0506-1 by The Squall

“Put those shoulders away before you hurt someone.”

Dexter High School - 2200 N. Parker Road Dexter, Mi 48130

September 30, 2005 Volume XVI, Issue 1

US to crack down on drug use, especially marijuana

WAR

ON DRUGS

Jon Williamson staff writer

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the United States spends $45 billion dollars a year funding its War on Drugs. The DEA has waged this war since the mid-eighties when the Reagan administration implemented it. Some students don’t accept these statistics with open arms. Senior Ben Stark said, “I feel that it is very perplexing that our government would spend that much on the drug war, when more people die of starvation in our country per year, than by illegal drug overdoses or drug related crimes.”

School liaison ofﬁcer Paul Mobbs has a different perspective though. He said, “This isn’t a war in the traditional sense, where there’s a clear cut winner and loser. No matter what we do there will always be drug use. What we really want to accomplish is cutting down on the hard drugs that pose a serious threat to that individual.” Still many students feel threatened by the government’s war on drugs. Stark said, “They mostly attack the most common drug cannabis. The biggest problem with that is that marijuana is a non-lethal, non-addictive substance. You would be prosecuted the same for a bag of dope as you would for a bag of heroin.” Mobbs, however, said, “We do try to be strict with

some of the less harmful drugs because we feel if we crack down hard on them quick, it will help avoid more serious drugs down the road.” The concept of a gateway drug, a drug that leads to the one time or prolonged use of other drugs, is one that the government uses in its anti-drug propaganda. But not everyone agrees with its factual truths. The organization NORML (National Organization for the Reforms of marijuana Laws), one of the leaders in the fight to legalize marijuana says on its website, “There is no conclusive evidence to suggest a correlation between marijuana use and the use of harder drugs.” In fact, one statistic the NORML cites says that for every 104 Americans who have tried marijuana, there is only one regular user of cocaine. But the DEA’s deputy director for state and local affairs Scott Burns said, “No drug matches the threat posed by marijuana.” Still many students like Stark feel that the money and effort could be put to better use. “The war on drugs will never be won. The DEA can try to enforce it, however, the money they spend on the fight is frivolous. They could be using that money to find a cure for AIDS and other terminal illnesses.”

“This isn’t a war in the traditional sense, where there’s a clear cut winner and loser. No matter what we do there will always be drug use.” • Ben Stark senior

This year’s principal brings changes

The New Guy Ryan Yuenger staff writer

Dexter High School’s ﬁfth principal in seven years, James Bannan has a long administrative history including positions in the Detroit, Berkley, E. Detroit and Utica school districts. And in only a few weeks, he has begun to more strictly enforce rules dealing with the dress code, vending machines and parking lot among others. There are several new rules and policies that seem to be hot button topics among students including no going out into the parking lot during school hours, no getting food or drink from the vending machines during non-lunch hours, no teacher aides making copies and no shoulder can be showing without a student violating the dress code. Bannan said all of the new or newly enforced rules have good reasons behind them. For example, he said, “Students cannot go out to the car during the school day because they would abuse the privilege. I will allow students to go out to their cars once a year, but that’s it.” But for many students, the real controversial issue comes with the new part of the dress code, which says clothing needs to cover both shoulders. According to Bannan, “We tried to be as fair as we could with the dress code.” Some students, such as junior Katie Daratony seem to think this rule is unfair though. “This rule is completely out of line,” she said. I don’t understand how someone’s shoulders are a violation of the dress code. This school

seems to try more and more to become a public school with private school rules.” According to Daratony, a person’s shoulders are not, as the student handbook states, “disruptive to the educational process” and don’t “present a safety risk” to our school and therefore should be acceptable. “How sexy can someone’s shoulders really be?” she said. “I’ve never had anyone come up to me and tell me that I had hot shoulders.” However, junior Matt Mabry sees some of the administrative side of this dress code controversy “I think that this rule would be a good rule if it were enforced properly,” he said. School ofﬁcials shouldn’t make someone cover their shoulders if only an inch or so is showing. Usually shirts that have very thin straps also are quite revealing, which is OK on some people. However, if a student is absolutely revolting, they should be told to put something on.” According to Bannan, most parents fully support the newly enforced dress code. “I have received several letters from parents telling me what a good job I have been doing,” he said. There have been only a few parents who have complained about the newly enforced dress code. Only one parent has gone to the school board to complain.” To students who may deliberately violate the dress code Bannan said, “You don’t have to be in trouble to have fun at school.” He added, “You’ll ﬁnd that the students run the school, and if the students act appropriately, the school will run quite well.”

Mr. Bannan’s previous administrative positions •Detroit School District •E. Detroit School District •Berkley School District •Utica School District

New rules

•Students can no longer go out to the parking lot during the school day. •Students cannot wear clothing that reveals the shoulders. •Teacher aides cannot use the copy machines. •Vending machines will now be turned off during the day.

photo by Spencer Ryan

Report cards watermarked District tries to stop student cheating Sara Newell features editor

After hearing accusations of students scanning their report cards in order to change their grades, Dexter schools have come up with a new kind of report card. The high school will administer report card as they have in the past, by having students pick up their grades in their homerooms. However, this year the report cards will be printed on a special, non-scanable paper. “Their have been concerns about students changing their grades,” assistant principal Andrea Glynn said. “We don’t want to make that an option. With the new paper, that

can’t happen, and we don’t have to worry about students cheating.” In order to tell the difference between the new report cards and regular paper, each report card will have a watermark picture of a dreadnaught. “We have to be sure parents can see the difference between the real ones and ones that were forged,” Glynn said. Dexter schools is also making parents aware of the change. “The information on the new report cards will be sent out in the Weekly Wave e-mail newsletter so that parents know what to look for,” Glynn said. Many students don’t seem to be affected by the new report card format. “I don’t really care,” senior Julia Keineth said. “It doesn’t affect me. But if chang-

ing the report card helps the administration then let them change it.” Other students believe that changing the report cards may not even stop cheating. “Whoever changes their grades is stupid, and they’re only cheating themselves,” senior Toby Puuri said. “But if they’re already cheating they will probably ﬁnd another way to do it.” Glynn agrees. “We will always have kids who will hate everything the school does,” Glynn said. But they have to realize that we’re trying to help students succeed, not to get into trouble. “Students are smart. They know how to use a scanner. They know not to bring a failing grade home, and most would do anything to hide it. We’re just trying to make sure kids can’t do that. It’s cheating.”

illustration by Kendall Goode

on the inside

Escaping Hurricane Katrina: After the hurricane in New Orleans, freshman Miles Ager and his family slowly adjust to a home in Dexter. Page 7

Homecoming memories: With a new pep assembly, new policies regarding ﬂoat building and a new dance, student council tries to change up the way things are done. Page 2 and 12

Dexter’s next top model: 2003 graduate Kyle Kavanaugh becomes a reality TV contestant. Page 4

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Squall

Home-coming up with something new Sydney Ross staff writer

It’s all different. New and improved if you will. This year’s homecoming will be much different than any year before. With an earlier dance and a theme different from any other, things are going to change. Homecoming is run every year by the student council, however this year, student council itself is different. Junior class student council president Katelin Davis said, “We had to change things in student council from the way that they were before because things never really got done. Then it would all just get put onto the president for them to deal with and make the decisions.” This year’s homecoming committee decided to have a much earlier dance. Davis said, “Last year homecoming was so cold, so we moved it to when it was warmer. Also the football team’s schedule is earlier this year, and we had to adjust to their team.”

Davis also said, “This year’s homecoming dance will possibly have a different DJ as well.” Student council adviser and science teacher Jessica Kreeger said that float building will also be different than it has been in the past. “We are making the float building at the school now because last year the participation was low, so maybe now this will make kids want to participate because it’s right here,” Kreeger said. Kreeger also said that this will help get more students involved. “It should be easier to come now because it’s four times a week and two of the times it is right after school so kids can stay after,” she said. “After float building is done we are going to organize something where everyone can hang out and just relax after a long week of float building. We are trying to get concessions and things for it, but we thought that it would be nice that after all the hard work, we had something fun for everyone.” One thing isn’t changing. There is still a pep assembly. According to student council advisor, Jessica

Kreeger it will still be before homecoming in order to get kids excited for the game and the dance. It will still have activities for students to participate in, but this year they are different than in the past. The theme of this year’s dance is cereal. The cereals are Lucky Charms for seniors, Rice Krispies for juniors, Captain Crunch for sophomores, and Wheaties for freshman. People are being asked to drop off cereal boxes to decorate the dance better this year than in the past. Davis said, “This year we are asking everyone in the school to help by bringing in cereal boxes. We are also going to let the parents that want to help get more involved, because they can always help with decoration and chaperoning too.” Some people may ask, why the change? According to Davis there is a good reason for it. “Last year we tried to make it be a fun dance, but because there was no established committee, things never got completed,” she said. “Also, no matter how hard we try, people aren’t always going to be happy, so we thought that we would try and do things differently to see what happened this year. All we can do is hope for the best.”

How was homecoming dance compared to last year?

How was the DJ?

Were the chaperones as strict as last year?

Information collected by Sydney Ross. Survey size: 50 students

Parking passes pose problems

Another year of parking fees causes uproar by students and parents Hilary McCown copy editor

Photo by Brandon Mayotte

Who’s Hiring? Panera Bread 5340 Jackson Rd. Ann Arbor, 48103 222-4944 Who do you talk to: Colleen 1. How many positions are available?

All positions. You get trained for one area. Then after a month you will be able to do all areas (ex: making food, cashier etc.)

2. What hours/how many hours do you offer?

Full time: 40 hours per week, part time: 25 hours per week. Most common hours: 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

3. What is the hourly pay/salary for each position? Depends on experience. If none, minimum wage.

4. Are there any special skills/background you needed to be hired, if so, what?

None, but if you have worked for a restaurant before possibly more.

