INSIDE: INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN SOCIETY’S HAUNTED HOUSE see 20
INSIDE: iPhone 8 vs iPhone X see 10
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: DISTRCT REPONSE TO WATER BOIL ALERT
Bloomfield Hills High School
SCHOOL news Committee to hire assistant principal by AVA SINGER Guest Writer
October 2017
scammed
Going into its third month, a committee of approximately 20 members is continuing to search for a new assistant principal. “Timing is everything when it comes to school districts,” said Margaret Schultz, one of the two current assistant principals. “Every time we hire, we are always looking for someone that is going to make us better and push us harder, so I always enjoy being a part of that.” Since the position was posted in August, approximately 110 candidates applied and the committee invited 12 candidates to interview.
National Honor Society tutors approached by scammers
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crolling through an email from a potential client, senior NHS tutor Sara Susanto knew something was extremely wrong. “At first, it was pretty normal, like he was just asking for tutoring for a month and I was like ‘Okay, that’s normal,’” she said. “But then [the scammer] started making all of these complicated plans, like how the payment was going to work and then he sent a check in the mail that was from a really random resort and the whole idea was just really sketchy... the money was way too much and way more than I expected.” The scam was ultimately taken care of, the experience becoming a good lesson for Susanto, preparing her for the future. “I thought it was a good learning experience because I had never experienced that before and it’s good to be exposed to stuff that you should be aware of,” said Susanto. But Susanto wasn’t the only one to experience this. Tutors across the U.S. been subject to a common scam known as the Check Overpayment Scam, where an anonymous source contacts a tutor in attempt to set up a tutoring session for his/her child and often the tutor a false check that is significantly more than what the tutor is charging. The scammers then tell the tutor to wire the check in a specific way, allowing them access into the tutor’s bank account. However, Susanto explains that being a tutor doesn’t always mean getting scammed
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Column Junior discusses harassment
by MADDY MOSKUS Social Media Manager Me Too. Two words and one hashtag, blowing up our phones in an unimaginable quantity. Each of 500 thousand tweets with a story of lost innocence, each of 12 million Facebook posts with a story of misplaced trust, and each of 495 thousand Instagram posts with a story of irreparable damage done. Sprouting from headlines of alleged rapes and sexual assaults in Hollywood, the women in the rest of the world have spoken out. Each post tagged with “#MeToo” holds tragedy and brutal honesty. Each woman has a story. This is mine. I have seen friends and family members go under the unwanted touch, and while it may not be me, sexual assault strikes fear because it hits so close to home.
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community Pipe break incites alert Residents advised to drink bottled water
student voice Senior reflects on “Socktober” Instagram page compiles four-year trend For these stories and more, go to our website
bhhstoday.org
Volume V-Issue I
and urges those looking to become a tutor, such as an NHS tutor, to take the opportunity. “Being a tutor doesn’t mean that you are going to get scammed. Just because this one incident happened doesn’t mean you’re always on the verge of being scammed,” explained Susanto. “You can always make sure filter your emails and double check if the person is legit and what their method of payment is and how reasonable their pricing sounds.” In light of these scams, tutors across America still remain successful in what they do, as students continue to receive educational assistance from them, scammed or not. “The thing I love most about tutors is that they’ve taken the classes before so they know what to expect and they can help you prepare and tell you what the assignment is going to look like,” said sophomore Kyra Nicholson, who has been tutored by NHS members at BHHS in the past. “It makes me feel more prepared when I’m about to take a big test or turn in an assignment since [the tutors] know the teacher and have had them [before] and have taken the course..I don’t think that [the scams] changes my opinion about the tutors. Everyone makes mistakes and a scam is a scam, you are not supposed to know what is happening.” Any scam, such as the recent tutoring scams, can be a difficult thing to experience. However, often times, they end up more of a learning experience that benefits how one makes decisions in our ever-changing world.
by LARA JANOSZ News Editor
Debate: national anthem kneeling
On campus
Pro
Senior athlete recognized
by JONAH STONE Managing Editor When I think about what the American flag stands for, my mind starts racing. There is an endless amount of symbolism surrounding the flag of our nation. However, I believe that the majority of people with this thought will have a very simple answer: freedom. Freedom of religion. Freedom of the press. Freedom to petition. Freedom of speech.
Con
by HABIB BELLO Managing Editor
Red. White. Blue. When I think of those colors, I think of a nation brought together by believing that they could beat all odds. A melting pot of different cultures and upbringings that live together in harmony. There is
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provided by BHSD
Congratulations to senior Olivia Brack for her selection as a Wendy’s High School Heisman recipient! Olivia was selected for her hard work, passion and ability to lead by example - in the classroom, on the field and within the community. “Olivia is known by teachers and friends for her commitment to excellence. We are
excited and honored that a program like Wendy’s High School Heisman is also recognizing her hard work,” expressed Mrs. Westerby, Olivia’s counselor. Since 1994 Wendy’s has honored more than 600,000 of the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors who share the values of giving back to their communities, treating people with respect, continuing education and
Taiwanese students visit provided by BHSD
Students in the high school Chinese program planned and organized a welcome celebration on October 19th for their sister school students from Taiwan. The celebration included students from world languages, as well as music and dancing from the band, choir, and the Poms. Superintendent Dr. Glass and Principal Mr. Hollerith received gifts
presented by Ms. Chung, the teacher leader from Taiwan. “Taiwanese students shed tears while saying farewell to their host families on Sunday (October 22nd).They are looking froward our visit this coming spring,” expressed BHHS Chinese teacher, Mrs. Lee-Jan.
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OCTOBER NEWS
Volunteer Days at the Nature Center provided by BHSD
The Hawkeye Highlights
Join us Saturday, October 21, 2017 and Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. to volunteer at the Nature Center! A variety of outdoor restoration projects will be completed. Activities are best suited for middle school/high school students and adults, however, adults may bring elementary students. This is a good opportunity for students to earn community service hours and scouts to earn badges! Please contact 248.341.6487 if you are interested in volunteering.
Bloomfield Hills Robotics will host the Bloomfield Girls Robotics Competition and the Bloomfield Bash FLL Jr Expo Aqua Adventure (K-3) on Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Bloomfield Hills High School. The Bloomfield Girls Robotics Competition is for high school students (grades 9-12). This is an off-season tournament where only girls can operate or repair their robots. A total of 32 teams will attend from across Michigan (1 team from Windsor). Proceeds of the event go towards 5 individual $1000 scholarships for high school senior girls. The Bloomfield Bash FLL Jr Expo called Aqua Adventure is for grades K-3. A total of 22 teams from Bloomfield Hills will attend and compete in this event. In addition to the events, select Bloomfield elementary and middle school teams will be providing demonstrations. On December 16, 2017, Bloomfield Hills High School will also host the Michigan FLL (for elementary and early middle school students) where a total of 52 teams from across Michigan will attend.
For more news briefs, go to our website
BhhsToday.org
Local and World News
Tweets: “12 Oakland County cities are now under a boil water advisory because of a major water main break.” -Alicia Smith, via Twitter
Local Reactions: Students and Social Media
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-Erica Folbe, Senior
For more information on the water break, visit bhhstoday.org
The water break has brought everyone together because everyone is coming together and pitching in with their resources so that the main break doesn’t affect us too much.
-Sydney Trepeck, Senior,
Wildfires Ravage Portugal and Spain
The death toll caused by the wildfires that have taken over parts of Spain and Portugal has risen from 36 to 39, with 63 more injured and 16 in critical condition. Relentless efforts have been put forth to extinguish the fires, but flames continue to spread. Firefighters in the area continuously tried to contain the fires, though the blaze has spread from northern Portugal and has started to take control of Spain.
The recent water break within the Bloomfield Community has caused a water boil alert, bringing the community together in making sure enough fresh water can go around.
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It’s brought the community together because its something are talking about and is in the news right now and its also really impacted a lot of people. We all have been able to come together.
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provided by BHSD
Break Brings Community Together
Treatment for agressive lymphoma approved by FDA
Battle for Raqqa Continues
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have claimed that the ongoing battle in the islamic city of Raqqa, Syria between the SDF and the Islamic Terrorist group, ISIS, is coming to an end. As the final battle commences, SDF have helped to carry out the evacuation of thousands of inhabitants, approximately evacuating at least 4,000 civilians still within the city. In doing so, the focus of the SDF will be more towards getting rid of the terrorists and recapturing the city.
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Bloomfield Robotics Events
Top Story: Oakland County Water
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved treatment for the aggressive nonHodgkin’s Lymphoma, commonly found in adults. Developed by medical developer, Kite Pharma, the treatment uses gene therapy to attack the specific gene found in these cancer patients. The treatment costs about $373,000 per patient. However, many patients who have gone through clinical trials with the treatment have seen positive results thus far, some even going into remission.
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Assistant Principal (from 1) “It’s always exciting when you get to hire somebody new to be part of the team,” Principal Charlie Hollerith said. “We were interviewing in midAugust and school was starting only three weeks away, so I knew that the timeline wasn’t ideal. That said, I think we did a thorough process of evaluating the people that did apply. We got a great variety of candidates, with all different types of backgrounds, and unfortunately just didn’t find the right fit this go around. We hope to really be proactive in continuing the process going forward to ultimately find the right individual to bring to our team.” Adding to Hollerith’s thoughts, Schultz said that the individual hired would join part of a three person team. “It was important that we [the two current assistant principals] were on the committee to make sure that it was a good fit.” “I have the experience of living in the position but I also think that being in the district for 16 years, being a teacher at Lahser, and also going through the whole transition, I have a perspective that is important because I know the history - where we have come from and where we are now,” Schultz said. Along with administrators, the school board mem-
bers, teachers, parents, and students were a part of the process. Schultz explained it is important for those outside the process to understand that the school board and administrators do not make the decision without input from the community. “There is a lot of pressure,” said Schultz. “But as a team we are very strong and we support each other. No one is making the decision on their own and we will never make a decision that we do not feel great about.” Adding to Schultz’s thoughts, Vice President of the Bloomfield Hills Education Association Phillip Laliberte said, “The process is set up so that input from all stakeholders, students, parents, and teachers will all have a say in it. Another thing to keep in mind about the process is that we are not willing to rush anything, we are going to wait and find the right candidate to fill this position.” Even though the position is not filled, Hollerith said that he hopes to fill it mid year, but until then, the “process is always exciting because you don’t know what qualities a candidate may bring to the process. I am confident that we will find the right candidate, or for that matter the right structure, to continue moving our high school forward.”
“No one is making the decision on their own and we will never make a decision that we do not feel great about.”
Margaret Schultz Assistant Principal
HELP WANTED: assistant principal
Timeline: Candidate will be chosen mid-year
Comittee: Consists of administrators, the school board members, teachers, parents, and students
Coworkers: Candidate will work alongside Principal Charlie Hollierith and Associate Principals Margaret Schultz and Sharida Lewis
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OCTOBER NEWS Long Lake entrance landscaping to be completed by November 15, 2017
Surrounding trees will buffer property from nearby Wabeek neighborhoods
Some homes have first floor master bedrooms for older residents, others are suited for families
Newly Built Homes Will Be Added to District Sold property is being developed into residential lots by KAITLYN LUCKOFF Guest Writer Randy Wertheimer, president of Hunter Pasteur Homes, has recently been involved of the building of a new neighborhood in our district. These houses will be located on Long Lake Road. Twenty two homes are scheduled to be built and moved into by Summer of 2018. “Most of our buyers we expect to be young families of people between 30 and 50 years old who have kids who want to be in the Bloomfield Hills School District. Bloomfield Hills is the number one school district in Michigan,” said Wertheimer. The Bloomfield Hills School District sold 18 acres of property on Long Lake road last spring, in order to accommodate for more housing, according to School Board President, Cynthia von Oeyen. “After discussion with our greater community through our Master Property Planning process, we agreed that the time was right to sell the 18 acres of vacant land on Long Lake Road,” said Cynthia von Oeyen. “The district had held that property for many years as a possible site for a school. We were able to sell the property last Spring for $3.5 million which we have put into our Capital Needs Fund to use for the future.” Von Oeyen explains that the vacant
land was sold due to the long term student enrollment projections. These projections showed that in the future, another school is not imperative. As our district housing is almost ‘builtout’, long term student enrollment projections have shown us that we should not need that property for a future school,” Von Oeyen said. “We are certainly hoping that families with school aged children want to move into these new homes.” According to School Board Treasurer, Mark Bank, our high school is not reaching full capacity anytime soon; there is not a current enrollment issue. “I don’t think that we’re close to reaching the maximum capacity at this point. I think there’s a misconception in the community that the high school is reaching full
capacity, but it is not near capacity to my knowledge at this point,” said Bank. “So I don’t think there’s an immediate problem brewing at the high school that would require any short term or immediate term attention.” School board president, Cynthia von Oeyen, believes the housing units may not have as big of an impact on the school district as expected. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. There’s not that many homes and on average, you have a couple of children per house, which is not going to be enough to change things very much,” von Oeyen said. “We hope that we will have families who will bring us kids, because that’s a good thing.” Similarly, Wertheimer also agrees that
“Most of our buyers we expect to be young families of people between 30 and 50 years old who have kids who want to be in the Bloomfield Hills School District.”
Randy Werthheimer President of Hunter Pasteur Homes
these houses will not be a burden on Bloomfield Hills High School or the district itself. “There’s only 22 houses. Let’s say two thirds of the houses are sold to young families and the other third are sold to empty nesters whose kids are already out of the house. So if we have 15 or 16 homes with kids, and there’s 2 kids on average in each home, that’s only 30 kids,” said Wertheimer. “Those 30 kids are going to go to elementary and middle school and high school, so your talking 8, 10, 12 kids additional at a school at a certain time, that’s not a big stress on anyone’s school.” Being one of the many people that will soon be neighboring this subdivision, Bank explains how these homes will affect him as a resident of Wabeek South. “I don’t think it will have an impact. There’s not many houses going in there and I don’t think it will add to the traffic on Long Lake road,” said Bank. Looking forward, Bank shares how this development will impact our district in the years to come. “I think it offers an opportunity for families living in the district and for more students to attend Bloomfield Hills Schools. So I see that the new houses is
University of Michigan Increases Aid Financial assistance maximized for income threshold by MADDIE WEIN OP/Ed Editor The University of Michigan will begin granting free tuition for all in-state undergraduates with annual incomes of $65,000 or less. This new program is called the “Go Blue Guarantee.” “We do not want any qualified student to feel he/she cannot afford to attend U-M,” said U of M’s Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs Rick Fitzgerald. “U-M is the only university in the state that meets 100 percent of financial need for in-state students.” Fitzgerald said the program will change the lives of students, due to exceeding amounts of funding from donors to support the university’s overall commitment to academic excellence and affordability. Vice President Jerry May provided an update on the U-M budget at the June
15, 2017 Board of Regents Meeting. In April 2017, donors raised beyond the $4 billion funding goal of the Victors for Michigan campaign mark. More than 346,000 donors have given a total of $4.24 billion dollars for student support, engaged learning, and classroom research. The Go Blue Guarantee database stated that two out of every three students receive financial aid, making Michigan a considerably generous school, unique with its financial aid program. Compared to other schools in Michigan, U of M’s guaranteed financial support is a prominent factor to their national ranking, “#3 Best College for your Money”, stated in the July 2017 Issue of Money Magazine of the Top 50 national colleges. The ranking looked at 711 colleges and evaluated them on 27 factors within three broad categories: educational quality, affordability and alumni success. Colleges were evaluated based upon
27 measures of educational quality, affordability, and alumni success and ranked upon three factors; affordability, quality of education, and salary outcomes, stated in a follow up article in Money magazine written by Kim Clark. When asked about the initiative, Mark Schlissel the U-M president, said Michigan guarantees that students who are motivated and willing to work hard, no matter what background or family income they consist of, can have the equal opportunity to go to Michigan. “Originally when I was applying to the University of Michigan, I thought there was no way I’ll be able to afford going here,” said graduate student Michael McMain from Warren, who was eligible for a financial scholarship. “Then I got the scholarship letter. This is such a fantastic opportunity.” The budget includes support for ongoing work related to the University’s
strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion. “We hope this will lead more students from modest income families applying to U-M,” said Fitzgerald. To find out more information on how to apply for financial at for the University of Michigan, visit the website finaid.umich.edu for further details.
