The Talon- Spring 2019

THE

TALON ROCHESTER HILLS, MI // SPRING 2019 // VOL. 81 ISSUE 7

The RHS Robotics Team will be represented at the world’s largest STEM educational celebration on April 24-27 at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI. Read more about this accomplishment on pages 8-9. Photo courtesy of Kevin Fondaw.

PAGE 2 || NEWS

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

NEWS BRIEFS: 2.

4.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons. j

1. RHS

On Wednesday, April 24. Rochester High School students visited the Emagine theater in Rochester Hills to see a movie together.

“We thought it would be a fun experience to watch a movie with all of your friends,” sophomore Brooke Gordon said.

Students watched 1996’s “Space Jam,” starring Michael Jordan, Bill Murray and Danny DeVito. The film follows the Looney Toons and Michael Jordan as they attempt to win a basketball against a group of aliens.

“It is a good movie that will be perfect for high schoolers but also for kids,” Gordon said.

Student government decided to pick “Space Jam” after conducting a Twitter poll, which allowed potential movie goers to pick which film they wanted to see.

“The movie choice went very well. People enjoyed it alot,” Gordon said, “But, the participation was a little bit low.”

Brief by Noah Peterson

5.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

2. RCS Yates Cider Mill recently reopened it doors after closing down for the winter months on April 12.

“The walking paths are the perfect intimate outdoor setting for an amazing nature walk,” said senior Ben Hansel.

“Its complimented with a fresh apple cider and warm cinnamon sugar donut.”

Although the mill has been been in service since 1863, it wasn’t until 1876 the Yates family added a cider press and began providing the greater Rochester area with fresh cider.

“It’s a place that families can go to enjoy the outdoors,” Rochester Hills resident Jennie Ecclestone said. “Having lived in other places, cider mills are a really special piece about Michigan culture.”

Yates sells a variety of products ranging from jellies and jams to cider and donuts.

“It’s the only cider mill I have been able to find gluten free donut at,” said Ecclestone, who is a celiac.

Brief by Noah Peterson

3. STATE Michigan State University lost to Texas Tech in the semifinals of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

MSU made it to the semifinals in the tournament after beating Duke in a Final Four game, which was considered an upset by many basketball fans.

Duke was a number one seed team in the tournament, while MSU was a number two seed team. Duke had also beaten MSU several times in past NCAA tournament games.

“I never saw it coming,” freshman Allen Johnson said, “I was excited, but I thought Duke was going to win.”

Freshman Blake Cote was also surprised that MSU made it through to the semi finals.

“I didn’t even expect them to make it far enough to go against Duke,” Cote said.

Brief by Jack Downy

4. COUNTRY Kamala Harris, democratic candidate for the 2020 election, unveiled early portions of her first policy rollout during her campaign in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, March 23. She developed a plan intended to lift teachers’ salaries. She promised an average $13,500 raise in teachers’ salaries over four years.

One of the purposes of this plan is to close the salary difference between a teacher and a professional with similar skills and preparation.

“As far as helping education in the future, you get the best people when you pay the best rates,” Mr. Gollon said. “But, financially, a lot of districts can’t afford to pay teachers more.”

In a 2016-2017 census from the National Center for Education Statistics, the average yearly salary for a teacher was $58,950. Overall, 78 percent of Americans said that’s not enough, 15 percent think teachers are paid the right amount, and 6 percent think they’re paid too much.

“Here, at RHS we have lost some very good young teachers,” Mr. Gollon said “They couldn’t afford to live on the salaries that they were

Brief by Israel Rosas

5. WORLD Two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand were victims of a terroist attack on March 15, leaving 50 people dead. The accused shooter, Brenton Tarrant, streamed the attack live on Facebook. “[It ] was very crazy what happened,” senior Colin Alison said. “He live-streamed the attack to Facebook, which is just disgusting.”

The shooter released 74-page manifesto online, which showed some alt-right personalities had influenced him. He also wrote white nationalist phrases on his weapons.

“I think alt-right culture definitely has a role, having seen all of the things written on his firearm,” Alison said.

The terrorist attack at the Christchurch mosques follows a recent attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue, where 11 people died.

“I think tensions are just rising around the world,” Alison said. “It isn’t just one religious group being attacked around the world, it’s religion, any religion.”

Following the attack, New Zealand’s parliament voted to pass a bill to ban semi-automatic and automatic weapons. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke during the final reading of the bill.

“I could not fathom how weapons that could cause such destruction and large-scale death could be obtained legally in this country,” Arden said.

Brief by Wyatt Anness

PAGE 3 || NEWS

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

BRITAIN’S BREAKUP UPDATE There’s still no answer to this three year dilemma VIOLET RESH

COPY AND NEWS EDITOR In recent weeks, questions about the United Kingdom’s place in the European Union have resurfaced after another deadline for the government’s plan of action has been pushed back. The due date has been extended even further to Oct. 31, and there still seems to be no concrete resolution on how the U.K. will interact with the rest of Europe moving forward.

The European Union has been around for a little over 60 years and has a total of 19 European countries involved, making it a central part of European interactions.

“The European Union, initially known as the European Economic Community, now known as the EU,” history teacher Mrs. Sarah Thomas said, “was created to try to regulate trade and create economic growth after WWII in an area of the world, Western Europe, that used to reign superior, but had taken a backseat to the new global superpowers of the United States and Soviet Union.”

It’s partly because of the European Union that Western Europe was able to rebuild at the end of WWII, and even afterwards, it has remained a major part of Europe and its growth.

In the summer of 2016, a referendum regarding the U.K.’s position in the European Union resulted in just over half the population voting to withdraw from the institution. The idea to break away was sparked after the recession in the 2000s a few years ago, and snowballed into Brexit.

Those who voted in favor of it did so due to frustration with existing policies established by the European Union.

Despite the European Union’s longstanding establishment, residents of the U.K. voted against it for various reasons. One of the most prominent reasons was that the U.K. wanted fewer economic restrictions and guidelines.

“Many argue that breaking away from the EU will allow Britain more economic freedom,” Mrs. Thomas said, “and allow them to make their own decisions about what serves their needs the best.”

Another reason for Brexit lies in the U.K.’s identity and individuality in relation to the rest of Europe.

“Furthermore, the identity of a British person is different than a French one or a German one, etc,” senior Saloni Gupta said. “They don’t identity as European, they identify as British and that complicates

international relations.”

As the U.K. leaves the European Union, there are many concerns about the fate of the U.K. economy as well the impact on the rest of Europe and the world.

“Britain is one of the stronger economies in the EU,” Mrs. Thomas said. “So the consequences are far reaching.”

Since Britain is one of the more powerful countries in Europe, and many other countries rely on it for support and help, it is suspected many other countries will feel a bit of an economic blow.

Another major effect will be the new economic interactions between the U.K. and the rest of Europe now that European Union restrictions no longer apply.

“I don’t think this is going to be good for the health of Europe due to the fact that the ability to move for labour there will be inhibited into and out of the UK,” Gupta said.

These new policies and economic matters will most likely shake up the economy in Britain and trickle down into other countries all over the world.

With Britain being such a major influence in Europe, it’s uncertain whether they might inspire other nations to try to break away from the European Union in the near future.

“Possibly nations that held onto their own currencies like Denmark and Sweden because it shows that they don’t completely identify as Europeans and still care about themselves first,” said Gupta. “However, I don’t think their will be anything like Brexit in the near future.”