5. What are three qualities you look for in your employees? Accountability (on time, in uniform), initiative,

and good attitude.

6. How old must you be to be hired? 16 7. How does one get hired?

Fill out an application, we will review it and call you back to set up an interview.

Since the district ﬁrst initiated parking passes for high school students during the 2003-2004 school year, they have been the source of much controversy, not just with students, but with parents, administrators and school board members as well. Two years ago the parking fee was $50, a price much too steep for most students’ liking. The following year the fee was again $50 but $25 was given back to each student later in the year, following the district’s $1.5 million budget surplus. This year, many people were under the impression that there would be no fee to park in the lot, including assistant superintendent Glen Stevenson. So when it was announced that students would have to pay to park again this year, there was an immediate uproar from students, parents and board members. In an e-mail to superintendent Evelyn Shirk, parent Noreen Wolcott wrote, “I am curious as to how you can justify collecting money from high school students who drive to school thus saving the district thousands of dollars in transportation costs?” Senior Paul Jakubik agrees. “I think the whole thing was just a cheap way for the administration to get money from students,” he said. “It’s just a bad idea.” However, Shirk assures students, even though she wasn’t on the committee at the time the passes were initiated, that cheating students out of their money was never the reason behind the fee.

“The district was facing some very difﬁcult times,” Shirk said. “In the middle of the year the state took away money from (the district) that we thought could be used to support student activities and so on.” To solve this problem, Shirk said a variety of parents, board members and community members came up with the idea of charging students to park in the lot. Regardless of how the policy came to be, a vote by board members on Sept. 12 changed the

situation for students this year. Though students originally required to pay a fee of $25 to receive passes and register their cars, the board voted to reimburse students any money they have paid this year, requiring only that each driving student register their car with the ofﬁce and place a pass on it. However, even the new policy has caused some disagreement between students and administrators. Hours before the board voted to get rid of the parking fee, many students left the school and

“I think the whole thing was just a cheap way for the administration to get money from students.” • Paul Jakubik senior headed to their cars, only to find a ticket on the front giving them either a friendly warning to get a pass or a five day parking suspension. The inconsistency is what had most students upset. Many were furious that they received a suspension while others merely got a warning. “It was dumb,” senior Vince Newell said. “I didn’t really agree with the suspension. I thought it was a little overboard.” Principal Jim Bannan, though, said that the reason for the unfairness in discipline was simply the fact that the paraprofessionals checked the wrong box on the pass. “We pulled every ticket given before Monday the 19th because of the inconsistency.” This means that any student who received a ticket before that date will have the penalty erased from their record. Most students feel the new policy is more justified. “I guess (registering) is not a bad idea,” Jakubik said. “It’s just a lot of useless paper work, but it’s better than being charged.” Bannan agrees to a certain extent. Though he had no part in the decision making behind the fee, he said registration is a must. “It’s my job to see that (the parking lot) is as safe as I can make it,” he said. “Whatever I can do to make it better for (the students) I’m going to do it.”

Friday, September 30,2005

The Squall

things to pass the time by Jonathan Williamson

Summer has passed. Its care free days of youthful bliss have slipped through our fingers like sand through the hourglass of eternity. The truth is that we have yet again found our way to the dreary corridors that haunt us in our darkest of dreams. But all is not lost as long. As long as we have breath in our lungs, there must be something we can do to combat this seven hour long daily imprisonment. Here are a few ideas to help you in your daily struggles. 1. Join a gang It’s a scientific fact that gang members are much happier then the normal civilians. Besides, imagine all the fun you could have being involved in large scale gang wars, and beating up lost kids that roam onto your turf. 2. Role playing School might be boring as a normal student but as a pirate or an astronaut it’s a whole new world. I personally wouldn’t mind also seeing a 50’s group of tuffs or greasers. 3. Slip and slide Putting a Slip and Slide in the main corridor would not only would let us get to enjoy the wet pleasurable experience that is the Slip and Slide, but I bet it would speed up time getting to classes. 4. Recess Imagine going out side and playing games like you did when you were five. Trust me it would be a good time. 5. Circus day An investment but in my opinion a worthwhile one. The prospect of elephants, clowns and carnies outweighs any monetary value. Besides the view from the Ferris wheel would be fantastic.

QA &

with Mike Szymusiak

This year The Squall is including a question and answer in each issue. Following

Q: Students have met some of the new policies with disregard. How do you feel about such rules as the “no shoulders” policy? A: As a general rule I don’t wear clothes that some would consider racy, like midriff showing and my chest hanging out, so I’m all right with the rule because I can still wear my preferred clothing.

over in the position? A: I don’t think it’s cursed or anything, like in Harry Potter, but sometimes stuff happens. It is kind of weird we haven’t had the same principal for more than a year in a while.

Q: Hurricane Katrina recently devastated the South East United States. Have you been affected by the tragedy at all or done anything to help those in need? A: Luckily I don’t have any family down there, but I think about the people and if someone came around taking donations I’d give them some money, but I haven’t done anything special.

Q: If you were a super hero, what would your powers be? A: My name would be the Smuz (pronounced smoo-ze) and I would wear a maroon and gold costume with a Batmanlike mask, and I would have a cape. My powers would be invisibility, super strength, ﬂying and good looks.

in the steps of distinguished publications such as “Time” and “Esquire”, The Squall

Q: Currently, students pay $25 to get a parking

hopes you ﬁnd this style interesting and

pass, however that may change. What do you think it should cost to park, if anything at all? A: It should be free. You shouldn’t have to pay to go to school. They already built the parking lot, and paid for it, so what do they need money for? (Since this interview the students have been refunded their $25 and parking is now free. Thus proving what Mike Szymusiak says, goes.)

informative. Recently, freshman Michael Szymusiak sat down to talk about some local and national issues. Hesitant at ﬁrst, Szymusiak gave his opinion on things like the dress code, parking passes and the animosity often targeted at freshman.

Q: Transitioning from middle school to high school can be overwhelming for some students. How have you dealt with the transition? A: (Long pause) Uhh ... I’ve really done the same stuff as when I was at Mill Creek. The only difference is I’ve had to be more responsible for myself because the teachers aren’t constantly telling you to turn things in. But the ﬁrst couple weeks haven’t really been much different. Q: Many freshmen are automatically faced with animosity from the upperclassman. Have you faced any of this, and do you think it’s deserved? A: I don’t think it’s really deserved, but it’s been that way for a long time, and I’ll probably do the same thing when I’m older. But it’s not even that bad, and I haven’t had it done to me, so I don’t really care.

Q: Starting with the graduating class of 2008, students will be required to take an international course. These courses include World History, Humanities and International Affairs. How do you feel about this new requirement? A: I haven’t heard of that, but it doesn’t seem that bad. It’s only one more class, and we already learned a lot about history already, so it probably wouldn’t be that hard. Q: Some of Dexter High School’s most successful sports are played with little to no audiences. Is it fair that those who are winning aren’t congratulated for their success? A: I think the reason some of them don’t get more attention is because they are unknown to most people. But I like it when I’m appreciated for winning, so it’s probably annoying that people don’t watch them play. Q: Dexter High School has seen three principals since the start of the 2004-05 school year. Do you think there is any reasons for the lack of carry

Photo by Brandon Mayotte

New French teacher brings international experience Boukhris wants to increase students’ cultural awareness Christina Field education editor

Coming from a place where pottery, rug-making and camel burgers are popular, new French teacher Anissa Boukhris found her move to America a huge transition. Attending high school in Tunisia, Boukhris remembers six-day weeks with two hour lunch breaks each day, no extracurricular activities and having speciﬁc classes certain days a week. As sophomores students choose a major between social sciences, science, and language and literature and take classes in that area. “I majored in language and literature,” Boukhris said. “I took three languages. “I had six hours of philosophy a week. I took mythology and a lot of French literature. “We had to take an ancient language. I took Latin, English, Italian and Arabic.” Boukhris studied law in France and moved to the United States eight years ago as a translator in San Fran-

cisco. She also took a side job as a part time French teacher at several private schools. “I did (translating) for a long time, and it really isn’t very motivating,” Boukhris said. “It’s a dead end thing. The cool thing about teaching is that it’s a rewarding job, a challenging job, but it’s worth it because you’re with people, helping people.”

“Teaching is more rewarding to me. It’s like a vacation.” • Anissa Boukhris French teacher

“You’re teaching things to people, but when you’re translating, you’re just kind of sitting at home alone typing words. It’s just not a very fulﬁlling job. “Teaching is more rewarding to me. It’s like a vacation. It’s fun. Helping other people, teaching, sharing some of what your experiences are.” Boukhris had never planned to stay in the US, but then her husband was offered a teaching job at the University of Michigan. Together they

moved to Ann Arbor, where she decided she wanted to teach. “I think I like teaching (at DHS) better than any private school,” Boukhris said. “The classes are bigger. It’s more structured.” “There are more kids, so it’s more of a community than in little private schools. I like the atmosphere of a public school, and I like teaching high school students.” And while she likes teaching high school students, Boukhris hopes to make them more worldly. “My big thing is that I want students to learn that French is not necessarily France. “France is only one of the Frenchspeaking countries. “I’m a big fanatic or activist or whatever you want to call me about teaching the French language going beyond Paris and croissants and snails. “I love teaching about Frenchspeaking countries, particularly African French-speaking countries. “I think those are amazing cultures, amazing countries that people don’t really know at all. Students, especially in North America, have no exposure to African countries. “I also want to teach my students that learning more than one language is very important, that it really helps a lot in your career to be at least bilingual. It broadens your mind, your horizons, gives you more options.”

photo by Spencer Ryan

Sharing experiences: New French teacher Annissa Boukhris grew up in Tunisia and has traveled to 18 countries. She said she wants to teach students that French is more than just the country of France.

