May and Senior 2019 by The Bloomfield Hawkeye

THE

HAWKEYE May 2019

Bloomfield Hills High School

Volume VI-Issue V

END of an

ERA

Photo by Georgia Zimmerman

Bloomfield Hills superintendent leaves district by KAITLYN KEELE 19-20 News Editor

fter nearly a decade serving the district of Bloomfield Hills Schools, Superintendent Dr. Rob Glass has announced that he will be leaving Michigan for new career opportunities for both himself and his wife in New York. “It really was bittersweet. On the one hand, I am thrilled to start a new life adventure, and on the other hand, I am very sad to be leaving all of the people I care about so much,” said Glass. According to several colleagues and friends of Dr.

Glass, he was active in the combination of the high schools and it was one of his greatest achievements. “Rob has had a significant impact. He came here nine years ago and was instrumental when we combined from two high schools into one high school,” said school board president Paul Kolin. “He obviously brought a vision, in terms of where we are today in our curriculum and what we’re doing as a district, as we are consolidating a lot of things. We’re trying to centralize a lot of aspects throughout the district and that’s because of Rob’s leadership. He’s made a major im-

pact on the school board and our education vision over the past nine years.” Principal Hollerith also mentioned how Glass was one of his mentors and part of his support system throughout the tough times when merging the high schools. Hollerith noted that it was his honor and privilege to work under the leadership of Glass. “We have worked on a different number of projects together including, of course, the high school. He’s always been collaborative and supportive, and he always looks to bring out the best in people,” said Hollerith. Not only does the

SCHOOL NEWS Bloomfield Bowl fundraiser held

Student leadership raises money for Hamtramck Stadium by MARI LYNN 19-20 Staff Writer The Bloomfield Bowl, a flag football tournament, kicked off Saturday, May 18. This event, hosted by Student Leadership, helped to raise money for Hamtramck Stadium, the former home of the Detroit Stars, an American baseball team that played in the Negro League. From 11 to 2 o’clock at Lahser High School, five teams of students and staff battled it out on the field, in hopes of winning tickets to a Tigers game. All the fun, sweat, and even some sliding catches helped raise over $400 for the restoration of Hamtramck Stadium. This cultural landmark is unique to American history, as it is on the National Register of Historic Places for being one of the 12 remaining

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Negro League ballparks in America. To Bloomfield Hills English teacher Vanessa Rose, this public ballpark that represents diversity, inclusion, and history is very personal. Detroit’s own Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, a Negro League legend and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is her late grandfather; the money is being donated in his honor. “My grandpa would feel honored. He cared about students and education just as much as sports, so this event truly honors his legacy and memory,” Rose said. Although Hamtramck Stadium has fallen into disrepair in recent years, the Piast Institute and the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, the groups behind the restoration, hope it will bring a sense of community to the densely populated city. With the donations from our school and other corporations, Hamtramck Stadium’s field will be able to be used for baseball, cricket games, and soccer. “It is a historical site but will also bring new

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administration and school board believe that Dr. Glass has helped the district become what it is today, Glass himself also believes that he has influenced the district positively. “I believe I have influenced many people, from Board members, to community members, to staff members, parents, and students,” said Glass. “There is an old saying that ‘more is caught than taught.’ I believe that my fundamental approach has been authentic, sincere, and well-grounded in educational theory, and, as a result, has influenced many people.” Dr. Glass is leaving Bloomfield Hills with a framework

and people who would live up to his contributions to better the district. However, people will miss him as a mentor and a supporter. “I am a beneficiary of his work to be able to be a principal in this building. He has been a great mentor, a great friend, and probably you couldn’t ask to have a better boss. I hope we can continue to stay in touch and I look forward to him doing good things in my home state of New York,” said Hollerith. According to Dr. Glass, he will remember the district as something to be proud of and will miss it dearly. “Thank you for the honor

of serving this amazing community for the last nine years. This is the best school district in Michigan and one of the finest in the nation. Stay true to your strategic vision and keep building toward the ‘Portrait of a Learner,’” said Glass. “I will miss all of you more than you will know. It is now your responsibility to help the Board of Education select the next superintendent to build upon all that has been accomplished and take you to new heights. Your future is bright.”

DIstrict news District vaping ordinance established

New bill takes action on vaping in the community by LAINE LORD 19-20 Managing Editor by LAINIE RUBIN 19-20 Staff Writer

With the recent growth in legislation guided towards the legalization of marijuana, there has been a steep increase in the usage of nicotine vaporizers in youth. E-cigarettes were designed to be an alternative for smokers willing to quit the use of traditional cigarettes. However, as of 2017, more teens have gotten their hands on these vaping devices rather than the adults they are intended for. Vaping is considered the action of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol product produced by using a vape device.

Individual publication awards

“An annual Monitoring the Future survey indicated 37.3 percent of 12th graders responded positively to ‘any vaping’ in 2018, compared to 27.8 percent in 2017. Federal officials concurred vaping had risen to epidemic proportions.” Some teens do not realize the harmful chemicals filled in these vapes, which can eventually cause trauma. Within the last month, state Senators voted on a bill banning the retale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18. Somehow, Bloomfield Hills teens still continue to find ways around the law. On May 13th, the Bloomfield Township board voted on a new ordinance regarding the action of vaping. Bloomfield Hills School District liaison David VanKerckhove said, “The ordinance states that anyone under the age of 18 in the township of Bloomfield, as well as on any Bloomfield Hills school property, cannot use, be in possession, or purchase e-cigarettes or alternative nicotine products.” After a meeting held last summer with school

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Fundraiser (from 1) life to the city and the youth of Detroit. As Detroit is being rebuilt, it is safe to say that black historic sites have been lost in the shuffle and undervalued,” said Rose. Lindsey Zousmer and Brad Zousmer, the co-hosts of this event, along with Student Leadership, proposed the idea of the Bloomfield Bowl to replace the Battle of Bloomfield. This fundraiser previously consisted of basketball games played by students, faculty, the Bloomfield Police Department, and the Bloomfield Fire Department. As basketball season is over, and fundraisers like coaches versus cancer have been done in the past, Student Leadership felt it was time for a new game plan to help the community. “We do plan on doing the same thing again [next year] because it was successful, but we’re going to find another cause to donate to,” said Lindsey Zousmer. “We think that by this time next year the stadium will already be built; they are just working on some finishing touches so this will helpfully cover that cost.”

in the

Local and world news highlights

Alabama passes anti-abortion bill Outrage has taken over the nation after Alabama Govorner Kay Ivey signed an anti-abortion bill into law in mid-May, prohibiting most abortions within the state. It is expected that the law will be put into effect in about six months. Until then, women may still receive abortions in the state. While the law allows a woman to have an abortion in “emergency situations” where her life could be at risk, the law does not include exceptions for abortions for cases of rape or incest. Since its passage, the law is being challenged by both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood Federation of America on the grounds of being a direct violation of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court case that established a woman’s right to have an abortion. It is unclear if the case will reach the Supreme Court.

Vaping (from 1) liaisons and recourse officers, the main issue discussed was vaping in schools and minors in possession of vaping devices. “Because there was no state law against vaping for minors, and with a lot of talking with many different officers from around the state, they said their cities and townships were doing their own local ordinances, so I thought maybe we could do that in Bloomfield. I suggested it to our chief and he ran with it,” said VanKerckhove. To keep the ordinance implemented throughout Bloomfield Township, many repercussions were put in place for those who broke the law. The consequences differ based on your role in the situation. “An adult or juvenile vaping on school property will be charged with a civil infraction and a 100 dollar fine. A minor who violates the ordinance will be charged with a civil infraction and a 100 dollar fine, but can also be ordered by the court to participate in a health promotion and risk reduction assessment program to try and help kids from vaping,” said VanKerckhove. “A retailer selling to minors will be charged with misdemeanor, which is a criminal offense, and a fine up to 500 dollars.” David Buckley, a Bloomfield Township trustee said, “This new ordinance will just give some strength in order to keep kids from trying to vape in school. People say that vapes are a good smoking alternative, but if you are not smoking cigarettes in the first place, there is no reason to start the Juul. This ordinance was put in place to give the school administration and liaison officers the ability to reinforce that vaping should not be done in schools.” Because there has been no state law previously referring to the action of vaping, ordinances solely based in each township are becoming more common. “This specific ordinance is only placed in the Bloomfield Township, yet many of our students come from West Bloomfield, where they have an ordinance as well. Commerce Township has their own ordinance, and so does Dearborn,” said Officer VanKerckhove. While local action was taken, there is still state level opposition against vaping legislation. With the creation of the vaping ordinance in the Bloomfield Hills district, there has been an increase in state-wide support towards legislation regarding vaporizers in youth.

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May NEWS

What do you think? Based on the situation in Alabama, how can legislators compromise on controversial issues?

“We can solve problems by bringing everyone together and getting everyone’s opinion so we can meet in the middle. “ Erin Marshall (11)

Photo by Vox

additional highlights Chicago confirms first measles case of 2019 Measles continues to spread across the United States, Chicago being the most recent city that has been affected. Health officials confirmed the first case on May 18th. Since then, more cases have been identified across the city. At least 5 infants have been confirmed to have contracted measles, as the outbreak continues to spread. According to health officials, measles is an extremely contagious virus. Those who are exposed to infected individuals are advised to seek treatment right away.

Photo by The Chicago Tribune

Photo by The College Board

Photo by NBC News

SAT establishes new “adversity score”

Soon to be used by all colleges and universities in 2020, the College Board, who administers the SAT, has established a new “adversity score”. The score is designed to place students’ SAT scores in the context of their socioeconomic status, specifically the advantages and disadvantages their status may pose.

“You have to learn to look at both sides of the situation and try to come up with the best compromise between the two.” Andrew Barash (12)

Tornado leaves 3 dead Missouri recently faced an EF3 level tornado, which ripped through Jefferson City, the state’s capital. The tornado reached wind speeds of up to 160mph, leaving trails of destruction in its wake. In Jefferson City, 20 people were transported to the hospital with injuries, but no fatalities were reported. In Golden City, however, three were killed.

“They [the legislators] can start by being non-biased and not bringing their own personal beliefs into the issue.” Emma Ramsey (12)

May News

Brooks honored

Melanie Brooks at the Global Leadership event. Photo by BHSD

Melanie Brooks recognized for work towards inclusion by FALLAN SHERMAN 19-20 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Brady Crimmins

Brady Crimmins recognized Senior recieves scholarship by IZZI HARBER 19-20 Copy Editor

Senior Brady Crimmins was declared a U.S. Presidential Scholar and was only one of two people in Michigan to receive the award. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was founded in 1964 and is a program of the U.S. Department of Education. It recognizes high school seniors in the United States and citizens living in other countries for their high performances in academics, arts, or career/technical training. “The U.S. Department of Education invited approximately

5,300 students to apply this year from among a graduating class of approximately 3.6 million students; that’s an invitation rate of under 0.15%,” said Crimmins. “Students are selected based on either standardized test scores or nomination by the president of their state’s school board. No application is submitted ahead of time, and participation is by invitation only.” Crimmins, an academic candidate, had to complete an application including four essays

ranging from 1,600 to 7,000 characters and references from teachers. Social studies teacher, Matt MacLeod, was one of Crimmins’ references and had to fill out a questionnaire. “[The questionnaire] asked all about Brady not just in the classroom but how he is with students [and] how he is with the school community because they try to look at the student as a whole and not just their test scores,” said MacLeod. Crimmins found out he was a

“Being a Presidential Scholar is a very fulfilling experience.”

Brady Crimmins U.S. Presidential Scholar

semi-finalist on April 17, after his application was reviewed by the U.S Commission on Presidential Scholars. According to MacLeod, having a Bloomfield student be nationally recognized is a high honor. “Our [students] went up against every other high school student in the state of Michigan, [and] for a Bloomfield kid to win it, I think it’s something we as an entire community should be really proud of” said MacLeod. The National Recognition Program for this year’s Scholars will be held in Washington D.C. in June, which Crimmins will attend. “It helps me realize that my hard work is being recognized in places outside just college applications, and I’m happy to represent BHHS through it.”

Junior tops national chemistry competition Alan Zhang places among top chemistry students by LAINE LORD 19-20 Managing Editor Within the past few weeks, junior Alan Zhang was recognized as a national finalist in the Honors for U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad competition, a multi-tiered exam geared toward finding the best-of-the-best chemistry students. Across the nation, the highest performing chemistry students participated in the USNCO (U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad), a near five hour exam. Zhang not only completed the exam but ranked as a national finalist and within the top 150 students in the country. “The test was difficult and quite comprehensive. It took a lot of critical thinking,” said Zhang. “But most of the concepts I was able to understand. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would be making the top 150 because the exam was so hard, but I came to realize that the exam was hard for everyone. I have been studying for chemistry for two years, so I spent a lot of weekends and nights studying chemistry. I also studied with Mr. Kwasny for a fair amount of time.” AP Chemistry teacher, Dennis Kwasny, mentored and tutored Alan with his studying. In order to prepare for the test, Kwasny and Zhang began studying at the beginning of the year by taking previous years’ tests. “He would come to me with questions about problems on past years’ exams and we would work through them together,” said Kwasny. As Zhang was Kwasny’s first student to meet this level of success in the national competition, Kwasny described the qualities that separated Alan from the his peers. “This is the first time a student has gotten this far in the competition. I have had students take the local exam prior to the National Olympiad and the National Exam, but no one had done as well as Alan.” said Kwasny.

“Another thing that was kind of neat is [Alan is] in AP Chemistry this year and we hadn’t quite finished all of the topics by the time he had to to take this exam. So he came in and I helped him to learn some of the topics that we hadn’t covered yet and that he would need to know to take the test.” Alan concluded with explaining his moti-

vation behind studying for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, and why this process began in the first place. “I am interested in pursuing medicine and I know that chemistry is going to be a large part of that path going forward,” said Zhang. “I thought I would get a headstart and push my academic boundaries.”

Alan Zhang posing with his chemistry teacher Dennis Kwasny with their awards. Photo by BHSD

In early May, guidance counselor Melanie Brooks was accepted as a new member of the Diversity Champion Honor Roll, an allinclusive and non-competitive program that recognizes individuals who promote equity and inclusion through their work. To become a member of the honor roll, nominees must have helped promote diversity within their organization. Brooks has demonstrated her own principles of equity throughout her career at BHHS and has striven to make a more inclusive school environment. “I first became aware of [the Diversity Champion Honor Roll] last year because of my work with the Global Leadership Program. The program gives recognition to individuals who show work towards equity and inclusion in whatever environment they happen to be working in,” said Brooks. “My selection was based upon my work here within our district to help develop and implement programs that promote inclusion and acceptance.” Mrs. Brooks has been a part of the BHHS community for six years. Throughout that time, she has made a difference in the lives of many of her students. “Mrs. Brooks has always reassured me

“The presence or lens that I bring everyday influences my involvement here at the high school as I see every student as one that needs to feel they belong, and I strive to do that with every student I encounter.”

Melanie Brooks Guidance Counselor

that it’s okay to make mistakes and that as long as I am doing my best, everything will work out,” said sophomore Riley Shapiro. “She has helped make my high school career smooth as she occasionally checks in on me whenever I see her in the halls or in her office.” During her time at BHHS, Brooks has had multiple accomplishments that all contributed to her being recognized as a diversity champion. “The presence or lens that I bring everyday influences my involvement here at the high school as I see every student as one that needs to feel they belong, and I strive to do that with every student I encounter,” said Brooks. Her roles both inside and outside of the school have contributed to her nomination. With her role as an adviser in the Global Leadership Program, Brooks has been able to extend her ideals of inclusion beyond the school doors. “Primarily, I work with the high school Global Leaders here but I have helped teach them to train eighth graders. This year for the first time we trained about 60 eighth graders into developing a more equitable and inclusive environment as they enter high school,” said Brooks. Brooks has had many positive responses regarding growth within her students. However, most of all, she is honored to receive recognition for the change she has led within the community. “I am very proud having been nominated for my work, something that I am really passionate about and believe in,” said Brooks. “Even in my six years here, I have seen growth and more sensitivity to others and more acceptance. Just being able to be with [the students] along these journeys and watch them grow has been very fulfilling to me.”

Addressing the

Measles O Measles outbreak sweeps the nation Experts speak on the measles outbreak by NATASHA MEHTA Staff Writer

easles, a highly contagious virus that was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, has resurfaced across the country, including right here in Oakland County. “It’s spread by respiratory secretions, which can be spread by coughing on someone, sneezing on someone, and even tears,” said Dr. Carl Lauter, a specialist in infectious disease and immunology and professor at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. Compared to other illnesses, measles is proven to be “super unique and contagious,” said pediatrician Dr. Jonathan Lauter. “If I have the flu, for you to get it from me, I would have to either cough on you, be within three feet of you, sneeze on you, or share a glass of water with you,” Dr. J. Lauter said. “But measles is airborne, so if you walk in the same room with someone within two hours of them being in that room you can get measles.” The simple transmission of measles along with the incubation period are what make measles so “unique,” as stated by Dr. J. Lauter.

“There is this long incubation period where you may feel totally fine, until 21 days [after transmission],” Dr. J. Lauter said. “That is a long time. [There are] a lot of opportunities to not know you are sick and to spread it.” The vaccine for measles is typically given in the United States in two doses, at ages one and four, to provide an overall 97% rate of immunity. This vaccine is called Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, which covers the three illnesses. “We just have to be very clear that there is no controversy about vaccinations,” said Dr. Carl Lauter. “Vaccinations are good. They have very few, very rare, side effects. Although some people get away with [not being vaccinated], some people do not get away with it, and we really have to think about everybody, not just ourselves, when we make a decision.” The CDC and AAP both support the MMR vaccine and serve as a guide to doctors across the state. “I, as a pediatrician, endorse the schedule [that] includes MMR at one and at four years old,” said Dr. J. Lauter.

According to Dr. J. Lauter, the complete prevention of measles is a trickier question. “Avoiding unvaccinated people and vaccinating [yourself] are the only really two things you can do,” said Dr. Jonathan Lauter. “I think that if everyone was vaccinated, we would see less measles. But there can still be outbreaks occasionally like this because people travel around the world, people from around the world travel here, and there are little pockets of communities that are not vaccinated.” Dr. Carl Lauter said that the recent outbreaks of measles were virtually only due to the fact that the number of children with the MMR vaccine has been decreasing, thus creating a group of non-immune people. “I think it’s been inching up a little bit over the last few years,” said Dr. C. Lauter. “There is measles in other parts of the world where vaccinations aren’t as readily available, and when people travel back and forth they can introduce measles into a community in the United States.”

