Don’t want your locker looking like this? See pg. 8
7 great games to watch this sports season! See pg. 6
S T O N E Y
Your eyes, your ears,
Your Voice
C R E E K
THE
SOURCE
Volume 9
Issue 1
September 6, 2011
575 Tienken Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48306
E D I S
N ITHE
SOURCE
“Shoots!” Ladders and
NEW!
Page 2 Meet “The Duke”
16
Page 3 Staff Editorial: “As teenagers there’s nothing we hate more than teachers or other adults trying to control my out-of-school life.”
Arrrrgh! No room for your fourth AP class in your senior schedule!
GPA drops to 3.8
WINNER!
Changes for Seniors
Welcome e b to t n a “So You W New a Top Scholar” Edition Assistant Principal
24
23
22
21
17
Decide no one 18 will really care if you’re a scholar in 10 years. Don’t “win” the game, but stay sane!
19
20
Oops! Get behind in your online AP class!
14
Score 31 on ACT. Guess you’ll be retaking it this summer.
Spend the weekend studying. Again. 13
15 7
12
8
Re-take ACT for the fourth time. Score 32.
11
Get B- in Spanish II your sophomore year
Take an ACT prep class.
9
6
10
Google+: Next Big Thing “Are You a Facebook Addict?” Quiz
Page 6 Cross Country Moves Up Division New Dance Team Coach 7 Games to Watch The Last 30 Seconds
Page 7
Still Need Your Senior Pictures?
Page 8 How To Organize A Locker
Get a tutor for your Advnaced Algebra class
Sign up for two AP classes
5
4
3
2
Staff Writer Amanda McKay, the school’s new assistant principal, smiles as she drops into a comfortable conversation mode, showing off her style of working with students. Starting this year, McKay will be the assistant principal in charge of the upcoming freshmen and juniors. She will be replacing Kevin Cumming, who has moved on to work as the principal of Adams High School. As an assistant principal at Lake Shore High School, McKay says she developed maternal relationships with students
“ love
I it when the
discipline is rather a
learning
”
experience,
Assistant Principal Amanda McKay
Centerfold Missouri Bans Student/ Teacher “Facebook”ing
by Soojin Chun
1
How to Play Scholar “Shoots!” and Ladders:
1. Be a fresh, dewy-eyed member of the Class of 2014 (or later), dreaming of graduating top of your class. The player with the highest ACT Plan Score goes first. (In case of a Plan score tie, the player with the most middle school academic awards goes first.) 2. Complete your four year plan. Make sure you leave no room for any fun electives in order to explore nonacademic interests. 3. Become scholar of highest distinction by graduating with GPA of 3.9 to 4.0 4. Win by getting a 32 or better on ACT 5. Roll the die and good luck! (Compiled by Matt Pitlock)
after four years of seeing them at school. “I felt like a mom myself, seeing these kids go through high school and being so proud of them,” Mckay said. Like any good “mother,” McKay tries to balance her approach to discpline. McKay revealed her positive view on correcting students’ behaviors with approachability rather than being merely “punitive”. “I love it when the discipline
(Please see “McKay” on p. 2)
Fred Clarke enters first year as superintendent by Matt Pitlock Editor-in-Chief
F
ifty-one applicants, 17 candidates,6 finalists.. All to fill one big pair of shoes. Effective Aug. 1, Fred Clarke took over Rochester Community Schools after Dave Pruneau retired. According to School Board President Barbera Cenko, Clarke brings a great deal of experience to the table because he has taught in big districts and has been the superintendent at Albion Schools. The board hopes that this experience will help Clarke handle any situation he will face as superintendent. “As superintendent in Albion, he initiated programs which increased academic achievement at the elementary and middle school level to the top, or near the top, of the county in most areas.” Cenko said. Along with experience ,the board was impressed by Clarke’s detailed plans and goals for the district. “Mr. Clarke has outlined goals which continue to
focus on improving learning opportunities for all students, enhancing professional development for teachers and actively reaching out to internal and external stakeholders,” Cenko Said. According to Clarke some of the first few steps that need to be taken involve adjustments to make room for differences in legislation. “I think that one of the things you really have to watch for is all the changes that are coming from the legislature and the changes in school finance,” Clarke said. He believes that the budget is a major issue. But he also believes that everything must be centered on student achievement and not the bank account. “No matter what we do, every driving force behind everything we do needs to be student achievement,” Clarke said. While considering the budget, Clarke wants to avoid any cuts that directly impact instruction at all cost. According to Clarke, it is
Hands Up: Superintendent Fred Clarke raises his hands during a speech. The entire RCS district assembled in the Stoney Creek gymnasium for the Opening Day Celebration of the district on Aug. 30. (Photo by Nick Cruz) that approach that has made Rochester one of the most successful districts in the state, and he is already impressed by the position the district is in. “Wow, I’m really so impressed with the community and so impressed with the staff and the administrators and it’s like a well-oiled machine how things work here in Rochester,” Clarke said. Despite being very impressed with the district’s
current position, Clarke knows that there is still a lot of work to be done. He believes Rochester Community Schools are at 93 percent, but his goal is always perfection. “The bottom line is it is really hard work, no matter what district you’re in, to roll up your sleeves and achieve perfection,” Clarke said “If you’re at 93 percent that last seven percent is going to be the toughest thing you’ve ever done
in your life.” Cenko was impressed by Clarke’s lack of satisfaction with the status quo and his commitment to moving forward in the district. “During the interview process, Mr. Clarke repeatedly emphasized the importance of continued improvement. He described a collaborative process which would move our district from great to greatness,” Cenko said.
