DECEMBER 2013

TALON The

180 S. Livernois Rochester Hills MI, 48307

New state law causes disappointment among the middle working class.

Teachers and students share their thoughts.

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December 21, 2012

Volume 75

Green Club aims to decrease environmental damage.

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Pg. 13

Issue 3

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 sparks interest in the gaming community.

RIGHT to WORK LEGISLATION

SPARKS PROTEST

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Table of Contents

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2012-2013

PAGES 3-4: NEWS

PAGES 5-7: FEATURE

PAGES 8-9: SPREAD

PAGES 10-11: PAGE 15: SPORTS LIFESTYLES

PAGES 12-13: ENTERTAINMENT

PAGES 14: OPINION

TheTalon Staff

Austin Bowerman, Co-Editor-in-Chief Brian Palmer, Co-Editor-in-Chief Editorial Board: Sydney Bammel, Olivia Bennett, Camille Douglas, Karl Erikson, Danielle Kullmann Staff Reporters: Colette Cloutier, Jake Dziegielewski, Deja Franklin, Kelly Krako, Zach Libby, Grant McPherson, A.J. Prisciandaro, Emberly Skaggs, Casey Ternes, Sarah Walwema, Melody Zhang Julia Satterthwaite, Adviser

The Talon presents an open forum for student expression to be used by the Rochester High School community to promote and express thought and action.

The stories, opinions, and bylined content in The Talon do not necessarily represent and should not be interpreted as the views of the Rochester Community School Board of Education or any of its staff, faculty or employees.

The Talon is devoted to professional journalism and fairness in all reporting. The Talon will adhere to a standard of responsible journalism and will refrain from publishing material which is legally libelous, obscene or could disrupt the operation of the school.

You got something to say?

If something annoys you about us, school, or life in general,

write a letter to the editor.

If something amuses you about us, school, or life in general, write a letter to the editor.

If we got something wrong, write a letter to the editor.

If it’s coherent and under 300 words, we’ll run it.

Drop them off at room B123 during 4th Hour with your name.

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TALON 2012-2013

STAGES:

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Examining the teacher evaluation process Sarah Walwema Staff Writer

Class was always a little more exciting when there was a principal monitoring class. Whether it was principal Charles Rowland III or Assistant Principals Neil DeLuca or Casey Wescott, this reminded the students that teachers also get graded on how well they work.

The administrators can be spotted with iPads, taking notes on lessons. As it turns out, they are not playing angry birds. Instead, they are utilizing the STAGES Program, which is in its second year of implementation.

Supportive Tool for Assessing Growth (STAGES) is an automated staff evaluation system that was developed at Saginaw Valley State University that was implemented in the Rochester Community School District last year. According to the STAGES website, STAGES “provides the link between record keep, information reporting, and strategy development that has often been missing.” STAGES is a communication tool used by teachers and administrators.

It’s being implemented to assist in communication about teacher evaluation and to verify that teachers are appropriately challenging their students. “[It’s good] when a teacher utilizes a multitude of tools they might have to teach different levels of students,” Mr. DeLuca said. “One student might struggle as a reader while another would be proficient. The teacher has to get both of those students to the same higher point.”

Even though the creators behind STAGES had good intentions, some people think the amount of work and meetings for teachers and administrators that comes with STAGES is immense.

“It seems like it’s going to be simple, but the time that teachers have to put in can get overwhelming,” English teacher Andre Harding said. “Anytime anything in life gets really large, like this program has gotten, the margin of error is always greater.”

Even though STAGES comes with more documentation work for teachers and administrators, there are also some advantages to using STAGES. “STAGES gives teachers a

Social studies teacher Ms. Erica Larsen teaches her fourth hour government class. Photo by Melody Zhang

platform to evaluate themselves that wasn’t there before,” Mr. DeLuca said. “They have more control.”

Each teacher has three goals they strive to meet each year. The first is a school or district goal. It might be that students will meet college readiness standards by improving reading skills. The second is a content or grade level department goal; an English department’s goal might be to create and implement a pre and post-tests assessing grammar

and style skills vertically aligned by grade level. The third is an individual improvement goal which, for an English teacher, could be to have rubrics for every major writing assignment.

“It was made to make sure that teachers are educating our students in a proper way,” Mr. Harding said. “It melts away all of our mistakes, whether it’s lesson planning or interacting with students. It’s something that helps the teacher overall and, more importantly, the students.”

Since the STAGES program is in its early stages, there’s no way to tell if it’s going to work yet or not. Mr. DeLuca has high hopes for the program.

“Teachers like the model because they have more control in their observation,” Mr. DeLuca.

“The old model was more administrator driven than teacher driven.”

The one part that remains yet to be seen is who will have time to go through all the documents teachers upload.

KEY TERMS EXPLAINED STAGE S:

GOALS MUST BE: DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE:

Stages is a tool used to monitor teachers and how they’re meeting or exceeding goals throughout the school year.

Teachers have to make goals and upload evidence to support their progress. The teachers must have three types of goals:

S M

1 2

A R T

3

Building wide goal (decided as a building) Department goal (decided as a department) Individual goal (decided by each individual teacher)

pecific goal - the goals should be specific, answering all the 5 W’s

easurable - the goals should be modeled after concrete criteria (data) to keep track of progress ttainable - the goal should be possible to reach within the year

elevant - the goal is worthwhile and necessary

ime-bound - there should be a target time at which the goal should be completed (within one school year)

D epth of K nowledge is how instruction is changing in the classroom and how teachers assess students, based on the new Common Core State Standards, which are being implemented this school year and will be tested in 2014.

Before, focus would be on basic knowledge and comprehension questions (Depth of Knowledge level 1). Now, instead of just regurgitating facts, students are being asked to explain the impact of events and why it they are important (Depth of Knowledge level 3 or 4).

DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION:

Differentiating instruc tion means that a teacher should use a variety of tools in order to teach different levels of students in a variety of ways, perhaps considering Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences: linguistic, logic-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic. Because some students might be seen as gifted where others stuggle, a teacher has to teach them differently so all students improve to the desired level.