Even if other countries follow suit, it will most likely be after the effects of Brexit are known and analyzed. Afterward, with more data and information, maybe other countries will tag along.

That is, however, unless the European Union can come up with a way to ease the transition into this uncharted territory. After three years, many people are losing faith in the prospects of a easy adaption and feeling uneasy about the unclarified state of the U.K. in the European Union.

“Deadlines come and they go and there is still so much uncertainty that it’s hard to tell if it will be positive or negative, though many economies are responding negatively as the plan waits in limbo,” Mrs. Thomas said. “You really have to stay informed on the topic every day as its daily status is always changing.”

Protesters march against Brexit and advocate for European Union Membership. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

PAGE 4 || NEWS

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

COLLEGE SCANDAL BROUGHT TO LIGHT 50 people accused in college admissions scandal

ALEX GLASPIE

FEATURE EDITOR In late March of 2019, a bold statement was made regarding Yale University during a court case, something that would make the world aware of a big problem among many universities in the country.

An alumnus from Yale, Morrie Tobin, informed a judge in court that the Yale Women’s Soccer coach offered him an opportunity to pay her $450,000 so that his daughter would be automatically accepted to the prestigious university.

Since this information was released, 50 people have been accused of maintaining relations with coaches, admissions counselors, and important people affiliated with distinguished colleges around the country in hopes of gaining acceptance for their children into their schools. Money had been given to colleges as a bribe by the parental guardians of the students accepted into the schools, an illegal offence punishable by law.

“I don’t know if I was completely surprised about this scandal,” RHS counselor Mrs. Aaliyah Caggins said. “I just thought that it was extremely unfortunate. I was glad that something like this had come to light and this is something that hopefully won’t continue, but it was still unfortunate on many levels to me.”

Money had been given to colleges as a bribe by the parental guardians of the students accepted into the schools, an illegal offence punishable by law. These adults have all been accused in a court of law, and some have already underwent trials.

“The parents initiated the requests and the admissions people involved had a means by which to carry out these requests,” Mrs. Caggins said. “[The parents] never would have taken advantage of that means if they didn’t initiate the request. I feel like the parents share the majority of the blame, but every one involved had an equal part and they are at fault as well.”

Since this news has been released, many have skepticised that the reason this happened was because families with mass amounts of wealth had the opportunity to bribe colleges, which not everyone is able to do. Money might not play a big factor in the lives of many people, but it did in this situation.

“Without their wealth [those accused] wouldn’t have been able to do this in the first place,” Mrs. Caggins said. “This speaks to how much of a divide there is between students who are actually academically

worthy to get a place at a university like that and students who just have the money to get in.”

Many people involved in the scandal were sued by third parties for preventing other children from getting into the colleges that were involved in the scandal. Among those sued was Full House star, Lori Loughlin (“Aunt Becky”), and American film actress, Felicity Huffman; both were sued collectively for 500 billion dollars.

“I can’t see the parents getting jail time for this,” Mrs. Caggins said “I don’t think that would be appropriate. They already have money. The fine that they’re getting isn’t the best punishment, but I don’t see any better way to find closure.”

The parents have been continuously blamed by people around the globe for causing such an uproar within the college admissions process. However, after this situation came to light, their children have taken harsh feedback as well, many going silent on social media.

“Students are still young and they’re following the direction of their parents and the adults in their lives,” Mrs. Caggins said.

“If the adults in their lives are telling them it’s a good idea and this is what’s going to happen, it’s going to be very difficult for students to disagree with that.”

This scandal brought to light the differences between wealthy individuals and those who were not blessed with mass amounts of money. Many students feel betrayed by those involved in the scandal, since not everyone gets an opportunity to go to a prestigious college because of the cost of universities.

“I feel that due to my family’s financial status that I won’t be able to get into a good college,” senior Brooklynn Zale said. “I understand the lengths parents go to for their kids, but it’s unfair for the ones who don’t have that same lifestyle.”

Lori Loughlin was among many famous faces involved in the scandal. Her and her husband were accused of bribing the rowing coach at the University of Southern California to lie that her two daughters were elite members of the crew team.

Loughlin was immediately dropped by all of her sponsored companies in light of the scandal, including the Hallmark channel and the Netflix series “Fuller House.”

“I love ‘Full House’ and to be completely honest, when I heard about Lori, I didn’t know that this was the type

of person that she was,” Mrs. Caggins said. “I don’t know why she felt like this was something she needed to do for her daughters. It does take me back a bit like maybe I won’t watch the next season of her show on Netflix.”

Many believe that academics should be the driving force in the admissions process so that kids are accepted into colleges that they are worthy of. To those involved in the scandal, this wasn’t the case. Money seemed to play a deeper role in the motive behind bribing colleges.

“It’s unfair to the other students that their rich parents can use money to their advantage,” senior Gabrielle Wilson said.

“Others who are striving for the same opportunity may not have that same money to help them ‘bribe’ their way in.”

A main focus that the media has emphasized is if the children who were accepted under false allegations had any idea that their parents committed this crime.

Olivia Jade, the daughter of Lori Loughlin, has supposedly not spoken to her mother since the scandal came to light, implying that she had no idea of the bribe.

“I would say that the students were probably aware,” Mrs. Caggins said.

“Only because if you’re the student, you know if you have the ability to get into a prestigious university. Especially having the parents they have and the wealth they have, they had to have known that there was something not 100 percent right with their college acceptances.”

For many students, the thought of getting rejected from a college because another student bribed their way in is upsetting.

“I would feel discouraged,” Wilson said.

“If someone at the same academic level as me got in to a college because their parents got them in with their money and I got denied, I would be upset.”

In light of this scandal, it is obvious that from this, colleges have rearranged their admissions process and have begun heavily analyzing each applicant more than they did before. This could turn out to be a good thing, as it could prevent anything like this happening again.

“Since this all happened, it has exposed the corrupt and faulty application and acceptance system/process,” Wilson said.

“This shows that there needs to be a change and that this can not happen again.”

Isabella Rose Giannulli, her mother, famous television star, Lori Loughlin, and Loughlin’s youngest daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli, posing at a Hallmark Channel event. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

PAGE 5 || FEATURE

INFLUENCIAL BLACK WOMEN

Five history-making women who battled society to change it MARIAM HANNA

LIFESTYLES & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Photos courtesy of Creative Commons.

Katherine Johnson (1918- )

Michelle Obama (1964- )

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

Harriet Tubman (1820- 1913)

Ida B. Wells (1862-1931)

What she did: -worked for NASA during segregation and afterward -calculated path for Freedom 7 that took Alan Shepherd to space -calculated path for Friendship 7 that made John Glenn the first astronaut to orbit the moon

What she did: -created “Let’s Move!”, a program that aimed to end childhood obesity -launched “Reach Higher” to encourage higher education and “Let Girls Learn” to help girls around the world get an education -co-founded “Joining Forces”, a program that helped veterans after serving in the military

What she did: -helped in defending the Scottsboro Boys -held a leadership position in NAACP -refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, which started the Montgomery Bus Boycott

What she did: -was a conductor of the Underground Railroad that helped tens of thousands slaves escape slavery -fought for abolition -worked as a spy for the Union army in the Civil War

What she did: -wrote a book about lynching called “A Red Record” -helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) -fought for women’s right to vote

Thoughts from sophomore Maddie Lawson: “She played a major role in the civil rights movement, but that wasn’t her only job. She was a seamstress, she had kids of her own, she had a husband, she was living her life, and she took this on in addition to that. She was just a regular person, and then she became this icon. I think the coolest part of that was that she was a regular person.”