Graphic by VIKRAM LAKSHM

Outbreak

MANAN

Q&A: A doctor’s perspective Dr. Devang Doshi, Chief of Allergy-Immunology at William Beaumont Children's Hospital in Royal Oak, addresses the measles outbreak by SANJU SWAMY 19-20 Business Manager Q: How does someone contract measles, is it a contagious disease or is it a virus? A:

It’s a virus and it’s highly contagious and it’s usually spread by close contacts in people that have infection and also by water droplet meaning like human contact with saliva. It can be contracted by close proximity in patients that have the acute infection.

Q: What is the best way to prevent the disease? A:

The best way really is to get the vaccine. The vaccine has proven to be over 97% effective in preventing measles if they received both doses per the CDC’s recommendation.

Q: Is it more likely that someone who had measles a child to get the disease as an adult? A: Very unlikely, because once they get it they develop antibodies and they are actually protected when we get a vaccine the body makes antibodies against that disease that we’re getting vaccinated for, therefore we have protection, so in theory, we are not supposed to get that infection.

Q: What are the symptoms of measles? A:

Obviously there is a rash, fever, and injection of the eyes, we call it conjunctival injection fever which is a runny nose, dry cough, sore throat, congestion, and an oppressive rash. So the eyes become bloodshot red and tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside, so you get this rash called Koplik’s spots and then you get a skin rash that’s blotchy all over the body. So the incubation is about 10-14 days after you’ve become infected and it looks like a cold and red eyes, and the fever can get pretty high.

Q: What are some possible complications of getting measles? A:

The biggest complication is two things. One is encephalitis, which can be a brain injury that can develop as a complication of it. Pneumonia can also be life-threatening in patients that have a compromised, weakened immune system. If they get measles, they can get pneumonia secondarily and it can sometimes be fatal. Also if someone is pregnant, they need to be careful.

Q: How can schools prevent and control measles? A:

Recently in the news, you’ve been seeing all these cases of measles outbreaks and it’s really in individuals who have chosen to avoid getting vaccines in general. In communities or in populations who choose not to get the vaccine, they get exposed to someone who has the disease then it’s friends within their communities and if they’re traveling in the airports and on planes where people who may have chosen not to get the vaccine, they’re going to be at high risk for contracting it.

Obviously, if there is a suspected outbreak within the community, they should be on the lookout. If they know of a case, they should probably close the school down, until they know that they are no other people infected coming to school. The main say is really to keep encouraging people to receive the vaccine for MMR, measles prevention in their student population every year so that everybody is providing documentation of their vaccine status. Then, we know it’s a highly communicable infectious disease. The vaccine has been around since the sixties’, most people alive and practicing medicine today haven’t seen a case of measles till recently and it’s because of the vaccine. If there is an outbreak like now and there is a suspected case, they should really put everything on lockdown to make sure that it’s not spreading within the school.

Q: How does the vaccine work, and how long does it take to start working?

Q: Can you talk about people not wanting to get the vaccine because it could lead to a compromised immune system?

A: The vaccine works by inducing an immune response

Q: Has measles been a prevalent disease for the past few years, what do you think might have attributed to this? A:

within the body to have its own immune system to make anti-measles antibodies. In essence, it’s like getting a modified protein of measles so the body recognizes it and makes its own antibodies against it. So if it doesn’t counter it in real life, we’ve already got anti-measles antibodies to fight so the likelihood of us becoming sick becomes very low.

There is a big controversy about vaccines in general, and possible side effects, and links to autism and because it’s a live virus vaccine people get nervous with them and if there was some hidden thing, autism’s never been proven to be linked to at least in the medical literature. People get very reluctant on getting their children vaccinated because they are afraid that it might cause them to develop autism. But, at least in the medical literature, there is no data that has shown that any vaccine is associated with giving someone the chance of developing autism as they get older.

Design by JENNY SHE

May Feature

Forensics concludes Team takes third place at state tournament by BEN SILBERMAN 19-20 Design Editor The 2018-2019 forensics season came to a close over the first weekend in May, capping off a successful few months with a 3rd place run at the state tournament. Although the team overall did not finish as strong as they have in previous years, all competitors learned a lot about what forensics truly means and why it’s important. Additionally, the team did have more than a few individuals place and compete at a very high level. “I am extremely happy with where I placed at 6th overall in the category of Duo. I’ve been competing in forensics for seven years now, from the beginning of middle school all the way to senior year. Before now, I had never seen a final at the statelevel tournament, so to finally make it there after all this time was really rewarding” said senior team captain Connor Renusch. “On top of that, this season’s team had a lot of underclassmen, so I really enjoyed stepping into a mentoring role and helping younger team members develop over the course of the season. I’m sad that my forensics career has come to a close, but I’m happy with how everything ended personally.” Junior Lexie Finkelstein also grew a lot this year as a competitor, even after a major setback. “Early in February, I dislocated my ankle, broke my fibula and tibia, and tore every ligament in my foot. I wasn’t able to walk for a very long time, and competed for the majority of the season in crutches or a wheelchair. However, I powered through the pain and finished 4th overall at the state tournament. After the injury, my teammates and coaches couldn’t have been more supportive, and without that, I don’t know if I would have done as well as I did in the end,” she said. “This year I learned how to persevere through something that could completely derail your goals, and I’m grateful that forensics taught me those skills. I am beyond excited to see how next seasons unfolds.” The team had three individuals finish first overall in their respective categories: sophomore Eva Otremba (sales), junior Kiersten McCollum (poetry), and senior Debra Moraitis (dramatic interpretation). “I was shocked to have won,” said Eva Otremba. “I had been placing well throughout the season, but I never would have expected to take first overall. It was extremely humbling, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have competed with my friends all season.” Next season, the forensics team figures to be bigger and better, and all competitors are looking forward to what the future might have in store.

Freshman Cami Krugel and her two puppies. Photo by Heather Chen

Bring Your Own Dog event held

Students raise money for dog rescue by JANE ROSETT 19-20 Staff Writer

Student Leadership raised $2,600 and was able to donate $1,300 to both Detroit Dog Rescue and Detroit Animal Care in Control at the Bring Your Own Dog (BYOD) event on May 11. Despite the grey and cold weather, many students, parents, and community members contributed to making the third annual BYOD event a success. Dog owners were able to socialize with other owners and meet a variety of dogs. Another main aspect of BYOD was the ability for attendees to collect free pet care items and information from local pet suppliers. “The purpose of BYOD is to unite the community through the

mutual love of dogs, while raising money for local dog shelters and giving a platf o r m f o r small businesses,” s a i d BYOD c o m mittee memb e r Lexie Finkelstein. One of the new additions for the third annual BYOD was the food truck stationed at the event which was open to the

whole community. Local food trucks and pet adoptions were available for anyone who donated the minimum entry fee of $3 (all of which was donated). The coordinators also expanded the fundraiser to include arts and craft activities geared towards community service, and lawn games. With these added features, the fundraiser was able

“This year I think we really amped it up with our website, Facebook group, and Instagram page as well as having adoption. We were able to help five dogs find a home.”

Rikki Goldman BYOD Committe Member

to attract and engage more people. Committee members and event attendees equally enjoyed the event. “I loved seeing all the dogs and being able to play with them. I also loved seeing all the dogs interact with each other” said Kylie Sikaitis, a student leadership representative. Erin Dimarzo, BYOD attendee said, “I had a great time selling raffle tickets with my friend Susan and enjoyed watching a variety of dogs find a forever home.” The event was available to the whole community, with the purpose of uniting people from the area with the common goal of helping dogs in rescue shelters. BYOD committee member Lexie Finkelstein said, “BYOD is a fun, community-based event that brings together dog lovers with or without one of their own.”

Your child is ready for Kindergarten.

No worries. NOW IT'S OUR JOB TO HELP YOU GET READY TO HAVE A KINDERGARTNER. Now Step 1 Start to gather the items you’ll need to begin the enrollment process. Details are listed at www.bloomfield.org/ kindergarten.

Feb 11 2019

Step 2 Attend the Kindergarten Info Session on Feb. 11, from 7 to 8 PM at Bloomfield Hills High School in the Auditorium, 4200 Andover Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302.

March 2019

Step 3 Bring your child to their neighborhood school and experience what kindergarten will be like! Details will be shared soon.

Any time Step 4 Our family ambassadors are available to host you for a tour, answer questions, and help you prepare. Utilize their expertise by texting “KDG” to 248-230-2879.

May Feature

by JILLIAN SACKSNER 19-20 Social Media Manager

by BEN SILBERMAN 19-20 Design Editor

The Robert C.J. Memorial Traub scholarship is an opportunity for students to gain cultural enrichment and to focus on, and improve upon their skills. Seniors competed, all year putting together their work to be adjudicated during the month of April. This is a competition between students art and music and there can only be one winner per category. The winners are able to travel anywhere in Europe and learn about the cultural differences in comparison to the U.S.

BROOKLIN BEKOLAY Senior Brooklin Bekolay won the Robert C.J. Traub Memorial Scholarship as the art candidate. Bekolay has been working on her art skills for many years. Because of this, she pursued the Traub Scholarship. Bekolay is very passionate about art as she realizes how art connects her with other artists. “Being able to use art to connect with others is what makes it so important and valuable to me. I have had the honor to create many logos and designs for BHHS and I wanted to take the next step in my design career and connect with places outside of my Bloomfield community. This is why I decided to be a Traub art candidate,” said Bekolay. Bekolay’s receipt of this scholarship means she is now able and ready to explore the cultures of Europe for the first time.

“Overall, my goal for my travels is to learn about foreign culture and therefore be able to advertise or design pieces that would communicate well with [other] cultures,” she said. “I have never traveled farther than 20 minutes out of the U.S., to Canada, which makes this trip even more exciting and new for me. Although I have yet to decide exactly where I am going, Budapest is definitely on my list.” According to Bekolay, this scholarship provides students with a once-in-alifetime chance, allowing them to see the world and learn more about other cultures while developing their art skills for the better. “I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to travel and develop my art thanks to the Robert C.J Traub Scholarship and the amazing art programs we have at our school,” Bekolay said.

ISABELLA BARTLETT Painting, colors, drawing, and more. There are many different types of ways senior Isabella Bartlett is able to do art through the Robert C.J Traub Memorial Scholarship. Isabella Bartlett was the alternate winner for the art section of Traub. Bartlett first entered the contest as a way to further her passion for art and show it to others. “I am very passionate about art and all it gives me!” she said.“I applied because I thought it would be fun to put my art up and to see all the other people looking at it and admiring it.” According to Bartlett, she spends a lot of time on her art because she is always ready and looking for new inspiration. “My inspiration is constantly changing when I experience new and exciting things. I spend so much of my time thinking about art and actually painting,” said

Bartlett. When Isabella was selected as the alternate art winner for Traub, she realized what she had earned from this experience. “I gained the certificate, which just inspired me even more because of my victory!” said Bartlett.

DEBBIE WOGAMAN Debbie Wogaman, a senior at BHHS, won the music section of the Robert C.J. Traub Memorial Scholarship. Wogaman first signed up to be a part of Traub because of the time she has put into music and her music aspirations for the future. “I have been in symphony band all four years and we always perform at the Traub ceremony, so I was immersed in Traub since freshman year,” said Wogaman. “In the future, I want to join a renowned orchestra.” The Europe trip for Wogaman provided her with new opportunities to grow as a musician. “I have always been curious about traveling because I have never left the country, so I wanted to give Traub a shot” she said. Opportunities arose for Wogaman once she was selected as the winner of the Traub scholarship, and she plans to use these as a way to develop her skills for the

future. Wogaman has spent her whole life practicing and performing music. Music has been something that has never changed throughout her life. “I’m incredibly passionate about making music. Music, for me, is about expressing love. I’m happy I won and proud of my peers that also competed,” said Wogaman.

DUNCAN MACKILLOP When Duncan Mackillop was selected as the alternate winner in music for the Traub Scholarship, he was able to see the things he had accomplished. Mackillop spoke about being very dedicated to music and wanting to push himself further. “I am very passionate about music. I spend all of my free time working on music and when I am not working on it, I am constantly thinking about it and analyzing how I can do better,” he said. Mackillop’s passion for music inspired him to continue throughout his college career, and throughout the rest of his life. “I have gained a more global understanding of music and learned more about how many influences I’ve had. I have also learned how to talk about my music in depth, which is an essential skill to have for music school,” said Mackillop. “I am going to Western Michigan University to study music.”

Mackillop applied to Traub because of the impact he felt his music could do for others. “I wanted to put my music out into the world and open up the scholarship to kids who want to apply using non-conventional forms of music like producing,” he said. According to Mackillop, he is also able to gain inspiration for his music from all around the world. “I am inspired by a lot of different artists and types of music. Hip-hop and R&B are my biggest influences followed by electronic dance music and all sorts of world music that I learned about in my IB music class,” said Mackillop. Becoming the alternate music winner confirmed Mackillop’s passion that he holds for music.

UMatter week explores difficulties of students UMatter evokes school unity on mental health by JAKE FOGEL 19-20 Managing Editor Earlier this month, Student Leadership and Global Leaders organized a week-long mental health awareness and action event dubbed UMatter Week in partnership with the Friendship Circle. “We know that students in today’s age face a lot of different things than they have faced in the past, and we know all of the different challenges and triumphs that our students deal with,” said Student Leadership adviser Krista Laliberte. “We wanted students to feel like they’re not alone and that there are ways to get help as well as build community with those around you to promote that mental wellness.” UMatter Week was brought to BHHS by Student Leadership and Global Leaders as a way to raise awareness for mental health problems and promote mental wellness. “[The student organizers] tried to create a bunch of different events with several speakers around promoting mental wellness and the positive aspects of that,” said Student Leadership adviser Jessica Lupone. The event was made up of several studentled and organized events including TED Talks, therapy dogs, Real Talks, yoga, a student leader summit, and more. “I think that mental health is becoming a bigger problem in our society and in the world today, and for some people home isn’t a safe space,” said leadership member and coorganizer of the week junior Kaela Bernard.

“So, if [a safe space is] not at home, then it needs to be at school and [kids] should feel comfortable going to any teacher or student and telling them about [their struggles].” Further elaborating on the impact of the week, as well as a need for this type of event for students, Global Leaders adviser and psychology teacher Marlowe B’Sheart said, “Learning depends on safety. In order for students to experience optimal learning, they need to feel both physically and emotionally safe,” she said. “We have more and more students struggling with wellness issues; creating a safe space for students leads to more likelihood students in need of more support will reach out for that support. It helps students who are struggling know they are not alone.” The organizers of the week created several events, but two of the them, Real Talks and TED Talks, both designed to create a sense of togetherness, stood out to students. “I really enjoyed the Real Talks. I thought

Global Leaders working on making posters for UMatter week. Photo by Georgia Zimmerman

hearing from a former student, someone that current students could relate to, was really cool and I thought that it allowed people to have a safe space, have discussions, and really reach out to and lean on each other,” said Lupone. Also recognizing the impacts of the Real Talks and the TED Talks, Global Leaders adviser and social studies teacher Karen Twomey said that her favorite events were, “The spaces such as the TED Talks or student dialogues were created for students to hear they aren’t alone in their struggles, and that there are strategies and allies available towards wellness.” To Student Leadership, it was clear that UMatter Week was more than just a planned event. “A bunch of kids came up to me and other people that planned UMatter Week and said that [the week] was the best thing they’ve ever done in their high school career, and UMatter has changed the way they view the

school,” said senior Eva Goldman, a member of Student Leadership and an organizer of the week-long event. Due to the success of the event, our student leaders not only plan to repeat UMatter Week in the future, but also improve upon it for years to come. “Our goal is to plan another UM Week next year, we got a lot of positive [input] and critiques for next year,” said Bernard. “We plan to implement lots of similar things, but also to expand [the week] and make it even better and more impactul and spread it to more lives.” Overall, students and staff alike agree that UMatter week was created to serve our student body and could never have been possible without them. Laliberte said, “Thank you to all the students who participated in any/all of the events.”

May Feature

Q&A Global Leaders Q : What is Global Leaders? leaders is a group of A : Global well-rounded, diverse students who are dedicated to spreading awareness about many matters around the school, and want to make the community a more respectful and educated place. - Marlee Hooberman (11)

amadan ubarak M

Q : What is the goal of Global Leaders?

goal of Global Leaders is to A : The raise awareness and promote learning about becoming aware of ourselves and our peers and searching beyond one’s appearance. - Jane Hooberman (11)

Q : What activities are

accomplished in this group?

create posters and work in A : We groups during meetings. Also, we

grow stronger as “ Families they go through the struggle

spread the word about upcoming events, such as Ted Talks regarding mental health problems in U-matter week, no place for hate week, and moving up day.

of fasting the whole day together and break their fast as a family which is one of the most joyful meals.

fast for Ramadan to re“ We member God and to be

”

- Paul Susanto (10)

- Jehan Koujane (11)

Q : How has being a part of

fasting for Ramadan “ Although and late night prayers can be

Global Leaders changed you as a student and individual?

difficult during the school year, it’s such a great opportunity to educate others on Ramadan as a whole. Friends ask me questions they wouldn’t normally ask if Ramadan still took place in the summer. Not to mention that time flies when you’re spending time with your friends.

A : Being a part of Global Leaders

has changed me as a student by opening my eyes to people’s true identities. As an individual, my entire mindset has changed and developed to become more sensitive to and understanding of others. - Jane Hooberman (11)

”

Q : How did Global Leaders

grateful for what we have but also remember that there are people in this world who don’t have what we have. It reminds us that people are less fortunate than us and that we should pray for them and try to help them out and remember our part.

”

- Zainab Jaffrey (10)

has been a big part “ Ramadan of my life since I have been celebrating it since I was 6 years old. I really like celebrating Ramadan because it is the most sacred month of the year for Muslims. It really takes over because you cannot eat from sunrise until sunset and it is difficult to focus during school.

- Mariah Al-Atraqchi (10)

contribute to U-Matter week?

”

- Aya AlSabhat (9)

Leaders focused on the A : Global student and teacher Ted Talks, which talked about how [speakers] overcame and coped with mental health issues. - Paul Susanto (10)

Q : Do you think that the

issues addressed in U-Matter Week will still be prevalent in the future?

