0506-3

Unscannable? You have to wonder how we got the report cards in the paper.

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

November, 2005 Volume XVI, Issue 3

photo illustration by Brandon Mayotte

New report cards don't make the grade Classroom use of films debated hilary mccown copy editor

“The watermarks are meant to stop as many as we can, but there are ways around everything.”

• Gina Newell Secretary

A

kyle muse news editor

the word “void” was easily eliminated and did not show when the card was printed.

“It’s not rocket science,” senior Spencer Ryan said.

“I could see how if the ‘voids’ showed up how it would be hard because the ‘voids’ blend in with the background, but they don’t show up when you scan them.”

But Newell said even watermarks aren’t necessarily going to stop people from cheating.

“Students will always attempt to change grades on their report cards,” Newell said, “The watermarks are meant to stop as many as we can, but there are ways around everything.”

Senior Josh Bahm said Newell is right. “I changed my grade once in third grade and that was the last time,” he said.

“If I was going to change my grade, it would be because I would want to prove to the school that I could, not to actually change my grade.” by n de io at oo tr l g us al ill nd ke

lthough report cards have a new color, the watermark that was supposed to show up when the paper was scanned, faxed or copied does not work the way it is supposed to.

Secretary Gina Newell ordered the new report card paper at the end of last year in an attempt to prevent students from altering their report cards.

No administrators were involved because she said they were either out of the country or out of a job. “Mrs. Glynn was in Germany, (former interim principal) Mr. Little was done,” she said. “I was the only one left. So I made the decision.”

Newell said the school spent $300 for 10,000 copies of the new watermarked cards, which the company guaranteed could not be faxed, scanned or copied without the watermark seal “void” showing up all over the paper.

Newell said the only research she did in her search for watermarked report cards was on price comparison, adding the company that makes the paper guaranteed that it could not be faxed, scanned or copied without the watermark showing up all over the report card.

When The Squall tested the validity of the watermarks using a Canon scanner and Adobe Photoshop,

The “voids” did show up when Newell photocopied a report card however.

As far as the paper company’s response, Newell said, “When I called them and told them about how some kids had found a way around it, they told me, ‘Oh, they must just be painting over the watermark,’” she said. “The thing is, students can get around the void, but they do not have access to the paper that we use that has the pink color.”

Principal Jim Bannan, seemed surprised that the paper didn’t work as advertised.

“We were told they work,” Bannan said. “It’s something obviously we will have to work on.”

So while there doesn’t seem to be a way around stopping counterfeiting of report cards Newell said the school is not ready to abandon the 10,000 copies of the paper they currently have.

She said, “We are going to stay with this paper until it is brought to our attention that there is a way around it.”

While many teachers see movies as valuable classroom tools, some people have begun to question the necessity of the number of films used at DHS. Eastern Michigan University professor and Dexter parent Dr. Sandra Rutherford said showing movies in class should be done in clips and only if they help to give a better understanding of the curriculum.

“We do not have enough curriculum time to cover all the current Michigan content standards and benchmarks,” Rutherford said, “so showing any film for a whole period is a waste of time.”

Rutherford is not against movies in general.

But too often, in her opinion, “Films (are stuck) in the VCR when a substitute shows up or during the last five minutes of class because the teacher has five minutes to kill.”

Her suggestion is to only show films as part of the Learning Cycle Model: engage, explore, elaborate or evaluate.

“When showing a film there needs to be an objective so it is not constructed as killing time on the teacher’s part,” Rutherford said.

English teacher Andrew Parker agrees to some extent but said students can benefit from a whole Hollywood movie.

“Films can help reinforce themes of books and material that might otherwise be difficult to understand,” he said. “There is a definite value in showing films that tell stories.”

In addition, the English department is working on a proposal that will allow certain R-rated films to be shown in class. Under the district’s current policy, R-rated films are prohibited.

If the new proposal were adopt• Deb Marsh ed, R-rated English teacher movies could be shown if approved by a movie review committee.

However, parent permission would be required for all students even after the movie was approved.

English department chairperson Deb Marsh wants people to understand that movies are not always rated R due to offensive content.

“There are reasons that movies are rated R for other reasons than content,” Marsh said.

She used “Schindler’s List” as an example of a film that is R-rated but should be seen by a wide audience.

“Films give students a great connection to the literature,” Marsh said. “(They help them) to identify with literature in a deeper and more meaningful way.”

Films give students a great connection to the literature.”

Wylie Pool causes breathing difficulties for swim, dive members nicole st.pierre staff writer

Air quality problems at Wylie Pool have resulted in health difficulties for many student swimmers.

According to building and grounds supervisor Don Price, there are too many chloramine compounds in the air.

“Chloramine compounds include a chlorine atom and something else,” Price said, “and too much of it causes smell and irritation.”

According to a report given to the Dexter Board of Education on Oct. 24 by Sharon Hubbard, mother of junior swimmer Adrienne Woods, the womens swim team has been experiencing coughing, sore throats and burning eyes due to problems at the pool.

The problems grew even more extreme when sophomore swimmer Alyssa Robinson had a full-blown

on the inside

asthma attack on Oct. 12. “I was in the amount of chloramine in the air afternoon practice and the air that through more ventilation and make day was really hot,” Robinson said. sure the equipment has no leaks in “I just couldn’t breathe.” its refrigerant system.

Leaks were repaired on Nov. 4, On Oct. 24, freshman swimmer 5 and 6, but Price said Taylor Bartscht experienced what doctors are these are only intermedicalling hyperventilation. ate steps.

“I’ve never had an asthma “We are in a position where equipment has attack before, so it was rerun for 14 years,” he said. ally weird,” Bartscht said.

Price witnessed “The pool might require more than the intermediBartscht’s hyperventilation. “Even with the mediate steps, like a change in its equipment.” According cal mask she couldn’t get control of her breathing for to Price, the intermedia few minutes,” he said. Af• Robinson ate steps are reasonably priced, but replacing the ter doing a focused breathing exercise, Bartscht was system would be in the rushed to the hospital. $350,000- $500,000 range.

Price says there are three ways On Oct. 28, the womens swim to reduce the chloramine present in team moved all of its practices to the the pool: lower the amount of chlo- high school pool. ramine in the pool water, reduce Price and Hubbard agree, though,

Music runs in the family: Choir teacher Beth Patterson teaches while her brother sings for a local rock band.

Page 3

that it’s hard to directly link health problems to the poor air quality at the pool. “In my opinion, swimmers are subject to this since they’re doing heavy exercise in the pool,” Price said, “but it’s complicated and filled with shades of gray.”

Hubbard agrees. “The doctor can’t look in someone’s throat and see Wylie there,” she said. “There just have been an abnormally high amount of incidents.”

