Volume I
Anshu Chen Co-Editor-In-Chief
Eastern Michigan’s US District Court recently delayed ruling on a case that challenged Michigan’s ban of same-sex marriage. “I feel like certain rights are being marginalized because of something that we can’t change, and that hurts a bit. But it can get better,” junior Josh Richter comments on this current event which brings back the 2004 State Constitutional
Amendment that outlawed her willingness to issue speedy same-sex marriage in Michigan. marriage licenses if the ban was overturned. “I Passing by 59%, the amendment is had been workI feel like currently being chaling on a new lenged by April Decertain rights marriage license boer and Jayne Rowse that was genderare being in DeBoer v. Snyder. marginalized neutral, that was According to Oakfriendly to everybecause of land County Clerk Lisa one. I knew that something Brown, a defendant in there were people the case, Judge Friedwaiting at my ofwe can’t fice, hoping to man denied motions change from both sides to imbe able to apply JOSH mediately settle the case for a marriage liRICHTER without trial. “We were cense. There was Junior disappointed [to hear one couple here about the delay],” expresses waiting that had been together Brown, who had announced for 53 years. [I] just felt disap-
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pointment that they were going to have to wait even longer. “ “It’s an interesting case in that it pits the will of the people against ability of a judge to scrutinize a law that may be unconstitutional,” says AP Government teacher Phil Laliberte. “The courts are often hesitant to overturn laws that have been voted in by the public. District Judge Friedman even mentioned the other day that he was nervous about having to rule on it…I look forward to February to see the results of this case, since I really am not sure which case on way it will go.” A3
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@hawkeyenews
WIFI CRASHES UNDERPRESSURE Students and teachers concerned over lack of access to WiFi Paul Pal Guest Writer
Sitting at his desk during advisory, he groans realizing once again that it’s not working. “Some kids actually have legitimate work to be done in advisory, and before you know it the 90 minutes available to finish group projects are wasted due to problems with the WiFi,” says senior Luke Kuza. “It’s extremely detrimental to group work because most groups collaborate over the internet.” Kuza is one of the approximately 1,250 students at the Bloomfield Hills High School Main Campus building that have been experiencing difficulties connecting to the WiFi due to a shortage of internet routers. “There have been some real obstacles with the new WiFi,” says International Studies teacher Matthew MacLeod, whose 6th Hour class of thirty has been struggling to connect to the internet for research. “We have so many kids that expect ready access to the internet, and they can’t have it in the current situation because the demand for WiFi is so significant.” FACTS to the District Director of NetAccording work Services, Alex Noordhoorn, the district is well aware of the problem and has already put forward steps to improve the situation. “There are three reasons why students were experiencing problems connecting to the WiFi,” states Noordhoorn. “[One of the biggest problems is that] there are a lot more students, a lot more staff, and a lot more devices. Last year for the total network you would see an average of about 1,500-1,700 devices on the network. This year we’ve seen about 2,400-2,600 devices on the network.” According to Media Specialist Stephanie Bevier, this increase in devices creates serious problems for the network due to the fact that every one of these devices connects to what is called an access point. These access points, which are the white boxes with blinking blue lights that can be seen around the building, start experiencing problems when too many devices WIFI on are connected to them at the same time. A4
BLOOMFIELD HILLS GIRLS ROBOTICS TEAM HOSTS FIRST ANNUAL GIRLS COMPETITION Robotics Team hosts Michigan’s first all girls robotics competition Minhal Asim Guest Writer
She looked around the room with anticipation as her team’s work came to life. “At the competition, everyone is really pumped,” describes sophomore Anagha Kramadhati, a member of the Bionic Black Hawks robotics team. “There’s not anyone stressed out or saying ‘Oh my gosh, we’re going to lose!’ Of course we have those notions, but we don’t show it because everyone is dressed up in their team colors and there’s loud music playing, so everyone is very energetic and psyched.” Girls from twenty-four teams, some from out of state, will be competing in the first all-girls robotics competition in Michigan held at the Bloomfield Hills High School gym and field house on Saturday, November 16th from 8 am to 5 pm. “[The reason fot creating an allgirls competition is to] encourage more girls to join the robotics team because this is something they are equally capable of doing,” expresses Dr. Ed Law, the team coach. “I’m very excited about [the competi-
tion] because there aren’t many girls involved in robotics. This is the fourth all-girls competition of it’s kind that is going to take place in the nation.” “The rule of the competition is that only girls can make repairs on the robot and operate it or drive it,” adds senior Kristen Law, a captain of the robotics team. “The boys can instruct if they need to, but only girls are allowed to touch [the robots].” According to a male member of the team, Milan Parikh, the girls need to advance their skills in order to be successful in this competition since the boys on the team can only instruct. “Some of the girls are practicing driving and trying to learn how the robot works. They need these skills in order to fix the robot during the competition,” explains Parikh. “It’s new for some of the girls on the team. However, I think this competition is a good idea because it will make more girls take interest in this field.” “I love robotics mainly because of how people work and come together to do the little things,” says Kramadhati. “Robotics is a very diverse club, there are very different things you can do with it—it’s not just building robots. It’s unique in a way that it’s an opportunity for girls to step out there and do what `
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Learn more about the boys’ soccer team and their road to state championships
facts
he college admissions process is not entirely based on the run-of-the-mill, indispensable components standardized test scores, grade-point-average, and extracurriculars. Certain elements lie outside a student’s control. “Americans are so divided on the issue of affirmative action because we are torn on the concept of fairness versus individual responsibility,” interprets AP Government teacher Jeffery Lockwood. “Fairness requires that there is a level playing field. Now, many believe that there is a level playing field, and that is why many Americans have turned away from the idea of affirmative action.” The Michigan constitutional law, established by a ballot initiative in 2006, eliminated use of racial preference in publicly funded institutions. Ever since, the ban perpetuated a long-term debate regarding the constitutionality of Michigan referendum. The highprofile issue reached the Supreme Court on October 15th, 2013. According to social studies teacher Matthew MacLeod, the case of affirmative action presents a conflict between states’ rights and rights of the federal government. “This case reveals the increasing willingness of states to challenge national government policies,” MacLeod remarks. “You see this with gay rights, with legalization of marijuana, issues with Obamacare. There is a growing willingness among states to stand up and question long-held national government policies. The issue of affirmative action speaks to the growing divide within our nation.” On one side stands the opponents of affirmative action. American political activist Ward Connerly, founder and President of the American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI), decided to support Jennifer Gratz in eliminating the use of racial preference in Michigan’s public educational institutions.
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DeBoer v. Snyder is the first challenge to Michigan’s ban and was filed in September 2012
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of Michigan residents oppose
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The Bloomfield Hills Hawkeye is a student publication distributed free of charge to 1600 students, faculty, local community members, and businesses. We strive to inform, to entertain, and to continue a tradition of journalistic excellence. We take our integrity seriously and strive to report the news as accurately as possible.
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A 2013 Glengariff Group poll found that
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION RACIAL PREFERENCE
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Michigan and Virginia are the only US states banning all forms of same-sex marriage
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Issue II November 2013 Bloomfield Hills, MI
HAWKEYE
DeBoer v. Snyder court case regarding gay rights is deferred
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Bloomfield Hills High School
MICHIGAN SAME SEX MARRIAGE CASE DEFERRED
they want to do.” Dr. Law feels that people believe girls to lag behind because male students outnumber the girls, “[People] think girls should be doing more artistic kinds of things and decorations. But, I don’t want people to think that way. I want to encourage girls to take on more of a technical role.” According to Kristen Law, girls have already been involved in operating and driving the robot. “On some teams, the people working and controlling the robot are all guys and the girls are in charge of awards, marketing and spirit,” says Law. “However, on our team, the girls have been involved in all technical and non-technical areas.” Dr. Law who is Kristen’s father (and coach) adds, “It has obviously been a big challenge: starting the whole thing, getting it to be a competition, getting the teams to sign up for it. We actually have a Canadian team, who was one of the world champions from last year, who is coming to our competition. Although it’s been a challenge, I think it has gone well.” For more information or inquiries, visit the team’s official website, www.team2834.com or email the coordinator of the event, Ed Law (edlaw.2834@yahoo.com)
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the
WORLD
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November
WHAT IN THE
WORLD Discover news from all around the world and how it affects the community
Iraq Gaza
Germany
AMERICA Pictures from: CNN, Fox News, USA Today, The Economist
WHAT
Is the United States’ spying on the German Chancellor’s phone acceptable?
Sophomore
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“ It’s not acceptable. It’s giving other countries a reason to not trust America anymore.
5 things
Kristine Wang
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Sera Sermet
Sophomore
“ It’s invading Germany’s privacy. It’s giving Germany a reason to spy on America too.
Amina Shumake
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THINK
Mac Bank Senior
Senior
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DO YOU
“ Spying on foreign
“ It’s not okay. Imagine if
dignitaries should be frowned upon without justified reasons.
the Germans were spying on the U.S. How would we feel about it?
Baghdad, Iraq: At least 35 people died and more than 100 were wounded when a spate of car bombs rocked Baghdad due to an increase in tension between its Shiite and Sunni populations. America: New trend involves Facebook user to post a riddle, requesting that friends guess the answer. Users who guess incorrectly must change their profile photo a giraffe. Gaza Strip: An Israeli air strike hit two concealed rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip. Berlin, Germany: The Obama administration is under fire about alleged National Security Agency espionage on the private phones of global leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor. Sources: CNN, Fox News, USA Today, The New York Times
to know this
A1:
1995
President Johnson delivers speech to graduating class at Howard University outlining the concept of affirmative action
Supreme Court ruled that use of affirmative action at federal level must be subjected to strict scrutiny
we needed to make up for past discrimination,” Lockwood continues. “Some people feel that we are done correcting the past. In this case, Michigan is saying ‘we’re done’.” However, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action (BAMN) is not. According to BAMN representative Joyce Schon, supporter of affirmative action, the ban is a violation of the fourteenth amendment. “The fourteenth amendment was designed to protect minorities from discrimination from majorities,” explains Schon. “We told the [federal district] court that it was unconstitutional for a white majority to vote to take a civil right, so hard fought by black and Latino voters.” Schon maintains that the impact of the Michigan constitutional amendment, Proposal 2, is not limited to merely the ban on affirmative action. “[Proposal 2] also removes the political right of black and Latino communities to make that fight at the same level of govern-
The Obama administration issues apology for the problem-plagued Obamacare website.
ment that everybody gets a chance to do. Only blacks and Latinos, and their kids, have to go and mount a statewide referendum in an overwhelmingly white state to reverse the ban. That is unconstitutional.” Schon informs that the Supreme Court verdict is still up in the air. “I think it is very important that we took the fight to restore the original meaning and purpose of the fourteenth amendment to the Supreme Court,” asserts Schon. “It is unclear whether the Court’s liberal minority will write a defense based on that promise. It’s possible. It is in the interest of everybody who embraces the future if we give everyone an equal, integrated, and quality public education.” Regardless of the high court’s ruling, Schon contends that students are the driving force for advancing civil rights. “The most important people in the country for making this fight are high school students because it is their future. Even when the superior court is not on our side, history will be.”
Supreme Court ruled use of affirmative action in assigning students to school unconstitutional. Michigan voters passed Proposition 2, which restricted affirmative action.
Supreme Court ruled that use of affirmative action at state and local levels must be subjected to strict scrutiny
Supreme Court heard arguments in University of Michigan admissions cases and upheld use of affirmative action in college and law school admissions.
2011
OVER THE YEARS: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
1989
1965
“First, the terminology should [not be affirmative action] because there is nothing affirmative about treating people differently. It should be called race and gender preferences,” upholds Connerly. “I think it should be banned because it violates every principle of fairness that our country supposedly believes in.” “I was born in Louisiana in 1939, so I know something about equality,” shares Connerly. “When people are sorted into different groups and give special treatment to some, you’re disadvantaging the others. You cannot claim this is equality because it’s not.” Connerly indicates that the definition of civil rights has evolved since the mid-twentieth century. “At first, it really meant trying to make up for the wrong of treating black people as second class citizens. It meant trying to provide equality, an equal measure of justice, to the black citizens in the coun-
try. Over the years, it evolved into not providing equal treatment but providing more equal treatment,” asserts Connerly. Junior Merrick Wolfe adds, “I believe that all students should have the same possible future available to them. They shouldn’t be held back for who they are.” Addressing high school students, Connerly says racial preferences in public education is violating our nation’s virtue of fairness. “I recognize that there are such students who may not get a good high school education,” expresses Connerly. “However, to award students extra points and to treat these students differently based on skin color is the wrong way to handle this.” Lockwood agrees, “I think we should stop focusing on skin color but start focusing on the issues that truly impact students, like the opportunities they’ve had along the way, which is going to be based more on economics and resources.” “I think in the past, racial affirmative action was needed, hands down. You could see that
Terrorist attack results in deadly crash in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
The Health Organization says there’s been an outbreak of the deadly disease polio in Syria.
According to Junior Jubilee Jackson, the University of Michigan made a reasonable decision to remove the race factor from the application process. “Being accepted into a university should be based off of the person’s collegiate ability, not the color of [his or her] skin. The ethnic diversity within University of Michigan will naturally increase with the colorblind admissions process,” defends Jackson. While supporters and opponents of affirmative action each have distinct propositions, Lockwood and MacLeod agree that the debate is more than just a two-sided issue. “There is no straight black and white answer to the affirmative action case. There are far too many elements concentrated in this one issue,” remarks Lockwood. MacLeod agrees, “It’s a very emotional issue when it comes to affirmative action. I understand that people have really vested interests on both sides of the argument. But I think that it’s something that can’t be narrowed down to simply race and equality.”