4 Student poses as the Mona Lisa for her Senior ID.
Senior IDs get global attention
OCOTBER NEWS
Receiving Recognition Hawkeye editor becomes national finalist
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North Farmington trend goes viral
ponsored by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), over 4,000 delegates from across the nation will gather to attend breakout sessions for all aspects of journalism at the National High School Journalism Convention on November 16 to 19. During the closing ceremonies, sophomore Jenny She will know if she has won one of the top national honors. “I went to Hammitt’s office and I saw [the Hawkeye’s editors-in-chief ] Brynn and Anish holding blue balloons,” She said. “And at first I was very confused. When I found out I was really happy. When I heard I was surprised, I didn’t even know what I had won it for.” The day before Jenny She was honored by her editors, Hawkeye Advisor Christina Hammitt explained how she found out. “I was sitting in my office and an advisor from another school congratulated me about Jenny’s awards. Immediately, I texted my editors to tell them,” she said. “While what we do isn’t about the awards, it is always a nice surprise when another organization sees what I get to see every day. Jenny worked incredibly hard on her design and the fact that she was a freshman at the time was the icing on the cake.” While having Hammitt as her adviso ry teacher, Jenny became involved with the Newspaper class and design in the second semester of her freshman year. “I had always loved anything to do with design. Now, in newspaper, my main focus is designing pages and creating graphics,” Jenny said. This isn’t Jenny’s first award of her sophomore year. During the 34th annual Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s (MIPA) summer workshop, she won MIPA’s highest distinction for her work in the “Taking Your Newspaper to the Edge” class. “There were multiple class awards and my name wasn’t called so I was starting to get really nervous, but then they announced my name for the Sparty and I was in total shock. I couldn’t believe that I had come this far. All of the hard work for the past year cane together and culminated in this award. It was unreal,” she said. “I was able to step out of my comfort zone [in the class] and not worry too much about making mistakes. I
by SAMMI TREPECK Social Media Manager Scrolling through her Twitter feed, senior Erika Folbe saw some of her best friends being featured. “I couldn’t believe it,” Folbe said after seeing her friend’s funny high school ID photos. “There were my friends from North Farmington. The pictures were hysterical and showcased all of their personalities,” Gaining nationwide several North Farmington students were featured on a variety of different medias including Buzzfeed, the Today Show, and even some international forms. “It created a great deal of awareness amongst our students that they have power in the world and that when they choose to come together and do something positive, they can bring a lot of benefits and joy to others,” said Joe Greene, North Farmington’s Principal. “Taking part in the senior ID card photos, has not only become a tradition for the past five years but a right of passage for the senior class; however, they’ve never received the global attention that they did this year.” North Farmington senior Mia Mansfield who appeared in the Buzzfeed feature article said, “I didn’t really know what character or celebrity to choose because I wanted something really different, and I’ve always been told I do the little half smile like the Mona Lisa in pictures instead of smiling real big, so I decided to play off that and just go as the Mona Lisa.” Previously students at BHHS were able to participate in taking senior ID pictures; however, according to Principal Charlie Hollerith, safety and security reasons have made this option unavailable. Regarding the lack of senior ID pictures, Folbe said, “ I was very jealous that we don’t have a bonding experience that is as fun as the North Farmington’s. As a senior there is a lot going on with applying to colleges and graduating. I feel it is important to have fun moments like the North Farmington student ID photos.” While at Bloomfield Hills High School the opportunity was taken away, the students at North Farmington will continue to pursue this practice. In response to the safety issue Greene said that his administrative staff believes in “cultivating student leadership and in particular senior leadership. We rely on them a lot to help them build and maintain the school culture that we want. One of our rituals is this ID picture part where we show our trust in them.” Greene stated that he will continue to allow the funny senior ID pictures as long as the students stay within the boundaries that the school sets. “We will keep doing it, as long as their image is not obscured and we can make out their face, a police officer who doesn’t know who they are is able to recognize them by their picture, and the set of their face. They can do this in bounds as long as they don’t do anything inappropriate or offensive,” Greene said. “There is no reason why we wouldn’t do this. They have a lot of fun with it and it actually brings a lot of joy.”
think I can accredit a lot of my success to that along with the collaboration skills I learned-we all found ways to work together.” MIPA Workshop director Chad Sanders explained that each class “presents a Sparty award, which is a ‘best of the best’ award, the top student in that class. Whether it’s a theme package, photo portfolio, or feature story, instructors are looking for work that meets the highest standards.” Along with She, junior Caitlin Finerty was awarded the Sparty for her work on “The Upstart,” which focused on online writing and graphic design. “The goal was to report on whatever else was happening in the camp. The class size was small, allowing for a collaborative environment. It was so exciting-- I learned how to think outside the box and work with much more experienced writers,” Finerty said. “I had made a lot of progress but I also had a lot of work that was heavily critiqued. I was the youngest and only one that wasn’t editor in chief. But it showed that I had made the most improvement and who showed the most dedication to the class.” A year before, editor-in-chief of the online Hawkeye, senior Jessica Kim, won her Sparty. During the 2017 summer conference she earned an Award of Excellence for web design. “I worked really hard throughout the week and the award was proof of how much I had achieved in my time there,” Kim said. Her biggest takeaway from the camp was not the award itself. “At the camp my peers and I inspired each other and helped keep each other motivated throughout. It sounds cheesy but the best part about it was the community,” said Kim. “There was all this collaboration and support. The thing about web design is that you can’t do it alone.” Other Hawkeye Award of Excellence winners were junior Maddie Wein and senior Lilly Swanson. “I can’t even express how proud I am of all our staff members,” said Kim. “Not everyone won awards, but I think their work in the summer camp explains for itself just how skilled and dedicated they all are. As for Jenny, I’m super proud of her, and I wish her and her design all the luck in the NSPA conference.”
by SOPHIE JACKSON Guest Writer
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1. Feature editors, sophomore Jenny She (left) and junior Caitlin Finnerty (right) both receive the “Sparty”, the highest award category at the conference. 2. Attendees at the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s August Conference (from upper left to lower right: junior Caitlin Finnerty, sophomore Hanna Halstead, junior Maddie Wein, junior Alexis Rillema, senior Kaylie Brooks, sophomore Jenny She, senior Jessica Kim, senior Anish Tamhaney, and senior Lily Swanson) at Michigan State University receive awards at closing ceremony.
Sophmore Jenny She learns she is named a national finalist for design by the National Scholastic Press Association.
BHHS Robotics Team Works to Benefit Community Projects help Bower’s Farm and promote driving safety Amidst the demands of the school year and competitive season, the Bloomfield Hills High School Robotics Team has given back to the Bloomfield Hills community through their technological expertise. “We have recognized a need to show the impacts of texting and driving,” safety captain of the Bionic Blackhawks and BHHS junior Aaron Murray said, producing, along with
other members of the team, a video promoting awareness of the dangers of texting and driving. “Texting and driving is extremely dangerous, killing about 11 teens every day.” As part of the team’s effort to reach out to support the community around them, in addition to Murray’s efforts, the team has also helped Bowers Farm protect the on-site chickens, a project entitled “Smart Pro-
tection of Poultry from Predators.” “[This was] a community service in the area of automating agriculture to the Bowers Farm,” members of the team and students Ashton Carrick, Alex Dufour and Hunter Kasravi said. According to the Robotics Team, the students researched, designed, and implemented an automated door in order to ensure the safety of these animals from predators, continuing
by EVAN STERN Managing Editor that that they aspire to “implement a remote communication device to send email and text message alerts to the poultry farmer” as part of a plan beginning with this first innovation on the school’s farm property to support the community through knowledge about “microcontrollers, sensor data analysis, programming, CAD and design, 3D printing, and prototyping,” according to Ro-
botics Team mentor Kas Kasravi. “The students learned about farming and in particular about the habits of chickens, egg production, the threat of predators, and how to address a real-world pain point via application of the scientific process,” Kasravi said, emphasizing the positive applications of the knowledge of the team on the Bloomfield Hills community.
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OCTOBER NEWS
Get to Know BHHS’ New Faculty by VIVIAN HARBER Managing Editor
Noelle Collis
Teaches Anatomy and Biology Prefers Dark Chocolate to milk chocolate Currently working on a doctorate includes studying and writing papers
Ronda Cooper
Teaches Statistics, Algebra 2 and Precalc/Algebra 2 Extension Prefers Both Dark and Milk Chocolate Favorite singer is Drake “that’s what I listen to most right now”
Ian Kohler
Holly Walters
Teaches Intro to Psych, Health Psych and Theories of Self Favorite food is Mac and Cheese homemade Born during a tornado
Teaches Directed studies Favorite food is Anything Mexican Favorite band/singer is Stone Temple Pilots or Scott Weiland Big fan of 90’s Rock
2017-2018 new staff members Vicki Putnik
Liza Lauter
Teaches Directed Studies Enjoys adventures and skydiving Is looking forward to “being back in the high school and just being a part of a high school atmosphere”
Teaches AP Literature and Modern Literature Favorite food is sushi Favorite band is Coldplay
Jessica Krull
Teaches in the FRP Classroom Enjoys Running Favorite band is Greenday “They were my wedding song”
Internship Course begins
Senior capstone offers field-focused experience by CARLY ARMSTRONG Staff Writer A new class, Career Capstone Internship, created and taught by Dan Whitmire, has been added to the curriculum. “The whole purpose of Career Capstone is to give students an opportunity to get experience outside of the classroom in a career field of their interest. The goal is that students go through a number of questions, surveys, and personal job shadows in order to narrow their career choice down to a specific career cluster,” said Whitmire. “The hope is from there, that they do an internship outside of the building or they do a mentorship in the building and do research.” Although the Career Capstone class is similar to the Senior Experience advisory, there are certain aspects to the class that make it different. “[The] number one difference is that not all seniors do it. It’s a class that you have to sign up for. And [the] number two difference is with senior experience, it was ‘go do something’ and Capstone is more go do something in your career cluster be able to network with people in that field before you go to college.” In taking the Capstone Class, some seniors have already gotten internships in the careers they want to pursue in the future. “My entire life, I have always wanted to go into the medical field and I finally got an internship at a physical therapist office. I am really excited to
start my internship and gain experience within the medical field,” said senior Janelle Simon, who already has gotten an internship through the class. “Having the opportunity to actually network and gain experience [through the class]...will help me get other internships further on in college.” Whitmire highly suggests that all seniors should take the class, as it is a useful class for seniors to experience. “If you have an idea of what you want to go into after high school, this class gives you an edge on your application by having an internship in high school,” said Whitmire. “Networking and making those connections in that career field that you want to study [is important].” Another senior, Sophie Jackson, who is interested in history, has already began her internship through the Capstone class. “I’m interning at the Birmingham Historical Museum. I get to work on a research project that is a creation of archives of a local newspaper that was consolidated years ago that lost its local touch. It is really exciting for me because I love history and I get to work on something that I actually am interested in doing in the future.” For anymore questions or information on this class, contact dwhitmire@bloomfield.org.
“If you have an idea of what you want to go into after high school, this class gives you an edge on your application.”
Dan Whitmire Teacher
Senior Capstone teacher Dan Whitemire created the course “to give students an opportunity to get experience outside of the classroom in a career field of their interest.”
Contact Dan Whitmire at dwhitmire@ bloomfield.org for more information!
the journey to coll Your Guide to Succes Ryan Olds Oakland University “I wish I knew that becoming independent is a lot easier than I thought it was. Also, that I would in fact make it to college because there were a lot of times I didn’t think I would make it.”
BHHS alumni in college give advice to high school seniors
Danielle Beisecke University of Wiscon
“Before starting college, I wish I budget both money and time. Gro you think, which can leave you wit anticipated. As for budgeting time, between classes gives you a lot mor week than in high school. Finding a homework, studying, and relaxing can be difficult when you’re used t the evening.”
Carly Hittler Grand Valley State University
Standardized Testing & Career
“One thing I wish I knew was that college is a lot different than high school but not in the way teachers say it is. It’s hard because you’re really on your own in terms of health and time management, but there are tons of opportunities you could never imagine while in high school.”
~ Start getting ready for the ACT. Look into prep books/prep courses ~ Stay on track with courses. Try out some AP’s (APUSH, AP Physics) ~ Learn about college entrance requirements ~ Continue to explore potential careers Read and Write!
Sophomore YEAR
stay on track each year!
~ Take on new roles. Stay involved with extracurricular activities and work on leadership positions. Become involved in community projects ~ Read, read, read. Develop your reading skills and learn about current affairs ~ Practice your writing skills. Find a teacher or adult to encourage you to write well
Grades and College Reach-Out ~ Keep your grades up. GPA matters! ~ Make a list of colleges that matches your personal criteria ~ Contact colleges that interest you. Write to schools to ask for more info about academic requirements, programs, or activities
Extracurriculars and Classes ~ Meet your guidance counselor and discuss long-term plans for college ~ Get involved. Make the effort to join clubs, sports, and other activities that interest you ~ Pick the right classes that suit your long-term college goal Start a College Savings Plan
FRESHMAN YEAR
~ Work on keeping a solid GPA. Grades count towards college admissions and scholarships ~ Explore possible careers ~ Discuss financial planning for college with parents. Start saving! Learn About College and Summer ~ Build credentials. Keep track of awards you’ve won and community service actions completed ~ Learn about colleges. College Night and individual college visits can be very helpful ~ Make summer count. Volunteer, get a job, or sign up for a useful summer camp
Information Sources: Big Future College Board, Mira Costa High School, Peterson’s
what about Many older people don’t realize the current Jake Weitzman Managing Editor
I
t’s not a secret that college tuitions have skyrocketed over the past couple of decades. The information that is more of a mystery is how these higher prices have affected the families of students who apply to these schools. “It depends on your income level, and if your income level is at a certain point then you are eligible to get grants based on the formulas that the colleges have. The amount of personal sacrifice depends on the amount of dollars you don’t have to give back, such as grants or scholarships, as well as the amount of money you have saved for college,” said counselor Tony Midea. “I can only speak for myself. My wife and I saved a small little amount that helps make it more economically manageable. But if my kids didn’t get student loans, it would be a totally different situation. Them getting their loans, us working extra jobs, extra hours, and the savings we have has made it able for us to be able to manage it.” The rise didn’t just happen suddenly; this upward trend has been on the come up for years, even decades. “Yes, college tuition continues to go up every year. There’s always factors that contribute to it, such
lege: ss
“I wish I knew how different the structure of school life would be - I really find myself reflecting often on how much I miss my class cohort, friends, and smaller class environments!”
Stephanie Stan University of Michigan
Complete Applications Kai Greenblatt School of the Art Institute of Chicago “I wish I had done more research in regards to choosing the right school for college. I was overwhelmed with the choices and kinda picked one at random.”
er nsin
I knew how to better oceries cost more than th less money than you having an hour or two re free time during the a good balance between g throughout the day to doing everything in ”
Naveen Sabharwal University of Michigan
~ Meet with guidance counselor. Make sure they know which colleges you want transcripts, score reports, and letters sent to. Turn materials in much before deadlines! ~ Finish applications. Complete the Common App and make sure you’ve finished all individual essays
Senior YEAR
“I wish I knew about how little my GPA mattered so that I didn't stress about it and instead focused my effort on studying for AP tests since they actually save me money for college.”
Follow-Up on Applications ~ Act on results of Early Decision applications. If you get in, withdraw from other schools. If not, focus on other colleges ~ Check with schools to make sure all information was received properly ~ Submit financial aid reports. Fill out the FAFSA. Final Decisions ~ Compare financial aid packages recieved. This is a key factor in determining where you will attend ~ Make your final college decision. Notify all schools by May 1. Send your final transcript to the college in June ~ Congratulations! What a journey.
Standardized Testing ~ Take the PSAT, which qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship ~ Organize a standardized testing plan. Figure out when you are going to take the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests, & AP Exams ~ Throughout school year, study for all of these tests and buy appropriate testing books
junior YEAR
Organize Options ~ Organize college information. Set up folders with each college’s information for conveniency ~ Narrow down college choices. Begin comparing the schools. Rank your choices ~ Learn about financial aid. Research scholarship opportunities and contests with monetary awards Search for Rec. Writers ~ Prepare a challenging schedule for senior year. Pick courses that greatly challenge you ~ Contact your recommendation writers. Think about block teachers and extracurricular activity leaders
t college tuition? skyrocketing price of college tuition
as the cost of living goes up every year,” said available,” said Frantz. College Resource Center (CRC) Coordinator Lou “Students have access to naviance, and Ann Frantz. “I haven’t seen any schools lower naviance has a lot of scholarships listed. Also, their prices. I believe everything is going up. the counselor newsletter has a whole list of Some schools are trying to hold their tuition rates websites where you can find financial aid stuff. down, but most of them are Students should contact having small increases every the schools they are inyear.” terested in because usuSomething that helps with ally there are some merit the expensive prices that allows based financial aid or more students to go to college need based. They might is the financial aid process. also have some different “The first thing everyone requirements for you so needs to do, whether you feel they might have useful like your family will qualify for information.” any federal money or not, is The overall costs after fill out a Free Application for financial aid affects the Federal Student Aid [FAFSA] decision on which college form. All schools will use that the students attend. Tony Midea for any form of financial aid “It doesn’t affect my that they do. So you may not decision too much, but BHHS Counselor qualify for federal money, but it affects my parents’ it may qualify you for money decision on letting me go through the individual schools. Beyond FAFSA, to that college,” said senior Hannah Passer, you need to start looking at different scholarships who is applying to five schools, three of which
“If your income level is at a certain point then you are eligible to get grants based on the formulas that the colleges have.”
are out-of-state. “If I get a scholarship to an out of state school, that will affect my decision because the price will go down a lot, and that would make me want to go to the school more.” Senior Lucy Appel, who is applying to five schools, also gave her standpoint on how college tuition affects her family and her decisions for college. “My parents are paying but only if I got financial aid from out of state schools because the tuition is very expensive compared to instate,” said Appel. “I feel bad if my college tuition is so expensive because I’m fortunate enough that my parents are paying for my tuition while they have two other kids in college. I don’t want money to have an affect on my decision, but I will probably end up going to an in-state university.” At the end of the day, college prices are higher than they have ever been. However, there are signs that they might decrease soon. With politicians like Bernie Sanders praising free college tuition, who knows what will happen in the years to come.