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The

TALON 2012-2013

REGISTERED NURSES

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Truck Drivers, Heavy TractorTrailer

Accountants and Auditors

Elementary School Teachers, except Special Education

Projected annual job opennings

Projected annual job opennings

Projected annual job opennings

Projected annual job opennings

Projected annual job opennings

3,285

Percent job growth 2008-2018

20.2%

2,853

Percent job growth 2008-2018

14.2%

1,540

Percent job growth 2008-2018

11.1%

1,290

Percent job growth 2008-2018

16.9%

1,227

Percent job growth 2008-2018

7.8%

Average hourly wage

Average hourly wage

Average hourly wage

Average hourly wage

Average hourly wage

Education beyond high school

Education beyond high school

Education beyond high school

Education beyond high school

Education beyond high school

$30.82

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree

$16.58

Some college preferred and moderate-term OJT

$19.02

Apprenticeship or moderate-term OJT

$30.93

Bachelor’s degree, license

$25.10

Bachelor’s degree, certification

Q&A

Top 5 growing occupations in Michigan

Mrs. Alice Anglin, FCS teacher What classes do you teach that help develop the skills needed for one (or more) of the growing careers?

Child Development will provide students with a hands-on internship opportunities working with elementary-aged school children. This goes hand-in-hand with the growing careers in elementary education.

WANTED:

Practicum allows students to experience real life work environments in an endless list of career opportunities. A career area that is very prominent on the growing career list is jobs related to the medical field.

We can provide internships in almost all of the listed career areas: physical therapy, registered nurse, physician assistant, and more. Other popular practicum placements and growing career areas include veterinary medicine, dental field and more.

Lawrence Technological University isn’t for just anyone. We want the restless thinkers, scientists, and designers who will create the world of tomorrow.

What skills specifically do you address?

Real life, hands-on internship and/ or job shadow experiences in a huge variety of career areas.

If you believe that everything is possible, and that “possible” is everything, we want you at LTU.

What do you think kids get out of these classes?

I think students get a better understanding of what certain careers are really about. Also, students get to be a part of the “real world.”

Seeing the difference between how a business operates compared to how a classroom operates can be very eyeopening for students.

DREAMERS, VISIONARIES, AND FREE SPIRITS.

Visit ltu.edu/applyfree to have your application fee waived!

POSSIBLE IS EVERYTHING.

Lawrence Technological University | Office of Admissions 21000 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075-1058 | 800.225.5588 | admissions@ltu.edu | www.ltu.edu

Is there anything else you’d like to tell The Talon readers about this topic?

Other Family & Consumer Sciences classes, such as Fashion Design and Interior Design, provide information about a variety of careers that are related to those subjects. These classes are mainly project based, allowing students to be hands-on and very creative.

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Yearbook rebuilds after losing seniors Brian Palmer Co-Alpha-Male

While most RHS students go about their days simply experiencing high school, the Falcon Yearbook is busy recording it. On top of the stress of covering life at RHS, the yearbook’s leaders are also faced with the challenge of rebuilding the staff itself.

This will be senior Emily Duncanson’s third year on staff and she is now the Editor-inChief.

“The biggest change this year is that we only have three returning staff members,” Duncanson said. “We literally had to start from scratch. We had to spend the first month teaching everyone the basics and then tested them to make sure they knew what they were doing before putting them on their own pages.”

One reason for the lack

of returning members can be contributed to the vast majority of seniors who were on staff last year. But despite the loss of experience, this year’s staff is larger than what Falcon Adviser Ms. Jean Wood is used to.

“We have 24 staff members this year compared to the 15-16 in previous years,” Ms. Wood said. “We also have a very young staff, mostly 10th graders. It’s been really good though because they’re all incredibly driven. It really has everything to do with the staff that we have. If the staff is willing to work hard, then life is good.”

The relatively young staff is partially due to lack of students who signed up to take Journalism 1, the prerequisite to join the yearbook or newspaper. There were not enough people to run the class individually, so the students who signed up for Journalism 1 were given the option to join either yearbook or

newspaper. Sophomore Kailie Fowler decided to join yearbook.

“It’s a lot more work than people would actually think,” Fowler said. “You have to be really dedicated to staying after school and working with other people. Usually we get a week to work on each page. Then we send them to the editors to suggest changes. Then after that, we submit the page again to Ms. Wood.”

For the majority of the staff, this is a completely new experience. For the few veteran staff members, balancing strict deadlines while teaching the new staff has proven to be a difficult task, but some of the newbies seem to be adjusting well.

“I’ve never been on a yearbook staff before,” freshman Bella Varon said. “But so far it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of upperclassmen from the staff as well as the people we interview and take pictures of.”

Yearbook adviser Ms. Jean Wood reads snaps, which are notes of congratulations or support for good work. Photo by Brian Palmer

The current system appears to be working out for the yearbook staff, but they may run into a problem when second semester rolls around.

“It’s going to be scary at the end of the semester because we’re losing the people who joined from Journalism 1,” Ms. Wood said. “The main problem is we don’t have enough time

to teach the remaining staff everything they need to know and meet our deadlines too.”

Despite the struggles the yearbook has encountered this year, Duncanson remains optimistic.

“Making the yearbook has always been chaotic,” Duncanson said. “But in the end, we’ll find a way to bring it all together.”

Robotics FEDS prepare for the upcoming season Sydney Bammel Editorial Board

Sophomore Sage O’Donell pulls back her hair into a pony tail and slides her safety glasses on her face. She walks back to the storage room and grabs her tool of choice: a soldering iron.

She takes it into the shop and prepares to do one of her favorite jobs on the robotics team, soldering wires together.

Sage is just one of the many RHS students on the Falcon Engineering and Design Solutions (FEDS) robotics team.

The robotics team has about six weeks to build a robot that plays to the rules and regulations of a game that For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) comes up with. She and her peers have been taking part in weekly meetings

and fund raisers to prepare for their upcoming season in January.

“To prepare for the season we have to get the shop organized,” lead mentor Mr. Raffi DerManuelian said. “The new designers have been learning CAD software, the electrical team has been working on a test set-up that the programmers can use to test their programs and the animation team has been working on a Safety Animation to submit to FIRST.” Some of the FEDS are also preparing themselves personally by doing things such as sharpening up their personal skills and talking to people about the program to spread their message of the importance of technology and creative designing.

“I am making a promotional video to get people to join FEDS

next year,” junior Collin Barlage said.