2013
from
2003
ACTION
Progress is made in Dell and HP’s quest to build new, corporate computer servers.
2006
week
Social Security benefits will rise only 1.5% next year, one of the smallest increase in the annual adjustment.
Supreme Court remanded affirmative action case back to lower court.
Michigan appeals court found ban on affirmative action unconstitutional. Michigan Attorney General appealed decision to overturn affirmative action ban.
the
COMMUNITY News
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November
The Tutoring Trend Tutoring in Bloomfield Hills is on the rise for students
Students and professionals largely due to the high amount of pres- etry,” says Lippitt. “I would always be sure placed on grades and the imporshare the importance of tutor- tance of college attendance nowadays. worked up before I had to take a test.” While they do feel tutoring has ing in today’s society “If I wasn’t so worried about getting helped them, Morof and Lippitt Associate Editor
For junior Rachel Morof, learning doesn’t stop at 2:30. “After school, I go to my math tutor once a week and I also go to ACT tutoring for lots of different subjects three times a week at Mally A.C.T,” she says. “I also see my Spanish tutor, because it really just helps me out before a test. Something can make total sense in class, but when I get home I can be so lost.” Morof isn’t the only one. According to Kimberly Smith, owner of Mathnasium West Bloomfield, a tutoring franchise with over 400 learning centers in North America, millions of students of all ages have begun to turn to private, individual tutoring to supplement a regular classroom education. “As the school year progresses and as most students start to receive their progress reports from school, we typically start to find more students seeking out help with their classes.” says Smith. Junior Molly Lippitt agrees with Smith, saying, “I have definitely noticed an increase in the number of people who are tutored starting last year, as the material got harder. Especially in junior year, there are a lot of people who receive ACT tutoring. I think students are turning towards this as they get older because the subjects tend to get harder and they’re taking more difficult subjects all at the same time.” Students and educators say that the increase in the popularity of tutoring is
hundred percents on tests, I wouldn’t both note that it comes at a cost. have a tutor and I would be fine getAccording to a 2011 Wall Street Jourting a B,” Morof says. “But nal article, the average perthere’s that pressure to get hour cost of tutoring can such good grades, and I [Students] are range from $45 to $60 at a know it’s the same for a major chain firm to $450 for seeking out an hour long one-on-one test lot of other people too.” “Most high school students tutoring as a prep session from the Princare focused and aware of the resource to help eton Review’s premier tutors. ever increasing standards and them achieve The same article mentions that competition that exists with private tutoring is a $5 biltheir goals. lion annual industry, 10 times respect to getting into the KIMBERLY SMITH larger than it was a decade ago. colleges of their choice,” says Mathnasium owner Smith. “Therefore, they are “Tutoring is very expenseeking out tutoring as a resive and a lot of tutors are very busy, source to help them achieve their goals.” so it’s hard to schedule something According to Lippitt, the pressure and you might not always get the largely relates to standardized tests. “I time when you need the tutoring the think that especially with the ACT , it’s most, like before a test,” Lippitt says. very important to everyone that they “It’s really expensive,” Morof adds. have a high score. So, over the years, “My parents are willing to pay, but I ACT classes have gotten less popular and do feel bad about it sometimes. It reACT tutoring one-on-one has gotten ally helps though and it definitely more popular because people are more makes a difference in my grades.” nervous about getting into colleges.” “For most students, tutoring is extremeSmith says there are a variety of other rea- ly helpful and worth the expense,” Smith sons that students choose to hire a tutor. says. “Students that are prepared with “Tutoring allows students an oppor- questions and put forth effort outside of tunity to ask questions in an environ- their tutoring sessions see the most benement that may be less intimidating than fit from receiving assistance from a tutor.” the classroom,” she says. “Some students “It depends on your personal situutilize tutoring to help them get ahead ation,” says Lippitt. “For me, tutorand obtain knowledge of material prior ing was worth it because it was making to it being introduced in the classroom.” a difference in my grades. However, “For me, I started getting tutored be- if it’s someone who is just doing it for cause I was always very anxious and dis- the extra review, I think there are some couraged about tests in Honors Geom- better alternatives to tutoring.”
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Maitreyi Anantharaman
BHHS initiates after-school tutoring program NHS members and teachers help struggling students with subjects everyday after school
Teachers Eric Klein and Rebecca OsHonkala elaborates, “Sometimes students relate more to their peers than an adult. senmacher offer their time and skills to I think that[tutoring] is another way to manage this after school tutoring probuild relationships with your peers. Stu- gram at Bloomfield Hills High School. Ossenmacher describes, “We have dents who are struggling academically may Mayssa Masri Guest Writer need some connection to the classroom very reliable NHS tutors to help and Rushing to room 404 after school, he or to the school environment beyond just we have a pretty good system, I think sees students in their seats with their the book and the materials they’re work- that helps make it a good experience.” “My goal is to find those textbooks out, ready to be tutored. ing with in the classroom.” students that are falling be“I’ve personally noticed “Everyone comes in eager to learn and Sometimes stu- hind and get them into tustudents who have help,” says senior National Honor dents relate more toring early so we can get seen positive effects Society (NHS) tutor Mac Bank. by attending tu“It’s a great way to see the free to their peers them caught up,” adds Klein. toring,” continues exchange of ideas and informathan an adult. “Once you fall behind, it’s really hard to get back on track. Bank. “Every time tion taking place in such a colJULIE HONKALA Especially with a much larger I work with a stulaborative fashion. It gives them Mac Bank NHS Director school, it’s [common] for student, I see the light another perspective because Senior in their eyes when they be- dents to fall through the cracks. Creating sometimes it’s hard for students gin to grasp a concept.” an extra layer of support in our program to learn from teachers and many have an “It’s really quick, helpful, and ben- to make sure that those kids can be suceasier time learning from other students.” NHS students and teachers dedi- eficial,” describes junior Rama Karkoukli, cessful is really important this year.” “I recommend that students should go cate their time after school to tu- who has attended some of the tutortor their fellow classmates and stu- ing sessions for pre-calculus. “I feel like to tutoring after school; it’s extremely usedents. With about twenty to thirty I can finally improve my studying skills ful and important. [Students] will feel a lot students each day, this tutoring program by having tutors helping me with what better about themselves and won’t feel as is held from 2:30 to 4:00 every weekday. I need. It’s nice to have someone my stressed about studying because of the help Director of NHS and teacher Julie age helping me understand a subject.” from the tutors,” concludes Karkoukli.
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ple do it all the time for health insurance or benefits. But those people are men and women, and I think that marriage is a sacred covenant between man and woman. Homosexuals should create their own covenant for themselves, instead of changing what’s there for others,” she says. “Even if you believe that someone else’s marriage has any effect on you, what right do you have to impose your beliefs on people?” asks Ahmad. “If you believe in religion [as a restriction on same-sex marriage], the question comes down to whether you should force people to convert to your religion. If you don’t believe that, why on earth do you think that you should force your religious belief into the government?” He continues, “The government’s not asking your opinion, it’s not conducting a poll on your view of homosexual marriage. It’s asking you about a law
that it wants to set. What’s the difference between me saying that the official religion of the United States is Christianity, and just imposing all the tenets of Christianity through law? There’s essentially no difference.” According to Brown, the case will be instrumental in settling the debate. “It’s huge. It has the potential to not just have a major impact on Michigan, but I have the feeling that this case won’t be done at Judge Friedman’s level...that it will be appealed and maybe go up to the Supreme Court. We’ll see. It would be a landmark decision for Michigan to bring equality to our state. Regardless of the case outcome, Richter says, “[The case] is still important in that changes in one place lead to changes in another place. No matter where I end up, I’m sure that those results will follow me wherever I end up going in the future.”
1.
Marriage
>>
Fact or Fiction
The judge will rule on the case in February of 2014. Fact Fiction
2. The United States Supreme Court is hearing the case. Fact Fiction
3.
Michigan law currently bans samesex marriage. Fact Fiction
4. Out of the 50 states in America, 48 states allow same-sex marriage. Fact Fiction 5. The plaintiffs in the case are two men. Fact Fiction Answers: 1. Fact 2. Fiction 3. Fact 4. Fiction 5. Fiction
Richter believes that the case is evidence of a more tolerant age. “It’s good that we’re making strides toward lifting the ban. I think it’s important because just one more state lifting the ban would also affect the rest of the United States, and it’s good for Michigan to show that change.” “If we want to show pride in our intelligence in Michigan, we should legalize gay marriage and set an example for the rest of the world,” adds senior Shahid Ahmad. “If you care about civil rights, you should care about the civil rights of homosexuals.” AP Economics teacher Vivian Johnston says that commitment is a major factor in the significance of same-sex marriage. “Making it really a formal, binding commitment [says] to the citizens, ‘I’m really committed to this indi-
vidual, through sickness and friends. They can do what they health, and it’s more than just want in their personal lives, living together or liking each but I do not agree with it.” Richter understands Yi’s views, other’. They want [recognition] that they take it as seriously but believes that the same-sex as do straight people when marriage issue is unrelated to they enter into a relationship.” religion. “A lot of lawmakers are “The world’s not going saying, ‘for so many years, we’ve gone on to crumble if gay people good Christian morcan get married,” states [The case] has als and we shouldn’t senior Nicole Pomish. the poten- be changing this’. But “But [if the ban is overturned] gay students tial to not when you think about here would be able to just impact it in the past, we’ve get married, and if that’s Michigan. changed so many things that the counthe choice they want try was founded on as to make, that would LISA BROWN Oakland County be great for them.” Clerk well. Like the slavery Unlike Pomish, juissue, and civil rights. nior Esther Yi says: “The issue, Those were all things that we for me, is morally wrong in my first thought were okay and religion. Everything states that acceptable to do, because we a man and woman is consid- were founded on certain menered a marriage. Why are they talities that changed over time.” changing that now? You can’t However, Yi defines marriage just rewrite what’s supposed as an exclusively institution. “I to happen. I don’t hate homo- think you can get married for all sexuals; I do have homosexual different kinds of reasons. Peo-
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MARRIAGE from A1:
Gay
Photo credit: Jasmine Sharma
the
CAMPUS
Club breaks gender barrier
November
Bloomfield Hills High School adopts Project Based Learning as a new program
Lizzie Nagel Co-Editor in Chief
Bloomfield school district turns towards project based learning Students and teachers explain project based learning and express opinions Aidan Menchaca & Josh Inwald Guest Writer & Staff Writer
Sitting in her junior year English class, Diana Holsey realized that for the first time, her testing anxiety didn’t have to be a limitation. “I’m not a good tester, but I am [a] smart kid,” shares Holsey.“Completing projects instead of tests shows creativity, knowledge, and even character in ways that a test cannot. Projects can easily be corrected, therefore allowing students to truly learn from mistakes. My testing does not define who I am as a student, whereas projects can show teachers so much more.” Students like Holsey are finding that their skills are being evaluated through hands-on activities verses traditional paper and pen tests. “Project based learning is a style of education in which students become the owners of their own learning. Teachers become advisers and act as resources,” explains English teacher Rachel Matz,
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who traveled with a dozen other BHHS teachers to Indianapolis this past summer for a four day conference focusing specifically on PBL. “The investigation becomes the responsibility of the student rather than a teacher’s directive.” Coming from an administrative standpoint, Bloomfield Hills Learning Services Director Dr. Heidi Kattula says, “From my experience, PBL is the direction learning and teaching is moving into. It’s more authentic, more rigorous, and helps students make better connections.” Chemistry teacher Julie Honkala provides a little background on PBL. “It actually started in medical schools. In order to prepare students who are going into medicine, every time you deal with a patient you have a problem that you need to address that is multifaceted and has no clear answer. You have to come up with a diagnosis. Science, in and of itself, is a problem-based discipline. Science begins with a question, and so does PBL.” “Instead of teachers pouring in information, we want students to discover it for themselves,” Matz shares. “There’s a lot more to the literature that we read and
BREAKING DOWN
the time periods that we explorethan we can possibly cover in one unit. PBL allows students to investigate deeper into some of the material and pursue projects that can connect multiple concepts together, such as comparing a novel written in the 1600s to current social issues.” Looking at Bloomfield Hills as a whole district, Kattula says, “if you look at IB [projects], such as the fifth grade exhibition and the tenth grade personal project, there are additional examples of PBL [currently in] Bloomfield Hills. The whole project-based process is a natural progression into the workplace, where information and ideas are not isolated to classroom contexts; instead, applied concepts are used to solve authentic problems.” “I like some parts of PBL,” says sophomore Sara Appel. “For example, I like some of the projects we’ve been doing and group work can sometimes be helpful; however, students sometimes don’t complete the work, so that’s one of the negative things about PBL.” Junior Hassan Kobiessi, though, does not believe that PBL should be mandatory for students who would rather take traditional examinations. “It would be
beneficial if students could work how they want to. For instance, if students are better at taking notes and ultimately taking a test instead of doing a project, then they should do that.” However, most agree that optimism and hard work will be able to ease the transition into project-based learning and ultimately benefit students the most. “Working in a career environment like the radio station has prepared me for the real world more than would any other class,” explains senior Mark Stewart. “Instead of just learning terms and information, I use those skills as The Biff’s Operations Manager. I think the only advice I can give anyone struggling with projects is get your feet wet and start working and see where it takes you.” “Understanding that PBL, like any major shift in education, may take some adjustment, is important,” believes Honakla. “The way the world works has changed, and employers now expect students to be problem solvers, self-directed, and experienced in group [situations]. If kids are going to go into the workforce, they need to experience this type of learning because it is uncomfortable and takes some getting used to.”