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bhhstoday.org
8 Embracing my roots The life of a Muslim-American
OCTOBER OP/ED
iphone x vs iphone 8 iPhone X: equipped with new technology and high by NICK SPINALE Guest Writer
by SARAH QURESHI Staff Writer As a teenage Pakistani girl living in America, I often struggle with defining who I am in terms of the contrast between my roots and how I was raised. After several recent events, I’ve cultivated a new, conflicting outlook on the nation that only a few months ago, I had unconditional love and admiration for. I think you could say my life has gotten a little more complicated this past year. I’m just a high school kid who has lived in Michigan her whole life. I play sports, go to the movies, and hang out with my friends just like any other teenager. The only difference is I have parents who grew up in a country that the president refers to as a “safe haven for terrorist organizations.” These roots are the origin of the question I’m constantly asking myself: how can I be a true American Pakistani? I am someone who is proud to be a Muslim and proud of the country her family has come from, however, recently I am disappointed to say that the pride I withhold has subconsciously deteriorated. When I tell someone I am Pakistani for the first time, I have been asked questions like “Isn’t that the country full of terrorists and bombings?” Whenever I am bombarded by a question like that, I instantly feel two feet tall and ashamed of where I came from. Being known as the girl who comes from a place with a reputation of nothing but danger and crime feels utterly humiliating. Whenever I visit Pakistan, I am reminded of everything that makes me proud to call myself Pakistani. The traditional and delicious food, the colorful and beautiful clothing, and the amazing culture shock I feel upon arrival are all factors that feed my love for Pakistan. This temporary pride immediately disintegrates every time we are escorted to an immigration room. We sit for hours, my pride further decaying with each passing minute, until my parents can be questioned by immigration. The whole time, I can feel hundreds of eyes on me, giving me disapproving and judgemental glares as I walk through what feels like miles across the airport floor. Each of my visits to Pakistan have ended with this deflating event. I would be lying if I didn’t say being from Pakistan and living in America did not feel like a burden at times. A burden that stops me from “fitting in” with the environment I am immersed, especially now when criticism for foreign Americans is high. However my identity is my identity. My identity makes me one-of-a-kind. My identity makes me, me. It is not something that should be viewed as a burden, but rather as a blessing. A blessing that allows me to flourish in two cultures, forming my own unique identity. The knowledge that there are several homes worldwide that would welcome me with open arms is unparalleled. High Schoolers everywhere constantly question every aspect of themselves, unsure of their place within the world. Being a part of two different cultures, I faced No matter the outside influences I face in today’s society, I will never alter my own identity because it is the most important part of me, regardless of the environment I live in.
Should you buy the iPhone X? Honestly, probably not, even though the iPhone X is vastly improved, issues with the facial ID, are a huge turn off. If you don’t really mind the specifics on phones, and just need a phone that guarantees social media, texting, and music, this phone, and its $1,000 price tag, isn’t for you. I myself am horrified with the removal of the home button, and the new facial recognition system. First apple takes away the apple jack, then the home button, what’s next? No power button? No volume changing buttons? No phone at all? In all honesty, the iPhone X, has warranted my insight into other phones, such as microsoft phones, or android. I don’t really want to be FORCED to upgrade my phone, and then have the phone and its software outdated the NEXT year. And then from there, just to have the cycle repeat. The iPhone X, otherwise known as the iPhone 10, is one of the most controversial phones that has been released by Apple to date. Of course, there shouldn’t be a reason to question a phone that is being released by Apple, which is one of the most well known companies in the world. The worst part about this phone, the aspect that is causing all of the controversy, is the $1,000 price tag and some very unlikable new features. With such a high price tag, the iPhone X is far more superior than any other previous iPhone model. It comes with an all new 5.8-inch Super Retina display. Now, you will be able to see your snapchats, memes, and finsta accounts with a clearer display. Second, one of the most anticipated changes to the iPhone X is the curved screen. The iPhone X now is fully covered by a screen,
using curved edges. Furthermore, the new screen has an all new OPED screen, with a 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio ( the ratio of bright colors, to dark colors on the screen at a given time). But what users honestly cares about an increase in contrast ratio? Do we lose sleep over the fact that our phones have an amazing contrast ratio? Be honest with yourself, does it even cross your mind during the day about how amazing your contrast ratio is on your phone? The most famous change involving the iPhone X is the new face ID recognition. With the removal of the home button, which we all love, the only way to unlock your new iPhone X, is by putting in more of an effort to lift your phone to analyze your face, you also have to hope that your phone recognizes you the first time and you aren’t standing there for five minutes just trying to unlock your phone. Apple has said that its all new “TrueDepth” camera analyzes more than 30,000 dots on your face to create a “depth map” of your face. Thankfully, the camera is equipped with adaptive recognition, which will adapt to your face’s change over time. Will this change if it becomes more accurate or not? Probably not. Furthermore, the touch ID system that iPhones have now using the home button, would have been a much more reliable, and still safety efficient, so why would Apple get rid of this? No idea, maybe they just wanted to be new and unique. Along with this, the iPhone X brings a new and improved camera, accompanied with portrait lighting, and optical zoom, who uses the actual camera over the snapchat camera? The iPhone X also now has the most pow-
erful chip out of any smartphone. Apple stated that the new chip is capable of up to “300 million operations per second”. Lastly, the third most well known change with the iPhone X, is the new wireless charging. By setting your iPhone on a small charging pad, your phone will fully charge without the use of cables. Because setting your phone down and picking it up while being charged with a cord isn’t hard enough. This warrants the issue of people wanting to use their phone while it is charging, but not being able to pick it up because it will stop charging. Although the new iPhone X comes with many changes, and innovative improvements, this new tech, can come with many questions, and issues, just like the platform device for any new series. How reliable is the ID recognition system when unlocking your phone? For starters, the recognition demonstration DIDN’T EVEN WORK the first time it was shown to the public. Moreover, The Wall Street Journal has stated that Apple is currently having difficulties manufacturing the iPhone X, due to a “Romeo and Juliet problem”. With the facial recognition, comes to key components, which are nicknamed Romeo, and Juliet, manufacturing these two parts has slowed production on the iPhone X, which could cause a shortage of iPhone X’s on its release day, November 3rd. Will it stop people from buying this phone? Probably not, because it’s Apple and everyone wants an Apple product, and people want to be able to show off to friends by being able to say “I have an iPhone X”.
iPhone 8: the new ‘budget buy’ by ADRIAN ASHTARI Guest Writer The iPhone 8 ($699) has been on the market for a while now and on November 3rd 2017, the iPhone X ($1000) will be released. The X seems to be a phone like no other. One with a bigger display and improved design while the iPhone 8 has been advertised as the “Budget iPhone” that supposedly lacks all the new features the X has. However, upon further analysis, the two phones have a lot more in common than you may think. That raises the question: Should I cash out $1000 for the X? Or will the 8 suffice? As tempting as it is to splurge for the X, the iPhone 8 is a much better value for the price. The two phones have many similar features, making it difficult for the X to surpass the 8. For example, the iPhone 8 camera quality is identical to that of the X. These cameras have new sensors that improve image sharpness and color accuracy enabling new features like portrait lighting, optical zoom, and better lighting in photos. The iPhone 8 is also equipped with Apple’s fastest computer processor to date: the new A11 chip. Apple claims that this new chip will complete processes about about 25% faster than the previous A10 chip found in
the iPhone 7. As a result, users will have faster application start-ups, boot times, and overall experiences. Another improvement is that the new iPhone 8 supports the so-called “Quik” charge. This means that with an appropriate USB-C charger, the phone can be charged up to 50% after only 30 min of charging. This is an extremely useful feature when on the go. Additionally, the 8’s rear glass panel enables wireless charging. This means that when placed on an appropriate charging pad, the phone can be charged without the irritation of wires adding to the practicality of the phone. The biggest difference, however, is found in the security system. The 8 keeps the familiar Touch ID system which the X cut for their Face-ID system. The X has heightened security while the 8 keeps its original simplicity. Though Apple claims that their Face-ID is much more secure, the lack of a Touch ID home button seems a bit extreme. This will require users to raise their phones to their faces to unlock their phones, which seems rather unnecessary. It takes more effort to raise your phone to your face than to lay a finger on a button. Though this is a small difference, the Touch
ID on the iPhone 8 will save you a few seconds. Additionally, there are many questions that remain unclear about face ID. For example, if someone took my phone from my hand, pointed it to my face and ran off, is there a security feature preventing the unlocking of the phone? Apple has not made the answer clear to their customers. In a nutshell, the iPhone 8 is a much better bang for your buck. It has most of the X’s features, the oh-so-familiar Apple iPhone feel, and it’s $300 cheaper. The only real difference between the iPhone 8 and X is the display and the security features. The iPhone X, has a bezel-less display and face ID security system while the iPhone 8 features the familiar design with the touch ID home button. Other than those differences, the other features are much the same. Both phones have the same processor, cameras, and software. It’s absolutely absurd to pay an extra $300 for a larger display and Face ID.
OPINION
9
Tarnopol-12th n Gr re u a a
de
L
OCTOBER OP/ED
“I am horrified by Cheerios. When I was four years old I choked on one and gagged it up and ever since I have not gone near them or even looked at one.”
wers-11th o P l Gr ea h a c i
d e
M
sni-10th G y H rad ss o e R
“I saw a story on the news where a highway sign fell on a person and they died! You don’t think about how big the signs are until something tragic like that happens. When I started driving, about a year ago, I realized my fear of highway signs”
“I am frightened by geese and they are always in my backyard. I hate the noise they make and whenever I am driving they never get off the road.”
? R A E F T ES
G G I B R U O Y S I T A WH Webb-11th Gr h a ad e Ny
“I got stuck in an elevator when my whole tennis team crowded in with all of our bags and we exceeded the weight limit. The elevator stopped and I started hysterically crying.”
Gray-11th gra a de m m E
“My greatest fear is strawberries. Their juice and seeds gross me out. I get freaked out when people put them in a bag in their lunch and the juice gets all over their fingers. Often times, I make my friends wash their hands after they eat them. I have actually never even tasted a strawberry.”
10
OCTOBER OP/ED
The National Anthem: A Time to Kneel? (from 1)
by JONAH STONE Managing Editor
Members of the media and, notably, the President of the United States, have criticized professional athletes for exercising this freedom. Despite the seemingly never ending controversy, I believe professional athletes undoubtedly have the right to do whatever they wish during the national anthem. After all, it is a free country and it is 2017. People have the right to choose their actions. Players across the country, mostly in the National Football League, are all standing (or kneeling) for one purpose: racial injustice. This hot button topic is not about support for our beautiful nation. That is the point where many disagree. Some state that the athletes who choose to kneel are disrespecting the flag, and therefore the American troops. I may not be an expert on the army, but I do know what our soldiers fight for. They fight for our freedom. And guess
what? That includes freedom of speech. The standing versus kneeling debate is not about love for the United States of America. It’s about the cruelty and inequity taking place inside the country. “Kneeling during the national pledge has everything to do with race,” said Stephen Colbert, a late night T.V. host. “Those players are protesting racial injustice. They aren’t protesting the American flag.” The movement is currently picking up speed, and nothing seems to be stopping it. Since the beginning of during the third week of the 2017 NFL football season, over 200 players have knelt or showed some sort of protest during the national anthem. The Pittsburgh Steelers chose to stay in the locker room during the anthem. The media’s opposition to these protests does not make players hesitate to take a knee and protest. If anything, it fuels them to act out. The division, the hate, and the argu-
ment in our country only gives athletes more of a reason to take a knee. High government officials speaking out against athletes taking a knee will not stop this movement. Personally, I see no foreseeable end in the future for this protest, at least until there is no racial injustice in these somewhat dis-united states of America. Sadly enough, ending racial injustice in our country is easier said than done. The division and injustice in our nation is due to intolerant people who are not ready for change. These people cannot accept minorities protesting for equality and rights. Athletes have the right to kneel, yet they’re not able to accept these actions. Throughout the media’s continuous exposure of this conflict, everyone wants to know how this fiasco will play out. Well, there’s no way to know. But there’s a way to know what’s right and what isn’t. Criticizing the players will not stop them from kneeling. The NFL Commissioner,
Roger Goodell, speaking out against it, will not stop them from kneeling. The President of the United States tweeting out against the NFL and anyone that supports the protesting players, will not stop them from kneeling. The Vice President of the United States leaving the sports games unamused and disappointed when a player kneels will not stop any such protest. On the other hand, maybe the protests will slow down. Maybe they’ll die out after a certain period of time. Whatever the future holds, it’s in the hands of the players. No one can tell them what to do. Not me, not you, and not the President of the United States. Athletes of the NFL and all other professional sports have the right and freedom to do what they wish during the national anthem. I can only hope that they keep exercising their right of speaking their mind, and don’t let anyone tell them otherwise.
Pro/Con
by HABIB BELLO Managing Editor
no irony in the name “United States of America.” Therefore, we should not have to purposely divide our nation nor pressure a change to come where it is not necessary. Kneeling for the national anthem has undoubtedly caused the country to diverge from the one principle that America was built on indivisible unity. Songs, sports, politics, social media. You name it, the three-month long protest has made its way on it. The idea behind the kneeling is AMAZING. The execution is not. A public sports game is not the best time to address cultural flaws. Fans covered in face paint and team pride don’t buy tickets to talk openly at racial equality. At least honestly. As a result, I believe that athletes, regardless of the level of profession, should stand for national anthem.
Fans don’t go to games to see political statements; That’s what CNN or your local news station is for. Fans come to see athletes PLAY, families watching the NFL from their couch want to see their favorite athletes PLAY. Skimming through sports channels and websites, I see that the NFL is gaining more TV time, however, some of its true fans seem to tuning out. “I may not be the biggest impact—like I’m just turning off my TV,” said Matthew Cruz, a Michigan stationed military officer and football fan, in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “They get millions of views—but I would never sit, I don’t care who you are.” The battle over kneeling has quickly transformed in a verbal fight, morphing into an “Athlete’s vs. Trump” type of dispute. This is the last type of conflict we need
in this country. This overarching focus made by the protests, which were made in a civil manner, soon turned into one of aggression and political resentment still harbored from the past presidential election. More importantly, the bigger picture itself is not being resolved. People are too busy trying to “look” politically and racially accepting, rather than attacking the issue directly. The idea of kneeling that shifts the focus off of disbanding racial equality and more on the craving for publicity. “In the end, my opinion is that this football player took attention away from the actual problem and put the spotlight on himself,” said Nick Stefanovic, a Marine Corps infantry veteran who deployed twice to Afghanistan., in an interview with Business Insider. “If you notice, nobody is talking about racial inequality right now. They are all focused on
EDITOR COLUMNS
The Sounds of My Life Reverie is auditory collage of the past
by ANISH TAMHANEY Co-Editor-in-Chief
Participation awards delude us Success in the real world is merit-based
by BRYNN ELDER Co-editor-in-Chief
Among my earliest memories is hopping in my dad’s car on the way to kindergarten and hearing Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. That’s how I began my day: a different song, each one as capturing as the next. Every morning, I would explore something new. From Floyd to Cream to Sabbath, I was on on a quest, a journey to absorb and indulge in the mellow grit of classic rock. When I arrived to school, I eagerly grabbed my things and dashed inside to tell my art teacher what new song I’d heard. She always gave me a faintly quizzical look before laughing and recommending her own favorite rock songs. My growing taste in the genre never failed to surprise her. The memories of that year are still vivid even now. Well, not the year itself. I can hardly remember my friends or teachers. All I recall is those mornings. But this was not the only experience through which music embedded itself in my nostalgia. I moved from Novi to Bloomfield Hills in the 7th grade, and my family spent hours upon hours of packing and unpacking boxes to the aggressive and rejuvenating tunes of Metallica. Every time I revisit those albums, I can’t help but relive that stressful yet memorable experience. The image is a little silly, my dad and I unshelving books and souvenirs to the rapid, energetic thumming of my tiny speaker.
Again, the indelible associative qualities of music followed me into high school. Freshman year was characterized by my angsty tendencies paired with the pained screams of metalcore. I look back on that time ruefully; I was supplanting the utter normalcy of my life with melodrama where I could I find it. Before I knew it, cool jazz had inundated my listening preferences. Brubeck and Davis and Monk were all I heard, all I cared to hear. I found within the minds of these timeless visionaries an emotional maturity, a resilient spark that deeply altered the way I internalized sound itself. Music has simultaneously compartmentalized and united those warm and memorable segments of my life, a common thread of growing up but one without a pattern. Music has transcended simply my sense of hearing. Music manifests a convivial persona in my mind with an ever shifting visage matching my own over the years. When I listen to “Stairway to Heaven” I don’t just recognize the aching control of Robert Plant’s voice or the pentatonic madness of Jimmy Page’s solos, I feel the cold leather seats of my dad’s car in the winter and the lulling deceleration of pulling up to kindergarten. I am metaphysically transported; the reverie is sharp and alive. And I am thankful for this gift that music has given me.