Price and Hubbard also think that something must be done about the air quality problems. “My gut feeling is if we can make it better, make it better,” Price said.

Hubbard doesn’t want to see Dexter’s strong swim programs and strong athletes impaired by the problems at the pool. “The health of the kids is the most important thing,” she said, “above money and everything else.”

Drinking decisions: Dexter students share the bad decisions they made under the influence of alcohol.

Page 7

photo by Brandon Mayotte

Breathe that air: Sophomore Kimme Melinsky swims at Wylie Pool. The swim team currently practices at the high school due to Wylie’s poor air quality.

State champs times four: The cross country team wins their fourth state title in a row.

Page 11

2

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

Who’s Hiring?

7039 Dexter Ann Arbor Rd. Dexter, MI 48130 (734)426-1600 Who do you talk to: Dawn Fyer Photo by Brandon Mayotte

1. How many positions are available?

1 to 2

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

20-30 hours, possibly 40 hours

ACT takes place of the MEAP photo illustration by Kendall Goode

3. What is the hourly pay/salary for each position?

It depends on length of employment

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

None

5. What are three qualities you look for in your employees? Punctuality, honesty and friendliness 6. How old must you be to be hired? 16 years old, preferably 18 years old

7. How does one get hired?

Fill out an application

Name of company: Dexter Pharmacy on DexterAnn Arbor Road

Address: 7039 Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd. Dexter, MI 48130

Telephone number:(734) 426-1600 Who to talk to: Dawn Fyer

AGS to become mandatory for all 8th graders hilary mccown copy edior

The AGS series math program is unique to Dexter schools.

Combining algebra, geometry and statistics into one course and requiring students to take at least two years of it has been Dexter’s way of meeting the math requirement for the state of Michigan.

However, all of this may soon be changing. The state is raising the bar on the amount of information student’s should know in each grade, making the AGS series insufficient.

According to information presented at the grades 7-12 Math Forum on Oct. 26, the new benchmarks set by the state require that the current eighth grade class and all those that follow are able to understand the concept of non-linear functions, identify and represent linear functions, quadratic functions and other simple functions including inverse functions, cubics, roots and exponentials, using tables, graphs and equations.

These are things that, using the AGS series, students don’t learn until their freshmen year in high school.

To meet the benchmarks the math department is proposing a plan that would remove the AGS program from the curriculum beginning with the class of 2011.

“Ever since the new Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE’s) came out for seventh and eighth grade, the 712 math teachers have been reviewing several textbook series that will align with those GLCE’s and also give us a curriculum that would provide a seamless transition for students comming to high school,” math department chairperson Dewey Scott said.

According to Scott, the series they have chosen “is a more balanced approach. It takes many of the positive aspects of the integrated math series and combines those with the more traditional approach of pre-algebra, algebra I, geometry and advanced algebra.”

The proposal is scheduled to be presented to the school board in Jan. 2006. If adopted, the new series will be put in with next years eight grade students.

As eighth graders, these students will be given the option to take one of three algebra courses, giving them the choice to move on to an advanced algebra course or geometry as freshmen, depending on their academic performance in middle school.

This means that taking AGS I as a freshman won’t be an option any longer. Currently, 70 percent of the class of 2010 is taking AGS I with the remaining 30 percent in AGS I stretch. If the new plan is approved, this will be the last class to complete the AGS series.

To prepare for higher level math at a younger age, the class of 2011 has been learning more difficult concepts than any other seventh grade class to go through Dexter schools.

This fact doesn’t seem to bother the younger students though. Seventh grader C.J. McCrea said, “It’s fair. It’s only going to help us when we’re older.”

Seventh grader Andrew Smith agrees. “We’ll be smarter than (the previous classes),” he said, “and we’re going to be famous (for it).”

austin shapiro staff writer

Starting next year juniors in Michigan will take the ACT instead of the MEAP. The ACT will be paid for by the state, which will also pay for one retake per student.

Previously, students took the MEAP in fourth through eighth grades and as a high school junior.

Now juniors will take the ACT and a test called the Work Keys, which measures employment skills. Juniors will also take a social studies test because the ACT does not have one.

However, fourth through eighth graders will still take the MEAP. Principal Jim Bannan said he favors the change for multiple reasons.

“I never felt that the MEAP was a very good test,” Bannan said. “It drove curriculum and wasn’t relevant to entrance into college or the workforce.”

Counselor Gerry Holmes is also supportive of the crossover to the ACT. “The MEAP doesn’t allow students in Michigan to be equally compared in their progress because they are the only students who take the test, while the ACT is taken nationally,” Holmes said. “I’m a huge proponent of it.” For Holmes, the ACT makes more sense for places like Dexter where 70 percent of students go directly to four year programs from high school and 20 percent go to two year programs.

“The ACT is more relevant to students’ futures regarding post secondary education,” Holmes said.

However, for urban schools the switch is not as welcomed.

“In schools with lower percentages of students going to college, it’s hard enough to get them to take the MEAP, and it’ll be harder to get them in for the ACT,” counselor Larry LeBlanc said. “They tend to do poorly on the MEAP, and the ACT is even harder so it reflects

poorly on the students, the teachers and the whole district.”

Holmes said, “Financially, the switch to the ACT is good for Dexter,” Holmes said.

Processing the ACT costs about $110 less than the MEAP, and it will only take one day to complete while the MEAP took a whole week.

“The MEAP was originally used to drive curriculum in the state,” Holmes said. “But under Gov. John Engler it became a high stakes test used for determining state funding. Low scores helped to justify the need for charter schools in urban areas like Detroit, Muskegon and Flint.”

Many people worry that merit money will be squeezed out when the ACT takes the MEAP’s place.

However, the distribution of the money will probably work similarly to the MEAP. “The graduating class of 2006 will receive $2500 if they achieved a 1 or 2 overall on their MEAPs,” Holmes said.

“My understanding is that the change in money will begin with the class of 2007. Gov. Granholm is proposing that students receive no money unless they successfully complete two years of post-secondary education.” Secondary education includes two or four year college programs.

“Vocational training, like a truck driving school, is acceptable as post-secondary education as well,” Bannan said. Merit money will most likely be based on a set composite score that students must achieve, but the state legislature is still debating the topic. The scheduling for when the test will be taken is another obstacle

Michigan faces.

“With the MEAP, we took it during the week, but the ACT has five national test dates, that are all on Saturdays,” Holmes said. “It would be harder to get every student to come in on a Saturday to take the test. Hopefully, we can work something out that works for everyone.”

Currently, the ACT is mandatory in two states, Illinois and Colorado.

In both states the average score dropped initially when they made the test mandatory.

But within two years the average rose above what it had been previously.

College enrollment also went up when the test became mandatory.