Thoughts from junior Laeticia Moulaoui: “She inspires many activists of the Black Lives Matter movement [and] is so iconic and inspirational that there were people who wanted her to be on the 20 dollar bill.”

Thoughts from history teacher Mrs. Christina Bettes: “Her story is so inspiring, both her accomplishments at NASA as well as her life growing up, where she graduated college at only eighteen years old!

The impact she had on space exploration, women’s rights and civil rights is profound; breaking barriers and overcoming challenges throughout her lifetime.”

Thoughts from sophomore Ava Biordi: “She has served as an inspiration for many young women in America through her empowering speeches. I really appreciate how much Michelle Obama used her power as First Lady to make the improvements she saw needed to be made in our society.”

“Take all the courses in your curriculum. Do the research. Ask questions. Find someone doing what you are interested in! Be curious.”

“There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.”

“Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.”

-Katherine Johsnon

-Michelle Obama

-Rosa Parks

Thoughts from history teacher Mr. Chad Zwolinski: “Because of Wells’s work, future leaders had the courage and the path to fight injustice. She challenged inequality in race and sex at a time when women and blacks weren’t expected to, and today, her story should inspire those facing similar challenges.”

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

“I’d rather go down in history as one lone Negro who dared to tell the government that it had done a dastardly thing than to save my skin by taking back what I said.”

-Harriet Tubman

-Ida B. Wells

PAGE 6 || FEATURE

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

JACKSON MILLER

Senior presents at state conference ELIZABETH BULAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Each spring, the RHS student council members go to the state conference in Grand Rapids to listen to presentations and participate in activities to inspire and strengthen their leadership roles in their high school. This year, RHS senior and student council member Jackson Miller was selected to present at the state conference. It was a monumental moment for him, and an inspiring one for his audience.

To present at the state conference, Miller had to first present to a few qualifying rounds.

First, he gave his speech to his RHS student council class, where he was voted to compete at the regional level. At regionals, Miller spoke to a crowd of 100 people, and was one of the six students selected to present at the state conference in front of a 2,000 person audience.

“Jackson did a great job,” Senior Julia Payne said. “Everyone was moved by his words and I’m so proud of him for getting out of his comfort zone. He was brave to share a story so close to his heart.”

Student Council adviser Mrs. Kelley Cusmano was impressed with Miller’s boldness and confidence during his presentation. Not only did he present in front of 2,000 students from around the state of Michigan, he also shared his life story with them.

“I think that he was pretty honest about, you know, his life, and I think that’s super important if you are comfortable enough to do that,” Mrs. Cusmano said. “I think not a lot of kids could be that open and honest, but then I also think the fact that he was able to connect that to leadership is super hard to do.”

Miller’s presentation revolved around the idea of asking for help. He made the presentation more personal by including details and experiences from his own life when he needed to ask for and accept help from people. He believes that even though it may be tempting to conquer a situation alone, people will find the most success and support when they recieve help from others.

“I decided to give this presentation because accepting help is something I know I’ve struggled with my entire life, and I know that is a pretty common challenge for people,”

Miller said. “I was hoping I could show everyone that it’s okay.”

His story provided his audience with a unique perspective on life. They were able to see how individuals can overcome the challenges that come along with life. Miller also emphasized how people can learn from their past and make something positive out of the opportunities and experiences they encounter.

“I think that they learned that taking those aspect of your life that you might perceive as negatives actually can be strengths,” Mrs. Cusmano said. “[They] can help you in the long run.”

Payne listened to Miller’s presentation in class, at regionals and at the state conference as well. She believes that like her, other students were able to learn essential skills and lessons from the presentation.

“We learned about overcoming adversity and the importance of sticking together,” Payne said. “[We also learned about] building each other up.”

Mrs. Cusmano thinks that giving this presentation has improved Miller’s confidence in his life story. She hopes that he recognizes that his story is important and he can do something else influential with it in the future.

“This presentation gave me a lot of experience speaking in front of a large audience,” Miller said. “Something that after speaking, I realized I truly enjoy.”

To conclude his presentation, Miller asked students to take out their phones and turn on their flashlights. He then instructed the audience to look around at the illuminated room.

“Every light,” he said, “represents someone who can help you.”

The ending of the presentation was a powerful and insightful experience for many students who attended.

“I hope that everyone understood that in order to reach our highest potential in society and individually we need the help of others,” Miller said. “That when we are struggling it is more than okay to ask someone for help.”

Jackson Miller gives his speech at the student council state conference in Grand Rapids, MI. Photos courtesy of Jackson Miller.

PAGE 7 || ENTERTAINMENT

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

RATS PRESENTS “THE STING” The production of the Spring play POOJA PATEL STAFF WRITER

As the actors step on stage, they quietly and eagerly wait until the curtain opens.

They frantically rehearse their lines in their heads over and over again. They see the audience and know the show must begin.

Every year, Rochester High School puts on a spring play. This year, the play was “The Sting”, which was performed at RHS on April 25-27 at 7 p.m., as well as at 2 p.m. on April 27.

For many students who take part in the production, this play was a new and unique experience. It is very different from many other productions that Rochester Alliance of Theatrical Students has done in the past “‘The Sting’ is the memoir of a 1930s hustler who wants the world to finally know the story behind one of the biggest cons ever pulled,” “The Sting’s” Stage Manager and Rochester High School senior Desiree Velez said.

Like previous productions by the Rochester Alliance of Theatrical Students, “The Sting” is set in a time that has passed.

The difference this time is that rather than being set in the roaring twenties, like several recent productions, the play is set in the thralls of the 1930s.

“Pretty much every other production we’ve done in my four years in theatre has been in the 1920s besides ‘Once Upon A Mattress’, which was in the 1420s,” senior Sam Neely said. “This show is set in the late 1930s. Although the time periods are close together, the fashion and lingo the characters use are different.”

Putting “The Sting” on stage was a vast undertaking, with the cast and crew numbering around one hundred and twenty students. Typically, the spring play is the second largest production put on by R.A.T.S.

NOAH PETERSON

BUSINESS AND WEB EDITOR

during the year.

“Suffice it to say, the kids involved devote incredible amounts of time to our shows, even sacrificing every Saturday to build sets,” Velez said. “I have an insane respect for Mr. Gollon for taking on the responsibilities of the drama department so that students can learn and love the art of theatre.”

Despite progress on the show’s production, there were some setbacks, like the lead character having to be recast due to illness. “[The actor] who was originally playing our lead character got really sick, so we just got a new person for the role last week,” Neely said prior to opening night. “This usually doesn’t happen, but he’s doing really well.”

Students were expected to be at rehearsals scheduled throughout the week, especially as opening night approached.

“We set a schedule for rehearsal when we did auditions,” Neely said. “It really helps us stay on track and go over everything we need to before the show next week.”

Production members feel this show will be unique because of the work everyone is putting into it.

“Our RHS cast brings lots of thought and creativity to this show, and really makes it stand out,” freshman Liam Clymer said.

For some students, this is their first experience in a RATS production and it is very memorable.

“This production is actually the first play I’ve been seriously involved in— so personally, yes it is the best show we’ve produced,” Neely said going into opening night. “Although, we haven’t run the full show yet, so it’s hard to make that decision right now.”

The cast of “The Sting” rehearses the show. Photo by Maggie Rhymstett.

The cast of “The Sting” rehearses the show. Photo by Maggie Rhymstett.