Over the past 18 years of my life I have racked up countless participation awards. I spent eight years on a swim team and probably only swam about 10 real races throughout the years. The other 200 were exhibition, each of which I received a rainbow ‘participant’ ribbon for. It’s not that I was a bad swimmer, I just wasn’t the best, and that is okay, but why was I constantly awarded for it? Thinking back, childhood was full of these ‘you aren’t that good but go you’ awards. After swimming came dance competitions. Sitting on stage waiting for the name of my dances to be called was always nerve-wracking, but looking back there was nothing to lose. They don’t even give first and second place at some competitions, instead gold, high gold, and platinum, meaning the lowest possible award was gold. Why? Because, the already fragile self-esteems of today’s children are too weak to handle not getting a trophy for existing. This harsh reality came to me while writing essays for college applications this summer. Never before has there been such a strong opportunity for rejection. Colleges don’t send out trophies for being denied. There is no exhibition round for those that weren’t accepted.
But how are kids supposed build their confidence without the warped sense of selfimportance that is participation awards? Even after an abundance of psychology research, the results are inconclusive, there is no wrong or right way to handle self-esteem, providing infinite ways for educators, parents, and coaches to handle situations. And yet by my experience, the trend is sacrificing important lessons to prevent hurt feelings. But what is this teaching us as students and life learners? With the increase in participation awards and the elimination of the possibility of losing, has also come the elimination of the possibility to win. Many schools, including BHHS no longer have a valedictorian, or even a class rank. The ‘level’ playing promoted disbands the affirmation being awarded to the students working hard and earning high grades. The same recognition that many want to give to kids just for showing up. So, it is okay if everyone gets an award to build their confidence, but not okay if the few who actually earned an award are not recognized? Schools may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not.
whether his protest was right or wrong.” During the hardest times America has fought through, how were we able to come together? Patriotism. That concept is the structure of our nation. Unity and America’s ability strive as an independent, strong nation is the entire reason why the National Anthem was written in the first place. “I just feel so strongly that the act of recognizing the flag is a salute to our country and all of the people that have sacrificed so that we can have the liberties we have,” said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. If we don’t stand for the national anthem now, who’s to say that we will even say the anthem a year or two from now? That is going to turn into everything it was based upon? Does our history have any value anymore or is it simply just facts in a textbook?
Harrassment (from 1) “Me Too” hashtag inspires stories by MADDIE MOSKUS Social Media Manager fear because it hits so close to home. It leaves me and countless other women to wonder: will I be next? When speaking to my therapist, I’ve heard accounts of a patient of hers who experiences flashbacks of her rape 37 years after it took place. This is pain unrepresented by numbers and unspoken by society. Since the topic of sex is too “dirty” for school discussion, the topic of sexual violence is even further hushed. It is far past time to have this discussion. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), one in every six women is a victim of rape or attempted rape. 94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape. These may be just be statistics and numbers, but each percent and infographic holds stories that are painful to hear, let alone experience. We can’t let our minds simply reduce these to just numbers. After sexual violence comes, in some cases, a life of trauma and inability to love or trust. This damage isn’t measurable by dollars spent on therapy, polls of women on college campuses, or number of women in psychiatric hospitals. This is damage only seen when speaking to individual victims. I believe that there is not only damage done to victims, but even girls who have never been sexually abused. Living in fear of the statistics becomes all too real when hearing about the frequency of these assaults, and it’s unfair that women have to take caution in everyday tasks. This discussion must be had until any woman can leave their drink at a bar and go to the bathroom, until any woman can wear whatever clothing they please without worrying about whether or not is an invitation, and until any woman can walk the streets at night as a human being, not an object. Each and every woman has a body that they own and have the sole rights to. No matter the clothes we wear, our level of intoxication, or the language we use, no means no. To every girl who has felt alone in the struggle of their body feeling less their’s and more someone else’s, you’re not alone. Awareness must be spread and action must be taken so that one day, no woman will have to utter the words: Me Too.
OCTOBER OP/ED
11
What does it mean to disrespect the
STAFF Adviser Christina Hammitt
ANTHEM?
Editors-in-Chief Brynn Elder Maximillian Helfman Jessica Kim Anish Tamhaney Managing Editors Habib Bello Riya Doshi Vivian Harber Evan Stern Jonah Stone Jake Weitzman
Illustrator Ember Stuart Graphics Manager Sydney Kalt Photographers Kaylie Brooks Skylar Raitt Social Media Managers Sarah Kenkel Maddy Moskus Sammi Trepeck Staff Writers Carly Armstrong Hannah Halstead Sarah Qureshi Ali Randal Alexis Rillema Max Wittenberg Guest Writers Chiara Abiadal Maya Alhusein Adrian Ashtari Jake Fogel Sophie Jackson Caelan Jansen Steven Krivitsky Darby Krugel Vikram Lakshmanan Kaitlyn Luckoff Debra Moraitis Ben Mutz Andres Quiroga Elena Ofiara Erin Schwartz Ava Singer Sophie Sherbin Nick Spinale Sydney Stearns Georgia Zimmerman
Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the recent movie reviews featured both in print and online. I was impressed with how welldone they were. Too often, movie reviews either spoil the plot or reveal so little that the reader is left with no sense of how much they would enjoy the film. The reviewers strike a great balance across the board. Additionally, the focus on cinematography and the history of each movie (whether it is a part of a series, a reboot, etc.) allows me to know what I’m getting into when I’m choosing a movie, instead of a mundane “This movie was okay. 3 stars.” Keep up the great work! -Megan O’Gorman (12)
Section Editors Caitlin Finerty Lara Janosz Sadie Kirshner Brendan Lynn Jenny She Maddie Wein Justin Yaker Production Managers Ally Heath Lilly Swanson
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Illustration by Ember Stuart
Having a civil national dialogue means informing before inciting What we think Using the national anthem as a stage on which to protest precedes Colin Kaepernick. It precedes national football. In fact, the now-incendiary choice stems from a single moment at the 1918 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. After the government began to draft Major League players, a somber mood weighed down the atmosphere of sporting games. When a brass band began playing “StarSpangled Banner” during the seventh inning, virtually the entire crowd began to sing along: an impromptu display of patriotism. Since that game, all major sports organizations have adopted the anthem as that glorious and iconic antecedent of each game. However, even as the new tradition took shape, spectators and athletes alike took to sitting and ignoring the song to, among other things, protest the draft and vocalize support for socialism. Similar activism continued in college campuses at the onset of World War II to speak out against excessive nationalism. Today’s critiques of the simple act a portray a scarring disrespect toward the legacy and pride of the United States by those who do not stand. Although, considering the long history of such protests, this talking point falters contextually. These players are following the steps of those who opposed racially motivated violence in the 1920’s and Japanese internment in the 1950’s. As the protests continue, we, the staff of the Hawkeye, urge readers to look into the meaning and the history of these demonstrations. Over the past century, protests have occurred for innumerable reasons, all having different backgrounds and motives. As the current protest continues to stir controversy, it is easy to forget the historical progression of the conflict involved.
Just as in any divisive political debate, those who do not take the effort to comprehend the issue at hand will succumb unknowingly to biases and an echo chamber of misguided arguments. The phenomenon occurs dually with this issue and will continue on both sides of this bifurcation. For some, kneeling has become a form of pure political rebellion, a combative response to President Donald Trump. In such cases, the kneel has become a directionless resistance, defiance for defiance’s sake rather than a call for action. If these players want kneeling to signal the kind of powerful ideological stance it has for decades, their message will become one of bland and noisy criticism. Others still have identified kneeling during the national anthem as flag desecration and potentially punishable. Not only does this particular assertion fail to recognize the intrinsic and all-encompassing nature of free speech, but it overlooks a host of other mistreatments of the United States flag. In fact, most of us violate the Flag Code regularly. Emblazoning the stars and stripes on baseball caps, napkins, and souvenirs clearly tramples the boundaries of respect for the flag, however, the image has become so adored in popular culture that these aspects of the code are cast aside. To evaluate the context and message behind current NFL players protests, we all have a civic responsibility to educate ourselves on the origins of this debate. Why do individuals disagree so vehemently about kneeling during the anthem? How do its historical predecessors influence the issue at hand? Where do we draw the line between discourse and disrespect? Before any informed conversation can take place these questions, among others, should be answered.
This is not the science. Forensics is public speech and debate. One of the top 5 most common fears is public speaking, and this is the club to change that. Consisting of 12 categories, Forensics presents a wide array of acting styles in order to improve your public speaking skills in a fun and exciting way. Whether you enjoy public speaking, acting, or just want a fun environment to be part of a close-knit family within the Bloomfield Hills community, Forensics is the club for you! SAVE THE DATES: Captains’ workshops: 11/6 Official informational meeting: 11/20 Captains’ Pre-audition workshops: week of 11/27 Auditions: 12/4, 12/5, 12/6 -Juhi Parekh (12)
BhhsToday.org
What they think
“I don’t have a problem with players kneeling for the anthem. I believe that they are not in anyway disrespecting the flag, instead I believe that they are partaking in a peaceful protest. The players clearly have an objection to the political climate of our country and are using their platform as a way to inspire change.” -Dom Yee (11)
“I think that there are two sides to the story. Yes they should stand because that means that they are paying a tribute to all the men and women who serve our country, but yes, this is America and we have our own rights and if the players are following them than why are they getting hate.” -Sammy Green (9)
“I think it is freedom of speech and they [NFL players] are entitled to act on behalf of their beliefs.” -David Abdelnour (10)
BY SYDNEY KALT
Section B State
SCHOOL news Girls Golf takes 7th at States Provided by BHSD
Congratulations to varsity Black Hawk girls golf team on their 7th place finish at the 2017 MHSAA State Finals! Kudos to Mikaela Schulz for finishing in 4th place among individual golfers. Mikaela shot 8 over par for the 36-
CHaMPIONS
hole tournament.
Ty Slazinski earns MHSAA record for pass receptions Provided by BHSD
Congratulations to varsity Black Hawk football player, Ty Slazinski, for earning the MHSAA record for Pass Receptions in a single game. Ty caught 22 passes from John Paddock during the game on Friday, October 20. This beat the old record of 18.
Girls hockey tryouts Provided by BHSD
Individual State Champions #3 Singles Constantin Hemmrich #1 Doubles Cade Burman and Sebastian Burman #2 Doubles Chaz Blamo and Vik Chakrabortty
The girls’ varsity hockey team will hold tryouts at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s for $30 on the following dates:
Provided by BHSD
Join us at the BHS Ski Swap in the Bloomfield Hills Middle School Field House on Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. A huge savings on hundreds of new and slightly used skis, boots, snowboards, apparel and accessories will be available for all ages. For additional information please email bloomfieldskiswap@gmail.com or contact Susan Richardson at 248-980-8087 or Wendy van Duijvenboode 248-308-6126.
Feature School board member behind the sports scene
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His opponent took back his racket and followed through, hitting the ball over the net, and past the baseline, ending the point. They dropped their rackets and broke into cheers. “It was an unreal moment, I still can’t believe that I actually won, and it was an amazing way to cap off my four years of playing at states and on the team,” said senior Vikramjit Chakrabortty “It was a surprise win for Chaz and I,” Chakrabortty said regarding the final match. “We got destroyed by [Brother] Rice in the season and in a scrimmage match the week of states. We were expected to lose to them in the finals. In the semis, Northville had four match points and we overcame it. In the finals against rice, they had a championship point and we came back and won.” Chakrabortty added that returning from the loss “was amazing. Also, knowing that if [we] lost, [we] would tie with another team for 1st and lose [our] final match after four years of high school tennis - I didn’t want to let anyone down. Blamo and Chakrabortty were not the only doubles winners “I think that doubles have really been a key to our success this year. For the past two-three years our singles lineup was what was carrying us a lot, but many of our doubles players have trained very hard during
the offseason, and it has really paid off,” says junior Andrew Zhang. who plays number one singles and came in 2nd place in the state finals, the victory was due to the growth and performance of the doubles players. The number one doubles team, juniors Cade and Sebastian Burman, as well as the number two doubles team, seniors Vikramjit Chakrabortty and Chaz Blamo, both won their flight finals. The third of the team’s winning ranks was senior Constantin Hemmrich, who played three singles. While the doubles were one source of the team’s strength, Constantin’s father Thomas Hemmerich noticed the team’s morale was also playing a role in the team’s success. “What [made] a major difference is that the team really likes each other. The players like each other; they are spending time privately with each other through the year which is amazing because they are seeing each other daily for six weeks, but they spend time together all year and go out for dinner and play for fun outside of team practices,” Hemmrich said. “I think that’s a fantastic camaraderie that many parents are seeing as unique.”
Vikramjit Chakrabortty Senior
Ski swap to occur
by BRENDAN LYNN Sports Editor With almost 250 followers and close to 2,000 tweets, board member and radio staffer Paul Kolin tries to cover as much as he can. “Today, more people are using Twitter [than the radio] to get news. If I am at a tennis, softball or football game, I instantaneously tweet it out,” said Paul Kolin who has been using his Twitter for the past two years to promote Bloomfield Hills High School sports. “It gets to more of the of the student body and the people in the district. Twitter is making it easier to promote events” BIFF Sports Director Senior Patrick Marshall explains that having Kolin report out on Twitter is an integral part of the BIFF’s broadcasts.
by STEVE KRIVITSKY Guest Writer
“It was an unreal moment, I still can’t believe that I actually won.”
October 31 at 4:30 PM November 2 at 4:30 PM November 5 at 5:30 PM Sports physicals must be completed to tryout and full equipment is require. dFor more information contact Coach Singlelyn at micks. hockey@gmail.com.
District parent frequently attends school events
Tennis team finished an undefeated season
Photos credits: Henry Taylor
Communication key for football player by RIYA DOSHI Managing Editor Standing in the tightly packed huddle of bodies, he can feel the intensity of the lights on the field, and he can see the sweat dripping down his teammate’s faces, but he cannot hear any of the coach’s speaking in their huddle. “Sometimes I’m not sure of all of the plays that take place,” said sophomore Devin Homes, a defensive lineman for the varsity football team. “There is not a whole lot of communication that takes place on the field, but once I have an interpreter there to explain things to me, I can understand what’s going on.” Holmes is one of the three sophomores on the team this year, but the only player on the team who is fully deaf. “I was born with a hearing loss,” said Holmes. “[As a child] I was hard of hearing. As I grew older, I started to lose more and more of my hearing
and now I am completely deaf.” Although he may be the only deaf player on the team, Coach Dan Loria has worked with DHH players in the past. Loria says that his coaching staff is “accustomed to [working with them]” and the coaching staff was “prepared” for working with Holmes. One way is by working through the communication. According to senior Colin Stewart, the fullback on the varsity team, even though there are typically interpreters present, the players use American Sign Language (ASL) that they have learned in school on the field to talk to Devin.
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Off and on court pressure by BEN MUTZ Guest Writer She stands poised as the point begins, but she can hear whispering ridicule from the sidelines. “When playing for my club team, I’d be standing at the net hearing snickers and laughs on the other side of the net, whether it was my height or whether it was me trying too hard or whether I was doing too much, all of it hurt,” said Rousseau. Alexa Rousseau, a Varsity Volleyball Player, is already receiving division one offers from schools like Stanford and the University of Michigan and she’s only a Sophomore. “There have been moments where I’ve hated how much dedication I’ve had to put into volleyball, It’s so much work, and it takes so much away from me,” Rousseau said.
The sacrifices that Rousseau makes don’t just take time and dedication away from her, but it also takes a toll on her social life. “Last year our seniors held the grad party, and I had to go straight from practice to that party and I stayed only 45 minutes because I had volleyball the next morning. I was there for 45 minutes and my friends had probably been there for four hours,” said Rousseau. According to Steve Rousseau, Alexa’s father, her dedication to volleyball also makes keeping up with academics a challenge.