“In the other places (that require the ACT) college enrollment rose considerably,” Bannan said. “I think some kids who think they aren’t the college type realized that they could go to college and that it wasn’t just for the ‘smart’ kids. Enrollment went up by something like 15%. “Last year 63 percent of Dexter’s class of 2006 took the ACT. Dexter’s average composite score • Gerry Holmes was 22.9, compared to the state and counselor national averages of 21.4 and 20.9.

While some people believe that colleges in Michigan favor the ACT, most colleges accept both tests.

“I have a very short list of schools that only accept the ACT and a very short list of schools that only accept the SAT,” Holmes said. “I really see this as an opportunity for students rather than a deterrent or an obstacle.

By and large this is something that’s really good for Dexter schools.”

I really see this as an opportunity for students rather than a deterrent or an obstacle.”

Video class adds DVD yearbook to their agenda sydney ross morale manager

photo by Spencer Ryan

Making memories: Junior Dillon Krug works on the DVD yearbook during Advanced Video Production. This is the first time the Advanced Video class has made a video yearbook.

Matt Martello: As adviser of advanced video production he oversees the DVD yearbook.

He said he thinks it will be popular among students.

When senior Jennifer Allen signed up for Advanced Video Production this year, she had a new idea she wanted to propose to the class: a DVD yearbook.

“My grandpa had done it at Huron in the past year,” she said, “and I thought that it was a good idea, so I thought that our school could try it too.” The DVD yearbook, which costs $25, will include clips from homecoming, sporting events and other school activities.

The DVD will also have a section dedicated to seniors, including a montage of their pictures and interviews.

“We still make the videos for the month and Students who order a DVD yearbook before make other things in class, but everyone works Feb. 3 will be able to get their name on the on the DVD the most,” Allen said.

DVD label and Advanced Video the cover.

Production teacher S e n i o r Matt Martello watches The DVD yearbook will have a over the production Spencer Ryan, along with more personal touch of the DVD yearbook, Allen, is in even though it was the because it isn’t just pictures. It students’ idea. charge of the DVD. the beginning of will also capture the“In And while year students were students’ personalities.” naming off things that some might think that they wanted to accommaking a DVD • Spencer Ryan plish in the class, and for 1,100 stuthe DVD yearbook senior came up,” Martello dent would be a ton of work, said. “Everyone liked it’s not accordthe idea, so we decided ing to Ryan. to pursue it.”

“It’s not as much work as you would think,” Juniors Camille Hanks and Heather Rieckhe said. “I have to be here just the same er both like the idea of a DVD yearbook. “It amount as I do for newspaper or yearbook, seems like a lot of work to do when we already so it’s not that bad. It’s more time consuming have a regular text yearbook, but it seems like than anything.” a cool idea,” Hanks said.

Ryan also said the Advanced Video class “I think that it’s cool that we are going to is going to put things on the DVD that don’t get something different this year to watch inmake it into the printed yearbook, such as stead of just having to read,” Riecker said. prom. “We are really pushing to have prom Ryan and the rest of the class have startin the DVD,” he said, “because it doesn’t make ed the DVD in many ways. “We have started it into the yearbook.” The DVD is not the only working on footage, like homecoming and inthing that Advanced Video Production pro- terviewing some seniors,” he said. “We have duces though. also started on the design of the DVD label They have other projects required as well. and cover.”

QA &

3

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

with sophomore Shantal Daratony ryan yuenger staff writer

Q: Are you going to go to the new Harry Potter movie?

A: No, probably not because I have only seen one previous Harry Potter movie, and I didn’t like it because it was too long. I also don’t like reading the books because those are also too long, and I hate reading.

Q: How, if at all, have you been preparing for the possible bird flu pandemic?

A: Are you serious? What is the bird flu? And no, I haven’t done anything to prepare because I had no idea that there was a bird flu.

Q: What is your least favorite kind of music?

A: I hate classical music like Mozart and Beethoven because it is so boring. I also don’t like it because there are no words to listen to.

There is nothing to pay attention to without words. I also don’t like music where the words don’t make any sense like a lot of the rap music nowadays. If you actually listen to the words of that music, you will realize how stupid it is.

Q: What two things annoy you the most in our school?

A: The first thing is when I can hear people eating. That is so gross. I just want to slap the people that do that and say, “Nobody wants to hear you eat.” The second thing is when groups of people walk 10 people wide in the hallway so nobody can get by.

Q: Suppliers that give KFC its chickens allegedly use various torture techniques like breaking chickens’ legs so that they get fatter. How do you feel about these techniques?

A: Oh my gosh. I didn’t know that they did that.

That is so mean. That makes me want to cry. I don’t understand how anyone could possibly do that. Plus, we don’t need the chickens to be fatter, ‘cause that just makes us fatter, and we don’t need that.

Q: Do you have any general words of wisdom for our school or society as a whole?

A: Yes, I have two things to say: 1) Don’t get caught up and upset with the little things in life, you’ll miss out on the bigger, more important things. And 2) To quote the great Yogi Berra, “If you come across a fork in the road, take it.”

Q: What is your opinion of this year’s freshman class?

A: I think that most of them are very immature, as most freshman always are. And a lot of them seem very trashy. Also, a lot of them seem to think they run the school

Q: Who is your favorite Beastie Boy? A: Are you kidding? Although they are all ridiculously sweet, it is by far Adam Yauch aka Adrock. His rhymes are so dope.

NEWS ANALYSIS

Students polled on school, drugs

christina field education editor

Note: This article is part two of the community survey article in last issue.

Photo illustration by Kendall Goode

Graduate sued by RIAA for sharing songs frank dufek contest manager

Walking to the mailbox on Aug. 1, Jarrod Dillon, a 2005 graduate, was about to come across an envelope, the contents of which would leave him shocked and dismayed.

“I saw an envelope addressed to me from (the Recording Industry Association of America) and when I opened it up, I found out I was being sued for illegally downloading music,” Dillon said.

The RIAA had nabbed their most recent suspect in their seemingly never-ending war against music piracy.

“Anyone who is stealing or giving away copyrighted material on the Internet needs to know that what they are doing is illegal,” said Amanda Hunter, a spokesperson for the RIAA. The practice of illegally downloading music first came to many people’s attention in 1998 with the debut of Napster, a file-sharing program offering users a library of over one million songs for free.

Seven years later what once was an innocent form of musical tastetesting has become illegal, yet still common.

“I accidentally shared my songs with other users,” Dillon said. “That’s how they caught me.”

The RIAA gains access to people’s computers by tapping into them through the downloading program’s shared network. Once inside the computer, the RIAA takes screenshots of music libraries to use as evi-

dence in court.

“I wish I hadn’t shared my files, because that’s all I’m getting in trouble for,” Dillon said. “They wouldn’t have caught me if I hadn’t been sharing.”