2 SOURCE
THE
McKay (Continued from p. 1)
is rather a learning experience,” she said. “You know, when the kids can get involved and say, ’Hey I learned something from this situation so let’s move on.’” Such an optimistic attitude relates to her motherly personality. With two young kids, Mckay says that they are actively involved in her job. “My life right now is all about family,” she said, “and, being the assistant principal, I’m at school a lot. So... at the after school events, Amanda McKay they will be with me.” With time always running short, it is a wonder as to how she manages to “keep a good balance” between her work, her kids, and her interests. Mckay spends what extra time she has studying for a doctorate, and keeping healthy by playing volleyball and running. She jokingly says that students “may see me pushing the big, read double jogger around Rochester.”
Hot Rams Horn
Big Boy
“I’m With You” - Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Tha Carter IV” - Lil Wayne
Womping
Moshing
Middle school agendas
New Agendas
School Library technology Closed update Before School
September 6, 2011
SCHOOL
Off the Record with
Derek “Duke” Elkins
E
Introducing... The Man in Blue.
ver written on a desk one morning and it was gone the next? The Duke was there. Ever thrown away a rotten sandwich one day and it was gone the next? The Duke took out the trash. Ever seen some kids walking into the school past school hours? No worries, the Duke took care of it. The seniors don’t rule the school from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., the Duke does. The mysterious Duke. The Assistant Head custodian of the school. The custodian for five years at Stoney Creek. The man who has somehow gone unnoticed in the hallways. He’s Derek Elkins.
Source: Can you tell us the meaning behind the nick name? Elkins: (Laughing) I can’t disclose that. It’s not a paper appropriate. Source: Any crazy things happen this summer in the custodian workplace? Elkins: Well, we had a few kids decide they were going to repel off of the staircase up on the third floor there. Source: When did that happen? Elkins: Early summer, June. Source: These were workers? Or…kids? Elkins: Kids! They came in the school. I guess he might have been going into the army, I don’t know, and he was going to show his friends that he could repel… (Laughs.) Source: What did you guys do? Elkins: We had seen him going up there— and he’d seen us. He panicked, so he just went down really quick. Source: You point and laugh? Elkins: Yeah! But, really I was waiting for a scream. I thought he might have broken something. Source: Any pictures? Elkins: No, no pictures. You know it might be on YouTube or something. (Smiles.)
“
No, no pictures. You know it might be on YouTube or something.
Source: What’s your favorite part of your job? Elkins: Friendly people, I guess. Source: What’s your least favorite part? Elkins: Probably cleaning toilets.
Snapback Hats
Georgia
Fitted Hats
Lucida Bright
Not
Source: Which bathrooms have the worst toilets? Elkins: (Laughs hysterically.) The staff bathrooms…the ventilation isn’t too good in those. If you see someone exiting those staff bathrooms, you definitely don’t want to go back in right then. You kinda take a deep breath…hold it… prop the door open and do other stuff while it airs out. Yeah, they’re pretty gross.
Fun Facts about This Guy • Only Duke knows the origin of his nickname
Source: Have you created any friendships with kids? Elkins: Um, no. Not too many. I just kinda tend to stay doing my job, you know… and help out if there are any problems.
• The Duke’s hobby is his
Source: Do you have any pet peeves that students do a lot? Elkins: Um, yeah. Our Stoney mascot. If it could stop appearing on walls and lockers and stuff like that… I’m sure you know what I mean by that. (With a slight smile on his face,) It’s everywhere…
• “Duke” doesn’t hate
Source: What’s the biggest mascot you’ve found? Elkins: Well, there was probably a ten-footer down in the theatre wing. Yeah, the rocket was probably around ten feet long. Don’t worry, we got it off…
salt water sea tank! kids, but he does find them kind of annoying.
Source: So if you ever met one of these guys who was drawing on the walls like this…? Elkins: Oh, he would probably be going to Larry Goralski. Source: So are you tight with Larry Goralski? Elkins: I don’t know if we’re tight… but we definitely chat it up from time to time. He’s a real good guy. Source: You clean out some of the trash cans right? What’s the weirdest stuff that you’ve found? Elkins: I mean we’ve found ipods and stuff kids have thrown away…and they work… We’ve found crazy stuff. In the auditorium wing, the craziest thing I found was a pair of underwear (shaking his head.)
(Compiled by Lindsey Scullen, Reed Cao, Kira Bucksbaum, Courtney Bourgoin, Matt Pitlock, and Nick Cruz)
Kelley Breaks Down the Rumor Mill for Seniors Rumor: Prom is changing
by Kira Bucksbaum Staff Writer
Another year of school has begun, and rumors have already been buzzing. Every year, conjecture of change circulates around the student body, most of which applies to the seniors. So is anything being altered for the class of 2012? Principal John Kelley breaks down the rumors.