Further facts from Boukhris • The Tunisian schools follow the French curriculum exactly because they were under French rule until 1957. Also, there are very few Tunisian universities so the majority of Tunisian students attend college in France • Students' last year in school is structured to study for the a mandatory test that if passed gives a student an equivalent of a bachelor's degree. If a student fails, they must retake the last year of school. • Boukhris loves cats. • Boukhris has three sisters: one in New York, one in Canada, and one in the United Arab Emirates. Her parents remain in Tunisia (her father Tunisian, her mother American) • Boukhris would like to go to Asia, the Middle East, and the Subsaharan desert. • Boukhris would like to expand the program to include Latin and Italian.

Where in the

WORLD

Tunisia Morocco Malta Italy France Spain Andora Austria Czech Republic

Country in the world that Mrs. Boukhris has visited. Sea monster

Germany Belgium Holland England Switzerland United States Canada Argentina Uruguay

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Squall

Wilcox returns after brain surgery French and drama teacher recovers after struggle with cancer Maggie Craft circulation manager

There was something different about French and drama teacher Harry Wilcox last spring. He spoke more slowly. He had trouble moving around. And he wasn’t in school every day. The cause? A malignant brain tumor that needed removing.

Brain tumor patients generally suffer from seizures as well as weakness in their arms and legs. Wilcox suffered both symptoms. “He, in general, slowed down,” Wilcox’s wife, Jan said. “(It was hard) watching him lose his abilities. He dropped his coffee three times one day because his left hand started to lose power.” Senior Sebastion Gerstner, who acted in Wilcox’s production of Blood Brothers, also noticed something different about his director. “He started to look sick,” Gerstner said. “He was more pale, and I could tell something was wrong.” The worry started in the summer of 2002. Wilcox was with some of his French students at an airport waiting

to board a plane for France when he had a seizure. Although the students continued their trip, Wilcox stayed behind and got tested to see what caused the seizure. Doctors found a small, benign tumor in his brain. This news was serious. However it wasn’t until Wilcox had another seizure in his French III class in March of 2005 that the situation really became critical. “It was really freaky, and we didn’t know what was going on,” senior Christina Derry said. “He started making clicking noises. Some people thought he was joking and started laughing because they just didn’t know what was going on.” Wilcox went to the doctor again and this time the report said the tu-

mor needed to be removed. And because of the severity of his condition, he had trouble coming to school and drama practices. According to Jan, her husband’s condition brought him to another symptom: he could not feel or move the left side of his body. He needed the tumor out. In May of 2005 Wilcox had brain surgery to remove the tumor. After the surgery, Wilcox’s left leg could be controlled, but he still couldn’t move his left arm. In the summer he spent a total of nine weeks in physical therapy to help his body begin functioning normally again. “He literally was taught how to walk again,” Jan said. Although Wilcox was back to

teach for the ﬁrst week of school, an episode on Sep. 7 kept him home for two days. “My lips and chin started to quiver,” Wilcox said. “The doctors said it wasn’t a complete seizure, but that is was seizure activity. It scared the heck out of me because I thought everything was all right. I’m just nervous right now, after this new episode.” Since then, Wilcox said he feels well but he just has to be careful not to overwork himself. Jan was selected to be the “stress reliever” because she can grade his French papers and help direct the plays as she taught before she retired. He said, “The hardest part was missing school, my wife, and my dog.”

• Wilcox

Next Top Model?

2003 grad makes her television debut on UPN reality show Nicole St. Pierre staff writer

photo by Brandon Mayotte

Kyle Kavanagh is a Michigan girl who found her way to the reality series, “America’s Next Top Model” on UPN. But more speciﬁcally, she is a local girl, a 2003 Dexter High School graduate graduate. Because of a conﬁdentiality agreement, Kavanagh isn’t allowed to talk about her experience on “America’s Next Top Model,” which begins airing this month on UPN, but she said that she has always been a huge fan of the show.

“I have always thought it would be a lot of fun to be on the show,” she said, “so one day I just decided to apply.” By sending in a video and a 14 page application, Kavanagh became one of 13 girls competing for the grand prize: a fashion spread in “Elle” magazine, a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl, a feature on the cover of ELLEgirl and the opportunity to be managed by Ford Models, a nationally known modeling agency. Kavanagh isn’t walking onto the show inexperienced; she’s been modeling since she was a little kid. “My parents were both models, so my mom got me into it when I was very young,” she said. “When I got a little older, I realized that it was something I loved doing.” UPN’s website describes her as a Dexter Dairy Queen manager. Kavanagh has worked there for three and a half years and will still be serving ice cream when she makes her debut on the show’s ﬁfth season, which premiered Sept. 21.

“Even before she was on the show, boys would come to Dairy Queen and just be in awe,” senior Mary Schmidt said about her nearly famous coworker. “She always makes more tips than anyone.” And while Kavanagh is clearly blonde and gorgeous, many people that know her think the media has heightened her “ d u m b blonde” moments and la• Mary Schmidt beled her senior as the stereotypical model. What the UPN website lets people know about Kavanagh are her lines like, “I want to be America’s Next Top Model, honestly, I’m really not good at anything else.” English teacher Mary Mattner said, “They depict her as a naive girl from a mid western town where all there is to see are cornﬁelds and hicks. It’s really a shame.” While America may see the ditsy

“Even before she was on the show, boys would come to Dairy Queen and just be in awe.”

model behind the camera, the people who know Kavanagh recognize that there is a lot more to her. “She’s really bubbly and friendly, but she’s not stupid,” Schmidt said. English teacher Jo Muszkiewicz agrees. “She was an excellent student, very smart,” Muszkiewicz said, “I’m positive she got an ‘A’ in my American Studies class.” But can a nice girl survive modeling boot camp? According to Yahoo TV, only the model who can perfect the runway, fashion photo shoots, publicity skills, and business skills will be able to become America’s Next Top Model. Even a harder challenge to face is dealing with the competitors. Kavanagh faces 12 other models including Cassandra, a 19-year- old student from Houston; and Jayla, a 20-year-old delivery driver from Tucson. “Can a person that nice really win?” Muszkiewicz asked. Kavanagh, however, doesn’t seem to be worried about being too nice. “When someone does something I don’t like, I’m deﬁnitely going to be like, ‘No, you need to not do that,’” she says in her video clip featured on the “America’s Next Top Model” website, “ ... I’m not going to sit there and let them do something that hurts me or hurts someone else.”

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Squall

MTV’s Laguna Beach addicting for many students

Show has become very popular among teens Raleigh Holmes opinions editor

The cast of characters

Lauren (LC): Lauren is the girl who has everything: a mansion, tons of friends and is gorgeous. The one thing that isn’t hers is Stephen. The love triangle between her, Stephen and Kristin keeps viewers begging for more.

Trey: Trey is an individual who is often criticized for his values and beliefs by the people of Laguna Beach. He is very busy with the organization he started called Active Young Americans (AYA).

Kristin: Kristin is the junior that loves attention and drama. She and Stephen have been on and off for the past three years and she loves ﬁghting with LC over him

Stephen: Stephen is the leader of the pack. All the girls love him, and all the guys want to be him. He is a bit of a rebel and loves to cause trouble when it comes to girls.

Every Monday night at 10 p.m. thousands of viewers tune into MTV to watch the reality show “Laguna Beach.” Although the show is very popular, many people wonder why. What makes this show so addicting and keeps people coming back every week? For senior Julia Keinath, it’s a TV show she can connect with. “You get into the people’s lives,” Keinath said. “I can relate what happens to my life.” Though Keinath watches the show because she can relate to it, senior Jake Lavalli has other reasons. “I watch Laguna for the drama and the hot girls,” he said. About half way through the second season, people have started comparing it to the first. “I liked the first season a lot better because Lauren (LC) was in it,” Keinath Students’ said. “I like Lauren because she is so nice and pretty. And I can get more into thoughts about it when the main character is nice.” Lavalli agrees with Keinath that the Laguna Beach first season was better. “I like the first season better because of the love triangle between LC, Kristin and Stephen,” Lavalli said. In the first season there was the love triangle which was a constant battle between Lauren, Kristin and Stephen. There were also characters such as Trey, Christina and Morgan who, despite the environment they were surrounded by, stood strong for their morals. “I think that Christina and Morgan’s values about saving themselves for marriage brought different viewers to the show,” Keinath said. “The new viewers were able to relate to Christina and Morgan where they couldn’t with the rest of the characters. Christina and Morgan helped bring those people who have different views than the rest of the cast to the show.” Information compiled by Raleigh Holmes. Survey results based on 30 people. All pictures courtesy The second season brought in many from mtv.com and used with permission. new characters who viewers have mixed feelings on. “When the second season started all the good characters left,” Lavalli said. “But I’m starting to like some of the new characters like Jessica and Jason because it’s really funny to watch them fight, so by the end it will be good.” The second season also brought back characters who viewers didn’t like. “The second season is too concentrated on Kristin,” Keinath said. “I hate Kristin because she is so mean and she stole Stephen from Lauren, so it’s not as much fun to watch since it’s all about her.” Some have doubts that the show is real, but Lavalli disagrees. “I don’t think the show is fake,” he said. “I do think it’s stupid that they don’t show them partying and things like that because it’s obvious that they do.” Though the show has become very popular there are many people who don’t like it. “I don’t like the show because I think that eight episodes can’t properly show what happened across eight months,” junior Katelin Davis said. “I also think that there is a lot of unnecessary drama with a lot of the characters.” There are many different reasons why this show is so addicting. There is the love triangle between Lauren, Stephen and Kristin, the fighting between Jason and Jessica and many more reasons. So to find out what addicting quality is your favorite, tune in at 10 p.m. on Monday nights to MTV.