Publicly Presented Product
Requires critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and various forms of communication
>>>>>>>
Driving Question or Challenge
Feedback & Revision
PRINCIPLES of
Requires inquiry as part of the process of learning and creating something new
proj·ect based learn·ing (concept)
PBL
Student Voice & Choice
Organized around open-ended and driving questions Creates a need-to-know essential content and skills
21st Century Skills
Need to Know
Inquiry & Innovation
Involves a public audience
Model Schools 4.
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campus news:
these new devices have become a regular part of our kids lives. We keep talking about getting our kids ready for this future technological reality. The reality is upon us.” While both students and teachers have been suffering because of the lack of internet connection, Ryan Prainito, a technician at BHHS, along with Noordhoorn have been trying to fix the problem. According to Noordhoorn two of three reasons for WiFi difficulties have already been resolved. “The client access system which controls the authentication between the access point and the device was experienc-
There is no longer an attendance requirement for advisory. Students are required to complete 100% of all assignments in order to pass the class, and they are allowed to make up the assignments. If students do not have all of their assignments in, they will not pass advisory.
ing failures with its two main servers, but this problem has been dealt with. [On top of that] After working with a CISCO Engineer for the past several weeks we discovered a bug that would cause a lockup in the four main wireless controllers, which control access points and handle traffic when they received a lot of simultaneous requests for authentication. We will be doing an upgrade to those controllers this week to fix the bug.” However, according Noordhoorn, the biggest problem is the access point issue. There are simply not enough access points to handle the traffic that 2,400 devices brings.
The girl’s swim and dive team came in 5th place at the OAA Championships on Friday, November 8. Olivia Wagner and Erika LaCasse earned all league honors with a 1-2 finish in diving. Ines Charles won the 100 Fly and was named All League. Doey McGowan earned a state qualifying time in the 50 Free.
campus news:
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campus news:
WIFI
1.
High Tech High School
2.
ACE Leadership High School
3.
Manor New Technology High School E. Manor, Texas
4.
The Met Center of Providence and Newport
San Diego, California
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Newport, Rhode Island
“We are installing as many access points as we have on hand,” explains Noordhoorn. “We are trying to get a hold of additional refurbished access points. The problem is we can’t buy them new because they are not produced due to the fact that our wireless network is outdated. More accurately, the access points that our current system uses are considered End-of-Life and no longer available from Cisco. The long term solution will be to move to a new wireless network. However, this is not possible at the moment due to the fact that if we were to upgrade the system to handle more devices now
The Bloomfield Hills High School Inaugural Production: WORKING, The Musical! Show dates are November 21, 22, 23, 2013 at 7:00pm in the BHHS Auditorium. Visit bloomfield.org/bhhs to purchase tickets for $10, for students and $15 for adults. For questions contact carrielynn912@yahoo.com.
local news:
1.
Noordhoorn has stated that the average number of devices an access point is around 36. This number is not exact and is being adjusted find the right balance between speed and accessibility. MacLeod believes this jump in the number of devices is to be expected due to the fact that technology has become an everyday part of student life. “Almost every school kid is carrying a device in their pocket that connects to the internet,” explains MacLeod. “The technology in
Briefly Speaking
A4
A New Way to Learn:
Students and staff empower girls to enter a male-dominated field
A new opportunity for high school girls has come forward. “A lot of young ladies don’t have a passion in the science and technology area,” says Girls Who Code advisor Tamala Valentine. “This club is a way of telling them ‘this is a field you should consider.’” Senior Danielle Okezie learned about Girls Who Code through their national headquarters while attending a summer program in New York. The club is a way to close the gender gap in technology and engineering sectors. “There’s a lot of national support and it would be something really great for our kids,” says Associate Principal Margaret Schultz. “A lot of girls takI just hope are that [girls] ing math and science know that classes but there’s al- still not getways some- ting into one there to c o m p u t e r help them. s c i e n c e . So havDANIELLE ing someOKEZIE thing like Senior this, a safe place for girls that’s not competitive with boys where girls can go and learn, no matter what their ability level, will help build their confidence and maybe help girls find their niche.” According to Valentine, the club is very demanding and will focus on many different aspects of technology and computer science. “It’s more like a class. You’re required to meet eight hours per month, so you know that whoever is going to be a part of the club means they’re very passionate about technology,” says Valentine. “The girls will learn how to create games and apps as well as conduct engineering design, technical research, and networking. The girls will also go on field trips to companies in the technology field.” According to Valentine and Okezie, the goals for the club cover encouragement and empowering girls to go into a particularly male dominated field. “It’s not just something [Okezie and I] put together,” says Valentine. “This may go beyond the scope of what we’re looking at. That’s my goal; to have people in the community say, ‘Oh wow, I’ve never heard of that club, it seems very unique.’” “I want this club to show that there’s always someone there to encourage you,” says Okezie. “If you try to go into this career field you’re more likely to be in a room full of men and just because you’re in a room full of men doesn’t mean you should be discouraged. You’re really special to be in a field like this. I just hope that [girls] know that there’s always someone there to help them. This club is there to show girls to conquer what they want to do.”
News
we would have to upgrade the entire system, and then we would have to upgrade the entire system again in 2015 to accommodate a new standard that is entering the industry. While emerging technologies are a part of the reason that 2015 is important, another factor is that BHHS will be moving to a new campus and it’s important that we have a wireless solution that’s designed for the new learning environment. ” “If money was no object we would upgrade the system now to handle more devices, but unfortunately due to budgetary concerns that is not possible,” concludes Noordhoorn.
Lone Pine staff and students officially opened their new outdoor classroom, the “Outdoor Hideout,” on October 29th. The Outdoor Hideout consists of stone seats arranged in a semi-circular format. Its purpose and design is to encourage a natural learning environment.
News
A5
November
Counselors meet with college representatives in Canada Hannah Bradley Page Editors
Students aren’t the only ones who need to go to class every once in a while. “These conferences help us to give students better information about the college application and admissions processes,” explains counselor Shayna Klein who attended the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) National Conference. “It’s really for us to get to know college representatives. It allows us to learn even more about the college application process and
to sit in on sessions hosted by college representatives, high school counselors and others.” Along with Klein, fellow counselor Jim Fogle spent September 18th to September 20th in Toronto, Canada for the conference. Klein explains the benefits of attending college admissions conferences, like NACAC’s. “We can better support students, network with college representatives and get more information about what’s new with the colleges. We hear about the new programs or offerings colleges might have, which helps us to better educate our students.” Fogle adds, “The opportunity to collaboratively work with other counselors across
the country, freely sharing in- ica Sanders describes, “NACAC formation, resources and ideas conferences provide a profesbetween schools is a great ad- sional development opportunity vantage for us. The informa- for counselors to learn about a tion we can get about the latest broad range of topics. Additrends in college admission from tionally, the guidance counselcollege representatives is vital ors have an opportunity to netfor high school counselors.” work and meet “We learned a lot about college admisIt’s all about how to support students in sions, comhow we can munity-based writing applications that reflect them well,” explains organization help support Klein. “We learned more representatives students as how to use Naviance and and students counselors. about the issues with the from around SHAYNA KLEIN the world who Common Application. It’s Counselor all about how we can help they later call support students in what we upon if there are questions, condo as high school counselors.” cerns or shared interests that they Managing Director of the Uni- may partner on in the future.” versity of Michigan’s Office of Senior Sarah Khan shares her Undergraduate Admissions, Er- approval on these conferences.
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Conferences help counselors learn more about college admissions
“I think that the conferences are very beneficial to students. The more our counselors know and are informed directly from the college admissions counselors about the admission process, the more they can help students as they are applying to college.” According to Klein, counselors have been attending conferences like this one for many years. “There are conferences through other organizations every year, but this is the biggest one of this type. It’s just important that we have at least one representative from our building attend each year because it covers anything and everything related to college admissions. We’ll continue to send one or two of us as long as we can.”
CAMPUS Construction continues Future school building across Telegraph Road revamps and rebuilds Construction managers describe new changes and updates on future campus Yusra Niazi Associate Editor
Driving past the building of her first three years of high school, she a school that is now mostly bits and pieces. “Every time I drive past the old Andover building, I get so sad seeing it,” explains former Andover student and senior Shreeya Srinivasan. “I spent the last three years of my life in that building, and now, it’s all gone and unrecognizable.” Students like Srinivasan drive past the future building for Bloomfield Hills High School that is currently being built and see the torn down building. As of now, according to senior superintendent Juan Vasquez, who is part of the general contractor company, Barton Malow, 85 percent of the 150,000 square-feet of the existing facility is destroyed, and 220,000 square-feet of construction is yet to occur
“If you were to drive by right now, you would say, ‘Wow a hundred percent of the building is torn down.’ However, you need to realize is that there’s a lot you can’t see from driving by the work zone,” describes Vasquez, who is on the construction site at all times of construction. “The only remaining part of the building that will be torn down in the next two years is the field house, the pool concrete foundation, and the cafeteria. We’re in the process of tearing down the cafeteria and auditorium foundations right now.” However, not all of the building will be demolished. Barton Malow senior superintendent Tim Courtney explains what will be happening with the parts of the building that will not be torn down. “Everything that is standing right now, is going to be the existing space at the future building. There will be a ton of renovation involved, but it will not be entirely demolished. You’re looking at roughly 90,000 square feet of building that will be renovated. Some areas have very little work involved to a decent
amount of work. It depends what area the existing space we’re talking about. For example, the existing gym will get a new gym floor, but the lights and the speakers will both be existing from the former building. Some areas might even exist like they were last year.” “Andover was the only school that I taught in, so I have a different perspective than a lot of the other teachers,” shares math teacher Derek Imboden, who had worked in the former Andover building for seven years. “However, I’m looking forward to the new building and teaching there.” “Construction will continue basically from September 13th, when we started, all the way to all the way when the school will be moving in, September 2015. This winter will be extremely busy and you won’t see the inside from the road and think there’s not much going on, but believe me, there is always work going on at the construction site,” concludes Vazquez. If you want an official visit on the construction zone, contact Juan Vasquez at Juan.Vazquez@BartonMalow.com.
/ / / N O I T U A C N O I T U A C N O I T U A C
Introducing Google Schools
BHHS turns towards Google based programs to save money Merrick Weingarten Guest Writer
Google is taking over. “We are really hoping that it will increase the ability [for students] to collaborate with each other,” explains Bevier on the reason why the district is switching from Microsoft to Google. “There will be assignments that teachers will give to the students that they could not do before, but now every students in any your group [can] log on and you can access the document from different locations. According to Bevier the Bloomfield Hills Administration decided that the district will start using Google based programs like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Forms, Google Docs, and Calendar instead of Microsoft outlet because it is easier for the stuGoogle gives dents to colthe students and teachers laborate. “Everyflexibility, but one can also creates a work on whole new set the same docuof problems. ment at DONNA LEARMONT the same AP Psychology teacher t i m e ,” she continues. “Or the teachers will able to create assignments where you can go in and peer edit. [The staff] will know that George left this message and Bob left this one, so we can see what everyone is doing.” This district-wide program also reduces the need for paper, according to Bevier. Teachers like AP Psychology teacher Donna Learmont have already started to use these programs to help their class become more digital. “I embedded the Google calendar to my Moodle. Kids who already have Gmail accounts can connect to my calendar and automatically get updates,” expounds Learmont. “It’s convenient and has a lot of flexibility with what teachers can do to communicate with their students. It consists of collaboration with all the different software that we can use.” However, some students are not as positive about this decision. “I personally would prefer Microsoft products over Google,” states sophomore Milan Parikh. “Microsoft is much more customizable. Google, while it does have the advantages of cloud based computing, it is not as competitive.” Learmont also recognizes the glitches that using this new system can generate. “Google gives the students and teachers flexibility, but also creates a whole new set of problems. Not everyone has Internet access. Sometimes handouts are necessary. The assumption is that every child in America has access to the Internet, and frankly that’s a socio-economic bias. Not every home can afford internet.” Google’s representative of community affairs Matt Dunne, says he wishes more schools like Bloomfield Hills were embracing Google’s free technology. “Google is a resource and tool to augment the free technology and to make school projects and assignments easier for students and teachers. Technology needs to embedded more into the school systems because [schools] need to be up-todate with today’s advancements.”
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AT T E N T I O N SENIORS: -December 1st is the last chance to purchase your Senior AllNight Party tickets at $100! Prices go up to $125 at the end of the month. -If you did not take your senior pictures with Focal point, submit your composite photo with $15.90 to Focal Point Studio no later than January 1, 2014
Top: The only remaining part of the former Andover building that will remain standing for renovations. Bottom right: Barton Malow’s company crane removes remains of the former building for future construction. Bottom left: The former pool area has been demolished, and the field still remains untouched.