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OCTOBER SPORTS
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Color guard embraces male presence Junior Nik Salah overcomes gender norms and thrives by DEBRA MORAITIS Guest Writer Despite glares from the bleachers, the jabs on social media, and mumbled comments in the hallway, he performs at halftime with a relentless smile and positive spirit. “Regardless of what’s happened, it’s 100 percent still worth it for me to be on colorguard because it’s helped me become more confident. Your skin has to be wounded for it to grow tougher. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t overcome that,” said junior Nik Salah. Salah, who is the only boy on the marching band color guard, described his experience. “I have always been interested in being a part of the marching band… but when I first joined color guard, I didn’t really tell anybody because I knew that if I did, there was the risk of people having a bad reaction,” said Salah. “My dad was against it at the start because he thought I would get bullied. And yeah, some people do call me names but color guard has taught me to have a thicker skin. It’s brought me out of my shell.” With flags, rifles, silks, and more, “Color guard adds visual excitement to what the band is doing musically and enhances the overall performance,” explained band director Alan Posner. Posner added that while others may have had a reaction, he didn’t think twice about Salah joining, as men being in colorguard is very common in college and professional bands. “It’s not about your gender. It’s about your attitude and if you truly want to strengthen the band, it shows. I’ve had Nik Salah as student for almost three years and he has an awesome work ethic and attitude -- one of the best in the band. He is very vocal and is always trying to improve himself and the other people around him,” Posner said. Along with Salah, the color guard has nine girls, including sophomore Lindsey Beck. “Nik is a great asset to our team. He is hilarious and kind and a great leader. What I love about him is that he doesn’t let mean comments tear him down. He still gives it his all,” said Beck. Salah has experienced some negative response to his being on the team, but he found a positive outlook. “I’ve had people tell me that I’m less of a man because of it. Calling me ‘gay’ and a ‘faggot’ and talking about my appearance and the sparkly uniform. Even though it was only a few people I felt like the entire world was against me,” Salah revealed. “It was this big weight on my chest and my shoulders. In response I would just freeze up or I would act out. But when stuff like that happens, I just remember how much I love this activity. It doesn’t really matter what those people say because this band is like a home to me,” Salah said, “The people on this team are some of my best friends and they are always offering me emotional support. I know that they will always be there for me.” Trying to make the marching band a positive atmosphere is something Posner said he is proud to do. “I’ve always viewed the marching band and performing arts in general as a safe haven for anyone who feels neglected in any way. Students should feel free to be themselves no matter who they are,” said Posner. Salah is happy to have been fighting gender norms for the past two years. “To any guy or any person who is worried about joining a new activity -- gender roles affect all of us, but at the end of the day we should just do what we love and what makes us happy and stop worrying about the social repercussions. If you’re passionate about something you should just go for it.”
Off and on court pressure (from 13) Varsity setter shares her story “The hard thing is when we travel two time zones away to play in a tournament that could be a Friday, Saturday, Sunday tournament and you get back at one o’clock in the morning on Monday morning, and she has a test the next day,” said Steve. “She goes, ‘I want to sleep in, give me a couple extra hours I’ll make the test up the next day,’ and we say no, this is part of the discipline, you’re gonna come back on a sunday night late and have to do this in college,” said Steve. Rousseau’s work on and off the volleyball court are part of the reason she received her first Division One offer in just the 8th grade, and Alexa’s work has paid off. She was named a freshman All-American volleyball player in 2016, an honor just 25 freshman volleyball players receive. “That was such a humbling and rewarding moment knowing that all my hard work in the past years had paid off. My eyes flooded with tears knowing that my work was being recognized,” Rousseau said. “It’s something that’s hard to wrap your head around but for me, it’s something that keeps motivating me to get to the top.” However according to Rousseau, there was a time when she felt like throwing it all away. “I was denied from my USA national team at the age of 13 in my transition from a right side hitter to a setter,” said Rousseau. “I remember sitting on the couch and just bawling my eyes out because I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be,” said Rousseau. According to Steve, part of that experience was when Alexa’s own teammate told her she couldn’t transition. “There was a teammate of her’s at the age of 13 that looked at her in practice and said, ‘you have terrible hands.’ As a setter, she’s the quarterback of her team, and setting the ball with no spin, and no movement requires a lot of discipline and focus,” said Steve But that experienced only motivated Rousseau to work harder. “Every sunday, for two and a half hours, for a year, we would go to her club, just her and I, and I would just toss her balls.” Steve said, “she would work on her hands so she could dispel what her teammate thought about her.” According to Steve, there have been many comments that say Alexa’s height is the only reason she is getting division one offers. Steve disagrees. “There’s a lot of girls out there that are tall and are not athletic at all, so that comment comes without knowing what Alexa has endured over these last three and a half years. Preparing, training, eating right, getting enough sleep, being disciplined, being thick skinned, being mentally tough. She’s taken all the critics and she’s never responded to them, she’s taken it internally and made herself a better player,” said Steve. Despite how far Alexa has already come, Alexa’s
parents are still full of emotion when watching her pursue her division one dreams. “As a parent you watch your kids pursue their dreams, and when things start to go well for them, the joy that you feel becomes special. I’m pretty sappy so when when I see her do and achieve things that is something particularly special to her, that gives me tremendous pride and joy,” said Steve. “For me, she doesn’t have to play a sport to satisfy us, but the fact that she is, and she’s embraced it, and she really really has a passion for this and wants to take it as far as she can, that’s what we want for her.” Even though Alexa has already gotten Division one offers, Steve says that the college process still humbles them. “We’ve had to pinch ourselves,” said Steve. “We’re walking into some of the biggest universities in the country that are at the very top. We never really imagined that.” Alexa, who is only a Sophomore still has two years to improve before she plays volleyball for a Divisionone program. “Every single sacrifice I have to make always hurts a little more every time, but I know that as I go on, I’ll 1000% continue to make sacrifices because I know that it will help me,” said Rousseau.
by BEN MUTZ Guest Writer
Rousseau serves duing practice Photo by Georgia Zummerman
Communication key (from 13)
PK Sports (from 13)
“Devin and I talk because I took ASL up to 300,” said Stewart. “People like me and a couple other kids who know sign language help too. It’s better for the team just to talk to us and then we can go to him.” The team practices their communication strategies through constant simulations of games. Loria said that during practice players run through plays in their entirety. “We don’t stop the play before the end. If [Holmes] made a mistake, after the play the interpreter will come over. That way, the kids are practicing working with him. I think they’re proud to kind of rally around him. The kids work with him. They help him.” “My team pretty much accepts me,” said Holmes. “They know that I’m deaf and they have experience [working with DHH students]. Some of the seniors, like Eli McCourt and Colin Stewart have taken sign language here at school and try to communicate with me.” While Holmes and his teammates describe the environment as “accepting”, there was some initial doubt about whether it would be that way. Holmes’ mother Gail “was mildly concerned with how the coaches and
“He goes around and records the game and follows the game. What he does helps you see what is happening in each game on his Twitter. Nobody else does this in sports for radio on Twitter,” Marshall said. “He plays a big role because he helps with the play-by-play and the football pre-game show. He used to have his own show on the BIFF back when we didn’t have a lot of people on staff. This is where his nickname came from and why everyone calls him PK Sports.” Before Kolin found his voice on social media, former BIFF operation manager Pete Bowers introduced the school board member to radio. The Binghamton University graduate relocated to Michigan eight years ago and works for Ernst and Young in Detroit as an accountant, but he’s always had a passion for sports and radio. “I never did it as a career and I always thought I had a pretty good voice. Bowers asked me whether I would want to do my own radio show. I said ‘yes’ and it really took off. I really wanted my show to focus at the high school and district levels.” “As a board member, it is one of my jobs to really support the kids in the district. I felt like I could add support in sports and extracurricular activities through radio and Twitter. I promote these events throughout the radio station for the district. Overall, I wanted students to get recognized for their achievements in sports.”
team members would be able to communicate with him and whether the other boys would accept him, but we’ve never had a problem.” Gail describes herself as “extremely proud” of Devin’s accomplishments as a football player. “He’s very self motivated and confident. I appreciate the fact that he seems to be treated just like any other team member. The coaches expect him to put in the work and then some if he wants to earn his spot. I don’t want anyone to try to give him free passes because he’s deaf.” According to Loria, Holmes “doesn’t let his hearing impairment hold him back.” “His attitude is tremendous, he wants to be the best he can be,” said Loria. “I think his work ethic is terrific. He’s still learning the ropes right now, since he’s only a sophomore which means great things to come. He’s a great kid.” “I think it’s really cool that he’s doing this,” said Stewart. “Not many people would be able to, it would be so tough being deaf and then playing a sport where some might say you need to hear. It’s just really inspiring and awesome that he’s able to do that. If I were deaf, I don’t know if I would be able to.”
OCTOBER SPORTS
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FROM BLOOMFIELD TO BALL STATE Seniors Sape and Paddock choose Ball State University to continue their football careers by LILLY SWANSON Production Manager
P
ursuing a division one sport was his dream but he never imagined sharing it with a teammate let alone one of his closest friends. “Ever since I can remember, college football has always been my dream,” said varsity football quarterback senior John Paddock who at the end of his junior year committed to be one of Ball State University’s newest D1 recruits.“The moment I received their offer was unreal. When I heard the words, they didn’t seem real. I was so fired up. It was a lot of hard work and dedication, and that moment was some payback for sure.” Paddock will not be traveling the 300 miles down I 69 toward Muncie, Indiana alone. For the first time in BHHS history, two varsity football players have committed to the same D1 school. Seven days prior to Jack’s official commitment, John’s teammate and admitted close friend Jack Sape announced his commitment to joining the Cardinals 2018 roster as well. “The moment I received the offer was absolutely indescribable. It felt like years of hard work had finally paid off. Playing D1 college football has always been my dream,” said Sape who believes that he and John are very close. “ When he transferred here during my sophomore year, he was in some of my classes and we really got to know each other and our relationship has grown through the years while playing football together. It’s been great playing with John the last two seasons. I’ve truly realized how much of a competitor that kid is and I’m excited that he’s going to bring that same attitude to Ball State with him.” Paddock adds that along with their friendship off the field, Sape’s leadership on the defense and his leadership on offense allows them to “bounce ideas off of each other to make the team better. I’m super excited that he is coming to Ball State. I know that the coaches over there are excited and It’s going to be a great experience for us to continue on the next level. I think it’s
great for the program- Bloomfield is producing two division one guys.” Not only is this a first for the district, but in head coach Dan Loria’s 17 year career, he has never witnessed anything even similar to John and Jack’s situation. “There is a less than one percent chance in any sport that an athlete will receive a scholarship to a division 1 school,” said Loria “I’ve only had a handful of players that went on to play D1. The fact that they both are and they are both on the same team is extremely rare.” Even though it’s a rarity, athletic director Mike Cowdery understands why both men were selected. “When you look at Jack Sape, he obviously has some tools that not everyone on our team has. He’s a big athletic kid, a hard worker, and he loves the game; when you watch him play he plays with so much emotion. As far as John Paddock, he’s a tremendous leader. He’s got a canon for an arm; there is not a throw on the football field that he can’t make.” Like Paddock, Sape said that, “playing college football had always been a dream of mine, and knowing how small the odds of playing D1 college football is, it made me feel very special. Now that I’ve chosen a college, I cannot wait to pursue my dream for the next four years at Ball State A lot of people [think] that I can just relax on the field and not worry about football because I already have everything figured out. But it’s nothing like that. I’ve worked harder this year than I ever did last football season and I’m never going to stop working out so that I can be the best I can possibly be. After committing to Ball State I knew I had to be an entirely different player on the field this season. Since I’m the division one recruit, it pushed me to prove that I’m worthy enough to play college football, and that’s what I’ve been doing.” Agreeing with Sape, Paddock’s dad said he is so grateful for the opportunity John has at Bloomfield and that watching his son’s final games on the high school field “is a blast, but it’s been that way every
weekend for ten years since flag football began. The intensity of high school football is stepped up a big notch, and with that the exhilaration of Friday nights. There was also a lot more on the line as John pursued his chances at the next level. For John’s entire football career, he was overlooked by some coaches, and at times dismissed due to his size. All John ever asked for was a legitimate chance to compete. He sought out those opportunities, and eventually succeeded. The journey wasn’t always easy, and at times was heartbreaking, knowing he had the talent but not getting his shot to reveal it.” Looking ahead, Bloomfield Hills athletic director, Mike Cowdrey believes that the work both Paddock and Sape have done during their last high school season will clearly benefit them both on and off the field. “Learning the college game is a lot different from high school game but to have one of your best friends go there with you gives you someone to talk to that understands what you’re going through,” he said. “Both guys are going to be phenomenal in college because of the characteristics they possess. I think in a couple of years, we are going to see both of these guys starting at Ball State. They are both extremely talented. I can see both of them playing a pretty tough schedule, week in and week out and hopefully making Bloomfield Hills High School proud.” For Sape, in a year he is going to miss playing for fans whom he has grown up with. “I love playing for the community and knowing everyone in the stands,” he said. “ I’ll also miss the Friday night lights feelings. Nothing compares to that.” “For me running onto the field is a blast and I am really blessed to be able to do it for another four years with Jack,” Paddock said. “I don’t really think about it much now but when I’m older I’m sure I will look back and remember how blessed I was. Friday night football provides an adrenaline rush like you can never imagine. I’ll miss it but I can’t wait for what’s to come.”
Hammer Authority What is your favorite part? How does it feel to lead? What is your favorite sport to lead? by SYDNEY STEARNS Guest Writer
“It’s really cool to be the leader of a group that brings people together and supports all of the school’s activities.” -Paul Mucci (12)
“Being at the center of the student body is definitely a lot of pressure, but I’m so used to it now and it’s so much fun.” -Tommy Paulson (12)
“My favorite sport to lead is football because the energy at the games is so great, not to mention the great season the guys have had so far.” -Grace Dillon (12)
BLOOMFIELD HILLS SKI SWAP SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11th 9am to 3pm BLOOMFIELD HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL FIELD HOUSE Huge savings on 100's of new & slightly used skis, boots, snowboards, apparel and accessories All winter sports items are welcome Items sold on consignment will receive 75% of the sale price Drop off: Friday, November 10, 4:00pm-7:30pm Bloomfield Hills Middle School Field House 4200 W Quarton Rd - Just west of Telegraph Rd
All proceeds to benefit the Bloomfield Hills High School Ski Team
Equipment should be clean and in good condition All ski bindings must be DIN approved or they MUST BE REMOVED For additional information please email bloomfieldskiswap@gmail.com
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OCTOBER SPORTS
FALL SPORTS Update Boys Football Ending of the football season, the boys football team concluded with a record of 6-3. With multiple come-from-behind victories, most notably against cross-town rival West Bloomfield, the team rallied to win 6 games. In a highly anticipated rematch, the Black Hawks suffered a season-ending loss on the 27th in the opening round of the playoffs. “It was heart-breaking to know this is my last season”, said senior tight end Alex Emde. “However, I am happy on the state in which the program is headed and I know they will do bigger things in the future.”
Girls Swimming and Diving The Bloomfield Hills girls’ Swim and Diving Team is preparing for states, who have the honor of hosting this year’s statewide competition at BHHS’s own pool. Senior swimmer Michaela Piel broke the school record for the breaststroke at a local meet this year, also qualifying her for states. “This will probably be the third year that we win. There are a lot of good teams this year and we are really excited to compete,” said junior swimmer Tia Lin. Their leagues competition on November 1st.
Boys Soccer Coming off a 3-6-4 record in the 2016 season, the men’s varsity soccer team turned back the clock and posted an 8-8-4 record for the 2017 season. This far, the Blackhawks are 8-8-4 and coming a recent loss to Lake Orion High School. “Our chemistry has gotten a lot better; we play together as a team more allowing us to pay better on the field,” said varsity player Bradley Kaufman. ”The last regular season game before playoffs was Friday, October the 13th against Notre Dame Prep. The soccer team made it to district semi-finals in the playoffs before falling to Berkeley.
Boys Tennis The Bloomfield Hills Black Hawks Men’s tennis team finished their season undefeated, winning all 22 matches this year. They defeated Novi High School, the second team in the state, and are now ranked as the number one team in Division One. They became state champions in Midland on October 21 and become the 2017-2018 MHSAA Champions for men’s tennis. The individual state champions are Cade and Sebastian Burman are one doubles, seniors Vikramjit Chakrabortty and Chaz Blamo at two doubles, and Constantin Hemmrich at three singles.“It was an unreal moment, still can’t believe that I actually won”, said Chakrabortty.
Boys Cross Country The Men’s and Girl’s Cross Country have continued their strong showing last season into the 2017 season. Shelby Jenkins finishes as one of the top two mile participants, including a sixth place finish in at Royal Oak High School. For the girls’ team, they posted a 65 point, second place finish was at Royal Oak High School. The Men’s side has an 89 point, fourth place finish also at Royal Oak High School. Varsity Men’s Sprinter Brandon Lachine said, “It’s been a good year so far in terms of placement. We hope to make it to county’s this year. We set this goal at the beginning of our Cross Country season.”
Girls Poms
World in Sports President Donald Trump along with others, has expressed his disapproval of the kneeling through social media platforms. Prior to week six of the season, commissioner Roger Goodell sent out a letter to all teams, asking for all players to stand and ‘respect the flag,’ and the only man to accept the requests, has been Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones. As the season continues forward, fans and athletes will continue to protest that the constitution of the United States gives them the right to knee for our national anthem. Over 15 MLB teams are adding extended netting to their ball fields that extend from home plate, down past the teams dugouts. According to Sports Illustrated, fans at different stadiums have gotten hit with these line drive foul balls, including a two year old girl, at Yankee stadium. MLB executives believe that this could cause a lack of interest from the more expensive seats, due to the large net being right in front of them.
In the National Basketball Association, every team has a salary cap of $99 million dollars. This number has gradually grown over the years, having a 35 million dollar increase from 2015. The 2018 Golden State Warriors hold three of the top ten ranked players, according to multiple sources such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN. All of these players can be paid a ‘maximum deal.’ The rest of the NBA still have their money to spend, just they won’t have the money to spend on the top rated athletes in the league.
