June 2014

Lifestyle B1-B6

Section C

Senior Section C1-C24

In Section A A2: The World A3: The Community A4: The Word A5: The Word A6: The Backpage

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Opinion Editor

He is getting a Red Hot chance to perform with an American rock idol.

“I’m excited because it is a great opportunity to express myself through my music,” said senior Mark Stewart, who by performing in Battle of the Bands this June, will have the chance to perform with one of the most famous punk rock groups from the early nineties “The stakes are high, but hopefully we will play and we’ll

STUDENT CHOSEN AS PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR

...and joined the world famous Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1989 Save the Date! Battle of the Bands will take place at Shain Park in Birmingham on June 13th.

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Beginnings

Brendan Eathorne

To the first graduating class of Bloomfield Hills High School

Special Issue Editor

Bloomfield Hills senior Rohan Sinha was selected as a 2014 United States Presidential Scholar by the U.S. Department of Education.

“It is considered one of our nation’s highest honors for students, so I’m very honored to be receiving it,” Sinha, who is one of two Michiganders to receive this recognition, said. “It means a lot to even be regarded.”

Sinha and the other 140 Presidential Scholars will visit the White House for a special ceremony in which they are afforded the opportunity to meet each other as well as notable governmental figures. The Presidential Scholar Program annually recognizes distinguished high school seniors. Scholars are selected based on notable success on the SAT and ACT tests, as well as all-around academic achievement.

“What makes Rohan who he is in all aspects, including as a student, is his work ethic and humility,” said BHHS Counselor Anthony Midea, who has worked with Sinha during his high school career. “He is laser-focused on his goals and yet at the same time strikes a balance between the importance of knowledge and wisdom.”

Furthermore, Bloomfield government and history instructor MatIt’s something thew MacLeod was seI’ll probably lected as a 2014 U.S. remember for Presidential Scholar the rest of my Distinguished Teacher, following a nominalife tion from Sinha, his ROHAN student for three years.

SINHA “I chose Mr. MaStudent cLeod because he’s done so much for me, he actually wrote my recommendation for the Presidential Award, and now it’s great that he’s being recognized,” Sinha said.

“I’ve taken multiple classes with him, and I’m the captain of the Model UN team that he runs, he just does so much for the school and has so much knowledge about the power of the humanities and the social sciences, and that’s the reason I wanted him to be honored along with me.”

Macleod says he feels honored to receive the acknowledgement, and speaks highly of his BHHS students.

“I am flattered that Rohan would nominate me as an influential teacher,” said MacLeod. “I’m very proud of Rohan, as well as the entire senior class, for everything they’ve accomplished this year.”

Sinha will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall of 2014, majoring in business, comments on going to the Capitol. “It’s going to be a really cool experience,” he said. “Meeting a lot of other really bright kids, and doing a lot of things with Congress, it’ll be a unique experience. It’s something I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life.”

To the class of 2014: The end of your high school careers is fast approaching. Soon you will be trading in your purple, black, and silver apparel for spirit-wear in all colors of the rainbow.

It may seem scary to embark on your new journeys and new wardrobes, whatever they may be, but remember this: This entire year has been a new beginning. Just 365 days ago, you were clad in either blue and white or black and gold. But, just as you made the most of this new beginning; you will for your future beginning. You took charge. You led the rest of the student body to as we combined schools, formed new teams, created new traditions, and shared memories. You created a new legacy, discovered more about yourselves, and inspired your peers.

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It is safe to say that the 458 of you Blackhawks are each ready to leave the nest and tackle another new beginning.

So, as you pack your bags and embark on the next chapter of your life, we ask you to remember this year. When you walk into your first lecture, remember first hour on September 3rd and all the new faces that have become familiar. When you root for your team, remember all how you built the Blackhawk spirit and brought the Blackhawk pride. Never forget this year and never stop creating, discovering, and inspiring those around you.

We wish you good luck in your future endeavors.

BLiNK BRINGS DOWN THE HOUSE: STUDENT PERFORMS ON MAJOR TOUR Senior wins competition to perform for famous group

bhshawkeye

Niketh Chopra Staff Writer

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@hawkeyenews

Learn more about what it is like for students with siblings on the same team

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Senior honored by United States Department of Education

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Bloomfield Alumnus Chad Smith learned how to play drums at age

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Michelle Phillips

Smith and perform with him on stage.

“A unique twist to this particular battle is Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a former Lahser High School Student,” said Michaud “He was a musician in his high school days and wanted to get back involved in the Battle of the Bands. His schedule did not allow him to be here for the battle this year, to play or judge. However he will be in town the following week and on Monday June 16th and we are working with BBCC (Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition), Axis Music Academy, and the Birmingham Historical Museum to put on “An evening with Chad Smith” for the Battle of the Bands winner.” BANDS on

Above: Senior Brad Levine pumping up the crowd before Krewella, Logic, and Radical Something Photo credit:

With tears of joy in his eyes, DJ Blink was ready to give the performance of a lifetime.

“I was very nervous but very fortunate,” said senior Brad Levine also known by his alias DJ Blink. “There were very important people there that could help me out with my career, and I didn’t want to let them down.”

After winning the most votes in an online contest, Brad was invited to open for dubstep group Krewella at their May 5th performance in Columbus, Ohio.

“I had made a mix that one of my old friends liked and showed to his friend who works for a company called EMUZE. EMUZE was putting on this contest where people could vote for which artist he or she liked best based on samples of their work that were shared on Facebook,” said Brad. Although he was first unaware of the contest, he was on his way to gathering the most votes.“His friend then contacted me and asked if I made the mix and he then put me in the contest. I had no idea that he even entered me, but soon I had 200 votes, and then the next day 300, 500, and then before I knew it, I had 1200. It was the most amazing feeling ever to the support of so many of my classmates who

voted. Even if I didn’t win the contest I still would have felt like I won in general because all the love and support” Although Brad was in the lead with the most number of votes, he said that not everything went as planned.

“What ended up happening was that I submitted my music and the deadline was the 30th of April for the John Hopkins contest; however, the people who were running it had a lot of work to do and messed up and checked the wrong date,” said Brad. “The day the John Hopkins one was supposed to be over and I was in the lead by about 50 votes but by the time they checked, which was three days

later, another guy was in the lead because they thought the contest was still going on.”

Despite this setback, DJ Blink was still able to perform.

“They realized that they messed up and they called me about two hours before the contest to see if I could still do it, but it was an hour flight away and I couldn’t make it [in time]. To compensate, they called me back the next day and asked if I wanted to do the Columbus, Ohio one,” said Brad.

According to Brad, as soon as he found out about the opportunity in Ohio, he started thinking about his performance. blink on

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FACTS

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Volume I

Issue VI June 2014 Bloomfield Hills, MI

HAWKEYE

Bloomfield Hills High School

Section B

band jam type of a program. It makes it a little more interesting and something the teens can participate in. We Bloomfield Community are currently hosting The stakes Coalition’s Youth Program auditions through will be high, Coordinator the June 13th the end of May. It is but hopefully sponsored by the city Battle of the Bands competition is meant to provide of Birmingham, and we will play an exciting opportunity for well and get to Axis Music Academy students through music provides the winperform with ning prize, which is and compete for a chance Chad Smith to perform with sometime in their studio.” one from the music field.

In addition to the MARK Michaud said that turnyearly grand prize of STEWART Student ing their annual fundraising working with Axis event into a Battle of the Music Academy, this Bands a number of years ago added “to year the winner will also be awardthe excitement and hype of a cool teen ed an opportunity to meet Chad

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the Section A News/Opinion A1-A6

Famous band member and get to perform with [current returns to hometown RHCP drummer] Chad Smith.”

According to Kelly Mifor Battle of the Bands chaud, Birmingham

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Table of Contents

RED HOT SURPRISE: LOCAL GROUP HOLDING BATTLE OF BANDS WITH SPECIAL GUEST

THE HAWKEYE SENIOR section

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B1

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WORLD News

A2

June

TEACHERS TRAVEL TO CALIFORNIA

WHAT

Teachers discuss different learning models at multipleschools in California

IN THE

WORLD

Nisa Khan Opinion Editor

Discover news from all around the world and how it affects the community

U.S.A

United States: A large fire encompassing 8,500 acres engulfed parts of Arizona near Flagstaff. Hundreds of homes and businesses are threatened.

Nigeria: 223 school girls were kidnapped in northeast Nigeria by the radical islamist group Boko Haram. This was the most recent in an increasing pattern of abductions by this group.

Thailand: Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was removed from office this month after deep political divisions in the country continued to develop.

This prompted the Thai military to declare martial law on May 20.

India: Narendra Modi was elected as India’s Prime Minister. He had formerly served as the Head of Gurajat, a state.

NIGERIA

THAILAND

INDIA

Sources: CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera Photos from: BBC, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, USA Today

DO YOU

THINK

Should the U.S. help Nigeria defeat Boko Haram and save the kidnapped girls?

Amanda Howard Sophomore

Greg Yu

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“ I believe its almost the

5things

Nico Rosberg won the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix in Formula 1, giving him the lead series.

1.

What exempalry eleven year-old girl qualified for the U.S. Open?

A. Kathleen Scavo B. Beverly Klass C. Lexi Thompson D. Lucy Li Answers

itself its getting too complicated. I don’t want to see us getting into another war.

absolutely intervene if the Nigerian government is incapable of doing so.

U.S. foreign policy to be isolationist. We’re all in a world-wide community so its our duty to help.