Sam Harris records a record in Chicago Samantha Harris entertainment editor

Months prior to our recording session my band, Red Letter Day, talked about meeting with each other to record a five song demo CD. While recording at Power Chord Academy, a rock school we met at, we came up with an amazing track. Since we worked well together, writing some more songs together sounded like a breeze. Essentially it was, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Megan Tempio (bassist), Maggie Maddocks (drummer), Tia Einerson (lead vocalist), and I finally decided that Labor Day weekend was the set time. Our original rhythm guitarist couldn’t attend, which lead us to having our band manager fill in, and then we removed the rhythm guitarist. We needed someone who was committed. I booked a flight from Detroit to Midway Airport. This is where I met one of the most amazing moms in my life waiting to pick me up from the airport: Jodi Maddocks. She welcomed all of us into her beautiful home and made us insane breakfasts. Just to give everyone a little insight to Mrs. Maddocks, she set off several car alarms with the vibrations from her Harley Davidson. Need I say more? After I arrived, we drove to pick up Maggie who ended up with a delayed flight. “So I fell asleep for two hours on the airplane, and when I woke up we were still in New York and getting ready to switch planes because ours broke down,” Maggie said. Maggie, who is now attending college in New York, updated her mother and I with her crazy New Yorker life until we arrived in her home town in Illinois where Michael Jordan lives across the street and even bums rock the Timberlands. No joke. Tempio and Einerson assembled later the next day and we ended up finishing a whole new song with Maddocks and I by the time Aaron Samuels, our band manager, arrived. Instead of carrying on all the amps and guitars, we rented a couple of cheap pieces for the practices. “I don’t know what it is, but everyone inspires each other,” Tempio said. “We play off of one an-

other and we already have a new song in less that three hours, snap.” Excluding Maggie and Tempio’s history, we had all known each other for only a week out of our lives, yet we were so close. These are the down to Earth people I could spend my life traveling with. Practice ran until late that night until we retired for the evening. I woke up around 10.a.m. to the glorious smells of Mrs. Maddocks’s cooking skills. We united downstairs for a delightful feast. There was spittle frothing at every individual’s lips while the hounds collected our bones and scraps upon the floor. Soon it was time to leave for that studio. Being white suburban chicks we, of course, assumed we’d be recording in a building with soundproof booths, separate recording rooms and maybe some coffee during our breaks. We pulled up to the studio in Maggie’s Escalade after rocking out to Kanye West’s “Gold Digger”. It turns out the studio was actually a basement studio. A musician/dirty hippie lifestyle basement. There were cats crawling around everywhere and he was a mad chain smoker. I could go into great detail about what the basement studio smelt like, but for all the favors he has done for our band I shall leave that out. The first track recorded was Maggie’s drums so Tempio could follow along with recording her base. Tempio is the quickest recorder I have ever encountered in my life. She finished the track on one try, edited it with a few punch ins and she was finished. It was astonishing. Tempio requires a great deal of concentration when recording and her facial expressions resemble a bowel movement. I was up next to record my lead guitar with a click track blaring in my head phones, which is probably one of the most distracting noises I’ve had to ignore in my life. If Chinese water torture could be molded into a sound, that is what it would sound like. I’m sure watching me suffer through my ADD moments with the click track was hilarious to watch, but in the end I pulled through victorious.

The Squall Northﬁeld Roadhouse

Scott Campbell staff writer

On any given Sunday night, you can usually find me lamenting my fate of going to school the following morning. It’s a relatively uneventful evening: wake up around 1, play Halo, do some homework, eat some poor excuse for a dinner, more homework, sit around, sleep. But times have changed. Now Sundays are a day to look forward to. There is a place, a magical land where the troubles of the next day are forgotten in a wave of wholesome music blended with scrumptious foods. The Northfield Roadhouse on the corner of Whitmore Lake and North Territorial is one such place. Few have heard of this particular restaurant. And of the few who have, even fewer have eaten there. You can order a bacon cheeseburger at any restaurant. Only at any other restaurant, you’d watch a Tiger’s baseball game as you sipped your Coke. Here there are no disappointing losses. Only lots and lots of harmonica solos. First thing’s first. The food. The food is great, but without the hook of live music, the Roadhouse probably wouldn’t be around. It certainly wouldn’t be worthy of a well-written review. The burgers are fat and juicy, the ribs are sticky with sauce and the chicken is sweetened, southern-style. Everything is as it should be. Not outstanding, not vomit-inducing. They strike the middle-ground comfort achieved by many other restaurants. But wait, Scott. Why should I go if it’s like all the others? That’s where they get you. Friday-Sunday, starting at 8 p.m., live blues gets some lovin’. Eat some food and listen to some blues. It seems so simple.

While the beginning of the weekend is a good time to go, it’s Sunday that makes the Roadhouse one-of-akind. The Roadhouse’s own chef Chris and his blues band, the Blue Plate Specials, perform as you eat the food he should be cooking. Good food, fast service and blues. Spend Sunday night here, and when you don’t have your homework ﬁnished on Monday, at least the night before was well worth it.

**** T

Restaurant:

Friday, September 30, 2005

Austin Shapiro staff writer

“The 40 Year Old Virgin” is a loud, crude, rude, sexually stimulated and otherwise dirty movie. But that’s what makes it one of the best teenage movies in recent times. The thought of a 40-year old man who lives alone with his collection of action ﬁgure memorabilia and rides a bike to work in itself is funny Steve Carrell plays Andy Stitzer, who seems totally normal but when he is invited to a poker game with some coworkers, it’s unveiled that he has never gotten “down and dirty.” Although embarrassed at the moment, Andy is satisﬁed with his somewhat sheltered life. That is until he meets Tr ish, played b y

g S n i y t s a tem R e h

* Searing Pain ** Mildly Painful *** Numb **** Soothing ***** Tears of Joy

Kevin McLaughlin staff writer

“Watch out where the huskies go and don’t you eat that yellow snow.” Those genius words come from the madman composer, Frank Zappa, and his masterpiece album “Apostrophe”. Zappa may be the most innovative guitar player of all time, as he revolutionized the way guitar is played. “Apostrophe,” released in 1974, combines Zappa’s odd lyrics, insane guitar playing and great composing skills all into one. Zappa played with hundreds of different musicians throughout his career, beginning with The Mothers of Invention. However, on this album the band mainly consists of him on lead vocals and guitar, Jack Bruce from Cream on bass and Jim Gordon on drums from Derek and the Dominoes. This all-star cast leads a great album. “Apostrophe” starts off with the track “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow,” Zappa’s most popular hit. It even achieved radio time, which is unusual for a Zappa tune. From the very beginning of the album, Zappa’s song writing is very distinct. The ﬁrst line of the LP is “Dreamed I was an eskimo/frozen wind began to blow.” “Apostrophe” follows the story of an eskimo embarking on different adventures. “Stink-foot,” the last track on the CD, is probably the best song, along with “Apostrophe.” It’s an amazing instrumental with funky bass solos from bassist Bruce. “Stink-foot” is actually quite a funny story about a disease that plagues a common man who occasionally wears a python boot. The LP also has other very solid tracks on it. These include “St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast,” “Uncle Remus,” “Cosmik Debris” and “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow.” The only drawback to the album is its length. Unfortunately the album contains only nine songs and is just over a half hour long.

40 Year Old Virgin: Film

“Dreamed I was an eskimo/frozen wind began to blow.” • Frank Zappa artist Although Zappa is an acquired taste, he is truly compelling. Though the average music fan will not know who Zappa is, if they pick up “Apostrophe” they will be intrigued and impressed. “Apostrophe” is for anyone who enjoys music that differs from the norm.

*****

CD: Apostrophe’

Kim Wiesner staff writer

Writing honestly about what you believe or how you feel about real issues is not common in a world that is so prone to judgment and conformity. When someone shares their point of view, they’re making themselves vulnerable for other people to attack that idea. Donald Miller overcomes all of this with his book “Blue Like Jazz”. When reading “Blue Like Jazz,” I felt as if Don and I were talking over coffee about how we really felt about religion, politics, poverty and people. Every word he says is honest and every thought and emotion is real. He isn’t trying to be anything that he’s not. He isn’t pretending to have certain points of view because they are popular to have. In Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird,” Scout tells her childhood story and in doing so says how racism was an issue that affected her.

Catherine Keener (“The Interpreter”, “Being John Malkovich”). Director Judd Apatow (“Anchorman”, “Kicking and Screaming”) uses a relatively unknown cast and blends them together to create cinematic beauty. The cast of coworkers who brag about their own conquests and frequently rag on Andy for not having any, are actually less mature than Andy. David (Paul Rudd) cries about an old girlfriend, Jay (Romany Malco) constantly cheats and Cal (Seth Rogen) is just a little ... off. When Andy ﬁnally works up the courage to ask Trish out, he begins to worry about what she might expect from him physically. Luckily Trish has had a bad run of relationships and they make a deal to go on 20 dates before fornicating. Relieved, Andy embarks into the relationship. In one scene Trish’s daughter is upset because her mom won’t let her have sex. Andy takes her to a clinic to learn about the bond between a man and a woman. During a group Q&A Andy asks, “Is it true that if you don’t use it, you lose it?” Garnering the response, “Is that a serious question?” Andy quickly answers in an embarrassed voice, “No.”After successful work as Evan in “Bruce Almighty” and Brick Tamlin in “Anchorman”, Steve Carrell delivers all the punches in his ﬁrst leading role. His absurd speaking style and facial expressions make him lovable, while his outbursts make him hilarious. In the end everyone one scores, Andy and the audience. With clever quips, hilarious bloopers and a cast that blends together like a picture, “40 Year Old Virgin” is the funniest movie of 2005.