After three months of daily practices, weekly performances, and multiple half-time shows, the varsity poms team’s football season came to a close. The team performed at 4 football games and 4 soccer games this fall. Jayne Bender, a senior on the team said, “I think the season was great and it was a good experience for all of us as we made new friendships and took advantage of the big team by doing cool new moves for our performances.” TStarting in December, the team will be performing at multiple varsity basketball games over the course of the winter season. Photo Credits to: Susan Adams Phtogrpahy Paul Kolin Kasra Raffi
OCTOBER FEATURE
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Jennifer Teal becomes WHMS IB Teacher Leader Former ninth grade teacher provides support for MYP and PYP programs
by MAYA ALHUSIEN Guest Writer After fifteen years as a Knight and two years as a Blackhawk, she is now a Warrior. “The job title I am moving to is Middle Years Program [MYP] and Primary Year Program [PYP] Teacher Leader at West Hills. I applied for the job and was offered the position after school had started. I will be the teacher leader for grades fourth through eighth of the International Baccalaureate [IB] program,” said Jennifer Teal, who is taking over the IB Teacher Leader position after Jannell Williams transferred to Oakland County Schools. “I know I will miss having students. I have always loved being in the classroom, so this is both an exciting and bittersweet move for me. The energy of young people as they find and use their voices in the world is irreplaceable.” According to West Hills Associate Principal Andy Gignac, Teal was selected from the other applicants because “she has been one of those people who researches new methods and ideas and implements them and really plays around with them and they evolve over time. A great example of that is standards based grading. I think she was definitely one of the leaders within our district with standards based grading.” Gignac continued saying that Teal’s main responsibility as an IB Teacher Leader is providing support and professional development to the teachers at WHMS as they implement the district’s guiding principles and the IB Programme into Jennifer Teal their classrooms. WHMS “She has several IB Teacher Leader different responsibilities. The two main [responsibilities] are overseeing the implementation of our PYP for our fourth and fifth graders and then also the middle years program for the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. She works in collaboration with Mrs. Beevy who is the Teal in her new office IB Teacher Leader at East Hills and Mrs. Jannel at BHMS. She’s like an instructional coach in a way. She works with the teachers to try to help them implement ideas they have. Mrs. Teal obviously has lots of experience with standards based grading and we are doing standards based grading here as well so those will be some of the key things she will be doing,” said Gignac. Teal added that “among other responsibilities, I will provide support and professional development to teachers as they implement the IB programme and the district’s guiding principles. A huge piece of this position is in helping teachers find the best resources and approaches for their classrooms.” Reminiscing on her month with Teal as a teacher, freshman Carly Finerty said that she “taught in a nice way using technology and videos. When we read text, we didn’t always read it in our heads, we would read it out loud or listen to videos so I thought that was a very smart way of learning new things. We learned a lot of new things by working collaboratively which I thought was nice.” English teacher, Terri Thav, expressed her feelings on working with Teal, along with her future. “I feel conflicted because I am so happy for her and I know that this is a job that is tailormade for her skills. However, I feel like I am not alone in missing her and appreciating her for all of the ways she improved the building and the relationships between the staff members.”
“The energy of young people as they find their voices is irreplaceable.”
Returning Home BHSD alumni teachers share their stories of high school and today by JAKE FOGEL Guest Writer Standing in front of her American Literature class she said she found her purpose. “I think it’s really important to remember the way I felt as a student in terms of what worked well for me and what didn’t work well,” said American Literature teacher Vanessa Rose who after graduating from the district in 2001. Returned 11 years later as a full time teacher. “I have more empathy and can step into the students’ shoes and see if they would be having fun in my class. I just feels amazing to come back and give back to the community where I grew up. In a way I felt relieved, to be back in a familiar environment, but also a renewed sense of purpose of being back.” Joining Rose, more than half a dozen teachers at Bloomfield Hills are alumni of the school district. “Being a [former] student helps give me a better sense of the culture and community in Bloomfield Hills,” said English and Psychology teacher Marlowe B’sheartThomas who graduated from Andover in 1986. “While certainly there are changes, there are also elements of it that are been consistent and in ways unique to this community.” Andover alum of 2003 Alan Posner, Band Director, agrees with B’sheart-Thomas and Rose recognizing that the uniqueness of the environment at BHHS never changes. “The people have always
the
“It just feels amazing to come back and give back to the community where I grew up.”
Candice Toma, BHSD Class of 2000, now a Spanish Teacher at BHHS
Alan Posner, BHSD Class of 2004, now a Band Director at BHHS
Vanessa Rose, BHSD Class of 2001, now an American Literature teacher at BHHS
Vanessa Rose American Literature Teacher been positive and we have a very diverse community especially culturally. It’s always been kind of a melting pot which I think is a positive experience for those students who like to branch out and get to know everybody,” he said.“It’s just a fantastic opportunity to carry on the legacy of a band director I respected a lot,” said Posner. According to Andover alum of 1980 Jean Buford, a Social Studies teacher, the expectations that teachers have for students have survived the generations. I know what the community [at BHHS] is like, and that it has wonderful expectations of it’s children being the best that they can be, so I appreciate working in that and it’s always been like that. It’s always been pretty diverse too,” she said. Having taught these Bloomfield Hills alumni, Science Teacher Dennis Kwasny said that he’s “proud to see that they made the choice to go into education and I’m happy they picked BHSD,” he said. “I’m proud of them and I hope they can continue to enjoy the profession.It was a little weird [to teach with them] at first, but now I’m sort of used to it. It [was] disconcerting to think you’ve been around that long, but now it doesn’t bother me.” According to B’sheart-Thomas, when she was hired she “welcomed the opportunity to return to the school where I had been a student. It was a wonderful opportunity to ‘come home.”
About the Alumni
Jean Buford, BHSD Class of 1980, now a Learning Strategies Teacher at BHHS
BHHS Alumna Stars in Love Never Dies Andover graduate with swing role in the new musical goes on North American tour by ELENA OFIARA Guest Writer After five years, Alyssa Giannetti is back home on stage. “It is a combination of nerves, adrenaline, and total happiness,” said Alyssa Giannetti, a 2012 Andover graduate who is currently an actress in the new musical Love Never Dies. “I love being up there.” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies is a sequel to his Tony award winning musical Phantom of the Opera. During Giannetti’s junior year, Andover High School produced Phantom of the Opera. Bruce Snyder, who worked in the theater program at Andover for 35 years, casted Giannetti as Christine, the lead role. Snyder said that, “Alyssa has one of those really rare and beautiful voices, and she also has a really incredible work ethic. When I first met her she was a swimmer before she was a singer, and she was a very committed, disciplined athlete. She brought that same kind of discipline into her study of music.” According to Giannetti, she has been
obsessed with Phantom of the Opera for a very long time. “When I went to Andover we did the Phantom of the Opera my junior year of high school and I got to play Christine. [Phantom of the Opera] is my favorite musical ever and right when that show finished, this show, Love Never Dies, was coming out in the west end so I booked a trip. I was going to London to go see it, but then it closed and was in Australia by the time I got around to seeing it.” Anna Zambelli, a former Andover student who graduated in Alyssa’s class who was also a part of the Phantom of the Opera production, agrees that Alyssa worked hard to get where she is today. “Alyssa is super talented. She was always really talented and I think that part way through high school she became a lot more serious about it and worked really hard at it. Once she started taking it really seriously she quit the swim team and started focusing all her time on musicals and choir I think it became clear to ev-
eryone that she was going to do really well. She ended up choosing to go to Northwestern for vocal performance, and there she was in a lot of shows and was in an accapella group and just did
Gianetti performs as a student at Northwestern University
really well.” According to Giannetti, her diligent work ethic helps her today with being a part of Love Never Dies on the North American tour. “I am a female swing which means I cover all the female ensemble roles. [At Andover] I worked really hard and learned how to time manage and be really organized. There are six showgirls and then two kind of singing roles, and I cover all 8 of them,” said Giannetti. “If someone’s sick or they’re hurt or even in the middle of the show I could get a text saying, ‘you’re going on for this track,’ so I have to cover and be ready for all 8 of those. I’m also understudying Christine.” Giannetti will be performing next with the cast in Durham, North Carolina from October 31 to November 5.
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OCTOBER FEATURE
WSA makes a Splash BHHS welcomes new club: Water Sports Alliance
WSA members kayak through the Huron River during thier October Summit. Photo by Christian Kassab.
by MADDY MOSKUS Staff Writer
Freshman J.T. Langlas midle left), and Joey Rankin (left), rehearse for A Chorus Line with student choreographer Rachel Beltowski (middle right) and actor Vikram Lakshmanan (right). Photo by Gorgia Zimmerman.
Freshmen find their place in the line Chorus Line features two freshman as leads by CAITLIN FINERTY Feature Editor He checked his phone and screamed when he saw his name so far up the cast list. “This is my first big role in a musical and I almost started crying. When I found out, my family and I were watching a movie together and halfway through the movie I went to check. When I saw that my name was on, it was just crazy,” said freshman J.T. Langlas. “Since then, I’ve been enjoying every moment I have gotten to spend with this crazy talented cast.” Along with Langlas, the fall musical, A Chorus Line, has also cast freshman Joey Rankin as the lead. According to junior and fellow cast member Max Rosensweig, Langlas and Rankin got their roles because of how well they fit their character’s lines and songs. “No one else can sing [JT’s character’s] song ‘Gimme the Ball’ like J.T. can. He slays it. Joey is just a little firecracker; every move she makes is sharp and passionate, plus it helps to be smaller to play the shortest character in the show,” said junior and fellow cast member Max Rosensweig. “She
is an outlier when it comes to the coordination of our choreography.” “This year, this is probably the most talented freshman class that I have seen since
“When I saw that my name was on, it was just crazy.”
J.T. Rankin Freshman I started, including mine. They are way better than mine were,” said senior and four year actor in the Broken Leg Theater Company C.J. Hay. “J.T. and Joey both have a ton of talent and they are going to go places.” According to the show’s music director Jessica Riley, there are many parts to
Q &A
with interim Vice Principal Larry Goralski by DARBY KRUGEL Guest Writer Three years ago, he thought he had retired. But with one phone call, everything changed. For the past month and a half, former Stoney Creek High School principal Larry Goralski has been an Interim Associate Principal. Instead of spending time on the golf course, he’s spending his days helping students with last names A through G, working with departments such as the social studies department, and being interviewed by the Hawkeye.
a show, including actor connection to the story, which the freshmen exhibited. “The most important part of a musical’s cast is not only whether or not they sing well individually and as an ensemble, but also whether or not they connect to the music and really tell the story that’s happening,” said Riley. “I was really impressed with how prepared our freshmen were at auditions and how hard they are working now during rehearsals.” With less than a month before the show, Rankin said she has understands the opportunity she has been afforded. “Being in a Chorus Line is such a great experience because I’m able to connect with upperclassmen and really feel like I’m appreciated and that I belong within this group of people,” said Rankin. “It’s awesome to work with others who share the same passion.”
Oars churn through calming lake water, colorful kayaks perch on the ripples, and students who have been in school for weeks with their friends and the nature smile and laugh. This is Water Sports Alliance (WSA). “It started with 12, mostly my friends. Now our group chat has about one hundred people,” said one of the founders, senior Jeremy Craig. “I don’t know why the club has become so popular. I just think there’s a lot of people that love water sports and being outside.” Founded by a few juniors at the end of the 2017 school year, WSA ran during the summer and is now gaining popularity in the fall semester, despite the cooler weather. The activities in the club are exactly what the name suggests, which is “anything to do with water,” as Craig said. “People show up and we ask ‘What do you want to do today?’” said Craig. “They’ll say ‘fishing’ or ‘wake surfing’ or whatever. I have a lake at my house, so we’ll meet there.” According to club member and junior Dalia Schwarzbaum, the relaxed setting of WSA reflects the attitude of everyone involved, from the founders to the sponsor. “Max and Jeremy asked me to sponsor, and having taught Jeremy for three years, I figured sure, why not. They asked, and I agreed. For the most part, I just facilitate our meetings every other week, but outside of that, the guys run the show,” said Andrew Mikolajczak, Physics teacher. Even when run with little input and direction from the sponsor, the go-with-the-flow approach works for a club focused on relaxation and fun. “I like how the club is run because we are able to organize summits on our own that don’t deal with school liability issues, yet it can still be run as a school club,” said Schwarzbaum. “I am able to participate in watersports I have not tried before, and it is a fun way to participate in them while being with my friends.” Where most school clubs range from 20 to 30 people with a few exceptions, WSA has surpassed the average. Club president Max Lessins attributed the WSA popularity to the collective mindset of high schoolers, no matter what differences they may have. “One of my favorite things is that we have a lot of people from different grades, it just brings people together for a common goal of having fun. School is so stressful sometimes, so it’s nice to just get away with friends,” said Lessins. “I think it’s a great club for people who like Michigan, because Michigan is all about water,” Mikolajczak said. “I definitely would join the Water Sports Alliance if I was in high school now.”
Q: Where did you go to high school and Q: After your years of experience workcollege? ing with high school students, what adA:I lived in the thumb in a town called vice do you have for our future graduMemphis, where I went to school during ates? the week but my parents were A: I think one of the biggest [piecdivorced so I also lived in the es of] advice is that some of you are city at 6 mile on Woodward. really aware of what you want to So I kind of was a city kid on study and some are not, and that the weekend and a country kid it’s okay either way. I think your for school in the week. And I generation is probably going to went to Central Michigan and change careers much more than finished at Oakland and I have my generation. I always knew I Interim Vice Principal, a masters degree from Central was going to be a teacher and a Larry Goralski and an Ed Specialist degree coach. But I think with the changfrom Oakland. ing economy that flexibility and just gaining higher level thinking skills and Q: When you were in school, what was technology skills will serve you really well. your favorite subject? A: My favorite subject was my wife. We Q: When I am overwhelmed, I often dated since 8th grade and have never broturn to eating my favorite foods. What ken up. We took all of our classes in high is your favorite snack food? school and college together and so whatA: My favorite snack food is potato chips ever she was studying, I was studying. But and I generally have to sneak those so my really, I was a history teacher, I love hiswife doesn’t catch me. tory and current events.
NOVEMBER FEATURE
Bird’s Eye View
the
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International Thespian Society Haunted House
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1: Theatre students smear blood red message on a mirror at the Haunted House on October 20th, 2017. 2 : Junior Debra Moraitis, a BHHS Theatre Student, prepares for the role of a scary child that just wants people to “come and play” in her spooky toy room. 3: The students set up Halloween decorations for all participants as they enter. 4: A group of attendees enter the Theatre Program’s Haunted house with smiles on their faces. 5: Senior Leah Louis-Ferdinand, a Bloomfield Hills High School Theatre student awaits guests to scare at the Theatre Program’s Haunted House. 6: Thespian Society Volunteers end their night at the Haunted House. 7: A dark bedroom inhabits a girl dressed in white. 8: Volunteers hold up masks and smile. 9: Theatre student gets ready to wheel out in front of passerbyers in the Theatre Program’s Haunted House.
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OCTOBER ENTERTAINMENT
Crossword
From the Nest
Challenge yourself to the Hawkeye Crossword Puzzle!
Every issue, the Hawkeye finds five standout faces at Bloomfield Hills High School. Here are there stories.
2. 3.
joe shoemaker
4. 6.
“No, I’m not Jeremy Craig. Stop asking me.
5.
8.
7.
9.
10.
11.
KASRA RAFFI
“I’m the best skittle player in the OAA.
GRANDMA
ACROSS 2. Avoid, as a question 6. Frank Ocean track 8. Canada’s National Tree 9. Soundtrack Composer Zimmer 10. Arrive to, as a party 11. Name associated with honesty
DOWN 1. ”_____ the Blackhawk” 3. A whole step above E 4. Senate Majority Leader McConnell 5. Courage 7. Car company with the Model 3 10. File in court
For more crosswords, go to our website
HawkeyeComics
“
Well I could never have dreamed of becoming a grandmother of over 1,000 kids, but now that I am, I love them all.
NOOR ABOU-RASS
“If
opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.
NUREEN ZAHOOR
“Last time some-
one doubted me, they lost billions of dollars.
by EMBER STUART Illustrator
by EMILY WANG Guest Illustrator
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the hawkeye
OCTOBER ENTERTAINMENT
Reviews Visit the best new meat shop
Kaku succeeds in sushi, not service New restaurant offers the best and most authentic Poke in town
The Butchery offers fresh and delightful ingredients
The Butchery is the newest addition to the Oakland County area that specializes in meats. This is why it’s considered a meat shop but they also have a restaurant with a variety of options to choose from. It’s located on Orchard Lake Road in Sylvan Lake. It’s is closed on Wednesdays and besides the weekends, they open up at 10:00 AM and closes at 8:00 PM. They don’t do breakfast though. This is the difference between The Butchery and other meat shops because everything is made fresh and near by. Their meat is sourced from Utica and all of the meat is USDA and grass fed. Utica is very close by, so the meat stays fresh and the vegetables are grown around the Sylvan Lake area. The bread is made fresh daily in the restaurant, according to the owners Dave and Julie Hubbard. The quality of all the products at this meat shop is unquestionable and of the highest quality with their assortment of meats. My favorite item on the menu is the BLT Julie, that cost eight dollars. My other favorite is the Lily sandwich which is five dollars. It is basically a very cheesy cheddar grilled cheese and the Vega-Nita sandwich is a vegetable stacked sandwich with no meat. The Butchery is also always consistant and always delivers with their sandwiches. I haven’t been there once where I have been left unsatisfied with the food I had been given. The Butchery can be a on the go lunch or dinner with spectacular service and amazing quality. They are well known for this and how wonderful they prepare every piece of meat. For example, ground beef, turkey and sirloin are in the meat shop to choose from. The Butchery is a local deli shop with an abundance of options on the menu including sandwiches, meat, soups and salads. It’s the perfect new place to try and keep going back to over and over again.