According to MSNBC.com, more than 10,000 people have been sued by the RIAA for illegal file sharing.

Victims of the RIAA’s crusade against music sharing range from a 12-yearold girl to an elderly man.

“These lawsuits have helped (slow down) the growth of peer-to-peer use, and we will continue to pursue them,” Hunter said.

According to Dillon, their lawsuit filing process isn’t entirely effective.

“The RIAA is like a little kid on an anthill with a magnifying glass, picking them off at random rather than getting every last one of them,” Dillon said.

While the RIAA’s web site says the maximum penalty of • Jarrod Dillon music piracy is 2005 graduate up to five years in prison with a $250,000 fine, Dillon is being fined $4,000 for his 1500 illegal songs.

Although many people who download music illegally claim that what they are doing has no effect on record sales, Hunter disagrees.

“Music shipments in the United States have decreased about 20 percent. This is attributed in part to online piracy,” she said.

The RIAA’s efforts against music piracy may never completely eliminate the practice, but at least one less person will be taking part in it.

“I’m done downloading music online,” Dillon said. “I wish I would have just paid for the CD’s.”

“I wish I hadn’t shared my files because that’s the only reason I’m getting in trouble.”

SCHOOL Results from a recent Squall survey did not represent an overall like or dislike for education. About 39 percent of students say they enjoy one to two of their classes, 41 percent enjoy three to four, 19 percent like five to six and one percent of the students say they do not enjoy any of their classes.

Junior Ryan Winchester thinks the problem is the curriculum taught. “They teach you what you need to know, but not how to use it,” he said, adding that classes are the basics. “It seems like Dexter prepares people for Dexter and that’s it.”

He said he has little reason and/ or motivation to excel in his classes while at Dexter. He said both getting by and doing well in class allow a student to receive credit.

The survey also shows that GPAs drop as students get older. Seventyeight percent of sophomores have a 3.0 - 4.0 GPA, whereas 66 percent of juniors and 58 percent of seniors say the same thing.

Senior Keith Bado said it is the last couple years of high school that

students get tired from the work and the routine. “Kids burn out,” he said.

“You’re doing homework four nights a week for how many days a year?

For four years. You just get sick of it.

You get sick of the pattern.”

Although not all are enthusiastic about school, ninety one percent still plan on furthering their education. Sophomore Eric Erdman said it’s necessary to go to college. “I hate school,” he said. “But I’m going to college. I want to have a life.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE According to the survey and several interviews, students said the use of illegal drugs and alcohol is common among their peers. The survey showed that use increases with grade level. In the freshman class 20 percent indicated they have had experience with illegal substances, compared to 44 percent of the sophomores, 61 percent of the juniors and 67 percent of seniors.

Of those who smoke cigarettes and/or cigars, 45 percent continue to smoke regularly and 52 percent occasionally.

Of students who try alcohol, 50 percent drink one to three times per month, 27 percent four to seven times per month, and 11 percent eight or more times per month. For marijuana, 38 percent smoke one to three times per month, 23 percent four to seven times per month,

and 30 percent smoke eight or more times per month.

Those who are involved with other narcotics indicated that 53 percent do it one to three times per month and 10 percent do it four to seven times per month.

Interestingly, the majority of students who use drugs and alcohol get fairly good grades, play sports, have parents who make over $50,000 a year and consider their parents to be very supportive.

“Money is actually a problem,” Bado said. “If (there’s little) money and free time they won’t do it.”

Sophomore David Owens looked around the cafeteria. “I could point out 100 people that smoke,” he said, and then thinking of someone he knew said, “But once you get caught, you’ll stop.”

Winchester doesn’t necessarily agree. “Things aren’t enforced,” he said. “There are rules but nothing happens. If people don’t get caught, they keep doing it.

“People always say peer pressure, but I don’t think it is. We’re teenagers, and we want to find new things,” he said. “And it’s very, very easily available.”

Bado thinks daily repetition could influence substance abuse also. “(Students) want to get away from routine. You do things over and over and you want to break away from it,” Bado said.

The quick facts • Of those who try alcohol, marijuana, or cigars/cigarettes, 91 percent will continue to use the substance on a monthly basis. This holds true for 63 percent of those who try other narcotics.

• Excluding the freshman class, 64 percent of the high school have used alcohol, 43 percent have used marijuana, and 20 percent have used other narcotics.

• Of juniors, 61 percent of students using illegal substances have a GPA of 3.0 - 4.0. The senior class total is 76 percent.

• Twenty-two percent say school is very useful now and/ or for the future. Eight percent say it is very rarely useful.

Source: Squall survey of 200 students

Winchester said there’s really no correlation between drugs and grades. “It’s just another stereotype they use to get people not to do it,” he said. “They’re like ‘If you do drugs you’ll get bad grades and hit a little kid on a bike in front of a fast food place.’ There’s very few people whose lives are so overcome by drugs that they just don’t do their work. I mean, some people who don’t do their work just won’t do their work. There’s a lot of straight A students that do drugs and a lot of failing kids that do drugs too.”

Pattersons sing their way to the top Teacher's brother and his band DOWNTOWN BROWN open for Andrew WK ian williamson staff writer

To some people, leaving a full ride college scholarship to sing in a band might sound like a pretty big gamble. But for Neil Patterson, front man of local funk/punk/metal mavericks DOWNTOWN BROWN, and brother of choir teacher Beth Patterson, it was probably the only course of action that made sense.

“I’m better at music than art. That’s it,” Patterson said. “I’ve been singing my entire life. I was the type of kid who just loved to hear the sound of his own voice. I was constantly imitating voices from TV, singing songs. Since I can remember I’ve never possessed the ability to shut up.”

That ability to not shut up has been a boon to him and his band, as DOWNTOWN BROWN finds itself playing for bigger and bigger crowds and opening for many of the biggest bands to come through Michigan.

The band has been on the fast track to success since the addition of bassist Robert “Hairy Bob” Bates late last year, playing with increasingly well known groups such as Andrew WK, Slightly Stoopid and MC Chris. They even reached the number two most lis• Beth Patterson tened song on music website soundclick.com.

“Opening for Andrew WK was amazing,” Patterson said “He’s a really sincere, nice dude who gave us like six shout outs during the duration of the show. Playing with the Presidents Of The United States of America was great too. There were over a thousand people at the show.”

Acting as vocal coach to her brother, singing on the band’s records and occasionally performing live with the band, you could say that Beth Patterson is in many ways the fourth member

of the group.

She first started singing at a young age and was inspired to pursue singing by supportive high school teachers, aspiring actors and her brother. “I have had many mentors,” Beth said.

“I was fortunate to meet some wonderful performers when I was young. It is too cool to see some of them on Broadway and winning Tony Awards. There is a strong network also for music educators in the state, so I am surrounded by talented, helpful people.“ Wanting to pursue a career in music but also looking to work with youth, she found her place as a choir teacher.