***** “The goofy thing about Christain faith is that you believe it and don’t believe it at the same time” • Donald Miller author of “Blue Like Jazz” “Blue Like Jazz” is a lot like that. Miller tells his story and in doing so writes about how everyday issues, like friends and work, have changed the way he looks at living in the world today. Chapter five starts, “The goofy thing about Christian faith is that you believe it and don’t believe it at the same time. “I feel like a palm reader, like somebody who works at a circus or a kid who is always making things up or somebody at a Star Trek convention who hasn’t figured out the show isn’t real.” Miller’s style of writing is new and refreshing, mostly because it’s blunt, but also because it’s witty and “enjoyably clever” according to “Publishers Weekly.” One of the highlights of “Blue Like Jazz” are the comics. Humor is the perfect introduction to a deep message, and the artwork quickly gets to the point. “Blue Like Jazz” gets five stars out of five. I would recommend this book to everyone, Democrat or Republican, religious or non-religious, reader or nonreader. There is something inside the deep blue cover for everyone.

*****

Blue like Jazz: Book

Q: Do you think enough students get involved and donate money to causes like Hurricane Katrina relief efforts? A: I think some students do, and I think that’s awesome. But a lot of students aren’t really aware of the fund raising we do at school. Maybe fund raisers could be better advertised so students could get more involved Krystyna Taheri, sophomore

a little more SQUALL

Section

September 30, 2005

Aftermath of a disaster

Agers take in relatives displaced by Katrina Robyn Shepard staff writer

Five may not seem like a lot, but to freshman Miles Ager and his family, a single digit changed his life. Hurricane Katrina reached this maximum level two days before hitting New Orleans where the Ager family lived. Richard Ager, Miles’ dad, had been following the hurricane and expected to evacuate. What he didn’t expect was not returning to his home. Richard’s brother, Dexter resident, Bill Ager was also aware of the hurricane and once he learned the magnitude of the situation he wanted to help. He called his brother and said, “There’s no way you’re going to be able to go back to New Orleans. Come up here and stay with me. It was while staying with his Dexter relatives and watching the news reports about Katrina, that the full impact of the hurricane sunk in for Miles. “It said 80 percent of the city was underwater,” he said. “We brought a phone with us, but it doesn’t exactly help when all the phone lines are down and under water. I have no way to ﬁnd out if my friends are OK.” Along with Miles’ concerns, his father said, “My biggest fear is that America will lose interest and faith in the situation, and the city won’t be rebuilt.” He added that he, Miles and his other son Marcus, are trying to make the best of it, by having Miles go to school at DHS It has been difﬁcult for Miles,

however, not knowing anyone except his cousins freshmen Stephanie Ager and senior Derek Ager. And before his move, Miles was consumed with typical feelings of displacement and fear. “The hallways are two times the size as the ones back home, and the school is really cold,” he said. “People in my classes keep asking me about Mardi Gras. They want to know if girls really do ﬂash you if you give them beads.” As for Ma r c u s, Miles’ brother, the hurricane forced him to evacuate from Tulane University where his dad is a professor of psychology and social services. Instead Marcus is now attending Wayne State University. Derek said, “Of course Marcus was let down about not being able to go to Tulane, but he is grateful that he has the opportunity to receive an education.” For his part, Richard has a lot of conﬁdence that his family will return to New Orleans as soon as they are able to. Miles agrees. He said, “I think the city will comeback better than it was.”

What other schools in the area are doing: Cornerstone - Collecting loose change in water jugs in the lobby

Bates - Big water jug outside of ofﬁce for donations

Wylie - Collecting donations in water jugs, sent over 500 relief kits (toothbrushes, washcloths) to Battle Creek where some evacuees are.

Creekside - “Helping Hands”: cut out paper hands that they traded for donations and put their name on one side and their donation amount on the other. Donations are going to the Red Cross. Chelsea High School - Holding an additional blood drive to aid hurricane victims.

Information compiled by Kim Wiesner

17,000

New Orleans band plays the CPA

volunteer medical personnel have registered to assist in recovery

43,000

People in my class keep asking me about Mardi Gras. They want to know if girls really do ﬂash you if you give them beads” • Miles Ager freshman

National Guard are on the ground in three states

disaster recovery centers are open in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas

photo by Spencer Ryan

Tootin’ the horn: Stafford Agee of the Rebirth Brass Band plays his trombone while performing in the CPA on Sept. 14. Stafford, a New Orleans resident, is staying in Dexter with the band while repairs are being made to his hometown.

7.6

million hot meals delivered

$450

million from FEMA to aid victims photo by Brandon Mayotte

Local family matches donations photo by Kendall Goode

Katrina facts

970

Feellin’ the crowd: Derek Shezbie dances with the crowd while playing his trumpet. “As long as the audience is dancing, I feel like I’m doing my job,” Shezbie said.

truck loads of ice delivered

27,744

cold meals delivered

Katie Fricke staff writer

As soon as Paul and Kay Taheri heard about hurricane Katrina and all the destruction it was causing in New Orleans, they knew they had to do something to help because they use to live there and have friends who still do. When their daughter, sophomore Krystyna Taheri, told them about the fundraising the sophomore class was doing to help hurricane victims, the Taheri’s knew it was a perfect opportunity to show their support for their friends, and the whole city of New Orleans. “We all sat down as a family and thought about what we should do to help,” Kay Taheri said. “We felt awful partly because we have more passion for New Orleans from living there. But also because of how devastating it is for all people living there. “My husband

thought it would be great to set a limit and match the student donations up to a $1,000.” Krystyna also thinks this is wonderful idea. “I didn’t really know how bad the hurricane was until I saw it on the news,” she said. “I just feel so bad for the people with no homes and the people that can’t even ﬁnd family members. When my parents said they would match student donations, I thought it was a great idea.” The Taheri’s hope that their matching offer will motivate more students to donate. Kay said, “I am really glad we are matching the donations, because I think it gives the students more motivation to donate money and get involved. “I also believe it’s really important to be supportive for our country.”

2.44

million gallons of oil removed from Mississippi River

photo by Brandon Mayotte

Groovin’ to the beats: Shamar Allen said he and his band mates enjoy performing together. Allen said the band, which formed in 1983, is committed to upholding the tradition of brass bands while still incorporating modern music into their show.

4,000+

animals have been rescued

disaster Recovery Centers open in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas

73%

of affected drinking water systems in Louisiana have been restored information from www.fema.gov

photo by Spencer Ryan

Having a blast: The Rebirth Brass Band tours around the country and, according to their web site, their heavy funk sound has placed them among the worlds top brass bands. They also recently appeared in the move “Skeleton Key”.

Friday,September 30, 2005

The Squall

Surprise, government at fault once again

Music is too much about the image Nick Dodson staff writer

Nick’s Basic Guide to Instrumental Music:

ﬂying hotdogs Ian Williamson staff writer

Ian’s happy hour Dear U.S. Government, Hey guys, nice job! No, for serious; you had me fooled. I know we have had our differences and I may have said some hurtful things in the heat of the moment, but I take it all back dudes. I totally get it now and I gotta’ say guys, it was a good one. See, I figured it all out yesterday, when I was watching reports from what was left of New Orleans. I was just about catatonic with rage when it hit me like a ton of bricks: this had to be a joke. I mean, it’s gotta’ be right? Don’t get me wrong. You guys are almost entirely incompetent, but not even you could botch something of this magnitude this badly. I mean come on, The head of FEMA would never wait until five hours after the storm hit to request 1,000 workers be sent to the area, workers who would take two days to get there. The US would never wait an entire week to reply to Canada’s offer for aid, FEMA would never explicitly tell neighboring states not to send police or firemen into Louisiana, Alabama or Mississippi, and most of all Barbara Bush would never get away with saying, “ ...And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them.” None of that could ever really happen right? You guys wouldn’t just let all those people die while congress whines about “Not pointing the blame right now”, right?!? No. This is America, and in America we act. America doesn’t sit on it’s thumbs and leisurely stroll a handful of workers down to a city which is rapidly turning into a third world country FIVE HOURS after a storm hits. A storm which scientists have been telling us for weeks WILL destroy the city in a very biblical fashion. If this crisis was for real President Bush would have thousands of National Guard troops ready to provide aid weeks before the storm hit. The governor of Louisiana would have evacuated all the underprivileged out of the city instead of cramming them into a stadium. Right Man am I glad this is all an elaborate ruse, because otherwise I would have lost any faith I remotely had in your already bloated, corrupt and disgustingly authoritarian government. So anyway guys, I just wanted to congratulate you on pulling the greatest practical joke in American history. I was just wondering when you where going to tell the rest of the public. As great of joke as you guys are, being one of the only ones who seem to get it is getting a little old. Love, Ian Williamson

There used to be a time when music was strictly about the music. Now it seems as if music is more about image. What T-shirt an artist wears seems to be more important than if they actually obsess a thing called talent. The skill level of groups has declined due to the watering down of mainstream music. All you need for a radio hit seems to be a catchy synth line of some sort, pounding bass and either some guy yelling “Yeah!” or some chick singing some ridiculous lyrics. Let me give you an example or two. The following lyrics come from the song “In Da Club” by 50 Cent, which was a pretty big hit if I recall. “Go, go, go, go ,go ,go/ Go, Shorty/ It’s your birthday/ We gon’ party like it’s your birthday/ We gon’ sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday/ And you know we don’t give a f*** it’s not your birthday!” Let’s analyze these lyrics a bit deeper. 50 Cent obviously likes to do two things: drink and party. Quite the lifestyle. Since they’re partying like it’s someone’s birthday, I could only imagine that they’re hitting a pinata or eating cake. Since these lyrics are so deep, it really helps my case. Now that we’ve seen an example of bad lyrics, let’s discuss what makes an artist good. To me, the best music has no lyrics. Musicians who are able to translate their thoughts and emotions into notes and beats

are 100 times better • Dream Theater - “Stream of Consciousness”, than those who rely on “Erotomania”, Lines in the Sand” a strong vocal hook to carry a • Pink Floyd - “One of These Days”, “Echoes”, song. Since the “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” mainstream is so crowded with overrated • Buckethead - “Binge and Grab”, “The Treeman” artists who couldn’t play • Joe Satriani - “Searching”, “Up in the Sky” their way out of a shoe, it makes it very hard for • Steve Vai - “Tender Surrender”, “The Animal” the rest of us to get noticed, which in some ways is a curse and a blessing. Bands who have no commercial buzz at all generally build the strongest followings. Take the band Phish for example. Regardless of their amazing talent as one of the world’s greatest jam bands, if not the greatest, they achieved enormous success and an unbelievable fan base with virtually no radio airplay. As I stated earlier, instrumental music is the ultimate test for a musician. If they can keep a song interesting without any lyrics, they have achieved something truly great. So, expand your mind. I’ve included a basic guide for the advancement of your musical tastes, so listen up. I couldn’t list a lot, but at the very least check out the songs I listed.