When I heard the word, “Poke,” I had to know more. I have always had a passion for food trends and been a daredevil when it comes to trying new things. Now, after my fourth dining experience at the new Sushi and Poke restaurant, KAKU, it is time for an honest review; this is a place to go for the food but not the service. For those not familiar with the location, it’s right across from the high school near Kroger, next to Taro hair salon. My first KAKU experience was a late Tuesday night craving for sushi. I called KAKU to place a carry out order. The owner of the restaurant is an immigrant from Tokyo and the former head chef at Ronin in Royal Oak, so he knows his sushi. My avocado rolls were superb and it was a quick and easy takeout experience. Other options for sushi rolls include Yellowtail Nigiri, Large Scallop Nigiri, and even an option to build whatever you like in your roll. I returned to KAKU the next day to check out the poke. If you are unfamiliar, as I was, Poke is a sushi bowl with classic japanese ingredients such as raw fish, seaweed, and a wide selection of greens. I was welcomed into the modern simplistic restaurant and greeted by the owner himself. The first thing I noticed about
Freshii is a must-visit Atmosphere and food are perfect
Crisp, natural smells and strong flavorful scents run through the air around my new favorite restaurant, Freshii. The newest location is right here in Michigan on Orchard Lake Road and 14 mile road and I couldn’t have been more excited to try it. As I approached the front counter to place my order, I was instantly greeted with a smiling face who wanted to help me decide what to get. The restaurant is very accommodating be-
seemed inexperienced with their set up. It felt like I was in there forever. Hopefully as they become more familiar with their new restaurant, service will improve. Despite how slow it was, the
It was phenomenal. Spicy, but still flavorful. I could tell that the ingredients were natural and fresh. My taste buds practically broke out into a dance. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The smoothie tasted just as refreshing and organic with it’s strawberries, bananas, and yogurt all mixed up into the perfect blend. While I was eating my meal, I admired the unique atmosphere of the place. This casual dining restaurant was bright and left me feeling happy. One wall was covered with artwork similar to a periodic table with lots of fresh veggies and fruits. The other wall, stands covered with fresh shrubs emphasizing the restaurant’s importance on natural and crisp ingredients. Although my meal was a bit more expensive than my usual dinner at Leo’s, it was worth every cent of the $15.97 that I paid. I would go back any day to have my meal again or even to try something new. I would rate the newly opened Freshii a 10 out of 10 stars. It is perfect for any time that I am in the mood for a happy, loving, healthy, and filling meal.
MANIA is fantastic New singles spark excitement by ERIN SCHWARTZ Guest Writer When I was just five years old, “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” was blasting on the radio and I instantly fell in love with the band. Since 2001, Fall Out Boy has made amazing alternative music. On March 27th 2017, Pete Wentz, the bassist, announced their new album entitled “M A N I A” on twitter along with the release of a new single called “Young and Menace.” The spelling and cover on the album is very unique, but we (the fans) have yet to find out
bowl was a 10/10 with beautiful colors, fresh quality ingredients, and unique flavors. I would recommend the garlic soy sauce, especially if you like a light garlic seasoning. Since then, I have experimented with different ingredient combinations in my poke such as wasabi greens and shiso sprouts. I am vegan and have been very satisfied with the options they provide such as, tofu and quinoa. The restaurant is very accommodating and aware of all dietary needs as they have gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options. As for prices, the sushi rolls are very reasonable. A simple California roll is $5 for 8 pieces. On the other had, I wouldn’t exactly call the poke a bang for your buck, but, for such quality ingredients and raw fish the prices begin to make sense. A small poke bowl is around $11 depending on what add-ons you choose. If you’re a foodie, like myself, KAKU is definitely a spot to check out. I recommend ordering ahead to avoid slow service. I also recommend, taking lots of photos of your beautiful poke bowl, attempting to eat it with chopsticks, giving in and using a fork, and of course the amazing garlic soy sauce.
CHECK IT OUT
ONLINE hs
toda y.o
rg
by ALI RANDEL Staff Writer
cause they have something for everyone to eat. I’m gluten free and the staff helped me find multiple choices that were available. They also have vegetarian and vegan options as well. The menu is filled with bowls, burritos, soups, salads, froyo, juices, smoothies, cleanses and so much more. You can even make your own bowl with rice and whatever meat, vegetables, and sauces you want. I finally picked the Pangoa bowl and added chicken. I also got a strawberry banana smoothie. The bowl arrived at my table packed with bright colors and healthy foods. Brown rice was topped with corn, avocado, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, chicken, lime, and barbeque sauce.
KAKU, was the endless choices of how to order. I could order off their sushi menu, choose from a wide selection of pre-made Poke bowls or create my own poke bowl. I was incredibly disappointed by the service as it was slow and the staff
bh
by BRENDAN LYNN Sports Editor
by SOPHIE SHERBIN Guest Writer
Rainbow redefines
Kesha’s new album has its flaws by LARA JANOSZ News Editor
the meaning behind it. The initial release date for the album was September 15th, 2017, until Patrick Stump, the lead vocalist, announced its delay until January 19th, 2018, upsetting fans who anxiously awaited the arrival. Out of the 10 songs that are going to be included in the album, three of them are out so far. The first being, “Young and Menace.” This song is by far my favorite of the released portion of the album, but it had a lot of controversy because of the new sound that isn’t what their fans are used to. Fall Out Boy is known for the guitar, drums, and real instruments in their music. This new song has an electronic vibe to the chorus, leaving their audience in shock. I am not a huge fan of dubstep, a genre in which electronic noises are distorted and somewhat put into rhythm, but I absolutely love it in this song. Many fans do not like the new direction Fall
Out Boy’s music is heading in, but the band did say that this was the most experimental song on the album. It’s a shift from heavy guitars and drums to more electronic sounding music, but I love the change. The second song they released is called, “Champion.” This is a very basic song in my opinion. It has a very dry chorus with not many lyrical changes or interesting twists. The slow drum beat throughout the whole song doesn’t change very much, and it definitely doesn’t give the band a chance to show what they’re actually capable of. Patrick Stump’s incredible vocal abilities are not presented in this track. The three songs that are out can be found on spotify and on iTunes for $1.29 each. The album is also available for preorder on Google Play and iTunes for $7.99 as their cheapest album yet.
Throughout my life, I thought comeback albums were supposed to be one of the best albums a musician can put out, including music that will be stuck in your head for days, and in the best way possible. Unfortunately, Kesha’s new album, Rainbow, which was released on August 11, 2017, proved me wrong. Prior to the album’s release, tabloids and Kesha fan pages kept raving about how the album was going to be a message to the world that Kesha was redefining both herself and her music style. This made me a little skeptical at first.
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OCTOBER ENTERTAINMENT
the hawkeye
Blade runner 2049
Reviews Blade Runner 2049 Delivers an Impressive and Indelible Experience by ANISH TAMHANEY Co-Editor-in-Chief I am stunned. Overwhelmed. I’m in awe of a delicate balance between wonder and poignance that few films achieve. “Blade Runner 2049”, directed by Denis Villeneuve, the auteur behind other masterpieces such as “Arrival” and “Sicario,” is unforgettable on every level. Starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto, the cast’s performance exceeded my expectations, even for featuring such reputable members. The movie centers around Agent K (Ryan Gosling), a Blade Runner for the Los Angeles Police department. His job is to hunt down and decommission androids called Replicants, who are indistinguishable from humans. Villeneuve crafts this universe with remarkable deftness and sufficient homage to the the film’s predecessor. The atmosphere is consistent yet multifaceted, flowing naturally from the hazy orange of a dessert to the almost suffocating black sky of technological dystopia. The experience immersed me fully, every frame eye catching and mesmerizing. Roger Deakins, the iconic cinematographer behind “The Shawshank Redemption” and “No Country for Old Men,” among a host of other works, fills his role perfectly. He expertly captures the motif of existential duality throughout the film through panned out, lingering shots and ingenious camera angles. Just like in the original Blade Runner, the film’s score is ambient and an intrinsic. Hans Zimmer, the bombastic composer who wrote the soundtracks of
The Florida Project is a unique suprise by MAXIMILLIAN HELFMAN Co-Editor-in-Chief The Florida Project is a beautiful, ironically innocent film about the world of poverty in America. Directed By NYU graduate Sean Baker, it follows 6 - year old Moonee over the course of a summer, and the trouble she find herself in while living in a motel with her rebellious yet caring mother. A24 produced the film, which is the powerhouse indie distribution company responsible for The Disaster Artist, The Lobster, and many more. Paired up with the phenomenal actor Willem Dafoe, giving his best performance of his career, The Florida Project delivers a beautiful film seen through the lens of children. The child actors in the film are adorable, funny, and better yet believable. Brooklyn Prince, the main character, is perfect, mirroring Jacob Tremblay in Room. Her many friends throughout the films work as well, giving believable, and purposeful, performances to aid in the development of Moonee’s character. The mother of Moonee, Bria Vinaite, was fantastic, creating a trashy, dirty, yet caring mother in the situation that they are in. And that situation is the motel, with the duo moving from room to room over the summer because they can’t afford anything else. The setting was perfect, and the cinematography aided that. With the stand out settings being the ice cream parlor, the grocery store, the golf club, and the motel down the street, Baker has the children interact with them in a way that makes the world of “The Florida Project” seem like a world. The overall tone of The Florida Project, that being a whimsical children’s film in the drama filled world of adults, help to shape an enjoyable movie going experience for the viewer. I saw the film in a theatre with four other people, and a movie of this quality needs more viewers. Other than the ending which took me out of the film and almost ruined the film for me (not going to say why due to spoilers) I would highly recommend The Florida Project. With The Oscars right around the corner, Willem Dafoe has a real chance at Best Supporting Actor. You can see The Florida Project now playing at The Maple Theater.
Watch out for
This Month in the coming soon
“Gladiator,” “Interstellar,” and the Dark Knight trilogy, brings out the best of his talent here. He makes most of drawn out, echoing electronic whispers while shifting to his more typical intensity at the perfect moments. When the main Blade Runner theme played, I smiled knowingly. Yet the score forms its own identity, refusing to become engulfed in Vangelis’s original work. While “2049” clocked in at 2 hours and 45 minutes, exceptional pacing granted the film gritty momentum and inward contemplation simultaneously. Agent K’s journey never lulled; the agonizingly patient unravelling of the movie’s central mystery kept me constantly engaged. I wasn’t just watching a man discover profound human truths. I was discovering them myself. And perhaps that is why this film instantly delighted me. The cinematography, the score, and the atmosphere prompt fundamental questions about human existence, questions that mankind has pondered eternally. I gazed at the last frame with a earnest yearning to answer find these truths and to understand what makes one human. The best movies are the kind that articulate their messages on a universal level, and “2049” is no exception. I implore those reading to find the biggest screen and the loudest speakers possible to see this movie. I am utterly amazed by its technical proficiency and thematic potency. “Blade Runner: 2049” is not just entertaining or eye-opening, it is an emotional, prophetic experience that defines skillful storytelling.
Happy Death Day delivers a fun movie going experience by BEN MUTZ Guest Writer
“Happy Death Day.” Shockingly not a scary movie. This movie is not scary, and yes it is supposed to be, but the lack of horror in this film does not make it a bad movie. It succeeds without the labels of genres. In the film, main character Tree Gelbman played by Jessica Rothe, is a stuck up college student who is hostile to everyone around her. But, when an unknown killer strikes Tree as their victim, she finds she is stuck in the same day over and over again until she finds out who killed her. I walked into the theatre expecting to view a movie in which I would constantly have to cover my eyes in fear, but I actually watched a feel-good film that will make you want to embrace the life lessons that we learn throughout the movie. Among these are, actions have consequences for yourself and others, tomorrow is not guaranteed, and my favorite of all, each new day is an opportunity to be somebody better. Compared to recent horror movies such as “Annabelle Creation” released on August 11th of 2017 and the hit film “IT” released on September 8th of 2017, “Happy Death Day” lacks the pop-up scariness that is a focal point in these two other films. Rather, the film falls closer to the 1993 drama “Groundhog Day” in which Phil, played by Bill Murray relives the same day over again until he becomes the man he needs to in order to make the love of his life love him back. In general I enjoyed this movie. The fact that the horror factor wasn’t there was not a huge turn-off for me because I felt the movie was saved by a recurring lesson that I easily was connected to: each new day is a fresh start. If you’re like me, an open minded movie goer, this movie will be money well spent, however if you are an adrenaline seeker, horror film enthusiast or simply just looking to watch something scary in the spirit of Halloween, look elsewhere. “Happy Death Day” came out on October the 13th and is in theatres virtually everywhere. Local theatres showing the movie are Birmingham 8 down woodward and MJR Grand Digital Cinema on the corner of East Maple Rd. and Livernois. Tickets should be no more than $12 and no less than seven.
Great performances stand out in true story Battle of the Sexes by GEORGIA ZIMMERMAN Guest Writer I’m not a fan of sports movies. My genuine disinterest for all things sports related is borderline impressive. So, upon walking into the theatre for the Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris helmed biopic entitled Battle of the Sexes, my expectations weren’t high, but they weren’t necessarily low either. The aforementioned pair had previously directed the Oscar winning Little Miss Sunshine, and had proven through other projects their ability to tell a story. The film stars Emma Stone as Billie Jean King, a now former World No. 1 tennis player, and Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs, a World No. 1 champion in the 1930’s and ‘40’s, and the real tennis match that happened between them in 1973, crowned “The Battle of the Sexes”. What impressed me most about this movie was the approach it took to telling the story. I feel as though movies of that genre can tend to lose the humanity behind the person, and focus more on the competitive aspect to the film. This was not the case for Battle of the Sexes. It managed to strike a balance: fleshing out the personal narrative that culminated in the final event of the tennis match. They got you invested in the characters so you’d in turn be invested in the game they were playing, making you understand through this what the stakes were on both ends. By the end, during the match of its namesake, I’ll admit, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, even though I knew who the winners were. The film visually set itself apart from others of it’s genre, in that it took a semi-artistic approach. The framing of the shots and cinematography lent itself to an unapologetically 1970’s vibe, a much more aesthetically pleasing alternative to the usual starkness of sports movies. By tackling the era in a very subtle way, it sidestepped the cliched traps that could have been set in the plot due to the time period. It should also be noted at this front that the costumes played a crucial role in the film, as would be expected for any bygone era movie. The costumes truly made it feel like another time. Next to the cinematography, it can be argued that the costumes set the scene more than anything else. Though there are many praises to be sung about this movie, it wasn’t perfect. The most glaring issue I had with the film was the soundtrack, which took a primarily instrumental route, missing a seemingly perfect opportunity to insert a bit of pop culture. 1970’s music is iconic, and while some Elton John and George Harrison make a brief appearance, the music in the film fades into obscurity. Music aside, the lead and supporting performances delivered were solid, especially given the challenge of portraying a real person that was presented to the actors. Stone gives layers to the competitive and unapologetically strong King, who was dealing with the questioning of her sexuality, media pressure, and an unending battle for women’s rights in an era of abundant social and political change. Carell’s character, at least for the first half of the movie, serves as the source of comedy, albeit ignorant, sexist comedy that you laugh at because of his idiosyncrasies. As the movie builds, his layers unravel, and you see the person inside fueling all this male chauvinist propaganda. This movie is worth seeing for the historical aspect alone, but it’s made truly enjoyable through strong performances, eye pleasing cinematography, and strong technical and artistic direction.
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OCTOBER ENTERTAINMENT
Crossword
From the Nest
Challenge yourself to the Hawkeye Crossword Puzzle!
Every issue, the Hawkeye finds five standout faces at Bloomfield Hills High School. Here are there stories.
2. 3.
joe shoemaker
4. 6.
“No, I’m not Jeremy Craig. Stop asking me.
5.
8.
7.
9.
10.
11.
KASRA RAFFI
“I’m the best skittle player in the OAA.
GRANDMA
ACROSS 2. Avoid, as a question 6. Frank Ocean track 8. Canada’s National Tree 9. Soundtrack Composer Zimmer 10. Arrive to, as a party 11. Name associated with honesty
DOWN 1. ”_____ the Blackhawk” 3. A whole step above E 4. Senate Majority Leader McConnell 5. Courage 7. Car company with the Model 3 10. File in court
For more crosswords, go to our website
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“
Well I could never have dreamed of becoming a grandmother of over 1,000 kids, but now that I am, I love them all.
NOOR ABOU-RASS
“If
opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.