The FEDS mentors are also getting prepared for the three to four month season.

“I will try to sleep a lot during Christmas break because once the build season starts on January 5, we won’t have time for sleeping,” Mr. DerManuelian said.

There are also going to be some changes made to the team this year.

“We are learning from mistakes we made on how to play the game last year and getting a head start on the season,” Barlage said.

Last year the team made it to states and this year, the team is hoping to get into nationals.

According to Mr. DerManuelian, the turnout will

depend on how the team plays the game designed by FIRST. “I’m guessing this year the game will be manipulating some sort of object,” Mr. DerManuelian said. “FIRST seems to alternate between games that use some kind of ball and games that use some

kind of object. Since we used basketballs last year, I think this year we will have to work with a different kind of game piece.”

Whether the team wins or loses their competition, they can have fun while playing the game.

“I like to be in the pits at competition,” O’Donell said. “I also liked being battery girl last year.”

Sophomore Lauren Nasiadka disassembles last year’s robot.

Photo by Kelly Yu

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Green Club implements new recycling program Austin Bowerman Co-Alpha Male

As he noticed the littered Gatorade bottle on the sidewalk outside the school, Green Man rushed over with super speed to pick up the litter and take control of the situation. Green Man, the school’s new recycling mascot, is just one of the ways that Green Club promotes new strategies to help RHS live up to being a Green School.

To become a green school, schools must meet a number of guidelines relating to reducing the school’s ecological footprint. The guidelines are split into five categories: recycling, energy, environmental protection, miscellaneous and propose your own point where the school creates the subject. The more items a school has in each category, the higher it stands on a three rank scale, ranging from Green, to Emerald, to Evergreen (the highest). This year, RHS raised its status from Green School to Evergreen School.

Becoming a more eco-friendly school is something that science teacher Mr. Brandon Shurter has been striving for since he started working here last year. Mr. Shurter became the sponsor of the Green Club and assists them with improving the school’s environmental policies.

“I have always been environmentally conscious and really wanted to help the

program out,” Mr. Shurter said. “Then I saw there was a Green Club and wanted to join to help them, and ended up sponsoring it.”

Since then, the Green Club has become more serious in the way that it approaches problems. Senior Sean Peckens, who was a club member both this year and last year, explains. “[Last year] we didn’t do as much in the club and we didn’t go through with all of our projects we said that we were going to,” Peckens said. “This year we have done everything that we said that we were going to do so far, and we have met all of our goals.”

The major change that green club completed this year is inputting a new recycling program that includes having a recycling bin in every classroom, as well as in the hallways. Peckens explains that the hope is that in time, more and more students will catch on to the recycling program.

“Right now there are some people who don’t understand the recycling program as well as they should,” Peckens said.

“However, in Green Club, we are working to make more announcements and videos explaining the program to the student body and promoting the program. Just because we have reached Evergreen status doesn’t mean that we are going to accept where we

Students from Green Club recycle electronics in the school parking lot. Photo Courtesy of Brandon Shurter

are now, because there is always room for improvement.”

Mr. Shurter expands on this concept.

“The goal is to have 100 percent participation in the recycling program from both students and staff,” Mr. Shurter said. “We want to continue to increase the poundage of recycling Waste Management takes away. We hope to remain an Evergreen school.”

Senior Andres Torres has altered his recycling habits due to the new bins.

“Since we have become an Evergreen

school, I have been recycling more because the bins make it so easy to do,” Torres said. “The fact that it is so easy makes it even seem morally wrong not to use them.”

Torres explains that taking steps such as joining Green Club has are vital to this generation, as well as future generations.

“The world is something that we cannot escape living in and we have to care for it,” Torres said. “Other generations have watched out for us, so we have to keep passing the favor on.”

Students struggle to cope with school-related anxiety Camille Douglas Editor

Junior Jasmine Kim has her days’ worth of homework, but in her case, her daily load is different. After coming home from six hours of school, Kim sits down at her desk where she will be for eight more hours. Kim spends her nights stressing over the criteria she must learn by the next day to prepare for the numerous tests and quizzes she has each week. With the work she has to get done for her four Advanced Placement (AP) courses this semester, sleeping is the last thing on her mind. “[School] is like a competition to get into a good college,” Kim said. “Everyone is taking so many advanced classes. You have to keep up.”

While RHS does not place a certain limit on how many AP classes a student should take, counselor Mrs. Kelly Messing-Mirabito provides advice to students when scheduling for the next school year. “[The amount of AP/ honors classes a student should take] depends on the student and where they want to go,” Mrs. Messing-Mirabito said. “For one student, it may be very feasible for them to take four or five AP classes, but for another student, it may be only feasible for them to take one or two classes, or maybe not even any AP

classes.”

While taking AP classes may seem beneficial in some cases, according to Psychologist Dr. Jennifer Belt of Rochester Hills, one should be aware of the stress the workload may create.

“Taking honors/AP classes and doing well in them may make it easier to get into your college of choice. However, colleges look at other factors,” Dr. Belt said. “If taking more honors/AP causes too much stress, it may affect one’s performance and/or interfere with other parts of life, making one unbalanced.”

Dr. Belt also details how stress created from taking more AP courses can be unhealthy to a teenager’s diet.

“Stress can become unhealthy when it interferes with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period of time,” Dr. Belt said. “This in turn, may cause you to feel continually fatigued, unable to concentrate, or irritable in otherwise relaxed situations.”

For Kim, getting into a good college seems to be her number one reason why should chose to challenge herself with four AP classes this year.

“I really want to go to U of M,” Kim siad. “I am actually really worried because that is my top choice, so it will be really devastating if I don’t get in.”

Kim’s anxiety of not getting into her desired college causes her to focus her day mainly on school work,

putting other priorities on hold. According to the American Sleep Disorders Association, most teenagers need at least nine hours of sleep each night, but for Kim, she receives much less. “[I get] probably two hours of sleep each night,” Kim said. “I’m so used to not getting much sleep that I don’t really mind it.”

According to sleepinfairfax.com, only two-thirds of high school students are getting six hours or less of sleep each night, when in reality their mind and body requires need more hours of rest in order to function properly.

This continuous habit can lead to sleep deprivation among students.

