIDHIMA KODALI OPINION EDITOR

In the same year that they were founded, 2019-2020, The Huron Cybersecurity club already achieved immense success. This school year a group of girls from the club placed 1st overall in the state and 12th overall in the nation at the Girls Go to Cyberstart Cyber Competition.

There were different phases of the competition: the initial phases took place during Jan. and Feb. The national competition took place on May 20. Veda Srinivas, Sasha Lee, Mihika Thakurta, Lynne Trang, Lena Trang, Jessie Schwalb, Jennifer Shim, Eleanor Lin, Beini Lan and Anastasia Papageorgiou all participated in the qualifying rounds of the competition.

By placing first in Michigan’s competition, Huron’s cybersecurity team moved onto nationals. COURTESY OF JONATHAN COOK

wwwwwwAmong those, Srinivas, Schwalb Lynne and Lena Trang were members of the National Championship team.

Schwalb, who was part of the National Championship team, didn’t really know much about coding before she joined the club this school year.

“It is awe-inspiring to think that humans were able to build systems and machines which are so complex and which we often take for granted.” Schwalb said.

See more briefs, PAGE TWO

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

2 | NEWS

Local restaurants struggle with COVID-19 closures VERENA WU GUIEST WRITER

With over 300 restaurants, Ann Arbor’s dining scene is popular for its diverse food from all corners of the world. However, local restaurants have been scrambling to find ways to stay in business after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered all bars and restaurants to cease dine-in services on March 16, 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19.

“Many industries have been negatively impacted, but the restaurant sector suffered the most,” Palm Palace owner Ahmad Hodroj said. “Michigan restaurants lost $491 million in sales and over 72,000 jobs from March 1 to March 22, 2020.”

The amount restaurants have lost only increased during April, and now totals more than $1.5 billion.

These numbers reflect Ji Hye Kim’s concern for the future of her restaurant and other small businesses. Kim owns the Korean restaurant, Miss Kim. Although Miss Kim managed to stay open and organize a delivery and pickup service, Kim has been forced to furlough the majority of

her “front of house” employees, which includes bartenders and hosts. Between above industry average benefits and wages and local ingredients, Kim’s costs remain high.

Kim qualified for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. PPP has authorized up to $349 billion in loans to small businesses to help pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Kim said that the “PPP loan system is quite broken” and “not designed for small businesses like us.” She explained how loans aren’t forgiven if restaurants don’t hire people back, but the only way she would be able to hire back people is if her restaurant reopened, which she is not allowed to do.

“On top of this, a lot of large corporate companies applied for PPP loans and got millions of dollars that were supposed to go to small businesses,” Kim said.

Small local businesses were already facing a challenge before COVID-19, and it will be hard for these businesses to make it through the crisis.

Some restaurants closed temporarily after Whitmer’s order but faced an increased risk of nev-

Many Huron students, including Senior Kate VanEe, work at essential businesses such as local restaurants. She has had to adapt to many changes at her part-time job at Sweetwaters due to COVID-19 restrictions. COURTESY OF KATE VANEE er opening back up, such as local restaurant, Wilma’s.

Wilma’s closed temporarily after Whitmer’s order, but recently announced that they will be closing permanently.

Hodroj predicts that “over 30 percent of the restaurants that

Ann Arbor Veterans hospital adjusts to virus ELIOT DIMCHEFF GUEST WRITER

The virus known as SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the globe, shutting down entire countries to “flatten the curve.” Despite these efforts in the U.S., like many other countries, the number of fatalities continues to grow.

As of date, there have been more than 1,600,00 United States cases (with more than 95,000 U.S. deaths), of which there are more than 53,000 cases in Michigan alone.

However, Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Hospital paints a very different picture of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We expected a large wave of patients to come in through our emergency department and luckily that has not happened,” Associate Chief of Staff of Inpatient Medicine Dr. R.J. Schildhouse said.

Dr. Schildhouse oversees the VA’s hospital day to day operations.

Throughout the pandemic, the VA has always had open bed space so they accept transfers from other hospitals in the area, both COVID-19 and nonCOVID-19 patients.

“The goal in the humanitarian mission is to offload community hospitals that are essentially overrun,” Dr. Schildhouse said. The VA is, for the first time in its history, accepting community pa-

closed due to the pandemic will be closing permanently.”

Hodroj organized a delivery and pickup service for Palm Palace, but the sudden implementation of a new system came with challenges, such as a lack of staff to

BRIEFS | FROM PAGE ONE

Student makes masks for health care workers

The United States has surpassed 100 thousand deaths due to COVID-19.

To combat the widespread shortage of personal protective equipment, Huron senior Milin Macha has been making masks with his family. Macha’s mother, Dr. Deepa Macha, worked in a New York hospital a few weeks ago. She was amazed by how poorly protected the healthcare workers were. Macha and his family are currently working with Boston children’s hospital to make N100 Viral Filter Elastomer Respirators and purchasing supplies on their own from various medical suppliers with donations from their GoFundMe campaign.

Often healthcare workers are only given one N95 mask, the most effective and safe mask, per shift.

Some hospitals do not have enough N95 masks for all

SAMER YASSIR STAFF WRITER

The An Arbor VA is now providing care to non-veteran patients in an effort to decrease the spread of COVID-19 MISHAL CHARANIA

tients.

The VA has been working to procure and stockpile the required Personal Protective Equipment since the first COVID-19 cases have been identified in Michigan.

Nurses and physicians must find the most efficient ways to provide care to patients while reducing contact. The extensive protective equipment that is required to care for patients means that there is sometimes time in between when a patient may request help or a service, and the time they may be visited by the correct personnel. The Ann Arbor VA has enough PPE to follow recommended guidelines, but the workers are careful not to waste any materials.

“One of the things that we have done so make sure we have the right PPE is we have traded things that we have a lot of with other facil-

ities in our area that need the things we have,” Dr. Schildhouse said.

Treating COVID-19 has presented multiple challenges for patients as they are mostly isolated, and cannot be with their family. To combat this, the VA provides iPads for patients to contact their loved ones, and physicians call patient’s families daily to keep them up-to-date.

COVID-19 patients can also worsen dramatically in a short period of time.

“It is very common for them to come to the ER, get diagnosed and then go home, but then decompensate or get worse and have to come back and they get worse pretty rapidly over the course of even three or six hours,” Schild-

Read the full story at thehuronemery.com

deliver food, no designated area for curbside pickup and having to set up software that

Read the full story at thehuronemery.com

their employees, causing them to use surgical masks, which aren’t as safe. This shortage has caused tension for healthcare workers as they worry about their health and safety.

“The respirator works just as well as an N95 mask,” Macha said.

So far Macha has brought masks to medical personnel in Detroit, Flint, and Ann Arbor and has sent masks to New York and New Jersey. Macha and his family started three weeks ago, but they have made close to 1,000 masks.

“This is important because so many hard working physicians, like my mom, sacrifice their lives without proper protection,” Macha said.

Scan to donate to Macha’s GoFundMe!

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THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

3 | NEWS

Mandated closures bring light to major disparities in the business community CLARA BOWMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Minority led Washtenaw county businesses were more than twice as likely to be refused loans to help fund costs of closures than the overall group, according to a recent EntryPoint survey.

EntryPoint, itself a small business, collects and analyzes small business data to better serve the business community.

“ I n

88% of Minority-owned businesses intend to apply for loans during or after COVID-19

73% of White-owned businesses inted to apply for loans during or after COVID-19

All statistics from Entry Point

INTERNSHIP | FROM PAGE ONE

2018 I launched EntryPoint in order to help better deliver research in sights to different organizations who are looking to implement effective programs to serve startups and small businesses,” EntryPoint founder and managing director Emily Heintz said. “So just our overall mission is just to promote entrepreneurship. And so we’re very prosmall business, pro-startup.”

Recent mandated closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have created additional obstacles for

small businesses and made it more difficult for them to receive the required help.

“We were receiving a lot of requests for data from organizations across the Midwest that were kind of like ‘Oh my gosh, we are trying to create a program, immediately, in order to help companies that are closed right now or are struggling right now or are trying to pivot their businesses or aren’t getting access to government loans or bank loans,” Heintz said. “And so it just really seemed like the need for additional data was there that people were like we really need to understand the landscape of the small business community better in 57% of Minority-owned order to help people better.” companies that applied EntryPoint released for a Paycheck Protection the short survey for Program Loan have been Washtenaw county busiapproved nesses on May 4 to try to accomplish this. In just a few weeks the survey had received over 400 responses.