Discover news from around the world and how it affects the Bloomfield Hills community

to know this

week

“ No, if America involves

“ I think the U.S. should

“ A lot of people want to

U.S. duty to save these girls; we are a country that fights for others’ freedoms.

Lucas Rohr Junior

Kelly Wester Sophomore

Junior

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WHAT

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Billionaire Petro Poroshenko won the first national election since Ukraine descended into turmoil.

Pope Francis visited Israel and Palestine on his Middle Eastern pilgrimage.

President Obama has allowed Veterans to get more care at private hospitals.

Which popular restaurant recently discouraged the presence of firearms in their stores?

A. McDonald’s B. Leo’s C. Chipotle D. Taco Bell

3.

1. (C) Chipotle 2. (B) Donald Sterling 3. (D) Lucy Li 4. (B) GM

Eleven BHHS teachers and two administrators flew to California to visit Stanford University and Hillsdale High School.

“Here at Stanford, we have big ideas,” said Diane Sreindlaender, Senior Associate of Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education who directly works in collaboration with the area high school.

Hillsdale High School Principal Jeff Gilbert said that working with the university has not only provided his students with tremendous opportunities but also other schools throughout the nation who have been welcomed to their California campuses.

“The purpose of this visit is for any outsider school to take these ideas and apply it to their situation.”

Prompted by the need to have their students feel comfortable at school, Gilbert said that Hillsdale staff believed that if they could improve the relationships between students, teachers and staff members they could create an environment which students would not just want to come to school but would take pride in their building and be better successful.

“We based a system to make a change within our school,” he said of the shift which began 15 years ago. “[Since then] we personally have seen a huge change. Students are much kinder to each other. Kids across boundaries know each other, like our honors students know the specialized students. More students are taking harder classes.”

Prompted by the current changes within his own community as well as the construction of the new Bloomfield HIlls High School building and the amount of students which the building will hold, BHHS Principal Charlie Hollerith said that, “one question I have been asked a lot is ‘if the new high school is going to be around 1600 how are students suppose get to know their teachers?’ What we saw at Stanford and Hillsdale will solve that problem.”

Two months prior to this trip, Hollerith and several members from Central Administration made an initial visit. “This trip with the staff was very worthwhile because coming back and reporting it to everyone as a principal is one thing. Letting teachers see it themselves so they can go, ‘Oh, now I see how this could be implemented,’ is another thing entirely.”

As one of the teachers who attended the two day trek, Social Studies teacher Matthew MacLeod said, “there’s a lot of new and exciting things going on with high schools. Looking at ways to restructure the learning environment and create better relationships between students and teachers is something I’ve always been interested in. ” “I didn’t have much first-hand knowledge about the school, so I was looking forward to an enlightening learning experience,” said BHHS counselor Shayna Klein.

Explaining the first day, Klein said, “They shared their research on different approaches to instruction and some of the experiences they had in their schools,” said Klein. “They also gave us time to explore what our values are. We discovered that we really value relationships between students and teachers, students and students, and staff and staff.”

BHHS technology teacher David Zulkiewski said, “Then, we spent the afternoon in small groups and worked on some specifics to really focus in and identify the goals and regulations we want to see.

Any questions we had were immediately answered.”

On the second day of the trip, the BHHS team traveled to San Mateo so that they could witness the Hillsdale staff in action.

“Hillsdale is a very unique school. The kids are so positive in class and there is great dialogue going on between students and staff,” said Zulkiewski.

“It’s a great environment-- the kids aren’t walking around with their cellphones out all the time and they have a great respect for learning and the staff really shows that they appreciate that.”

BHHS English teacher Jennifer Teal said she was “really curious about the sense of what it feels like in a classroom-- Do you notice something feel different? I also wanted a sense of the nuts and bolts like scheduling and course selections. But it became so clear to me that it was more about the culture and the opportunity to make build relationships-- all that I didn’t really know it was about until I really went there.”

In regards to adopting the practices observed on the Hillsdale campus into the new BHHS campus Klein said, “We will see stronger and more meaningful relationships between students and staff.”

MacLeod added another observation he saw Hillsdale incorporate on their campus “is a whole other way to reconstruct the way the school works. The days of teachers working in isolation and not knowing what is going on in other classes would be gone.”

Klein said, “There was a more consistent and productive manner in which to share information. Here [at Hillsdale] there is this sense of collaboration which I found very insightful.”

Teal shared that she, “really saw a sense of ownership and responsibility the students had towards each other and to the school. I was talking to a freshman and they seemed to know how to behave, like, ‘I was told by a senior that I am not suppose to do that. I want to represent my learning community well so I am not going to participate in the kind of behavior that would disrespect the school.’”

Hollerith said, “ We were at Hillsdale until three and their school was being let out. Most people were going home, but our faculty wanted to stay much longer and continue working on the high school.”

“There was another school from Arizona that had already left but we really got down to business,” said Zulkiewski. “There were teachers, administrators, and counselors there and we all walked through what we wanted and how we could get the information we got from Stanford and Hilldale and apply it to BHHS to get that positive community.”

Looking back Klein recalled, “in the last activity we did, they asked us to describe our experience in one word. My word was excited-- I can’t wait to move forward.”

General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the facing off with Hamdeen Sabahi in Egypt’s latest election.

Which NBA basketball team owner was recently accused of being racist in a recorded conversation?

A. Wyc Grousbeck B. Donald Sterling C. Tom Gores 4. Herb Simon

2.

TEST YOUR

knowledge

What multinational corperation recalled 2.6 million automobiles?

A. Renault B. GM C. Ford D. BMW

4.

the

COMMUNITY News

A3

June

BOWLON FOR BUILDON: SCHOOL CLUB RAISES MONEY TO BUILD SCHOOLS IN HAITI Shelbi Jouni Staff Writer

“The outcome was phenomenal. I am so proud of all the hard work everyone put in,” said BuildOn Co-President Junior Courtney Zhu. “We got so much support from our local community through donations, and we really could not have done it without them.”

On Friday April 25th, the

bers of the club will be sent build a school there,” said Zhu. “Club members with other regional chapters will get a chance on this specific serto stay with a vice trip completely family in the vilfunded by the club. We are looking lage. I’m particu“The mission of forward to larly excited to BuildOn is to break sending five get immersed in the cycle of poverty and illiteracy in third members to Haiti the culture. Their world countries. The in the summer of lifestyle is so different and such Bloomfield Chapter 2015 a step away from has dreamed of doing Courtney Zhu what we’re used a group service trip to Co-President to, so it will be Haiti and by the looks amazing to exof it, we’ll be able to send five members overseas to Haiti and perience life in Haiti. During

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the time we are there, we will be building schools that offer education to all. Our club is taking a part in giving a village the chance to learn and make a life for themselves,” said Rehman.

According to Kenneth Cameron, BuildOn advisor and history teacher, he knew the club would achieve it’s goal of raising enough money to travel overseas.

“Honestly, I did think the club was going to be very successful at Bloomfield Hills High School,” Cameron said. “I knew that Courtney and Narmeen

would be great leaders so I had confidence in them that they knew what they were doing which helped the outcome.”

Zhu said she’s excited for the rewarding upcoming service trip and appreciates all of the help the club has received for their mission to Haiti. “Even though building schools in Haiti will be very physically demanding, We are looking forward to sending five members to Haiti in the summer of 2015 because it will be an all around amazing experience.”

A Week of CharIty BHHS students donated to the CATCH charity through a variety of different ways.

Throughout the week paid events were used to raise money for this charity and on Tuesday May 20 students participated directly in community service activites 1) Students are hypnotized at the 2014 Charity Week hypnotist show. 2) Mark Stewart takes a shot at the dunk tank during the lunch carnival. 3) Nora Manz works with her hands cleaning at the Birmingham Community Center.

4) Alex Perry prepares to set her team up for success at the Volleyball Tournament 5) Sophomores package cans at Gleaners Food Bank 6) Juniors Jessica Kahn and Jubilee Jackson sell Karlyn Sykes treats at the Ice Cream Social

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Photos courtesey of Rachele Raskey

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3

facts

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club’s first annual BowlOn for BuildOn fundraiser was at Airway Lanes and raised a total of $1,554. Their mission was to raise money to send five club members on the 2015 Trek to Haiti.

“The fundraiser went beyond all of our expectations,” said Co-president of the club, junior Narmeen Rehman.

“Overall, we raised $1,544 and we reached our goal of $1,500. We are also still getting donations from people who heard about our fundraiser.”

According to Zhu, five mem-

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BuildOn club holds fundraiser for Haiti service trip

•BuildOn intends for the BowlOn to be an annual event •The club raised $1544 for their trek

BANDS from A1: According to Smith, participating in the contest was a no brainer.

“When I was a young boy in high school, I played at the Battle of the Bands in Birmingham,” said Smith, “so I thought it would be a really good idea to help with these organizations, [even to get the opportunity to] just come back and play with the winning band.”

“They called me and said they were putting these events together, and I said whatever you want me to do, I’m happy to be part of it. It was really important for me to be involved in supporting music in the schools in the community where I grew up.” Smith said.

“I just want to help in any way I can to expose people to the importance of music education. Any way that this will help, maybe by encouraging people to get involved with music, it would be great to give back to the community I grew up in. It’s really cool that Birmingham has decided to make this year’s focus on the importance of the music scene in Birmingham and I am proud to do my part to help.” said Smith “It’s just really cool that Birmingham have decided to make this year’s focus on the importance of the music scene in Birmingham.”