A : Yes, I think they will still be

prevalent. However, I think U-Matter Week helped shed light on mental health issues [that students are facing today]. So, while U-Matter Week can’t obviously fix these problems in one week, I believe that it was a good first step towards a better future. - Tyrone McGinnis (11)

Q : What is the next event for Global Leaders?

next event is Acceptance A : The Week and bringing the Bloomfield Hills community together to understand and sign the Acceptance Pledge which launches us into becoming a No Place for Hate School, in partnership with the ADL. In addition, Global Leaders will help facilitate Step Up Day by supporting incoming 9th graders developing their understanding of equity and inclusion. - Gabriella Tremonti (11)

The fast has begun Uncovering the meaning of Ramadan by MARLEE SACKSNER 19-20 Feature Editor Monday, May 6, 2019. It has finally begun. Following the lunar calendar, during the ninth month of the Muslim year fasting occurs from sunrise to sunset. It is Ramadan, which will go on for the next 29 days. Ramadan is a celebratory holiday observed by Muslims around the world and focuses on the understanding of appreciation and prayer. Ramadan is celebrated by many students at BHHS and affects them in different ways. “To me, fasting is the biggest thing that keeps me in touch with my religion and it also helps me realize how fortunate we are and how much we take for granted,” said sophomore Tara Raouf. “The purpose of fasting is mostly to open our eyes by putting our-

selves in the shoes of the less fortunate.” This year, Ramadan is taking place during the school year, which can make it challenging for students to perform well in school or after school sports due to the fact that they b e g i n to fast. T h u s , teachers and coaches h a v e taken initiative in order to provide s o m e support for these students. “Ramadan started Sunday night [May 5], and on Monday [May 6], all my Muslim students were exhausted and hungry. I

didn’t bring coffee to school, and I don’t eat anything in the classroom; not even a snack,” said teacher Joanna Tecsa. Students are also invited to relax or work in the Media Center during lunch. The second floor has been labeled as a foodfree zone to help students who are observing Ramadan by providing a place to gather without food. Rules are set in place to follow the traditions that go along with celebrating Ramadan. One specific rule is the fast, which students may need to adjust to.

“Most people are more giving during the time of Ramadan. It allows for us the focus on what we should be grateful for and understand how good we have it.”

Tara Raouf Sophomore

“It is kind of challenging to fast during school because you get really hungry, but then it also messes with your sleep schedule,” said senior Zainab Jaffery. “Before sunrise, you eat, and then when the sun has set, you are able to eat again. So, I think during this time you don’t really feel like doing homework or studying. I actually switched my schedule; I will sleep after school and then I will stay up the entire night.” Overall, Ramadan is a time for people to be surrounded by friends and family and to be thankful for what they have. Muslims gather together to break their fast as a celebration with their community while developing closer relationships. “We stay up all night praying and eating and enjoying each other’s company” said junior Jehan Koujane. “It is such a beautiful feeling knowing that Muslims across the country are all sitting down and breaking their fast and it creates this strong sense of togetherness.”

mAY FeATURE

Midsummer Nights Dream

Theater department puts on spring show by GEORGIA ZIMMERMAN 19-20 Photography Manager

The Mechanicals perform center stage.

Sophomore Cole Bewick and Junior Simon Abohasira blow a kiss.

Fun scenes adorn the stage during production.

Seniors Connor Renusch and Rachel Beltowski look on at sleeping Sophomore Eddie Eichenhorn, and Senior Stephanie Recknagel.

Senior Rachel Beltowski waves goodbye as Seniors Connor Renusch and Stephanie Recknagel drive off in a Vespa.

Seniors Connor Renusch and Stephanie Recknagel go in for a kiss.

Sophomore Cole Bewick alongside Senior Mia DeCerchio.

Senior Emily Williams as the moon.

SHOULD NCAA ATHLETES BE PAID?

15 $ 15

Recently, the NCAA announced that it was exploring options to compensate athletes for their likeness. Under current rules, NCAA athletes are not paid or allowed to benefit from their image. The news has resparked the long lasting debate over whether or not college athletes should be paid or be allowed to benefit off their likeness.

PROS

CONS

SOURCES: VECTEEZY.COM, VITTANA, ESPN, GREENSBORO, SB NATION, EA, WSJ, GODUKE, YALE

Section B Back on the Field

Photo by Susan Adams Photography

Boys lacrosse team seeks success after injuries by SHELBY JENKINS 19-20 Sports Editor As spring turns into summer and students buzz with excitement for the end of the school year, spring sports start to wind down for the season with teams entering their playoﬀ and regional competitions. The varsity boys lacrosse team, with their team finally healthy and recovered, is gearing up for regionals with big plans to top last year’s performance. “Our team has been really successful this year but one of the main things we’ve had to deal with are a lot of injuries,” said junior Brad Zousmer. “A lot of our starters have gone down and missed a lot of games but we’ve done a really nice job working through that. Now, hopefully as playoﬀs are coming everyone will get healthy and we’ll be ready to go out there and win our games.”

So far, the boys have seen victories over opponents including Lansing Waverly, who they defeated 9-6; Cranbrook, who they beat 6-5; and Flint Catholic Powers, who they beat 8-6. The boys team has an 11-6 record going into the regional semi-finals. Varsity coach Jerry Meter hoped to win both the OAA and regional championship. However, according to Meter, the team wasn’t able to come together and win their division. Nonetheless, Meter hopes for a competitive run in regionals. “We have the chance to do a lot of things this year, especially in our region,” said junior Bryce Gutowsky. “Even though it was a close loss to Clarkson, I think we can really prove that we can win the region if we focus and set our

goals straight. For the coming weeks, we need to focus and really mentally prepare ourselves for what’s coming.” After defeating Rochester 17-4 on May 18th the top in the state ranked

up due to injuries,” said Meter. “We started the season with Eddie Dyla, a captain and senior attack, out for the season due to a knee injury. Throughout the season we had other players out for extended time with knee, shoulder, rib, and arm injuries. This is atypical in lacrosse to have this many injuries.” Additionally, several starters were pulled from the games this season due to the Man in Nature trip that sent seniors away from their sports teams for a week to hike through Canada. This year, seniors on the boys lacrosse team missed the games against Flint Catholic Powers and Cranbrook. Still, the team beat Cranbrook by one goal and Flint by two. Coaches and players feel that the

“We have a strong core group of players who take responsibility for leadership and a positive team dynamic.”

Brad Zousmer

Varsity Lacrosse Player Black Hawk boys will compete in the regional semi-finals on May 21st. “The biggest challenge this year is having a consistent oﬀensive line

leadership on the team has helped contribute to the victories while senior starters were missing. Coach Meter attributed this success to the pre-established dynamic of the team before the high school season began. “The team dynamic started last summer and fall when we competed in a number of lax tournaments,” said Meters. “We are fortunate to have a number of 2-3 year letter winners at the start of the year. Their experience has proven very important in helping us through some challenges due to injuries and to rebound from tough games we had this year.” While the boys lacrosse team has experienced setbacks like the loss of senior starters and player injuries, as the regional playoﬀs begin, a healthy and fully recovered team have big plans for the postseason.

May SPORTS

Girls Softball The girls softball team has been working on their skills to improve their overall performance, guided by coaches Nicole Lowry and Jeff Rubin. “We are getting better at running bases and everyone’s hitting is improving,” said sophomore JV player Savitri Anantharaman. The team has led a season winning 4 out of 12 games. Ultimately, what has helped them achieve these accomplishments have been the bonds created within the team. “We have a very solid team with a close-knit, good group of girls, and we are pretty competitive,” said Anantharaman.

Girls Lacrosse The girls lacrosse season started off with losses, but as the weeks went on, the girl’s record improved and they ended with a league record of 5-5. The girl’s gained victory over schools including Notre Dame Prep and West Bloomfield. “We all did get better because we were all enthusiastic.” said sophomore JV player Nicole Bannasch. “We worked really hard to get to where we got.” Even though they lost a few games, they won about four games. During their regional game, despite losing against Troy 11 to 15, the team felt they put in their greatest effort.

5W-5L Photo by Susan Adams Photograpy

4W-8L

Photo by Marlee Sacksner

Black Hawk Sports Update Wrapping up the year with the Black Hawk varsity teams

Boys Baseball Playing against all new teams, the boys baseball team is 13-8 this year. “We’re doing pretty well, as we are tied for first in the district,” said senior captain John Paul Arslanian. “We moved districts this year, so we are not playing any of the usual teams we’ve played previously.” According to coach Frank DiVito, the experienced Black Hawks have been disciplined all year. “We don’t make a lot of errors and we are a very united team,”said Arslanian. “We all like each other and like playing with each other.” Coming up, the Black Hawks travel to Waterford Mott on Tuesday, May 21st.

Track and Field The girls and boys track teams have returned this spring for another season. “We have a great team environment,” said freshman Kellen Fife. “Everyone works so hard and competes to get better and better everyday. Our girls have been doing very well so far this season.” At the Oakland Activities Association Red-White Championship meet on May 9, the girls team placed 9th and the boy’s team took a 6th place finish. The team will wrap up their season with their championship in Oakland County on May 24 and the state finals on June 1.

13 W - 8 L

Photo by Georgia Zimmerman

Photo by Paul Kolin

Girls Tennis The new season of Black Hawks girls Tennis has arrived, along with high expectations. The Black Hawks won their regionals and are now on their way to the state championship, which takes place on June 1st. “We’re doing extremely well,” said junior captain Kaela Bernard. “Right now we are ranked second in the state, which is really exciting. We are putting in a lot of work and are really hoping to win the state title.” Photo by Susan Adams Photograpy

Boys Golf Coached by Scott Hayes, the boys varsity golf team looks to be one of the top teams in the state. “We’ve been placing top five in most tournaments,” says senior captain Ankith Varchasvi. “I think we have a really good shot to make it to states because we’re up there with the top schools in the state,” said Varchasvi. Much of the team’s success is credited to the player’s experience, as most of the team has returned from last year. “Our strength is our ability to finish out tournaments, which comes with our experience.” Coming up, the Black Hawk golfers are scheduled to compete in a tournament at Oakhurst on May 21st. Photo by Joey Arsalanian

Girls Soccer The girls soccer team has had a great season so far, according to Sophomore Sara Huston. Head coach Alan Zakaria has helped achieve wins for the Black Hawks. The varsity team has tackled teams like Rochester Adams and Athens, with the JV-B girls soccer team beating Troy Athens 2-0, and the JV-A team beating them 3-0. The soccer team has also hosted events like community nights and a car wash, both raising money for the athletic programs in the district. With the end of the season just around the corner, the team will play WaterfordKettering on May 22 in the first round of the district playoffs.

3 W - 3 T- 3 L

Photo by Susan Adams Photograpy

May sports

Halima Aden starts new line

Halima Aden models hijab and burkini in swimsuit photoshoot Photo by Sports Illustrated

Halima Aden becomes the first of a new line of models by KIERSTEN PAPE 19-20 Staff Writer Local field hockey players at Ohio State University Photo by Johanna Fraley

Field hockey added to the lineup Field hockey program set to start next fall by HILARY LAM 19-20 Staff Writer Next fall, girls will be able to play a new sport: field hockey. The program was started by Courtney Emde, a junior who played on the Marian field hockey team before transferring. “I played for Oakland field hockey this fall, but it just wasn’t the same. I realized it was missing the components that a school team has,” Emde said. “I love playing field hockey and all of the experiences I have had with school teams, so I decided it was important for BHHS to have a team.”

The coach, Johanna Fraley, has been coaching field hockey for eleven years, including helping coach a club team at BHHS a few years back before it ended. She was previously set to coach at Mercy but chose to start at Bloomfield Hills to ensure a program for future players. “I coach because I can, because I should and because it’s my turn to coach the next generation of female athletes; for the love of the game,” said Fraley. Officially, the sport will be considered a club because the low number of teams, 32, does not qualify the sport as a MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) sport. For now, an organization for field hockey called MHSFHA (Michigan High School Field Hockey Association) utilizes MHSAA

rules to monitor Michigan field hockey. Students, however, will still have the opportunity to earn varsity letters. “As we go, we would like to have varsity and JV [programs] and we would like to expand it so that we are competitive in the state of Michigan, as well as with the rest of the programs in the United States,” said Fraley. The Bloomfield Hills girls will be playing in Division 3 as a new team with opportunities to move up as they progress. Fraley has ideas about the future from her experience as a coach and ultimately believes that the future is “up to the girls in terms of who comes out, and how we’re going to shape it.” The program will begin with several activities prior to the school year and a season of

growth. Both Fraley and Emde anticipate interest from people who have never played field hockey. Emde said, “The coach is going to be holding clinics for people to try out the sport and I will be doing captain’s practices over the summer so that our team can start preparing for the season and getting to know each other.” The team is looking for all girls to join even if they do not have experience. “Everyone should definitely try out the sport; it’s super fun and I have met some of my best friends from it,” said Emde. “If anyone is worried about not knowing how to play, don’t let that hold you back because most people do not know and everyone is learning.”

Halima Aden is the first Sports Illustrated model to wear hijab and burkini in the upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Aden started her career in 2016 when she made history as the first woman to wear a hijab and burkini in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant; but she didn’t stop there. After the pageant, Aden was recognized by IMG models and immediately signed to them. Her career took off from there. Aden has been featured in Vogue Arabia, being one of the first models to wear a hijab on the cover, and she has walked in many shows in New York Fashion Week. Soon after Aden’s career took off, Aden had the opportunity to be the first woman to be showcased in a Sports Illustrated magazine wearing a traditional burkini and hijab. These pieces of clothings are worn by muslim women, often covering most of their bodies. No one has ever done this before, and Aden wanted to be the first. Sports Illustrated wanted her for this issue and found her from the work she has done as a model, but they also admired the work she has done as a Unicef ambassador. The photo shoot was shot on the beaches of her home country, Kenya, where she grew up until she moved to America when she was seven years old. The message behind this photoshoot was whether you are wearing a one-piece, a two-piece, or a burkini, you are a pilot of your own beauty. Sports Illustrated’s photoshoot was released on social media before the issue came out on May 8. However, there have been mixed messages from people around the globe. After Aden posted a picture on Instagram of the photo shoot. many of the comments were concerning her religion, and questioned the appropriateness of the shoot. “They [Sports Illustrated) should know that the point of hijab is to be modest and the model is posing in a way that defines her curves, which defeats the purpose of the hijab” said sophomore Tara Raouf. Many people also shared their opinion on Aden’s instagram photo of the photoshoot. Instagram user @fafa_21 said, “This is offensive to me as a modest Muslim woman wearing hijab. She does not represent me. Don’t call this modesty or hijab, this is just a fashionable covered woman on the beach.” Many expressed the complexities involved in this issue as well. “This photoshoot is very difficult to speak on because my opinion is mixed. I think it is amazing that hijabs are getting representation in something as huge as Sports Illustrated, but the people who were in charge of the shoot should have thought it through and done some research on it beforehand” Raouf said. “They should know that the point of hijab is to be modest and the model is posing in a way that defines her curves, which defeats the purpose of the hijab.” Although there were a lot of responses questioning her faith, she had a lot of positive feedback, too. Instagram user @Pulermuse said, “She isn’t trying to change the rules of Islam. She trying to talk about the fact that you don’t have to go against yourself to be successful in the modeling industry. She is changing the game of modeling.” Many women of all religions expressed that they felt empowered by the photoshoot. “I believe that Halima Aden will inspire and be a role model to not just Muslims but many other girls as well. She isn’t afraid to show off who she is and that she’s covering her body. She isn’t ashamed to wear what Muslim women wear to swim” said sophomore Sara Lutfi. “She will inspire many girls to become a better version of themselves.”

May Op/ed

The search for a new

Super

STAFF Adviser Rachel Matz Editors-in-Chief Riya Doshi Evan Stern Print Managing Editors Lara Janosz Jake Weitzman Web Managing Editors Kushal Sanjeev Jenny She Copy Editors Darby Krugel Ali Randal Design Editor Madeline Wein Illustrator Margot Wester Section Editors Jake Fogel Kaitlyn Luckoff Justin Yaker Photography Manager Georgia Zimmerman Promotional Manager Sadie Kirschner Web Content Manager Caitlin Finerty Senior Writers Brendan Lynn Madeline Moskus Staff Writers Hanna Halstead Caelan Jansen Sarah Kenkel Steven Krivitsky Vikram Lakshmanan Kaitlyn Luckoff Debra Moraitis Ben Mutz Elena Ofiara Andres Quiroga Alexis Rillema Erin Schwartz Sophia Sherbin Ava Singer Sydney Stearns Jonah Stone Samantha Trepeck Guest Writers Sonya Barlow Vansh Bhardwaj Isa Halsband Isabelle Harber Shelby Jenkins Kaitlyn Keele Hillary Lam Laine Lord Mari Lynn Ben Moss Kiersten Pape Jane Rosett Lainie Rubin Jillian Sacksner Marlee Sacksner Seema Shah Fallan Sherman Ben Silberman Gabe Singer Sanjuktha Swamy

What we think

Our hopes for the new superintendent As many students know, after this school year, Superintendent Dr. Rob Glass will be leaving the Bloomfield Hills School District for new opportunities in New York. As we reflect on his tenure in the district, we are also looking ahead to our search for a new superintendent, and what students hope the new superintendent will bring to our community. In our time at Bloomfield Hills High School, we have seen Dr. Glass constantly involved in our building. He can often be found visiting classrooms and engaging with students, and we hope that our new superintendent will continue this visibility in all schools in the district. We want someone who will be visible in our community and who will build relationships with students. In addition to finding a leader who will be the face of our district, address community issues, manage the budget and curriculum, and, of course, call snow days, we hope that our district considers student opinions when deciding who will fill the new role of superintendent. Most importantly, we hope that our new district leader is willing to connect with students, and views our district as a place for students,

rather than a business. We want a leader who will advocate for our community on the state level, and for public education as a whole. Finally, with so many schools and a diverse student population throughout the district, it is imperative that our new superintendent is assertive when needed, and places emphasis on our core values of equity and inclusion. In addition to filling the roles that our district needs, we want a superintendent who connects to our community on a personal level. We hope to find someone who has strong morals that align with our values and is a strong communicator. Students desire a leader who is passionate, open-minded, and understanding. With a school district that heavily relies on technology, we hope that our selected advisor will have strong communicative skills and will engage often with our students, faculty, and parents. Ultimately, we know the district has a difficult search ahead, and we look forward to welcoming a new superintendent to our community next year. Now, let’s get back to talking about those snow days…

What students think

“I appreicate everything that he has done for us in our district. I am going to miss him but I am happy for him and wish him luck on his newest adventures.” Ellie Alberts (9)

“I think he was not only really good at his job but good at interacting with students. He kept himself involved in everything... he will do great things.” Alexa Rousseau (11)

Letters to the Editor Dear editor, Your article ‘A Wall of Hatred’ deeply moved me. Your beautiful and eloquent piece on the dangerous consequences that may result from building the wall between Mexico and the US delivers a strong and forceful stance that relevantly addresses the conditions of minority groups and how they’re negative portrayal in the media and in the eyes of so many Americans is wildly detrimental and only contributes to the flaws of our society. As a Latina living in the US, and seeing my people being painted in such a violent and negative light that is in no way an accurate representation of our culture and our values, it is heartwarming to read something like this in my school newspaper. Thank you for your impactful insight on such a prevalent crisis in this nation. It was a real treat to read something so real in this issue of The Hawkeye. Sincerely, Alicia Bedoya-Hoeck (11)

Dear editor, As a student and member of the Bloomfield Hills community, I feel appreciative of the fact that The Hawkeye has chosen to write about the occurrence of antisemitic hate speech that took place at our school earlier this year. The article, published swiftly after the matter took place, appropriately highlighted how the district took action and subsequently condemned what had been said. It is important that large institutions bring light to and take a stand on issues that affect community members. Hate shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and I am relieved to attend a school that isn’t afraid to voice that. For this article, I would like to thank The Hawkeye for demonstrating ethical integrity. Sincerely, Maddy Hedges (11)

We want to hear what you think.