Rumor: Only the seniors got pick your locker day this year.
Fact
Fiction
This year, the rest of the school was assigned lockers, while seniors were allowed to pick their locker locations. Underclassmen are just going to have to wait. Kelley said that it is “a Stoney tradition we wanted to keep alive.”
locations this year.
Fact
being taken away from seniors.
Fiction
There may be some alterations to the prom venue this year. These changes are not set in stone, Kelley said, but are simply being considered. “We want to see if we can make our options more affordable to families,” Kelley said, referring to the expenses of senior prom.
Rumor: Graduation is changing locations this year.
Fact
Rumor: Off-campus lunches are
Fiction
Graduation, too, may change venues this year. Nothing is certain. The administration is just considering the options.
Fact
Fiction
“Seniors don’t get off campus lunch at all this year. We’re actually giving juniors off campus lunch instead,” Kelley said jokingly. “In fact, you guys don’t even get a lunch.” All kidding aside, the rumors are off campus lunches being taken away from seniors are false. Seniors are still allowed off campus lunches, a privilege juniors will have to wait another year for. So, if only a portion of the senior gossip is true, why do these rumors circulate every year? “It’s like the game telephone,” Kelley said. “Someone says something, then another person hears part of what that person said, and then someone else hears part of the part that they heard, and so on.”
Shush! Assistant Principal John Kelley is shushing the rumors. Whether they’re fact or fiction, Kelley doesn’t like them. (Photo by Nick Cruz)
THE
September 6, 2011
SOURCE
OUR OPINION Administation
3
4
number of district superintendents since Stoney began number of assistant principals since Stoney began
Val/Sal
number of valedictorians of the 2011 graduating class
700
billion minutes a month are spent on facebook
57%
of people talk to other people more online than in real life
1
13
in every
people on Earth have a Facebook account
1 2
of them are logged onto Facebook at any given time
(compiled by Christiana Tanner)
THE STAFF
PRRR!
Register to vote- Turning 17 after Nov. 2? Not eligible to vote for the 2012 presidential election. Random lockers- No picking lockers for underclassmen. Hope for the best, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Michael Scott RIP- The Office sans Michael Scott seems improbable, but we’ll see how it goes.
Prompt Parkdale- Parkdale bridge may open ahead of schedule.
Locker Buddies- Seniors pick their own lockers. Get your math book next to your friend all year.
Amy Hestir Student Protection Act gives students reason to rebel
he only thing the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act in Missouri does is scare kids away from teachers and tell them that teachers are the enemy. It tries to provide teenagers with extra protection–extra protection we don’t need.
As teenagers, there’s nothing we hate more than teachers or other adults trying to control our out-ofschool lives. In Missouri, lawmakers found it necessary to pass Senate 54, better known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act. It’s a law that prohibits students and teachers from contacting each other through Facebook and other social networking sites. This law is a road block to students and teachers who need quick communication. The law was passed in response to a sexual harassment case involving Hestir and her teacher. We’re not trying to disregard that. But we find it hard to believe that passing a law to stop Facebook messaging between teachers and students means putting a halt to the actual issue at hand. Sexual harassment is more likely to take place in the classroom where the student spends five days a week. So, what’s the real problem if not social networking? The school. If the district is oblivious to the harassment at hand, they should consider paying a little more attention. In addition to the ban on Facebook, the law makes background checks on all school faculty more lengthy and careful. That’s all it should say. Facebook is our generation’s e-mail and its features
Your View:
“You can learn too much about the teacher’s friends and you would know too many personal facts about [teachers]. Freshman Thies Ey
Sources: Collegestats.org, onlinescores.org, Digitalbuzzblog.com.
make communicating easier and faster. Teachers Reka Hagen, Aaron Lougheed, and Gayle Martin use Twitter to inform their students of the day’s lesson and upcoming tests. Messaging a teacher rather than e-mailing speeds up the whole “What’s my homework?” process. And since when is telling students what is and isn’t appropriate the state of Missouri’s responsibility? If anything, parents should establish rules with their children to keep them safe. But our biggest concern is this: From the minute we got to high school, we felt older and more mature. We knew freedom came with responsibility. Yes we have learned a lot of our parents’ lessons the hard way, but we did it ourselves. We want to be trusted on our own to do the right thing. If we’re messaging a science teacher asking questions about today’s lesson, so be it. If we feel threatened at any point, we will let the school or administration know. All we’re saying is that by giving teachers more guidelines and restrictions, the government is not only insulting the teachers with a law that will do little good. it is also just giving us more reason to rebel. We don’t need or want any extra, useless protection.
Should students and teachers be “freinds on Facebook?