Sophomore Ali McManus said, “I [perform] it every year. It’s a great experience and a great opportunity to meet new people from around the community. I love being around the healthy and fun atmosphere.”

“This is a way to give the kids something safe and fun and substance free to kick off their summer, its really a unique and nice gift” concludes Michaud. “It is a great way to kick off the summer and celebrate the end of the school year” For more information please visit www.bbcoalition.org.

BLINK from A1:

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CATCHING DREAMS: CHARITY OF CHOICE BENEFITS UNDERPRIVILEGED CATCH charity receives the Charity Week proceeds Merrick Weingarten Sports Editor

Exhausted in her hospital bed, a 16-year-old girl from an underprivileged family is thankful that she can continue her medical treatment at Children’s Hospital.

“The parents of [this] 16-yearold child with a very severe sickle cell disease requiring a bone marrow transplant had fallen behind on their bills,” explains Jim Hughes, Executive Director of CATCH (Caring Athletes Team for Children’s and Henry Ford Hospitals). “The father had lost two jobs after the transplant and the mother was staying at the hos-

pital with her child during his long hospitalization. The family had also [fallen] behind on [its] utility bills. CATCH funds helped pay the bills so they could avoid a utility shutoff.”

Throughout the week of May 19th, students at Bloomfield Hills High School made donations to attend Hypnotist shows, Ice Cream Socials, 3 on 3 basketball tournaments, and Powder Puff football games.

This year the BHHS Students Leadership will be donating all proceeds to CATCH. “As a class, we had the opportunity to vote for what charity we felt we should benefit. We ended up choosing CATCH because we all agreed that it would benefit people in our area,” explains Tess Garcia, a

sophomore Student Leadership Representative. “We all sympathize with children who don’t have the opportunities that we do, whether it be for financial reasons or because they’re hospitalized. CATCH aims to provide these children with the same opportunities that we’ve all been lucky enough to have.”

Hughes agrees with Garcia, adding that CATCH’s main priority is improving the lives of children and their families.

“CATCH has two primary goals. The first is annually to raise money so that we can give funds to Children’s Hospital and Henry Ford Hospital to fund items that improve the quality of life of the patient and their families. The secondary goal is to build a

board-designated endowment fund so this charity will exist forever,” explains Hughes.

According to Krista Laliberte, student leadership advisor, the BHHS student leadership group had high expectations for this year’s Charity Week-especially with this year’s addition of the silent auction.

“Student Leadership members have worked hard preparing and planning for Charity Week 2014 over the past six months.

Our goal is educate students about charitable organizations that help to make a difference in the greater Detroit community and to raise funds to donate to a great cause. CATCH is an outstanding charity that helps children and their families that have been impacted by

an illness,” concludes Laliberte.

This year the leadership team was able to beat their goal and raise well over 10,000 dollars.

CATCH founder Sparky Anderson once said, “There is nothing in this world that you will ever do that’s better than helping a child.” Hughes and the BHHS student leadership members feel Anderson has been able to live up to this phrase. Specifically, Hughes explains CATCH has been able to provide several millions of dollars to hospitals and various families to help them overcome many different struggles.

If you wish to learn more about CATCH or attend and support one of their many charity events visit http://www.catchcharity.org.

“I performed a 30 minute set that I created myself,” he said. “I didn’t really know how long my performance would be until two days before which was pretty nuts because I had to be ready for anything. I performed on the main stage in front of all the people and I performed a mix of original Melbourne bounce and also remixes of different pop songs because I was playing in front of a crowd of college students so I had to appeal to their liking also.”

Brad’s father, Jeff Levine, described how he felt watching his son’s performance.

“I am so excited I can’t even tell you.

The concert was a major forum for Brad to really display what he does. He was up on the big stage with three major performers, two of them world renowned.

I think he did an amazing job and that the fact that they recognized him and were very positive by congratulating and thanking was a really clear indication of his talent. Being that Brad was the first one on amongst all those major performers, Brad’s reception was amazing.

There were people dancing and singing and really talking about DJ Blink.”

Brad’s manager Spenser Simon was also very pleased with Brad’s performance.

“The performance was very pivotal because it was one of the first times that he got to prove himself and really show what he can do to the music community and to some big names in the music community,” he said. “Many people were shocked at how young he was and couldn’t believe he was only 18. He did a great job. This was all possible due to the work that Brad and I put in, it was us who had the connections and won the competition without any outside help. Because of this I feel that it was very meaningful for the both of us.”

Brad said that this experience reminds him of why he loves DJing.

“The most memorable moment I had was right when I got off the stage and was swarmed by people asking to take pictures with me,” said Brad, “I loved getting to see the reactions on people’s faces when I play songs and make mixes, it was really cool getting to control the crowd and just changing their emotions by the music I play. It was a really cool feeling and it felt like, I wouldn’t say famous, but I felt very respected as a DJ.”

the

WORD

Opinion

News Editor

It is perhaps the most politically correct word to ever exist in the English language.

It is a word renowned by politicians, news stations and all who intend to offend no one-tolerance. The word itself; however, does none of this.

Yes, from the early years of our lives we are taught tolerance however this is doing more harm than good.

I think, in America (where we promise life, liberty and happiness to all), we can surely do better than this.

Tolerance, just reading the word gives me an apathetic mindset and this is one reason why it ought not to be said.

To me tolerating something includes eating something that is barely palatable and It is common is a bit odd looking. in our diviFor exsive world to ample, I invoke toler- tolerate doing school ance when work.

When solving many this form of of the world’s tolerance is religious and applied to ethnic issues. humans it inspires no confidence about the character of the human race.

Tolerance allows us to reluctantly acknowledge other people’s cherished beliefs instead of accepting them. It is common in our divisive world to invoke tolerance when solving many of the worlds religious and ethnic issues. This however sets a dangerous precedent; on the world stage we are finding a hesitant stalemate in tolerance where we need a peace forged in mutual acceptance. Tolerating other people not only means a cautious acknowledgement, it means a sort of passive resistance against other beliefs.

If, in a group project, I’m tolerating someone’s opinion, I’m not paying attention to it.

It is time that tolerance, then, should be stricken from our daily conversation in place of a more suitable word. It may be merely a word but if it is not changed it will mean the continuation of a sense of apathy towards each other. As the logician Ludwig Wittgenstein said, “The limits of my language means the limits of my world.”

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Staff Writer

•Students today apply to more and more colleges, therefore making the college acceptance rate at an all time low.

• The SATs and ACTs allow colleges to compare their students and applicants with other on a national scale.

•The standardized tests given out allow the easiest and most efficient way to judge high school students.

•Colleges may even receive around 60,000 applications a year-- with the University of California, Los Angeles getting over 61,000

facts

Being someone who has the thought of college dangling over my shoulder at every minute of everyday, to say I’m dreading the college application process is an understatement. The fear of being asked “where are you going to school next year?” is more than enough to make me cringe.

Mention the ACT and before you finish your thought you’ll find me ranting about how useless I find the tests, and how much I disagree with the whole concept. That hatred is very much sparked by me having to take the exam, and suffering through that four hour-long test that has the power to decide my future.

However, during my rant one night, my dad chimed in with his rebuttal, claiming, “Well colleges need some way to standardize everyone in the country.”

That point has stuck with me since, and I have begun to see the positives in statistical evaluation when it comes to college admission.

In a recent New York Times article I read, and yes I do occasionally glance at the paper my dad leaves on the table, it mentioned how college acceptance rates have reached an all time low. Stanford University turned away over 95% of applicants in the most recent admission season, making the university one of the most selective in the country.

And with the common app making it much easier to apply to more schools, students who see the challenge of being accepted into a school are applying to more, giving each university more applicants, thus inducing the downward spiral of college acceptance rates.

The only, standardized, means of colleges comparing their applicants are with national standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT. These tests, although very annoy-

{ Beliefs Battle OF

ing and strenuous, are the only way of comparing students on a national level. Although that number is by no means the sole definition of one’s accomplishments as a person or a student, these tests are the only thing that is exactly the same between all students applying to one school.

Comparing two individual’s GPAs is not always a fair comparison: one student with a lower GPA may challenge themselves with harder classes, one school may be harder than the other, the blow off class in one school may be the most difficult class in another. One 3.8 may not be a 3.8 well earned. On the other hand, if you’re like me and aren’t the great-standardized test taker, your score may not be the best representation of your academic abilities. And though some may argue the score you receive on the ACT is not an accurate reflection of your intelligence, work ethic, character, strengths, or personality, it is the best we have.

College admissions departments read through thousands and thousands of applications every year, to be exact UCLA had over sixty one thousand just this year. They need some way to categorize their applicants before they spend hours upon hours reading through applications. Statistical categorization of applicants is the only way to dwindle to number of applicants down to a reasonable number of students who would be able to thrive at that school and handle its academic rigor. Seriously, would you be able to read 61,556 applications?

In reality, college admissions is far from a perfect system, and many colleges see that too. Many students that are admitted have no real distinction from those who are rejected from the very same school. Colleges need some way to compare their applicants on a level playing field, and statistical evaluation is the only way to do so.

COLLEGE ADMISSION

}

STUDENTS ARE MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS Narmeen Rehman Co-Executive Editor

Perched in a cold, uncomfortable plastic chair, I waited among a classroom full of fidgety and fearful teenagers. “It’s just a test,” one doubtfully declared.

But, in the back of our minds we all knew that the packet of papers soon to arrive on our desk held our fate.

That packet is widely known by many as a national college admissions examination. But, to high schoolers across the nation it is public enemy number one.