Things girls shouldn’t say to me Robert Kuzon managing editor

Sittin’ crooked on D’s and swangs God only knows what girls are talking about. Shopping. Hair. The “50 ways to please your lover” article in the latest “Cosmopolitan”, maybe. Whatever it is, as a guy, I don’t want anything to do with it. I do not want to know what the latest gossip is. Who made out with whom. What kind of shampoo you tried last night. I don’t want to know about the latest sale at Victoria’s Secret or about the new Kelly Clarkson song. I want girls to realize that midnight phone calls and squealing at the sight of a really hot guy is not my idea of an enjoyable conversation. Here are a few things girls should keep to themselves:

• Topic 1:

Any conversation that begins with, “Robert, we need to talk.” When a girl says this it usually means she wants to talk about something I have to do or that I am doing wrong. I would rather die than “talk”. In order to talk, I have to listen to feelings. Now don’t get the idea that I’m insensitive. I just don’t want to hear about those particular feelings because chances are they are the kind of feeling that have something to do with why you are unhappy or unsatisﬁed with me. A conversation that’s starts out, “We need to talk,” never means to talk about things that the girl needs to do, oddly enough.

• Topic 2:

Your special time of the month. If you are on your period, I don’t want to know about it. I don’t want to hear about it, and in no way do I want to talk about it. It’s awkward. Do not come up to me and say, “I’m having such a bad day. I just failed my math test, and this morning I got into a big ﬁght with my mother … plus I’m also on my pe-

riod,” because right as you say the word “period” I know that I am no longer about to engage in a respectable conversation but about to listen to you moan about the problems in your life. Let me suggest something. Talk to a girl about it, because they can relate to you and I, obviously, cannot. Sure I’ll buy you a chocolate bar if you need it, but don’t expect me to waltz into Meijer to pick up a box of tampons for you.

• Topic 3:

Problems that you may be having with your boyfriend at that particular point in time. I cannot support you while you drag a poor, defenseless guy around like he is a dog on a leash, squirting him with the squirt bottle whenever he does something you don’t approve of. I don’t want you to tell me about how you saw him talking to another girl or how he didn’t call last night, or that his mother doesn’t like you. You know why? Because is happens. Deal with it. Also, we all know that nobody expects anything to come out of your high school relationship anyway.

• Topic 4:

When you talk about yourselves. Not only that, but more importantly when you talk about other girls. It seems to me that as they go on and on criticizing another girl, they do not realize that they are doing the same thing. They tend to call each other a certain word that begins with a “B” and rhymes with stitch. As I listen to a girl tell me about why this other girl is one, I can’t help but think about how they are being one. I’m going to be honest. I don’t care about the drama between you and your friends. I don’t care if you and your best friend aren’t talking. I think we all know in reality that you will make up within two days.

• Topic 5:

If there is one thing in the world I could care less about, it is if Stephen and Kristin hooked up on this week’s episode of “Laguna Beach”. I don’t let television own my life. I do not watch “The OC” or “Gilmore Girls,” and therefore I don’t care what happens during the course of those shows. So don’t tell me.

Illustration by Jennifer Allen

• Topic 6:

“Am I fat.” Like any male in the right mind would say, “Why yes, actually. You are fat. You somewhat resemble a whale,” I mean what kind of person would do that?

• Topic 7:

The “what are we conversation.” Why do girls have to make everything so complicated. Can’t you ﬁgure it out yourself? What makes you think that I will know the answer? The thing is, I probably don’t care what our ofﬁcial title is. I don’t really think anybody does.

• Topic 8:

Anything that has to do with your appearance. This includes (although not exclusively) getting your haircut, face creams, mani/pedicures, make-up, clothing, shaving

and the tanning booth. I would rather not talk about these things because they have no impact on my life. I have no interest in what the best brand of eye shadow is, or where the best shop in town is to get your nails done. Please do not make me suffer through the torture of discussing it with you. Do not ask me for an opinion on your appearance because most of the time I won’t have a clue. As men we fear picking the wrong answer. This is the ultimate fear in a male’s life. Would you like it if we confronted you with your deepest fear? So ladies, next time you approach a guy, think about what you learned while reading this. Remember what will most effectively get a guy’s attention. If you take only one thing from this article, let it be that men are simple creatures with basic emotions and that we would love to talk to you. About football.

Drilling in ANWR won’t hurt wildlife or economy Kyle Muse news editor

The blingin’ continues

As gas prices soar above the $3 mark, people complain and begin to conserve. Although the recent massive increase was brought on by the hurricane that recently hit New Orleans, gas prices, most people believe, will stay around $3. Although some may not agree, the amount of oil that is almost certain to be under Alaska would most likely greatly increase our supply and decrease the price per gallon of gas. The United States imports more than half of the oil imported in the world each day. Drilling in Alaska would greatly offset

the amount that we import each day. The less we have to import, the less power the foreign countries have over our gas prices. Right now, we have about as much control over the oil prices as we do over the weather. Foreign countries have complete control because we only produce half of the oil we use. Although excess use is a problem, many people have to drive every day to get to work. It sounds nice, but it is highly unlikely that we can get our nation to conserve gas. It makes no sense not to drill in Alaska. According to the Department of Interior’s 1987 resource

evaluation of ANWR’s Coastal Plain. There is a 95% chance that we will find 500 million barrels of oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The wildlife, currently in ANWR, seems to have no problem with the drilling that we are already doing on the North Slope. The Central Arctic Herd of Caribou has increased seven-fold since the first drilling in that region. With less than 10% of the ANWR considered for study and drilling, it doesn’t make sense that we wouldn’t drill. Drilling in Alaska will benefit more than the economy of the United States as a whole,

Alaska will beneﬁt too. If oil prices stayed at the current price throughout the entire 500 million barrels we ﬁnd, the amount of money that Alaska would make is almost equal to the amount of money the state made in 2003. In the age of fancy cars and crystal, we need to look toward either a new fuel source or more domestic fuel so that we don’t have countries like Saudi Arabia controlling the money in our pockets. Lay the pipe and save money.

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Squall

by Jared Myers EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

Michelle Svetkoff MANAGING EDITOR:

Robert Kuzon

EDITORS FEATURES: Sara Newell ENTERTAINMENT: Samantha Harris NEWS: Kyle Muse EDUCATION: Christina Field OPINIONS: Raleigh Holmes PHOTO: Brandon Mayotte & Spencer Ryan SPORTS: Molly Brewster DESIGN: Kendall Goode COPY: Hilary McCown

MANAGERS BUSINESS: Jennifer Allen MORALE: Sydney Ross & Kelsey Schultz CIRCULATION: Maggie Craft

STAFF WRITERS Derek Ager, Scott Campbell, Nick Dodson, Frank Dufek, Katie Fricke, Kevin McLaughlin, Austin Shapiro, Robyn Shepard, Nicole St. Pierre, Kim Wiesner, Ian Williamson, Jon Williamson, Ryan Younger

Faculty should focus on more important rules THE ALL

SQUALL CALL

However, we believe no parking lot chaperone can stop a determined kidnapper or a nicotine addicted teen.

ADVISER:

Rod Satterthwaite POLICY:

If all of this weren’t enough, many teachers are now convinced that students are The back-to-school sales at Meijer are like a rain cloud dampening a

AD DESIGNERS: Brandon Mayotte & Spencer Ryan CARTOONIST: Jared Myers

smuggling alcohol in their Nalgene bottles. By having clear water bottles Bannan said the

The Squall is distributed monthly to 1,083 students and is estimated to reach 4,332 people with each issue. The Squall is printed by Morning Star Publishing in Mt. Pleasant, MI, and produced by the third hour newspaper class.

staff will be able to identify if the contents of a water bottle are in fact water.

perfect summer day, reminding students that soon they will be slaves to their

TALK BACK: Yes, some students do bring alcohol to school hidden in a water bottle, but we believe

textbooks. Homework, sports, tests, obligations and responsibilities are enough of a

whether the bottle is clear or not isn’t going to make a difference. Vodka and gin are both

shock to our fragile systems, but to be greeted the ﬁrst day of school with a set

clear and look like water. The only way to identify if a student has been drinking is by their

of new rules? That was a big enough shock to give the whole student body a

behavior and how their breath or the water bottle smells. As far as the vending machine situation, Bannan said he was asked to have the

collective heart attack.

machines turned off during the day by the high school staff in an effort to reduce trash in

No longer are students allowed to be in the parking lot unattended, show their

the classrooms and enforce the “no food or drink in class” rule.

shoulders or use the vending machines during class. And our water bottles are

However, if nutrition is such an issue, why not stock the machine with something other

supposed to be clear. The Squall staff ﬁnds these rules to be overly strict. Dexter is a public school

than Hostesses and potato chips? Whatever happened to all the research saying food helps

district, not a private institution. The new rules treat us like juvenile delinquents.

fuel your brain and function efﬁciently? No wonder so many people fall asleep during

We weren’t aware that shoulders were sexually suggestive. We are capable of

second and third hour, right before lunch. Let’s face it, no matter what rule we have, some students will continue to eat in the halls

ﬁnishing our math quiz, even if the girl in front of us is wearing a sleeveless shirt. Besides having to fully cover ourselves up, we aren’t allowed to be in the

The Squall is an open forum for student expression. It accepts letters to the editor from any and all concerned parties. The Squall reserves the right to screen and/or edit any and all letters for inappropriate content and length. All letters must be signed. Requests to remain anonymous will be considered by the editorial board. ADVERTISING:

Requests for advertisements can be called into the Business Manager at 424-4240 x7407. Ads must be called in at least two weeks prior to the issue’s publication, which is at the end of each month. PUBLICATION:

The Squall is published monthly during the school year. MEMBERSHIPS:

The Squall is a member of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA), the Great Lakes Interscholastic Press Association (GLIPA), the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

and the classrooms, some students will continue to get drunk in school and some students

AWARDS:

will still wear provocative clothing.