NUREEN ZAHOOR
“Last time some-
one doubted me, they lost billions of dollars.
by EMBER STUART Illustrator
by EMILY WANG Guest Illustrator
22
the hawkeye
OCTOBER ENTERTAINMENT
Reviews Visit the best new meat shop
Kaku succeeds in sushi, not service New restaurant offers the best and most authentic Poke in town
The Butchery offers fresh and delightful ingredients
The Butchery is the newest addition to the Oakland County area that specializes in meats. This is why it’s considered a meat shop but they also have a restaurant with a variety of options to choose from. It’s located on Orchard Lake Road in Sylvan Lake. It’s is closed on Wednesdays and besides the weekends, they open up at 10:00 AM and closes at 8:00 PM. They don’t do breakfast though. This is the difference between The Butchery and other meat shops because everything is made fresh and near by. Their meat is sourced from Utica and all of the meat is USDA and grass fed. Utica is very close by, so the meat stays fresh and the vegetables are grown around the Sylvan Lake area. The bread is made fresh daily in the restaurant, according to the owners Dave and Julie Hubbard. The quality of all the products at this meat shop is unquestionable and of the highest quality with their assortment of meats. My favorite item on the menu is the BLT Julie, that cost eight dollars. My other favorite is the Lily sandwich which is five dollars. It is basically a very cheesy cheddar grilled cheese and the Vega-Nita sandwich is a vegetable stacked sandwich with no meat. The Butchery is also always consistant and always delivers with their sandwiches. I haven’t been there once where I have been left unsatisfied with the food I had been given. The Butchery can be a on the go lunch or dinner with spectacular service and amazing quality. They are well known for this and how wonderful they prepare every piece of meat. For example, ground beef, turkey and sirloin are in the meat shop to choose from. The Butchery is a local deli shop with an abundance of options on the menu including sandwiches, meat, soups and salads. It’s the perfect new place to try and keep going back to over and over again.
When I heard the word, “Poke,” I had to know more. I have always had a passion for food trends and been a daredevil when it comes to trying new things. Now, after my fourth dining experience at the new Sushi and Poke restaurant, KAKU, it is time for an honest review; this is a place to go for the food but not the service. For those not familiar with the location, it’s right across from the high school near Kroger, next to Taro hair salon. My first KAKU experience was a late Tuesday night craving for sushi. I called KAKU to place a carry out order. The owner of the restaurant is an immigrant from Tokyo and the former head chef at Ronin in Royal Oak, so he knows his sushi. My avocado rolls were superb and it was a quick and easy takeout experience. Other options for sushi rolls include Yellowtail Nigiri, Large Scallop Nigiri, and even an option to build whatever you like in your roll. I returned to KAKU the next day to check out the poke. If you are unfamiliar, as I was, Poke is a sushi bowl with classic japanese ingredients such as raw fish, seaweed, and a wide selection of greens. I was welcomed into the modern simplistic restaurant and greeted by the owner himself. The first thing I noticed about
Freshii is a must-visit Atmosphere and food are perfect
Crisp, natural smells and strong flavorful scents run through the air around my new favorite restaurant, Freshii. The newest location is right here in Michigan on Orchard Lake Road and 14 mile road and I couldn’t have been more excited to try it. As I approached the front counter to place my order, I was instantly greeted with a smiling face who wanted to help me decide what to get. The restaurant is very accommodating be-
seemed inexperienced with their set up. It felt like I was in there forever. Hopefully as they become more familiar with their new restaurant, service will improve. Despite how slow it was, the
It was phenomenal. Spicy, but still flavorful. I could tell that the ingredients were natural and fresh. My taste buds practically broke out into a dance. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The smoothie tasted just as refreshing and organic with it’s strawberries, bananas, and yogurt all mixed up into the perfect blend. While I was eating my meal, I admired the unique atmosphere of the place. This casual dining restaurant was bright and left me feeling happy. One wall was covered with artwork similar to a periodic table with lots of fresh veggies and fruits. The other wall, stands covered with fresh shrubs emphasizing the restaurant’s importance on natural and crisp ingredients. Although my meal was a bit more expensive than my usual dinner at Leo’s, it was worth every cent of the $15.97 that I paid. I would go back any day to have my meal again or even to try something new. I would rate the newly opened Freshii a 10 out of 10 stars. It is perfect for any time that I am in the mood for a happy, loving, healthy, and filling meal.
MANIA is fantastic New singles spark excitement by ERIN SCHWARTZ Guest Writer When I was just five years old, “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” was blasting on the radio and I instantly fell in love with the band. Since 2001, Fall Out Boy has made amazing alternative music. On March 27th 2017, Pete Wentz, the bassist, announced their new album entitled “M A N I A” on twitter along with the release of a new single called “Young and Menace.” The spelling and cover on the album is very unique, but we (the fans) have yet to find out
bowl was a 10/10 with beautiful colors, fresh quality ingredients, and unique flavors. I would recommend the garlic soy sauce, especially if you like a light garlic seasoning. Since then, I have experimented with different ingredient combinations in my poke such as wasabi greens and shiso sprouts. I am vegan and have been very satisfied with the options they provide such as, tofu and quinoa. The restaurant is very accommodating and aware of all dietary needs as they have gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options. As for prices, the sushi rolls are very reasonable. A simple California roll is $5 for 8 pieces. On the other had, I wouldn’t exactly call the poke a bang for your buck, but, for such quality ingredients and raw fish the prices begin to make sense. A small poke bowl is around $11 depending on what add-ons you choose. If you’re a foodie, like myself, KAKU is definitely a spot to check out. I recommend ordering ahead to avoid slow service. I also recommend, taking lots of photos of your beautiful poke bowl, attempting to eat it with chopsticks, giving in and using a fork, and of course the amazing garlic soy sauce.
CHECK IT OUT
ONLINE hs
toda y.o
rg
by ALI RANDEL Staff Writer
cause they have something for everyone to eat. I’m gluten free and the staff helped me find multiple choices that were available. They also have vegetarian and vegan options as well. The menu is filled with bowls, burritos, soups, salads, froyo, juices, smoothies, cleanses and so much more. You can even make your own bowl with rice and whatever meat, vegetables, and sauces you want. I finally picked the Pangoa bowl and added chicken. I also got a strawberry banana smoothie. The bowl arrived at my table packed with bright colors and healthy foods. Brown rice was topped with corn, avocado, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, chicken, lime, and barbeque sauce.
KAKU, was the endless choices of how to order. I could order off their sushi menu, choose from a wide selection of pre-made Poke bowls or create my own poke bowl. I was incredibly disappointed by the service as it was slow and the staff
bh
by BRENDAN LYNN Sports Editor
by SOPHIE SHERBIN Guest Writer
Rainbow redefines
Kesha’s new album has its flaws by LARA JANOSZ News Editor
the meaning behind it. The initial release date for the album was September 15th, 2017, until Patrick Stump, the lead vocalist, announced its delay until January 19th, 2018, upsetting fans who anxiously awaited the arrival. Out of the 10 songs that are going to be included in the album, three of them are out so far. The first being, “Young and Menace.” This song is by far my favorite of the released portion of the album, but it had a lot of controversy because of the new sound that isn’t what their fans are used to. Fall Out Boy is known for the guitar, drums, and real instruments in their music. This new song has an electronic vibe to the chorus, leaving their audience in shock. I am not a huge fan of dubstep, a genre in which electronic noises are distorted and somewhat put into rhythm, but I absolutely love it in this song. Many fans do not like the new direction Fall
Out Boy’s music is heading in, but the band did say that this was the most experimental song on the album. It’s a shift from heavy guitars and drums to more electronic sounding music, but I love the change. The second song they released is called, “Champion.” This is a very basic song in my opinion. It has a very dry chorus with not many lyrical changes or interesting twists. The slow drum beat throughout the whole song doesn’t change very much, and it definitely doesn’t give the band a chance to show what they’re actually capable of. Patrick Stump’s incredible vocal abilities are not presented in this track. The three songs that are out can be found on spotify and on iTunes for $1.29 each. The album is also available for preorder on Google Play and iTunes for $7.99 as their cheapest album yet.
Throughout my life, I thought comeback albums were supposed to be one of the best albums a musician can put out, including music that will be stuck in your head for days, and in the best way possible. Unfortunately, Kesha’s new album, Rainbow, which was released on August 11, 2017, proved me wrong. Prior to the album’s release, tabloids and Kesha fan pages kept raving about how the album was going to be a message to the world that Kesha was redefining both herself and her music style. This made me a little skeptical at first.
23
OCTOBER ENTERTAINMENT
the hawkeye
Blade runner 2049
Reviews Blade Runner 2049 Delivers an Impressive and Indelible Experience by ANISH TAMHANEY Co-Editor-in-Chief I am stunned. Overwhelmed. I’m in awe of a delicate balance between wonder and poignance that few films achieve. “Blade Runner 2049”, directed by Denis Villeneuve, the auteur behind other masterpieces such as “Arrival” and “Sicario,” is unforgettable on every level. Starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto, the cast’s performance exceeded my expectations, even for featuring such reputable members. The movie centers around Agent K (Ryan Gosling), a Blade Runner for the Los Angeles Police department. His job is to hunt down and decommission androids called Replicants, who are indistinguishable from humans. Villeneuve crafts this universe with remarkable deftness and sufficient homage to the the film’s predecessor. The atmosphere is consistent yet multifaceted, flowing naturally from the hazy orange of a dessert to the almost suffocating black sky of technological dystopia. The experience immersed me fully, every frame eye catching and mesmerizing. Roger Deakins, the iconic cinematographer behind “The Shawshank Redemption” and “No Country for Old Men,” among a host of other works, fills his role perfectly. He expertly captures the motif of existential duality throughout the film through panned out, lingering shots and ingenious camera angles. Just like in the original Blade Runner, the film’s score is ambient and an intrinsic. Hans Zimmer, the bombastic composer who wrote the soundtracks of
The Florida Project is a unique suprise by MAXIMILLIAN HELFMAN Co-Editor-in-Chief The Florida Project is a beautiful, ironically innocent film about the world of poverty in America. Directed By NYU graduate Sean Baker, it follows 6 - year old Moonee over the course of a summer, and the trouble she find herself in while living in a motel with her rebellious yet caring mother. A24 produced the film, which is the powerhouse indie distribution company responsible for The Disaster Artist, The Lobster, and many more. Paired up with the phenomenal actor Willem Dafoe, giving his best performance of his career, The Florida Project delivers a beautiful film seen through the lens of children. The child actors in the film are adorable, funny, and better yet believable. Brooklyn Prince, the main character, is perfect, mirroring Jacob Tremblay in Room. Her many friends throughout the films work as well, giving believable, and purposeful, performances to aid in the development of Moonee’s character. The mother of Moonee, Bria Vinaite, was fantastic, creating a trashy, dirty, yet caring mother in the situation that they are in. And that situation is the motel, with the duo moving from room to room over the summer because they can’t afford anything else. The setting was perfect, and the cinematography aided that. With the stand out settings being the ice cream parlor, the grocery store, the golf club, and the motel down the street, Baker has the children interact with them in a way that makes the world of “The Florida Project” seem like a world. The overall tone of The Florida Project, that being a whimsical children’s film in the drama filled world of adults, help to shape an enjoyable movie going experience for the viewer. I saw the film in a theatre with four other people, and a movie of this quality needs more viewers. Other than the ending which took me out of the film and almost ruined the film for me (not going to say why due to spoilers) I would highly recommend The Florida Project. With The Oscars right around the corner, Willem Dafoe has a real chance at Best Supporting Actor. You can see The Florida Project now playing at The Maple Theater.
Watch out for
This Month in the coming soon
“Gladiator,” “Interstellar,” and the Dark Knight trilogy, brings out the best of his talent here. He makes most of drawn out, echoing electronic whispers while shifting to his more typical intensity at the perfect moments. When the main Blade Runner theme played, I smiled knowingly. Yet the score forms its own identity, refusing to become engulfed in Vangelis’s original work. While “2049” clocked in at 2 hours and 45 minutes, exceptional pacing granted the film gritty momentum and inward contemplation simultaneously. Agent K’s journey never lulled; the agonizingly patient unravelling of the movie’s central mystery kept me constantly engaged. I wasn’t just watching a man discover profound human truths. I was discovering them myself. And perhaps that is why this film instantly delighted me. The cinematography, the score, and the atmosphere prompt fundamental questions about human existence, questions that mankind has pondered eternally. I gazed at the last frame with a earnest yearning to answer find these truths and to understand what makes one human. The best movies are the kind that articulate their messages on a universal level, and “2049” is no exception. I implore those reading to find the biggest screen and the loudest speakers possible to see this movie. I am utterly amazed by its technical proficiency and thematic potency. “Blade Runner: 2049” is not just entertaining or eye-opening, it is an emotional, prophetic experience that defines skillful storytelling.
Happy Death Day delivers a fun movie going experience by BEN MUTZ Guest Writer
“Happy Death Day.” Shockingly not a scary movie. This movie is not scary, and yes it is supposed to be, but the lack of horror in this film does not make it a bad movie. It succeeds without the labels of genres. In the film, main character Tree Gelbman played by Jessica Rothe, is a stuck up college student who is hostile to everyone around her. But, when an unknown killer strikes Tree as their victim, she finds she is stuck in the same day over and over again until she finds out who killed her. I walked into the theatre expecting to view a movie in which I would constantly have to cover my eyes in fear, but I actually watched a feel-good film that will make you want to embrace the life lessons that we learn throughout the movie. Among these are, actions have consequences for yourself and others, tomorrow is not guaranteed, and my favorite of all, each new day is an opportunity to be somebody better. Compared to recent horror movies such as “Annabelle Creation” released on August 11th of 2017 and the hit film “IT” released on September 8th of 2017, “Happy Death Day” lacks the pop-up scariness that is a focal point in these two other films. Rather, the film falls closer to the 1993 drama “Groundhog Day” in which Phil, played by Bill Murray relives the same day over again until he becomes the man he needs to in order to make the love of his life love him back. In general I enjoyed this movie. The fact that the horror factor wasn’t there was not a huge turn-off for me because I felt the movie was saved by a recurring lesson that I easily was connected to: each new day is a fresh start. If you’re like me, an open minded movie goer, this movie will be money well spent, however if you are an adrenaline seeker, horror film enthusiast or simply just looking to watch something scary in the spirit of Halloween, look elsewhere. “Happy Death Day” came out on October the 13th and is in theatres virtually everywhere. Local theatres showing the movie are Birmingham 8 down woodward and MJR Grand Digital Cinema on the corner of East Maple Rd. and Livernois. Tickets should be no more than $12 and no less than seven.
Great performances stand out in true story Battle of the Sexes by GEORGIA ZIMMERMAN Guest Writer I’m not a fan of sports movies. My genuine disinterest for all things sports related is borderline impressive. So, upon walking into the theatre for the Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris helmed biopic entitled Battle of the Sexes, my expectations weren’t high, but they weren’t necessarily low either. The aforementioned pair had previously directed the Oscar winning Little Miss Sunshine, and had proven through other projects their ability to tell a story. The film stars Emma Stone as Billie Jean King, a now former World No. 1 tennis player, and Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs, a World No. 1 champion in the 1930’s and ‘40’s, and the real tennis match that happened between them in 1973, crowned “The Battle of the Sexes”. What impressed me most about this movie was the approach it took to telling the story. I feel as though movies of that genre can tend to lose the humanity behind the person, and focus more on the competitive aspect to the film. This was not the case for Battle of the Sexes. It managed to strike a balance: fleshing out the personal narrative that culminated in the final event of the tennis match. They got you invested in the characters so you’d in turn be invested in the game they were playing, making you understand through this what the stakes were on both ends. By the end, during the match of its namesake, I’ll admit, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, even though I knew who the winners were. The film visually set itself apart from others of it’s genre, in that it took a semi-artistic approach. The framing of the shots and cinematography lent itself to an unapologetically 1970’s vibe, a much more aesthetically pleasing alternative to the usual starkness of sports movies. By tackling the era in a very subtle way, it sidestepped the cliched traps that could have been set in the plot due to the time period. It should also be noted at this front that the costumes played a crucial role in the film, as would be expected for any bygone era movie. The costumes truly made it feel like another time. Next to the cinematography, it can be argued that the costumes set the scene more than anything else. Though there are many praises to be sung about this movie, it wasn’t perfect. The most glaring issue I had with the film was the soundtrack, which took a primarily instrumental route, missing a seemingly perfect opportunity to insert a bit of pop culture. 1970’s music is iconic, and while some Elton John and George Harrison make a brief appearance, the music in the film fades into obscurity. Music aside, the lead and supporting performances delivered were solid, especially given the challenge of portraying a real person that was presented to the actors. Stone gives layers to the competitive and unapologetically strong King, who was dealing with the questioning of her sexuality, media pressure, and an unending battle for women’s rights in an era of abundant social and political change. Carell’s character, at least for the first half of the movie, serves as the source of comedy, albeit ignorant, sexist comedy that you laugh at because of his idiosyncrasies. As the movie builds, his layers unravel, and you see the person inside fueling all this male chauvinist propaganda. This movie is worth seeing for the historical aspect alone, but it’s made truly enjoyable through strong performances, eye pleasing cinematography, and strong technical and artistic direction.