Universities use scores to decide who gets an acceptance letter and who gets rejected. But, that often begs the question, is it even fair for colleges to base admissions off of one test?

College is meant to set students up for success, yet, getting there is a long, grueling process. From the beginning of high school, students start a juggling act between a mountain of schoolwork and extracurriculars. Entering Junior Year, colleges throw in standardized testing into the mix, and for many, this means the juggling act unfairly ends in defeat.

To keep failure away, wealthier applicants invest in tutors, courses, and books to perfect their scores and resumes. But, those who can’t afford all of the above are put at an unfair disadvantage. Test prep companies such as the Princeton Review and Kaplan stress that college admissions exams are about how well you can take their specific exam; these tests are no longer a measure of intellect—they’re a measure of how hard you studied for them. With this in mind, Stanford University Researcher

Sean Reardon concluded that the gap in test scores between high and low-income students has grown over 40 percent, and the increasing price of test prep is to blame.

These tests don’t just put the under-privileged at a disadvantage; they give the colleges themselves at a shortcoming. Choosing a student who did a good job choosing C on a test does not reveal anything about a student’s compassion, creativity, or leadership. It does not show the amazing things they’ve done in life and their potential for growth. As a result, it does not allow the college to foster a diverse environment and studies show that diversity is essential whether it be of race or talent. Diversity strengthens communities across the university, enhances the educational experience, and allows students to grow more as individuals. But if schools admit students solely because they got a 36 on the ACT, then it will not only make admission more impossible and stressful; it will take away from the college experience.

Now, what’s the solution? Two words. Holistic Admissions. Holistic college admissions take the whole student into account and not just the statistics. It reassures us as students that one test does not put our whole future into jeopardy. It brings more worth into all the time we put into our passions. It takes into account that we as students are not just a number.

So, next time you sit in that classroom, breathe. Remember one test does not measure your worth, intellect, compassion, creativity, or leadership. If a college is right for you, they’ll look past the numbers and recognize that.

•Standardized testing is a huge disadvantage to students in low income families and situations.

•Wealthier students are able to afford tutors and special courses in order to achieve, making the playing field very unequal.

•Basing on statistics does not allow colleges to be diverse, which deprives colleges of a healthier environment.

•Judging on student achievement takes off pressure on standardized testing and gives students to explore their creativity.

facts

the

Aidan Menchaca

Evie Chodock

the

Student reflects on the word tolerance

June

TAKING A RISK

EMPIRICAL EVALUATION IS THE WAY TO GO

the

INTOLERANT OF TOLERANCE

A4

Alumnus on life after high school Leslie Alter Guest Writer

One year ago, I walked across the stage as a member of the last graduating class of Andover.

One year ago, I made a decision against everything I knew growing up.

One year ago, I took the biggest risk of my life, which ended up being the biggest reward.

Now my high school is crumbled to the ground and nonexistent while the life I never dreamed of having is.

My entire life I thought I was going to be a Spartan. I thought I would continue to don green and white as my three elder siblings did before me.

And here I am, sitting at my computer sporting maize and blue, and my amazing year of risks began with that difficult decision.

The first of my many risks on campus started with a process fairly common for a freshman girl: rush. But what skewed my course of joining a sorority from usual to unfamiliar is where I ended up. In one day, my experience at Michigan completely changed.

And for the first time, I finally felt like I was away from home.

Going to a college only fortyfive minutes from the bubble with far too many home friends, it was easy to stay in my comfort zone. Especially since I was far from familiar with Ann Arbor (seeing that it was not East Lansing), I found comfort seeing the many familiar faces from Bloomfield. But the day I was placed in my sorority with 62 other girls that I did not know whatsoever, I finally felt like I was in a new place. And I loved it.

With this decision, I truly branched out. For the very first time in my month at Michigan, I looked around and did not see a familiar face surrounding me.

Yes, I was scared. I was incredibly nervous. But it also was when I began to really love Michigan.

With this risk has come nothing but reward. And this is a lesson I have applied throughout my first year at Michigan. From presenting a memorized speech to a lecture of 300 sophomores to landing an internship with the North American headquarters of Mercedes Benz Financial Services, I have learned that no matter how scary it may seem, taking risks is the best way to grow.

So next year or in two years or whenever your time comes to go on your own, take a risk. Although you won’t know what will come of it, that’s the very best part.

Letters to th e Ed ito r 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 .

Exchange Student Gives Opinion

Organic Food Isn’t Worth It

Khalid T. Jaat

Solomiya Nysak

Sophomore

Sophomore

Dear Editor, I got a chance to interact with the school newspaper team once. I was so impressed by it that I felt like giving a feedback. I am a foreign exchange student and I got interviewed by someone for the newspaper. I appreciate the fact that they reached out to interview me and then made sure that I had a copy when it got published. Get-

ting mentioned in the school newspaper was a very exciting thing for me. It will remind me of my times here once I go back home. Also, I loved the way they wrote about all the new experiences I have had so far and how I am looking forward for more!

I am a regular reader and I want to tell you all to keep it up!

Dear Editor, The article, “Organic Food Is Not Worth The Extra Dollar”, is intriguing and relatable. To me, it seems like another way for society to put labels on things, even small things like food. The moment I read that organic farmers use pesticides that are not safe, I didn’t know how to feel. The organic label is what drives people to that certain food, but in reality

it’s not what it seems. Not many people know this so I am glad it was brought into attention. This proves that even good ideas can go bad.

Also, I agree that organic vs inorganic shouldn’t be argued when a majority of the population has trouble deciding to eat fruits vs junk food on a daily basis. It is important that what you are aware what you are putting into your body, but people are misinterpreting the idea.

The Red Scare Jay Cooke Sophomore

Dear Editor, I loved the article “The Red Scare”. I thought it was informative. I was wondering what all the buzz was about and this article filled me in. I thought the school may have just ran out of ketchup, but it turned out that it was actually a government policy regarding school nutrition.

Who knew ketchup would be a target for government regulation? I also liked the

style in which the article was written, almost like it was a documentary about Mr. Sam West. I thought it was also hilarious that he brought in ketchup bottles to share with everyone. I loved reading about what was happening right in front of me. Lastly, the information in this article was great and backed by credible sources, which gives a reader confidence in the material they are reading.

Alcohol Abroad

An Exchange Student’s Opinion on Drinking Laws

Ban Bossy

Andie McKendrick

Tran Thuy Nhu

Mina Juma

Sophomore

Sophomore

Dear Editor, I really liked the article “Alcohol Abroad” by Sarah Kovan. It took a taboo subject and made it interesting. I was surprised to hear that teens in Denmark drink regularly. Maybe if the laws in America were to change, we wouldn’t have such a big problem with MIPs and outrageous parties.

I also think the fact that you can get sent home

for drinking with your host family in the US even if you come from a background where you drink normally should be changed. I like how you talked about the exchange students both from our school that are traveling abroad. It would be interesting to read more articles about the exchange program and the people in it.

Dear Editor, I recently read the article “Alcohol Abroad” by Sarah Kovan and I agree with the author’s aspects. As a German exchange student, I believe that a higher drinking age is more necessary in the USA than in Germany in association with the difference of the driving age. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, teenagers in Michigan can start their driver’s ed at the age of 14,

which is early in comparison to the age of 16 in Germany.

Even then young adults in Germany aren’t in a hurry to get their license, because they can also depend on public transportation. Since cars are necessary means of transportation in the States, it is reasonable to set a higher drinking age to decrease the chance of alcohol-related accidents. I really think the article made me understand the issue at hand.

Junior

Dear Editor, I find the article “Ban Bossy” by Nisa Khan to be very interesting because it is something that I can relate to.

I agree with the fact that girls’ voices are suppressed sometimes in the favor of the boys’, and if a girl voiced her opinion “too much” she would get called bossy and dramatic.

Nisa hit on some really good points and she had

lots of sources to back up her claim.

She had some really good quotes from influential people that show just how serious this problem is, and that it deserves more attention than it is currently getting.

I think it would also be interesting to get a guy’s opinion, just to see what they think about this issue. That would give it a new angle to look at.

the

WORD

Opinion

A5

June

BYE, BYE BROTHER

Do YOU think This Year was a good one?

LOOKING UP Student explains life under sibling’s shadow

Struggling to cope with a sibling’s departure

Narmeen Rehman Co-Executive Editor

Tess Garcia Staff Writer

Aidan Menchaca

Ally Jaksen Sophomore

Sophomore

“

“

It had some good times and some bad times-but overall I’m proud to be a Blackhawk.

See what

“

“

It started off a little rough, but now, I can honestly say I wouldn’t want to apart of any other school.

the

HAWKEYE staff thinks

Cartoon drawn by Brendan

hawkeye editorial

DESPITE ITS CHALLENGES, WE BELIEVE THIS YEAR WAS SUCCESSFUL

Merrick Weingarten

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Michelle Phillips

Sophomore

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Zainab Rasheed

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“

I think it is overall successful and the combination of the two schools was smooth.

Anagha Kramadhati Sophomore

Senior

Although I miss my old high school, I really enjoyed this year and I think it worked out.

“

The hallways were crowded but at least you were never alone.

HAWKEYE

the

See what

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“

This school year has been wonderful. I have made lots of new friends and it has been a whole new experience for me.

My friends, It’s time to let go, The building remains but Lahser is no more, and Andover is just a bunch of rubble. This is real life.