As a way to prevent sleep deprivation, Dr. Belt offers her advice to how a student should try to balance their schedule.

“School, work, home life and other interests and activities can keep one busy. Placing too much attention in one area and ignoring others can lead to problems,” Dr. Belt said. “To balance oneself, prioritize activities, allow enough time for each activity, use a planner, stay disciplined and focused on the activity at hand and take time for yourself.”

For additional help contact, Dr. Jennifer Belt: 1460 Walton Blvd., Suite 218 Rochester Hills, MI 48309.

Phone: (248) 608-6800.

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Students have a variety of Christmas traditions

“

We hide a pickle on a tree and we have to find it on Christmas day. We at least get five bucks if we find it.” ~Matthew Theissen, freshman

“

I go to other people’s houses and I help other people if they need help ...

If they want me to clean up and stuff like that on Christmas Day.” ~Shaheer Khan, sophomore

“

We have an advent calendar, and we put Christmas decorations in a pouch each day of December. There are Christmas trees, reindeer, presents ... they’re all stuck on a big Christmas tree and you pick one [each day] and you put it down.” ~Amanda Hudak, sophomore

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Falcons experience

diverse holiday traditions Melody Zhang Staff Writer

Christmas morning has finally come; children dash down the stairs to see what Santa brought for them, families share a hearty homemade breakfast, and the morning is spent in a joyful frenzy together next to the Christmas tree. However, on this special morning, senior YaoYao Meng looks somewhere else for her first present: under her own pillow.

“Mom or dad puts an envelope under my pillow,” Meng said. “Inside the envelope is either cash or check. It’s pretty fun!”

Meng is not the only student who celebrates the holiday season in a culturally unique way. Like many students in different cultures, Meng’s family mixes some traditions of both the Chinese New Year and the American-style Christmas together to create an interesting blend of two different holidays and cultures.

“This year is my third Christmas,” Meng said. “In China we didn’t do Christmas, only Chinese New Year. [Now] we do Christmas as our Chinese New Year.

We make dumplings together with family members, [and] on that night we go to my uncle’s together and have a family party.”

Like Meng, English Language Learner Para-educator Carol Butorac celebrates her Christmas with evident splashes of the Croatian culture she grew up with.

“We plant wheat or popcorn in some dirt and every year it grows this green grass in a bowl,” Mrs. Butorac said. “It’s a decoration that we put on the table that Croatians all do. It symbolizes new life and a new year. We put a ribbon around it in the colors of the Croatian flag. The biggest deal is Christmas Eve [because] we have a big dinner in the evening with no meat, fish and beans. Then we go to midnight mass.

After, [most Croatians] come home and they have a big feast with meat.”

Still, Mrs. Butorac also maintains some tranditionally American celebrations.

“We always cut down a tree every year,” Mrs. Butorac said. “We always have to have tinsel [on the tree] because my daughter insists on it. We put up the ornaments that my kids have made and talk about them. We do presents on Christmas

Senior YaoYao Meng’s family celebrates the Christmas season by making dumplings together. Photo Courtesy of YaoYao Meng

morning and take pictures. On Christmas night, we have a firepit and sit and eat [around] the fire.”

Senior Laila Basha celebrates her holiday, Ramadan, each year on a different month, but many of her traditions are also comparable to that of Christmas. She elaborates on what happens during the month of observation.

“Ramadan depends on the moon each year; it’s the month that you fast,” Basha said. “You eat when the sun is down cause you can’t go thirty days without eating.

When the sun first rises we have prayer in the morning. Once prayer begins, we can’t eat anything until our fourth prayer of the day, which is usually around nine o’clock and in the winter it’s around five; [then] we eat a big dinner.”

In additon, Basha also celebrates with shopping, gifts and happy gatherings for feasts with the family.

“First we start by getting together with the family, so there’s a lot of cooking involved,” Basha said. “After that, usually I get time with my mom; we get to go shopping, [and] I buy a pair of clothing on the actual day of celebration. I go to my mosque and all of the people celebrate together. After the mosque I go home and

[then] it’s all family. It’s just a time for appreciation after Ramadan; you have a really big feast because you were fasting for 30 days.”

There are many other major holidays besides these that blend multiple cultures together to create one-of-a-kind holidays in many families. However, no matter what kind of major holiday one celebrates, one value seems to resonate beyond the specific details and customs: the love and appreciation of being together.

“I love celebrating [the holidays] because it gets your family together and it just like nothing else really matters,” Basha said. “You have more appreciation for the people around you than you do on a daily basis because that’s what the celebration is about.”

Mrs. Butorac cherishes each holiday she spends with her family and anticipates the coming of this year’s Christmas.

“I love to celebrate Christmas because we get to get together with the family and everybody’s happy and we eat and give gifts, and it’s just a good feeling. In my whole life I’ve done that. My family and I, including my extended family, we love to get together and talk. We never get enough of each other.”

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WHO?

“

[We’re wearing red] to show unity among staff members around the state.”

“

Right to Work should be passed; people should be able to not pay dues on the unions they don’t ~Mrs. Sara Rosell, like.”

Science teacher

“

We are wearing red today as a showing of unified support from the administration building on down in reaction to the passage of the Right ~Jack Sinko, to Work Legislation junior that Governor Snyder is rushing through Lansing.” ~Mrs. Julie Kuslits, English teacher

“

I think that unions play an important role in society. They basically built the middle class. In the past decades, unions have been a little greedy. I think the Right to Work bill is an aggressive stab to the middle working class.” ~Michaela DeRubeis, senior

9

WHY?

Many say the “Right to Work” legislation was Republicans such as Dick DeVos, the Koch rushed through a “Lame Duck” session because Brothers and Sam Walton supported the bill; most Democrats and union members opposed. many of the Republicans won’t be returning in January and wanted to push this through before the Republican Party loses the majority vote.

WHAT?

“Right to Work” or “Freedom to Work” legislation forbids unions and employers from entering agreements that require employees to join a union and pay dues as a condition of their employment.

WHERE?

Lansing, Mich.; the legislation will impact all union employees in the state of Michigan.

WHEN?

The “Lame Duck” sessions were held on Wednesday, December 5. The House and the Senate passed measures 58-52 and 22-16, respectively. Rick Snyder signed the bill into law on Tuesday, December 11 as 10,000+ middle class workers protested at the Capital.