“We had an immediate and large response from the business community 78% of White-owned which had growing frustracompanies that applied tions around the lack of supfor a Paycheck Protection port for their organizations,” Program Loan have been Heintz said. “[Businesses] saw approved taking the survey as an easy way to help communicate the

of the approximately 20,000 calls are answered, making it has really expanded dramati- difficult to spread information cally since the school closings.” and start conversations with

This is just what hap- voters. The interning team is pened with Verma, as well exploring new ways to spread as his recruited intern, Sun, the word of Savit’s campaign, who also started in late April. such as social media posts.

“I started interning for These posts help recruit inthe campaign because of the terns, as well as inspire the great things I’ve heard about public to vote during the upthe team and I also researched coming election on Aug. 4. a lot of Eli’s policies and found “Their [high schoolthat we shared ers’] perthe same spectives opinion on are realmany prevly valualent issues able on in our counthe camty,” Sun said. paign,”

As an Savit said. intern, Sun “Beyond gets to talk that, the to the votsort of ers, not only younger about the generaelection, but tion high she also helps Scan to get involved with Savschoolers them through it’s campaign are really any chaladept and lenges they’re facing. proved to be really valuable in

“We do wellness track- this campaign, and [found]new ing to see how they are doing ways to get our message out.” and then we follow-up with Due to the situations support,” Verma said. “[We] faced because of the panthen talk about the campaign.” demic, the high school in By starting off with terns were able to adjust faira simple ‘how are you?’ and ly easily, as well as help with then starting to talk about the constant media pushes.

Savit’s campaign, the voters “COVID has moved easily remember their kind- everything online and we’re ness. However, it’s not easy all working from home,” to campaign solely through Sun said. “We’re still able to the internet. Only 10 percent

communicate through virtual work hours, zoom meetings and even game nights.”

Verma believes that working online has been a large adjustment, however it was the main reason that he got involved.

“Quarantine had just gotten underway and I was looking for a way to keep busy,” Verma said. “I had a lot of community minded ideas and I’ve been looking for an outlet.”

By browsing the internet, Verma found out how elections had been affected by the shift online.

“Everyone will get an absentee application if they are an eligible voter for the state of Michigan,” Verma said.

The trajectory of the campaign is the same, however the online meeting sessions are an adjustment. While the adjustment is large, Savit is remaining in contact with people from all aspects of his campaign, from assistants to interns.

“He is very professional about everything, but also very relaxed in conversations,” Verma said. “He has personal relationships with most of the interns.”

Savit and his support staff will not give up his end goal of criminal justice reform, which accounts for their strong and consistent community presence in the election.

needs and challenges that they were facing to economic development groups and chambers of commerce t h a t need t h a t inform a tion in order to help craft m o r e effective prog r a m s to support them.”

EntryPoint also collected demographic data of businesses and their owners to see how closures have affected various groups.

“Looking at minority owned versus white owned businesses, we do a lot of our research, even outside of this project on inequities and lending and challenges facing minority or women-led businesses,” Heintz said.

“And I think that has really proven out through this analysis. In the larger body of research that we do, it kind of leads me to wonder if there’s something within the lending

GRAPHICS

BY LYDIA HARGETT

Sorry We’re

CLOSED

process that more negatively affects minority-led businesses versus white-led business.”

EntryPoint hopes that the results of the survey can be shared with necessary organizations so no small business in Washtenaw county becomes a casualty of the pandemic, especially c o n s i d e r i n g that 89 percent of businesses have fewer than 25 employees.

“Washington County really is a small business community,” Heintz said. “If all those businesses are struggling and go under I think we’ll see the landscape of what we all know and feel in the community change dramatically.”

THE EMERY STAFF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Maya Kogulan 2021kogulanumaiyal@aaps.k12.mi.us Clara Bowman 2021bowmanclaram@aaps.k12.mi.us ADVISER: Sara-Beth Badalamente Vish Gondesi Online Editor-in-chief Mishal Charania Managing Editor Kaitlyn Sabb Feature Editor Ridhima Kodali Opinion Editor Lydia Hargett News Editor Quinn Newhouse Sports Editor Julie Park Design Editor Julie Heng Editor-in-chief Emeritus Sami Ruud Editor-in-chief Emeritus Austin Aldrich Ira Brann Glory Bradley Ivan Cardenas Sydney Cohen Alex Cole Micah Cross Kade Cupp Joshua Durant Aaron Garrett Liam Goff Juan Gonzalez-Esquivel

Liam Graham George Gueorguiev Alena Halliwill Lydia Hargett Davis Malmer Brian Moskus Blake Mundy Manit Patel Nancy Shevtsova Matt Wyderko Samer Yassir Feiyu Zhang

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE 4 | FEATURE

COVID-19

BY THE STATES MISHAL CHARANIA MANAGING EDITOR

All statistics come from the New York Times as of June 15, 2020

NEW YORK

#1 in cases

teracts with her office members. Her office is empty and they use platforms such as Zoom and Slack to communicate. Her job allows her to work from home, but she recognizes challenges others in

her company may face.

With over 30,000 COVID-19 related deaths, New York

“75 percent of our company [employees] don’t have chilhas changed drastically. Justina Chiang, the Chief Operating dren,” Chiang said. “They’re spending time educating that group Officer for Nara Organics, has seen the changes with her of people to help them understand how hard it is to actually do own eyes. their job, work during the day and also take care of their children “One big thing that has changed is the physical proximias well.” ty,” Chiang said. “I used to travel a lot for my job, and we

Some other changes include lines outside of grocery still try to keep those relationships by doing phone calls. I stores, quiet streets and overall a change in mindset. find it’s face-to-face that can make a big difference some “New Yorkers are here because we like hustle,” Chiang times.” said. “But at the same time, we are just a part of the general popuFor Chiang, one of the biggest changes is how she inlation that understands that we need to be isolated right now.”

As high schools have adapted to online learning, there have been various policies put in place to make sure that students are all accounted for. Senior Praveen Sahadewan’s school in Naperville decided that students’ grades can only go higher from where they left off in school and have planned for a graduation ceremony in July.

“I guess I was a little disappointed, graduation and prom are really fun things but I knew that we’d work around to find alternatives,” Sahadewan said. “I’ve had a couple of events where they’ve tried to make plans for July and then they’ve decided to cancel completely.”

As a senior, Sahadewan has been trying to say goodbye to friends while still abiding by social distancing guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Illinois’ governor.

“We’re meeting up in terms of we’re going to different parking lots and maintaining social distancing but still getting to see everybody there,”

TEXAS

#6 in cases

As a medical resident, Dr. Samat Kabani has seen changes in Texas’ hospitals first hand.

Procedures are handled differently, regardless if it’s COVID-19 related or not. Kabani works in cardiology and is isolated from COVID-19 patients because of it.

“[Before,] no one would be wearing a mask and it was very much a big team effort,” Kabani said.

“You’d have medical students, interns, residents, fellows and the attending... there were a lot of procedures that were happening all the time.”

Kabani’s role in cardiology has changed as the amount of people in service has changed.

Online classes have meant change for everyone. For students, the experience has completely changed as institutions try to accomodate everyone while still providing the same quality of education. San Jose State University Kinesiology professor Erin Siebert and her colleagues are working with students to make sure every student has what they need to continue their studies.

“We[used to] run an activity lab where we have individuals from the surrounding sort of Bay Area, come to campus and then the students run a teaching lab,” Siebert said. “They’re [currently] working via email, FaceTime and phone calls. And to get information, and then our students are creating online instructional videos.”

She has also adjusted her class timeline so that students are able to adjust smoothly to all of their classes. Siebert now has a slighly

ILLINOIS

Sahadewan said.

“We’re just trying to meet up and get to say our goodbyes and say thank you to everyone for the time that we spent together.”

Sahadewan plans on attending the University of Illionois next year but guesses that his first year will be conducted through online learning.