“I think that it is sad that he is leaving. He deserves the best though so I am looking foward to seeing what he will do.” Alex Divito (10)

“He has made a big impact on the school and the district.” Olivia Dubre (10)

Write a 100-200 word letter to the editor and sent it to us: bloomfieldhawkeye@ gmail.com

May Op/ed

The world is not ending Editor examines a closer look at the big picture

by LARA JANOSZ 19-20 Editor-in-Chief Everywhere you look, there’s something wrong. Someone’s upset, people are arguing, the country is splitting, the world is ending. But that’s just it. The world is not ending. Far from it, actually. People may be arguing, but they have been since the foundation of our country. And while the nation may be split right now, what’s to stop it from coming back together? Something that I’ve witnessed over these past few years is that we are growing more accustomed to thinking that everything is wrong. We are seeing more deeply into the world around us and, in turn, we have easier access to information that focuses on the ugliest parts of it. As a journalist, I can say that the media has contributed to this. Seldom do I open my phone and find an uplifting news story waiting for me. It’s not that we shouldn’t be informed of these events.

“In order to lead a happy life, one must learn to be grateful for the one they have been given.”

Lara Janosz It is the over-inflation of an issue that creates a hostile environment in which the issue continues to drag on. That said, this shift into a more negative mentality has taken away from focusing on the good or, what I like to call, looking at the bigger picture. Not only has it prevented us from fixing the issues at hand by feeling sorry for ourselves, but it has prevented us from being grateful for the things that we do have and the beautiful life that we have been given. When we pinpoint our focus on one tiny issue, it’s hard to think about anything else. Take something as small as an exam you’re stressed about. At that moment, you only let yourself feel stressed and that your grade will drop and that you didn’t study enough and that everything is bad. Hold on a minute. If you want to talk about everything being bad and stressful, look at the hundreds of thousands of children who will never have an education. The 57 million children across the globe who don’t have access to a classroom like you do. Your problem seems pretty insignificant now, doesn’t it? Instead of focusing on our tiny problems, we forget that there are still so many human beings out there who are truly struggling, suﬀering, or dying. Living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a lot of these unlucky people aren’t found here. That’s why it’s easy to lose focus. The grossest atrocities aren’t being committed right outside our doors and therefore, we think that everything is fine. So the little problems we do face in everyday life suddenly become ten times worse than they actually are. We lose sight of how lucky we are, which leads us to forget about the big picture. One of the most important lessons that I have learned is that, in order to lead a happy life, one must learn to be grateful for the one they have been given; to feel lucky to be a part of something much bigger than themselves and, in turn, be willing to give back to those that the world that has given so little. I’m not saying that some of us don’t truly have real struggles. We do. But, just when you think that everything is all over and you can’t go on, I can almost guarantee that there is someone out there who would do anything for the life that you have. So, look up from your phone, stop wallowing in self-pity. Forget about the things that stress you out, that bother you, or make you upset. They aren’t permanent. Open your eyes to the world. Look how beautiful it is, despite its imperfections. And how lucky you are that you get to be a part of it.

PRO: A brighter future Free college, free opportunies by SEEMA SHAH 19-20 Staff Writer The number of college graduates has been increasing by a staggering amount for the past decade. The Washington Post said, “A college degree is the new high school diploma.” Unfortunately, with that comes thousands of dollars in student debt. Luckily, with the establishment of free college, there will be a significant decrease in student debt.” Not only would free college encourage more students to pursue a complete college education, but it would also free them from the burden of debt upon family and themselves. Like with all benefits, there are limitations to the extent that college is free. The term “free” is in reference to the tuition of college itself. This does not cover on-campus housing, books, and additional costs. But remember, about 40% of one’s education will be covered. Although less than half of the expenses for college will be covered, that is a strong beginning to a future with a booming economy and a highly educated society. The economy will flourish as a result of free college. As more people receive the opportunity to get a quality education, the number of professionals such as doctors, teachers, engineers, and so on will grow. The money generated from their work will help boost the economy and will benefit the U.S. as a whole in the long run. Not only will free college allow growth of the economy, but growth in racial diversity as well. Many college applicants

come from immigrant families, and these minority families tend to have lower wages. This makes it extremely diﬃcult for a level playing field, but with the implementation of free colleges, all students of all ethnicities will have an equal chance at a promising future. According to CollegeBoard, the average cost for one year at an out-of-state public institution — including tuition and yearly fees — is approximately $23,890, whereas attending public college in-state for one year is about $9,410. Keep in mind that these are costs of only one out of the four years of college, and as these amounts continue to add up, there will be growing financial pressure. Although handling the costs of tuition and fees help develop skills within a growing individual, free college will definitely not limit one’s financial learning. In fact, they will still be able to handle money since housing and school supply payments will still have to be dealt with. With the enactment of free college, there comes a lot of positives. Free college will encourage more students to finish college, promote the value of a full education, instill diversity within public institutions, and stimulate the economy. It is time to stop living in the past, restricting certain individuals from an educational right, and move on towards an encouraging and successful future for all.

PRO/CON:

Free College CON: “Free” is not free Free college isn’t worth the price by SHELBY JENKINS 19-20 Sports Editor Free college. The phrase alone seems like the oxymorons of all oxymorons. In today’s society, college is synonymous with student loans. It’s a fact as simple as one plus one equals two. Politicians believe that the answer to this complex problem lies in those two words: free college. However, it’s not that simple. To be fair, the premise does sound appealing. If students graduate with zero loans, then they would have the ability to be more productive, our economy would boom, and good things would happen, right? Well, not exactly. First, the saying “free college” is highly misleading. College would still be costly; only tuition would be covered and only at public institutions. This means that students would still have to cover about 40 percent of their college costs like housing, books, and meal plans. Plus they wouldn’t be gaining the important skill that comes out of balancing the cost and future debt of college: money management. College is a time of life lessons and learning how to handle money is one of them. However, if a student misses out on gaining this skill, it may hurt them for the rest of their life. Nothing is really, truly “free.” Someone is going to have to cover the tuition even if that person isn’t directly involved in the student’s life or education. The mission to fund free college would ultimately fall on the taxpayers of the state. Not only would this raise taxes but because taxes alone wouldn’t be enough to fully cover tuition which means that money would end up being taken from other areas. Roads, health care, and K-12 education would all see drastic budget cuts. This means that music, art, and other essential subjects might be removed

from schools entirely due to the need for “free college” funding. That’s not even the worst part. Any diploma that graduates receive from “free colleges” would be essentially worthless. Right now, our system of colleges and universities is so elite because there is so much competition for students who bring in money. If public colleges no longer have a tuition factor involved, the value of their diploma would drop significantly. Thus, private colleges would become more elite because their diplomas would be worth more. More students would want to attend private college as a result, causing the cost of private college to increase. This would, in turn, create a huge gap between the rich and the poor since only wealthy kids would be able to attend private universities and receive a worthwhile diploma. However, lower and middle-class students would attend, more or less, an edition of high school. Politicians’ arguments are fair about the fact that this learning experience shouldn’t be denied to the people based on what they can and cannot pay due to their socioeconomic class. But, college is about working hard to maintain grades and graduating with a degree; it’s about learning how to be independent and gaining knowledge and experiences that would last a lifetime. College is college for a reason and making it “free” would downgrade the comprehensive experience it is known for. Making it “free” would ruin the system as a whole and in the end, more students would lose a worthwhile college experience than currently do because they can not aﬀord it.

The lengths for success

Editor discusses the extent of student struggles

by KUSHAL SANJEEV 19-20 Editor-in-Chief Everything keeps getting more and more diﬃcult. Whether it’s vying for that small chance to make it over someone else or the basic competitions between siblings, everything is getting a little more challenging, especially for students. The race to get to the top colleges is one of — if not the — most diﬃcult tasks nowadays. In the past four years at colleges like the University of Michigan, the average 50% of ACT scores has easily gone up four points. Not only does this mean that standardized tests have changed, but so have the clubs students participate in, the competitions students strive to succeed in, and, most of all, the classes with which students choose to define themselves.

“Students continue to pursue the most difficult and rigorous path, shutting themselves off from the potential opportunities of high school.”

Kushal Sanjeev Students have completely changed the way they look at everything they do. One would hope that students would pursue classes that were of interest to them. But in this day and age, this hardly ever happens. Now it’s all about the college application. These students stopped caring whether they like government or language arts; now the decisions are completely dependent on what makes them look the best. What does this mean in terms of physical changes? AP classes. If you look at any student trying to compete to get into any particular college, you begin to see a pattern. You start seeing all these students first taking one AP, then two, then three. And before you know it, it doesn’t stop. The problem is students don’t realize that this is their one chance to try new things without having to pay thousands of dollars to take a class. This is the chance to join a new team and try it out, not to load up an application. Students are clouded by the lengths that must be taken to get them to where they think they need to go and they end up signing up for a ridiculous schedule instead of enjoying themselves. Instead of going to bed at a decent time. Instead of not having to constantly worry about the next task to be completed. They choose to take the hard way. Sometimes the hard way is good. I’m not saying that kids nowadays should just live it up in high school and not care about challenging themselves. There just needs to be a certain level of balance. For every AP class added, there needs to be some time that gets blocked off to equalize the time spent studying to time spent doing something that is fun or meaningful. Students continue to pursue the most difficult and rigorous path, shutting themselves off from the potential opportunities of high school. Being a kid is one of the most beneficial things of all time. Because as soon as you exit college, everything becomes real. College classes push you to your limits. You start worrying about money and a whole other list of problems. High school is a golden age. It gives students the perfect amount of time to try new things and experiment with a plethora of fields while sitting in the waiting room between the life guided by parents in middle school and the real world waiting at the end of senior year. As my German teacher so eloquently put it, people don’t always know what they actually need. It’s become very apparent in today’s world that high school gives you the chance to try and find what we really need. Yes, taking hard classes and challenging oneself is good; it helps prepare you for life. However, there needs to be a balance with the difficult schedule and having a good time.

May OP/Ed

Dying for the perfect selfie Editor explains the harm social media causes on society

by KAITLYN LUCKOFF 19-20 Editor-in-Chief Although we are accustomed to it by now, over 70% of pedestrians that we pass on the street are engrossed in their devices, usually bumping into people and objects that cross their paths. Sure, social media has benefited our lives in endless ways: the ability to create and maintain relationships, the easy spread of news, and the ability to seek out new interests and hobbies. However, we don’t always realize how the individual impacts of social media affect society as a whole. In 2005, social media swept the nation with the usage of MySpace as a way for people to capture their actions and share them on social media. In 2013, the term selfie was added to the dictionary, proving its prevalence in our culture. This trend has persisted to this day, but has recently caused many to lose their lives striving to achieve the perfect angle. This trend has reached new heights, as many risk takers are flocking to the edges of cliffs and skyscrapers to achieve the per-

“‘Doing it for the gram’ is all fun and games, but we must ask ourselves at what point do exploring and leisure transform into an unhealthy obsession? “

Kaitlyn Luckoﬀ fect instagram photo. Just a few weeks ago, a 20 year old student plummeted to her death after trying to take a selfie while hiking. In fact, every month in 2019 so far, someone has been severely injured or killed while attempting to take a selfie. Professionals have proven that the hype surrounding obsessive social media use only causes us to engage more, due to the excitement that one experiences after posting a picture. Although I may not always admit it, I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to social media use. We filter and edit pictures to such an extent that the images we share hardly resemble the photo that was originally taken; at the end of the day, who are we even trying to please? I often find myself obsessing over social media, until I realize that the only person I should be trying to please is myself. At some point we all try and seek validation on social media, but it is so much more important to retract our selfie stick and take a look around every once in a while to benefit ourselves and everyone else around us. Erin Vogel, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the dept. of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, states, “One of the motivations for posting images online centers around presenting positive versions of ourselves to the outside world. In real life, we can’t undo things and make ourselves look the way we want to look, but online we can spend a lot of time constructing that.” Social media has benefited us in many ways as students and young adults, but it is imperative that every once in a while teens stop calling, texting, snapping, and tweeting to realize everything that they could be missing while their heads are down.

Outside wall and logo of Detroit Cookie Company. Photo by Laine Rubin

Bringing back Detroit with cookies Local cookie spot exceeds expectations by LAINIE RUBIN 19-20 Staff Writer While getting my phone ready to document the first bite of a Detroit Cookie Company cookie, I slowly break the messy, chocolate-filled center into two. The Detroit Cookie Company bakes some of the freshest cookies I have ever tasted. The sweet taste and doughy texture of the 25+ eccentric cookies never disappoint. One of the best things about Detroit Cookie Company is the fact that there are always so many flavors offered, with a new flavor presented each day. Some of these delicious flavors include

the Ultimate PB, which includes a gargantuan amount of peanut butter sitting on top of the cookie; the Mad Mix, which contains butterfingers and sweet barbeque potato chips; and Circus Snack, which includes sprinkles and animal crackers. My personal favorite cookie is called the S’mores Cookie, which consists of chocolate chips and graham crackers, as well as a toasted marshmallow on top. The S’mores Cookie is larger than other cookies and has a gooey center filled with warm chocolate and a perfectly under-baked batter. They even make the simplest cookie, the Chocolate Chunk, seem so extravagant. As every good bakery has its competition, new products at Detroit Cookie Company are announced often to keep customers hungry. Recently, the Detroit Cookie Company has added an ice cream sandwich

option, which allows you to choose two cookies and add a flavor of ice cream in the middle. When I tried this, I was surprised that the two sugary cookies were even more scrumptious with the option of ice cream in the center. The soft texture of the sweet mint ice cream and chunks of chocolate in the cookie were a perfect balance. Another addition to the baked goods menu is the Big Mama Cookie. The Big Mama Cookie involves one enormous cookie the size of a face in any flavor. This cookie is mainly baked on the weekends, but sometimes on the weekdays as well. Although I have not gotten the chance to try the Big Mama Cookies yet, I appreciate this new addition since the bakery is not located conveniently to my house, I will be able to bring home the Big Mama Cookie and eat it throughout the many days

after visiting Detroit Cookie Company. Not to mention, they are constantly making multiple batches of unique cookie flavors each day, they deliver and ship their cookies anywhere for a fee, and they offer gluten free and vegan cookies to ensure the happiness of the customers. Ever since the discovery of this small Ferndale bakery located on Woodward, the bakery has been becoming more popular as more people discover and recommend it. The constant posts and updates on their Instagram draws many customers into the store as they post their newest additions, cookie breaking videos, and other pictures of marvellous creations. So, if you’re craving the taste of Detroit Cookie Company, I suggest you all go try a cookie of your choice with a side of milk or coffee as well!

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learn about our tuition program,

visit our website www.bloomfield.org/visit or call us today at 248.341.6328.

May Op/ed

The power of ten minutes

Editor reflects on the benefits of small habits by DARBY KRUGEL 19-20 Editor-in-Chief

Group of students poing together in France Photo by Sonya Barlow

Took a chance in France Editor examines trip abroad by SONYA BARLOW 19-20 OP/ED Editor Strolling down narrow streets filled with wafting odors of croissants and coffee was wonderful. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see French locals peoplewatch while sitting on wicker chairs aligned at the edge of the cobbled streets. That was how our adventures began. My school-sponsored week in France was an unforgettable one, with a variety of new experiences and immersion in French culture. Although there were some kinks, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the trip, and being in a foreign country made it that much better. On this trip, I was accompanied by 12 other students, Madame Hammerle, her sister, and two chaperones. We visited Nice, Monaco, Nîmes, Avignon, Lyon,

the Loire Valley, and Paris. I saw stunning views, impressive architecture, and rich culture and history. The best thing about the trip was visiting the different towns and cities because each one offered distinct cultures. Monaco and Nice were by far my favorite places in France because of the pristine views, narrow streets, vividly colorful buildings, exquisite treats, and warm weather. Although some of the food was not appetizing, the macaroons, croissants, cheese, and even the escargot, which translates to snails, were incredibly delicious. I loved tasting new food that I would never have the chance to try in America, which made it one of the best parts of the trip.

Throughout the trip, I enjoyed getting to know more people and spending time with them. It was nice to have a smaller group because we could enjoy the trip more. It would have been too overwhelming with a large group. Being able to learn about a new culture in a foreign country is the best possible way to learn. It truly allows you to be more present when learning something new. Our tour guide, Franck, was an amazing guide who was very knowledgeable and intelligent. He taught us a lot about French history and culture in each city we visited. Despite it being an exciting trip, there were some aspects that could have been more enriching. As a person who does

“I loved being in France because there is something so serene and beautiful about it.”

Sonya Barlow

not live in France, I would’ve preferred it if the dinner meals consisted of more authentic French food, and not a basic meal. I think that we should’ve been given more of a choice as to where we ate for dinner because ultimately, our families were the ones paying for it. Although touring Versailles was mind-blowing, there were some organizational issues. It would have been better if it was more organized, thus allowing more time to explore other places. All in all, the trip was a thrilling experience that I will always remember. It impacted me in so many ways. I definitely improved my French speaking skills and I learned more about the history of France. I’m glad I went on this trip because it allowed me to be independent, and it helped me discover my true passions for traveling and France in general.

Female scientist makes waves in her field Editor examines lack of gender equality in science by ISA HALSBAND 19-20 Staff Writer On Wednesday, April 11, the first ever image of a black hole - an area in space where the gravitational pull is strong enough to consume light - was released, and it wasn’t a man who rendered it. 29-year-old computer scientist Katie Bouman did. Bouman worked as a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she started developing the algorithm that ultimately made the entire picture possible. After scattering telescopes with the ability to collect high-frequency radio waves at different sites around the world, Bouman and her team had to figure out how to successfully piece together the data, and her algorithm did just that. In a picture Bouman posted on Facebook, she’s sitting in front of her computer with her hands covering her mouth, having just produced the first image of a black hole. Bouman confirms her incredulity in her caption: “Watching in disbelief as the first image I ever made of a black hole was in the process of being reconstructed.” Bouman worked with numerous people in the process, several of which come from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the MIT Haystack Observatory. In spite of this, she has been facing endless criticism regarding her contributions to the project, which isn’t entirely surprising considering she’s a female

in a male-dominated industry. People are targeting Bouman for not having accomplished as much as she’s being recognized for. In fact, false claims have been made stating that her male colleague wrote 850,000 of the 900,000 lines of code, when in reality, there were only 68,000 lines of code in the software. The extent to which self-absorbed males try to credit themselves for the work done by powerful women is incredible. The saddest part is, this happens frequently in modern day society. When it comes to more advanced fields, females are often regarded as incapable of performing this difficult work. Yet, every time they’re given the opportunity, they end up going down in history. Katherine John-

Katie Bouman presenting a TED Talk on her discoveries. Photo by TED

son made the calculations allowing astronauts to be sent into space. Marie Curie created mobile radiography units after discovering radioactivity. Ada Lovelace developed the mathematical algorithms that made the functioning computer possible. All of these advancements were breakthroughs in science and technology, and all of them were made by women. No one seems to take the hint. A large number of the most celebrated technological accomplishments have been contributions made by females. So, every time a man targets a woman on social media, he should probably take that into consideration. Next time you think a woman can’t do something, think again.