Photos by Aaron Kuhn

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CONTROVERSY

RHS teachers showed their dissatisfaction with the “Right to Work” legislation and their unity by wearing red on Monday and Tuesday and collecting after school Monday after their 2:35 p.m. contractual obligation time. Photo by Brian Palmer

Because legislators only spent approximately 10 hours discussing the bill, there was no acceptance of committee hearings or public testimony. A $1 million appropriation was also attached, making it impossible for voters to overturn the law in a future election, angering the opposition further. In addition, many are angry that Rick Snyder initially said “Right to Work” wasn’t on his agenda because it was too “divisive,” but reverted back to this stance quickly.

Math teacher and REA high school trustee, Mr. Rob Byrd addresses a group of RHS teachers who collected at the corner of Livernois and Walton after contractual time on Monday, December 10 as a show of solidarity. Photo by Brian Palmer

From 8:30 a.m. until riot and mounted police forced booing crowds back, the Capital steps were full of protestors. “The atmosphere was one I’d never seen before, and thought I would never see in Lansing or anywhere in the United States,” RHS alumni Aaron Kuhn said. “Many people were chanting, yelling, holding up signs, banging on railings inside the rotunda and basically letting the world know that the people of Michigan are not okay with the Republican legislature bashing unions. Seeing a sea of people united for a common cause, and getting a chance to be a part of it, is the essence of democracy and something that I will always remember being a part of.”

Photo by Aaron Kuhn

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Twins examine advantages and disadvantages Colette Cloutier Staff Writer

TWINS PROVIDE BUILT-IN SUPPORT

Twins and freshmen Anton and Aleksander “Sasha” Wilson have been through a lot together after being adopted from a Russian orphanage when they were 3-years-old and moving to Rochester Hills.

“It wasn’t as good as where we’re living now,” Sasha Wilson said, of his orphanage experience. “We had to share everything – clothing, toothbrushes and beds. I only remember bits and pieces.”

Because of this experience and more, Sasha credits his twin Anton as his best friend.

“I am close with my brother,” Sasha Wilson said. “We care for each other more than friends, I think.”

There are several sets of twins at RHS, many whom said they have experienced a similar bond and know what it’s like to share everything.

“It’s nice to have someone that knows a lot of the same people as you and that can understand a lot of the situations you are going through,” senior Nicole Nahed said of her twin Marc. “We get to help each other a lot with school work because we have a lot of the same classes.”

Counselor Mr. Chris Green thinks having a twin would be beneficial.

“I don’t see a lot of down sides to it,” Mr. Green said. “I think socially, the advantage is that you always have another person there who understands you and who goes through things with you.”

TWIN PERSONALITIES Many twins also share similar personalities, including juniors

Top Left: Seniors Marc and Nicole Nahed; Top Right: Juniors Shwan and Shane Shadia; Bottom Left: Sophomores Allison and Caitlyn Skelcy ; Bottom Right: Freshmen Anton and Sasha Wilson. Photos by Colette Cloutier

Shane and Shwan Shadaia.

“I think our personalities are the same, depending on the people we’re with,” Shane Shadaia said. “If we are at home, we’re pretty much the same, but sometimes when we’re out one of us might be calmer.”

While they often spend time together, Nicole Nahed said she’s different than Marc.

“I am a lot louder and crazier than my brother at school, but once you get to know him, he isn’t much different,” Nicole Nahed said. “We have a different sense of humor and like a lot of different things. My brother is a realist and I am an optimist, so that always ends in an argument.”

Sophomores Caitlyn Skelcy and Allison Skelcy also have different personalities.

“It just feels like I’m my own person and I shouldn’t be compared to her because we’re individuals,” Caitlyn Skelcy said. “She’s good at math and I’m not, and that gets compared like, ‘Why don’t you understand this like your sister?’ Same with Cross Country. She’s all into it and I’m not a fan. I do it to get in shape and I like the social part, but I don’t have a passion for it like she does. Theatre is my passion, so I like having that as my own thing.”

Allison Skelcy agrees. “[Being a twin sometimes] makes me feel like I can’t reach

my full potential,” Allison Skelcy said. “We are both so different.

I don’t get why people can’t tell us apart.”

Mr. Green agreed that the disadvantage of having a twin would be the constant comparisons.

“Probably the downside is that you are always linked to your twin. When you talk about one, you usually hear about the other,” Mr. Green said.

“So finding some individuality between the two sometimes can be difficult. You know, how am I different or how do I separate myself from my twin?”

TWIN BOND

Even though they may have

vastly different personalities, Caitlyn Skelcy explains how she and her twin will forever be connected.

“We’re opposites of each other so it’s kind of like we complete each other,” Caitlyn Skelcy said. “We balance each other out.”

Sasha Wilson agrees that Anton provides good balance.

“He’s the glass half empty and I’m the glass half full,” Sasha Wilson said. “Like the yinyang sign.”

Shane Shadia says their bond will continue.

“We’re probably going to the same college too,” Shane Shadia said. “I think we’re always going to be somewhat close.”

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Fashion tips for the winter season:

Recommendations and additional alternatives based on “fashionistas”

Olivia Bennett

Ms. Beth East, Spanish Teacher

Editorial Board

Anna Mazarra, Junior

Emily Telesco, Sophomore

Undershirt: Free People (80$) Sweater: Macy’s (50$) Jeans: Levi’s (40$) Boots: Minnetonka (55$ on sale)

Shirt: Forever 21 (20$) Necklace: Forever 21 (1$) Jeggings: Macy’s (30$) Combat boots: TJ Max (40$)

Mossimo LongSleeve Ultrasoft Cardigan Target $17

Forever 21 Bejeweled Cross Necklace $6.80

Shirt: Forever 21 (22$) Skinny Jeans: American Eagle (35$) Uggs: Nordstrom (179$) Belt: American Eagle (15$)

Madewell Chambray exboyfriend shirt in ferrous wash $69.50

Forever 21 Lace Trim Tank $4.90

JCP belt buckle $18

Forever 21 black combat boots $36.80

Bearpaw boots $79.99

TALON Entertainment Peppermint coffee season begins Pg.