“My early experiences in professional children’s theater resulted in my passion for working with youth and music,” she said. “I am so fortunate to teach great students and see them accomplish so much.”

Neil agrees. He said, “Even if you can’t sing you should join choir just to hang out with my sister.”

4

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

Trouble counting sheep Insomnia causes problems for students michelle svetkoff editor-in-chief

The clock flickered 11:30 p.m. Tossing and turning, junior Kaylee Chappell hoped she would be lucky enough to fall asleep before midnight. But it’s not likely on this or any other night, as Chappell, like many students, suffers from insomnia.

“I can’t get to sleep at first,” she said about having insomnia. “I wake up again and have trouble falling asleep. I also feel restless like I can’t sleep at all.”

According to Mark Garwood, a physician who specializes in sleep disorders at the University of Michigan, Chappell’s condition is not unusual. “(Sleep disorders) are pretty common,” he said. “One third of women ages 13 to 16 have a sleep disorder.”

Chappell falls into this age range and says she has had trouble sleeping for the past couple of years, which drains her motivation. “I sleep in class and have permanent bags under my eyes,” she said. “(You just) feel lazy in general.”

According to Garwood, sleep deprivation is a concern because it can cause decreased attention, memory loss, mood changes and changes in motor skills.

In addition to these negative effects, counselor Gerry Holmes said many students who are tired don’t perform to their best ability. “Often they drag themselves to school,” she said. “And they often fall asleep in their morning classes, impairing their school performance.”

In an attempt to treat her insomnia and lower the dangers of sleep deprivation, Chappell said her doctors tried to teach her how to relax. “You can’t do anything that stimulates you,” Chappell said about relaxation techniques her doctors tried with her. “Obviously don’t watch TV or (play) computer games or talk on the phone.”

However, Chappell said even relaxation techniques haven’t helped her. She tried a relaxation tape but to no avail. “(It said) to relax your whole body and mind,” she said.

“It was weird. They even told you to relax your toes.”

When different relaxation methods didn’t work and Chappell started to fall asleep even later, she went to a University of Michigan sleep clinic. “They hooked me up to a bunch of wires,” she said. “It was weird.” Even that didn’t help, and she said she still does not know what is causing her insomnia.

But according to Garwood, all sleep disorders have an underlying cause. “It’s important to go to a sleep clinic to see what is causing (the sleep disorder),” he said. “Once the underlying cause is discovered, it is easier to treat.”

Whatever her underlying cause, Chappell knows she tries to sleep but can’t keep her mind free of thought. “(I have) too much on my mind,” she said. “I can’t stop myself from thinking. It just keeps going.”

Holmes said she hears many stories like Chappell’s from many different students.

“Many students I talk with describe a feeling of being wide awake in the late-evening hours with a delay of sleep,” she said, “and sometimes don’t feel tired enough to go to sleep until 3 or 4 a.m.”

Chappell agrees. She wants to sleep but just can’t get her body to do it. “Sometimes you want to fall asleep but can’t,” she said. “(My) legs won’t rest, and you can’t get in a comfortable position.”

Some people end up turning to medication to help their insomnia, but Garwood does not recommend this. “There is not enough extensive research on the effects (of the medication),” he said. “For acute (short term) sleep disorders, the medications are better researched.”

And even if they would help, Chappell doesn’t want to take medicine for her sleeping disorder because she currently takes medication for ADHD. “I feel like it would be too much,” she said. “Plus, (I) don’t want to deal with side effects.”

All Chappell knows is that she wants her nightly struggle to end. Unfortunately, as the clock crawls to 11:55 every night, she knows her luck isn’t with her. She said, “I just wish I could sleep.”

photo illustration by Kendall Goode

NHS, other clubs work against poverty As temperatures drop, Salvation Army helps those in need maggie craft circulation manager

According to Dale Wantly, 80 to 90 percent of the time the Salvation Army’s shelters are full of families without homes. Wantly, Social Services Director for the Salvation Army of Washtenaw County also said most homeless people don’t have a enough income to live their lives without help.

But how does the Salvation Army get its resources? From organizations like Dexter High School’s National Honors Society.

Each year, NHS does a dinner to help the homeless at the Salvation Army get a good meal. Wantly says aid like this helps those in the shelter feel warmed with the help of others, as well as gets them nourishment.

“We help different charities in different ways,” NHS adviser Cheryl Wells said. “(We help) in ways that they can benefit.”

Wantly said Salvation Army shelters help people who live under bridges by the Huron River, in their cars or on the streets. It exists to help those people get back on their feet.

The shelters put people into a 90-day stay in a housing unit where social workers help to find what is needed for them to succeed.

“We do not just put a band aid on them,” Wantly said. “We get them jobs. If there is no sign of effort, they don’t stay (for the 90 days).

The clock is ticking on most people.”

Wantly says many homeless parents have a baby on the way or a newborn they can’t afford.

“If we took all the homeless children 10 (years old) and under tonight in Michigan, there would be more than what would fill Michigan S t ad iu m ,” Wantly said.

That means that those children and their families need the help of the Salvation Army’s shelters and resources.

And Wantly said the Salvation Army cannot help those in need without the help of donors like NHS. These donations help the shelters have a 72 percent success rate.

Wantly said people mainly donate money, but there is also a lot of food given to the Salvation Army through can drives and dinners, dinners like the ones NHS puts on. He also said the Salvation Army accepts donations such as gift cards to general stores. He said that even boxes of crayons, coloring books and pots and pans are helpful as well.

Senior Caroline Wolcott, president of NHS, said it is important that the NHS donates to the Salvation Army. “(The Salvation Army) is the main help to the homeless,” Wolcott said.

“They help those who don’t have something to eat every day.”

5

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

ALOHOMORA!

Unlocking the secrets behind Potter’s 4th year

kevin mclaughlin staff writer

New to the bunch Cedric Diggory: A Hufflepuff who is chosen as one of Hogwart’s Triwizard champions.

He and Harry frequently come to each other’s aid for numerous tasks

Fleur Delacour: The beautiful Triwizard champion from the French school of magic, Beauxbatons Academy , who seems to have cast a spell over most boys

Mad-Eye Moody: Hogwart’s new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who possesses a magical eye, and a dark secret

Victor Krum: Durmstrang Institute’s Triwizard champion and quidditch star who catches the fancy of Hermione Granger, much to Ron’s displeasure

scott campbell staff writer

There’s no getting around it. Video games are becoming a major part of our culture. And they’re only getting bigger.

When the word “gamer” comes up, most people think of a pale, weak kid sitting alone in a dark room, forever buried in a fantasy world. And that is true in a few, very sad cases.