Photo credit: Narmeen Rehman
-Be sure to turn in your community service to Mr. Swain.
the
WORD
Guest Writer
There’s nothing more annoying than whiny high school students forcing political opinions onto others. These political prodigies of our generation are not found in formal debates, respectfully disagreeing with opposing viewpoints. They’re found on Twitter, expressing their rage through the 140 character limit. Every once in a while there’s something big going on in politics, such as the government shutdown or the George Zimmerman case. This is when Twitter blows up. Crawling out of their holes, our future politicians emerge to awe us with t h e i r I prefer to get i n c o m my information p a r a b l e minds. from actual This is sources, not when I from the tweets want to of upset high blow up. “Zimschool kids. m e r man is innocent! Stand your ground! Stand your ground!” “Those Republicans are shutting down the government!” Afterwards, they hide away in the darkness, waiting for the next mainstream political event to occur. The point isn’t whether or not I think Zimmerman is guilty. It’s not about who’s responsible for the shutdown. The point is that our timelines are being flooded with your polarized political statements. Don’t get me wrong, I love keeping up with the news. But I prefer to get my information from actual sources, not from the tweets of upset high school kids. I’m all for different opinions and perspectives. However, if these self-acclaimed “politicians” insist on shoving their beliefs down everyone’s throats based on their suppositions, they can expect a lot of unfollowers. If you’re new to Twitter, be very wary of the cyclical politicians that inhabit your timeline. Take shelter during these outbursts. Otherwise, be prepared to be blindsided by an influx of political tweets.
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•Affirmative action is an outcome of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement, in order to provide equal opportunities for minority groups. •According to a study in 2001, a culturally diverse school is able to offer open-mindedness and creativity for students. • After Texas abolished its affirmative action program in 1996, Rice University’s freshman class had 46 percent fewer African-Americans. •In a comparison study between the 1999-2000 school year and the 20092010 school year, 36 percent more whites received their Master’s degrees, while black and Hispanic rates of graduation more than doubled.
facts
Josh Inwald
ing Rights Act to encourage equality, liberal politicians like John F. Kennedy enacted pro-minority public policy to effect change immediately. In the words of President Johnson, affirmative action was designed to create “a level playing field for all Americans.” Despite America’s “progressive” and “egalitarian” values, 2013 America is more racially stratified than any era since the 1960s. Racial income inequality, one of the most telling signs of unfairness, has continued to climb in recent years; blacks currently earn 27% less than whites, and Hispanics make only two-thirds as much. While affirmative action policies certainly won’t eliminate earnings gaps, they can give minorities the educational advantages they need to break the cycle of poverty. A final argument in favor of affirmative action is the intangible benefits that having a diverse society can offer. Cultural diversity at colleges, even if it’s the artificially imposed variety, fosters open-mindedness and creativity. Safeguarding these desirable characteristics is worth sacrificing a little “fairness,” especially when one considers the long-term benefits of a truly equal opportunities society.
Staff Writer
As per usual, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear cases regarding a variety of issues; everything from campaign finance laws to First Amendment religious rights seems to be on the 2013-2014 agenda. In addition to the standard judicial mishmash, a devilishly more complex subject has again landed in the SCOTUS’s cross hairs: affirmative action. Yet baring a radical departure from established precedence, the Court looks set to side once again with proponents of affirmative action. Good. Affirmative action is justifiable on both idealistic and socioeconomic grounds. Although race-conscious practices are an imperfect solution to the wider problem of inequality, America is better off with them than without them. Affirmative action developed in the midst of the 1960’s Civil Rights movement as a method of compensating minorities for past wrongdoings. Instead of relying on legislation such as the 1964 Vot-
{ Beliefs Battle OF
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
}
Opposition to college applications considering race Ryan Moonka Co-Editor-in-Chief
Daniel has a 4.0 grade point average, a 34 on the ACT, stellar extracurriculars- and is denied from his dream school. Yet John has a 3.8, a 30, minimal extracurricular interests to speak of and is accepted to that same school. Why? Daniel is white and John is African American. Affirmative action is the greatest educational crime of our generation, something that has generated 15 influential Supreme Court rulings in the past 30 years. The reality of public universities using race as an admissions factor goes against American equality. Success in America has always been a product of hard work, and affirmative action defies our values by prioritizing factors other than merit. The important difference between Daniel and John- a distinction visible throughout educationally unequal America- is that Daniel chose to push himself harder in school than John. Daniel developed a strong work ethic, spent weekends studying instead of partying, and demanded perfection from every essay.
Yet because of racially aware admissions policies, the “John’s” of our country are more likely to nab the spot at Harvard than the “Daniel’s.” Why is our society placing a higher value on skin color than on academic drive? Won’t we be worse off in the long run if we arbitrarily deny our top students top educational opportunities? Where’s the fairness in that? Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that affirmative action policies will even make our society more equal. In fact, affirmative action has been in place since the 1960’s; however, measures of racial inequality including earnings differentials and incarceration rates (blacks comprise 39.4% of inmates yet only 12.6% of the population at large) show that gaps have only grown since The Great Society. While it would be a stretch to say that affirmative action has been useless, it hasn’t been terribly effective either. As with as with all choices, politicians need to weigh the benefits against the costs. Is a little arbitrary “diversity” worth disillusioning an entire generation of intelligent teenagers? Absolutely not.
•Affirmative action may be unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. •In 1978, the landmark Regents of California v. Allan Bakke case made racial quotas unconstitutional. •Since the birth of affirmative action in the 1960s, many cases of reverse-discrimination have been brought to the Supreme Court. •In a 2009 Pew poll, majority of Americans supported affirmative action but strongly disagreed about minority preference.
facts
the
Steve Yoo
I’m good, thanks
College admissions should be able to consider race
the
Cyclical politicians of Twitter: go play outside
November
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Political tweets
A6
Sincerity in a teenager’s everyday life Mayssa Masri Guest Writer
As I walk through the crowded hallways of school with my mind elsewhere, I’m thinking back to the argument I had with my parents the night before. “Hey Mayssa! How are you?” I consider opening up to her, telling her how I’m feeling. I see her in a rush and realize that the chances of her caring are slim to none. “I’m good! How are you?” What a lie, I think to myself. She calls out “good” as she walks past me, carrying her books and scurrying to wherever she needed to be next. Before I could realize, she was out of sight. I’ve realized that w h e n s o m e one asks, “I’m good! “ H o w How are you?” are you?” They reWhat a lie, ally don’t I think to want an myself. answer. I think back to all those moments I asked my friends the very same question, not wanting much of an answer. Not having much interest in the conversation, I would begin to turn towards my next class or continue scrolling through my phone. In all those times, I’m certain that I never truly knew how that person was doing by the end of the conversation. Were they having a terrible day? Could that person possibly be having one of the better days they’ve had in a while? I wouldn’t know. Why did I even ask the question if I didn’t care enough to hear the answer? It’s taken me years filled with bad days and people who don’t care to allow me to understand the importance of sincerely caring about others and not falling under the category of being a narcissistic, self-absorbed person. As I opened up to my friends, the sense of loneliness I carry faded into compassion and understanding. I’ve finally begun to look at others lives with a different perspective. Next time I ask “How are you?” I’m going to truly listen.
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Opinion
Stupid smartphones: the technological invasion Julia Lee
Associate Editor
I’m sitting at my lunch table surrounded by my friends. They’re not saying a word as each has their neck craned down to their knees. Nobody fought. We’re not mad or sad about anything---except for me. I’m disturbed by this saddening view of my friends. In fact, I’m disgusted and full of remorse for this cafeteria filled with students and their smartphones. They’re scrolling through portals of “social networks” while completely mute and unreachable in reality. How ironic. A phone that aims to connect us to the
Want to share your voice? Do you have an opinion? Do you want to tell others what you think? If you answered yes to any of these questions, write a letter to the editor, sharing your opinion on a story from this issue. Letters to the editor may be dropped off in Miss Hammitt’s room 107 during 6th hour, or emailed to bloomfieldhawkeye@ gmail.com. They may be edited for content and/or space.
world, only to disconnect us from real things, Sadly, what is untrue about smartphones real people, real life---a stupid smartphone. is that it makes us smarter. A smartphone You may think I’m a hypocrite, as my dad means that the phone is smart, not you. awarded me with an iPhone only a few weeks Although humans created smartphones and ago for my “hard work.” I don’t therefore humans should rule them, we know if he means my hard work don’t. We’ve formed a sick dependency on in school or hard work of being A smart- smartphones as inexorable desires for conwithout a smartphone until now. venience and fleeting pleasures consume us. phone The latter is true. It was Allow me to personally prove this demeans that pendency. I can’t drive anywhere unknown hard being a senior without the phone without my smartphone’s GPS. I can’t a smartphone in this day and age where technology is not an kindle newfound relationships without is smart, encouragement but a requiremy smartphone’s social networks. I can’t not you. ment. It is undoubtedly advantaparticipate in a literary discussion in my geous to possess a cellphone with AP English class without my smartphone the abilities of the navigation system, text because the program, Today’s Meet, requires it. messaging, Facetime, Internet, all in one. It doesn’t have to be this way. We have the power
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Commenting on the increasing smartphone technology
to enlighten ourselves by fighting this dependency of a magnetic field of smartphones. We can use smartphones as supplements, not requirements. Reach for your smartphone and think about its manipulative expertise and needlessness. You can survive without it. Your ancestors survived. In fact, your ancestors arguably lived a healthier life full of personal enrichment within themselves and their society without smartphones. We can bring this life back. We can choose to actually be smart with our smartphones. We can live, laugh, and love on these devices but not let it be the only place to do these things. We can let these smartphones enter reality without harming our personal lifestyle. After all, the world is at our fingertips. We have the power to be smart.
Letters to th e Ed ito r Common Syrian experiences
Suggestion for future article
Amal Rass
Gilbert Chen
Junior
Dea r Editor, In Ma y ssa Ma sr i’s a r t i c le “ My h o m e , a w o r ld a w a y … ” , e v e r y t h i n g sh e w ro t e a b o u t h ow sh e fe e ls, I h a ve fe lt . Sh e sa y s, “ I w a s d o i n g e ve r y t h i n g i n m y p owe r t o h o ld o n fo r so m e k i n d o f c o n t ro l. I fe lt n u m b.” T h e se n se o f n u m b n e ss d e sc r i b e d i s o n e t h a t I e n c o u n t e r o f-
Sophomore
t en wh en h eari ng about a mas s acre or a mar t yr wi t h a fami li ar name. Th e wri t er referred t o Syri a as h er s econd h ome, s ucces s fully di s p layi ng t h e connect i on bet ween h er and t h e count r y. Due t o my Syri an background, I connect ed wi t h Mays s a t h rough h er i ncredi ble wri t i ng.
Dear Editor, It has come to my attention that the hallways of BHHS are always crowded when classes are dismissed. It is really hard to get from one class to another, and I am almost always late to class! I understand that we combined schools so there would be a bigger population of students in the school but the overcrowded hallways are ridiculous! I wrote this letter to suggest you to have some-
one write an article about how we could solve this problem. If we could figure out how to control the amount of people in one hallway, we could save a student’s career by helping them get to class early so they can study or prepare for the class. It would be awesome if a solution came out and was implemented! It would benefit the whole school in having hallways more efficient and less crowded.
Re-evaluating chivalric ideals Nick Lucci Sophomore
Dear Editor, I am writing to discuss the editorial “Just Girly Things: Chivalry” by Guest Writer Tess Garcia. While romanticizing the 1950’s based on movies makes for a good editorial; in reality, it allowed women few choices. On average, women who did the same job as men earned 40% less until the 1963 Equal Pay
Act. It was unthinkable for women to be elected into high government positions, become CEO of Fortune 500 companies, and many states restricted women’s property rights. While today’s era affords women more opportunities, I agree with Tess that we all can practice a little more civility.
the
WORD
Opinion
It’s okay to be a feminist
A7 November
Cancer isn’t just pink
What do YOU think about Project Based LEarning?
Banishing the f-word stigma
Raising awareness of all types of cancer
Lizzie Nagel
Tess Garcia
Co-Editor-in-Chief
hawkeye editorial
Cartoon drawn by Jordan Wooten
We believe that project-based learning could be improved
Paul Pal
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Ethan Lis
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PBL projects take three or four times longer than studying, and by the end you’re sick and tired of it.
It’s a good hands-on experience. Some people are not good at tests, so PBL helps them test their skills.
Sophomore
Elisabeth Opperthauser
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Putting it on the poster board doesn’t teach anything different than taking notes.
Junior
Projects show creativity, personality, and what you have learned. Tests are over used and boring.
HAWKEYE
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See what
Zurishaddai Mauleon
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With any change there are always growing pains. Every day we see these on our teachers’ faces as they continue to strive to provide us, students, with the best opportunities for our success. So, we at The Hawkeye are here to help. Since, our teachers have been working on going to conferences during the summer, attending workshops after school, and going above and beyond, we thought we’d help brainstorm some projects. In history, we’d like projects which connect our past with our present. In English, the strong messages found within novels such as Animal Farm and The Crucible can be applied to the increasingly media-based world where language is manipulated for the furtherance of political, social, or commercial agendas. These same ideas are seen with our history and the two can be combined accordingly (just as our American Literature program has been doing). By doing this, project based learning allows us to see that subjects don’t live independently but are intertwined with one another. In writing this editorial and brainstorming these activities, we have seen first hand that coming up with relevant activities is not an easy task. With change there is always a time of discontent and nostalgia. To address that issue, we challenge those opponents of PBL or those who just don’t understand to do as we did. Walk a mile in the instructor’s shoes. A wise person once said, “If you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” So, if you don’t understand PBL – research it. Begin with our article in this edition of The Hawkeye. Then, Google your way into the world of Project Based Learning. Start asking questions. See what skills we, as future employees and entrepreneurs, will need in order to be successful. Finally, we challenge everyone to get involved. Don’t understand the projects being assigned? Make a conference with your teacher and ask him/her to explain its purpose again. Don’t like the projects in class? Ask your teacher if you can collaborate on creating new ones. Don’t like the description of a course? Volunteer to work with the teachers to write descriptions for the course description book. As hard as change is, we cannot continue to do as we’ve always done. The train of change is moving forward. We either need to get on board or get left behind. Like every growing pain we have all faced, this change isn’t going to be easy. But we have the power to positively embrace it just as we did with MYP, IB, and the development of BHHS. PBL is latest acronym requiring our attention. So pay attention, get involved. The progress is worth the pain and we will all grow better because of it.