The Squall has won the Spartan Award from MIPA four of the past five years.

parking lot unattended. According to Principal Jim Bannan too many students

School is stressful enough without constantly changing rules and expectations.

were abusing the privilege of going to their cars. He said he doesn’t want students

We would like to see the faculty focus more on enforcing important rules such as

smoking on school grounds or skipping class, and he fears for their safety. “I

cheating in class, discrimination and bullying, rather than hunting down students because

don’t want a student being snatched out of my parking lot,” he said.

they’re showing some shoulder.

E-MAIL

thesquall04@hotmail.com WEB SITE www.thesquall.com

Dreads in the hall What do you think of the new dress code rules?

“I don’t really care about them.” Andrew Gignac, freshman

“I think it’s really stupid because shoulders don’t get you excited. It really shouldn’t distract people.” Vince D’Onofrio, sophomore

“I think the dress code should have gone through the policy committee and not been enforced by the administrators. I’m not against the changes, just how it was done”

“There’s obviously got to be some dress code rules, but they went a little bit to far this year with the no shoulders rule. I don’t see the purpose of it.

Deb Marsh, English teacher

Tracy Duve, junior

“It is a school and a place of learning, but the spirit is being enforced to intense. Girls are being taken out of class and missing half the day. Things like this need to be broken in slowly.” Mike Speigel, senior

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Squall Student athlete eligibility standards being reconsidered Molly Brewster sports editor

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qu re

Looking at the scoreboard, varsity football coach Tom Barberi couldn’t help but become upset. Dexter was down 58-21 to Pioneer in the second game of the season. What was more upsetting to Barberi than the score was that he had so many players sitting on the bench, ineligible to play due to grades that at any other school in the SEC would make them eligible. “We are the smallest school in the SEC with the highest eligibility standards,” Barberi said. According to the district handbook, for a student to be eligible to participate in a sport they must maintain a 2.00 GPA and pass all their classes. If a student loses eligibility, they aren’t able to play in a game until the ﬁrst progress report which comes every four and a half weeks. “Out of 120 players on freshman through varsity football teams, we

had 31 that were close to being in- to the Superintendent and eventueligible,” Barberi said. “What’s frus- ally the school board will have the trating is that we play other schools final say.” It isn’t the tough requirements that have lower standards than us. We have kids on the bench that that upset Robinson the most. He is have higher grades than players on more frustrated by the punishment the other team, but they aren’t able that a student receives when they beto play.” come ineligible. Junior Brian Hubbard was just “Athletics should encourage acaone of the varsity football players demic performance,” he said. who had to sit “If students are deemed ineligible out the first two games of and find out they the season behave to sit out half cause of an “E” of their season, there are a lot of he received in kids who will just French II last school year. quit. “Robinson “It was resaid he would like ally hard to to see the policy changed to put stuwatch the game • Tom Barberi dents who are inelknowing that varsity football coach igible on a weekly there was no way I would be progress report. able to play,” he “I think it would be more approprisaid. “It made me really frustrated. ate to make an athlete sit out for two It’s not fair that we have different weeks, and in that time they are able standards than other schools or that to bring up their grades,” he said. the punishment is carried out so long “That way athletes will have someafter the bad grade is received.” thing to work towards, and it will get Discussions have begun as to mak- them to work a little harder if they ing possible changes to the eligibility know they have the chance to play.” Both Robinson and Barberi agree requirements. Athletic Director John Robinson is in charge of this pro- that the current policy is putting cess. “Right now I am just talking to Dexter athletes at a disadvantage. the coaches, getting their opinions,” “Not all kids are great students,” Robinson said. Barberi said. “They shouldn’t be “Then it will go to the Parents punished and have to watch from the Athletic Advisory Committee, then bench as kids with lower grades than

“We are the smallest school in the SEC with the highest eligibility standard.”

2004 Times

•Bennett Washabaugh senior

Students feel need to put more time into sports in the offseason with little time for them to have fun Kevin McLaughlin staff writer

It is a hot, sunny July day. A perfect time to go to the beach, right? Not for Bennett Washabaugh. Many student-athletes can probably sympathize with senior golfer Washabaugh. He has to try to spend every free minute of his day in preparation for high school golf, even though he has been on the varsity team since freshman year. Washabaugh has a cottage on Lake Michigan, and while he was there, he didn’t practice golf. But when he came back from his cottage shortly before golf try-outs, he immediately felt the pressure of training during the off-season. “My game was rusty when I came back from my cottage, and everyone else’s game seemed to have improved a lot over the summer,” he said. “I realized that not practicing often during the summer really hurt me, at least temporarily.” Washabaugh is not the only student-athlete at Dexter affected by practicing during the off-season. Matthew Endler, a senior football player, endured similar pains. “We started practicing in late July for football,” he said. “It basically ended my summer,

because I had to wake up early every day and practice.” Not too long ago, there was no training or preparation that took place in the summer for high school sports teams. Those times, however, are changing. For many high school atheletes it seems that the task of getting a slight advantage on an opponent dominates athletics now. Golf coach Frank McAuliffe said, “I think off-season training is important to a certain point. During the off-season I believe you should work more on fundamentals of the game to help you improve your skills.” However, McAuliffe thinks off-season traning can have its drawbacks. “Off-season training is important, but I think kids should be able to play more than one sport. “But today it seems like kids are practicing one sport year round,” he said Washabaugh’s father, Dr. Edward Washabaugh, is outraged at the pressure of practicing during the off-season, but more so at other sports than golf. “I think it makes the sport into a job, and it can really ruin the sport for the kids and their parents,” he said. “I do not think the training is justiﬁable.” Not only did vacations

damage Bennett’s golf game, it put his chances of playing in a match versus players who had been practicing all summer in jeopardy. “I do think that my coach felt obligated to play someone who has been practicing all summer than he did to play me,” Washabaugh said. McAuliffe agreed. “It can’t all be based on training, but some of it is,” he said. Although Washabaugh and Endler didn’t want to undergo off-season workouts for highschool sports, they knew they had to because of the competitiveness. If they didn’t, their opponent would be working on his/her game and they would be a step behind. Things turned out all right for Washabaugh. “I worked very hard when I came back, and that hard work won my position back on the team,” he said. But this isn’t always the case, as many players do lose their positions due to not practicing during the summer Washabaugh does not agree with that. “I think it would absolutely suck to lose your position because there are other commitments that you make during the summer and if you lost your spot because of that, it’s not fair.”

them from other schools are able to play.” The Michigan High School Athletic Association sets the state minimum standard for eligibility, which is that students must pass four out of their six classes. Principal James Bannan said he doesn’t see anything wrong with the state guidelines. “Most athletes want to play so they will be well disciplined,” he said. “In my past schools I’ve found that harsh punishments won’t work. Teachers need to encourage students to be successful, and punishment isn’t encouraging.” If any changes are made in Dexter’s eligibility requirement they would not go into effect until the 2006-2007 school year. “Mainly we just need to reﬁne how we handle the situation,” Robinson said. “We don’t need to lower the expectations, but we need to motivate our athletes to keep their grades up, and if they drop not to give up but to work hard to get them back up.”

Cross Country Times from 38th Annual Nike Invitational

“I think it would absolutely suck to lose you position because of other commitments you make during the summer.”

Summer is no vacation from the pressure of sports

Barberi

Game time: Coach Tom Barberi is upset by the number of football players academically ineligible this season. He would like to see the eligibility requirements changed.

Photo by Mike Sayre

Hoping to four-peat: Juniors Dan Jackson and Andrew Martin are ready to run. Jackson and Martin have been a part of the team since 2003.

Running through some hard times Mens cross country returns another strong team despite loss of seniors Scott Campbell staff writer

Something seems different about this year for the mens cross country team. Practices are odd. A certain air around the team, an aura if you will, is missing. But does it spell disaster? Star runners Lex Williams and Tony Nalli have graduated. So now the question is not by how many points will they win, but can they even do it? For the past three years, the mens cross country team has been the team to beat in Michigan. But it appears that coveted fourth straight state championship may be hard to come by. With Williams and Nalli gone, the team knows it has a challenge ahead of them. Coach Jaime Dudash said though it wasn’t his program, that, “We have the tools to be a top 5 team in the state. Our goal is to consistently improve and at the state meet, be one of those teams that has an outstanding performance.” Dudash pointed to senior Mike Grundler, someone who he says knows the system in and out. “I’m optimistic,” Grundler said about winning another title. Grundler, a captain, didn’t seem incredibly excited about winning though. “It’s not about winning right now, “ he said. “We’re focused on getting better.” Another experienced runner, junior Alex Heidtke isn’t as conﬁdent.