But when a game breaks the record of money grossed on its opening day, when it makes more money than any other premiere of any entertainment release in history, there is something to be said about how popular it is.

That game? Halo 2.

Now, most of you cringed just then, thinking, “Did he really just mention Halo again?”

Fear not, gentle reader. This is not about Halo. Merely about the system Halo is played on. Specifically, the sequel to Halo’s home console, the Xbox.

In November 2001 Microsoft made its first foray into the home console market, and now, four years later, a newer, shinier version of the original Xbox is on its way.

As of press the Xbox 360 has already been in a store near you for a week. I’m here to clear up any confusion that may still be around.

Getting the dirty stuff out of the way, consumers will have a choice to make.

There are two versions of the 360 available for purchase. One sells for $299. The other for $399.

There’s a catch though. Buyers will pay the price for being cheap, and it will come in the form of not getting as much bundled with the system.

The people who buy the cheaper version, called the “core” system, will get the 360 console, a wired controller and a standard AV cable with which to plug into your basic TV. Here’s where being a bit more free with your money gets you.

The more expensive one, called the “premium” system, gets you way more bang for your buck. For only $100 more, buyers receive the following: the 360 console, a universal media remote for playing DVDs and movies on the console, a wireless controller, an HD AV cable with which to plug into either a standard TV or an HD TV, a headset for use on Xbox Live and a detachable 20 GB hard drive.

Now, I’m just as cheap as the next guy.

So when I saw that there was a cheaper version, the same thing went through my mind.

“Can I buy the cheap one, then buy all that other fluff separate?”

No. All together, the extras bundled with the premium version would cost you around

photo illustration by Spencer Ryan

Photo Illustration by=Kendall Goode

As he finishes reading the final few pages of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” he sets the book down. He picks up “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” and begins to read more. Senior Neil Parin is a huge Harry Potter fan. “I read books one through six again, and now I’m reading from book six to book one,” Parin said.

Super fans like seniors Neil Parin and Scott Chevalier along with junior Sean King are ecstatic about the release of the new movie. “You have to see the movies if you read the books,” King said.

For Harry Potter fans, the wait is finally over. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” came out Nov. 18.

Parin, King and Chevalier started reading Harry Potter when the first book was released. “I was nine when I started reading, I wanted to be a wizard and go to Hogwarts,” Parrin said.

Chevalier would love to be in Harry Potter’s shoes.

“How sweet would it be to be a wizard in that school?”

Chevalier said, “Way better than going to this one.”

Chevalier also made a comparison between his life and Harry’s. “No way can you compare our lives,” he said. “Harry’s life is 80 times better because he has a wand.”

The release of the fourth movie excites the super fans.

“It looks like it has a more detailed plot, and the Tri-wizard tournament is very exciting,” Parin said.

“I want to see the hot French girl students from Beauxbatons.”

Chevalier is another ecstatic fan excited for the release. “I’m excited because I work at the movie theater, and I see previews up the wazoo for

the movie and they look amazing,” he said.

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” covers the Tri-Wizard tournament. The tournament is a contest between the wizarding schools Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.

Each school has at least one contestant (Hogwarts has two) to compete in the tournament. Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter compete from Hogwarts, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons and Viktor Krum from Durmstrang.

The contestants have to go through various tasks to see who is worthy of the Tri-wizard cup. The first one to touch the cup wins. The tests include stealing an egg from a dragon, getting past the merpeople in the lake and successfully completing a deadly maze.

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” also seems to be one of the super fan’s favorite books. Parin said, “‘The Goblet of Fire’ is definitely my favorite book because there is so much quidditch in it and action with the tri-wizard tournament.”

Although King’s favorite book was “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” he still enjoyed the fourth one. “The fourth one was my second favorite book,” King said.

“One of the things that Harry Potter fans seem to find very appealing about the series is the versatility of the books. Not only do small children enjoy the book, their parents enjoy it also,” King said, “Harry Potter is entertaining and appeals to all ages.”

No matter what their ages are, everyone is assured to have a great time when either reading or watching the adventures of Harry Potter .

The stories appeal to all, and there’s two more movies to come.

New X-Box console brings video games full circle

$240. Add that to the original cheap-o price of $299, and you end up paying $140 more than the price of the premium. Lame.

Let’s talk multiplayer.

Both versions come with Microsoft’s online multiplayer service, Xbox Live. Only now there are two versions of that too.

Xbox Live Silver is the basic one, the cheaper one and the worse one. Though you have Xbox Live, you can’t actually play online. All you can do is make a gamertag (your name online), download cheesy arcade games and download some extra content for games.

But in order to play those games you bought, you need Xbox Live Gold, a $50 per year subscription.

I should also mention that in order to use Xbox Live in any way, you ned a hard drive, which comes with the premium version. By itself, the drive will run you $100, the difference between the cheap and premium versions. Xbox Live also requires a broadband connection to the Internet.

In the case of Value World, where one can buy a full suit for twenty dollars, being cheap is the best thing since sliced bread.

But in the case of the 360, which many say will be the best thing since Value World suits, being cheap is not good at all.

All photos courtesy of Warner Brothers. Used with permission

10 teenage movies that capture the essence of DHS kelsey shultz morale manager

Students peel into the parking lot, talk amongst themselves and mosey around the school. This is the opening scene of “Dazed and Confused”, a movie about a group of high schoolers in the 70’s. But take a closer look. Change the character’s faces and you have Dexter High School.

Hollywood has always had problems creating realistic high school movies, so let’s celebrate the films that have represented high school students correctly, the films that inspire students to have fun and be ambitious, and let’s compare them to Dexter High School.

1. “Dazed and Confused”: A classic movie about one fourth of the student body is obsessed with it. It also has an excellent soundtrack. I know a group of students who used to identify each other with a character and took on their personalities. They even made paddles and intended to use them on freshman.

This movie also addresses two popular elements of student life: drug use and partying. The characters of the movie are often stoned out of their minds, hence the title. They also have a party in the woods. Sounds like Dexter.

2. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”: Superb acting by Matthew Broderick and the rest of the cast. This movie inspired many students to take a day off and live a little.

Ferris’ philosophies about life are genius in a crazy high

schooler kind of way.

At the beginning of the movie, Ferris educates the viewer with one of the greatest quotes ever: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

of her. Cher and her friends have a few things on their mind, one of which is sex, just like in Dexter.

5. “The Breakfast Club”: One of the classics from the 1980’s. “The Breakfast Club” is a movie that brings together the student body, something that Dexter could use. In the movie there is a jock, a rebel, a popular princess, an outcast mysterious girl and a nerd who all have a Saturday School together for different reasons.

There they learn a great deal about each other and discover that despite their different cliques, they have things in common.

It’s common to judge someone before you know them, especially in Dexter.