Talon writer and RATS production member gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Spring play MAGGIE RHYMSTETT STAFF WRITER There are many activities and traditions that go on behind the scenes of a theatrical production at RHS, most of which only those in theatre would know.

For example, before every single show, all the crew and cast members go to the choir room and the stage directors all give a speech for motivation. Afterward, everybody comes together and does the “Hokey Pokey” for good luck. To follow up, everyone leaves the choir room except for the seniors, because seniors do their own secret tradition.

After every show, everyone goes into the choir room again. One person is chosen to clamp two pieces of wood together and everyone cheers. After the very last show, people hug each other as well.

Another detail most people wouldn’t know is how time consuming show week is.

All cast and crew must be there the whole entire week until 8 or 9 p.m. It can get very stressful with all the school work and other events going on.

Lastly, after the very last show there is a cast party. At the cast party, the seniors give away their paper plate awards to the underclassmen. It is a very good ending to all the hard work everyone has put in to the show.

All in all, being a part of a RATS production is a very memorable experience because everyone is like one big family.

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

PAGES 8-9 || NEWS

STEM education statistics ROBOTS VS THE WORLD

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Fondaw.

Only 36 percent of all high school grads are ready Between 2017 and 2027, the number of STEM jobs will grow 13 percent, compared to 9 percent for to take a college-level science course. non-STEM jobs—with positions in computing, (Via the National Math & Science Initiative) engineering, and advanced manufacturing leading the way. (Via Change the Equation)

The FEDS take on the world’s largest STEM educational celebration KARI EICKHOLDT

The average median hourly wage for STEM jobs is $38.85. Compared to the median earning for all other types of jobs in the US - $19.30 - STEM-related jobs pay exceptionally well. (Via Change the Equation)

PHOTO AND DESIGN EDITOR Rochester’s very own robotics team, the FEDS, was be represented at the world’s largest STEM educational celebration, which was held at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI from April 24-27. Hosted by Qualcomm, the First Championship brought tens of thousands of students together from all around the world. Those partaking in this celebration were K-12 participants, organizations, sponsors, educators, industry professionals, college and universities that support STEM education.

“In my four years of being on the team, this will be my first time I go to worlds, so I’m more than excited to meet other teams and see what they came up with during the six week build season,” senior Ishita Shukla said before the competition.

“I’m also looking forward to watching our own robot performing and cheering with the team one last time.”

Students in robotics work together every weekday from 6 to 9 p.m., all day on Saturdays, and occasionally on Sundays during their build season, which is six weeks long, starting on Jan. 5 and ending on Feb. 19. The meetings are usually divided into sections: pre-meeting, build and post meeting. This allows for a successful and organized flow of production and communication throughout the team in order to accomplish their goals of completing a robot.

“At the beginning of the meeting, we go over everything that needs to be done in regards to each individual subgroup (mechanical, electrical, programming, PR, business, etc.),” Shukla said. “[The ending meetings are] similar to the beginning meeting in that each subgroup shares what they have accomplished during the meeting and what we still have left to do. We end each meeting by saying, ‘Go FEDS,’ which unites us as we end each day on a positive note.”

The build season can be very hectic for students due to the high stress competitions, so staying on task and keeping a determined mindset is important to them.

“Students need to be prepared to work as a group and have a lot of communication between everyone to make sure everything gets done right,” junior Debbie George said.

“Everything needs to be organized— there’s a place for every single tool and material and if it’s not there then there’s chaos.”

Positive attitudes and determination help students alleviate future problems that could occur. The successes of the team

are dependent on the perseverance and creativity that the members can bring every day during the build season. “[The three hour work period the FEDS have each day] are very important to push through when we reach a roadblock during the build process or when we start running out of time,” senior Nidhi Tigadi said. “It’s also important during competition because we need to be creative with our strategy and need a winning attitude even when things don’t work out perfectly.”

STEM, and abbreviation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, contains millions of opportunities for students to get involved in. Workers in STEM fields play a key role in the growth and stability of the U.S. economy by allowing the transformity of critical thinkers, science literacy, and generations of innovators. Activities also provide hands-on lessons that use intricate thought. However, studies have shown a decrease in student involvement in STEM programs and activities. Being involved in the STEM based program at RHS allows students to utilize the prior information they have learned.

“Robotics is a great way to apply the things we learn in school to real life,” Shukla said. “It also cultivates leadership skills and teaches students how to effectively communicate with each other. This will help you grow as an individual and branch out.”

THE FEDS 201 Y DESIGN SOLUTIONS

FALCON ENGINEERING

Y

The robotics program is divided up into multiple subgroups, which allows opportunities in the program for all sorts of jobs, such as a business team, a safety team or public relations.

“I’m part of the electrical team, so throughout the season I’ve been working closely with the mechanical and programming groups to bridge the gap between the physical structure and the code that makes the robot function,” Tigadi said. “We work to wire the robot so everything gets power and also work with pneumatics for some of the mechanisms that are powered through air pressure.”

At the end of the day, the robotics program at RHS offers multiple job opportunities. The FEDS are a group of students with a variety of passions, and they utilize their STEM educational skills to all reach one goal. Many of the students within the program view it as a tight-knit family that has a very light-hearted environment.

“For students who want to do robotics, I say don’t be intimidated by the nature of the club. A lot of people are worried about the time commitment or worried that they aren’t ‘smart enough’ for robotics,” Tigadi said. “The commitment is similar to that of a sports team during build season but there is enough flexibility to manage school and other activities with robotics.

We also have a lot of fun through prank wars and team bonding activities so the club is more fun than people think!”

The US placed 38th out of 71 countries in math, and 24th in science.

“African-American and Latino workers also now represent 29 percent of the general workforce population (up from about 24 percent in 2001)...

But just 16 percent of the advanced manufacturing workforce, 15 percent of the computing workforce and 12 percent of the engineering workforce.” (US News, 2015)

This is according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)—which is regarded as one of the biggest cross-national tests of its kind.

(Via the Pew Research Center)

The 2018-2019 FEDS team photo, including parent mentors. Photo Courtesy of Bob DiTomasso

Minority women participation in STEM at the collegiate level: Engineering, 3.1% Mathematics, 5.4%

Physical Sciences, 6.5% Computer Science, 4.8%

(Via the National Girls Collaborative Project) And, many minorities are also underrepresented, accordubg to a number of reports.

Mario Prisciandaro Emron Frei Alwin Joseph Tejas Gulur Neel Patel

Ethan Powell Colin Evans Arshia Orouji Diego Perez Charles Glover

Caleb Kienbaum A.J. deVaux Rami Sbahi Nikhil Gupta Gene Ruan

Aedhan Roscoe Parker Reed Maddie Pleune Evia Zaka Alexandra Maxim

Ethan Vang Abhro Debnath Akhilesh Saravanan Ronin Mason Angelique Olascoaga

Kalina Ross Noah Mahnke Nidhi Taigadi Ishi Shukla Lauren Gregorio

Martin Goleski Anushya Iyer Christopher Di Tommaso Amitav Oehlberg Sophie Prusak

Colin Hartgers Elise Osterbrink Akhil Nagesh Ved Majmudar Joshua Douglas

Out of 100 STEM occupations, 93 percent of them had wages above the national average.

US universities are expected to produce only 29 percent of the required number of grads.

That is, to fill the 1.4 million computer specialist job openings. (Projected by the US Department of Labor)

Andrew Fondaw Braden Grabaum Lance Wells Kush Saparia Achintya Sambanthamoorthy

Colin Mile Michael Kaatz Shravya Ramesh Nathan Crosby David Carpenter

The national average for STEM job annual salaries is $87,570, where the national average for nonSTEM occupations sits at roughly half—$45,700.