Heidtke, a member of the team since seventh grade, said that without Williams and Nalli, it will be harder to win a state title. He said everyone needs to step up. Even Grundler admits that without Williams and Nalli the “classiest guys in Dexter” will have a long road to four straight. A similar thing happened two years ago. Dan Meyer and Ryan Boluyt, then two of the top runners in the state, graduated. Granted, the team still won a second straight championship. But the margin of victory of lessened. Will that happen again?“We have the tools to compete,” Dudash said. Heidtke mentioned juniors Daniel Jackson and Ryan Neely and sophomore Bobby Aprill right off the bat as three runners to watch this season as key runners Jackson, Neely and Aprill’s performance has been obvious to the younger members too. Freshman Zack Hannah mentioned those three plus another freshman, Jason Bishop. Senior co-captain Brad Whitehead also mentioned junior Andrew Martin as a runner who has upped his game. “I’m not saying getting a fourth championship will be easy,” Whitehead said. “It’ll be a challenge. We have to keep working like we’re working to reach our goals.” Heidtke had much the same to say.“We just have to work harder,” he said. “Get serious. We’re no longer the top dog.”

Lex Williams 16:08 Tony Nalli 16:21 Dan Jackson 17:05 TJ LaRosa 17:12 Ryan Neely 17:12 Bobby Aprill 17:21 Charles Wolcott 17:40 Andy Paulun 18:11 Alex Heidtke 19:06 Andrew Martin 19:06 Jay Leadley 19:21 Seth Porinsky 19:23 Brad Whitehead 19:23 Larry Gunderson 19:28

2005 Times Dan Jackson 16:05 Bobby Aprill 16:12 Ryan Neely 16:36 Jason Bishop 16:44 Charles Wolcott 17:26 Andrew Martin 17:48 Alex Hess 18:14 Vincent D’Onofrio 18:22 Nathan Magyar 19:36 Nick Butler 19:37 Men Metz 19:43 Zach Hannah 19:45 Victor Krug 20:00

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Squall

Sports Calender

October 7

Cross Country Chelsea Invitational @ 9:00

Mens Golf Home VS Bedford @ 3:00

Womens Varsity/JV Basketball- Home VS Bedford @ 5:30/7:00

Women’s Tennis Home VS Pinckney @ 4:00

Mens Soccer Home VS Chelsea @ 4/5:30

Womens Varsity/ JV Basketball Home VS Chelsea @ 5:30/7:00 Womens Varsity/JV Basketball Home VS Adrian @ 5:30/7:00 Women’s Swimming - Home VS Lincoln @ 6:30

14 21

Varsity Football Away VS Willow Run @ 7:00

16 23

Womens Freshman Basketball Home VS Huron @ 5:30

Womens Varsity/ JV Basketball Home VS Pioneer @ 5:30/7:00

Mens Soccer Home VS Tecumseh @ 4/5:30

JV/Freshman Football Home VS Willow Run @ 7:00

*This calendar is not all inclusive

Student sticks to his big dream Frank Dufek staff writer

Using his strength to do pushups in Advanced Weight Training class, senior Matt Molnar is a far cry from where he was in 2003. At this time two years ago, Molnar was out of school and critically injured in a freak motocross accident. “I was just riding around with my friend (junior Nick Hiser) and he accidentally crashed into my bike from the side,” Molnar said. The injury left him with a shattered a r m and leg. However, his love for the sport of motocross never left him. “I always knew I would keep riding,” Molnar said. His journey back to the

sport was not an easy one though. He was conﬁned to a wheelchair for almost half a year and had to make up an entire semester of school. He also had to undergo extensive physical therapy and wear a cast on his arm and his leg. “My arm was shattered into six pieces, and my leg was broken so it took about a year for everything to fully heal,” Molnar said. Molnar is a member of the American Motocross Association (AMA) and is a sponsored racer.

“I like to race a lot because it is a way to show off all the work I put into the sport.” • Matt Molnar senior To become a sponsored racer, a motocross enthusiast who is impressed with a racer’s talent must approach him and ask. Sponsored riders get money for equipment and other motocross paraphernalia. To the untrained spectator, moto-

cross may appear to be as complex or difficult as riding a Huffy. However, Molnar will be the first to tell them differently. “Motocross takes a lot of physical training,” he said. “I have to lift weights, run and ride my [bicycle] just to keep in shape for it.” Motocross athletes who want to be successful don’t just spend time between races tinkering around in their garage. They are out every day of the week putting in hours of riding time so that they can be the first to cross that black and white checkered line. “I practice just about every day of the week for two or three hours on my bike in Milan, and I do more land training when I can’t practice riding,” Molnar said. Once it comes time to compete, all of Molnar’s practice and training is put to the test. He races just about every weekend he can. “I like to race a lot because it is a way for me to show off all the work I put into the sport,” he said. Molnar said he has been participating in motocross since he was five years old and shows no signs of hanging up his helmet any time soon. “I am going to keep on riding until I get too old,” he said while glancing down at the scar on his right arm, “or too injured, whichever comes first.”

photo by Robyn Shepard

Underclassmen feel the heat on varsity teams Derek Ager staff writer

The referee blows his whistle. The head referee drops the black and white ball. The center ﬁelder kicks the ball right under freshman Ryan Lemasters’ feet. Huge bearded men who look like Neanderthals come running at him. What should he do? Lemasters weaves in and out of their large legs and passes it away; he has survived, for now. “Lemasters is really good player, very good for his age,” senior Jason Lynch said. In fact, he is good enough that as a freshmen he made the varsity team. Last year Lemasters was in eighth grade, playing against other middle school players. Now he has made a huge jump to the varsity level as a freshman. And he is not alone. There are currently freshmen playing on the varsity golf, soccer, swim and cross country teams. According to Lemasters, all as-

pects of play are different on the get injured, and that is a whole other varsity level, especially the intensity. mess.” But it was lack of playing time, “The other teams are a lot more aggressive on the field,” he said. “They not potential injury that scared Lemaster the most. make me feel small.” “Not playing In fact, Lemasters rememwas my biggest bers the first fear coming up time he realized to varsity,” he the difference said. “Going between middle up to varsity, I school and varwanted to fit in sity sports. with the guys, “It first hit and not playing me that I was on wouldn’t help.” Freshmen varsity during • Ryan Lemasters our game against freshman Brent Muse of Pioneer,” he the varsity golf said. “I ran down team was in the a ball and a Pioneer kid tackled me. same boat as Lemasters. It was clean, and I was smashed into “I was scared that if I didn’t the ground. Nothing like that has perform well, I would lose my varever happened to me before.” sity spot,” Muse said. “Our team is Football coach Tom Barberi said stacked, so one mistake and I could that many freshmen lack the physical be out.” maturity of upperclassmen, though. When freshmen play up, and ac“Underclassmen are not physicaltually play, however, they gain valuly ready to perform at varsity level,” able experience. Senior Frank McAuhe said. “It is possible for them to liffe has been on the varsity golf team

“The upperclassmen are very accepting and they make me feel like I belong”

since he was a freshmen. “Since I have experienced a varsity atmosphere, I have a huge edge over varsity kids who I am playing against,“ he said. “I am much calmer because I have been there. I look at the other kids, and you can tell they are very nervous.” Experience is an advantage of playing up, but feeling part of something great is an advantage too. “I don’t feel left out a bit,” Lemasters said. “The upperclassmen are very accepting, and they make me feel like I belong.” Seniors on the team often feel the same way. “It is great having little Lemasters on the team,” Lynch said. “He brings a lot of humor to the team. He is very goofy, and that relieves the pressure on us seniors to do well.” Not everyone is convinced, however, that having freshmen on a varsity team is a good idea. “Playing is the best kind of experience there is,” Barberi said. “So if the freshman is not going to play, keep him on a level where he will play.”

photo by Jon Williamson

Taking a water break: After practice, freshmen Ryan Lemasters packs up his cleats and shin guards. “It is great having little Lemasters on the team. He brings a lot of humor to the team. He is very goofy and that relieves the pressure on us seniors to do well,” senior Jason Lynch said.

robyn shepard staff writer

For student council president Molly Brewster, it disappeared before it even existed. Student council was in charge of spirit week this year and Brewster said, “We tried to come up with new ideas so students would participate, but it didn’t work.” Where does this lack of spirit come from? Senior Kaitlin McMurray suggests two ideas. “When things are getting piled on us in the beginning of the year, and we are trying to get into the swing of things, things like Spirit Week are very low on the list of things to worry

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Squall

about,” she said, “I also think it’s because people are lazy, and it’s not well advertised.” Brewster also explained that even the students in student council aren’t participating. “It’s really disappointed that the kids

that came up with the ideas and said, ‘Hey let’s do this’ aren’t even participating themselves. We had our student council meeting on Tuesday (Western Day) and only like four out of the kids we’re dressed up.” Many students are also wondering what happened to pajama day? Brewster said, “I suggested it, but everyone thought it was too boring.” But to senior Nick Libra, pajama day was the only day he participated in. He said, “It was nice to have a day to lounge around. I could just wake up and go.” Senior football player Tanner Boyd said, however, Spirit Week isn’t just about dressing in unusual wear, it’s about building momentum toward the upcoming football game. “It really drags the team down when the students don’t participate in showing spirit, especially on maroon and gold day.”

He got soul: Interim principal Jim Bannan sports some interesting threads the Monday after homecoming. Dirty looks aside, he kept his promise after the football team beat Tecumseh to wear his unusual clothing if the football team won. Photo by Brandon Mayotte

Up in the air: Junior Lauren Westphal, Kaitlyn Herring and Krisy Knight hold up a fellow teammate during the pep assembly. The cheerleaders gave the spirit stick to the seniors after a cheer-off.

Ridin’ the wagon: The varsity football team rides on their ﬂoat during the parade. They defeated Tecumseh 24-14 later that night.

Photo by Kelly Jordan

Dancing her troubles away: Junior Lisa Hoeft does the routine during the pep assembly. The dance team later preformed at half time during the game. Photo by Kendall Goode

Photo by Kelly Jordan

Photo by Kendall Goode

Making a scene: Senior Mark Culp raises his hands to the crowd on the orchestra ﬂoat. The orchestra had a Spider-Man theme.