Although there’s nothing wrong with cherishing the wonderful experiences these two schools may have provided, we’re here to provide a one-way ticket into reality. The first year of Bloomfield Hills High School is coming to a close. It’s left us with new memories, new friends, an open (middle) door to an entirely new legacy.

Anyone with eyes can see that our first year was full of obstacles, most of which were unavoidable. The hallway-space-to-student ratio was rather rough. Each of us came into this year with a preconceived idea of how awful our “sister school” counterparts were bound to be.

And we were wrong.

Our classrooms are a wonderfully chaotic medley of athletes and actors alike. BHHS has defied the stereotypes that once plagued both Andover and Lahser. We aren’t simply a bunch of jocks or a school full of drama nerds. The cafeteria is a melting pot of friends from completely different backgrounds. In our school the band geek and the quarterback joined hands.

This coalition has also led to a year full of achievement.

The cross country, men’s soccer, and men’s basketball teams each made it to their respective state championships. The Bloomfield Forensics Speaking Team placed second in the state, as well. We’ve proven ourselves to be a force to be reckoned with, both on the field or court and in the auditorium.

As students, the end of our first year at BHHS leaves us with a couple of options. We could continue to complain about the awkwardness, the oddities, and the challenges we’ve faced..or we could reflect on the great experiences brought about by the merge, and look forward to those of the future.

The great American poet Beyonce Knowles once said, “If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.” The first year of Bloomfield Hills High School was certainly an imperfect one, full of flaws both large and small. We have room left to grow, sure, but that’s how we learn. We did what we could to make this year a successful one, full of new excitement, challenges, and friendships, and we certainly did one heck of a job. It’s our struggles, though, that will benefit us most in the end.

This year’s obstacles will become next year’s funny stories.

So enough with the Lahser vs. Andover talk. This is Bloomfield Hills High School, and a Black Hawk is worth more than a Knight or a Baron will ever be.

Sophomore

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student body thinks

Victoria Force Senior

Mitchell Salhaney Junior

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“

While some things were pretty shaky, I think we ended strong, especially since our teams did well.

“

Our take

d

My brother is going to college without me. There’s no clever, creative, or more enticing way to phrase that. He’s leaving.

When I was five years old and he was seven, Ethan went to his very first sleepover. That was my first time spending a night alone, a morning without him telling me, “Tess, it’s time to get up” in the way that only he could.

His unruffled Pokemon bed sheets left me feeling isolated.

Needless to say, I don’t like it when my brother leaves home.

The pain that comes with the departure of a loved one cannot be torn away quickly like a Band-aid. This is the kind of hurt that lingers. There’s no escaping the sting that will be present when my brother no longer is.

When we were little, I’d begrudgingly follow Ethan outside everyday, There is knowing that no clever if I didn’t the or enticing consequences to would be dire way (i.e. a nuggie p h r a s e or something that. He is slightly more ag- leaving. gressive of that nature). I’d always end up having the time of my life, no matter what we did.

Little did my pre-pubescent self know that those carefree days would soon come to an end.

In January, Ethan was accepted into Ohio Wesleyan University.

At this point, I realized we only had so much time before our daily bickering sessions became monthly visits. I have three months to squeeze every ounce of brotherliness out of that boy.

What is life like when your best friend goes to college? Will my heart ache every time I walk past his bedroom? Will my mom routinely request a table for five instead of four when we go out to eat? Who’s to say?

For those of you whose siblings, like mine, will soon be embarking on this journey: It’s hard to swallow, but our brothers and sisters have served their four years of high school.

They deserve the chance to pursue whatever the heck they want. At some point, though, they’ll come back to play.

They’re our gigantic, weirdly hairy butterflies. Like every other clingy sibling, we’ll have to set them free.

So, Ethan Javier Garcia, I know you’re not reading this, but I’m gonna miss you. Before you go, though, let’s have some fun, maybe play outside.

Thanks for all the good times.

“

Growing up, I always looked up to my older brother, Nadir, and, no. It was not just because of his height.

From the day I was born, my brother and I were inseparable.

Whenever he confidently marched into a room, his shadow would follow him, silently watching and learning. That shadow was me.

He was my personal “Life for Dummies” book; he taught me everything from Pokémon to proper social etiquette. But even though I was always learning from him-he always ended up as the star of the show. Whenever we played a game, he would somehow always end up in his rightful throne of first place. Sometimes when he did his homework, I would sit by and watch him multiply and divide in awe, he was a human calculator. Every quarter, he would bring a shining report card that would be showcased on the refrigerator door, not an A out of place.

At any wedding, his innate musical abilities would somehow get him in the spotlight—and when groupies lined-up for photo ops, I would be handed the camera. In this siblingship, it was only right to say that he was the Beyoncé and I was the Solange.

But in my time shadowing him, I got lost.

Like a dainty flower trying to grow in the shadow of a strong tree, I had a hard time finding my own light.

My parents expected me to do everything like him—to smoothly sail through school, excel effortlessly in every endeavor, and develop talents all on my own. On days when I just couldn’t get it, I could hear my parents from the other room “we never had to do anything like this with Nadir.” Those words always cut deep. So, I tried to imitate him.

Key words: I tried.

One day, in a sea of eraser shavings, I sat in frustration at the kitchen table. My calculus book threw up on the papers scattered around me and I asked my dad: “why can’t I get it like Nadir?” With a warm arm around me he soothed me with a piece of knowledge that I’ll never forget. “We’re all as unique as our fingertips and each person has their own strengths and their own weaknesses.”

That’s when it all added up: we can’t spend our whole lives trying to be anyone else. We all have our own special abilities. Like a dainty flower, you have to take the time to find your own light and talents.

From there, you will grow and flourish, maybe even taller than the strong tree.

Even though my brother has managed to beat me at every video game on the planet, he sure as heck can’t touch me when it comes to Mario Kart. If you have an overachieving sibling, who can seemingly do it all, always remember you can too in your own special way.

“

There were both some downsides and upsides but the year was all in all a pretty good one.

DECIDING NOT TO WAIT FOR THE SECOND MARSHMALLOW Sarah Kovan Co-Editor in Chief

My cousin was a childhood science experiment.

At the age of two, she was asked to participate in the “Marshmallow Test” before being admitted to an NYC pre-school.

The experiment, which was developed by Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel in the late 60s, is a test of delayed gratification.

Children are given a marshmallow or similar

treat and told that if they wait long enough to eat it, they will receive a second one.

My cousin waited an astounding 23 minutes.

27 years later, her tale got me thinking: would I be have been able to do the same?

It turns out that the answer is yes.

What I realized is that high school is really just a four-year marshmallow experiment, and the prize is much higher stake than a piece of candy.

For three years now, I have felt like somebody’s lab rat. I have subjected myself to late nights of studying, early mornings of finishing up that last bit of homework, and Saturdays of stan-

dardized test taking in the hopes of attaining a prize even sweeter than a marshmallow: an acceptance letter from the school of my dreams.

It seems as However, it seems as though though as soon as soon as I finish one maze, there as I finish one are a dozen more I still need to maze there are navigate. I don’t even have time dozens more to celebrate the A I earned on I still need to that test I stayed up late studying for or the additional points navigate.

I tacked on to my ACT score.

I have become so enticed by the prospects of further education, or that second marshmallow, that any accomplish-

“

“

Student shares her thoughts on delayed gratification

ment during the waiting period feels unsatisfying.

But why wait for satisfaction?

Yes, it is important to set goals. But it is unfair for me to look so far ahead that I look right past all of the good things that have happened throughout my high school experience.

My first three years of high school have been filled with exhaustion and frustration, but they have also been filled with personal growth and memories that will last a lifetime. Those are rewards in and of themselves.

I have decided that I can’t wait for a second marshmallow to the fulfilled.

It would just give me cavities, anyway.

Section Editors

HAWKEYE

2014-2015

S TA F F

News: Aidan Menchaca

Advisor Christina Hammitt

Editors-in-Chief

Executive Editors

OP/ED: Nisa Khan Michelle Phillips

Maitreyi Anantharaman Sarah Kovan

Narmeen Rehman Courtney Zhu

Feature: Alison Jaksen Special Editor Brendan Eathorne

Sports: Jake Freed Merrick Weingartern Web: Noah Cicurel Production: Jonah Newman

Writers Daniel Bordener Evie Chodock Niketh Chopra Shelbi Jouni Madeline Mackie

the

BACKPAGE News •A6 • June

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Let your inner animal out at the Detroit Zoo

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Go back in time at the Henry Ford Museum

Watch a new movie the old way at the Capri Drive-In

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[12]

Lifestyle

B1 June

LIFESTYLE

SENIOR WINS GOOGLE SCHOLARSHIP Maddy Mackie Staff Writer

Harvard bound senior Danielle Okezie was awarded ‘the Google Scholarship’ She Googled it.

“When I found out I had got the scholarship, I was very ecstatic and jumped around everywhere.

My sister was wondering what was going on, and when I told her she was very happy for me. We called my parents and told them and they were also very excited for me as well,” said senior Danielle Okezie, who received the $10,000 Google Scholarship towards her education at Harvard .

“I was coming back from an appointment, and I had received a call from her saying that she had

won,” said Chris Okezie, Danielle’s father. “We were really happy and excited for Danielle because she has been exploring so many different fields, from mathematics, to science, and medicine.”

In addition to receiving the scholarship, Okezie is one of twenty high school seniors interested in computer science and programming who will attend the Google Computer Science Summer Institute in the summer of 2014 at Mountain View, Seattle, or Cambridge.