(Via the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Marissa Neely Balaji Ganeshbabu Chace Pruccoli Lorena Sierra Reyes Shreeya Ramesh

Zohaib Rathur Kyla Hotton Karan Arora Gavin Brown Cameron Metiva

Deborah George Hannah Schurman Thomas Coley Nicolas Walch Lucas Shahmurad

PAGE 10 || LIFESTYLES

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

DRIVING TRAINEES

New students take on the road as they begin drivers training SANYA GUPTA

STAFF WRITER

A nervous driver opens the door, and sits in front of the wheel as she prepares to begin her first drive. Freshman Gabrielle Chamberlin has never driven before, and she has no idea what it will be like. A few minutes later, she pulls back into the same parking lot, relieved. As Chamberlin continues to take drivers training, she knows she will find driving more natural and not as scary as the first time.

Learning how to drive can be nerve-racking and frightening for some new drivers. Before experiencing it, Chamberlin had different expectations about what it would be like.

“I originally thought [driving] was going to be a lot harder,” Chamberlin said. “And that I was going to be a lot worse.”

Unlike Chamberlin, sophomore Jessica Hyrnkiw explains why she was not nervous to begin driving.

“I had different expectations,” Hrynkiw said. “I thought it’d be easy to generally drive, but hard to remember all the rules and regulations.”

Like Hrynkiw and Chamberlin, freshman Mayu Seguchi has similar feelings about driving. She plans on taking drivers training this May. “I’m pretty excited about driving,” Seguchi said.

“However, I’m also a little nervous.”

After her first driving experience, Hrynkiw became aware of what drivers have to know when they are on the road.

“In reality it’s kind of hard to focus on the changing of the radio and driving,” Hrynkiw said. “I’ve realized that you can get distracted really easily.”

Freshman Allison Gadlage, who can get her license in April 2020, explained how she needs to continue to practice her driving skills before she can take the road test.

“I think I will be more than ready by then,” Gadlage said.

“But right now I know I need more practice before I am on my own.”

Driving instructor Tom Hawes described the way he teaches students to take on the road safely. Since graduation from Michigan State University in 1980, he has been teaching drivers ed, and he has worked for Courtesy Driving for the past twenty years.

“Over the course of the two hours, we do worksheets that talk about driving laws and regulations, then discuss them,” Mr. Hawes said. “We also watch instruction videos.”

Mr. Hawes sees common mistakes among his students.

“Most students have never driven before, so they are still learning,” Mr. Hawes said. “They don’t fully see the environment, everything to their left, right, and all directions, and as a result, the car starts to veer. It all comes with confidence which they will gain over time.”

Some of the many things students learn in the class include checking blind spots, road courtesy, and being aware of their surroundings.

“One of the most important things from the class that I learned was to watch out and pay attention to other drivers,” Gadlage said. “You are the only one who can control your car, but anyone else can change the direction of their car in less than a second, and you need to know how to respond.”

Even though it is not required, Mr. Hawes suggests students have some background knowledge on driving before taking the class. “[The students] need to sit in the front seat of the car with their mom or dad and pay attention,” said Mr. Hawes.

“Ask questions; who has the right of way, what do certain signs mean, so that when they come to drivers ed, they know

DRIVING TRAINERS

a little.”

As any one of his students would know, Mr. Hawes greatly stresses the effect of phones and other distractions while driving.

“I preach that phones need to be put away while driving,” said Mr. Hawes. “They should be on silent, away from view, where you can’t hear or see them. Driving is easy, and losing distraction is even easier. The phone needs to be put away.

Other factors like music, food, and even emotions can affect driving as well.”

Although she is ready to hit the roads, Seguchi knows she has to be careful.

“I’m excited to start driving and to get my license so I can drive myself around,” Seguchi said. “Also, [I am] nervous because driving is a big responsibility and I have to be carfeul so that I don’t get hurt or hurt anyone else.”

Taking the class teaches students useful information, and now they can pass their advice down to kids taking it in the future. Some advice includes paying attention, staying focused, listening and participating in the class activities.

“Don’t stress out about it,” Chamberlin said. “It’s so much easier than you think it’ll be. Even the driving portion, if you have to go within the first couple days of class you will be perfectly fine. Do not freak out.”

Mr. Hawes also has advice for his upcoming students to help them be prepared.

“Driving is not a game,” said Mr. Hawes. “It’s a 3000 pound car, take it seriously. When you get behind the wheel, you need to be mature enough to be completely focused on the drive. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right away. We drive for a total of six hours in the class, and it takes about five years to be an expert driver.”

Experienced drivers offer tips and advice for new drivers MICHAEL ARSENAULT

STAFF WRITER

In 2017, Michigan had 7,095,778 licensed drivers on the road. With that many drivers, getting a license can be a bit intimidating for new drivers, and especially for parents.

“New drivers, don’t be alarmed at how many old drivers act like new drivers when on the road, so always be alert,” junior Terra Smith said.

Driving can be just as frustrating as it is intimidating, and road rage is a very serious and common occurrence.

The horn is the most efficient way to communicate how a driver is feeling on the road, but it is an important way to communicate to other drivers to focus on the road.

“You got to keep people in check and give then a little honk, you know?” junior Brock Elkins said.

Stopping at green lights or drifting between lanes from lack of focus can be helped with a short honk from the horn.

Distractions may happen while driving and drivers

keeping one another focused on the road can help prevent accidents.

Eliminating distractions can help drivers stay focused on the road, such as, turning down the radio, minimize any movement in the car, and keep off your phone. “[Texting and Driving] puts everyone on the road at risk and causes people to not pay attention to the road,” seinor Gabby Bigelow warns to new drivers.

Texting and driving is a very dangerous distraction on the road, and there are other alternatives to talk to people while driving, such as a phone call on speaker, or having a passenger read and send messages for the driver.

Driving is only a means of transportation, and eliminating distractions can help people travel from one point to another.

Junior Jasper Najar’s advice to new drivers is simple.

“New drivers, don’t be stupid,” Najar sad.

RULES OF THE ROAD Rules enforced not inforced by the law, however make the road a little nicer to drive on.

RAMPHY COHN

GABBY BIGELOW

If you’re driving in Some unspoken rule of the left lane on the the road is definitely to highway, you should wave to someone [to always be going faster say thank you] if they than the right two let you in to their lane lanes next to you. or let you turn out

JASPER NAJAR When I started driving I learnt about the ‘Jeep Wave.’ It’s when two people driving Jeep Wranglers do this little wave at eachother when they see one another.

PAGE 11 || LIFESTYLES

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

REAL OR FAKE?

How to determine status of different shoes BIANCA MOW AND DEVIN TOMA

SPORTS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER

What to look for: If there is anything missing from the shoe such as lettering, patterns, OR font size and style? then the shoe is likely to be

Is the material on the shoe the stock material? Ex: Suede, primeknit, etc. Is the stitching going in the right direction that it is supposed to go?

Check the sku number on the box.

It must match the shoes sku. The sku can be found on the tag in the inside of the shoe, and the sticker on the shoe box.

fake.

Sku Number*

Check to see if the shoe/colorway even exists. If the colorway of that particular show is not real, then you should check if they are customs, if they’re not, then they are fake.

If the shoe is not the right shape and is completely different from other pairs, then it is fake.

Real or Fake?