“I think it’s always good to keep an open studentteacher dialogue and as long as the relationships are responsible between student and teacher, there should be no problem.” Junior Graham Key
“It is a good law because until you graduate, you shouldn’t be friends for safety reasons.” Senior Taylor Zuelch
“It’s dumb. Doesn’t make any sense. The state should not have the right to prevent relationships.” Sophomore Paul Seyferth
New Top Honor Criteria Angers and Elates pro con
More students will work harder and more will receive honors by Rakesh Reddy Staff Writer
A
t their May 24 Board meeting, the Board of Education approved two new policy revisions leading to a new valedictorian/ salutatorian policy. Beginning with the class of 2012, the titles of valedictorian, salutatorian, and top honors have been removed. But do not fret, you high achievers. The previous system is to be replaced by three levels of recognition that will accommodate a much larger student population. Starting with the current sophomores, students can set their sights on one of three levels of recognition: Scholar of Highest Distinction, Scholar of Distinction and Scholar of Achievement. Unfortunately, the class of 2011, 2012, and 2013 will continue to follow the existing policy in which the student(s) with the highest GPA will become valedictorian, the student(s) with the second highest GPA will become salutatorian, and the remaining students will be Top Scholars. According to RCS.com, “The revision to the policies underscores the value the Board places on excellence and its wish to instill in students the desire to do their best in all things.”
And I completely agree. In the previous system, one student was awarded the highest academic honor of valedictorian, followed by the salutatorian and then by the top honors. This system failed to accommodate the rigor of the types of classes taken and focused mainly on the GPA aspect of a student’s high school career. This didn’t accurately title a student’s academic achievement, as it is harder to get a higher GPA in honors or AP classes compared to normal classes. Also, under the old policy, only a handful of students received recognition for their achievements, leaving out a majority of the student population. “I like the new system because it allows a greater number of people to be proud of their accomplishments,” Sophomore Vincent Tancredi said. “I personally would work harder to achieve something that I feel is possible rather than the low possibility of becoming valedictorian or salutatorian.” That being said, in addition to offering a wider range of opportunities to students, the new system also pushes students to work harder in school.
ACT scores, AP classes do not determine potential by Soumith Inturi Staff Writer
The New Top Scholar Titles Scholars of Highest Distinction GPA: 3.9 – 4.0 AP Courses Taken: 4 ACT Composite: 32 or higher Scholars of Distinction GPA: 3.8 AP Courses Taken: 3 ACT Composite: 28 or higher Scholars of Achievement GPA: 3.5 AP Courses Taken: 2 ACT composite of 26 or higher
W
Editor-in-Chief: Matt Pitlock
Managing Content Editor: Lindsey Scullen
Girl Power- Primary presidential elections are coming up. Is Michele Bachmann the new Sarah Palin?
THE EDITORIAL
21.2 T 7 average composite ACT score of 1.3 million seniors of the graduating class of 2007
GRRR!
PRRR
NUMB3RS
GRRR
BY THE
3
ith the class of 2014 comes a new policy that radically changes the criteria required to become a “Scholar of Highest Distinction.” You may ask, “Wait, what? Scholar of Highest Distinction? What happened to Valedictorian and Salutatorian?” These terms are more familiar to people, than the terms “Scholar of Highest Distinction” and “Scholar of Distinction.” The School Board should have just reused the previous terms instead of inventing titles with which no one is familiar. The new policy brings too many unnecessary changes to the previous policy, a policy which was already a good indicator of a student’s rank. One criterion for these new titles is the number of APs a student has taken. However, the number of APs is not a proper indicator as not all AP classes are rigorous, and there are some classes that are rigorous even without being Advanced Placement. What’s more, requiring students to take many Advanced Placement classes forces them to go out of their way to take unnecessary classes that would
not contribute to their future college careers. Moreover, a high score on the ACT is required for a student to win the highest honor. This criterion should not be required, as standardized tests are not very accurate measures of a student’s potential. They measure proficiency in a narrow aspect of a student’s potential, more specifically, a student’s ability to analyze and test-take. Although this measurement is important, a student’s abilities can be better showcased through other tests, other standardized tests even, such as the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). These sort of exams measure more education-related skills than the ACT does. I’m not saying that the ACT is not a good test. All I’m saying is that, in the context of the new policy, the ACT is not a good measurement of scholarly distinction. Finally, the change in the criteria between each level is not even. For the second level, “Scholar of Distinction,” the GPA required is 3.8 or higher, but for the lower level, “Scholar of Achievement,” the GPA required drops to a 3.5. This change should not be as drastic. There should be a gradual change between the levels. This would give a fair opportunity for all students.
Managing Design Editor: Nick Cruz
Team:
Danielle Blessing Courtney Bourgoin Kira Bucksbaum Reed Cao Soojin Chun David Hanna Soumith Inturi Christina Leininger Danielle Linihan Michael Martinez Rakesh Reddy Darian Roseman Rachel Shutter Christiana Tanner Alexandra Zurkan
Advisor:
Gayle Martin
THE POLICY We, the Stoney Creek Source Staff, produce this publication to accomplish the following goals: The Source will serve as a means of communication between students, teachers, and members of the community. We will respect all opinions and will present them in an unbiased manner. The Source will inform and entertain readers and address trends and issues important to its audience. Although we are a student publication produced by the Writing for a Publication class, we will strive to make The Source accurate and truthful and to adhere to all standards of professional journalism. We recognize and respect the privileges given to us under the First Amendment, including freedom of speech and of the press. The Source is a forum of student expression and we, the students on the staff, have the editorial authority to make our own content decisions. We will provide a sounding board for the student body and the community; therefore, the opinions expressed in by-lined opinion articles and letters should not be considered to be the opinions of the entire newspaper staff, the advisor, the school administration, or the student body as a whole.