“I’m a lot more disappointed about the college thing because with the senior year, even though it’s about getting closure, I’m still able to get that through Zoom calls and meets,” Sahadewan said. “With the freshman year of college, it’s something that I was really excited for so I’m really bummed that it’s not as likely.”

#4 in cases

“I was [previously] on a rotation for doing heart ultrasound, which is generally an easier rotation,” Kabani said. “One of my other fellows was on a heart failure ICU, a much more intense rotation with a lot more patient contacts. But he’s immunocompromised and is at a higher risk of getting sick from any kind of exposure...[he] moved into my rotation and I took over his rotation.... [It’s] one of the many changes so as to minimize the risk for patients who are not just patients but also providers.”

As Kabani could potentially come in contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive, he takes extra precautions when he leaves to protect his family.

“I have a certain set of scrubs and shoes that I usually where when I go to work and then when I come home we have a second bathroom where I go to change out of my clothes to try to keep my exposure clothing in one spot of the home,” Kabani said.

CALIFORNIA

different connection with her students as she has been introduced to her students’ family members and seen them in a completely different environment. She has also made adjustments based on what her student feel is necessary for them to be successful.

“I’ve sort of adjusted classes, reduced work hours,” Siebert said about the field work hour requirement. “If they can get it, that’s great. If they can’t, there’s sort of a waiver of expectation on that because we can’t say that you have to get field work hours if you are not allowed to leave your house.”

#3 in cases

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE 5 | FEATURE

Huron freshmen start a new podcast RIDHIMA KODALI OPINION EDITOR

“People are welcome to message us about guest appearances and top Wednesday, April 4 ics you’d like to hear at 2020. Day 22 of quarantine our Instagram @useyourand the first episode of the “Use loafpodcast,” Zhao said. your Loaf” podcast is released.

Each of them work

The podcast, created very hard, and have a specific by freshmen Haruka Nabeshi- role to fulfill. Muenz managma, Audrey Zhao, Grace Pang es their social media, while and Natalie Muenz was made Pang and Zhao research, because the teens desired to Nabeshima edits the podcast. be more productive, lead- “Since quarantine, I ing them to try podcasting. have had a lot more time on

“We had these Zooms my hands and wanted to fill just for fun and I brought up it with something more usethe idea on one of them,” ful than scrolling through Nabeshima said. “From there, social media,” Pang said. we just decided to try it out.” “It’s also overall a fun thing

Nabeshima, Zhao, to do and it gives me somePang and Muenz, spent sever- thing to look forward to.” al days just deciding on what Nabeshima had a name they should choose. They slightly difcame up with ferent reason “Four Peas as to why in a Pod(she wanted cast),” and to take part.

“Uneducated

“ I thoughts.” first presentFinally they ed the idea, chose the idI thought iom, “Use being in a your Loaf” podcast with meaning “use other peoyour brain.” ple would AUDREY ZHAO T h e be more podcast is successmainly about ful and entheir own opinions about im- tertaining than just by portant topics that they are myself,” Nabeshima said. passionate about. In episode These four freshmen five, they had a discussion have just started the podcast on mental disorders with recently, and are interested a special guest appearance in continuing it until at least from freshman Catherine Li. through sophomore year now.

“

I’d like to turn this into something people listen to for fun, rather than out of curiosity or obligation

Freshman Haruka Nabeshima, one of the ‘Use Your Loaf’ hosts, working on the podcast PHOTO COURTESY OF NABESHIMA

They also want to focus on other topics, beyond their opinions.

“In the future, I’d like to present some thoroughly researched segments on whatever topics we find intriguing,” Zhao said. “I’d like to turn this into something people listen to for fun, rather than out of curiosity or obligation.”

Their goal wasn’t to gain a huge audience but they are still pondering on ways to grow.

“Personally, I am open to adding another person to the podcast,”Muenz said.

“For now we are not planning on adding any new members. I just think we could use another person to balance us out.”

Their main purpose is to entertain the audience, but they want to make more educational and meaningful content.

“I think that our podcast can help brighten up anyone’s day through our random conversations,” Pang said. “I also think that it is a way for friends to sort of connect with us virtually, especially during quarantine.”

They upload a new episode every week on Wednesdays, and post promos on their Instagram account.

Their highest viewed episode is episode one with 121 listens, and they have approximately 60 dedicated breadheads.

“I think people

should listen to our podcast because it’s just super chaotic and fun. Plus, what else do people have to do over quarantine,” Muenz said.

Scan the QR code to listen to the ‘Use Your Loaf’ podcast on Spotify

The popular videochat app Houseparty is plagued with racism and ignorance counters with old friends, MAYA KOGULAN

exes and a lot of strangers.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The structure of the

app is also it’s major down Teenagers bored at fall. The room feature is marhome during quarantine are keted by Houseparty to be bringing back old staples from an exciting way to meet new their childhood. People are people. However, in actuality, watching old Disney movies, it serves a breeding ground tie-dying all of their clothes, for racism and ignorance. and re-down Users are able loading once to be anonymous popular apps. through turning

One of off their video the apps that They didn’t know me. and changing has made a wide As soon as they saw their on-screen resurgence is They my skin color, they kept nickname.

Houseparty, a are able to speak video chat plat- calling me the N-word without any acform. In the past countability for month of social AVONTE BROWINGG their words and distancing, with actions.

This friends needing to find new perfect mixture enables racist, ways to talk, Houseparty has bored teenagers to bombard amassed 50 millions new users. rooms and throw racial slurs

Nicknamed the Gen- around with no hesitation.

Z’s Zoom, Houseparty is able Avonte Browto attract a large audience of ingg, a senior at Ypsilanti young people because of its High School, downloaded unique structure. Instead of Houseparty to stay connected being called, users are able to with his friends from Michigan enter and create video chat Youth in Government. They rooms with up to eight peo- like to talk about politics, his ple. The single requirement job at Wendy’s, and TikToks. to enter a room is to have “Houseparty was a mutual friend on the call. fun at first,” Browingg said.

Consequently, you can’t con- We played a lot of those metrol the people in the call. diocre board games. HowThis leads to awkward en- ever, one night, a group of

“

four strangers all joined all at once. They didn’t know me.

As soon as they saw my skin color, they kept calling me the N-word and telling me to go back to the plantation.”

This wasn’t the final time Browingg heard the N-word that night.

He was called the N-word and three more times. By three separate individuals.

“I am not shocked,” Browingg said. “I go to school with these types of people. They never are held accountable.

They never listen or learn.”

Reet Singh, a junior at Cranbrook Kingswood, was on that call with Browingg, She isn’t surprised about the toxic culture of the app. She is used to confronting countless people about racism towards her friend.

“I couldn’t even tell you the worst thing I have heard,” Singh said. “I watched my black friend be called property. I have never felt so helpless. I wanted to expose that user to their school, family, and friends. I wanted them to face some sort of repercussion.”

While Singh speaks out when she hears bullying, she notices others often say silent.

“When I confront

racist users, they usually laugh off,” Singh said. “I am labeled sensitive and rude in most rooms. They don’t realize the hurt they cause others.”

Singh has developed a thick skin due to the constant comment. However, she would never let her thirteen year old sister on the app.

“Besides racism, there is a lot of blatant bullying on Houseparty,” Singh said.

“Once a group of girls came into my room and started to pick apart my appearance.

They com-

mented on my weight, my acne, and called me names.

The lack of maturity honestly reminds me of middle school.

Neither Singh or Browingg wanted to give up using the app. However, they felt as if it was the only option. The constant racism was unbearable.

If Houseparty wants to last after the quarantine, they need to make necessary changes for the safety of everyone, including the black and brown users. On an app largely marketing for young teens, there should be tolerance for racism or bullying.

MAYA KOGULAN

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

6 | BLACK LIVES MATTER

criminally charged. When a black man gets shot, it’s another day at work. To them, it’s another black man. No, it’s not just another black man. That was someone’s son, father, husband.

Protesting is our way of being heard. We are using our constitutional rights However, we are not allowed to scream. If we act aggressively, they may shot us and then falsely label it as self-defense.

BLACK LIVES MATTER | FROM PAGE 1 They try to twist our words. They make signs and yell “All Lives Matter”. If all lives mattered, we wouldn’t need to protest. If all lives matter, why are black men still getting killed?