7. “Mean Girls”: Excellent movie showing how vicious girls can be and how some parents are completely oblivious. The scene where Cady imagines herself leaping across the lunchroom to attack Regina reminds me of recent events at our high school.

8. “Varsity Blues”: A football team striving to win and party at the same time. How many high schools do you think have a football team like that? The movie portrays high school life quite accurately. However, I can’t think of any teachers who are strippers for a second job.

3. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”: The first time you view this movie, one thought may cross your mind: Whoa, that’s Sean Penn? Yes, Sean Penn plays the hilarious character of Jeff Spicoli. Spicoli is the guy who always arrives late to class and high as a kite. He makes the most outrageous comments and is a complete idiot.

Just about everyone can think of one person who reminds them of Spicoli. Another character we find at Dexter is Mike Damone. Damone is the guy who might not be the hottest in the school but still manages to swoon every girl by merely talking to her. Unfortunately, he knows of his talent to win the ladies and is a • American Pie complete jerk.

• Clueless

4. “Clueless”: “AS IF!” is the trademark phrase of this chick flick. The main character Cher is a rich, materialistic, Beverly Hills teenager who learns about things other than Prada during the movie.

Cher is in every high school. She’s gorgeous, dresses well and can’t process heavy information for the life

10. “16 Candles”: I doubt that anyone has ever had their birthday forgotten by their parents, but all teenagers at one point have felt neglected by their parents. A lot of Dexter students have been shadowed by their older siblings and had a crush who didn’t know they existed.

6. “Risky Business”: Like the main character, Joel, many Dexter students have been left home alone. However, I doubt that any of them have had a prostitute come live with them and then have their furniture stolen by a pimp.

Students are often like Joel, however, in the way that no matter the circumstances they will take advantage of being parentless.

9. “American Pie”: Based in Michigan but the set looks nothing like Michigan. Despite that mistake, the movie contains accurate elements of high school: the realization that graduation comes faster than most seniors believe and that high school will be one of the most awkward times of a person’s life.

However, I hope that no Dexter student ever finds themself on the Internet or with a pie down their pants.

6

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

‘Nothing Is Sound’: CD

Movie: ‘Killadelphia’ nick dodson staff writer

The first thing someone might notice after watching the first few minutes of Lamb of God’s latest DVD, “Killadelphia”, is that this is not a typical DVD. One of the most interesting things about this array of concert and behind-the-scenes footage is that in between songs there’s usually a clip of the band members living their lives on tour. Playing pranks on each other and getting into all kinds of mischief.

It really brings a lot of truth and understanding and it shows that touring in a band is not all fun and games.

One of the most interesting and climatic parts of the DVD is a fight between singer Randy Blythe and guitarist Mark Morton. In which Blythe gets a black eye and Morton receives a broken finger and torn cartilage.

The clips of the band hanging out are very entertaining, but let’s not forget that there is also a concert performance on this disc.

As the band opens the show, which was filmed in Philadelphia, with the bone crushing “Laid to Rest”, the listener starts to realize that the band is in sync. In fact, it sounds just like the album. It is amazing to see Blythe scream and growl his way through a 70+ minute set.

Guitarists Willie Adler, brother of drummer, Chris Adler, and Mark Morton display their fast and furious riffs with incredible intensity and skill, while the rhythm section consisting of bassist John Campbell and drummer Chris hold it steady.

Another great aspect of this DVD is that every individual member in the band takes the viewer through their rig and setup and

shows how to play a specific passage.

But the backstage footage is the most entertaining.

Whether it’s a band member getting a tattoo of a fried chicken dinner or brawling with another member or the group having their bus parked the wrong way on a one way street, this DVD is thoroughly entertaining and a must-have for any Lamb of God fan.

Even if you don’t like Lamb of God, this DVD will make you rethink your opinion on metal and thoroughly entertain you at the same time.

****

After they sold more than 2 million copies of “The Beautiful Letdown,” Switchfoot made a name for themselves and had a lot to live up to.

In “Lonely Nation,” the opener to their new album, the lyrics “I’m tired of feeling low” really set the tone for the entire album; Switchfoot is saying that there are times when we feel low, but we don’t have to settle for that.

Band front man Jon Forman said on the Switchfoot web site, “In reality, most of these songs are simply the spontaneous ramblings of a man with a guitar who can’t sleep, trying to make sense of a broken

THE RATINGS * Stay away from this abhorrent mess ** Acceptable in gift form but not worth your money *** If there’s nothing else to do, go for it **** If it seems to suit your tastes, you need to give it a chance ***** Fun for all ages

jonathan williams staff writer

Christopher Paolini started writing his “Inheritance” trilogy at age 15. Now 19, he has completed two novels and is working on the third and final book of the series.

His first book, “Eragon” is a colorful narrative about a young man (Eragon) thrown into perilous circumstances. Set in a fictional world known as Alagaesia, the story is filled to the seams with interesting writing and creative plot twists.

Palini, a home schooled student, started writing the book on a whim. One day he sat down and started planning out the story that had been unfolding inside his head for some time. A big fan of classical music, he listens to composers such as Mahler, Beethoven and Wagner while he wrote. He was raised in Montana and credits the amazing landscape as inspiration for the fantastic Montana ranges found in his books.

The story focuses on Eragon as he deals with a new variable in his life, the birth of a dragon who is now linked to Eragon.

This new-found friendship and connection makes for creative dialogue between the dragon (Shapira) and Eragon.

Paolini does a superb job establishing his characters and assigning them definite personalities. In the first few pages of the book he includes a complete map of the fictional land. Which is helpful in order to follow the plot in the locational sense. These creative traits make the book truly impressive, not only as an adventure novel but also as the work of such a young man.

While the story remains solid throughout, there are many similarities to J.R.R Tolkein’s famous “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. This is one of the book’s downfalls.

kim wiesner staff writer

Many times the similarities are almost uncanny. But this is a common trait in the world of fantasy novels. It sometimes seems as if there are only so many monsters and creatures to be introduced into writing.

One of the high points of the book is the creative writing surrounding the characters of dragons. This book is an impressive product of a creative young man who truly seems to have a gift for this type of writing.

It was entertaining all the way through and considering it is the first novel in a trilogy it ends leaving the reader wanting more.

Book: ‘Eragon’

****

heart in a world that is upside down.”

With “Nothing Is Sound,” Switchfoot rebukes the fame and fortune from “Beautiful Letdown” while giving the listener all they could want in rock music.

Foreman said, “Is (true happiness) a comfortable four-door sedan with tinted windows? Everyone has their own version of what happiness means, but many of the things we’re going for, and I include myself in this, are absurd.

There’s this moment in Jewish scripture, in Ecclesiastes, where it says, ‘Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.’ That’s the place where our new record starts.”