CONTACT LETTER POLICY:
Letters to the editor and guest articles and art may be submitted to Mrs. Gayle Martin in Room C285. All letters, articles, and art must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request. The Source Stoney Creek 575 Tienken Rd. Roch. Hills, 48306
E-mail: gmartin@
rochester.k12.mi.us
MEMBERS
National Scholastic Press Association Michigan Interscholastic Press Association
4 SOURCE
THE
Got a
Fetish? by Alexandra Zurkan The Source
Recently, doctoral students from Ohio State University released a study linking a low GPA with frequent Facebook usage. The study found that Facebook users tend to have GPAs ranging 3.0-3.5, while their non-user counterparts tend to have GPAs ranging 3.5-4.0. Think your Facebook fetishmay be affecting your GPA? Take this quiz and find out!
1.
On average, how many hours do you spend on school work each week? A: 11-15 hours B: 6-10 hours C: 0-5 hours
2.
The first icon you click on when you start up your computer is: A: Microsoft Word, to begin writing a paper for school. B: Internet Explorer, to check my email. C: Internet Explorer, to check my Facebook.
LIFESTYLES
Sc rlet A SOCIAL NETWORK
3. Have you ever had a "poke
war" with any of your Facebook friends? A: What's a poke war? B: Every so often, between one or two Facebook friends. C: Yes. I have been having a poke war with ten different Facebook friends for at least two years.
4.
How frequently do you check your love interest's Facebook profile? A: Never. That is creepy and stalker-ish. Plus, I never have the time to. B: Every so often. But only if they talk to me first, comment on my status or photos, or post on my wall. C: Extremely frequently. I check it every five minutes I am online –just to be informed of his/her status updates, wall posts, pages they have liked, as well as any comments he/she has made on others' statuses/photos.
5.
Your birthday is coming up and you decide to throw a party. Do you create an event on Facebook? A: No. I pass out my own, handmade invitations, complete with an RSVP date. B: Yes, but I also send out fliers as invites. While some people rely on Facebook events for information, I know that not everyone is sincere online about whether or not they plan on attending the event. C: Of course! I will post updates every day and bug the guests who will "maybe" be attending until I get a straight answer.
6.
How often do you check your Facebook account? A: A few times a week, at the most. B: About once a day. C: At least twenty times a day.
7.
Do you get Facebook sent to your cell phone via text messages? A: No. B: Yes, but only when people comment on my profile. C: Yes, along with all of my friends’ Facebook activity.
8.
Do you know any tricks to log on to Facebook at school? A: There are tricks? B: No. It's not THAT important. C: Yes!
9.
Do you often lose sleep over Facebook? A: No, only over homework. B: No, I usually log off at least a few hours before I go to bed. C: Yes. I am usually online until at least midnight. I wake up at my computer only to find an imprint of my keyboard on my forehead.-
So do I have a fetish or not? If you answered mostly... A’s: Not really, you’re just a Networking Novice. B’s: Yes, you’re a Stable Surfer. C’s: Are you kidding me? Do cats meow? You’re a News Feed Fiend!
A
September 6, 2011
Missouri law prevents teachers from friending students on Facebook by Lindsey Scullen
Managing Content Editor
A
my Hestir is attacked by one teacher and suddenly all teachers are stamped with a scarlet letter. In the classroom, teachers call logic like this a logical fallacy. In the Missouri legislature, officials call it the law. On July 14, the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, a bill sponsored by Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham, became a state law in that state. Soon after the bill became a law, a small part of the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act blew up the public’s newsfeed. This small part is the clause that makes it illegal for any teacher in any school district within the state of Missouri to have exclusive access to any current or former student on a personal website. According to this new law, no teacher in the state of Missouri can legally “friend” any student on Facebook. According to YouTube video “Sen. Jane Cunningham discusses Amy Hestir Student Protection Act,” Cunningham’s primary goal behind this new law is to prevent further sexual misconduct from teachers and to protect students like Amy Hestir, the student for whom this law was named. “We found that Missouri was the eleventh state in the nation for sexual misconduct by teachers,” Cunningham said. The problem that led Cunningham to create this bill, though, was that the school districts where teachers were found guilty of a “misconduct” worked would simply lay off the teacher and not do anything further. This made the guilty teacher able to find work elsewhere in other districts.