I have always been an avid reader. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been known as “that girl whose nose is always in a book.” However, as high school went on, I began to feel that I was losing my grip on that title. I didn’t love to read any less, but I was having a hard time finding a moment to pick up a book. I read obsessively during breaks and over the summer, but I couldn’t find the time in my daily life, and I missed the feeling of always being in the middle of an incredible story. Finally, I decided I was done feeling this way, and I told myself that I was going to read every day. At first glance, this seemed impossible. I had just spent years feeling like I had no time to do any reading for pleasure. I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend hours reading every day, because as much as I would like to, I am still a high school junior. So I revised this pact with myself, and said that I was going to spend ten minutes reading every day. At first, this worked very well. I read for ten minutes before I went to sleep every night, and I began to feel the accomplishment and joy that comes with working through a stack of unread books. However, a few weeks into this experience, I hit the roadblock that I was expecting all along. It was well past midnight, and I had just finally put my textbooks away after a long day of tests, lectures, and studying. I sat down in my bed, and all I wanted to do was sleep. My exhausted brain just knew that there was no way I was going to get even ten minutes of reading in. I felt so disappointed in myself that I was breaking this streak, but just before I switched off my lamp, it hit me. Who said I had to read for ten minutes? These were my rules, and two minutes of reading is better than no minutes! So that’s exactly what I did. I read

“Carve out a small chunk of time every day to create a habit of doing something you love, whether it’s reading, painting, yoga, or crossword puzzles.”

Darby Krugel for just two minutes. I kept up my internal streak, and continued my wonderful reading habit, but didn’t make myself more exhausted and miserable. Through this goal and these days, I’ve learned a lot. I know the difficulty of building a habit, and I’ve learned how to adapt and not beat myself up when it doesn’t go perfectly. I feel firsthand the benefits of goalsetting. Most of all, I’ve seen how great it is to build a moment of planned joy into my day. I love reading, and by giving myself a set time to enjoy this, I’ve ensured that I will have at least ten minutes of happiness during a long day. I highly recommend that other busy, exhausted high schoolers take this example. All you need is ten short minutes you’ll see what a different they can make.

may Entertainment

Back to the roots Man in Nature students share experiences by MARLEE SACKSNER 19-20 Feature Editor

“The Man in Nature trip impacted me more than I thought it ever could. The trip taught me more lessons about myself than anything, it taught me that silence is a blessing and distractions in the society we live in are so minuscule it’s not even funny.” Emma Ramsey (12)

Mongolian beef and white rice at Zao Jun. Photo by Jake Fogel

Zao Jun sizzles in Bloomfield Asian fusion restaurant brings flare

“I think I pushed my mental willpower most of all. At times, like when it was rainy and everything was cold and wet, all I wanted to do was give up and in any other case I probably would have, but I knew that if I kept positive I could push through and that is what we all did.” Anna Ryan (12)

“The trip was definitely not what I expected at all! The trip had its ups and downs but overall it was an absolute blast. I had a lot of fun and I extremely recommend underclassman to take it when they are seniors, it was absolutely amazing!” Michael Wiggins (12)

“We canoed every day to travel around Killarney park, working together to build fires and campsites at night. We also had to navigate every day,.” Brad Kaufman (12)

“I wish I could do it all over again, 100%. It was a one of kind experience and it is so special that you can do it through the school and become so close to people you have never talked to before.” Cassidy Proctor (12)

“It was definitely hard to adjust to the conditions I was in during the trip, especially during the first half of the week. It’s all about changing your point of view on comforts you are not provided with anymore, all about being willing to positively fight for your survival needs.” Camilla Montagnini (12)

by JAKE FOGEL 19-20 Managing Editor A new Chinese and Japanese inspired restaurant just two miles away from school? Yes, please! Just opened Zao Jun fits this description perfectly. Located on Telegraph and Maple in Bloomfield Hills, you will find a contemporary, futuristically styled restaurant that combines Japanese and Chinese classics with an upscale twist. Respected chef Lloyd Roberts is at the helm of this metro Detroit Asian fusion sit-down option after his success with the Birmingham “sister” restaurant Adachi on Old Woodward Avenue. Walking into Zao Jun, I was inundated by the clean and simplistic ambiance of the restaurant. Vibrant colors such as pink and neon green splashed the entire building, and no details seemed

like they were “too much.” The restaurant was very spacious, with spread out tables and bars across the room. Even details as minute as comfortable seating were absolutely phenomenal. I really felt like the restaurant cared. Having just opened in early May, I was surprised that the eatery wasn’t packed with people, but it certainly wasn’t empty either. In fact, there was a perfect amount of customers for my liking. The next thing I noticed at Zao Jun was their service. The servers were extremely friendly and concerned with my experience. In addition, waiters were very insightful with my questions about the menu. The sitdown styled ordering process was relatively simple as well, with a classic menu and ordering system. Let’s break down the menu. First of all, it was split into two categories; hot and cold. On the cold sections, there were options like gourmet salads such as the seaweed salad and the crispy duck salad. There was also a wide array of sushi options with some popping out

to me such as shrimp tempura and crab based roll called the Firecracker maki roll. On the hot side, there was a huge selection of dishes with several kinds of seafood, noodles, stirfries, and meat-based plates. Confronted with all of these delicious options, I ordered the Mongolian Beef and an order of the Wonton soup. Coming with a friend, he also ordered the Mongolian Beef and a seaweed salad. Thankfully, the wait time was not too long, despite there being a considerably large crowd. First, my soup and my friend’s salad arrived. The wonton soup is a classic option that did not disappoint. According to my friend, the salad was also a good choice. The Mongolian Beef was absolutely delicious. With every bite, I was excited to take another. There was a great combination of sauces, vegetables, and quality meat that each greatly contributed to the taste of the dish. I’d even say that it was a rainbow of flavor, with sauces and spices really popping out at me. I could easily tell that

the chefs put all their passion and effort into their cooking. I will say though, the serving size was very small, especially for about $18. Personally, I would still order the Mongolian Beef again, but definitely with another smaller order of something else, like sushi. To conclude, Zao Jun is a sleek, futuristic restaurant that gives off a casual but upscale vibe with some unique options and delicious food. If you’re looking for a new Asian fusion restaurant in the area, Zao Jun is definitely for you. I would recommend Zao Jun 100%. However, if you are like me, this is not a place that I could regularly go with friends to dinner. Despite being homelike in decor and in service, Zao Jun was too expensive for someone on a budget, and for such small servings (at least from what I ordered). Because of this, I cannot guarantee you being full when you leave. Regardless, Zao Jun offers a rare spin on Chinese and Japanese classics, and succeeds in their levels of creativity and quality. I rate Zao Jun 4.5/5 stars

May entertainment

THE

HAWKEYE reviews

Movies

Avengers Endgame is the end we all needed

Game of Thrones changes the game

by KUSHAL SANJEEV 19-20 Editor-in-Chief

by LAINE LORD 19-20 Managing Editor

When the final Lord of the Rings movie came out, I remember my dad sitting me down and telling me to watch it. I remember him telling me, “It’s a great series, watch this.” I, while young, quickly came to love it. When Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith came out, he said it again, “it’s a great series, watch this.” But when Avengers: Endgame came out, I was the one who told him “This is a great series, watch this.” Almost every other movie franchise I love was introduced to me by my parents. I was told how great they were and eventually came to love them. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, was the first movie franchise I decided to watch and came to love on my own. This franchise has been a part of my childhood. When I think of the MCU, I think of growing up. These characters have played a huge role over the course of my life. This is why I, and so many others, were excited for Avengers: Endgame. This franchise has taken up more than half my life. It’s the end of a story I grew up with. Endgame begins with the world’s heroes left in a state of disarray over what to do next after Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half of all living things. We see Iron Man stranded in space and the rest of our heroes left picking up the pieces on Earth with the latest addition of Captain Marvel to the team. This was honestly where a large amount of credit is due towards the Russo Brothers and their ability to keep everything hidden from not only the public, but the actors as well leaving everyone curious as to what was next in store for the Avengers. To be frank, when I first heard that the film had a runtime of 3 hours and 2 minutes, I was ecstatic. 3 hours of watching my favorite superheroes fight in an epic battle? SIGN ME UP. But this wasn’t a three hour long fight to the death. Endgame, like the MCU, was cleverly split up into 3 phases. The first phase of the film set the stage, it showed us the effect of the snap on society and our characters. The second was an adventure. And the third phase was the climax. I honestly preferred this over a three hour battle. This setup was balanced, as all things should be. One of the knocks one Infinity War was that it was choppy and had serious pacing issues. Endgame rectified both of those problems. It started slow but picked up quickly and it felt like a single story building to a single climax, not a couple different movies pieced together. The other enjoyable part of this movie was that it took characters we have come to understand like the back of our hand for the past ten years and still surprised us with them. It gave us different sides to them and

unique endings to their decade long character arcs. Nevertheless, the movie did have its faults. While it had some funny elements like Thor and his beer belly, I wish we got to see a lot more of the characters we have come to know and love. The movie did its job by showing how Thanos truly hurt and changed all these characters, but I wish we got to see the beefed up Thor who makes everyone look tiny and more of the charisma and goofiness of other characters as well. Without a doubt, my favorite part was the team-up and it truly is to be remembered for the ages. When we have a 10 year franchise in the making, it’s difficult to bring everyone back and incorporate all these moments connect with the audience, but that’s where the film excelled. These team-ups weren’t just part of that final climax of the movie too. They incorporated it into the larger scheme of things, weaved it into the character plotlines, and made it truly memorable by essentially summarizing highlights of all the films through the time jumps, catchphrases, humor and more. With such a strong end to such a strong franchise, Endgame did its job and more. It gave us the nostalgic feeling of sitting in the theaters watching earlier scenes and highlights from all across the timeline and it gave us exactly what we wanted. Or rather more accurately. What we needed. It gave us more twists and turns than we could have anticipated and brought us to the thrilling end that was much deserved. We learn that Thanos has always had this garden, a place of peace and tranquility, his “retirement plan,” as it was so eloquently put in the film, where he would get to live out his final days in peace. We sort of got that too. With such a peaceful ending of legacies getting carried out. We see Tony Stark through his daughter, Captain America through Falcon, and we get this moment of resolution. Avengers: Endgame isn’t exactly the chance for all these heroes to fix all these problems and live happily ever after, but it’s a chance to reach an infinitely more satisfying end to an era. I give Avengers Endgame 5/5 stars.

Game of Thrones will easily go down as one of the best T.V. shows of all time. Not only has Game of Thrones created a universe so deeply intricate and loved by viewers, but has truly pioneered the television we know today. What we love so dearly of GoT is its complexity and unpredictability. So much of the T.V. we’re flooded with today is simply mind-numbing - there’s nothing unique and nothing extraordinary. However, over the past 8 seasons, Game of Thrones has engrossed viewers with a remarkable storyline and multi-layered characters - something so different from what had been seen before. However, after 8 endearing years of countless tearful deaths and surprising twists, Game of Thrones has finally come to an end. Patient fans have waited almost 2 years to watch the culmination of 8 seasons worth of television that they hold so near and dear to their hearts. Throughout the 596-day Game of Thrones drought, fan theories have flooded the internet, resulting in the creation of many suspicions both obvious and utterly crazy. But after seasons upon seasons of wild events, one would think the final season would meet the same caliber of creativity and uniqueness. However, dare I say, for a show built on its unpredictability, this final season was rather predictable. At least, that’s what I thought until the last episode. No offense, but so much of this final season has been made up of stupid mistake after stupid mistake. And frankly, I was nervous about this last episode. Fans, including myself, had been disappointed for the majority of this season, seeing character arcs demolished and storylines obliterated - the finale wasn’t looking so bright. However, a glimmer of hope remained. There was still a chance for the writers to wrap up all of our favorite characters’ stories, and most importantly make the right decision on who would sit on the iron throne. Amongst my numerous discussions and hypotheses regarding the final rule of the seven (or six) kingdoms, I never thought of Bran. Frankly, it was one of the best decisions made by the writers. So many of the potential candidates had flaws, and putting them on the throne would raise nothing but controversy amongst both the people of Westeros and fans. However, what’s better than putting an unbiased, neutral ruler on the throne that had been right under our noses the entire time? I was initially wary of the choice. But after pondering Tyrion’s explanation and thinking over the decision for myself, Bran’s kingship was definitely the smartest choice made within the final season. Within the penultimate episode, another aspect that originally angered me was the death of Jamie Lannister. I believed for a

man that had made such progress, and developed so much throughout the course of the show, had deserved better. Following the second to last episode, I was pissed. Pissed that Jamie’s character arc had been crushed, quite literally, after returning back to and dying with Cersei. And pissed that he was stabbed by none other than a complete and utter moron - Euron Greyjoy. But the season finale clarified the complexity of Jamie Lannister. Yes, he had become a better man, but he still loved Cersei. He had both good and bad qualities and that’s what made him human. Despite myself yet again being initially wary, after seeing Tyrion tearfully uncover the bodies of his two deceased siblings, I realized that Lannister twins’ deaths were indeed satisfying. They were born together and died together. Regardless of Jamie’s character arc regression, I still love the character of Jamie Lannister, and if anything his death proved him to be the most human character on Game of Thrones. Thirdly, after heartlessly demolishing King’s Landing and turning pure “mad”, even Drogon knew what had to be done; Daenerys had to die. And what better way than at the hands of her own lover (and nephew lol). The Iron Throne drove Daenerys completely bonkers and into a flawed leader. Dany became overwhelmed with the idea of creating a perfect world for future generations, as opposed to sparing the lives of the living. However, Jon Snow appeased to his wacko girlfriend time after time, and honestly, I thought the final episode was going to consist of much of the same. I knew Dany had to die, but what took me by surprise was the fact that it was carried out by the one and only Jon Snow. But this act solidified Jon’s selflessness; Jon loved Dany, that’s why he went along with her ruthlessness for the majority of the season. Killing her was for the betterment of the people of Westeros. So, not only did Jon killing Dany avenge hundreds of thousands of civilian lives and possibly protect thousands more, but it proved the integrity of Jon Snow placing others’ lives before his own. After a tumultuous season of much dissatisfaction, I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the conclusion of Game of Thrones. To those who disagree with my opinion, Game of Thrones had to end, and I am sorry the writers were unable to please the 16 million plus fans. However, if you think about it, most of our favorite characters lived on happily and the main plotlines were pretty satisfyingly wrapped up. What more could we have asked for? An incredible show like Game of Thrones deserved an incredible ending. Season 8 proved to be just that.

Crossword Here are the answers to our April Crossword! ACROSS

3. Holiday celebrated by Christian community: Easter 5. April _____ bring May flowers: Showers 7. April is _____ Literacy month: Financial 9. April is _____ days in length: Thirty

DOWN

1. Holiday celebrated by Jewish community: Passover 2. Good …: Friday 4. _____ Fools’ Day: April 6. April 22 is _____ Day: Earth 7. Bright and colorful: Flowers 8. The name of the month April comes from: Greek

Catch the next crossword in the fall Back to School Issue

THE HAWKEYE A YEAR IN REVIEW

BY BEN SILBERMAN

PHOTOS BY GEORGIA ZIMMERMAN

THE

SENIOR ISSUE

THE

HAWKEYE

Table of

Contents

Meet the Editors-in-Chief

Editor Columns Our next adventures Staff columns A look back

Cover images provided by Vecteezy

3 4-5 6-7 8 - 11 12

senior

Meet the Editors-in-Chief Hawkeye Highlights school NEWS

October 2018

IMPROVING

Crosswalk signal installed New HAWK signal replaces crossguards by SEEMA SHAH Guest Writer The new HAWK signal was installed on Andover Road, extending from the teacher and junior parking lot to the front loop of the building. “What we found with the opening of the building, originally, was that the crosswalk wasn’t the most safe crosswalk,” said Officer Cory Donberger. “It was working, but it wasn’t working as well as it could, based on the amount of people that are in the building.” Problems with crossing Andover Road would arise prior to the HAWK signal installation. “I had some difficulties crossing Andover Road,” said sophomore Matthew Hendrick. “After a football game, I’d have to cross the road to get to a car. When it was very dark, I couldn’t see and cars couldn’t see me, so I couldn’t cross safely.” This new technology has changed the school’s process of getting students and staff to and from the building safely. “I think the benefit [of the HAWK signal] is that it takes a person out of the roadway, that would normally have to be there in order [for people] to cross. Someone had to physically be in the roadway to stop traffic, allow pedestrians to go, and vice versa,” said Officer Donberger. “This system takes that human element out of the equation. It’s better lit in that area due to the signals…[and it] assists pedestrians in being seen by cars.”

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local news MDE proposes social studies changes

District upgrades building safety and security features

MDE proposal stirs controversy

by KAITLYN LUCKOFF Section Editor

by JAKE FOGEL Section Editor A heated debate has been travelling through the schools of Michigan. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) proposed an alteration of the Michigan social studies state standards, removing concepts including the NAACP, the LGBTQ+ movement, Roe v. Wade, the word democracy (changing the word to republic), and references to the KKK. According to WKAR, a local news station in Lansing, the group drafting this proposal “was given this mantra: make the new standards ‘fewer, clearer and higher.’” While authorities in the Department of Education claim that the change “will eliminate political bias and allow a wider scope of views in school,” the move has received backlash. According to AP Government teacher Karen Twomey, the specific changes being proposed are “extremely dangerous” for the state of Michigan to remove specific groups from the proposed curriculum. “When you write specific state standards for social studies, it communicates to the people what the values are of that state,” said Twomey. “I worry for how disenfranchising and marginalizing that will feel to the communities that have been written out of the curriculum.” While examining the root of the proposal, K-12 Social Studies Teacher Leader Kristen Vigier believes that the change removes important aspects of US History.