Mayssa Masri
Senior
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student body thinks
Colin Beresford
Junior
It’s harder to do projects because it’s not as straightforward as taking a test.
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I don’t test very well because I can’t remember things as well, but I can reference my notes when doing a project.
Downtown’s revivals benefit everyone City reforms revitalize Detroit and suburbs despite controversy Ryan Moonka Co-Editor-in-Chief
A few weekends ago, I found myself walking around downtown Philadelphia after a college visit. I couldn’t help but notice the vibrancy of the city: streets lined by bustling sidewalks with the occasional food cart gave way to glittering skyscrapers. Blaring taxis whizzed across the city, narrowly missing pedestrians with every turn. Aside from the architecture, Philadelphia is no different than New York, Chicago, or any other city in America. Any other city in America besides Detroit, that is. “60 Minutes’” recent Detroit coverage highlighted the city’s battle with bankruptcy and corruption, yet also touched on the city’s downtown revival. Led by Daniel Gilbert, chairman of both Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures, the campaign to revitalize Detroit’s core is under way. While many
Advisor Christina Hammitt
Managing Editors Section A: Narmeen Rehman Section B: Annie Reed Section C: Sarah Kovan Web: Matthew Webster
criticize his recent purchases of nearly 26 buildings that he is a businessman and has business intendowntown--claiming that he is attempting to essen- tions with every purchase he makes. Yet he also tially “buy” the city--I strongly believe that has a will to fix the city in way city counhis efforts are driving Detroit’s resurgence. cil cannot. With each acquisition he makes, Just a quick walk down Woodward, past he adds to his estimated 7.6 million square Grand Circus Park, spotlights this comeback. feet of property. But he is also moving his Campus Martius Park, which is now the own businesses into the city, and atheart of the city, has become the headtracting other businesses such as Twitter A healthy quarters for Gilbert’s operation. Restauinto his vast property holdings- makrants now fill the bottom floors of the ing downtown more safe and vibrant. downtown buildings surrounding the Park, buildings Detroit means With the pace of Gilbert’s revitalizawhich now have nearly no vacancy. Durtion campaign, Birmingham may no a healthy ing the holiday season, thousands flock to longer be the only weekend hangBloomfield ice-skate in the park. And during the sumout spot for Bloomfield students in mer, the park becomes a make shift beach. the near future. But entertainment Hills. However, a quick walk just beyond is only the tip of the iceberg for the the reaches of Campus Martius Park shows the changes that may soon come--a healthy downDetroit that the media loves to publicize. The town Detroit means a healthy Bloomfield Hills many deserted lots are the least of the city’s and more jobs for Bloomfield students returnproblems--crime is rampant throughout the city, ing from college. Even though Bloomfield and a general exodus is only beginning to slow. lies miles from Detroit, Gilbert’s efforts will This is why Gilbert’s actions are key. Yes, it is true have ripple effects throughout our community.
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Anshu Chen Ryan Moonka Lizzie Nagel
In the real world, your boss isn’t going to spoonfeed information. PBL prepares you for collaborative work.
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Editor-in-Chief
See what
Junior
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Associate Editors Section A: Julia Lee Yusra Niazi
Section C: Brendan Eathorne Maddy Pazner
Section B: Maitreyi Anantharaman Courtney Zhu
Web: Noah Cicurel Jonah Newman
Page Editors Brittany Andrews Hannah Bradley Jake Freed Shelbi Jouni Jasmine Sharma
Cartoonists Maggie Smith Jordan Wooten
People only care about the things they understand. Oh, your grandmother has stage-four lung cancer? Is that the one with the pink ribbon? It’s not, actually. My grandma lost her life to lung cancer in October. During the last couple months, she refused to let her grandchildren visit. I suppose nobody wants visitors when they’re on that much morphine. I’d be lying if I said her request didn’t frustrate me. Knowing that my grandma lived walking distance away, and that I couldn’t see her, made me physically ache. This was the same grandma who used to walk into my house, unannounced, just to see how my family was doing. This was the grandma who made 10 different kinds of Christmas cookies every Dec e m b e r. Her h o u s e feels absent. A two-story Every colonial s e e m s form of too large cancer for my leaves its gramps own scar. alone. T h e house is too quiet without the constant hum of Jeopardy in the background. That was my grandma’s favorite. Grandpa doesn’t watch T.V much anymore. According to worldometers.info, 6,825,970 deaths, and counting, have been caused by cancer this year. The number continues to rise as I write this column. Cancer sucks. It doesn’t matter what kind it is and whom it happens to. Though modern medicine has allowed for advancements in treatment, cancer kills. That being said, no form of cancer is more “important” than the next. Cancer is cancer, whether it’s been glamorized and colored pink or not. Pancreatic cancer is purple. Leukemia is orange. Lung cancer is a pearlywhite. There are more kinds of cancer than there are colors in the rainbow. Every cancer has its own month. If you ask me, there’s no reason they shouldn’t all be recognized. Awareness matters. When my grandma was diagnosed with lung cancer, I came to realize how little our society knows about a disease that takes so many lives. November is national Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Though my grandma never knew that, all of you do now, and I never want you to forget it. I want you to know that every form of cancer leaves its own scar. Lately, life has been strange for my family. There is an undeniable feeling of emptiness in the room at every family dinner, every performance, every sporting event. Every cancer awareness month is a reminder of the absence in all of our hearts. No amount of tacky ribbons is going to bring my grandma back. Neither will this column. But I hope I’ve reminded you that cancer exists…and it isn’t all pink.
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S TA F F
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Usually one person will do all the work, but everyone gets the same grade.
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2013-2014
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Maggie Smith
Sophomore
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HAWKEYE
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Merrick Weingarten
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Feminism. I probably just lost about 90% of my readers with that first word. Feminism has become extremely taboo, even comical in our society and it makes me sick. When someone thinks of feminism, they’re mostly thinking of men-hating, b r a - b u r n i n g , “f e m i n a z i s .” I am here to set the record straight. That is not what feminism is about. Feminism is just about empowering women to be equal to men. To this day, women are still being used as a way to demean others. “Dude, stop being such a girl.” Even when a man is at his worst, he is still worth m o r e The fact that than a someone’s worth w o m a n is decided on at their best. what gender And they are is y e t , unacceptable. w h e n women talk about these issues, and why I’m writing this column now, we are shot down. We are told to just get over it. We are told to just accept it, that that’s just the way things are. I am still being told to “get back in the kitchen.” I am still being told that rape is “just a part of life.” According to the American Medical Association, sexual violence, especially rape, is considered to be the most under-reported violent crime. And why is this the case? Because if people do come forward, they can receive instant backlash. “Well, what was she wearing?” “Was she drunk?” “She was probably asking for it.” “Think of the boys’ future!” These are all comments that were made after the Steubenville rape case. One of the worst parts of these facts is that they’re ignored. No one seems to care that in the United States, women with the same education as men learn 18% less. This is 2013. The fact that someone’s worth is decided on what gender they are is unacceptable. Of course not all men hate women, but the way that women are made fun of, from being presented as nothing but a sexual object to rape jokes, makes it seem as though these things are condonable. After I say I’m offended by these jokes, I get the defensive, “I was only kidding, chill out.” Or, even better, “I’m not a rapist! You’re not a feminist, are you?” I’m not sorry for not finding your joke about normalizing one of the greatest crimes funny. Sometimes I feel bad, because I know the person saying the joke. I know that he isn’t a bad person. I know he’s only kidding, and I just want to inform him without insulting him. I’m not judging you for your joke, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to ask you to change your behavior. How you feel about women and how you treat them are two very different things. So next time you think about spitting out “feminism” like it’s a dirty word, or laugh along with your friends for participating in a joke that dehumanizes women, just remember that there are three billion reasons for you not to do so.
Guest Writer
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Writers Minhal Asim Daniel Bordener Tess Garcia Liza Hsu Josh Inwald Ally Jaksen Nisa Khan Zoe Lis
Aidan Menchaca Paul Pal Michelle Phillips Sadhna Ramanathan Steve Yoo Merrick Weingarten
the
BACKPAGE News
A8 November
Acing THE ACT The ACT is around the corner and students all across the nation are stocking up on prep books and No. 2 pencils, so the Hawkeye created an ACT survival guide.
The Breakdown WHAT’S ON THE ACT?
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
A good score on the ACT can help you get to the college of your dreams.
Students are tested in four subjects
75 Questions 45 Minutes
π
50+25+
PO
english
mathematics
ACT
60 Questions 60 Minutes
y=mx+b
Personal
ACT
GPA
Small Liberal Arts College
science
40 Questions 35 Minutes
Optional 1 Question 30 Minutes
THE COMPOSITE SCORE IS OUT OF
36
}
@
writing
40 Questions 35 Minutes
This is an average of the 4 mandatory tests
WHERE COULD YOUR SCORE TAKE YO U ?
GPA
Large State Universities
like: Swarthmore College & Amherst College
reading
+4020 40 Personal
4 !;*
%
like: University of Michigan & Michigan State University
Harvard University
35
CAMBRIDGE, MA
Northwestern University
32
University of Michigan
30
Michigan State University
28
Wayne State University
26
EVANSTON, IL
ANN ARBOR, MI
EAST LANSING, MI DETROIT, MI
*these are average scores for accepted students
By the Numbers
100+100+ L L
AVERAGE COMPOSITE SCORE
`
I IN M
CH
that’s 1,666,017 students. Fewer than 1/10 of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a 36
IGAN
21.1
h IN t
52% of all 2012 high school graduates took the ACT
19.9
eu
s
Two Bloomfield Hills High School seniors receive perfect scores on ACT Two BHHS Seniors express excitement over perfect test scores Jasmine Sharma Staff Writer
Sitting in his first hour Writing through Literature class, he checks his score in shock. “I looked it up on my phone, and I turned to my friend to tell him,” describes senior Rohan Sinha, who received a perfect score on the ACT exam. “He first thought I was joking so I showed him my phone. Then we both started freaking out and then the whole class started freaking out. After that, the word really spread.” “We were extremely happy and proud of Rohan when he texted us from school that he had received a perfect score,” shares Sinha’s mother
Rajani Sinha. “From a young age he was always very self-motivated and had that trait to be the best in whatever he did. When we see all those stepping stones leading up to this [the perfect score] all the hard work seems worth it.” Sinha, along with senior Anshu Chen, both received a 36 the second time they took the ACT exam. Both students explain how they never anticipated their scores. “I wasn’t expecting it at all,” admits Sinha. “I thought I did well, but there are always places you can make silly mistakes so I didn’t expect to get that high of a score.” “I was very happy with my score when I received the 36 on the ACT,” expresses senior Anshu Chen. “I started studying the summer before my junior year. I wanted to see where I was at that point in time. If I was happy I would leave it at that, and if not, I would keep studying.”
Sinha shares the process he went through to achieve that score. “I took my first ACT in March and began studying three to four weeks prior in February,” explains Sinha. “Instead of studying for a long period like many other people, I studied really hard during that short time. I took tons of practice tests, reviewed my answers and went through the areas I was struggling in. it was kind of like a cycle, and I progressively saw my score go up.” “The study process started in June [before junior year] when I first took a practice test and got a 35,” shares Chen. “During the summer, for about two months, I would take practice test every day and then spend about an hour refreshing on them. I would see which questions I got wrong so I would know what and how I had to study.” “In terms of the ACT, Anshu did everything on her own. We sent her
to a center to take an assessment of where she stood and after that she took practice tests and studied in the summer on her own,” says Chen’s mother, Xiaowen Jiang. “To me a 35 and 36 aren’t much different; they are both equally good, [but] we were very surprised and happy for her.” College Resource Center Coordinator Sherrie English explains the trends she has seen in students studying for the ACT exam and which way she feels is the most beneficial. “Depending on how the person studies and what kind of student they are, they will excel differently. Some kids are visual learners so taking practice tests over and over would help them while for others, tutoring would be better. It really is based off of the student’s study habits.” According to both English and the students, an ACT score is just like any other test score and isn’t something that will deter-
mine the rest of a student’s life. “The score isn’t something that will establish what you do the rest of your life,” says English. “You just need to go into it thinking that everyone is taking the same test and if you don’t do well, you can always take it again. You need to realize that you just have to do the very best you can.” Chen concludes, “I didn’t think the ACT was that big of a deal; it’s just a test. It might influence some college decisions, but I hope they can see the other things I did in high school, and not just some bubbles I filled in on a random Saturday morning.” Sinha concludes, “ I looked at the ACT a lot differently than most people which is what ended up helping me in the long run; I never really worried about it. At the end of the day it’s just a test score and doesn’t determine how successful or smart you really are.”