Thanks to this bill, “we made the sending district liable,” Cunningham said. Cunningham’s main goal for Missouri is to prevent teachers who have acted inappropriately from slipping under the radar—a goal thought to be “wellintentioned” by people like senior Joe Seeley. While Cunningham’s goal is to protect students from teachers, teacher Cara Lougheed’s goal is to protect teachers from students. Over the summer, Lougheed attended the Michigan EducaTeacher tion Association Summer Leadership Conference. At the conference, Lougheed went to a session that taught teachers how to protect themselves on Facebook and other social networking sites. The conference’s primary suggestion to teachers about Facebok was that they have separate accounts for classroom use, something teachers like Julie Gibson and Bethany Dunning already use regularly for teaching purposes. When Lougheed returned from the conference, she invited her “teacher friends” to join her in what she called a “Facebook Purge.” Passing along suggestions from the conference, she asked fellow teachers to “clean up their pages, delete people, and check their privacy settings.” However, the fact that Lougheed is not a fan of “friending” students on Facebook does not mean that she is a fan of
“
the law in Missouri. “The law in Missouri is disturbing to me for a few reasons,” Lougheed said. “It seems to assume that teachers are a danger of some kind to students.” Junior Tricia Goble, who also chooses not to friend any of her teachers on Facebook, says that even so it “really helps that [teachers] are on Facebook so that if I had a question for a group, or even an assignment on a day I missed, I would be able to reach them.” Seemingly not a supporter of the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, also unBrandon Ulrich Goble derstands why some students “friend” some teachers on Facebook in circumstances like teachers of electives or clubs. She elaborated a little bit saying that these teachers are role models and friends with kids thanks to the close-knit groups. For example, choir teacher Brandon Ulrich does choose to “friend” students on Facebook. “I don’t feel that I have anything on my Facebook page that anyone shouldn’t see,” he said. “I view it as a valuable way to communicate.” According to Ulrich, as Facebook is one of the top ways by which kids communicate today in “this modern world,” it is unwise for this law to limit communication as it does. “Ten years ago, some teachers used to do nice things for kids on their birthdays,” Ulrich said. “I can show people I care by sending them encouraging mes-
In the words of Mr. G—‘one should not punish the many for the crimes of the few.’
”
sages, which I do often, telli happy birthday, and being aware some kids are in trouble.” Ulrich went on to say tha other teachers have been able help for kids who were suicidal t the warning signs they saw in F messages. In addition, Ulrich uses F when he has to get important m to his chior students. For exam year there was a snow day on of an important concert. Wit cebook, his students would ha clueless when it came to rehears performance times, etc. Senior Joe Seeley agrees cebook’s modes of communica valuable to students, especially comes to keeping in touch with after high school. While Seeley also choose friend his teachers on Facebook remains in high school, he too q the logistics of the law in Missou “Who’s in charge of tracki who every teacher is friends w wouldn’t that result in an invasio vacy?” Seeley said. He further seemed to ques effectiveness of the law’s goal to misconduct from teachers. “I think that whether it’s we tioned or not… it’s not like teac meeting their students over Fa Seeley said. “They’re meeting t dents in class.” The Amy Hestir Student P Act goes into effect in Missouri 28. The consensus in the Ston community seems to be that th law should stay in Missouri an no further. Ulrich said, “In the words (Principle Larry Goralski)—‘on not punish the many for the crim few.’”
September 6, 2011
LIFESTYLES
t
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at he and e to find thanks to Facebook
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THE
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Google Redefines Social Networking with Google+ by Christina Leininger The Source First, there was MySpace. Following that, Facebook. And recently–the great divide. Some social networkers abandoned Facebook for the more trendy Twitter, while others remained solely on Facebook. Some committed themselves to both. With the creation of Google+ (Google Plus), unity may at last be attained. Google+, or more accurately “The Google+ Project,” can be an overwhelming concept to grasp at first. It’s basically the beloved Google search engine, plus more—hence “Google+.” Its goal, as stated on the Google+ home page is “to make sharing online more like sharing in real life.” One key feature called, “circles,” accomplishes this. A user drags and drops each friend into a designated circle. Google has four circles set up as a starting point (Friends, Family, Acquaintances, and Following); however, these can be renamed and more can be added. Once a user groups friends accordingly, the user chooses what information to share with each circle. And who’s in what circle is completely private. The kids placed in the “losers” circle will never know. Another feature of Google+ not found on Facebook or Twitter is “Sparks.” “Sparks” is a search box a user can enter his or her interests into. If a user entered “sports” into the search box, he or she would then receive news and updates about “sports.” “Sparks” saves web browsers time. Instead of digging through the abyss that is the internet to find cool stuff, the user can simply view “Sparks.” What really sets Google+ aside from other social networks, though, is its relation to the web. Google+ members have access to a search engine (Google) from a tool-bar embedded in the social network. This tool-bar allows users to share very easily with friends. A user can browse the web, and upon coming across something interesting, the latest silly cat video perhaps, the user can hit the “+1” button. Upon clicking “+1,” the item the user wishes to share pops up in his or her news feed. This way, friends may have a laugh at the silly cat as well. Google+’s popularity rises. People rush to join–but they can’t. Google+ is limited to connections–invitation only. The high school generation of kids rush to join–but they can’t. Google+ is limited to people 18 and older. Google+ is in its field trial period, and not yet open to the general public. The field trial is kind of like a test-run to see what needs work. However, if you must get on, and are at least 18, but simply lack connections, you can buy your way in. Google Plus invites are for sale on eBay. Most invites fall into the price range of $0.01 to nearly $10.