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quickly,” said Glass. “We are really trying to standardize wherever we can. The cameras would be on all of the buses regardless of age. You would not have BluePoint text alerts going to [all] students, but you might have them for the high school students, because students are not going to have their phones on them in the younger grades. The active shooter training is something we did this fall, and that is something we will do at more of our other levels, but for now we are starting at the high school.” Junior Dominick Cowdrey explained the benefits he sees for students in the building to have access to a Blue Point System. “I believe [BluePoint systems] are a good asset to have in case of an emergency in our school,” said Cowdrey. “Extending this feature to all of the buildings in the district will make schools much safer.” Dr. Glass also commented on the importance of having “the right team” in place for this work. “One of the benefits of having a school security officer, like we have with Mr. Donberger, [is that] he is able to network with the best practices that are com-

long with learning communities, state of the art technology, and new performing arts and athletic facilities, our building implemented a variety of safety and security measures ahead of its 2015 opening. Now, the capabilities of these new features as well as additional security upgrades will be extended to the rest of the district. Bloomfield Hills Schools Superintendent Rob Glass recently discussed the upcoming and planned changes in his blog, such as adding BluePoint systems (police pull stations) to every school, improving door camera quality, updating visitor protocol, installing safety film on building glass, installing cameras on buses, allowing students to receive BluePoint text notifications, and changing bus numbers to shapes to facilitate bus changes if needed. “Each feature does something important; the combination of all of them working together is what is most important. I think one of the big ones is the BluePoint system, because I think [it] enables anybody to put the building into a secure mode very quickly, and alerts law enforcement very

ing through. Whether it’s other law enforcement agencies, they get the information first on what’s cutting edge, so he is able to bring that to our consideration,” said Glass. “We also do look at what other school districts are doing. I meet with other superintendents; we had law enforcement from around the county get together so we really talked through what are the best practices. We really do look around and are always looking at what other places are doing and make sure that we are doing anything and everything that we can that makes sense for us to do.” District Security Officer Cory Donberger reflects similar views. “In general terms, the approach to safety and security is the same. What changes is the age of the student and the challenges it creates whether they are dependent on an adult or deemed responsible for their own decisions and actions. For an internal threat for example, the school district utilizes the run, hide, fight type of response,” said Donberger. “This type of response can be used in any of the buildings and we regularly train with our staff to not only increase

Volume VI-Issue I

S A F E T Y

their knowledge base, but for them to continue the conversation with their students.” Dr. Glass is hopeful that the coming changes regarding district safety will be implemented as soon as possible. “All of these we are putting in place as fast as we can. We are starting right now with the BluePoint, so we have the bids out on those and when those come back, we will schedule that construction. I expect those will start going in by the first of the year. The camera systems at the front doors and the buzzers will be around the same time. The film is going to take a little bit longer, but that will start going in as well,” said Glass. “A lot of the other [changes have been made] in terms of the unlock times and the arrival/departure procedures. The training is being refreshed school by school with Officer Donberger going through and making sure we have a standard process for the way that people need to be buzzed in. The big ones that require installation will all be starting sometime between now and January, and then that should be completed in the spring for sure.”

INSIDE: INSIDE: INSIDE: INSIDE: SAT CONTROVERSY ITS HAUNTED HOUSE CHEER TEAM GROWS A MILLION LITTLE see page 5 see page 9 THINGS see page 13 see page 23

Volume VI-Issue II

Photo by Georgia Zimmerman

District addresses hate speech

Community responds to anti-Semitism by KAITLYN LUCKOFF Section Editor On the evening of December 6, community members, staff, and students received an email from Principal Charlie Hollerith regarding our building and district’s vehement denouncement of a recent act of hate. The following morning, the daily announcements featured a similar message, denouncing hate speech and intolerance and emphasizing the importance of inclusivity. “Any time we become made aware of these situations we

investigate, and there’s two pieces to that. One is taking the appropriate disciplinary action and then the other piece is to continue education and to make sure future events do not occur,” said Principal Charlie Hollerith. “Our Student Global Leaders are a big part of equity and inclusion, as they are spreading positive messages about how to become global citizens and to build an inclusive environment here. We continue to train teachers in that area and restorative practices go on in many classrooms. Students have the opportunity to talk about some of these issues and have meaningful dialogue around topics that are not always easy to discuss.” As hate-fueled incidents are occurring more frequently

and are being carried out by younger individuals, many schools across the country have been faced with the dual challenge of both responding to current issues of anti semitism and preventing future ones. Involving community groups and local leaders is one way to achieve both. Our building has been taking advantage of resources such as the Anti-Defamation League and local rabbis to aid with combating issues of hate among students. “The Anti-Defamation League’s Allison Rosenfeld says their data shows a 94% rise in anti-Semitic incidents in K-12 schools. Teaching Tolerance tracks hate in schools based on media reports, and believes there is an increase in incidents of hate and bias

in schools and that the majority of victims in schools were targeted because of their race, ethnicity or ancestry. As schools, we need to pay attention to all incidents of hate,” said district administrator for social emotional learning and educational equity Margaret Schultz. Local rabbis working closely with the district explain the importance of realizing that the issue of hate is not specific to any minority group. “I think that in Bloomfield Hills specifically, the anti-Semitism that we are seeing is not really based on pure hatred. I don’t think that the students of Bloomfield Hills schools are intentionally targeting the Jewish community. I am not sure that it’s really actual hatred that we are fighting,” said

SCHOOL NEWS Student Committee created

Advisory committee allows students to express concerns by HILARY LAM Guest Writer

Principal Charlie Hollerith created a student advisory committee to discuss student perspectives on solutions to problems in the school. “The Student Advisory Committee [is something that] I had been wanting to develop for a while,” said Hollerith. “Part of that was to be able to bring issues to the students to get their best ideas, their best thoughts on these various topics, and also for the students to help inform me about what concerns them the most.” The students in the committee were chosen using various criteria, including leadership

INSIDE: GRANTS AWARDED see page 3

Rabbi Josh Bennett of Temple Israel. “The more that we work as a school district and as a community towards having people get to know one another and [becoming] aware of our similarities and our differences, the better we will be in combating the kind of antibias moments that we have been dealing with in schools right now that should not be there.” Although our building’s use of technology has been remarkable for learning and growth inside the classroom, students intermittently abuse their technology privileges. Having access to social media platforms nearly all day provides an opportunity for students to misuse technology. Often, students do not understand the repercussions

of their actions online, as it is much easier for messages and ideas to be spread throughout the building. “One of the big roles that social media plays is that it allows information to be spread very rapidly. When a video is made, or a message is sent, it can be out to the entire community/world in a matter of minutes. The rapid pace of information can allow a lot of people to be harmed in a short amount of time, even if there was not intention to do so,” said Schultz. “The first thing that schools do is investigate the situation in order to understand what has happened. As an educational institution, our goal is always to help students learn. So, we have to

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Community news Community builds mosaic the mosaic. “She was very outgoing, very bubbly, and very bright. She was just a delightful person… and some of her happiest days were at [Andover, which she graduated from in 1977]; she was a Jill for two years, which in those days was nine bell-ringing females, and our whole family had such pleasure out of that activity.” Many of Silverstein’s family members were “very involved” in the arts program at Andover, including the band and choir. “It just seemed like such a perfect place to put something in her memory,” said Silverstein. “I think it’s magnificent. It’s like the cornerstone of the school when you come in now, it’s just so beautiful. I think it gives a lot of personality to the school.” The mosaic was designed to be a community project with the aid of current students. “[Silverstein] came to me [because] she saw my work at the Detroit Public Library where I work with schools and community mosaics,” Kaplan said. “She was hoping to do a piece in memory of her daughter. The mosaics,

Music mosaic created in memory of former student

training and diversity. “One of the parameters that’s important, especially with our building focus on equity and inclusion, is those that have been through our student Global Leader training,” said Hollerith. “There were a number of students and then from there, it was [checking whether] were there any groups that weren’t represented on the committee.” One member on the committee, junior Eeshika Dadheech, discussed the committee and its goals. “[The committee is] a good way to get the ideas of students and students are also more connected with teachers on a different level,” said Dadheech. “I think it brings different perspectives.” So far, the committee has compiled a list of concerns and problems students have expressed. “The committee is going to take a look at a lot

by NATASHA MEHTA Guest Writer A mosaic constructed by students stands at the entrance of the music wing as a sign of remembrance for Julianne Silverstein Vinik. “It was [made by] students, families, siblings, teachers, and [staff],” said artist Gail Rosenbloom Kaplan, who was recruited to design and construct the mosaic, along with her partner, Dani Katsir. “Whoever was in the building [during the Dessert Concert] was invited to put tiles in.” The mosaic was made as a symbol to remember Julianne Silverstein Vinik, a former member of the Jills. “My daughter, Julianne Silverstein Vinik, died two years ago [on] Thanksgiving,” said Dolores Silverstein, her mother, who donated

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INSIDE: SIGNING DAY see page 9

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INSIDE: 12 DAYS OF JENVEY see insert 16

INSIDE: CREED 2 REVIEW see insert 15

College: University of Michigan Career: Lawyer Most Likely Found: Studying and following the stock market Favorite Font: Times New Roman First Story for The Hawkeye: Curtain rises to West Side Story Opinions on the Oxford Comma: Thoroughly enjoy using it

Bloomfield Hills High School

district NEWS

HAWKEYE

Safe Stop saves the day Transportation app helps families track buses by KUSHAL SANJEEV Managing Editor

February 2019

ED SNOW IN

The typical morning for any student riding the bus to school consists of waiting at home or at the stop, wondering when the bus is going to arrive, or if the bus has already come and gone. However, the district’s new bus tracking app “Safe Stop” puts this stressful morning routine to rest. “The application utilizes GPS to determine the location of the bus and traffic data to create travel time to give an estimated time that the bus will be at the stop,” said District Transportation Manager Jane Mack. Prior to the app, parents could not always accurately predict the estimated time of arrival of the buses, especially with the inconsistent weather patterns in Michigan. “The other day, [my child’s] bus was in an accident before it picked up the kids. We did not know that and [my freshman son] stood outside for a long time,” said mother Cheryl Kelly. “If we would have had the app, we would have known.” The tracker is not only used to provide updates to families, but also to the transportation office to provide more accurate data on bus travel time. “These GPS systems are not like the ones on your phone. They show the Transportation Office where the bus is and all the events that the bus makes. Starts, stops, speed, time, all of these,” said Mack. “So, the development team

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school news

A Letter from the Editors: Dear readers, thank you for your continued support of The Hawkeye over this past year of immense growth and change for our publication. Your readership allows this incredible program to keep growing and teaching new generations of black hawks about the fantastic powers of journalism. Without our audience, there would be no Hawkeye.

Sophomore wins art contest Ellyana Wills’ poster featured at the Auto Show by SONYA BARLOW Staff Writer Out of over 750 entries, sophomore Ellyana Wills has recently been recognized in the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2019 poster contest with the “Best Use of Color” award. Her poster was on display at the Cobo Center in Detroit as a part of the NAIAS program throughout the duration of the show. She was also awarded a grand prize of $250. “I am planning on going and seeing my poster these coming weeks and I think it will make it more real that I have actually won. At first, I found it hard to believe that I was the winner and seeing it in person there would make it more real to me,” said Wills. The 31st annual competition was open for 10th-12th-grade students all over Michigan. Seeing that she is a passionate artist, she plans to enter multiple art contests in the future. “I plan on entering other contests and for sure the poster contest next year. I already have ideas for it. I entered some paintings as well to scholastic competitions,” said Wills. The posters were judged by a panel of members from the local art community, including 2019 NAIAS Chairman Bill Golling, a General Motors automotive designer, a college for creative studies instructor, and State Farm representatives. With the help of Graphic Design teacher Peg Pasternak, Wills was able to enter the contest; since it was an option to do it in class, she took

Volume VI-Issue III

District blanketed in snow days by DEBRA MORAITIS Staff Writer

ichigan is no stranger to severe weather. However, this winter included record-breaking snow, cold and ice, resulting in a series of snow days. “This weather has really been unbelievable,” said teacher Matthew MacLeod. “It’s one thing to have eight snow days, let alone eight snow days in four weeks. In my fourteen years in the district, I have never seen this before. It’s unprecedented.” Following a mild December, the metro-Detroit area was hit with several winter storms, causing the district to call eight snow days during late January and February alone. Most notably, the state of Michigan experienced record cold, with the wind chill reaching -40 degrees, causing Governor Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency. “Keeping Michiganders safe during this stretch of dangerously cold temperatures is our priority,” said Whitmer. “Such widespread, extreme conditions have not occurred in Michigan for many years and it is imperative that we are proactive with record-low temperatures being predicted by the National Weather Service.” These two “cold days,” coupled with a snow day the week before prolonged final exams and delayed the start of the second semester. “Because it was finals week, canceling school threw off a lot of students’ study plans,” said senior Max Rosenzweig. “Changing the schedule last minute was confusing and I just wanted to move on into the second semester.” The snow days have also forced teachers to readjust their class schedules to make up for the

missed days. “We just have to make it work,” said social studies teacher Karen Twomey. “This could mean dropping a supplementary activity or giving some class work as homework on Google Classroom.” Like the recent snowfall, the decision-making process isn’t light and goes further than a snowman-emoji tweet from Director of Physical Plant Services Brian Goby. Superintendent Rob Glass explained that several weather authorities and other area superintendents are consulted and an administration member will drive district roads between 3:00 and 4:30 a.m. to report findings. “Typically, when wind chills head into the -22 and below range, we consider school cancellation because frostbite can set in within approximately 30 minutes,” said Glass in his snow day guide. “If the road conditions are not favorable, bus stop wait times may pose a risk to our students. Ultimately, I have to make a decision based on what I feel is in the best interest of Bloomfield Hills students.” The lost class-time brought questions of extending the school year further into June, since “the district has used all six of its state-allotted snow days,” according to Superintendent Rob Glass. “If we have any more snow days, we would be facing the possibility of extending school into June,” said Glass. “However, Sheila Alles, the Interim State School Superintendent, has indicated that, given the unusual weather this year, she will consider providing some additional snow days this year for districts who apply for them. Ultimately, we will have to see [about extending school].”

2019 SNOW DAYS 1. JANUARY 16TH

4. JANUARY 30TH

2. JANUARY 23RD

3. JANUARY 28TH

7. FEBRUARY 12TH

5. JANUARY 31ST

6. FEBRUARY 6TH

8. FEBRUARY 18TH

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INSIDE: INSIDE: INSIDE: INSIDE: BLOOMFIELD’S GOT GRANT USED TO BUY FRESHMAN WINS NINO SALVAGGIO TALENT YOGA BALLS SKATING NATIONALS REVIEW see page 6 see page 7 see page 19 see page 11

HAWKEYE

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College: Vanderbilt University Career: Health Policy Writer Most Likely Found: At forensics practice Favorite Font: Playfair Display First Story for The Hawkeye: Sophomore wins Miss Michigan Opinions on the Oxford Comma: Yes, yes, and yes

December 2018

Bloomfield Hills High School

Evan Stern

THE

Riya Doshi

HAWKEYE

THE

HAWKEYE

THE Bloomfield Hills High School

Bloomfield Hills High School

April 2019

SCHOOL NEWS Police make new protocol

by LAINE LORD Staff Writer

Cutting through the Lifetime Fitness parking lot has been a relatively common, daily activity done by both students and staff as a direct way to spit out onto Telegraph road. However, on March 12th, the Bloomfield Township Police Department announced that they will begin to administer and enforce a new parking protocol, prohibiting students, parents, and staff from cutting to and from Telegraph road through the Lifetime parking lot. “The Bloomfield Township Police Department will increase efforts in patrolling, monitoring, and issuing violations when [cutting through the lots, or parking and waiting for students] occurs,” stated the latest parking statement from Bloomfield Township Police Officer and District Security Officer Cory Donberger. “Driving through Lifetime Fitness to get to Telegraph Road will result in a traffic stop; vehicles parked within private parking lots will be impounded.” Act 300 of 1949, section 611 of the Michigan Vehicle Code states that, “The driver of a vehicle shall not, for the purpose of avoiding obedience to a traffic control device placed in accordance with this chapter, drive upon or through private property, or upon or through public property which is not a street or highway. (3) A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction.” Since the Lifetime lot is technically private property, cutting through it violates Act 300 of 1949, section 611 of the Michigan Vehicle Code. Despite the rules listed within Michigan Vehicle Code, many BHHS students and staff did not know its application within the Lifetime parking lot, creating miscommunication amongst students and staff. “I found out about [the new parking protocol] the hard way,” said math teacher Brian Bigham. “I think I was the first person that got a ticket in the parking lot” The miscommunication and confusion with the new parking protocol led to a handful of students and staff receiving $125 parking tickets and, in some cases, an extra two points on their licenses. Junior Zahra Basha shared her experiences with the new parking protocol. “While driving towards the parking lot, I saw a police car and someone pulled over near the exit path onto Telegraph. I didn’t think much of it and thought that car must have got pulled over for speeding or some other violation. I slowly tried to maneuver my way past the commotion, then noticed another police car pulling up behind me. To my surprise, when he got out of his car, he made an immediate beeline to my window,” said Basha. “I led myself into the trap. It wasn’t until he told me that I avoided a traffic control did I get an idea of what was happening. I had no clue going out that way was a violation; there were no signs or announcements ever made about it. I only heard warnings about parking in the Lifetime, but never anything about driving through that way.” Lack of awareness about the parking protocol seemed to be at the heart of the problem among those affected. However, regardless of opinion or experience with the new protocol, students, staff, and the police department share a common goal: to create a safe environment for all. Looking to the future, Basha explained what she aspires to see from the parking protocol moving forward. “I hope [the parking protocol will] promote the best interest regarding the safety of the Bloomfield Hills Community.” The Bloomfield Township Police Department’s email concludes with a statement concerning to the overall safety of Bloomfield Hills as well. “Please obey all traffic laws, be patient, respect private property and other drivers. We all have schedules and places to be, but our collective priority must remain student, staff, and overall community safety.”