RUNS ALL THE WAY Michelle Phillips Staff Writer
They knew it was going to be tough. “It was definitely a rush and a thrill,” explains senior Christina Arens, after she had found out she had made the cut and was going to states for cross country. “We beat
sity team in shape, each person had to work as an individual to do their best at the regional meet. “I always followed what ever my coach said to do,” says Arens. “Lots of workouts, many distance runs, [Stration] knows what to do and if you follow his plan you can get to states.” “Coach Stration really made sure that we had hard workouts in the beginning of the season and kept them consistent throughout,” sophomore varsity runner Cooper Bellinson shares. “[We had to make sure] we were prepared for all the competition.” Even if the team doesn’t succeed at states, they are proud of the work
they accomplished to get there. “Making it to states in the first place was a huge accomplishment for us,” Arens explains. “Our goal is to not really place well as a team but just to individually run the best we can.” Bellinson agrees by stating, “I would like to be all state but that’s probably not likely. I just want to beat my own personal record.” “I am very happy. Our girls were league champs and state qualifiers and the boys team finished second in the league, and a lot of great performance throughout the season,” Stration concludes. “I couldn’t [be] happier.”
Elizabeth Jenkins FRESHMAN a runner on varsity cross country, Jenkins finished in sixth overall at regionals
Lifestyle
B1 November
LIFESTYLE
Cross country
the team behind us only by one point so it was really surprising and amazing that we made it there.” As the first season of Bloomfield Hills High School Cross Country draws to a close, the team reflects on this season and the hard work that it took to qualify for the state meet. “We were always working on different training methods to develop the strength that it would take to run at our best at regionals,” says head cross country coach, Nick Stration. “We had to institute different kinds of training and [shake] things up and not always doing the same thing.” Along with developing new training methods to get the var-
Black Hawks Soccer and Cross Country Team both gained a spot in this year’s state championships
table of contents [section B]
B2: the memories B3: the life B4: the people B5: the people B6: the hawkstars B7: the game B8: the scoop
out of context “She also has an incredible attitude and is always positive. She is a real leader on the team.”
B3
“It was a bomb targeting the Navy academy, nearby my school.” B4
“I like the name George, it’s very fitting for a tortoise.”
B3
Senior captain Griffin Hamel of varsity soccer and his team after the state championship game at Troy Athens against the Ann Arbor Skyline Eagles
BOYS SOCCER PLAYS THEIR WAY TO THE FINAL ROUND
the
FACTS
113,000 patients are on the waiting list for organ donations
2/1000 babies are born with a form of hip dysplasia
13-17
year olds can allow the public to view their Facebook profiles
Ally Jaksen Staff Writer
Watching as the minutes on the scoreboard clock slowly clicked to zero, Katie Adams realized that suddenly, it was all over. “It was so sad,” exclaims sophomore Katie Adams about the game at Troy Athens High School on November 2nd. “The boys deserved it so much. They worked so hard for it. You could tell that they really wanted it. It was just so disappointing, but we still love them.” The Black Hawks boy’s varsity soccer team was defeated by the Ann Arbor Skyline Eagles in the Division One state final. “I was nervous coming into the game,” says junior defender Colin Beresford. “But once we started warming up, my nerves settled. It seemed like a regular game.” “Skyline pressured us a lot and once I got injured, since it was
B2
such a critical game, a little bit of change broke everyone’s spirit,” explains senior defender Jahza Klochko as the game went on. Klochko broke his foot twentyfive minutes into the game, and continued to play for the duration of the first half and into the second. “It was devastating,” elaborates Klochko. “Everything I’ve worked up to, everything that we all have given up, for it to end that way was a bummer. I never thought that would happen in the final, the last game of my season, the last game of my high school career.” “The first half they were really offensive. It was hard to get the ball in their half,” agrees senior defender Trevor Drew. “It was sort of a halt in momentum for us but we did the best we could [without Jahza].” Klochko explains how the final score of the game got to be 1-0 in favor of the Eagles.
B5
“[A Skyline player] got a shot off which ended up hitting [one of our defender’s hands] which led to a [penalty kick],” says Klochko. “It went in and that’s what they needed.” “You really can’t let it get you down if they score a goal,” states Drew. “You try your best, and in the end, I guess we just got unlucky.” Klochko explains, “Skyline was the heavy favorite, but they only won off a penalty kick so it shows that we did very well against them, and no one expected us to,” describes Klochko. “I’m proud of my team. We brought home four trophies, and obviously the first emotion is to be sad we didn’t win [finals] but we gave it our hearts, and that’s as much as we could do.” Although the outcome was not a state championship, Ed Garcia, father of senior midfielder Ethan Garcia, notes that it was a great run and a great game.
“They’ve been underdogs the whole season. I think no one really gave us credit because we were new. [The boys] had a phenomenal season. They played very well this game. Unfortunately, it was more of a defensive effort.” Drew also adds, “No one even thought we’d make it this far. We were unranked, unheard of, and we went straight through districts and straight through regionals and made it to state finals. It was a bummer we lost, but [it is] nothing to be ashamed of.” “Everyone’s got to rally around each other,” concludes Ed Garcia. “I think [this experience] will be great for the future of the school.” To reach the finals, senior midfielder and captain Ben Kileen scored the winning goal in the semifinal match against the Traverse City West Titans. “The first ten minutes were excruciating to watch,” explains Lori
B7
Kileen, mother of Ben. “I watch games at a high emotional level so my heart was pumping. It felt like we were all a part of the game.” “It was a textbook goal,” describes Lori. “Ben received it and put it exactly where it needed to be. You could tell he was super excited. It felt like it was in slow motion for me. I was in shock.” Before the state and regional tournaments, the boys defeated the Royal Oak Ravens in the district finals game. “It was really intense and physical but eventually we got the win because we didn’t get cocky,” says sophomore midfielder and forward Garrett Winter. “We had the lead. It was a really good feeling because we knew all of our hard work throughout the season had paid off.”
READ MORE
STATES B7 on
the
MEMORIES Lifestyle
B2 November
“MONEY TEAM” TAKES 2013 PLAYOFFS BY STORM 1) Junior Jordan Werthman heads the ball in the State Championship game at Troy Athens High School. 2) Junior Colin Beresford jumps up for a header in the Semi-Final Game against Traverse City West. 3) The student section throws up flour and chants “I believe that we will win” in hopes to pump up the players at the State Championship Game. 4) Senior Captain Griffin Hamel prepares to clear the ball after a save. 5) Senior defender Jahza Klochko dives to keep the ball out of the Black Hawk’s end. 6) Senior defender Trevor Drew fights with Ann Arbor Skyline player for possession. 7) Junior forward Alex Joneson manuvers around Traverse City West Player. All photos courtesy of Susan Adams Photography
LIFE
the Lifestyle
B3
November
28,000 RGAN
organ transplants donations in 2012 6%
need heart, lung, or pancreas
14% need livers
80% need kidneys
18
what organs?
patients die each day
waiting for organ donations
FINDING PEACE IN TRAGEDY Anshu Chen Co-Editor-in-Chief
A graduate’s parents find a way to have their daughter live on through others as a donor After the devastating loss of their daughter, the Stillman family finds solace in saving the lives of others. “When we were first asked [about donating Emily’s organs], we said no. Emily got really sick really fast, and we felt that she had been through enough. And then I felt Emily on the back of my neck. I felt her come to me spiritually, and I knew that it’s what she would have wanted,” says Alicia Stillman, Emily Stillman’s mother. Emily Stillman, class of 2011, died of bacterial meningitis in February. Her family decided to donate her organs and has met three recipients. “We wanted to meet whoever wanted to meet us from the very beginning, but we have to go along with the guidelines for Gift of Life. The first ones we met were the kidney recipient and the lung recipient, and we met them at an event for Gift of Life in Lansing,” Stillman explains. “It was very, very special to know that Emily was alive in somebody else’s body. And last weekend, we met her heart recipient. We felt her heart beating inside him. He is a young dad, with little kids and a baby on the way. It’s very exciting for us.” Robin Schwartz, a Fox News reporter who covered the meeting, says that she was moved by the experience. “I expected it to be sad and it was. I expected it to be uplifting and it was. I expected the Stillmans to be amazing people and they were.” Stillman describes meeting the heart recipient: “His name
is Guy, and he is a doctor. He came last Saturday to our home, with his wife and his two children. It was very emotional. And he sat on that couch, and that’s the couch that Emily used to lay on. He just happened to sit there, and I could rest my head on his chest and I felt her heart beating inside him, keeping him healthy here in her house. And it was really special.” According to Stillman, the recipients feel similarly. “I have never, ever in my life seen such genuine gratitude. [The kidney recipient’s] name is Randy; he has an eleven-year-old daughter, and her name is Sabrina. She walked around with a sign that said ‘Thank you, Stillman family, for saving my Dad’s life’. You can say thank you for a gift, thank you for a sweater. But this thank you was a ‘thank you for my life’.” “What struck me the most was how quickly Alicia Stillman and her family were able to take a horrible tragedy and transform it into something positive in the spirit and memory of their daughter,” shares Schwartz. “A lot of people might be bitter after suffering a loss like this and they may carry that with them for years. The Stillmans were able to see the ‘bigger picture’ within a matter of months after Emily’s death, and I think that just speaks to the kind of people they are and their outlook on life.” Stillman says that the experience has helped her heal. “It is the one thing that gives me solace. When I am having a real bad day, missing my daughter, I think about the decision that we were able to make [and] the strength that we were able to have in our darkest moment. Or I look on Facebook at Guy’s sons playing and I know that their life would have been very different without their dad. We talk all the time to all the recipients now, and I know the lives that we’ve changed.” “I didn’t expect that I’d be able to get out of bed every day,” shares Stillman. “My worst nightmare was for something to happen to
one of my three children. This was my worst nightmare. Life can still go on. It goes on sadder, but it does go on. If I stopped living my life, I would stop enjoying the life of my other children. And that’s not fair. I have too much else to live for. I go on living life.” Stillman promotes organ donation at numerous events. “Many people die on the list waiting for transplants. Because there’s not enough donors, they don’t get what they need and they die. And so those that do get their transplants and live to speak about it are the ones that people hear from,” she says. “The shortage is huge,” states Ann Coakley, a representative from the US Department of Health and Human Services. “The waiting list’s increase over time is a 45-degree-angle, but the number of people who have become donors is almost a flat line. The gap between the need and the supply is growing larger. For every patient who gets an organ transplant, there’s another patient who dies waiting.” “I think it’s important that people hear from donors and know how, in our darkest moment, we made a decision that ultimately saved five lives. But because tissue went, that’s seventy lives along with it,” Stillman says. “And I count all the kids—one man had two kids, one man had three kids, and one man has a grandchild. Guy is a doctor, so I count all the lives he’s going to save. The number of lives that we can change is unbelievable.” Emily’s message is as multifaceted as it is significant, according to Stillman. “Be it organ donation, be it increasing vaccination awareness for meningitis, [or] be it ’tell everybody you love how you feel about them’. Emily always said how much she loved everybody. No words went unsaid. I don’t have to say to myself, ‘I wonder if she knew how much I loved her?’ Because I know she knew. I knew how much she loved me.”
EDITOR SPEAKS ON OBAMACARE Ryan Moonka Co-Editor-in-Chief
Opinions on Obamacare may vary, one student believes the public will benefit Americans are naturally wary of government. It is therefore no surprise to see millions of Americans respond to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the ACA) with skepticism. But while the changes that the law creates are radical compared to the status quo, “Obamacare” will make health insurance cheaper in the long run, in effect raising the standard of living in America.
On the surface, the ACA run. These government-directmandates that every American ed markets create lower prices citizen must either purchase because insurance companies health care, opt into a program have to compete directly with set up by an employer, or pay one another to gain customers. a penalty. But The law more imporworks to bentantly, as its efit the public No longer will the official name in another terminlly ill or suggests, it way too: if seriously sick be is designed all Americans bankrupted by the to make are required full cost of health healthcare to own health coverage. affordable. insurance, In a systhen the costs Ryan Moonka tem that has of treating encouraged the uninskyrocketing sured won’t be health care passed on to costs, the ACA has created on- regularly paying customers. No line insurance markets (glitchy longer will emergency departas they may be) that will lower ment visits by those without inhealth care costs in the long surance be covered by the popu-
lace of willing insurance owners. According to a study by Families USA, a consumer health care advocacy organization, those with insurance covered $42.7 billion worth of care for the uninsured. Per insured family, this meant an additional $1,017 is currently tacked onto premiums. With the ACA, the insured populace will no longer have to pay billions in health coverage costs for the uninsured. One of the most deplorable aspects of health care has been that health insurance companies can discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. That health insurance giants even have that right defies the whole purpose of health insurance. Yet Obamacare makes denying people with pre-exist-
ing conditions coverage illegal, therefore expanding coverage to millions of people. No longer will the terminally ill or seriously sick be bankrupted by the full cost of health coverage. A final key tenant of President Obama’s reform package is the opportunity to young Americans. Once the law fully goes into effect on January 1, a family’s insurance policy can retain children who are up to 26 years old, giving recent college grads one less thing to worry about in today’s increasingly complex economy. This measure, arguably the least controversial, will provide youngsters additional financial security and should afford bright, innovative 20-somethings greater opportunity to take risks and
live their lives more fully. As a college-bound student myself, this measure is the one that will be greatly appreciated by my entire generation. The law, although verbose and complex (weighing in at a total of 955 pages), is one that will undoubtedly benefit the American public. It should drive down prices while concurrently promoting a healthier, more efficient American public. And it is important to remember that no monumental change in American politics has ever been embraced with open arms. Debate is healthy and opposition is a pillar of democracy. But passed by Congress, signed in by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court, Obamacare is justifiably here to stay.