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2012-2013

Starbucks Panera Bread McDonald’s Tim Horton’s

6/10

8/10

4/10

9/10

Camille Douglas Editorial Board

Starbucks is known for their selection of strong caffeinated coffee, and boy did they live up to their reputation when creating their seasonal specialty: peppermint mocha. Their holiday blend is like the fancy-pants peppermint mocha; it’s expensive. For just a little over three dollars, one can indulge in a very strong peppermint drink, and this sudden overbearinglyunbalanced drink between the mocha and the sweet itself can be overwhelming. Just one sip of this drink will shock your system and in no time, you’ll be bouncing of the walls.

Panera’s attempt to recreate their own version of the famous holiday blend was surprisingly really good. The peppermint and mocha was very well combined. It was smooth and easy to drink without being super ‘in-your-face” with the peppermint.

However, the biggest downside doesn’t have to do with the holiday blend, but the restaurant itself. It is hard to find a time of day when Panera is not jam-packed with people wanting bread bowls of soup. This means that you have to wait in line behind the guy picking up lunch for his entire office or the indecisive cake-craver.

When it comes to McDonald’s, a pro to their inexpensive McCafe is that one is able to grab a cup of coffee in a drivethru – so you really could, conceivably, still remain in your jammies to get a mocha from here. This seems to be the only WOW factor McDonald’s had in store for its customers. Their take on the peppermint mocha wasn’t really anything special. You’re basically buying a cup of hot water… and that wasn’t even that good. There was no peppermint in their peppermint mocha. Guess that’s what you get for buying a cheap cup of coffee.

Tim Horton’s kicks off the holiday season with their new line of specialty drinks, in which, of course, includes the forever-popular peppermint mocha. It’s sweet. It’s minty. And boy, it’s good. the coffee wasn’t too strong that it hid away the peppermint... it was a very well mixed cup of coffee. This drink will in fact satisfy your sweet tooth for sure. In addition to this fantastic treat, the service at Tim Horton’s is fast and cheap. Coming in at only one dollar, you won’t feel guilty about buying a large cup of peppermint mocha that is actually worth it.

Cool and calming winter songs to get through the winter season Sarah Walwema Staff Writer

It’s now officially winter. Things are dying. They are no leaves, flowers, sunshine or in some cases, happiness. But, strong emotions make for good music, music that can keep anyone company as they endure the winter with a cup of cocoa.

“Coldest Winter” - Kanye West For anyone missing Kanye West circa 2008, off of 808’s & Heartbreaks, “Coldest Winter” is a nice refresher. This song is for anyone who wants to see the softer, more sensitive side of the inventive artist known for being fantastically arrogant. West sings about wanting to go back, asking maybe if “spring can take the snow away /Can it melt away all of our mistakes?”

The drum beat present throughout the song makes it seem as though West has a purpose; it emphasizes the fact that West is looking for a lost love.

“Winter Winds” - Mumford & Sons “Winter Winds” is a song that starts off with an uplifting melody that is provided by a jubilant banjo and a couple of merry, horned instruments. “Winter Winds” is about how the cold and winter in general has

the ability to bring people together in order to spark up romance and avoid hypothermia. The song is also about either “letting love grow” or pulling it out like it’s a weed.

This song can put you in a good mood in case anyone is having a, sad, cold, or soggy winter day.

“Winter Birds” - Ray LaMontagne LaMontagne’s soulful voice can fill a room like a cup of hot cocoa can warm frostbitten finger tips. “Winter Birds” is about enduring winter and the iciness that comes with it. LaMontagne sings about how the “days grow short and the nights grow long” but “the memories will remain.” The song is a great reminder that the cold doesn’t last forever for anyone who doesn’t particularly like winter, and it’s impossible not to trust somebody with a singing voice like Ray LaMontagne’s.

“The Four Seasons: Winter 2nd Movement” - Antonio Vivaldi If listening to the Top 40 pop songs in the nation puts a big fat frown on one’s face, then remember that going classical is always an option. There’s nothing more classic than Vivaldi. As a fourth of Vivaldi’s the Four Seasons, this violin concerto’s fast tempo helps depict the urgency of winter, whether it’s the urgency to get out of the cold

and under some warm blankets or the desparation that comes with cramming for that math midterm in January.

“White Winter Hymnal” - Birdy Birdy’s rendition of Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” is a delicate listen. If someone had this song physically delivered to them, the box would have the word “FRAGILE” written all over it in big, bold, , red letters. The meaning of the song is up for debate with some saying that the song is simply about childhood , while others say it’s about the French Revolution.

The simplicity of the melody and the lyrics can be comforting in a world full of unpredictable.

“Winter Song” - Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson “Winter Song” is a duet between Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles.“Is love alive?” is a phrase asked throughout the song. The optimism that Bareilles and Michaelson show when they sing “ I believe in summer days” , makes the song welcoming. But the phrase “Is love alive?” is the last thing sang (and repeated) when the song ends, and it’s left as a question that the listener answers on his or her own.

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Top 10 books to read over winter break Melody Zhang Staff Writer

1 | “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald Next May, both literature fans and Leonardo DiCaprio fans alike will share the audience in one of the most critically acclaimed and most-loved books of all time. This novel has been filmed twice already and is coming out the third time, this time, at least according to the trailer, with all of the fanfare and color that “The Great Gatsby” deserves.

2 | “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel

If you’ve recently come out of the theater gasping for breath from the stunning visuals that “Life of Pi” brought, the book may just as well leave you out of breath completely. “Life of Pi” illustrates the intricate and spiritually revolutionary story of a boy left alone with an adult Bengal tiger on a lifeboat from a shipwreck, and the journey they take that will changes everything he knows and is.

3 | “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy

This film is currently playing in theaters. Played by Keira Knightley,

many classics readers have been waiting since this summer to watch it. The book is a heavy read, but will definitely add to the romance and the understanding of the beautifully illustrated and dramatized scenes.

4 | “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

Upon first watching the movie, one could easily be drawn in by its unique and heart-wrenching plot, but be prepared with a box of tissues when you read this magnificently written contemporary piece. If you have watched the movie and thought it was okay, please do give the original a try; it won’t disappoint.

5 | “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo

For all you classics-lovers, this movie is coming out no sooner, no later than Christmas Day this year. Be excited for another stunning performance by the one and only Anne Hathaway; if you weren’t compelled watching the trailer, you probably missed something.