“I’m really happy for her, I know that she likes the warm weather [at the Mountain View campus in California] and really likes to code, so it’s a perfect atmosphere for her. I’m really excited for her, and I hope she does well there and has fun,” said Danielle’s younger sister Christina.

According to Danielle her passion in computer science and computer programming led her to apply for the Google Scholarship.

“In general, I wanted to apply to get more

OVERHEARD

acquainted with programming languages. By going there, I will be around intelligent and passionate people who enjoy computer science as much as I do,” says Danielle.

“When I am there, I’ll get to hear from Google engineers and learn from them, which will be exciting. Also, I’ll be able to meet and get to know some of my future Harvard classmates in California, and I think it will be a really awesome experience.”

Associate Principal of Bloomfield Hills High School’s Main Campus Margaret Schultz reflects on her experiences with Okezie.

“I think I knew right after I met her that she would be doing something great,” said Schultz. “I think what also sets Danielle apart is that she is very sweet and down to earth and cares a lot about her community and doing things for others.”

“I could not be more proud of her.

She is an outstanding young woman who is destined to do great things.”

[section B]

B2: the people B3: the game B4: the people B5: the hawkstars B6: the scoop

out of context “I could not be more proud of her. She is an outstanding young woman who is destined to do great B1 things”

winning is more than just a number Ally Jaksen Feature Editor

“Having a sibling is definitely an advantage.

For me, it was an advantage on and off the B3 field.”

the

FACTS

14

female soccer players receive scholarships to play at Loyola

4

Bloomfield Hills High School teams have gotten second place at state finals

9 billion people–that is the predicted world population in 2050

-Margaret Shultz, Associate Principal of Bloomfield Hills High School

As the buzzer sounded, he gazed up at the scoreboard for the last time, realizing their journey was coming to a close.

“The boys prepared as much as they could have. They knew what needed to be done, but Muskegon was a great team and they were 28-0 for a reason,” said head basketball coach Duane Graves of the first BHHS varsity basketball team receiving second place at state finals.

“I was very proud of my guys. I felt bad for them because they just couldn’t get in rhythm at the [final] game. There were more lows than highs for us, and it was a challenge. But reflect back on how we got there.

We kept fighting and battling. We set out to get to the state championship, and we bonded as a team.”

Varsity guard, junior Charlie Metzger said.

“It was tough losing because it was such a long season and an amazing ride for everyone on the team and in the community. But we accomplished a lot by getting there, and that was the best part.”

Along with the Boys’ Basketball team, Girls’ Lacrosse, Boys’ Soccer, and the Forensics team all took home the runner-up trophy home from state championships in the inaugural year of Bloomfield Hills High School.

Remembering their own second place state tournament finish, girls’ Varsity lacrosse team’s junior Paige Tornow said, “When we lost [the championship game], I was sad at first. But then, the realization came that this was going to be my last game with all of the seniors, and I was really thankful that we got all the way there by playing a lot of really tough teams, and having a lot of great victories.”

Looking back to when the boys’ soccer team lost to Ann Arbor Skyline High School in the Division 1 state final, head coach Dougie MacAulay said, “At that stage, it comes down to a little bit of luck, either for you or against you.

We had two runs of bad luck against us. One was that our center defender got injured, and had to come out ten minutes into the second half.

The other was down to the referee’s discretion of what he would call a penalty kick [for Skyline].”

Reflecting on the numerous second place recognitions throughout the 2013-2014 school year, MacAulay said that, “It might be a curse, but we’ll certainly be trying again to make sure that we can overcome the obstacles that are thrown in front of us. There’s a lot of [teams] that have a curse: a curse of not going to the final.”

“I’ve been very fortunate to have been in the final with two different schools, Lahser and Bloomfield Hills, and to take two different schools to two different state finals is a great achievement in itself.

If our curse is losing in a state final, I’d be happy to get that every year, and try to overcome it.”

For head coach Danielle Harsh, the BHHS forensics team, which placed second at the Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association state tournament, said “It’s been really good for this chaotic transition year that we are able to rise to second place in so many things. I’ve talked to many of the competitors throughout the tournament and everyone had said it was tough and that they had done the best they could, and I can’t ask for anything more than that. So, I was happy we got second. There’s only one team that wouldn’t trade places with us.”

Like Harsh and MacAulay, Graves sees a positive outlook on BHHS’ second place results.

“In high school sports, to get to the state championship, it takes a lot. Even though second place isn’t the winner, it’s still a great success because just to get there is hard. It takes so much work, and it just shows how much talent is in Bloomfield Hills.

It shows what a strong community we can be.”

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“It was tough losing because it was such a long season and a good journey.

But we accomplished a lot by getting there, and that was the best B1 part.”

“I think I knew right after I met her that she would be doing something great. I think what also sets Danielle apart is that she is very sweet and down to earth and cares a lot about her community and doing things for others”

STUDENT RAISES AWARENESS FOR ORGAN DONATION Maitreyi Anantharaman Co-Editor-in-Chief

Junior Alesha Kotian sets up organ donation awareness week This was a project that came from the heart.

“I started out with a really small idea, and I didn’t think it was going to be much,” said junior Alesha Kotian. “It was only a couple days and a couple speakers and then it turned out to be

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even more than I even imagined it could be. It turned out to be a success, and I never imagined it to turn out the way it did.

During the last week of May, Kotian organized ‘A Piece of Me for You’ Organ Donation Awareness Week. The event featured various guest speakers and offered students the opportunity to register as organ donors through Gift of Life Michigan, an organ and tissue donation program.

Kotian said she was inspired to organize this by her experience as a volunteer at Henry Ford Hospital last summer.

“I worked with a lot of kidney dialysis patients, and I spent a lot of time with them and got really close to them. I realized that they needed kidneys, so that they wouldn’t have to live in this pain,” she said. “I talked to my mom a little bit and she said that a lot of people who need organs don’t get them because there aren’t enough people on the registry and that a major group of people that don’t sign up to donate organs are teens. So I figured that maybe we should raise awareness with teens, and they’ll sign up.”

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Jennifer Tislerics, Special Events and Partnerships Coordinator for Gift of Life Michigan, agreed.

“Organ, tissue, and eye donation is something that will affect all of us, eventually. It’s important to be fully informed to make an educated decision about donation when you get your driver’s license, and as you start making other adult decisions,” said Tislerics. “It’s a good idea to discuss your decision with your family, so they can support you in that decision. And it’s a good idea to find out if they would want to be donors too.”

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“Teens don’t realize that they’re not invincible. They think that they’ll be around forever, and that they’ll always be healthy.

But they don’t know that something could happen at any moment,” added Kotian. “Organs are viable even after death, and some teens don’t realize that while they might not need them, other people can still use them.”

Tislerics, who was one of the nine guest speakers at Organ Donation Awareness Week, said she considers the event B4 to be a success.

FAST FACT 28 BHHS students

became organ donors since Awareness

Week

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PEOPLE Lifestyle

B2

June

GENIUS HOUR Courtney Zhu Co-Executive Editor

in the presence of genius

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AP Language & Composition Students pursue projects that peak their interests When Google allowed its engineers to dedicate 20% of their time to pursue a pet project, modern day phenomenons like Gmail and Google News were born. When two English teachers did the same with class time, students said they were anxious but inspired. “Genius Hour seemed daunting at first because it was so open-ended. But soon, I realized that I could simply pursue the things I’m passionate about,� said junior Niki Krear. “I came across so many challenges during this project but I overcame all of them, which is exactly what this Genius Hour is all about.�

Krear is one of the 105 students that AP English Language and Composition teachers Mary Blair and Rachel Matz set to embark on Genius Hour, a semester-long project that challenges them to bring their passions to life. “I was already seeing an influx of creativity and original thought from AP Lang students during our other units,� said Matz. “I wanted to do something a little bit more open, something that allowed for more interdisciplinary work and for students to make connections to their passions outside the classroom.�

She also said that the unconventional nature of this project made the first day rather scary for students. “Students like guidelines. As much as they claim that they want to be able to do what they want, they are used to structure. But once they discovered that they could incorporate things they already knew and things they wanted to learn about, it got a lot easier.�

Blair agreed, “ I think the freedom of [Genius Hour] is a bit overwhelming at first.

More often than not, we give students a lot of structure and guidance in schoolwork. But now that they’re given unlimited freedom, it is intimidating. Students have a lot of passion and interest, so the question becomes how they work with that in such a short time period.�

Matz said that the students have achieved unprecedented levels of creativity and innovation.

In the span of four months, the students have developed an array of original projects from making fresh-squeezed juice to aiding achievement in impoverished Detroit Public Schools. “I was very unfamiliar with the idea of Genius Hour. But once I decided on my idea to send care packages to the military, I was very excited to start the project,� said junior Rachel Sabin. “In the care package, I had food, magazines, and letters. With the project, I had some bumps along the road, but I was able to reset my goal and still create something I was proud of.� “For my project, I made a website about yoga,� said junior Natalie Langnas. “My goal is to encourage others to get involved. Recently, I’ve gotten really interested in yoga, and I started to recognize all the benefits it offers. Genius Hour was a great way for me to learn more about it.� “I came across this concept called numerology; basically it is the idea that your names can tell a lot about who you are, what you’re good at, and your personal characteristics,� said junior Konstandina Stavropoulos. “For my project, I took a couple of students’ names and tested them using numerology.�

Junior Tim Kaplan said his initial project failed. But with the support of his classmates and his English teacher, he was able to overcome the obstacles. “I decided to change my project halfway through. First, I was discouraged because I didn’t think I could finish in time. But then I started blogging and got great encouragement from all my friends and Ms. Matz.� “I learned a lot about myself throughout this project. I learned how to overcome challenges and fears,� Kaplan continued. “This project is going to really prepare me for the next chapter in my life. I learned about stock investing, and I think I may pursue a career as a stockbroker.�

Along with Kaplan, Matz and Blair both agree that Genius Hour encourages students to develop skills that can’t necessarily be taught in a traditional academic curriculum. “Because [Genius Hour] is self-directed, students are more invested in it. So many of my students have told me about a life lesson they got out of this project, and that’s going to translate beyond college and well into real life,� said Blair.