YES

Did you buy the shoes off of a verified seller or reseller?

Was the price low for its market value?

NO

No

Is the shoe a real color way that was made?

No

YES YES

NO

Did it come with the box?

Check The sku*. do they match?

YES

YES

Are any details missing from the shoe?

YES

NO

YES

Customs?

YES

No

Are all details there? Are they accurate?

No

Real

Fake Graphic by Bianca Mow. Photo by Devin Toma.

PAGE 12 || LIFESTYLES

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

Students struggle to stay awake during school. Photos by Evie Ansari.

WILL STUDENTS PAY OFF THEIR SLEEP DEBT? RHS students express their views on school start times EVIE ANSARI STAFFWRITER

Many Rochester High School students wake up in the morning longing for another hour of sleep. The night before, they are swamped with homework and extracurriculars. They enter school feeling tired and go though the first couple hours of the day half asleep.

Freshman Dru Haney always feels tired, even tough she tries to get a good amount of sleep.

“I get up at 6:55 a.m. unless I have a meeting before school,” Haney said. “I want to sleep in as much as I can and still get ready on time.”

Haney goes to sleep after sports and homework at about 9:30 p.m. to try to get as much sleep as possible. Others, like freshman Mayu Seguchi, get even less sleep.

“I go to sleep around 1 a.m. because I have about 3 1/2 hours of dance at night and have to finish a large amount of homework from accelerated classes,” Seguchi said.

“Also, I have to spend a little time helping my family, like walking the dog or [doing] the dishes.”

Many students have clubs and sports after school on top of homework to do, and they are still expected to get the right amount of sleep.

“Research shows the typical adolescent’s natural time to fall asleep may be 11 p.m. or later; because of this change in their internal clocks, teens may feel wide awake at bedtime,” the National Sleep Foundation states on its website. “This leads to sleep deprivation in many teens who must wake up early for school, and thus do not get the 8 1/2 - 9 1/4 hours of sleep that they need.”

For this reason, freshman Mehr Bangash is

tired during school.

“I am tired in the morning but usually am woken up by the time it is 2nd hour,” Bangash said.

Junior Tarek Murray tries to get to sleep at around 10 p.m. and still gets up early enough for marching band.

“Because I do band, I get up some mornings at 5 because fight song is at 6:20, or sometimes 6:30 for jazz band. I do these because I need a lot of time to get ready and be warmed up,” Murray said. “On non-band days, I try to get up at around 6:20 a.m. or earlier. Usually on these mornings I get pretty groggy because I’m not doing band, so I don’t get my morning dose of activity.”

Dr. Sheryl Wissman from Ascension Providence Rochester gave advice about “good sleep hygiene.”

“Sleep only enough to be rested and then get out of bed, be consistent and go to bed and get up the same time every day. Don’t force yourself to sleep,” Dr. Wissman said.

Freshman Peyton Osentoski is affected during the school day by the lack of sleep he gets.

“When I am tired, it’s hard to pay attention if the class is going slow or if I don’t have to be involved in anything,” Osentoski said.

Freshman Dylan Fitzgerald expresses how homework affects sleep routines and how students are in the morning.

“Teenagers need more sleep, and an early start time doesn’t allow that, especially because some people have a lot of homework to work on,” Fitzgerald said.

“Also, your brain doesn’t retain information very much in the morning.”

Senior Hope Laurencelle stays up late due to her AP classes, which causes her to not be

as concentrated during class.

“I think it should start at 8:00 a.m. instead because it allows for kids to have more time to rejuvenate,” Laurencelle said.

Osentoski points out that the early start might not help students get more sleep.

“I think that school may start a little early, but it’s not too bad because getting out later would keep us up more at night,” Osentoski said.

Haney, Seguchi, Murray, Bangash, Osentoski, Fitzgerald and Laurencelle all get at least five hours of sleep and at the most eight hours.

“I think the school starting time is too early because by the time I’m sleeping, I only get maybe six hours of sleep,” Bangash said.

Doctor Wissmen knows that teenagers should get 8-10 hours of sleep, which most high school students aren’t getting. This can cause “sleep jet lag,” which is when students may struggle to stay awake during school and activities and try to catch up on sleep over the weekend.

“This can cause problems such as accidents if [people] fall asleep while driving, mistakes on the job, health problems such as lowering immunity and increased infections, and over time can cause obesity and heart disease and can cause stress and avoiding activities, because [people are] afraid [they] will fall asleep during them,” Wissmen said.

There are various consequences of lacking sleep for students and teachers, one of the most prominent being the amount of effort put into work.

“I do think school starts too early. All I hear in the morning is how tired people are, and even first hour teachers talk about how we are all tired and quiet in their class,”

Seguchi said “Research has proved that we are not fully awake and it can help our performance at school if we get more sleep.”

Although students are tired during the day due to lack of sleep, they are also worried that a later start time would impact after school activities and would not change the amount of sleep they get.

“But at the same time, a majority of students have activities to do after school and pushing the start time could interfere with this, giving us less time, which means we might not go to bed till later and wake up later, which would equal out to the same amount of time,” Seguchi said. “But yes I do believe school should start later. Everyone, student or teacher, could benefit from it.”

Tips for a good night sleep Avoid eating or drinking close to bedtime Try excersing before bed Have a consistant routine. Get up and go to sleep at the same time each night Create peaceful sleep enviroment Write worries down in a worry book to address them the next day Do something relaxing until sleep comes Avoid using technology before bed

PAGE 13 || OPINION

THE TALON STAFF Adviser: Mrs. Facca Editor-in-Chief: Elizabeth Bulat Copy and News Editor: Violet Resh Feature Editor: Alex Glaspie Entertainment and Lifestyles Editor: Mariam Hanna Sports Editor: Bianca Mow Business Manager: Noah Peterson Opinion Editor: Wyatt Anness Photo and Design Editor: Kari Eickholdt Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff

Writer: Holly McDonald Writer: Sanya Gupta Writer: Alexandra Glapsie Writer: Maggie Rhymstett Writer: Alyssa Hart Writer: Pooja Patel Writer: Devin Toma Writer: Maddie Nikolic Writer: Sidney Burlison Writer: Abby Breitschuh Writer: Clint Douglas Writer: Evie Ansari Writer: Marcella Hanna Writer: Colin Kilpatrick Writer: Sabrina Abed Writer: Franc Deda Writer: Jack Downey Writer: Maria Nagaitis Writer: Alex Reeve Writer: M. Conner Arsenault Writer: Summer Rawashdeh Writer: Israel Rosas Salinas Writer: Sharan Shibu

THE TALON POLICY The Talon is the official student publication of Rochester High School. We are now available both in print and online editions. Check out rochestertalon.com, @rhstalon on Twitter, @falconsofrhs on Instagram and like The Talon on Facebook for more great content.

The print edition of The Talon is issued monthly during the school year and is devoted to the interest of the student body, parents and alumni of RHS. The Talon strives to create a publication that is informative, entertaining, accurate and professional.

The mission of The Talon is to accurately, truthfully and professionally report on events and issues that are of interest to the student body, entertain readers and serve as a valuable archive of the happenings of the school.

The views expressed in The Talon are those of the staff or individual staff writers and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration.

The editors encourage communications and reactions from students, alumni, parents and friends of the school.

All communications must be signed, but signatures may be withheld from publication upon request. The Talon values feedback from the community on its articles and other media. However, we maintain the right to censor inappropriate dialogue in comments.

MEMBERSHIPS

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

STAFF EDITORIAL: Should school start later?