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CORRUPTION Taking a side door into college Nation reacts to admissions scandal by LARA JANOSZ Managing Editor

n the wake of the college admissions scandal, which first surfaced in early March, students and staff across the country have been left questioning both the college admissions process and what this incident means for the future of higher education. “It was interesting to me because I know that a lot of people have done that before and it’s just weird to see it being turned into a crime. I know that parents have donated money to colleges before just to get their kids into that university so it’s just interesting to have the story brought out,” said senior Megan Sun. “It’s just kind

of sad when you don’t get into the college that you wanted just because people have used their money to get in.” According to Sun, donations to a university in order to get a student into that school are not uncommon. The recent case, however, highlights wealthy families bribing standardized test proctors and other college admissions officers with significant sums of money in order to get their children into competitive universities, such as USC, a specific institution highlighted in this scandal. “When you hire someone to write your essay, for example... it’s okay to have somebody help you, but it’s not okay to have somebody write it. Colleges are really good at figuring out if this is an adult or student voice,” said counselor Laura Hollyer-Madis. “In respect to the test scores, that’s a tough one but we’ve seen that

happen, though it’s a small percentage where this occurs. ACT and the College Board try to flush cheating out when they see drastic jumps in test scores; they then will ask a student to retake the test in a very supervised location.” According to Madis, it’s not hard for students and their parents to take advantage of the standardized testing and college admissions process. That said, this incident has concerned students across the nation who are looking to apply to more competitive schools. Going forward, the college admissions process itself will remain unchanged. Academic honesty on these applications, however, will be held to a higher standards and watched more closely. “I think the biggest takeaway, as a society, as parents, is that we need to remember

that college doesn’t define you, it shapes you. And we forget that sometimes. We want so much for our kids to [achieve] their dreams and maybe those dreams have been placed on them because of what we have said in our own homes; students need to find what fits them best as a learner and not feel the pressure of selecting a college based on family legacy,” said Madis. “The one thing that we say in our counseling department is, ‘Where you go is not the only path to success and it’s certainly not the only path to happiness.’ The key ingredient is the student; what they bring, who they are when they get there, who they are when they leave. Our job is to guide our students and support them through the process, not do the work for them.”

Community news University experiences shooting scare Alumni reflect upon possible active shooter by CAITLIN FINERTY Web Content Manager On Saturday, March 16, on the campus of the University of Michigan, students, faculty, and campus guests were panic-stricken when they heard that there was an active shooter in Mason Hall. The entire event turned out to be a false alarm, but the fear was real. “It seems kind of ridiculous afterwards, like it was a bunch of people popping balloons,” said U-of-M sophomore and BHHS graduate Shibi Sanjeev. “But when you are in that moment everything you felt was completely real. It seems a little ridiculous to think that all of that actually happened but all that confusion, the adrenaline, was real.” This active shooter threat turned out to be

balloons being popped on campus during a big party weekend because of St. Patrick’s Day. Many BHHS students had siblings on the campus during the active shooter threat. “I was at a Forensics competition when I heard, and I went to the window to call my sisters,” said senior Max Rosenzweig. “My sister [Ellery], who was at U-of-M, wouldn’t answer the phone.” The shooter was said to be both near Mason Hall and the Shapiro Undergraduate Library, two buildings in Central Campus. BHHS alumni Akram Albeer was in the library when the threat was first reported. “A report came out that there was a shooter at the undergraduate library which is when tension really started to grow around us,” said Albeer. “There was one moment in particular where a women started raising her voice telling everyone to move and everyone started running for their lives. It was the most chaotic thing I’ve seen. My friends and I ran up 5 floors of stairs and were met by 5 or 6 armed police officers who ushered us back downstairs.” On March 16, the campus was bustling with

activities. In addition to it being a big party weekend, there was a Women’s March and a vigil for the victims of the shooting in New Zealand the week prior. “There was a vigil for New Zealand and a Women’s Day March that same day,” said freshman and BHHS graduate Erika Folbe. “I thought that was the reason the shooting happened.” Students all over campus were hiding in lockdown mode, including Sanjeev, who was in the Psychology Atrium. “[Two women] took me up to the fifth floor, they went through a door that was four inches thick, they had to swipe a card, put in a code, then we go down two hallways and then we get to a door and they call someone inside the room and they said to open up the door,” said Sanjeev. “It literally felt like a bunker.” Students were scared and confused through the entire time they were on lockdown. “I hate that we live in a society that we assume that popping balloons translates to there is an active shooter,” said Folbe. “I also hated all the

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INSIDE: INSIDE: INSIDE: SENIORS HONORED PRO/CON ON CAPTAIN MARVEL FOR PERFORMANCE DIGITAL ASSISTANTS REVIEW see page 8 see page 23 see page 15

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The perfect ending Editor says farewell to newspaper

by RIYA DOSHI Editor-in-Chief

Well. Here we are. I’ve waited until the last possible minute to write this column, but at 11:40pm the night before we’re sending to print, I’d say this is cutting it close enough to force myself to buckle down and write the column I’ve been dreading writing all year. There are so many things that I could say, so many different tones to end my time on The Hawkeye on, but nothing feels like that Goldilocks level of just right. I guess I shouldn’t feel pressured to make this perfect. Between scheduling issues, budget cuts, and a very strange month spent writing an informative feature on fidget spinners, my time on The Hawkeye has been anything but ideal. And yet, in some strange way, it was. Don’t get me wrong; there have been plenty of nights when I was stressed, overwhelmed, and frustrated beyond belief with the paper. As great of a cover story they made, those nine snow days this year offset Hawkeye production for the entirety of second semester. At times, I wished I could start over, reset the clock and do my senior year as editor-in-chief all over again,

but better, this time around anticipating all the challenges and setbacks. The thing no one mentions about being editor-in-chief is not the workload or the pressure; it’s the fear that you are the blind leading your blind staff through every treacherous news cycle. The moment we received the letters granting us the title of co-editors-in-chief, it became my and Evan’s responsibility to pass on the knowledge we’d gained from former editors about writing and design to every student to maintain The Hawkeye’s legacy beyond our high school careers. The pressure was high and constant, but the latter end of this year has shown us that our efforts were worth it. Of course, winning a Spartan award, the highest honor bestowed to any Michigan high school newspaper, was a highlight. But, there were more validating points than just that one. Receiving a print-ready cover from Kushal without receiving any prior edits from me and watching Lara blossom while teaching a lesson to the class were just some of the moments that made me feel like I actually did accomplish something in this

past year. While I surely won’t miss the pressures of an imminent deadline or the constant struggle to find new stories, The Hawkeye is one of the few things I can say that I will genuinely miss after the end of this year. This paper has always given me what I needed most at any given period in my life: a new creative outlet in both writing and design, tangible evidence of the merits of hard work, and, most of all, the best friend I ever could have asked for. Since meeting in newspaper class sophomore year, I can’t remember a single day that has gone by when I haven’t spoken to Brynn, a friendship owed entirely in origin to The Hawkeye. But now I’ve reached it. The end of the end. The entity I’ve so closely tied with my identity over the past three years is no longer associated with me, and now passed onto new leadership to help it keep growing and improving. It won’t be easy for them, nor will they be without their own mistakes, but those experiences are what will make the journey perfect.

EDITOR COLUMNS The missing class Financial literacy ought to be a required class

by EVAN STERN Editor-in-Chief

Throughout my high school years, I have undoubtedly learned a lot. From Calculus to U.S. History and from Literature to Chemistry, I am deeply fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend a school with so many options to create an interesting and valuable curriculum. With eight classes a semester, something I have observed throughout the last four years is that everybody at our school truly is able to explore great educational subjects from passionate instructors, something that can potentially open new doors into a future interest or career. However, far beyond just Bloomfield Hills High School, I can’t help but realize that there is something missing from America’s high school curriculum. In the midst of a long list of requirements that no doubt encompass valuable areas of study — English, Math, Social Studies, Science, World Language … the list goes on — countless students are missing out on something that can truly be fundamental in the “real” world: financial literacy. Whether we like it or not, finances to a

great extent govern countless aspects of life; as we grow older, we will encounter (if we have not already) bank accounts, credit and debit cards, investments, mortgages, loans, and a myriad of other complicated financial situations. Given that finance is an area of interest for me, something that I feel I may want to explore in college and beyond, it is confusing that a large portion of America’s high school graduates each year are oblivious to the basic inner-workings of the financial world. This may not seem like a big deal; people may think that students can learn these essential skills later in life. That is true to an extent, but just consider the student loan debt crisis that has burdened millions of college students, something that I feel is a product of our lack of focus as a society on financial literacy. Beyond student loan debt, finances are proven to routinely come into play as a powerful force throughout somebody’s life, and the truth is that proficiency in basic financial literacy can make a huge dif-

ference. Throughout my high school career, I enjoyed the selection of introductory business and financial courses offered through the Business Department, with the topics including the stock market, credit cards, insurance, and taxes. With these classes proving rewarding and powerful for a number of students, I believe that all students would greatly benefit from a class teaching essential financial literacy skills. While I believe that most students would truly find a required basic financial literacy course interesting, it would also empower graduating seniors every year to make better, more informed financial choices, whether they are entering college or the work world. Now, as I finish high school, knowing how much I (and other students in the Class of 2019) would have enjoyed and benefited from such a course, I hope that the financial literacy of graduating students will become a top priority in all high schools for all students.

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A three year journey Editor recounts his experiences on The Hawkeye by JUSTIN YAKER Section Editor I joined the Hawkeye as a sophomore, hoping to improve my skills as a writer. In Intro to Publications, which I took as a freshman, we learned all about the organization of a newspaper, and the different elements that combine to successfully create it . My first year in newspaper, I wanted to get my feet wet and experiment with all the different story types. My first article I wrote for the Hawkeye was a sports news story on the football team’s success. Oh, and it would be the cover story. This made me a bit nervous, but also really made me want to deliver a skillfully written article.

The magic of mistakes Mistakes are vital to growth and development by JAKE WEITZMAN Managing Editor September 8th, 2015 was our first day of high school. I was 5’4”, I had really short hair, and I had braces. I definitely wasn’t the prettiest of the bunch. But, more importantly, I had aspirations. I aspired to receive the best grades possible. I aspired to be accepted into my dream school. I as-

The process for my first story did not go as smoothly as anticipated. I lacked information from my initial interviews, and my story was a bit unorganized. But after receiving a bit of assistance from Shibi, the editor-in-chief at the time, I was able to polish it up to cover story material. That first story was definitely a learning experience for me. It was my first time conducting interviews, transcribing them, and putting those quotes into a story. From there on out, I can safely say it only got easier. After experimenting with news, feature, opinion, entertainment, and sports writing, it was clear that sports and entertainment came most natural to me. With this in mind, I applied to be either the section editor for entertainment or sports the following year. I knew this would require extra work and dedication, but I was ready for it. I guess my body of work and interview proved I could handle the position, as I was named sports editor for the following year on Newspaper. I was very excited, but I knew I would have to figure out how to balance writing and editing stories with the heavy workload of my other junior year classes. Having enjoyed my time as an editor, I reapplied to be one my senior year. Rather than one section though, I was given the entire section B (sports, entertainment, opinion) to look after this year. I was ready

though to take another step forward in order to help the Hawkeye achieve more success. I will admit, there were times where senioritis got the best of me. But for the most part, I gave it my all. Anyway, possibly the greatest demonstration of my development as a writer is the annual Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) awards, where first, second, third place, and honorable mentions are awarded to a variety of story, design, and video categories. I recall attending the MIPA conference my sophomore year, not knowing what to expect, just hoping my name would be called for something. But it wasn’t. Knowing about the MIPA conference gave me some extra motivation in my junior year, and I worked extra hard to write award-worthy stories. I am proud to have accomplished this goal, as I won two second places and an honorable mention for my stories that year. Overall, I am extremely happy I made the choice in 10th grade to make Newspaper part of my schedule. As it turns out, Newspaper wasn’t just another part of my high school curriculum, but it became a significant aspect of my high school experience. Everything I learned as a member of the Hawkeye will have an everlasting effect on me as a writer and a leader.

pired to be taller than 5’4”. However, it’s one thing to have aspirations; it’s another thing to work towards them. We will never achieve our goals by sitting and waiting for things to happen. Full effort and sustained dedication are some of the key ingredients to success. If you’re an athlete, you practice to perform and win. If you’re on the debate team, you do your research and use your skills to persuade others to agree with you. If you enjoy eating stir fry on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you time out the best route to Main Street and bust your butt come 10:35. No matter what we do, we all strive for triumph. However, we will always make mistakes along the way, such as procrastinating a project or leaving your class too late on a Tuesday or Thursday. But that’s the beauty of making mistakes; there is always a lesson to be learned. The obstacles that we face throughout not just high school, but our lives, will better us for the future. Making mistakes is how we achieve our goals and avoid moving backwards. It is utterly impossible to be continuously successful

without making a single accident along the way. Basically, it’s okay to mess up. It’s okay pull an all nighter to finish our work. It’s okay to fail a test. How could we improve ourselves without knowing what could go wrong? Knowing what is and what can go wrong is what keeps us afloat. It’s what keeps us motivated to do the right things. So, as we seniors move on to this next chapter in our lives, it’s important to know that our next set of goals will not be completed with perfection, but making those mistakes will lead you as close to perfection as possible. You may not get all A’s your first semester of college, but come second semester you will know what you need to do. After your first paycheck you might spend it so quickly, you didn’t save enough to pay the bills. But when you get your next few paychecks, you will have figured out how to avoid the same mistakes. No matter what bad situation you may find yourself in, it will eventually bring you the success you are striving for.

Congratulations to our Hawkeye seniors: Riya Doshi Caitlin Finerty Hanna Halstead Sarah Kenkel Sadie Kirschner Vikram Lakshmanan Brendan Lynn Debra Moraitis Maddy Moskus Ben Moss Ben Mutz Ali Randal Alexis Rillema Ava Singer Sydney Stearns Evan Stern Jonah Stone Jake Weitzman Justin Yaker

INDIANA

WASHINGTON

Indiana Institute of Technology Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Southeast

University of Washington

KENTUCKY

Kentucky State University University of Kentucky

ILLINOIS

Columbia College Chicago Loyola University University of Chicago Roosevelt University School of the Art Institute of Chicago

OREGON

Lewis and Clark College

WISCONSIN

University of Wisconsin

COLORADO

CALIFORNIA

Mt. Saint Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University Occidental College

-EMT -Gap Year -Internships -Jobs -Trade School -Welding

NEVADA

University of Nevada

ARIZONA

Colorado Mountain College United States Air Force Academy University of Colorado - Boulder

University of Arizona Arizona State University

FRANCE

AMOS

VIRGINIA

Hampton University

ONTARIO

Carleton University

LOUISIANA

Xavier University

OHIO

Bowling Green State University Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music Denison University Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences Ohio Technical University Ohio University University of Northwestern Ohio University of Toledo Xavier University

MICHIGAN

Central Michigan University MIAT College of Technology College for Creative Studies Michigan State University Eastern Michigan University Michigan Technological University Ferris State University Northwestern Michigan College Grand Valley State University Oakland Community College Hope College Oakland Early College Jackson College Oakland University University of Pittsburgh Kalamazoo College University of Detroit Mercy Lawrence Technological Univ. University of Michigan Maccomb Community College Western Michigan University Madonna University Wayne State University

PENNSYLVANIA

MASSACHUSETTS Emerson College

NEW YORK

Columbia University New York University Parsons (The New School) Rochester Institute of Technology

WASHINGTON D.C.

American University Howard University The George Washington University

NORTH CAROLINA

SOUTH CAROLINA

Duke University High Point University University of North Carolina

Coastal Carolina University

GEORGIA

Clark Atlanta University

ALABAMA

University of Alabama

TENNESSEE

Vanderbilt University

THE CLASS of

FLORIDA

2019

Emrby Riddle Aeronautical University Florida A & M University Florida Atlantic University Nova Southeastern University St. Petersburg College

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Seeking friendships Writer discusses the struggles of finding one’s place

by CAITLIN FINERTY Web Content Manager

Friendships are hard. You have to know how to find the right person or group and try keep a strong relationship going forever. Those “requirements” that teenagers have created in their minds are just not as probable in real life as they are in the movies we attach to: you can’t sing and make up every time your friend group fights. I came into high school with probably two close friends, and I was really nervous because there were already friend groups established in middle school. Through the last three months of eighth grade, I wasn’t super close with anyone and I had a few separate lunch tables that I could choose to sit at day by day. I learned quickly in my first weeks of freshman year that middle school Caitlin wasn’t going to fly. I tried to establish friendships by talking to people in class, and my desperation for a real connection with a student my age was somewhat successful, making at least one relationship that went beyond acquaintance in every class. I had someone to talk to or to text for homework help or questions and that made me feel okay about the whole situation. Freshman year had come

and gone and the sun was setting on my second semester of my sophomore year. Playing a school sport obviously helped with connecting with some people with similar interests and now I was a second year member on the forensics team and a section editor on the newspaper staff. Connections by Caitlin was at an all time high! I started having plans almost every weekend. But I had a realization, this group of friends, while comforting, was just not the friend group I had been longing for since the day I got the BHHS. Then, it happened. It was the last week of sophomore year and everyone was stressed for finals and for what they were going to do after their finals were over on that last day of school. I texted my closest friend to see if he had plans, nervous about his answer because he walked in a circle I just didn’t walk in, and to my terror, he was hanging out with his other friends. Scared to death, I texted the girl who was having the get-together and asked politely if I could join in. She said yes and I went to that party with an open mind and a desire for a friend group.

The party was awesome and I was slowly becoming part of their friend group that summer. When junior year came around, I knew who I was going to eat lunch with every day. Now, reaching the two year anniversary of me sucking it up and going to this party, I couldn’t imagine what my life would have been like without my friends as an upperclassman. Heading into college, where all of us will be in different places, rivaling schools or rivaling time zones, I can only hope that the friendships I made so late in my high school life will last me until late in my life life. The reason it is so important to me to get my story out there is because I now know that freshman year can be difficult with the stresses of classes, clubs, and sports, and finding and cultivating true friendships can be tough on its own. So if you don’t find the people that are right for you immediately, don’t worry. My advice would be to take every opportunity you have to find the right people, and soon you will realize that waiting and working for it was the best choice you could have made.

STAFF VOICE March of the Living A life-changing Holocaust remembrance trip

by ALI RANDAL Copy Editor

He was seven when World War II started. He was separated from both of his sisters and father while struggling across the mountains into a liberated camp. He witnessed his mother getting raped and was forced to hide his Jewish identity and listen to whatever the German soldiers told him to do. This is Paul. A Holocaust survivor who embarked on the March of the Living with my delegation of over 200 teens in order to share his story and educate others. This is just the start of his story. The March of the Living is an annual Holocaust remembrance event that honors Holocaust survivors and how far the Jewish people have come since WWII. This year, 30,000 people gathered in Poland to explore concentration camps and memorials to learn from the past. Everyone then continued on to Israel to embrace the future and celebrate the lives we have now. I knew that this trip would bring lots of emotional ups and downs as I visited where

my ancestors were tortured and killed, but I was not expecting two weeks to change my perspectives so drastically. I remember the moment that I knew I would never be the same vividly. Rain fell from the clouds on a dark and gloomy day. I was shivering as we walked through a neighborhood full of life and young kids. We arrived at the shooting pits, utilized at the start of the war to shoot people at point blank range. My tour guide led us around to see the different graves, all set up exactly where innocent people would stand as their lives quickly came to an end. One for Jewish adults, one for Christians, one for Muslims, one for Jewish children. The children’s grave. Linked arm in arm, all 200 of us gathered around the grave where 800 kids were murdered simply because of their religion. These kids were young and had no understanding of the situation. A ceremony was led by our staff to com-

memorate the kids who never even made it to high school. One of our staff read a letter written by a mother to her child. The letter said, “I will be dead by the time you read this, but know that your parents love you and are sending you away in hopes of you staying alive.” I will be dead. We turned around to receive letters from our parents and loved ones at home. My parents, sisters, and grandparents talked about how proud they were of me for taking this journey and they look forward to having me home to teach others. I was put in someone else’s shoes and felt what it would be like to lose my family, which immediately brought me to tears. This moment is something I’ve thought about every day since I got home. I’m forever grateful for how the March of the Living changed me as a person and showed me how thankful I am for the life, family, and friends that I have.