I get so angry. They don’t even attempt to understand our pain. White people can go to work and come home, while not having to worry about getting pulled over. They don’t worry about interactions with police officers. Black men are three times more likely to get shot by a police officer than a white person.

When we get pulled over, our first thoughts are if we are going to make it home alive.

For white people, their lives already matter.

Stamped gives a look at the racism in today’s society and how everyone can create a less racist future.

The system doesn’t discriminate against them. They built the system.

Black Americans have always been looked down upon by white society. We brought to America as slaves, then we had our rights taken away by Jim Crow, now we deal with consequences of systemic racism.

Ultimately, all lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter. I am sorry but the truth hurts.

Black folks are fed up with police brutality.

George Floyd was pinned on the ground by a police officer, who thought it acceptable to restrain a black man by placing his knee on his neck.

For eight minutes, the officer sat on that man’s neck. He didn’t give a single care in the world.

In fact, he looked comfortable. Yet, people continue to march around with “All Lives Matter” signs.

This isn’t the first time. Six years ago, Eric Garner was strangled by a white police officer. He repeated the same thing over and over: “ can’t breathe”. His plead and life were ignored by the police. Now, we heard George Floyd say those same words. We saw him in the same situation. The police system and its culture has not changed.

Growing up in America, as a young black teenager, watching these men get killed has had a large effect on me. I see them, my community, being slaughtered like dogs in the street. I am so sickened by this constant violence. It feels like I am drowning in an endless pool of sorrow.

The worse part is that officers are never held accountable for their actions. 99% of killings by police has not resulted in the officers being

All American Boys is an honest demonstration of what being a black male teenager is like in America.

The Hate U Give not only projects the impact of police brutality on teens but also the actuality of white privilege.

Sometimes, even when we are protesting peacefully, they come at us with batons and other unnecessary forces. They want to provoke us to act out of character. They label our protesters riots. They try to mask our pain.

The riots don’t just turn into riots. Riots occur when the police provoke us. They turn A peaceful protest into emotional outbursts of anger. On Instagram Live, I witness my close friend get tear gas thrown on their face. Another one of the friends was beaten up by a police officer for simply speaking his mind. While the officer might not agree with his words, he had no right to respond with physical aggression.

We have tried protesting by kneeling, sitting, praying and boycotting. Yet, white people were still upset. When Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the National Anthem, he was ridiculed by the media.

He lost his job. Yet, he was not breaking the law.

The All Lives Matter Movement has a double standard. They didn’t like peaceful protests. Now during the riots, they are using Martin Luther King quotes in their arguments. The irony is that MLK, who one

of the most peaceful protesters on earth, was still killed.

I am so tired of watching black people being killed and officers playing the victim. My community is getting killed in broad daylight. Black mothers and fathers have to bury their sons. It’s because of white officers that stores are being broken into and looted.

It’s because of white officers that my community fear for their lives.

We have had enough.

We will continue to protest and riot until our voices are finally heard. Enough is enough.

We shouldn’t have to live in constant fear. It’s time for a change from everyone.

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

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7 | BLACK LIVES MATTER

2

4

5 1. Following the death of Ahmaud Arbery on Feb. 23 and George Floyd on May 25, cities across the country, including Ann Arbor, have protested police brutality and racial oppression. COURTESY OF LEX LYON 2. Hayden Glover, age 18, marches for his brothers. “The killing of George Floyd isn’t just an individual situation. It happens all the time, so it’s important we have to go out and show the world

3

6 what’s really going on,” Glover said. JULIE PARK 3.

The Michigan Theater shows its solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement through their sign. JULIE PARK 4. Ava Walker holds a cardboard sign with the message “silence is violence”. “I believe there is an injustice that is not being brought to attention and I’m here to fight for it,” Walker said. JULIE PARK 5. Jordan marches for the safety of her commu-

nity. “It’s important to be here because black people keep dying,” Jordan said. “I shouldn’t be afraid to leave my house. I shouldn’t be scared for my dad to leave the house and not come home.”

JULIE PARK 6. Hundreds marched through the streets of downtown Ann Arbor in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. AVA KUNNATH

Staff Editorial

Eight minutes and 46 seconds. For eight minutes and 46 seconds, we watched as George Floyd was brutally murdered by a white police officer. We watched him gasp for his last breaths.

We watched him call out for his mother. We watched an unarmed black man get killed.

This is not an isolated event. We have seen the same story countless times.

Black people killed by police officers solely because of the color of their skin. Sons, daughters, mothers and fathers have lost their lives because of the color of their

skin.

As journalists and students, we are appalled

by George Floyd’s death.

As Americans, we demand justice for his death--and the deaths of every black person killed by the hands of racists. We take a stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. Furthermore, we encourage you to use your voice to fight the systemic racism in our society.

This does not mean simply posting a black square on your Instagram timeline or just tweeting out “Black Lives Matter.” Racism is not gone just because we have

had a black president. It is not gone just because we honor Martin Luther King every year. We have to make a continuous effort every day against the injustices around us. It’s not an easy task and it can be difficult to see the brutally honest reality of our society, but we have a responsibility to speak up for those who can’t.

This means proactively making a difference.

We want to see everyone signing petitions, writing to local government officials, attending protests and donating to credible charities.

This also means

continuing to do all of these things even when the ‘trend’ dies down and truly understanding why speaking up against racism and discrimination is necessary.

Everyone has a role to play in correcting these injustices. Not paying attention and staying ignorant is a step backwards. We ask everyone to educate themselves and others about black history and the importance of Black Lives Matter. It is not the job of black people to educate you, it’s yours.

At The Emery, we recognize we haven’t done enough. Moving forward, we

will use our platform to uplift a variety of voices that better reflect the people who make up our school and community. This means having a diverse staff and giving a platform to those who aim to create a better future for all.

We encourage everyone who has a story to tell or a voice needing to be heard to reach out to us. Continue to listen and be the change.

This editorial represents the overall view of our staff but may not reflect the individual opinions of every staff member

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

8 | OPINION

I am social distancing 4,000 miles away CLARA BOWMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

was perfectly normal. But this time, it was surreal.

The strange thing is that externally, everything almost seemed normal. The airport was reasonably busy and my flight relatively full.

Except for a few more people wearing masks, myself included, and some additional hand sanitizing stations, one could hardly tell that we were in the midst of a pandemic. I was traveling halfway across the world during a pandemic. The few people I told my plan to thought I was being reckless or at the very least crazy. And honestly, they weren’t completely wrong. But I was not going on some beach vacation with massive parties. No, I was more or less going to my second home, where I would be practicing the same social distancing precautions as in Ann Arbor.

But I would be lying if I didn’t say that I felt at least a little guilty. There was a reason the United States didn’t accept international travelers from Europe at the time. Traveling was irresponsible, selfish one could say. Beyond that, there was a real chance that I could infect my grandparents. But at that moment, I was already so invested in my travels, I knew the only thing I could do is be as safe as possible.

When I landed in Germany, things seemed as

I had always envisioned spending part of the school year in Germany, but never like this.

I’ve flown by myself to Germany every year since I was five years old, spending 10 weeks with my grandparents over the summer. Their house in the German countryside became a second home to me. I knew my way around town, felt comfortable using local transportation by myself and even shadowed my friend at her school for a couple weeks each summer.

So, when schools were to be closed for a few weeks, my family’s immediate response was to send me to Germany because, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to spend as much time there as I’d like, in recent years. I insisted on flying out as soon as possible.

This was March 14, the day after my last real school day, and I caught one of the very last direct flights to Frankfurt, Germany.

The next thing I knew, I was in Chicago getting on the plane just like I had so many times in my life. After a decade of flying to Europe by myself, I reached the point where roaming the airport unaccompanied and being on an eight-hour flight alone

they always did when I arrived. Although Germany was further along than the United States in terms of confirmed cases, you could hardly tell.

Restaurants and stores were open, just with some slight modifications to keep individuals apart. Over the next week or so, everything shut down bit by bit.

To be honest, I wasn’t that bothered by the closures.

Salons closed meant that I could spend more time with my aunt, who is a hairdresser. My grandma cooks food that doesn’t even make me miss restaurants.

And most importantly, I could still pick up ice cream from my favorite ice cream shop.