School starts early. A 7:30 a.m. start time is a lot to ask for a student in high school, many of whom also participate in clubs, sports and jobs. These commitments can keep students up late at night, studying and finishing homework they haven’t had a chance to do during the day. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends middle and high schools should start classes at 8:30 a.m. With RHS and many other high schools starting a whole hour before the AAP recommended time, they should move their start times back to try and reach the suggested 8:30 a.m. target for the health and wellbeing of students. In an unbiased and anonymous poll conducted among The Talon’s staff, 15 students agreed that school start times should be later, while 12 others disagreed.

Early start times cut into students’ sleep. The AAP recommends 8-10 hours of rest for teens ages 13-18. Students who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be at risk for depression, lower school performance and are more likely to practice unhealthy risk behaviors. There’s an easy way to help prevent this: allow school to start a little later.

Late start times have been shown to increase sleep times among students.

The University of Washington recently published a study that showed students got an average 34 minutes more sleep with a later start. The study also found and also a link between later school start times and grade improvement and absence reduction. Increase in student performance and a reduction in absences is a positive result that could occur if school started later. Teenagers’ natural bedtime is around 11 p.m. Students would have to go to bed earlier to get the recommended sleep time and still get to school before 8:30 a.m. Kids in school just don’t have the time to do that with extracurriculars and commitments outside of school.

While starting school later has its benefits, the main issue with moving school start times to later in the morning is logistics. Buses would have to change pick-up times, and parents would have to adjust their schedules to drop their kids off or make them take the bus. Extracurriculars like clubs and sports would have to be pushed back to accommodate for classes ending later in the day. These coordination issues would also take time to solve and implement across school districts. Even with these challenges, however, the health benefits that come as a result of later school start times outweigh the logistical issues late start times would create.

The health and wellbeing of students is important. A factor to students’ wellbeing is sleep, and with school starting before 8:30 a.m., it is difficult for students to get a healthy 8-10 hours of sleep. Starting school later is something districts should seriously consider if they are fully determined to support the health and wellness of their students.

”I don’t want to go home at 10 p.m.

Extracurriculars will be pushed back later if school starts later.”

Noah Peterson, senior

“I think school should be started later becuase people who are tired in the early mornings can focus better.”

Sharan Shibu, sophmore

“Students aren’t able to live up to their full potential when they’re always tired and sleep deprived.”

Violet Resh, senior

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

PAGE 14 || SPORTS

MEET THE COACHES

Get an insight into the RHS spring coaches ABBY BREITSCHUH STAFF WRITER

MARCELLA HANNA

STAFF WRITER

MADDIE NIKOLIC STAFF WRITER

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER COACH DUSTIN COLEMAN

GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE COACH DAVE HAMEL

VARISTY TRACK COACH AMY OPPAT

Photo courtesy of Ken Swart Goals: Coleman has two main goals: to score and not get scored on. Besides that, his personal goal for the team is that, “each player develops well, and that the team builds together.” He also said, “My overarching goal is that we win the league and make a great run in the state tournament.”

Enjoy: “I coach because I love the game, Coleman said. “I love the management aspect of it, I love the communication and social aspect of it, I love the elation and smiles on faces when we win, and the self reflective silence of a loss… I love my team. I love the program, and I want to see it be healthy and successful. That’s why I coach”.

Coaching Career: Coleman has been coaching soccer for 18 years.

Main Message: Coleman’s message to the team is to stay focused, work hard in every practice, and play every game with the belief that they can win no matter what team or circumstance. “Stay confident and humble, never cocky or prideful,” Coleman told his players, “You are an impressive, intelligent, and inspiring and skilled group of ladies, keep up the good work and continue to take charge this season!”

Leaders: Coleman said that every player has great character and leads with their actions daily, but their fearless leaders are captains Jill Lekosiotis, Olivia Greenslade, and Kaitlyn Godwin.

Photo courtesy of Katherine Kim Goals: Hamel has both outcome and process goals.

Outcome goals are what they want to achieve, and process goals are how they conduct themselves to achieve the outcomes. “Our outcome goal each year is to win the OAA White championship,” Coach Hamel said. His process goals are “to improve every day and over the course of the season; and to have fun”.

Enjoy: Hamel loves his teams attitude. “I have given them lots of new and challenging strategies to learn,” Hamel said. “They have done a great job of learning as quickly as they can while still playing hard and having fun.”

Coaching Career: Hamel has been a coach for over 15 years.

Main Message: “My main messages for the girls is to have fun, be courageous, and take care of each other,” Hamel said. “To excel at anything, we can’t be afraid to fail.” He also said that how well people get along with and look out for each other influences how wonderful the season can be.

Leaders: There are four seniors on Girls Soccer who were selected by their teammates as captains, Kyleigh McCarthy, Ava Harding, Erin Robinson, and Martha Kuitula. Hamel said they are doing a wonderful job of leading the team “both by the emotional tone they set for their teammates and their level of play during games and practices.”

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Bulat Goals: Oppat said that the more elite athletes have several goals. “[They’re] looking to do some pretty important things, reach some personal records, possibly even qualify for state meets, and then get to travel to Grand Rapids at the end of the season for the state qualification meet.”

Enjoy: “I enjoy seeing people work hard, I enjoy seeing passion, I enjoy seeing their results from just cutting off a second in a race,”Coach Oppat said.

“I also love seeing people’s thrill when they jumped farther or higher than they ever did or thrown farther than they ever did.”

Coaching Career: Oppat has been coaching track at Rochester High for 10 years, but she coached for 4 years before that.

Main Message: Oppat wants to teach commitment, teamwork, problem solving and hard work.

Leaders: For the Boys Track team, Cameron Wright, Drake Reid and Jackson Miller are team captains. For leaders on the Girls Team, Oppat said that Brooke Coulter, Liz Bulat and Maya Smith have done a great job leading the team.

“Coaching is a delicate balance of celebrating and developing. We can be happy with the result and still learn how to do even better.”

-Dustin Coleman

“I try to handle adversity collaboratively; trying to solve the conflict in a creative way where everything is a win-win situation is my goal.”

-Dustin Coleman

“How we go about our business really defines who we are and what kind of experience our players have.”

-Dave Hamel

“I don’t focus nearly as much on winning as on how...we prepare and how we play. Those are the only things we can control... if we do those things well, the winning takes care of itself.” -Dave Hamel

“[My goal is to build] a really great foundation for the teams moving forward after this year and allowing people the opportunity to work hard and see improvements.”

-Amy Oppat

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

PAGE 15 || SPORTS

Senior Kyle Edwards watches the ball after he shoots.

Photo courtesy of Vance Kirkwood.

Junior Owen May lines up for a shot during a tournament.

Photo courtesy of Vance Kirkwood.

ROCHESTER GOLF PRE-SEASON How the golf team prepared for the current season COLLIN KILPATRICK STAFF WRITER

The Rochester high school golf team spent the weeks prior to the Spring season preparing for what was ahead of them. The golf team practiced all offseason in order for them to have a successful season.

“My team has been preparing for the season by practicing 2-3 hours every day,” sophomore Nick Smith said. “Especially practicing putting, because around the green is where you lose the most strokes.”

After last year’s success, the team will be moving up and facing harder competition, but head coach Vance Kirkwood believes the team is up for the challenge.

“We recently moved up a division from blue to white so we are playing tougher teams,” Coach Kirkwood said. “However, we have a lot of guys coming back so we should definitely be competitive and have a shot to win the league championship.”