Fun Fact The official name for “ObamaCare” is the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
the
PEOPLE
Lifestyle
B4 November
BHHS STUDENT MUSICAN WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD Yusra Niazi Associate Editor
4 “The whole route from Thunder Bay to Marathon has just magnificent rock formations. It’s like being in the Rocky Mountains but on a smaller scale.
3 “I continued up to Grand Marais, Minnesota and spent the night there over looking Lake Superior and the beautiful scenic areas along there.”
5
Marathon
is,
ara dM
MN
r o i r e p u s e k la
an Gr
“I spent the night in Sault Ste. Marie on the Michigan side and took a walk watching ships go through the locks, which are lifted and lowered.
Checking her email, she feels honored to see her name as one of the winners. “When I first read the email, I was ecstatic to win this award,” shares violinist and junior Haeji Kim, who received an award from the Virtu Foundation. “I feel so blessed with the opportunity, and I’m so grateful.” On October 20th, Kim was announced as a winner of the Virtue Foundation contest that helps young musicians develop advanced musical skills with experience of the use of high-quality instruments they could not otherwise afford, according to Virtu Foundation’s website. Kim not only was named as a winner, but also won an old Italian violin in the process. “An old Italian violin has always been my dream to have, and it’s one of the best violins out there,” she explains. “In order to be successful, I need a high quality end instrument in order to enter higher competitions. I think this opportunity will definitely open up more opportunities for me.”
Grand Marais, MI
“She has a very beautiful sound when she plays and fantastic technique. She almost never makes mistakes, which is great, The best thing though, is that she plays with real heart.”
“On the way to Grand Marais, I had to go over the Mackinaw Bridge. It’s cool being on a motorcycle over the water with freighters going underneath.
lake michigan
2
1 “The first night, I went from my parents’ house in Harbor Springs to Grand Marais, Michigan.”
There’s nothing stopping social studies teacher and motorcyclist, Vivian Johnston, who circled Lake Superior this summer. “My goal is to circle around all of the Great Lakes, and I’ve done all of Lake Superior and all of Lake Erie,” says Johnston, who travelled an average of eight hours a day. “I need to do Lake Ontario, and this next summer I’d like to go all the way out to the maritime provinces in Canada.” reporting by Jordan Wooten
Stephen Shipps Professor of Violin and Kim’s instructor
According to Professor of Violin at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance and Kim’s violin instructor Stephen Shipps, playing violin since the age of five and practicing at least three hours every day has enabled Kim to meet the high standards required to win the award. “She has a very beautiful sound when she plays and fantastic technique. She almost never makes mistakes, which is great,” explains Shipps. “The best thing though is that she plays with real heart, he continues. “I’m always happy when one of my students does something special such as [winning awards]. It’s just another way that they are progressing up to having a professional career.” Kim’s mother agrees with Shipps. “I’m very happy for all of her success,” says Haeji’s mother, YoungShin Kim. “I think that this award will open doors for her in the future and her success will continue.”
JUNIOR SWIMMER MAKES WAVES Annie Reed Managing Editor
Jenny Spiegel swims through 2013 season with a severe hip condition. A wide-eyed, curly-haired and young Jenny Spiegel had quite the habit of disappearing. After worriedly searching for their child, her parents would almost always find her near the water. Spiegel, now a junior swimmer for the BHHS Swim Team, is currently battling her way through the 2013 season with a multitude of severe hip problems. After a roller coaster year of doctor’s visits and confusion,
Spiegel has just been officially whether I could swim or not. According to Spiegel’s teamdiagnosed with Bilateral Congenital Hip Subluxation and mates, the word “active” a torn Labrum. This plagues does no justice for describing her with unrelenting pain Spiegel’s place on the team. Senior team captain Sarah and frequent tumbles when Kilbride says, her hip gives “Jenny has out. Despite impacted each all of this, the “She keeps us of us. She keeps thought of quitall motivated to us all motivated ting swimming swim and stay to swim and did not even healthy. She is stay healthy. Not cross her mind. a real leader on only has Jenny “I couldn’t the team” swum through imagine my life her injury, but Sarah Kilbride without swimSenior she also has ming,” remarks an incredible Spiegel. “This attitude and year is an especially important year as the is always so positive. She is beginning of Black Hawks a real leader on the team.” At a recent appointment, SpieSwim and Dive; so I wanted to be an active part of the team gel was given the news that the
cartilage in her hip was so damaged; no further harm could be done. However, with this news, Spiegel jumped for joy because it meant one special thing: she would now be able to swim. Spiegel’s love for swimming runs deeper than most. Prior to settling in Bloomfield Hills, Spiegel has moved nine times due to her father’s job. In constantly readjusting to new cities, she fell in love with the sport. “Swimming has always been something I was able to do. There were no worries about having to make a team or fit in. It was a place where I could escape and be with my own thoughts—something I could always count on.” Not only does she enjoy the tranquil aspect of
swimming, but Spiegel also loves the competition. “Racing gets your adrenalin pumping and you forget about everything else. Your only focus is on giving it your all and trying to beat whoever’s next to you. It’s a great way to forget about the pain” she remarks. Racing to forget the pain may only be a temporary thing. Her pain my soon be remedied with surgery following the conclusion of the season. Though surgery presents its own set of challenges, Spiegel is optimistic and hopes that it will keep healthy and in the water. Despite whatever obstacles may come in the future, Spiegel knows that the wide-eyed, curly-haired girl inside will always be near the water.
ASK THE EXPERT Dr. Michael Millis Child and Adult Hip Preservation Program, Boston Children’s Hospital
WHAT is HIP DYSPLASIA/SUBLUXATION? “Developmental dysplasia is a condition in which the hip joint doesn’t develop normally. The hip socket may be too shallow, or the ligaments too loose, allowing the head of the femur to partially slip in and out of the socket.”
how common is hip dysplasia? “Hip dysplasia is the most common developmental hip deformity in children. The condition affects one or two out of 1,000 babies. The risk is higher for females, who have looser ligaments than males.”
the
PEOPLE
& CONFIDENCE Lifestyle
COURAGE
COACH MAKES HALL OF FAME Shelbi Jouni Staff Writer
Football Coach David Welcome earns a spot in the Coaches Hall of Fame It finally paid off. “When I found out [that I was going to be inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame], I was very happy and even a bit surprised,” expresses David Welcome, who for the past for 43 years has been the Offensive Lineman Coach for Bloomfield Hills High School. “I have coached [in other districts] since 1963, and I am pleased to report I have coached offensive line in Bloomfield Hills since 1970 and am still at it.” Coach Welcome was inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame as an Offensive Lineman football coach. This Hall of Fame in particular is made up of the Michigan High School Coaches Association for assistant and head coaches of any sport.
YOUSAFZAI INSPIRES
Sixteen year-old Pakistani continues to advocate for education and women’s rights after being a victim of Taliban oppression
Junior staff writer Nisa Kahn shares her experience in Pakistan
MEET MALALA YOUSAFZAI “The most famous teenager in the world”
S
He has a good balance and is compassionate, firm, and consistent.
Nisa Kahn
Guest Writer
he captured the world’s attention after the taliban shot her in the head on October 9th, 2012. In her interview with The Daily Show, Yousafzai describes her home, Swat, as almost a paradise before the Taliban came. The Taliban was a quiet presence at first but then slowly shattered the valley’s peace. Her school shut down for a while–girls are no longer allowed to attend. Several hundred schools for girls had already been bombed. Yousafzai asks, "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?" Yousafzai wasn't going to wait for the government. Or anyone, for that matter. The New York Times records her early activism: it started when she wrote an anonymous blog for BBC and lead to her giving televised nation wide speeches. She was getting recognized for her writing and becoming a symbol. With her father's help, Yousafzai was making a difference, she was spreading the word: education is vital. It can change anything. Then the Taliban noticed her. The New York Post describes the scene: a bus full of fourteen year old after taking their exams. "Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise I will shoot you all." And the Taliban troop did. Yousafzai proves that she can represent the plight of women. She defends that education will help them– very, very slowly– get out from under the suffocating oppression of the Taliban.
Dan Loria
BHHS teacher and Head Football Coach
the last 5 years 2008 Malala published an annonymous online blog about her life in Swat valley
2009 They banned girls from schools in the Swat Valley in 2009.
2012 Taliban gunmen shot Malala in the head and neck when she was boarding the bus
“
2013 I am Malala, her autobiography, was published on October 8th
I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is education. And I am afraid of no one.
“
I turn on the TV and there it is: another advertisement with sentimental music and a sad slideshow. For a fleeting moment, I feel sympathetic. Of course I do. But that's just life: bad things happen. We agree that it is awful, but we go on with our lives. The issue is worlds away. However, on October 9, 2012, fourteen-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai finally showed the world all of the problems that were tucked away, problems that even I sometimes tried to ignore, despite having some first hand experience. I was in fourth grade when I moved to Pakistan. The first year was full of cultural shock, but it started to feel like home. During class one day, my teacher was going on about pronouns when a soccer ball hit the window. I looked outside, and it sounded like another soccer ball hit the window. I could hear it, but I couldn't see the ball. The next thing I knew, all fifteen of my classmates and I were huddled in the closet. The assembly afterwards told us it was a bomb, targeting the Navy academy, nearby my school. The attacks continued. Meanwhile, my dad was in another country; he called my mom every hour asking where we were. "At school,” my mom replied. And that would set him off. Why would you send them to school? It's just not safe, he told us. We had to pick up homework one day. When we entered the campus, going through the usual guards, metal detectors, and second wall that was recently built around the school. There was a sea of kids–laughing, playing, texting, reading. We realized that we couldn’t just put our lives on hold because of fear. We went to school the next day. Even in Pakistan, I still thought that all of those problems, those awful ones you see in the news, were worlds away. I just avoided thinking about these things. I had only started to take it seriously when I was in the presence of danger. My family eventually moved away. To me, it meant no more worrying about crowded places, no more sudden drop in my stomach when I hear loud sounds. The principal is never going to grab my friends and me by the arms and throw us into his office because of another lock down. But all of that panic and worry became a distant memory. It never stopped me from being normal. Every day is addled with first world problems. The thought of school life being snatched away from our very hands sounds impossible. Then came October 9th, 2012, when a young girl was shot in the head and neck for defending her right to an education. Bad things happen all the time. However, this time, there is finally hope. The government bows down in terror and doesn’t say a word about the Taliban’s action as a teenage girl fights with every fiber of her being. She talks to the world, and the world is listening. In America, there’s an assumption that everyone is equal. It may not happen, but we expect it. No one is going take a megaphone and demand that girls stop attending school. That’s not the case everywhere. In some places, women are crushed and tossed away. For every Malala, there are a thousand of more girls hidden away from public eyes. However, Yousafzai proves that she can represent the plight of women. One year after the shooting, she takes the world by a storm. She wins awards, writes a book, meets President Obama and Jon Stewart. Recently, she was considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her philosophy is: Education betters the lives of others. It can heal social wounds.Malala is finally getting these ideas out, ones that should be common knowledge. She is the new face to an ancient problem, and we should all stop and listen.
The young education activist shares her tale in the autobiography I am Malala: the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. Hardcover copy can be purchased on amazon.com for $15.60.
photo courtesy of www.mirror.co.uk
Welcome explains “The process to be inducted starts with a coach already in the Hall of Fame nominating you. The association then asks you to write down all the sports you have coached, when, where, any awards you have won on the way, records, and then I also had to have two letters of recommendation from people who knew me well.” Bloomfield Hills High School football head coach Dan Loria wrote in a football program for Welcome’s induction into the Coaches Hall of Fame “I wrote that piece for his induction into the hall of fame. Mostly from his years of service to kids and really about his demeanor,” remarks Loria. “It’s the building football has, the building of boys into men. It is more than just wins and losses when it comes down to the way he coaches.” Senior Daniel Welsh, who plays offensive line, says Coach Welcome definitely deserves being inducted. “I think it is awesome that he has been inducted. He’s a great coach, and he really knows what he’s talking about,” shares Welsh. “He is also very old-school; reasonable and knowledgeable. He doesn’t yell to much at practice and Coach Welcome is encouraging to all of us. Loria adds, “I have coached with Welcome for twelve years and I think he is a very good person for all the years he’s spent coaching kids. It takes a lot to take into account the best interest of each player for that many years.” “I think he’s a very giving man and very understanding,” concludes Loria. “He has a very good balance and compassionate, firm and consistent and I know that’s why the kids like him, they not only know what to expect from him, but they know that their well being is in great hands and it is his number one priority.”
B5 November
COACH ZULKIEWSKI RESIGNS FOR MEN’S SWIM SEASON Michelle Phillips Guest Writer
Zulkiewski steps back as head coach for the men’s swimming season this year He didn’t know it was the last time. “It was a very tough decision for me,” shares David Zulkiewski, who is resigning as the men’s varsity swim coach. “I’ve been on the pool deck for 26 years as an athlete and the past 14 as a coach, so it didn’t come easy. I just got married this summer and I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife and my family.