Matz continued, “We wanted our students to step outside of their comfort zone. We wanted them to be comfortable with the idea that sometimes your plans don’t work and that failure is okay.� “I have not seen a single project that did not exceed my expectations,� said Matz. “We want our students to be engaged and to see the real world value. As a result, I learned so much about my students and passions that I never knew they had.�

AP Language & Composition students share their projects with classmates

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1. Ben Weisberg explains his research about the relationship between science and the progress of human civilization.

2. Ariel Bergman shares her hopes to build a “Fresh Stop� in Detroit.

3. Ingrid Peng discusses her website for aspiring cheerleaders.

4. Kelsey Lewis presents her cookbook for busy moms.

5. Amina Shumake tells the class about her online guide to high school.

6. Lana Rafou unveils her fitness website.

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Photos coutesey of Sarah Kovan

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4 5 K 0Z

Students & Alumni who join will be randomly selected to win a Chipotle gift card!

= 0 5 K 0 5 KI A • • • •

Connect with BHS Alumni Get career advice Learn about colleges Keep in touch with friends ...And more!

Steps to Join:

Alumni Connect

1. Go to bloomfield.org/alumni 2. Click the Alumni Connect logo on the right side 3. Type in your email address & click “Retrieve Password�

the

GAME

Lifestyle

B3

June

KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Jake Freed Sports Editor

High school sports continue to be unaffected by money Evie Chodock Staff Writer

photo courtesey of Susan Adams Photography

Above: Sisters Maria D’Angelo and Olivia D’Angelo both played on the lacrosse team this athletic season.

High School athletes discuss the benefits and challenges of having a sibling who plays the same sport Evie Chodock Staff Wrtier

As he walked on to the field for the first day of practice, it was clear he was way less nervous than any other freshman.

“I was definitely more comfortable than the other freshman because I knew the players. My brother was also introduced me to the coach so I already knew him before I even joined the team, which made me a lot less nervous. I found it a lot easier to become comfortable with the players and accustom to the team,” explains Andrew Rabah, junior football player, of the advantage of having an older brother on the same team two years ago when he was a freshman.

This athletic season, the D’Angelo sisters are just one of the 15 sets of siblings on the same sports teams. Both the players and coaches say they see the advantages of such.

“Olivia has a luxury having an older sister, being that she is

the only freshman, and having and hold the first and secsomeone she can always rely on. ond leading scorer positions Olivia knows a lot of the girls respectively on the team.

“They both have a lot of skill. through Maria and I think that has helped Olivia assimilate a Both practice really hard and little more. When Maria was they don’t necessarily play year a freshman, she didn’t know round but they play a lot; not many of the girls; she only knew just during the spring season but during the the one other fall and sumfreshman on “Having a sibling mer seasons. varsity that is definitely an You can tell year,” deadvantage. For me, scribes Anthey work extremely hard,” drew Reed, it was an advantge girls varsity explains Reed. on and off the Reed belacrosse head field.” coach, of lieves the social the advanadvantage is Andrew Rabah evident when tages freshBloomfield Hills High School Junior man Olivia having a sibling D’Angelo on the same has beteam, however the athcause of her older sister, Maria D’Angelo. letic advantage may vary.

Both Maria and Olivia “Having a sibling is definitely D’Angelo made the varsity an advantage. For me, it was an girls lacrosse team as a fresh- advantage on and off the field. man, both are now starters, We pushed each other a lot and

do a lot of off-season practicing.

I think I became a better player because of him. He and I are really competitive, so it was nice to have a brother on team because it pushed me to become a better player,” explains Rabah. “ I like having her on the team and that we work well together. We both work hard for our common goal and she encourages me and pushes me to continue to do my best. However having a sibling on the team gives me no special treatment or necessarily makes me automatically better.” refutes Maria.

Regardless of athletic advantages, it doesn’t hurt to have a built in practice partner, or someone you know will always be there to catch your assists, of which Coach Reed says 10 percent came from their sibling.

“We work well together and we pass each other the ball and have assists and goals together. Lacrosse is some-

thing we have in common, and something we can talk about together,” claims Olivia.

“I like to think that having an older sibling would help Olivia. She is the only freshman on varsity and I think it helps that she has someone that she knows,” explains Maria.

“You have people you know well before hand and someone you can always lean on.

I think it’s definitely more of an advantage for the younger sibling,” says Reed.

“Her and her friends helped to teach me how the team works and make me a better player. She has helped me to get to know upperclassmen and feel less shy about talking to and meeting my teammates,” explains Olivia.

“People know she is my sister and that protects me a little bit. It also made it easier to transition into the new team and feel included as the only freshman,” said Olivia.

Our athletes have something they don’t. The love of the game.

I feel like almost every decision made at the collegiate or professional level is based on money. Just look at the upcoming NBA Draft. We witness college students, many just one year removed from high school forgoing their education for one reason. To make millions.

It has gotten to a point where these sports are no longer about the score, the stats, or the fulfillment of achieving something great.

It’s all about making money.

In high school; however, it’s different.

Thankfully, our athletes haven’t been impacted too much by greed...Yet. With this being said, it’s crucial it remains this way.

Unlike in professional sports, high school athletes play only for the team on their jersey and the fans in the crowd.

No controversy, no cash.

We recently witnessed MLB second-baseman Robinson Cano, who played for the most storied and successful baseball team of all time throw it all away. Why? For the money.

His former team, the New York Yankees is nearly a lock to make the playoffs every year. I mean, seriously, they’ve won 27 world series. Instead of staying with the Yankees, he joined a struggling Seattle Mariners team, simply because they are paying him more. This selfish, greedy decision proves that it’s all about the money.

At our school, none of this happens.

Our athletes’ top priority is winning.

Not making the big bucks.

“But what about at the college level?” you might ask.

Despite it being illegal, some collegiate athletes will find a way to make money through illegal activities such as point shaving. When athletes fix games in order to cash in on bets regarding the outcome of the game, or point shaving, has been seen in multiple sports scandals in the past 20 years at major colleges such as Arizona State University, Northwestern, Maryland and many more.

With the spotlight on them, these sports figures need to take advantage of the influence they have by doing good things.

Instead, we see the opposite.

The fact is, there is no higher level of pure sports than in high school. Players are playing to win games, represent their school and possibly receive a chance to play at the next level.

For those who are active in high school athletics, take advantage of it. Sports are never as pure as they are for you now.

Q&A with Mrs. Locklear about the new structure of the lifeguarding class Q. Explain what is different about this semester’s lifeguarding class?

Q: How does having them as teaching assistants impact the students in the class?

A: This semester, we have two student teachers: Madison DeFrancesco and Joe Baczkowski. They both took the class last year and loved it. This year, they were interested in taking the class for a second time. Since it’s a difficult class to teach with a large number of students, we agreed on them being teaching assistants.

A: It really helps the students who need extra help and attention. Having more people to teach the class takes the stress off of the students because they learn more and therefore are better prepared for the tests.

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PEOPLE

Lifestyle

B4

June

GOALKEEPER TO PLAY IN D1 NEXT YEAR Maddy Mackie Staff Writer

Senior Maddie Ford will further her soccer career at Loyola University Chicago Her phone rang. Little did she know, that phone call would change her life.

“I was babysitting [when I found out], and I didn’t really react because I was in shock. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or to call my mom,” explains senior varsity soccer player Maddie Ford after receiving a call about being recruited to play soccer for Loyola University Chicago, a division 1 school. “It didn’t really set in until the beginning of this year.”

Beginning her soccer career at the age of five, Ford committed to playing for Loyola University Chicago at the start of the school year after receiving a phone call from the head coach of the Loyola Women’s Soccer team on July 7th.

Ford was awarded with one of Loyola’s fourteen women’s soccer scholarships.

Andrea Ford, Maddie’s mother, shares how she feels about her daughter playing soccer in college.

“I am thrilled. But as a mom, I am apprehensive [for her to play in college] because I won’t be there if she gets hurt. Regardless, I’m so proud of her.”

“When I started playing, I was in kindergarten. Over the years, I have learned, in the game of soccer, there are ups and downs,” says Maddie. “The game of soccer is a lot like life. In life, there are ups and downs.

With soccer injuries that I have faced, and tough loses I have faced, it has taught me to keep persevering, which has helped me with life in general.”

According to goalkeeper coach of the Bloomfield Hills High School women’s varsity soccer team Tim Bergsma, his first year working with Maddie was outstanding.

“She is a phenomenal goalkeeper, and my goal as a coach is to make sure that we take her from where she is at and continue to work on her game. She is an unbelievably hard worker, and that makes what I’m doing very easy,” explains Bersgma.

“I think she is set up very nicely to play at the next level. I definitely think she has the attitude to continue to work hard and to continue to improve, which is vital.”

Having many offers from other division one schools to play, such as Belmont University, in Nashville, Tennessee, and Furman University, in Greenville, South Carolina, Ford chose Loyola after considering her academic career path as well.