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Ditching the plan Writer discusses abandoning his anticipated plans by BRENDAN LYNN Senior Sports Writer Walking straight into the chaos of the uncertainty of high school in 2015, I had a plan of exactly who I wanted to be. I was going to be a varsity soccer player, play travel soccer, and be in a club or two. But, things quickly took a turn, not necessarily for the worst. I took an Introduction to Publications class and promptly indulged in taking a Newspaper class in High School. I relished the writing process and the interviews that come with developing an article. I received an invitation from our Newspaper adviser at that time, Ms.

A system for workers

Senior reflects on the structure of the school system by BEN MUTZ Staff Writer Since the beginning of my days in the Bloomfield Hills School District, I was never what you would call an “exemplary student.” In elementary school, my teachers said that I was smart but only applied myself when I was interested, and the same trend followed me through middle school. It was not that I couldn’t focus in class, it was that I didn’t want to. I wasn’t motivated to complete book reports and memorize

Hammitt, to join the staff. So, I found myself a full-fledged staff member of the Hawkeye. Little did I know that I would suddenly become a Sports Editor a year later and then a Sports Opinion writer for this year. These two roles are very distinct. The responsibilities and demands of these roles at first were tricky for me to grasp, but eventually, I got the hang of it. Prior to freshman year, when completing my schedule before the year started, I chose Communications, simply because it would count for an art credit. Communications was an easy choice for an unskilled artist like myself since I found more traditional art classes to be boring. Communications class proved to be much more than I anticipated. Not only did I learn vast skills that have helped me with public speaking and presentations, but I met people that are still my genuine friends today. Whether it was a debate about what cereal was the greatest or learning how to voice your opinion, I learned valuable skills that I would utilize throughout my high school career. To my surprise, the class that I thought was going to be uninteresting became one of my most memorable from high school. My junior year, the first semester, I took an Introduction to Broadcasting class which also focused on television. The class

taught me the essential fundamentals of radio and how to sound interesting on the air. I ended up discovering how to handle the Audition system and how to do a lengthy two-hour show. Then, I got invited before the start of the second semester to join the BIFF, our school’s radio station. I reckoned I could do a sports show on the BIFF. I got to do my show with Patrick, a senior at the time, and he guided me and prepared me for our show. This year, I have helped my co-host Donovan learn how to do a radio show on our current sports talk show, Sportscan. I guess you could say that I’m paying my radio knowledge forward. Being a part of the BIFF was not only a surprise, but I have learned so many valuable lessons from being a member of our radio team. Later, it was now time for senior year, and I was pondering what I should do my final year of high school for a sport. I discussed with the football coaches about joining the football team as the kicker. This was such an astounding and surprising turn for me. Playing games on Friday nights was such an amazing experience. I am so thrilled I decided to play football. Kicking off the season at Grand Valley State University football camp was fun, and got me excited about joining the team. All of the dinners before the football games clear-

ly helped me bond with the guys on the team. It was exceptional to be united with my teammates before each of our games. Practices were really intricate and intense. I tend to attempt to overlook the dreadful conditioning workouts Coach Loria put us through and the extensive summer practices, but it was entirely worth it. At game time, I was eager to go to war with my teammates. This team unity was something that I had not yet experienced on any of my other high school sports teams. Looking back at all that has happened in the past four years, I am satisfied that my plan didn’t go accordingly. The freshman me wouldn’t believe how different my high school experience would turn out to be from what I anticipated. Walking in these school halls that no longer feel chaotic, I am proud to say that I have been a member of our National Honor Society, a member of two clubs (Investment Club and Political Action Club), and a District Student Ambassador. Most of all, I have learned that sometimes, the path that you predict isn’t the actual path you are supposed to take. Even though it frightened me at first, I wouldn’t change anything about my high school path. Now, on to my next journey, MSU!

the periodic table. It just wasn’t me. My sophomore year in high school, I found my passion in a class I signed up for on a whim: Introduction to Business. In other words, it took the school system 10 years of standardized schooling to introduce me to an area of true interest, another year to introduce me to economics, and a third year to introduce me to personal finance. It took me that long to realize I wanted to be an entrepreneur. But the school system isn’t built for entrepreneurs, it’s built for workers. It starts with the notion that the school system teaches kids to play inside the lines. Since elementary school, students were taught to strictly follow the rules. Anyone who didn’t would be sent out of the room, probably yelled at, and embarrassed in front of the class. Teachers and administrators are convinced that kids who are distracted with their own ideas during class are the ones who fail, when in reality, it’s often the opposite. At school, kids are labeled two ways by their peers, smart and dumb, which is a sad but true reality. The nature of the school system tells kids that they won’t succeed in life if they don’t suc-

ceed in school. That’s bogus, and difficult for a kid in middle or high school to take. When students fail standardized tests, they think their future is in jeopardy. The ACT and SAT are deemed so incredibly important in the college admissions process, that students actually adopt the mindset that those tests are their only path to success. Standardized tests may measure a person’s raw intelligence, but will never show the true nature of a person’s work ethic or creativity. School is designed to teach you to be a doctor, or lawyer, but it never teaches you how to make money independently. The information taught in schools is outdated, and is becoming less practical as technology advances. It’s clear that skills like coding and advanced computer science have found their niche in the modern workforce, yet we were never afforded coding classes until the later years of high school. The next generation of kids is being taught coding in elementary school. Also, it’s topics like Economics, Computer Science, Finance, and Business that aren’t emphasized nearly enough in the early school system. Because of this, many kids never even

glance down the path of entrepreneurship. The school system needs to make efforts to escape the “go to college, get a job, and retire as early as possible” mentality. If we were taught the skills we needed for the workforce earlier, college wouldn’t be as essential as it is today. Instead of eighteen year old kids making $100,000 debt decisions that we aren’t prepared to make, students could feel more confident entering the workforce or starting a business after high school. There is an opportunity cost to being an “A” student. You have to ask yourself how many hours you are willing to put in to get that degree, when there could be a more lucrative path elsewhere. Every hour a student spends studying could be an hour spent building a business, and every dollar spent on college could be a dollar invested. Until the school system teaches Economics, Computer Science, and Business as seriously as they do Math, History, and Literature, students in the school system will continue to work endless 9-5 jobs until they retire old and grey.

The power of speech by SYDNEY STEARNS Staff Writer Looking back on my childhood years, I had always been extremely shy and introverted. I always had a difficult time doing things, such as raising my hand in class, giving a presentation, or just maintaining a solid conversation. However, everything changed in the fall

Senior beginnings by BEN MOSS Staff Writer I did it. I made it to the end of senior year. I accomplished almost every single thing I wanted to do. I got into my dream program at the University of Michigan. I made the Varsity soccer team. I became a leader and left a huge legacy in my Jewish Youth Organization, BBYO. I won Districts at DECA (without studying or practicing). I

Thank you high school by JONAH STONE Staff Writer Thank you high school. Thank you for making me the person I am today. Thank you for teaching me more things than any book could. Thank you for forcing growth

senior of 6th grade when I was introduced to Forensics. Forensic speech is the study and practice of public speaking and debate; in this program, students learn and practice speech and research skills to inform or persuade an audience. Though this activity did not excite me as much as it does now, I decided to give it a try. Within the first day of joining the middle school team, I quickly realized that Forensics was no easy task. Forensics is all about preparation: cutting the script, memorizing and blocking it, and then ultimately turning the piece of literature into a quality performance. While this process was very challenging and time-consuming, I slowly began to experience success and feelings of self-confidence that I had never felt before. It was not until freshman year that I ac-

knowledged the fact that Forensics was an activity that I had really come to fall in love with. As a result of this, I intended to truly thrive for the remainder of my Forensics career. Little did I know, this aspiration would become so much more than a trophy. Forensics, for me, is not about the award, but about the skills I developed and the message I delivered to my audience. Along with this new ability to push myself, Forensics has also taught me about numerous real-world issues. Because of the various topics I have researched, I now have a global perspective. I have portrayed a young girl in the midst of World War II, a woman suffering from bipolar disorder, and a college student who endured the Virginia Tech shooting.

I am passionate about all of these topics, and the fact that Forensics has given me the opportunity to not only learn, but also spread awareness about them, is so important to me. As a whole, Forensics has helped me uncover a new self-esteem; crowds no longer scare me, holding a conversation is simple, and public speaking is one of my most favorite pursuits. Forensics has opened the door for me to do things that I never could have imagined as a young girl. With this new-found realization about the importance of communicating social issues, I look forward to a career involving some aspect of public speaking, thanks to the great and deeply important skills Forensics has taught me.

really did it. But, even with the amount of things I did accomplish, there was always something that I never did that always haunted me by the end of my junior year. I had never joined The Hawkeye’s staff. First semester freshman year, I actually took Intro to Publications, where we learned about journalism and what it means to be a writer. We wrote stories about what we wanted, and were given the freedom to be real journalists. As a freshman, I really enjoyed this. In English classes in middle school, we were “forced” to write about what the teacher wanted us to write about. The ability to write about anything I wanted really excited me. The semester ended, and I was asked by the teacher to apply for The Hawkeye’s staff. As much as I wanted to join, my

schedule for second semester was full and I couldn’t drop any classes. I told the teacher I would apply for staff sophomore year. By the end of freshman year, I think I forgot about my experience as a journalist. So, as I was filling out my classes for sophomore year, I didn’t check off newspaper. By the time I was about midway through my junior year, I got an email from the Hawkeye saying I was recommended to be on staff. It was clearly an email sent to multiple students, but something about it just stuck in my head. In life, you get to make a lot of choices and decisions with what you do. Sometimes you make good decisions; sometimes you make poor ones. Sometimes, you look back on decisions you made and don’t agree with what you chose. And sometimes a decision you made in the past made sense back then.

I’m not saying it was a bad decision to not join the staff. However, I had the opportunity to apply for something that I really wanted to do in the past. And, I had room in my schedule for the class. So I applied for the staff position. And I got on The Hawkeye’s staff! I do admit, it was a little awkward joining the staff as a senior. All the other first years were either in their sophomore or junior years. I was the only new senior in my class. Despite this, I was proud of myself. I had finally joined The Hawkeye’s staff and was a member of the elite team of journalists of the school. Sometimes, you need to follow up on things you wanted to do in the past. I wanted to join as a freshman, and forgot about that. It’s important to do things you want to do. Even if you don’t do them until your last year of high school.

upon an innocent, five foot nothing freshman. The inevitable contemplation of your growth is something that every senior comes across. No student had their high school career mapped out to a T, where nothing in these past four years has surprised them. High school doesn’t work out that perfectly for anyone, so you shouldn’t be surprised it didn’t work like that for you. Thank you for the resulting advancement in character that has come from the struggles and stresses of this building. As high school comes to an end for the Class of 2019, reflection is imminent. We’ve spent the last four years in this building learning,

growing, and watching. It’s important to look at everything that’s happened to you at 4200 Andover Road in a positive way; every experience, conversation, fight, relationship, and argument has made you who you are. The learning experiences found in high school are unmatched anywhere else. The social setting is unique to any other level of schooling or setting. The friends you have made and struggled through high school with are the people that will stick with you for the rest of your life. Thank you for showing me who my friends are. Thank you for allowing me to live and learn, forgive and forget, and

make friends who will last for a lifetime. High school isn’t something that is easily forgotten. Everyone remembers their high school days; whether that rememberance is positive or negative, everyone knows it played a role in shaping them. The point of high school is to take in children and churn out adults. Entering 9th grade, uncertainty trumps all. High school forges leadership, maturity, and intelligence. That’s not all due to schooling. The thanks goes to the atmosphere, the people, and the life lessons learned. High school teaches its inhabitants things no other place can. For that, we thank you, high school.

senior

Taking the wheel by MADDY MOSKUS Senior Opinion Writer

I wish I could say that the most influential part of my high school career was an inspirational teacher, a life changing class, or maybe even a class trip into the middle of the woods to camp for seven days. I’ve had all of these experiences and, of course, they have shaped who I am coming out of these four years. But the one part of high

The series of lasts by ALEXIS RILLEMA Staff Writer

High school. 2 words that make up a culmination of 4 years of your life, some of the most crucial 4 years in my opinion. If you were to tell me about where I am now on the day that a young, nervous, and somewhat outgoing girl walked into a brand new building, I would’ve called you

The phases of school by SADIE KIRSCHNER Promotional Manager

High school is not easy, and I’m not just talking about the schoolwork. Coming in as a naïve, nervous, and ambitious freshman, you don’t realize how much can change in just four short years. I vividly remember walking into school on the first day of freshman year to see a loud, crazy teacher lead us in uncomfortable ice breaking activities. Then, my three upperclassmen link leaders, took myself and a group of other incoming students, none of whom I knew, on a tour around the brand new high school. Those 15 people ended up being in my advisory for 9th and 10th

school that changed me the most ended up being learning how to drive. It wasn’t love at first sight. Moving 2 miles per hour in the parking lot of my dad’s office, I pondered moving to a big city where everything would be a few blocks away and I could Uber for the rest of my life. I think I hit every curb in that parking lot. Nevertheless, I persisted. As a senior in a segment 2 driver’s ed class with only sophomores, it would take quite some persistence. The rocky road, no pun intended, wouldn’t end there. During my driver’s test, I knocked over enough cones to end my test. As luck would have it, the woman administering it was looking away in that split second and my dad ran in and set the cones back up. It was a true heist. While neither me nor my road tester believed in

my driving capability, my dad always did. He stood in the driveway and sent me off as I took my first drive alone to Trader Joe’s. That’s when it hit me. Buying groceries, loading up the car, turning the key, these were the smallest steps towards total independence. This is where the love part comes in. In my mom’s 9-year-old station wagon driving the 5 minute route from Trader Joe’s to my cul-de-sac, I was free. It was an instant addiction and once I could drive alone, I was picking up my sisters from school, grabbing groceries for dinner, picking up carry-out from Leo’s. You could say I was living a pretty crazy life. Driving changed my world, making it smaller because everything was so accessible yet also bigger because of the endless possibility. Driving with friends became my

favorite hobby, my grades went up because I would leave the house to go study somewhere quieter, and my fitness improved once I started driving to the gym. My mom said she’s never seen someone who loved a traffic jam like me. The whole learning process showed me that I needed to step out of my comfort zone a little more often. Even if I did knock out the front bumper of my car hitting a pole in the Target parking lot or close my garage door on top of my car, I still love every minute of driving. It gave me a new lens, and I’ll always appreciate that whirl of independence that stirs inside every time I turn the key. Just like the rest of high school, it’s one more step until I’m independent. And I can’t wait. I still can’t park, though.

a liar. I think it’s easy to say that we all are not the same kids who walked into that brand new building 4 years ago. But have we ever asked ourselves why? We all can recount the biggest moments that shaped us into these people and what we will remember the most about high school. But I think it’s what we won’t remember about high school that will leave the biggest mark. It’s the little things. It was the little things in high school that I didn’t even remember the next day that made this all worth it. Yes, all of the homecomings, getting my license, and all of the football games on Friday nights were all very worth it. I could even tell you what dress I wore and how my hair was done for

what dance and what shoe I wore to every single homecoming. But what couldn’t I tell you? What day we had a certain snow day or which morning I walked into school sophomore year with a Starbucks in hand with a good feeling about the day. Those were the days that made this all worth it. The feeling of enjoying every minute and not thinking about what would be happening tomorrow. My mom always tells me, “you can’t fight a wave, but you sure can ride it.” With this chapter of our life coming to an end and many more doors to open in the future, we have experienced our series of lasts. Our last math test, our last AP Psych class, our last school dance, and this last story I am writing for the Hawkeye.

As we begin to close one door at a time, I wish I could tell myself 4 years ago to live every moment in the present, to enjoy every second and never blink, that life has a funny way of working out in the end, and to not set high expectations going forward on what everything is supposed to be or should look like. I wish I could tell myself 4 years ago to not compare my life to others’ lives and never judge myself based on what my friends are doing, and to live in the present and never be upset when something doesn’t work out the way I want it to. The bitter things in life always make the sugar taste sweeter in the end.

grade and two of them are now some of my closest friends. Unlike in middle school, I can guarantee that you will not know every single person in your grade, you will not know every single teacher in the school, and you will not have the same, or even similar, schedules as most of your friends. Freshman year is the time to branch out and meet new friends, while still keeping your old ones close. It’s the year of firsts. The year of adjustment and adaptation. Sophomore year rolls around and you cannot wait to finally not be the youngest in the school. You can start taking AP courses, you know the drill of high school, and you’re excited to see all of the friends you made from last year. Sophomore year is the year of 16th birthdays, NHS eligibility, the calm before the college storm, and the year of ~cheating~ in my grade’s case. Junior year hits you like a ton of bricks. From the ACT with an overwhelming amount of tutoring to the beginning of using Naviance, the excitement and fear of

college on the horizon. Because of this, it is also the first year of many, many counselor meetings. It’s the year that counts. Where hitting the books should be more important than a Halloween party, but it’s Bloomfield so we know that’s not the case. AP classes invade your once easier, more manageable class schedule and a breakdown or two will most likely occur in the near future. Junior year is when you’re finally on the older-side of High School, the year of learning to be leaders because that is you next year. It’s the year that friendships and friend groups are defined. Senior year. One word: senioritis. Once it hits you, it hits hard. Senior year is the year of college. The year of the beginning of change, the year of lasts, the bittersweet moments. It’s the year that cements friendships as we all move apart. It’s the year we all look forward to and some dread most. First semester is completely full of confusion and joy. In the beginning of the year, it’s crazy to believe that this is your last year

of high school. It takes time to adjust to actually feeling and acting like a senior. Primarily, it can be stressful as applications are rolling into each school’s admissions office and you’re constantly checking your Common Application. However, once accepted, even if it’s only to your back-up school so far, everything changes and it really sinks in that you’re almost done. Second semester, in my case, was all about shopping and planning. Shopping for my dorm room, spring break, and grad party season were essential. Planning is also extremely relevant as students plan for their summer plans and their final plans for college and/or the future come into play. High school consists of a whirlwind of experiences that arise all different emotions. There are ups, downs, and in-betweens but, overall, high school marks the end of primary education and the start of the rest of life. High school is a place of firsts, lasts, failures, accomplishments, accolades, and it is the place that sets us off for the real world.