The whole trip was only meant to last two and a half weeks, but it soon became apparent that I should extend my stay. Schools in Michigan closed for the remainder of the year, the amount of confirmed cases was on the rise, so traveling would be more dangerous and quite frankly, my life in Germany under these circumstances is better than that in Ann Arbor. The weather is nicer here, and can

(From to left to right) 1. Bowman’s family lives in the German countryside, allowing them to have lots of vegetation and chickens. 2. In mid-March, the flight from Chicago to Frankfurt was about two-thirds full. 3. Bowman is able to spend more time with her extended family including making and eating sushi. together.

take long walks without close contact to anyone.

I have more physical and mental space and can work and do my own thing without anyone really bothering me.

I am able to spend time with my grandparents and enjoy the nice weather. Perhaps the biggest upside to spending my time here is that the situation is much more familiar than it would be otherwise.

Until I was 14, I spent my entire summer here, in Germany. Sure, we normally go out to eat and travel around Europe a bit, but I’m also used to spending weeks at a time at my grandparents’ home. I’m used to staying at

home and not doing much. I’m used to only communicating to my friends virtually for a longer period of time. The only thing I’m not used to is having to do school work here. It was difficult to adjust since this is my vacation spot, but manageable nonetheless, especially since the six-hour time difference means that I can still sleep in.

By late-April, Germany had the virus largely under control and businesses are gradually opening. The fear of cases resurging is ever-present, but a sense of normalcy is resurging. As for me, as I will be staying here indefinitely, and I do not have a return ticket home.

Unfair yet still lovely: the issue with South Asian beauty standards MAYA KOGULAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I used to go with my mom to the Indian grocery store when I was younger. It was a reminder of my culture: the smell of turmeric, disarray of rice bags and conversations in Hindi. Against the store’s back wall, alongside the Hindu deities, there were boxes of Fair and Lovely, a skin lightening cream. The controversial product earns profits through degrading dark skin individuals. Yet, the majority of customers remained unbothered and simply walked past the shelf.

This act of ignorance reflects a greater problem within the South Asian community: the normalization of colorism within our beauty standards.

Dark-skinned individuals become aware of the burden of their complexion from a young age. Young girls are taught to stay out of the sun. They are accustomed to receiving unsolicited advice about skin lightening techniques from family, friends,

and even strangers. Although these comments come from a place of love, they are detrimental to someone’s selfworth.

Growing up, I wasn’t aware of colorism. I played outside, swam in my pool, and wore minimal sunscreen. On a family trip to Houston, my cousin, who is a few shades darker than me, was told to leave the pool.

Families often don’t know any better. Colorism has been openly integrated into society since British colonization. Since the early 1600s, the British blatantly referred to the darker skin population as animals, while they praised and employed lighter skinned individuals. Skin color evolved into a sign of affluence and nobility. India gained independence from Britain in 1947, yet in the modern-day, we still allow them to dictate our beauty standards. By upholding these outdated ideas, we are supporting the same racist and classist beliefs of our colonizers.

Families are not the only perpetrators. The Indian

media makes it clear that whiteness equates to beauty.

Take the movie, “Baahubali: The Beginning,” released in 2015. The protagonist goes to a waterfall with her love interest. As she bathes in the water, the dirt fades away and she becomes a few shades lighter. In this pivotal moment, she emerges as beautiful.

As the average Indian girl watches this scene, she becomes conditioned to hate her appearance. Companies capitalized on this insecurity.

The skin lightening industry is expected to grow to $704 million by 2023. Skin whitening commercials dominate airways, making up 90 percent of overall advertisements on PrimeTime.

The commercials are often unethical. They showcase an unhappy girl with a dark complexion using their cream for the first time. Suddenly, she becomes lighter, happier, and gets flooded with new career opportunities. Not only is the commercial promising false results, but they de-

MAYA KOGULAN

grade the lives of millions of beautiful, intelligent dark skinned Indian women.

It is crucial that these harmful societal beauty standards change for sake of the self-esteem of future generations. The inclusion of dark skin women in mainstream media and restrictions on the marketing of skin lightening creams will result in further progress. The amount of melanin in your skin doesn’t determine your self-worth.

Beauty is beyond skin deep.

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE 9 | OPINION

The Young Scientist

Why a vaccine may not end the COVID-19 pandemic

ERIC HENG

COLUMNIST

COVID-19 has the entire world scrambling to find treatments, enact social distancing guidelines, and most importantly, find a vaccine. Given the virulence of the disease, combined with the fact that there is currently no effective treatment available, many health officials say that a vaccine is the only way for everyone to go back to living normal lives. In fact, recently, a promising study was published recently in The Lancet regarding tests of the first COVID-19 vaccine trial on humans. But can a vaccine really be the magic bullet to put an end to COVID-19 once and for all? Should we put all of our hope in the promise of a vaccine?

To learn whether a vaccine would be effective against COVID-19, we first have to learn how vaccines work. The human immune system has two parts: an innate immunity and an adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is immunity that everyone has from birth and produces a general, non-

specific response against any pathogen. Meanwhile, adaptive immunity produces a targeted response to a specific pathogen by secreting antibodies, special proteins that bind specifically to one pathogen. The precondition is that your body must first be exposed to a pathogen before it can activate its adaptive immunity to defend against it.

Vaccines harness the powers of your adaptive immune system. By first exposing your immune system to a weakened version of a pathogen. Your body can then respond faster if the real version tries to infect you, preventing severe symptoms. This principle has been utilized to great effect by the smallpox, rabies, and measles vaccines.

However, there are several concerns that have to be addressed when making a vaccine. First and foremost is safety- if people are harmed by the vaccine, then what’s the point? This is one of the factors that slows down research and testing. Usually, vaccines are first tested on animal models to minimize risk to humans.

Secondly, effectiveness is key when developing a vaccine. In the first human clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, a modified

MAYA KOGULAN

rendering current vaccines adenovirus (another comuseless. If this happens, even mon virus that causes flu-like if another vaccine was develsymptoms) vaccine which oped, it may only be effecwas genetically modified to tive for at most a couple of produce the signature spike months. protein of SARS-CoV-2 was Still other factors may tested. hinder the effectiveness of the

Many people in the vaccine. If an effective vaccine world have already been is released, strained supply exposed to adenoviruses, so lines as well as international experts are worried the viral infighting may cause vaccinaparticles in the vaccine may tion shortages, especially in be destroyed too quickly to poorer countries. Clearly, unactivate the adaptive immune certainty around the vaccine system. remains.

Additionally, some

While the U.S. has scientists have concerns that greatly loosened social disthe SARS-CoV-2 virus could tancing restrictions, citing mutate, much like the flu, a lowering death rate, the

fight is not yet over. Possibilities of a second wave of new infections have been exacerbated by Americans disregarding or even shunning orders given by medical experts, and growing numbers of Americans have seemingly forgotten why they have quarantined.

How a COVID-19 vaccine would affect the pandemic is still up in the air.

When faced with an uncertain future, it is imperative for the global community to band together- the best thing you could do is stay home and stay safe.

Dear America: the truth about black oppression in our country

ASHTON SANDERS GUEST WRITER

Today, black people are still seen as a threat.

Black people are murdered on the grounds of illogical fear, ignorance and blatant systemic societal racism.

Since 1619, African Americans have been treated as less than human. This needs to end now.

Black people have been peacefully protesting for over a decade. Yet, we still get killed for no reason —with families of the murdered left with no justice. 32 innocent black men have been murdered by officers. There is evidence to prove this: cell phone camera videos, testimony from witnesses and sometimes even body camera footage.

“

However, the justice system doesn’t view it as murder.

Instead, to them, it is simply an officer doing their job.

On June 17, 2015, Dylan Roof, a white male, went into a church killing nine innocent African Americans. Roof did not get shot by the police, instead, he was arrested peacefully. They even brought him Burger King. On the other hand, George Floyd, a black male, gets murdered on tape for simply being suspected of counterfeit and the district attorney says “there’s not enough evidence to press charges on the officer.”*

I believe they’re just going to give him a slap on the wrist. That’s called white privilege, right then and there. He will not have to face the consequences. And this happens all the time.

Is Minneapolis

The justice system doesn’t view it as murder. Instead, to them, it is simply an officer doing their job.