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September 6, 2011
LIFESTYLES
State champ dance team replaces head coach by Rachel Shutter Staff Writer
New Dance Team Coach Lauren Beaudin practices 12 hours every week, teaching over 20 girls choreography, and then travels to dozens of competitions throughout the season while defending the state championship title. Beaudin has been involved with the dance team for over eight years. She has over 15 years of dancing experience including several professional positions, including for Detroit sports teams and the rock singer John Mellencamp. But now she says she has a different love and obsession. “Now my passion is
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...those girls are truly living for that one minute on the field.
One Step at a Time: Senior Eli Nasr runs a 18:46 on an injured ankle at the time trials at Bloomer Park Aug. 26. Nasr helped the team regain its Red Division placement with a 16:07 personal best in the ‘10 season, as well as being a competitor at the state meet. (photo by Cassi Matti)
After successful ‘10 season, team returns to Red Division
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Lauren Beaudin Coach coaching,” Beaudin said. “It’s something I live, eat and breath.” She says she wants to share her knowledge and love for dance with the team this season to advance far and have another successful year. She enjoys working with others who love the art as much as she does. “The girls are amazing and inspiring,” Beaudin said. Not only do I push them, but they push me to be the best coach.” She believes that this team unity will be a great advantage this season. “A team that rises together, fails together,” Beaudin said. She explained that a great team needs more than a good coach and a few good dancers. According to Beaudin if someone on the team doesn’t perform well, everyone loses. To ensure that every dancer is prepared when competition time comes, Beaudin has her teams dedicate many hours to practicing, conditioning and learning new routines. The dance team works almost year round with the beginning of the season in late April, to the end of the season in late March the next year. Although Beaudin talks of how much commitment and hard-work must be put into dancing, she stresses the importance of team bonding and good relationships. “I hope to see the team bond as one and no longer call themselves a team, but a family,” Beaudin said. She thinks that the closer a team is, the more they will work for each other. Beaudin thinks their hardwork and dedication shows much promise for this coming season. She says she sees the true passion and dedication to being a truly great team in the teams dancing. “When they step out onto the field to cheer on the school sports team, the fans are just watching for entertainment,” Beaudin said. “But those girls are truly living for that one minute on the field. Dance is not just a sport, but is also an art.”
by Darian Roseman Staff Writer
Cross Country is
Movin’ on up
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unners toe the starting line as a mock race is about to begin. A whistle blows and dozens of feet hit the ground in the dash to the finish line. This is the time trial for the Cross Country team at their home race course at Bloomer Park August 26. The Cross Country team has higher expectations now that the team has moved up into OAA Red, the top division in the county for the fall season. The team moved up after winning both regionals and leagues in the OAA White Division. Coach Jedadiah Kramer thinks that this division will force every runner to the next level. ”More pressure is put on the races themselves; every single runner counts,” Kramer said. Kramer has been the coach of the Cross Country team since the school first opened. His team has competed before in the Red Division, but most recently in the White Division. The change occurred at the end of last year’s league meeting where the officials decided to pull Stoney up into the OAA Red Division. This means that the team would be racing against fellow Rochester schools, Rochester and Rochester Adams. However, the year before, the officials voted Stoney Creek down a division in an effort to make
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the divisions smaller. Now that the team is racing against the top schools in the county, many of the varsity runners are nervous as they run for the actual points that determine the outcome of a race. “I’m way more nervous because now the team is racing against extremely good teams,” said junior Cassie Hoffman. Hoffman is a two-year varsity runner. Senior Sarah Hayes also feels the nerves for the upcoming season. “I’m scared about being in the back of the pack this year, unlike last, where we were almost always in the front,” said Hayes. Hayes hopes to help give the team points while racing in the more difficult races that the team must face. The Cross Country Team has set higher goals for themselves and are pushing harder in their training, all due to competing in the topmost division. “Although, we have not changed our training regime, I can tell that everyone is working harder than ever,” said Kramer. Kramer wishes to place well within the league this year. “I see it as a huge goal for us to place in Red this year; we are one of the hardest working teams out there!” Kramer said.
I’m way more nervous because now the team is racing against extremely good teams. Boys Varsity Soccer Game Against who: Rochester High When: Oct. 13, 7:00 p.m. Where: Rochester soccer field Why: The Cougars look for a hopeful second win against the cross-town rivals. Girls Varsity Volleyball Team Against Who: Adams and Rochester When: Oct. 25, 5:00 p.m. Where: Stoney Creek Main Gym Why: The Cougars take on their two rival teams in the Rochsester City Cup. Boys Varsity Tennis Team Against who: State Finalists When: To Be Determined Where: To Be Determined Why: Cougars hope to beacome statewide champs beating out the best teams.
30 the last
Seconds
(photo by Nick Cruz)
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Junior Cassie Hoffman
THE
game plan
Whether it’s a touchdown, goal, spike, ace, or hole in one, the students of Stoney Creek will always show thier Cougar pride and support their sport teams. But finding the good games among the many different sport events can be a difficult task for even the most fanatic sports fans.
Cross Country State Meet Who: Varsity Runners When: Sept. 16, 1 p.m. Where: Michigan State Campus Why: This race is considered a preview for the state meet and the boys’ team finished eighth last year.