6 | “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult

If you cried during this movie, your tears will drench the book. This is the most acclaimed novel that Picoult has come up with in her career and will be sure to move, stun and consume your heart.

7 | “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett

Told by multiple authors on a topic that is still critical in our lives today, “The Help”came out last year. Female readers especially can connect with the interesting point of views that this book will bring you and will enhance the movie experience.

8 | “The 5 People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom’s insightful stories have been highly regarded by hundreds of thousands. This is his most popular novel and the only made into a color film. If you learned from the morals taught in the movie, you will learn even more in the novel.

9 | “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks

Recently, the Nicholas Sparks films are dancing into movie theaters, but this one is the classic that absolutely cannot be missed for all romance lovers. If you’ve

Sophomore Fredy Paliku reads “The Alchemy of Forever” for fun. Photo

by Sydney Bammel

watched the movie a thousand and one times and still haven’t read the book, it’s time to get started. Perhaps it will leave you with an even more emotional ending than the movie provides.

10 | “Magician’s Nephew” by C. S. Lewis The fourth movie of the Narnia series is Magician’s Nephew, coming out some time next year. The series is something that can suit readers young and old and teach new and different lessons for each individual. Read the first three if you haven’t, and read Magician’s Nephew before it hits the theaters.

Treyarch presents Black Ops 2 to the public Brian Palmer Co-Alpha Male

The Call of Duty franchise has established incredible notoriety consistently putting out some of the most anticipated first-person shooters of the year. This November, Treyarch continued the tradition by releasing the sequel to Black Ops: Black Ops 2.

Campaign

The campaign of Black Ops 2 introduces many unique experiences with the ability to change the path of storyline.

Player decisions now have an impact on how the storyline will progress. While some may be subtle and less noticeable, other choices may be the deciding factor of whether characters will live or die.

The introduction of this new “choose your own adventure” style campaign seemed gimmicky at first, but Treyarch did a fantastic job of making it all work smoothly. Player decisions give the

campaign a whole new dimension as well as thought-provoking replay value.

Zombies

Zombie mode has returned again, but with a new twist this time. Instead of just the standard survival mode offered in previous Treyarch games, Black Ops 2 introduces an adventure mode to the Zombies theme. In this mode, players can jump in by themselves or with a team and explore a much larger setting than the standard survival mode and follow a separate storyline while defending against hordes of zombies.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer of Black Ops is very similar to previous games in the franchise.

Many of the same traditional gametypes have returned, such as Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Domination with the addition of some new gametypes as well.

Perhaps the most critical change in the multiplayer is the new “pick 10” custom class system. In previous Call of Duty

games, the player could choose between three perks only, and their equipment/ weapon attatchments were very limited.

The new system allows a player to delete and add components to their custom class as long as the quantity of items adds up to no more than 10. Sacrificing your equipment/weapon attachment slot for the ability to add an extra perk is now possible. This allows for much more customization in the multiplayer compared to other Call of Duty games.

The gameplay is general is very solid.

The weapons are wellbalanced and none of the scorestreaks are particularly

overpowered either. Most of the time, the games are very fast-paced and actionpacked. The smaller map designs ensure that a player won’t have to spend too much time running to get into the gun fights.

There seem to be no serious problems with the multiplayer aside from imbalanced lag compensation, but this is a minor bug when looking at the big picture.

Character from Black Ops 2. Photo Courtesy of Get Gaming Now

Overall

Black Ops 2 offers a plethora of new experiences in campaign, zombies and multiplayer, and is certainly worth giving a try. For followers of the franchise, this may be the best game either Treyarch or Infinity Ward has released in the last 4 years. And for anyone new to the series, this is a fantastic time to join in.

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Large amount of homework creates anxiety Students in today’s generation face unparalleled pressures with society’s emphasis on academic perfection. One of the most pressing challenges for students has been dealing with stress rooted in classroom expectations and horrendous workloads of homework.

According to www.statisticbrain. com, about 77% of high school students show symptoms of stress daily. The number one cause of this stress, according to the website, is the load of busy work that students are given every day.

Yet, other studies simply correlate the amount of homework students do and their achievement. These studies don’t attempt to control for student differences. About threequarters find the link between homework and achievement positive. However, these results also suggest that after a certain amount of homework the positive

relationship disappears and might even get negative.

So, research is consistent with the notion that homework can be a good thing if the dose is appropriate to the student’s age or developmental level.

Many school district policies state that high school students should expect about 30 minutes of homework for each course they take, a bit more for honors or advanced placement courses.

Educators refer to this as “the 10 Minute Rule”: multiply a child’s grade by 10 and that is the rough guide for minutes of homework a night..

Homework, especially for high school students, appears to reach the point of diminishing returns after about 90 minutes a night.

For most students, the positive line continues to climb until between 90 minutes and two and half hours of homework a night.

Beyond achievement,

“

“

Students undergo more stress with more homework. The social pressures coupled with having to get a lot done can really mess with your head.”

Students focus more on their grades and when given busy work, all they care about is just getting it done for credit, not caring if they learned it.

~ Jake Dziegielewski, sophomore

~Camille Douglas, junior

supporters of homework argue that it can help students develop good study habits.

Opponents of homework counter that it can also have negative effects, like increasing boredom with schoolwork and reducing the time students have to spend on leisure activities that teach important life skills. It has been reported that stressed-out

students are often not engaged in learning. They do not find the work to be meaningful or valuable, and tend to memorize and “spit back” rather than retain the information that is taught.

They focus more on getting the grades, instead of learning the material.

With that said, as a staff, we believe that the effects of

homework depend on how well, or poorly, it is used. Extremes should be avoided. All children can benefit from homework, but it is rare that a child would benefit from hours and hours of homework. Too much homework crowds out time for other activities and increases stress on kids. Why should homework kill the fun in learning?

Squirrel escapes small game hunter by using unique tactics Austin Bowerman Co-Alpha Male

Never in my seven years of squirrel hunting have I witnessed such an event as I did on December 1. While hunting with a shotgun in Bald Mountain, I was severely bamboozled by an unlikely creature.

Though I tried every tactic I know, the squirrel outwitted me each time and I came home empty handed with nothing but a pocketful of empty shotgun shells to show for it.