Black Lives Matter protesters walking through downtown Ann Arbor on July 30. JULIE PARK

wrong for the riots? No, I don’t think there is anything wrong with the riots and protests. As, over the past years the Black community has gotten tired of the racism within our modern society.

We are tired of the innocent black men getting shot by cops, that never get charged for murder.

In the words of Malcolm X, “Negro leaders have fought civil rights and they have begged the white man for civil rights and every time you beg the white man

for freedom you’ll never be free that’s something you’ll have to do for yourself, until the Negro lets the white man know that we are ready and willing to pay the price that is necessary for freedom we will always be walking around here as second class citizens or as they call it 20th-century slave, the price of freedom is death.”

Malcolm X’s quote is still relevant in 2020.

In other cities, as police brutality continues in America, the Black com-

munity shall let their voice be heard. We should not have to set fires or start riots to get our freedom. In 2020, the bar has been set that the justice system is corrupt and it consistently fails to protect the Black community. They fear us, simply due to the color of our skin. However, change starts now. Let our voices be heard. *Derrick Chauvin, the officer that murdered George Floyd, has been charged with 2nd-degree murder

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

10 | OPINION

The Huron Emery’s seniors say goodbye Sami Ruud - Editor-in-chief

Even as a scared, little freshman, the publications room was always my happy place at Huron. Even on my very first day, I remember walking in the door of 4203 and just feeling at home, welcomed. Before high school, writing was a passion for me, but the second I sat down at my desk, it led me to the best community of people I could ever find. I was no longer a little freshman, but now I was just another classmate in a room almost full of upperclassmen, who were kind and supportive and entertaining.

And the first time seeing my name printed in the newspaper, I got to feel part of something bigger. Sophomore year, I was able to take a role as an editor on staff, and even though I was the youngest in the class I was able to feel part of the community, and able to contribute largely to the program. Since then, I have not only gotten great opportunities, but met some of the best people I know. And especially, I was able to find the most incredible support and inspiration from Ms. Badalamente, who never failed to make class fun and happy. Even on the worst days, the second I walked through the doors of class 4203, my life would light up (even if there was no real outside light). I’m thankful that my little freshman self had a place in the school to find myself, to grow, to learn, and to love.

Davis Malmer Staff writer

My advice to future students is to not take your time in high school for granted. It’s incredible how fast these four years come and go. Make sure you are doing things in and out of school that you won’t be able to do once it’s over. You don’t have as long as you think to fix your grades or spend time with friends.

Austin Aldrich- Staff writer

Nathan Penoyar - Opinion editor

One of my most memorable memories was forming new friendships, especially with exchange students. One had come from Turkey and the other from France, I had formed great connections and learned about different cultures. I enjoyed hearing stories of their life back home as well as sharing mine and showing them U.S. culture.

Jesus has been there for me when others haven’t. God has put people in my life at the right time so as to help me along and has been there for me and helped me get through tough times.

I have always been pretty opinionated throughout my life. Because of this, I became friends with Jack Harrison (who was the Opinion Editor for The Emery at the time) because of my interest in his opinion columns. As a result of this and our similar views on politics (we’re both Right-of-Center), in my sophomore year he and Julie Heng invited me to write an opinion piece for The Emery on gun control due to my pro-second amendment views. I found that I really liked being able to express my opinions. After this, I decided that I wanted to write opinion columns for The Emery. If it wasn’t for Jack Harrison and Julie Heng, I probably would have never discovered my interest in expressing my opinions through media. Thanks to The Emery, I have found what career path interests me most: some sort of media platform where I can express my views and discuss issues of the day.

Julie Heng - Editor-in-chief

I step into room 4203 for the first time my sophomore year. It’s a new class, though I don’t know it at the time, and I will grow alongside the paper, though I don’t know that either. As a writer, I not only see my work published but learn countless life lessons from each story. From Maia and Alex Shibutani, Olympic medalists in ice dance, that dreams don’t stop for anybody. From the four Tinker siblings of the landmark Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case, that activism does not discriminate against age, that coalitions work, that paradigm shifts build upon each other. From Mr. Collins, our inimitable calculus teacher who published over 100 crosswords in the New York Times, that life is whatever you make of it. As the editor-in-chief, change would be an uphill battle. I didn’t think I’d be able to change much aside from upping the font size for readability. But we end up adding a lot of new features to the class: specialization, increased editor positions to improve design and online departments, Humans of Huron, the paper’s physical design. Hundreds of hours of painstaking behind-the-scenes work that most will never see. Last summer, I was making lesson plans without knowing if we’d have a newspaper class in which to teach them. Now, I know The Huron Emery’s future is in good hands. There’s always more to be done, but I believe in positive feedback loops. So to next year’s and all the following leaders - Maya, Clara, Vish and Mishal - seeing you all step up, I have never felt more proud to say I was a part of this paper. Keep telling stories. And remember to put people first.

To Mrs. Badalamente - the Emery’s adviser

Even as her staff, we don’t know where her energy comes from. Her spirit comes from somewhere other than the coffee. The other teachers and students ask the same thing. How is she always so positive, so outgoing, so determined to make you smile? And that enthusiasm is infectious. How does she last the day leaving a trail in her wake and still have so much to spare?

Her enthusiasm has helped all of us get through newspaper issues that seemed to drag on forever. It helps to hear a “ Go team!” at the end of each announcement, email and assignment. Her determination is contagious. Just being around her brings a smile to our faces. Because at the end of the day, we are a team, and what we’re cultivating is greater than each volume we print.

When we propose ideas, she jumps on board. There is no project too ambitious, no goal too faraway. She is our cheerleader as well as our fearless captain. The furniture in the room is ours to rearrange. The walls are ours to map out. The ultimate decisions, deadlines and proofreading are ours to make. She empowers our voices as students and journalists.

OC not only pulled the yearbook out of thousands of dollars of debt, but also pulled our newspaper out of the ground from where it was buried. It had been out of print for years before she came to Huron. Because of her we have grown up in it.

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

11 | ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

New Horizons: quarantine and gaming munity has never been more

“It wasn’t boring, unified or accommodating. the thing is, as we saw the Giveaways by developers have game increase in popularity

never happened more often from day one when they first

I’m not ashamed to than now. By going to Gamestarted releasing keys, the exadmit that I’m a shut-in who spot.com you’ll find a list of citement and like the anxiety loves staying at his desk, all games that developers and of not getting a key just grew browsing the Internet and sales-platforms are willing and grew and grew. And then playing games. There has to give away just to help with when I finally got that key, it never been a better time to do quarantine. was like you got a new baby this than in quarantine. Over

I myself have picked you know?” the past few weeks, I’ve been up at least 10 free games since If I were to describe playing Animal Crossing: New the start of quarantine includ- my excitement, I would Horizons ($60), a new installing Tomb Raider ($60), Just compare it to finally finding ment to a franchise that really Cause 4 ($40), and Assassin’s a shiny pokemon after shouldn’t be fun.

Creed II ($20). I wouldn’t hours of repetition

If you boil the game be lying if I were to say that (a 1/8000 chance). down to the bare minimum, this was too good to be true.

Even if I stopped it’s all about performing Though, the other great uniplaying the game chores, paying off your debts, fying entity of gaming during after three hours, and collecting creatures such quarantine is the coordinated the important as bugs and fish. Yet with its and unprecedented rise of thing is, it both style and charm, it keeps me “Valorant.” started a conversacoming back to add a new

“Valorant” (free) is a tion that lasted piece of infrastructure, catch a special game that rides with a for weeks new bug, or say “hi” to a new rather special scenario, quarand it drew villager. The wholesomeness antine. The game itself is a people was rather jarring, and it mix between “Counter-Strike” together made me feel genuine feelings (free) and “Overwatch” ($40) to a of sentiment and happiness. coming from Riot Games, but com I didn’t realize it then, I digress. What’s important mon but the sentiment there was is the system they used to goal. soon echoed by the gaming bring in beta participation. As community, albeit in a more opposed to normal beta-sign subtle way. ups, developers collaborated That’s

While Animal Crosswith Twitch to get the game to what viding is fun and has been quite streamers. From there, keys eo games popular with celebrities on will be randomly distributed are about, and not both Twitter and YouTube, for in the watcher pool. as much of a waste of me, New Horizons and every This creates quite the time as many people thing else I’ve been playing unique situation but one I would think. I made me realize two things: think is for the better. On my could not count

Video games are third day of stream watching, the number capable of making special out I obtained my key. I think of times I’ve of the mundane and video Darron King, a junior at entered a discord games are going through a Huron, sums up the emotions channel just to play golden age and a necessity for going around your head while “Stardew Valley” quarantine. you’re watching the best. ($15) or add

The gaming comCharacters created and licensed by Nintendo

GARRETT JIN STAFF WRITER

another couple hours to the 800 or so hours I already had on “Terraria” ($10). We’d talk through voice chat late into the night until we couldn’t anymore.