The team has been trying to make improvements from last year in order to have

a more successful season.

“I feel the team is very well prepared for the upcoming season,” sophomore Steve Meyers said before the Spring season began.

“We are working to improve from last season by going to the ranges more than just playing nine holes for practice.”

The game of golf has experienced some changes according to Coach Kirkwood, and he wants the players to understand them, while still having fun.

“I want my team to be masters of the rules of golf. So many rules changed this year and it changes the game quite a bit,” Coach Kirkwood said. “I also want my team to enjoy themselves out on the course this year. That is important to me as the coach.”

Players say they worked incredibly hard during the offseason, and have set some hefty goals they hope to achieve this year.

“Our goal is to represent the school at the highest level of achievement,” Smith said

before the Spring season began. “We want to beat Stoney and Adams.”

Although the team has been putting in the work, there are still some areas for improvement “The team is lacking in some areas of depth and we will need to improve our scores more,” Smith said.

Coach Kirkwood also believes that some things will need to be improved for the season.

“We can improve on our consistency. We had really good days and not so good days,” Coach Kirkwood said. “If we continued to shoot well on a more consistent basis, that would be so helpful.”

The players were excited to get the season, which began with a tournament in Springfield, Ohio on April 12, underway.

“We have been working so hard to get to this point,” Meyers said. “I can't wait to represent Rochester on the golf course.”

Players believe that the work they put in will translate to success on the golf course this season.

“Through our hard work and effort, this years golf team will be able to get at least 2 wins in the matches,” Smith said.

The season will go until regionals, which will be held on May 29 at Twin Lakes golf course, where the team will try to qualify for the state meet.

“One of our goals this season is to win regionals and hopefully move on to states,” Meyers said.

The hard work from the off season has seemed to pay off as the team has done well in this season’s early tournaments.

“In our first tournament we did well, we placed fourth out of 10 teams, and had a golfer place fourth overall,” Meyers said. “In our next tournament we finished fifth overall out of 20 teams and had a golfer finish top eight.”

THE TALON || SPRING 2019

PAGE 16 || SPORTS

RAINY DAYS STOP THE PLAYS How the weather affects spring sports HOLLY MCDONALD

STAFF WRITER

It’s a rainy day in Michigan, and that’s not a good thing for the spring sports teams at RHS. Although practice is canceled, freshman Lillian Velez, who is on the JV softball team, does not plan to take the day off.

Weather can influence spring sports, no matter the condition. Each sport is affected differently, and the athletes have various ways to deal with unexpected Michigan weather.

“I try to still put in the work that I would do in practice,” Velez said. “I try to get in some drills at home or some conditioning, even if it’s just running on the treadmill. As a team, we try to work just as hard, if not harder, than we would if we had practice on that missed day.”

Over the course of the season, the weather can range from cold, to rainy, to hot.

“In the beginning, it is cold because we are just getting out of winter,” freshman soccer player Katie Bucci said.

“It also can get pretty windy, making it even colder. As the season goes on, it gets warmer as we approach summer.”

According to the athletes, the weather has an effect on their performance at a game or meet.

“I run best in the 60 degree weather, so when it’s cold and hot, I won’t do as well as when it’s in the middle,” freshman Jenna Arnold, who runs track, said. “Also, when it’s cold, you have to make sure that your legs and arms are warmed up, otherwise you could pull a muscle.”

Freshman lacrosse player Rahi Shah understands that people perform differently when the weather changes.

“It differs for every individual athlete,” Shah said. “Some thrive in the cold. Others thrive when it's hot. Personally, I prefer it to be as cold as I run faster in the cold.”

Freshman and varsity soccer player Elizabeth Jewell also performs differently when the temperature varies.

“When it’s cold outside, you’re more prone to injury,” Jewell said. “When it’s hot out, you get tired more often.”

Sophomore soccer player Kourtney Inman is affected by warm and cold weather in different ways.

“When it’s super cold, my performance is low because I can barely feel my body,” Inman said. “When it’s hot I get so

exhausted I don’t even want to run, I just want to drink water and lay in the shade.”

For Velez, bad weather can not only affect the athlete’s performance, but the condition of the field.

“If the fields are really soggy, at least for my particular sport, it can mess with your running,” Velez said. “Your cleats can stick into the dirt and it’s not fun. You’ll end up slower than you usually are and it just doesn’t feel good.”

Due to the inconsistency of Michigan weather, track coach Mr. Larry Adams has been used to adapting to the weather.

“I’ve been in track meets where it’s snowed,” Mr. Adams said. “We had to shovel the track off before we could run the meet. One track season, we could not get into our storage set until April because it was covered by a big, giant snow drift.”

Freshman varsity tennis player Marissa Santia has experienced bad weather in matches before. She shares an experience about one of the worst matches she’s had to play in.

“The worst weather I have had to play in was a storm,” Sanita said. “The match kept being delayed and when I was playing the wind was very strong. It definitely had a negative effect.”

Velez remembers having to play in the rain, and it did not benefit the players in any way.

“The ball was so slippery, it was almost impossible to throw correctly,” Velez said. “If you weren’t wearing a hat, the rain would get in your eyes and it was hard for me to focus on the game.”

Inman experienced playing in extreme heat, and she remembers this specific game being one of the hardest to play in.

“The worst weather I’ve played in was when it was 90 degrees,” Inman said. “We had a lot of time outs so we could all drink some water and stay hydrated.”

Santia finds that the weather is often conflicting with her sport, and there isn’t much she can do about it.

“I find the weather conflicts a lot with games and

practices,” Sanita said. “There are things you can and can’t do in different weather. It can limit you a lot.”

Jewell doesn’t pay much attention to the weather since she has learned to deal with it.

“Practices and games don’t get canceled that often if there’s bad weather,” Jewell said. “You just play in it.”

If the athletes know they must play in bad weather, they have different ways of preparing for a game or meet.

“I can bring lots of different clothes so I can prepare for anything,” Arnold said. “I also make sure I warm up and cool down my body really well so I’m not sore the next day.”

Bucci understands that when playing soccer in warm weather, there isn’t much you can do to prepare.

“There isn’t much you can do about the heat,” Bucci said.

“Stay hydrated and don’t exhaust yourself.”

Shah doesn’t have a physical way of preparing for bad weather, but rather a mental preparation.

“You just have to be mentally prepared for it and tell yourself that you were going to do good no matter what,” Shah said.

If practice is canceled, each team has a different way of making up their missed practice.

“Sometimes we take the day off,” Bucci said. “It is good to have a rest day every once in a while. Other times we will reschedule the practice to a different day.”

If practice is canceled for other teams, they must work out or do something at home to make up for the lost day.

“We try not to cancel practice,” Mr. Adams said. “If we do, they have to do something on their own at home, like running on a treadmill or going to the gym.”

Overall, Mr. Adams understands that the weather can affect athletes, but they learn to adapt over the course of the season.

“Early in the season, it does impact how we perform,” Mr. Adams said. “We’re just not ready. We haven’t had the training or good weather. As they get later into the season, they get in shape finally and they perform better.”

CAPTAINS’ QUOTES “The season has gone very well. We have a great group of guys and a lot of talent. We just have to put the pieces of the puzzle together.”

“We’ve had a lot of up’s and down’s this season, but I’m happy to be a part of it. ” Senior Codi Weis, boys varsity lacrosse team captain Photo by Collin Kilpatrick

Senior Devin Murray, boys varsity baseball team captain Photo courtesy of Devin Murray