“I didn’t know I wanted to for sure play in college until sophomore year when I [played in] a tournament in Tennessee, and something just felt right,” says senior Maddie Ford. “I knew that I wanted to continue playing and I couldn’t imagine not playing.”

“I wanted to find a school that I actually liked other than for the soccer part,” continues Ford.” I’ve always loved the city of Chicago and Loyola has a lot of what I want to go in to.”

“One tip for during the recruiting process, would be to persistent and not get discouraged,” says Ford.

“Sometimes coaches may or may not want you but don’t let that get you down. Never lose faith in your skill, and keep on trying and don’t give up.”

PROM?

As prom season wraps up in Bloomfield Hills, the Hawkeye reflects on the latest prom trend: the elaborate “promposal,” which has attracted national attention

“In case you hadn’t heard, teenagers are no longer allowed to ask each other to prom discreetly. Now, the prom experience demands a creative, often public “promposal.” Because it’s not like high school felt high stakes enough, right?”

-Kelly Faircloth, Jezebel

“the average American household will spend $978 on prom in 2014,” -Visa Inc.

“Underneath all the cheesiness that is promposing, it’s an opportunity to be empowered”

“Eighteen-year-old Patrick Farves said he received three days of in-school suspension Thursday because he asked Miss America Nina Davuluri to prom.”

-Taylor Trudon, Huffington Post

-The Associated Press

“As promposal clips go viral, more and more young people think that you need to create these elaborate schemes to ask someone to prom and the reality is that it should be just a fun event for young people to dance and celebrate.”

-Jarrod Chin, Northeastern University

“In today’s day and age with YouTube and social media, creativity is being pushed farther than ever”

“In October 2005, the seminal teen reality show “Laguna Beach” airs a prom-proposal episode, wherein some of the show’s young men try to woo their lady friends with tow trucks and gorilla suits.”

-HeartBandits, proposal service

-The Washington Post

A MODEST PROPOSAL Sarah Kovan Co-Editor-in-Chief

NHS President Shahid Ahmad moves to limit the number of inductees He is redefining what it means to be honorable.

“I came up with the idea a few months ago because I saw, first hand as president, all of the issues with the bylaws and the constitution of the club itself,” said National Honor Society president Shahid Ahmad Because of what he has observed, Ahmad has written a

five-page proposal that aims to reform the NHS selection process. Provisions include making changes to the GPA, s and limiting the number of members from each grade.

“The current standards are a 3.5 GPA and 25 hours of community service. We typically just mimic the national standard guidelines,” said NHS advisor Jeffrey Lockwood. “As it stands right now, only juniors and seniors can be in NHS. There are about 400 students per grade and, [based on the current standards], we have over 200 members of NHS. That means that 25% of the eligible students are NHS members. I don’t consider the top 25% to be the cream of the crop; that would

be like giving a test and everyone who got a mid-C and above would be the top of the class.”

Ahmad said that decreasing the number of inductees would make it easier for the club to accomplish its goal: honoring students who excel in not only scholarship but also leadership, service, and character.

“Since it is National Honor Society, it should only be comprised of those who are honorable, those with noble motives, those who aren’t just good students. The new standards will be more holistic. We would like to place more of an emphasis on character and drive to help. “ Ahmad has been discussing his proposal with next year’s NHS officers.

“I think NHS should definitely be more about service, but right now, there are definitely too many people in the club and that makes it hard to accomplish specific goals such as completing community service and meeting as a club because the attendance rate is not as high as it should be,” said future NHS president Rachel Sabin. “Hopefully, in the years to come, the numbers will be come more manageable and people will be able to participate more in the service opportunities.”

According to Lockwood, although he and the future officers are open to Ahmad’s plan, it still needs to be approved by the school administration.

Now, the new NHS leadership

board needs to pitch the idea to the faculty council that is in charge of selecting members and acts as an outside guide on all matters regarding NHS. After that, we will just need administrative approval. We also may need to gain the approval of the school board because we would be making major changes to existing policy.”

“We don’t have that many steps left,” said Ahmad. “We just need to iron out the changes. Even beyond admission, our new focus is to make NHS a bigger commitment. If we start selecting members who are really dedicated to service, I believe NHS can become a more substantial organization that it has been in the past.”

ORGANS: JUMP from B1 “Alesha’s event was very successful. I am incredibly impressed at Alesha’s confidence, competence, her ability to arrange for 9 speakers over 3 days, and to engage teachers and students to participate. I’ve never seen a high school student do something quite like that before,” she said.

According to Gift of Life Michigan’s records, 28 BHHS students joined the Michigan Organ Donor Registry after Kotian’s event.

Kotian said she hopes she can spread the success of her program to other schools, and she has already received messages from others hoping to organize similar programs at their own schools.

She added, “A number of teachers told me afterwards that their students had said it was a life changing experience. Doing this and getting this kind of response made it worth it.”

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HAWKSTARS Lifestyle

B5

June

see where these three senior black hawks are flying off to

amira weeks {12} Harvard University “I chose Harvard over other schools that I applied to because it would offer a challenge. I wanted to be in an environment where I would be challenged not only by my classes but by my peers, and going to Harvard would give me exactly that. I will make a difference at Harvard by looking into clubs and activites.”

brad levine {12} Columbia College, Chicago “I will be majoring in audio arts and acoustics, with a concept of music production for movies and TV, with a double major in marketing.

I chose Columbia because they have one of the better music production and video programs in the country.

As a DJ, I want to be somewhere with a good DJ scene and club life.”

armand cartwright Coastal Academy “I am going to Coastal Academy in New Jersey next year to play basketball on a half scholarship.

I chose this school because it was the best fit for me to play. I plan to help the team win a championship, create a good relationship with the coach, and try my best to make it to the NBA from there.”

photo courtesy of Brad Levine

THE GAME PLAN

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On June 9th, the Bloomfield Hills High School track team will be off to the races for this year’s state competition. Preceding states, the track team will go to counties and those who qualify at counties will proceed into the final rounds of states.

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The Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers have been considered to be two of the more dominant teams in the American League. Friday, June 6th the Tigers will be playing the Red Sox at home at Comerica Park. Currently, the Tigers have the best record in the American League, with their impervious batting line up, and elusive pitching staff. New manager Brad Ausmus and the Tigers are off to a great start.

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Every year the MLB hosts its annual “All Star Game”.

At this game, the best players from both the National League and the American League come together and play a game in the middle of the “All Star Break”. This game always gets national coverage and is an annual phenomenon for all baseball fans. This year, it will take place on July 15th in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Target Field.

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SCOOP

Lifestyle

B6

June

why

GMOs

should be given a second chance define GMO {Genetically Modified Organism} a GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques

A GLIMPSE INTO OUR FUTURE AND EMERGING GLOBAL ISSUES By 2050, world population is expected to increase from 6.7 billion to 9 billion. In order to accomodate this growing demand for food, global agricultural production must be on the rise. But with lack of fresh water, urbanization, climate change, and environmental stresses, how can we promote sustainability while feeding the world population?

our world in 2000

our world in 2050

one person represents 1 billion people

urbanization will further limit the amount of arable land, thus decreasing agricultural production

as a result of using GMOs, farmers will be less exposed to harsh chemicals from pesticides and herbicides

sea levels will rise as a result of climate change, causing low croplands to be submerged

genetically engineered crops can resist pests without using pesticides, thus reducing poisoning rates

the more helpful insects that currently exist, the more helpful insects that will survive

with less money spent on pesticides and herbicides, small communities can benefit more from great profits

Courtney Zhu vitamin deficiencies are public health issues that can be addressed using genetic engineering

as crop yields increase for individual farmers, profit skyrockets as well

as pest population decreases on GMO farms, it will decrease on non-GMO farms as well

the growing number of pests, diseases, and other environmental stresses will limit crops

as a result of using far less herbicides and pesticies, soil quality will improve

Source Citation: Ronald, Pamela. "Plant Genetics, Sustainable Agriculture and Global Food Security." Genetics 188.1 (2011): 11-20. Web.

Co-Executive Editor

editor encourages readers to rethink the fate of genetically modified organisms In the age of mass media and technology, public perception can be easily distorted. When you google “Miley Cyrus,” twerking is the first word that pops up and soon, twerking is the first word that comes to mind when seeing Miley Cyrus.

Likewise, when you google “GMOs,” everything that comes up is negative.

Genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMOs, have earned such a hostile reputation and as a result, its derogatory connotation has hindered any sign of progress and potential for research.

Yes, the study of GMOs is quite underdeveloped in the scientific community. Yes, a number of experiments has proved that GMOs can have harmful side effects.

So why should we give it another chance when it has seemingly failed us?

Because that’s what innovation is.

With any type of experimentation, scientists and researchers are bound to fail–over and over again.

That’s what we call progress.

But these scientists and researchers–the very people who may one day develop solutions to the global food crisis and environmental deterioration issues–can’t make any progress when the public is turned against them.

Anti-GMO protests and anti-GMO legislation have surfaced and evidently crushed any hope for GMO development.

This, however, is not the end.

As the voice of the public, its my challenge to you to give GMOs a second chance.

According to researcher Pamela Ronald, global food demand is on the rise along with an expected growth in world population. At the same times, forces of nature and society–climate change, rising sea levels, and urbanization–are combating this need.

Inevitably, the solution is to adapt food crops to these conditions using genetic engineering.

For this reason, genetically engineered crops are the seeds of our future. Give it a chance.