In my opinion, games are a force we need for quarantine. They provide an outlet for our emotions, sometimes throwing some back at you without expecting it, and they provide a medium for us to connect and solve problems together. The two most important elements to address during this specific time in this day and age.

If you’ve never

played a video game before, I implore you to do so, healthily. They can bring you experiences you can’t find anywhere else, and it will truly broaden a new horizon.

“The Half of it” offers a new twist on a well-known classic CATHERINE BASS GUEST WRITER

try to make Ellie ‘come out,’ but rather just makes the fact that Ellie likes Aster just what it needs to be; a fact. Both

If you think that RivEllie and Aster are nuanced erdale has good writing, you characters whose main charmay be in for a surprise. Netacter point is not that they are flix’s new teen romance “The queer, but rather that they Half of it” (directed by Alice are smart, like art, and dislike Wu), about Ellie Chu (played being stuck in a town where

by Leah Louis), Aster Flores everything stands still. (Ellie’s (Alexxis Lemire) and Paul father is an Engineer with a Munsky’s (Daniel Diemer) PhD who, is stuck love trianworking at a train gle in their station.) Ellie wants senior year to stay in Squagives a hamish because refreshing her father is there, take on the even though she classic love could go to a much triangle, better college in and does Iowa. On the other so with hand, Aster feels stuck taste and because her impending future respect for their viewers. is not the one that she actually

“The Half of it” only wants. spends about five minutes

The fact that their talking about the fact that characters are nicely deAllie loves Aster. Other teen veloped shows maturity in movies tend to make queer writing, and is something characters’ main personality that other teen romances and trait the fact that they are dramas should take note of. queer. The movie does not

“

Surprisingly refreshing take on a genre that is usually done wrong.

Ellie Chu (Leah Louis) hurriedly reads Paul Munsky’s (Daniel Diemer) love letter by the side of the road on her way back from school. NETFLIX

“The Half of it” is a surprisingly refreshing take on a genre that is usually done wrong; teen romance. The plot, while not necessarily original (see Cyrano de Bergerac and Roxanne), is done in a way that’s new and

tasteful, and doesn’t make Aster Flores, the main love interest, a prize that is won by the end of the movie, unlike previous iterations of the storyline. The cinematography is very standard to Netflix’s repertoire, however, with the addition of a tasteful color

palette straight out of Moon rise Kingdom, it has a very slept-in cozy appeal. The movie handles Ellie Chu’s story in a tasteful way that does not make her sexuality the center stage of the story, but rather just an integrated part of the story.

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE

12 | SPORTS

TOM MIHALEK, AFP/GETTY

MICHAEL S. GREEN, AP

KIP-KOECH, FLICKR

Disclaimer: There are some spoilers and I advise that you watch “The Last Dance” first.

Lovers of the modern NBA have repeatedly heard older fans nostalgic about the universal potency of the ‘90s Bulls, how they had the best team of alltime, and the best player in Michael Jordan. Now, in the premiere of ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” the world gets to see the cherished, all-access footage detailing the Bull’s tumultuous path to their last championship. It has not only opened

“The Last Dance” Part one and two review VISH GONDESI ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

eyes in terms of a first-hand view of Jordan’s greatness, the team’s overall chemistry, and rocky relationships between players but it also shows management making it quite clear that what transpired within the organization will never occur in any others.

In these introductory episodes, the personalities of General Manager Jerry Krause and team owner Jerry Reinsdorf are revealed, in addition to their controversial thinking behind breaking up the team. Director Jason Hehir deeply chronicles the pair’s often flamboyant and persistent attitudes. It’s something that seems entertaining for viewers as Krause has been continually mocked on social media.

Jordan also blatantly disrespects Krause with some of his comments, yet the team reacts like it’s normal.

The jokes are not without valid reasons. Krause and Reinsdorf were united together on trading anyone not named Jordan, despite an elite supporting cast with Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. It also made no sense considering the team’s monumental success to the tune of five championships. The first piece to fall though was coach Phil Jackson creating another level of distrust between the executives and players.

Jackson had been thriving in his role, with the team’s championship pedigree proving that he should have been resigned to a lucrative contract. Krause didn’t share that viewpoint. It puzzled the basketball world, as Jordan had publicly stated the only coach whom he’d continue to play for was Jackson. If there was one player the Bulls couldn’t ever afford to lose it was him.

“Jerry called me into his office and said this is going to be your last year I don’t care if you win 82 games in a row, this is going to be your last year,” Jackson said in the documentary. “So I said fine, and walked out of the room.”

Aside from this dilemma, the heart of the series is digging deeper into Jordan’s basketball career.

Despite having an injury that had a 10 percent chance of spelling the end of his career at the age of 23, Jordan firmly wished to play, showing his passion for the game. At the time he was arguably the most talented young player in the league.

Additionally, the Bulls dropped 63 points, Hall-of-Famer weren’t anywhere near contender Larry Bird heaped on the praise. status somehow making the play “That wasn’t Michael offs regardless of finishing with Jordan out there, that was God a 30-52 record. Management’s disguised as Michael Jordan,” decision was supposed to be hold Bird said in the documentary.

Jordan out for the season and

Although Jordan had give him an appropriate time taevery right to be egotistical ble for him to make a full-fledged regarding his career, “The Last recovery.

Dance” makes sure to not under The only problem was mine the value of his teammates. that Jordan didn’t care. His head- Widely believed to be the most strong stubbornness would not prominent secondary star of all let anyone end his season. The time, Scottie Pippen, was given a documentary gradually unearths compliment directly from Jordan.

Jordan’s mind during the situa “I didn’t win without tion.

[Pippen], that’s why I

considered him my best “Everyteammate of all time,” body is just Jordan said. “Whenever thinking they speak Michael Jorabout the dan, they should speak negative,” Scottie Pippen.”

Jordan Part two ends with resaid in the counting how underpaid documenScottie Pippen was. He tary. “While signed a seven-year 18 I think the million dollar contract in glass is less his early career when his than half eventual top-10 caliber full, everyplay warranted someMICHAEL JORDAN body thinks where near the 80 million that the glass is half empty.” His range. belief he was fit to play would not

Such a fact is one of be trumped by any other. many which would be deemed

“I said to Michael you’re inconceivable in contemporary not understanding the risk to times. To put it more simply, it’s reward ratio,” Reinsdorf said in an eye-opening example of sports return. “If you had a headache financial drama no one would’ve and I gave you a bottle of pills, remembered without this being and 9 of the pills would cure you featured. but one of the pills would kill you

The quality “The Last would you take a pill?” Jordan’s Dance” has in revisiting these response bluntly aligned with past events prompts the audience what he thought before. to compare it with the current

“I looked at him and said NBA. It provides an element of depends on how (expletive) bad wonder which is a focal part of the headache is,” Jordan said. every good documentary.

Jordan and management

Anyone who claims that decided on a compromise. Jordan they are a basketball follower would be able to play on a strict should savor the extensive back14-minute restriction with a stop- ground on one of the most iconic watch timing him. sports teams of all time. Even if

In today’s NBA, sitting you aren’t one exploring Jordan’s out of games has become normeaning of greatness, the surmalized, so it was striking to see prising instability of a dynasty, how Jordan vocalized his disdain and the array of gripping conflicts against it. all make “The Last Dance” a

His time restriction was must-watch series. conveniently lifted when the Bulls made the playoffs. From this point, the games highlighted are enticing to watch as Jordan always seems to pull off the remarkable. In a playoff game, where Jordan

“

Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE 13 | SPORTS

WHO IS THE GOAT?