“In the long run, I think it is going to be the hard working group of guys, and they are very fobest decision for both cused on wanting to be successful and [genders’] programs. win the state meet. In the long run, It will leave me the I think they are going to be just fine. I really like him as a time to coach the girls “I’ll still be around, I’m going to coach. He was a pretty and devote my energy run some of the scoreboard and stuff reat guy, but I also unthere, and it will bring for their meets, so I’m not going to derstand why he had somebody in to help be disappearing, I’m just turning to do it. the boys find success over the coaching to another person.” and have a good strong Upon hearing the news, Junior MitchMike Kemeny program,” he says. ell Salhaney, who has been coached by Bloomfield Hills High School Junior Before making his Zulkiewski for the past two years, says, decision, he made “No one saw this coming because we sure to keep in mind were all looking forward to see what he what would be best for the team. “I wasn’t re- was going to do with such a great program coming ally sure [how the boys will react]. They are a into this year. I guess my emotions were a little dis-
traught knowing that he would not be there on the pool deck for my third varsity season.” Junior Mike Kemeny, shares Salhaney’s sentiment and says, “I really like him as a coach. He was a pretty great guy, but I also understand why he had to do it; he has a lot on his plate. It was always going to be a transition, but now everyone will be adjusting to a completely new person,” In response to mixed reactions, Zulkiewski remarks, “I think the boys are going to be just fine. They’re dedicated and focused. They know what they want to get out of their careers, regardless of whom the coach is. I think this is going to be beneficial to my teaching, my family, and both teams all in one.”
Fun Fact Zulkiewski teaches STEM. He has been a swim coach for 14 years.
the
HAWKSTARS Lifestyle
B6 November
three black hawks to keep an eye on this school year
shera shevin {12} Editor-in-chief, Yearbook
“I edit all of the content that goes into the yearbook, and I come up with the overall theme. At first I was nervous about the merger, but it works out because there are more creative minds working on one project so we get more variation in our content. I love seeing my time and effort put into a product that will be remembered because everyone always looks back at their high school yearbooks.
TORTOISE WITH A PURPOSE Michelle Phillips Staff Writer
BHHS math teacher Steven Quagliotto’s pet tortoise George makes appearances in the classroom. It was a way of life for him. “I had one when I was a kid, and I saw this tortoise and I thought ‘Eh, why not?’” says Bloomfield Hills High School math teacher Steven Quagliotto. “It was really tiny. About the size of a nickel, so I bought it.” Quagliotto made the decision to welcome Geroge, his tortoise, six years ago and according to the students it has made his classroom much more enjoyable. “I think it’s pretty cool that he has a tortoise, I don’t know anyone else that has [one.] I like the name George, it’s very fitting for a tortoise,” shares junior Konstandina Stavropolous. “Some of the questions on his test involve the tortoise, so I
think that’s pretty funny.” “I have used [George] in a couple math problems before when we were talking about the rate of change and how [George] grows at a rate of tripling or quadrupling a year; we talked about his shell and how big it is right now and how big it might be in three or four years. [I also had students solve for how much he would weigh by then as well.]” According to Quagliotto, George is an African Sulcata tortoise, the second largest tortoise in the world and just turned six years old on August 18th and he was just ten days old after Quagliotto purchased him and says that he will probably live for 70 to 90 years. “I am a little partial towards [tortoises],” explains Quagliotto. “I know a little too much about them and because I have a tortoise, everyone buys me tortoise stuff. After I moved into my new house, I realized that I have way too much tortoise stuff.” Although Quagliotto had a love for another species when he was in grade school he says that originally, he liked rhinos a lot, but now Quagliotto, says, “Now [tortoises] are for sure my favorite animals.”
susie pilibosian {10} Student Leadership “I’m a sophomore class representative on student leadership. This is my second year on leadership; last year I was class president. I always like to know what’s going on behind the scenes inside the school, and I like to promote a good atmosphere between the students. I always like to take charge and be constructive around other students.
charlie cannell {11} Junior Director, Forensics Multiple “I have been on forensics for three years. I am in the multiple. Freshman year, I was in the multiple Clue. I was in the multiple Jekyll and Hyde my second year, and this year I will be junior directing the multiple, Alice in Wonderland. I love forensics because it’s a really great group activity, you meet a lot of friends, have a lot of fun, and acting has always been a strong passion of mine.
Austin, Texas is set to host the U.S. Grand Prix from the 15th17th. Last year, the event was named the “Sports Event of the Year” by SportsBusiness Journal. The Detroit Lions carry on the tradition with their annual Thanksgiving Day game against the Green Bay Packers on the 28th. The Lions had their last Thanksgiving victory in 2003 against the Packers. From the 12th to the 17th, Japan is the host of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Grand Champions Cup where the USA team will compete against five other teams.
the
GAME
Lifestyle
B7 November
New concussion laws bring change to normal procedures and promote concussion awareness among high school athletes and coaches Josh Inwald Staff Writer
The National Football League is not the only institution concerned with the cerebral health of its players. “Researchers, as we’re seeing with the NFL, are starting to see more of what actually happens to the brain and the body during severe or multiple concussion,” says Bloomfield Hills High School athletic trainer John Ciecko. “The new laws passed by the state of Michigan back in March 2013 are absolutely good developments because they work well for high school sports; you want to see people be proactive with concussions, and a lot of that is just educating students and parents about the symptoms.” Two separate laws signed by Governor Rick Snyder, Senate Bill 1122 and House Bill 5697, are putting pressure on Michigan sports communities, like Bloomfield Hills, to become more proactive when dealing with concussions. “These two separate laws are actually accomplishing similar things,” says Ciecko. “First, student athletes and their parents are required to sign a form that discusses the symptoms of concussions and what needs to be done proactively about suspected concussions. [Secondly], if player sustains a concussions or a potential head injury, he or she will be unable to play until cleared by a medical professional.” Ciecko says a third precaution taken by the laws is that all adults who are involved in student athletics are required to receive basic concussion first-aid knowledge. “The training and recognition aspects of these bills are excellent for coaches and good practice for students and parents,” Michigan State Representative Mike McReady told The Hawkeye. “I supported these guidelines because school sports are getting really tough, and I think we have a responsibility to look out for these athletes.” However, as East Hills Middle School athletic coordinator and BHHS physical education teacher Rockwell Gust explains, meeting the state requirements before the autumn athletic season was not a simple process. “I like the laws, but I think it was time consuming in terms of getting all the paperwork filed. We only found out about the laws a couple weeks after school started, so we had to scramble to meet all the requirements.” Despite the hassle, Ciecko says he believes that the information shared by the parental consent law is important in raising awareness about the severity of concussions.
“Concussions can happen in any sport, not just football or collision sports. We’ve seen concussions occur in lacrosse, soccer, and even swimming,” Ciecko explains. “And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a head-to-head impact that causes a concussion; if the brain experiences any whiplash from hitting the inside of the skull, concussions are possible consequences. It could be as simple as falling down in a game of volleyball.” Many, like BHHS Men’s Athletic Coordinator Avis Najor, are welcoming these new precautions. “The law goes as far as to train anybody who is in contact with active kids who are at risk of getting concussed,” says Najor. “Coaches, trainers, and physical education teachers are all included to receive first aid-type training.” “I think that this is probably erring on the side of caution in that there might be kids being held out of games that might not need to, but it’s better than the alternative,” says Gust. “Back in my day, when you ‘got your bell rung,’ it was probably a concussion, but coaches used to take you out for a few minutes and then put you right back in, which can be pretty dangerous. This is an improvement in protecting the health of student athletes.” According to Bloomfield Hills athletes, like seniors Griffin Hamel and Dani Jacobson, the most important changes will result from a sports community that is more aware of concussions. “I’ve had two major concussions from head-to-foot contact while playing goalie in the past. So I personally know that concussions can hurt one’s cognitive ability, damage memory, and make focusing on long-term tasks impossible,” says Hamel, who is a member of the boys’ varsity soccer team. “I have a few good friends playing in higher-level soccer, and they’ve all had major injuries, especially concussions. Thankfully, none of us have ever felt any pressure whatsoever to play while injured. Still, something obviously needs to be done to mitigate the impact of closed-head injuries on student athletes.” Agreeing with Hamel, Jacobson, girls varsity soccer player and poms dancer, supports most aspects of the new regulations, citing the playing restrictions as beneficial to athletes in the long run. “Forcing coaches to become cognizant about the dangers of concussions is very important to athletes’ health,” says Dani Jacobson ’14, a member of the soccer and poms teams, who has suffered concussions in the past. “Coaches will become more aware that they can’t pressure their athletes into playing regardless of the consequences.” “Although the mandatory playing restrictions may occasionally be inappropriate given that every concussion is of different severity, the potential risks of playing with a concussion are always more significant than missing out on a few games,” Hamel adds. “I’m glad that measures are being pushed through the state legislatures to ensure every player is as healthy as possible.”
Source: cdc.gov
MEET THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
Jump from B1: The Black Hawks’ win was owed again to Ben Kileen, scoring the lone goal of the game. “It was amazing. I couldn’t stop smiling,” recollects Ben Kileen. “ It was great to see the support that we got, knowing that we were the first ones to do it, kind of setting the standards for the program.” Coach Dougie MacAulay makes it known that the playoffs were not an easy. “It was a very tough district. There were a lot of good teams in there. [To beat] Groves, who won the league ahead of us, 4-1 was unbelievable. And then to go on to beat Brother Rice 7-6 on penalty kicks was amazing. To win with all the good competition was impressive.” Junior forward Alex Joneson also recalls, “It was a great feeling knowing that you were part of the first team from Bloomfield Hills to make it through districts. We were really proud of each other; coaches and players.”
Annie Reed Managing Editor
Keeper Griffin Hamel fights through broken nose in the postseason A broken nose could not stop him. “I couldn’t even imagine missing the playoffs. We all have sacrificed to much to get here, so there was no way I was going to let this keep me off the field” says senior Varsity Soccer Captain Griffin Hamel. In the regional semi-finals against Seaholm, Hamel went up for a ball off a set piece when a player from the opposing team’s head made contact with Hamel’s nose. It was broken in five places. “I was going for the ball when I could feel what was a tremendous pain. Aside from that sensation, things got pretty hazy from there,” remembers Hamel.
After shattering his nose, hold up until the State SemiHamel was quick to get a pro- Final Game against the Traverse tective mask because it brought City West Titans, where Hamel him something he was desperate cracked his mask stopping a for - a way to get challenge back on the field. Griffin’s return to the from Titans “He’s a smart field was huge for the f o r w a r d . team. It took a lot of kid,” explains Despite athletic trainer bravery and courage b r e a k i n g Justin Tobin the mask, for him to play and “He knows his completely trust that Hamel conown body and tinued to the face mask would is well proplay and protect him tected enough managed in the mask a shut out, Dougie MacAulay to handle just stopping Head Coach about anything nine shots. that is thrown “He came at him.” And during the play- up with some amazing stops offs, he saw a lot of action. to get us to the finals and also “Griffin’s return to the field came up with some great stops was huge for the team,” explains in the finals,” MacAulay adds. Head Coach Dougie MacAu- “Not only was Griffin a great lay. “It took a lot of bravery player, but he was a great leadand courage for him to play er who took charge from the and completely trust that the goal. He was a role model for facemask would protect him.” the boys and a key motivator.” The facemask managed to Hamel helped the Blackhawks
advance to the Division One State Finals, allowing three goals in the first five postseason games. “Griff’s just the kind of guy who’s always motivating everyone and pushing us to go hard - even in practice. Most of the guys have looked up to him as a leader since the beginning” says Hamel’s teammate Lucas Rohr. “As for being a good goalie, he’s a monkey. He has insane hops and the mentality to always go for the ball, even if he’s gotta break his face in the process.” After his performance this year, not only does Hamel leave the season with First Team All-State Honors, but also leaves a lasting impact on his teammates, like sophomore goalie Max Miley. “I have learned so much from Griffin this year,” Miley remarks. “He has taught me to take charge in the net, be a leader, and really play with heart. He will definitely be missed next year.”
ASK THE EXPERT DR. TERRY ZEIGLER Department of Kinesiology Vanguard University
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF BROKEN NOSES? “A broken nose is common in sports where there is direct physical contact between athletes. It usually occurs from an athlete getting hit in the face by either an opponent or sports equipment.”
IS IT SAFE TO RETURN TO SPORTS? “Athletes can only safely return to a sport when they have been cleared by a physician to return and only if they wear a protective splint or face guard for at least six weeks or until a physician says it is safe.”
the
SCOOP
Lifestyle
leaving a
B8 November
SOCIAL
Footprint
individual privacy threatened with the advent of social media
do you know who’s
watching you?
hawktalk: Social media
GOOGLE SAID,
“a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties.“
55%
ON OCTOBER 16th,
20%
Facebook announced a change in privacy rules for teenagers. Teens from ages 13-17 now have the option to allow the general public to view their entire profile.
your tweets, location, retweets, and followers to find “Promoted Tweets” to put in your timeline.
protect your privacy
1. camera: every photo taken will have record of the time and place
tip: in your browser’s “setup”, you may use a pseudonym instead of your real name.
2. facebook: a status update or photo upload will include the location of where it was posted. depending on the user’s settings, friends and the general public may be able to view it.
turn on cookie notices in web browser what is a cookie?
cookies are tidbits of info the computer stores; they can be used to store passwords or for marketing purposes
3. find my friends: this is an app made by Apple that allows iPhone users to view the exact location of friends they choose to add on Find My Friends.
information courtesy of the electronic frontier foundation
COUNSELOR
don’t share contact info with strangers
never submit a credit card number or other personal info without making sure your connection is secure (encrypted)
say yes
would you feel comfortable with a professional viewing your facebook?
What to know about
do not reveal personal information
beware of sites that offer rewards for exchange of contact information
of the Hawkeye staff iPhone users think location services is helpful
74%
TWITTER ANALYZES
HOW TO
of the Hawkeye staff with twitter or instagram have private accounts
word of advice “Be careful of what personal information you put out there because once it is out there, you can’t take it back.” -David Gilley