Girls Varsity Golf Meet Who: Senior Gabby Yurik When: Sept. 26, 11:30 a.m. Where: OU golf course Why: Yurik hopes for her fourth consecutive state run. Boys Varsity Football Game Against who: Farmington Harrison When: Sept. 9, 7:00 p.m. Where: Farmington Harrison football field Why: The Cougars are during it out with the defending state champion Hawks. Girls Varsity Swim Meet Against who: Adams High When: Oct. 25, 6 p.m. Where: Adams natatorium Why: The Cougars play the high ranking rivalry team at their home field.
Varsity Football Stoney Creek Cougars vs. Port Huron Northern Huskies August 25, 7 p.m. Cougar Stadium Final score: Cougars 31, Huskies 14
“Set, hut! Set, hut!” the Huskies’ quarterback yells. The crowd goes silent as the stadium braces for the final play of the game. Time out. The Port Huron Northern Huskies call one of the two time outs they have left. The players disperse back to their coaches for a final word. The Cougars rush back to position after the time out while the Huskies slowly tread back to their starting positions. “Set, hut! Set, hut!” the quarterback yells again. Again the crowd braces. Time out.
The Stoney Creek side of the stadium lets out a synchronized groan as the Huskies call their last time out. One final word with the coaches for Port Huron Northern. “Set, hut! Set, hut!” the quarterback yells, one final time. The crowd braces. “And that’s the end of the game!” The announcer says. The clock hits zero, the Huskies trudge back to their coach, the Cougar football players line up in excitement. Both teams shake hands and meet with their coaches. Finally the players sprint over to the student section, and the crowd stands up in a roar of victory. (compiled by Nick Cruz)
September 6, 2011
SPORTS
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8SOURCE What’s in Your Locker? THE
September 6, 2011
LIFESTYLES
A student’s guide to locker organization by Nick Cruz
Managing Design Editor
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very year, the faculty assigns every student a locker. And every year, there are students who don’t bother organizing their lockers before it’s too late. Having an organized locker keeps a student from wasting time sifting through their stuffed school supplies. The extra time won’t give a student more than a few minutes, but a little bit goes a long
way. Students can continue a conversation for a few more minutes. Students can pace themselves instead of sprint to their Spanish class across the school. Students can have some peace of mind knowing their psychology project won’t get crushed by their biology book because of their shelving. Or maybe a student just doesn’t like looking at a messy locker. Regardless of the reason, taking the small amount of time and effort to organize and prepare a locker for the 180-day school year is worth the hassle.
Senior Tips
Stephanie Goble
Junior Year Books: Physics Government Economics Psychology PDM English
Stephanie’s Tip:
“Organize early, or else you’ll regret it.”
Chris Marten Junior Year Books: English Algebra 2 AP U.S. History Physics
Coat Hangers
Chris’s Tip:
Every locker comes with four coat hangers: two in the back and one on each side of the locker. A shelved locker gives a student 28 ½ inches of vertical space above the locker and 10 ½ inches below. Even with an empty locker, a shelved locker having 28 ½ inches of vertical space for a coat to hang is not enough for a teenager’s coat. Hang your backpack, purse, or any small bag on the hooks, and bunch up your coat or jacket to fit your items easier.
“Don’t leave food in your locker. It rots.”
Miguel Pedroche Junior Year Books:
The Shelf Out of the 1536 lockers that the school opened with, 1074 lockers have locker shelves. Locker shelves add another solid base to put books on, making it easier to organize a locker. If you don’t have a shelf, shelve your binders vertically on the base of the locker, and put a horizontal binder on top of those. The horizontal binder will act as a shelf and give you more room to shelve more binders or books vertically on top of that.
Locker Door Stoney Creek has 1536 lockers in the four main locker areas. If an average student uses his or her locker at least six times a day, 180 days of the year, over 1.6 million lockers will close every year. Locker doors may not gain the best treatment from high school students, but when it comes to personalizing a locker, grates give the best personalization for a high school student. A door has a height of 38 inches and a width of 8 ¾ inches. Minus the 4 ¾-by-5 ½ inch lock, the door gives a student 306 3/8 inches squared to put pictures, a mirror, pencil holder, or whatever the student would like on it. Magnets are perfect for the door, but because of the locker grates and the bulky lock, only 107 inches of the door can be used to put objects such a mirror with magnets. Put your pictures on the grated areas and save the middle area for magnetic objects to help fit all your personals.
AP Chemistry English FST Mythology Wilderness Survival Economics
Miguel’s Tip: “Find something that works for you and stick to it.”
Tyler Frenak Junior Year Books: FST Physics Government Economics English
Tyler’s Tip:
“Keep your books and binders separate. Get a shelf if you don’t have one.”
It’s a Shelf Life
Shelf - Method 1
Whether you have a shelf or not, there are different ways to get on with organizing. Here are some popular ways that students shelve their books.
One way to simply shelve books is to put them vertically next to each other on top. Nothing special with this method.
No Shelf
Having no shelf shouldn’t stop you from organizing. Stack your books vertically then a horizontal book to make a sturdy shelf on top like in the picture, giving you a makeshift shelf.
Shelf - Method 2 Another method is to use the area underneath the shelf for books. Since binders usually don’t fit underneath the shelf, many people stack their books underneath.