An exploration of which basketball player is the greatest of all time

LEBRON JAMES

Imagine being deemed the chosen one for one of KADE CUPP the biggest sports in the world at the young age of 16.

STAFF WRITER That’s the expectations Lebron James was given and he

lived up to them. The three time NBA Finals champion, three time NBA Finals MVP, four time MVP, 15 time All NBA, is not only arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, he is by far the most valuable.

Lebron James is not only the most valuable player of all time, he is the engine that drives his team. Without him, his team is nothing. He does it all, scoring at will, efficient shooting, excellent rebounding, and on top of being a prolific scorer, he is one of the greatest passers of all time.

The ability he has to create open looks for his team, while also being able to score efficiently from anywhere on the floor, is unheard of in terms of anyone all time. James is the only player in NBA history with at least 33,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, and 9,000 assists. These stats truly attests to his overall greatness as the most all around and most valuable player of all time.

Lebron James is not only held to the highest standard in basketball history, he’s held to the highest standard in the history of all of sports. The man took his team to eight straight finals. James dominated one conference so bad for almost a decade to the point where the entire conference was labeled as bad. His critics claim that’s the only reason he can make it to the finals.

Finals record is also something that Lebron’s criticizers use to take away his greatness. Lebron faced much harder competition in his finals matchups. In 2007, he brought a terrible team to the finals only to lose to the Spurs. This shouldn’t be seen as a blemish on his resume since, he was so overly matched team wise in a team sport in the finals. The 2011 finals may be the only actual negative of his career. Even though his team lost to a less talented Mavericks team, let’s not pretend this team wasn’t great.

The 2011 Mavericks finished 57-25, beat the Trailblazers in 6 games, swept an all time great and his good supporting cast Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and beat The Thunder in 5 games, who had three future MVP’s on it. Lebron’s heat would go.

CAREER STATS Avg. points: 27.1 Avg. rebounds: 7.4 Avg. assists: 7.4 Field goal %: 50.4% Finals appearences: 9

Finals won: 3 Stats from basketball-reference.com

MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES

CAREER STATS Avg. points: 15.1 Avg. rebounds: 22.5 Avg. assists: 4.3 Field goal %: 44.0% Finals appearences: 12 Finals won: 11 Stats from basketball-reference.com Stats from basketball-refernece.com

BILL RUSSELL

SAMER YASSIR Bill Russell is often overlooked STAFF WRITER

in the GOAT conversation due to the era of basketball he played in. However, Russell dominated in the ‘50s and ‘60s becoming a player with one of the most historic championship records coupled with his elite rebounding and defensive play.

Many dub Michael Jordan the GOAT of basketball in large part due to his impressive 6-0 championship record. However, this is no match for Russell’s 11 championships in 13 seasons. It’s incredible to only play two seasons in the NBA in which he didn’t win the championship. He was also able to stay at the top of the league for more than 10 years in a row. Nobody has been able to dominate the league quite like Bill Russell did.

Along with his unmatched championship resume, Russell he picked up 11 All-NBA selections and five MVP Awards. However, his NBA Finals MVP Awards are nowhere to be found. This is due to the fact that the award did not exist at the time, but the award ended up being named after Bill Russell. In his career, Bill Russell received zero Bill Russell awards, but the fact that the award was named after him implies that he was the greatest NBA Finals player of all time.

Nowadays, a new statistic like player efficiency rating is being created almost everyday providing fans and the media with a plethora of statistics to compare players. In the ‘50s and ‘60s these advanced metrics were not around. Due to this, Bill Russell often gets overlooked in the conversation of the greatest basketball player of all time.

MICHAEL JORDAN

In a poll from DAVIS MALMER The Athletic, asking 117 STAFF WRITER

NBA players who the greatest player of all time is, 73 percent said Michael Jordan — and for good reason. Michael Jordan is a six time finals MVP, five time regular season MVP, 10 time scoring champ, and a three time steals champ. Michael Jordan is the all-time leader in points per game while also shooting 49.7 percent from the field, making him the most deadly scorer to ever step foot on an NBA court.

Many people have questioned whether or not Lebron James is challenging Michael Jordan’s GOAT status. However, Lebron James isn’t even on the same level as Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan is by far the better scorer and defender leading in points per game, steals per game, and blocks per game. Jordan did this while playing shooting guard which is a position that requires spending more time on defense and less time in the paint where most blocks occur and where Lebron spends more of his time. Secondly, Lebron James’ 3-6 Finals record pales in comparison to Michael Jordan’s flawless 6-0 record. The point of the game is to win.

When you can win repeatedly, while also being the best player on the court as Michael Jordan did, there is little to critique.

The argument for Lebron being the GOAT is centered around excusing his losses to good teams and that he was ‘carrying his team alone.’ However, when discussing the greatest player of all time you need to emphasize the quantity and quality of their wins. Michael Jordan also has twice as many finals championships, while his finals competition has an average of 61 wins versus Lebron’s opponents average of 59 wins.

Michael Jordan also never played with more than one All-Star teammate and in two of his championship runs he had no All-Star teammates. In every one of Lebron’s championship years, he had at least two All-Star teammates which made it it substantially easier to win games. Michael Jordan’s impressive resume combined with Lebron’s constant shortcomings prove why Michael Jordan is the GOAT. ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES

CAREER STATS Avg. points: 30.1 Avg. rebounds: 6.2 Avg. assists: 5.3 Field goal %: 49.7 Finals appearences: 6

Finals won: 6 Stats from basketball-refernece.com

THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 6: JUNE 14 | FEATURE

E xploring the fl avor of coffee JULIE PARK DESIGN EDITOR

Coffee lovers know there is a wide spectrum of coffee that ranges in aroma, body, and flavor. The production of coffee is an art and a science that has been studied for centuries. Let’s explore some of the factors that work together so you can enjoy any cup of coffee the way you like it.

Pl an t Va riet y

A cup of coffee, as you probably already know, is brewed from coffee beans. These beans are found inside cherries that grow on a tropical shrub. Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta are the two main species produced across the globe. There are also a variety of strands within the Arabica and Robusta. Robusta typically contain more caffeine, which gives the drink a more bitter flavor. Due to its deep flavor, you will most likely see Robusta combined with milk and sugar. On the other hand, Arabica beans tend to have fruity tones and an overall sweeter taste.

It is also common to blend the two strands together in order to achieve a desired flavor.

Terrior

The taste of coffee can also depend on the soil, altitude, and climate in which the plant is located. The coffee plant thrives in temperatures between 70 degrees fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so most plantations are located near the equator across an area known as the “coffee belt.” Brazil, Vietnam, and Columbia are currently the largest exporters of coffee. Brazil grows its plants in low, dry areas, which gives the coffee a grainy flavor. In Columbia, high altitudes and heavy annual rainfall produce coffee with a sweeter flavor. If you drink Starbucks coffee, they import beans from Guatemala, Rwanda, and Timor. Coffee beans from these countries are typically grown in higher altitudes and characterized by their bright flavors.

Roa st

After harvesting and processing, beans are placed in a high temperature roasting machine. Roast profile has a huge role in the characteristics of your coffee. The roasts are commonly broken down into four types: light roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast and dark roast. As the roast gets darker, the original profile of the beans will be replaced with the taste of the roasting process. For this reason, dark roasts are oily, bitter and have a slight burnt taste. The beans also lose caffeine as the roast gets darker. Light roasts are typically very grainy, acidity and have the most caffeine. The medium and medium-dark roasts are characterized as having a more balanced flavor, and in terms of body, are heavier.

Brew

From coffee grounds to a beverage, the brewing process is the final step that determines the profile of your coffee. Pour over and immersion are the two main brewing categories. The pour over method is when water is poured over coffee grounds and through a filter. This coffee is very “clean” with subtle tones. In the immersion method, coffee grounds are completely immersed in water which gives the drink a more intense flavor. The ratio of coffee grounds to water is an important choice in the brewing process. Many drinks have a brew ratio of around 1:15. An espresso, a pour over method where pressure is applied, has a 1:2 ratio. One shot is so intense that other ingredients are usually added. An Americano is an espresso shot with hot water and a cappuccino is an espresso shot with steamed milk.