I was walking slowly through the woods, pausing every few steps to stop and listen for any sign of a squirrel in the area: a rustling of leaves, movement in the trees, or the unmistakable bark of a curious squirrel. Shotgun in hand, I was pretty confident that whatever I saw today was going to end up on the dinner plate, unaware of the encounter that lay ahead of me.

Suddenly, I looked ahead and in a large pine tree, a fat grey squirrel was sitting on a branch flickering its bushy tail at me as if daring me to take a shot. I confidently raised the 12 gauge to my cheek when to

my surprise, the squirrel scurried to the other side of the tree and hid. Carefully and quietly, I snuck around to the other side of the pine where the squirrel was to take the shot, but when I looked at the other side of the tree, the squirrel was gone. Aghast, I sat down on a stump and waited.

As I sat on the stump inspecting every branch of the pine for movement, I wondered how it could be that a squirrel, with a brain the size of a peanut, could outsmart me. After about five minutes of sitting, I got up and decided to once again circle the tree in hopes of getting a shot.

While creeping around the side of the tree, I snapped a twig that set the old bushy tail off into a frenzy of frantic barking, a noise that indicates that the animal is irritated. Then, from behind a large branch about 15 feet high, a nose and a pair of eyes appeared, then quickly retreated back behind the cover of the tree. Again, I headed to the other side of the tree to try and get a shot, and again, the squirrel fled to the side of the tree opposite to me. Around and around we went, until finally, the squirrel broke from

his cover and decided to make a leap to the branch of another nearby tree. As the squirrel soared through the air, I pulled up the shotgun and fired five consecutive shots at the beast, emptying out my shotgun. Branches and bark flew, smoke rolled from the barrel and the squirrel continued on his way, uninjured by any of my five shots.

Furious, I began to head back to the car, reliving the awful experience again and again in my head. It was then that I realized just how smart animals such as squirrels really are. Around houses and parks, squirrels seem like dumb critters that would be simple to hunt, but in the wild, when threatened, they can display a great amount of intelligence. I realized that people don’t

give the bushy tails the credit or respect they deserve, and that they should be taken seriously as an elusive game animal.

Photo by Brian Palmer

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Winter sports teams are in full motion AJ Prisciandaro and Grant McPherson Staff Writers

Boys Basketball Senior Manny Mendoza: -”We’re progressing really well. We should have a great season this year. It should be really fun.”

-”Our goals are to at least win our division.”

-”James Young is the coolest guy and one of the best players in the country.”

Hockey Senior Brent Boudreau: -“ We’ve only played a few games so far, but we’re already seeing a lot of improvement as a team.”

-“We have high expectations this year.

Winning regionals is one of the things we’re aiming for. If we can do that, a state playoff run is definitely possible.”

Girls Basketball Junior Alexa Haupt: -“We still have a lot of things to work on, but we’re getting better every practice.”

-“Our goals are to just keep improving throughout the season and win as many games as we can.”

-“I’m looking forward to the Crosstown Showdown.”

Boys Swim/Dive Senior Tapan Kataria: -”We’re doing really well this season.

We should win a lot of meets.”

-”We are looking to be top three in the league this year, because we got 4th last year.”

Boys Ski Team Senior Karl Erikson: -“I’m really excited for this year’s team.

We have some awesome new people, and I think we’re gonna do really well.”

-“Our goal is to get to states. I think we have a chance this year.”

-“What I most enjoy is just getting to go have fun at Pine Knob every day.”

Cheerleading Senior Breanna Rosol: -“We’re progressing pretty well. The new girls are all adjusting to varsity.”

-“I enjoy working with the team and performing for the crowd.”

-“We all sing team songs together, wear lucky clothes and a lot of other stuff like that.”

Girls Ski Team Senior Jacqueline Zuke: -”I’m happy that our team is getting a lot better as the year progresses. It’s gonna be a really fun season.”

-”We should come in first for most of our meets.”

-”I’m looking forward to all the cool people we will meet at our competitions.”

Wrestling Junior Jacob Hardy: -”Through the first part of our season we’ve seen very good progression from everyone.”

-”Our goals are to have a lot of fun and win at least the majority of our meets.”

-I’m looking forward to all the good competition we will have, especially our Adams meet.”

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Multi-colored lights brighten up Simply the Best $10 boutique in Downtown Rochester. Photo by Emberly Skaggs

This is a view of The Big Bright Lights from the corner of Main Street and University. Photo by Emberly Skaggs

Light Show returns to

Downtown

Snowflakes on the side of the Rochester Mills Beer Co. along with holiday music playing over loudspeakers bring holiday cheer. Photo by Colette Cloutier

Red Knapps Dairy Bar in Downtown Rochester displays their lights for the seventh year in a row. Photo by Emberly Skaggs

Casey Ternes Staff Writer

This year marked the seventh year of The Big Bright Lights show in Downtown Rochester during the city’s 40th annual Lagniappe (developed from a Spanish phrase to mean “something given as a bonus or extra gift”).

Executive Director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority Kristi Trevarrow got the idea to light up Downtown after a trip to Disney World and is proud of all she’s been able to accomplish.

“I’d like to think that all the cars coming down here, all the people eating in the restaurants,

all the shoppers in stores are coming here for the lights,” Mrs. Trevarrow said.

The Big Bright Lights has a total of 1.5 million lights covering the buildings and many condiser it a must-see.

“Downtown around Christmas is like Disney World, Pixar and Spongebob gathered up all their Christmas decorations and brought it to Rochester,” sophomore Paul Lee said. “The lights bring many sleepless nights and a dazzling display.”

Due to the construction, the lights turned on early and during Lagniappe. This wasn’t such a bad thing though; it brought more people to Lagniappe. It also gave people more time to enjoy the

beauty of Downtown Rochester’s Big Bright Lights.

“The lights downtown bring a lot of people to Rochester as well as joy, happiness and good memories,” sophomore Sally Haddad said. “It is really important to me and my family to go because it is sort of like a tradition.”

The lights and Lagniappe have become what many people living in Rochester and outside of Rochester look forward to every year. It brings the community together for a memorable time.

“It’s kind of like company coming over,” Mrs. Trevarrow said. “It all comes together at the last minute. It’s just on a slightly bigger scale.”