Although “Nothing Is Sound” is more of a follow up, or a response to everything that happened because of “Beautiful Letdown,” it has fresh guitar solos and amazing vocals. Even the slower songs are perfectly placed on the album so that the music flows.

The opening song rocks the hardest, which is a good way to open, and “We Are One Tonight” is another fun song to blast in your CD player. Songs like “The Blues” and “The Setting Sun” are fun to sing along to.

“Nothing Is Sound” had a lot to live up to, and it really did live up to its expectations.

This CD is complete and the lyrics are nothing less than meaningful and honest. “Nothing Is Sound” is 12 songs of unique and interesting music that could only be expected from Switchfoot.

*****

samantha harris entertainment editor

One of my favorite things to do is eat food. Upon my adventures of visiting new venues and eating food, I happened to stumble upon a fantastic refuge called Olga’s in the Briarwood Mall. Disoriented and confused by the mazes of stores in the mall, I meandered into Olga’s with no idea of what I was about to experience.

The aroma over came me, and I salivated with passion. What were these tantalizing smells? Soft, yet powerful, I heard a voice in the distance ask-

ing me, “How many, ma’am?” I turned around with an excellent grin and simply said, “One.” I got the sensation of a Greek essence to the restaurant as I scanned through the area and spotted a spinach pie. This place was the foundation for what I would build my love for Greek food upon.

If I could add anything to the appetizers it would be Saganaki, flaming cheese from the greek gods, which can be found at the Parthenon, another seductive temptress of fine dining. A must-have appetizer from Olga’s is the Snackers which is served with swiss almond cheese.

Surprisingly, yet proudly, Olga’s originated in Birmingham. Olga Loizon, a saint among us and founder of Olga’s, opened her first restaurant in 1970. The Original Olga was such a hit that Loizon was able to open franchises in other areas of Michigan.

An Original Olga is a delectable form of a gyro (pronounced “year-row”) made from lamb and beef. The seasoned meat is to die for as is the secret Olga’s bread and Olga’s sauce with onions and tomatoes.

To wash down the meal the right way one should order a signature Orange Cream Cooler, which is offered only at Olga’s. All other feeble imitations are to laugh at.

Overall, Olga’s is an amazing time, not only because of the quality food also begins the incredible prices that a broke high school student can afford.

***** Olga’s: Restaurant

a little more

B

S Q UA L L christina field education editor

I

Photo illustration by: Spencer Ryan

n the Walgreen’s parking lot senior Nicole Kebler* and three of her friends waited for someone to return to their car with two shopping carts full of alcoholic beverages totaling $190, which they promptly loaded into the back of Kebler’s blue Taurus.

The next day, however, a girl backed into Kebler’s car. “She was crying, and she was about to call the cops,” Kebler said. “But then I was like, ‘Oh, crap. I have $190 worth of alcohol in my trunk.’ So I told her it was fine.”

Kebler went to a party soon after the accident, drove a mile home at 3 a.m. and walked into Panera the next afternoon saying she was hardly hung over. She told stories of the night, including how her guy friend, who has a crush on her, walked in on her messing around with another guy. “(Drinking) causes more friendship and social problems than anything,” Kebler said. “You fight with people a lot more and cry. You do stupid stuff that you normally wouldn’t do.”

Kebler also said she does things drunk that she normally wouldn’t do sober. “Once (my friends) locked me in a back room when I had sex with one of their friends,” she said. “That’s something I definitely wouldn’t have done sober. I can say that about a lot of things. It was just a bad situation.”

Senior Amy Boychuck says drinking is a common occurrence among classmates and has seen a lot of them do things under the influence that they wouldn’t do sober. She remembers a party when two brothers were beating each other and somehow broke a door off its hinges and punched a hole in a wall.

“I don’t think the extent of it would have been too bad if they had been in the right state of mind,” Boychuck said, adding she knows friends whose parents have found out they’ve been to parties and had alcohol.

“I think it’s better for parents to know where you are and what you’re doing because it’s safer,” she said. “It goes in all directions. Some parents would disown their kid (if they knew they drank).”

Boychuck, however, doesn’t feel this is the most successful approach a parent can use.

“If kids knows their parents will be mad and ground them, they’re more likely to lie to them because they know their (parents’) standards,” she said. “Why tell the truth if you know the consequences you’ll have to face?”

She said a parent understanding is better because they’ll know the truth. “Parents don’t want to accept it. They don’t want to realize the truth,” Boychuck said. “It may not be what a parent wants, but parents can only have control for so long.”

Kebler agrees and said strict parents will just cause their kids to rebel. “If you’re not being strict and let (kids) do high school stuff that they’re going to do with or without your consent, they’ll be a lot safer,” Kebler said. “No matter what your parents say, if you want to (drink), you will.”

“And parents have different approaches to handling their children’s drinking,” Student Assistance Coordinator Shirley Bitters said. “Some (parents) just try to be real strict and lay down the law and tell the consequences. Some provide alcohol for their kids and invite people over. Parents have a lot of different approaches.”

Although parents are all different, Bitters said they should all communicate with their kids. “One of the things that I think is really important to have is communication and talk about drinking as they grow up,” she said. “I think it’s important to have talked about (alcohol) and to know boundaries and limits. But that should definitely be (talked about) before high school.”

Bitters said parents can talk about these issues whenever opportunities arise. She said those chances come up all the time, like

Section Friday, November 30, 2005

when families see ads on TV or in the newspaper.

One problem Bitters sees, though, is that the media in the US doesn’t usually show the negative effects of alcohol. “You don’t see people with their heads in the toilet or in the ER with alcohol poisoning,” she said. “I think the media makes alcohol seem exciting and fun. And what it usually doesn’t show us is the negative effects.

Until (teens) get the real story they might not make the wisest decisions.”

Boychuck, however, said the media usually shows alcohol negatively, but it has little effect on students.

“The media can only affect you for so long,” she said.

“You have other influences at school that show you other things. It’s not as bad as the media portrays.”

Senior Phil Rinke speaks from experience. Two years ago when he was hanging out with a couple friends he ended up in the hospital from drinking too much.

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t remember (what happened),” Rinke said. “I was at the football game and then the next thing I knew, I was at the hospital. I woke up, and I was like, ‘Oh s---. I was caught.’”

Senior Ben Stark, who drank with Rinke that night said, “Funny thing is that I drank more than him. I’d say I had about 15 shots, and he had probably seven or eight, and he ended up puking, and he’s twice as big as me.”

Stark said Rinke passed out in the car and Stark drove him home where the police were called. “A cop came, obviously, and gave me a Breathalyzer test,” Stark said. “I was over the legal limit even if I was 21. The legal limit is 0.08 and I was over 0.125.” Stark had to pay a court fine of $60 while Rinke had to pay $150.

But Boychuck said it is hard for the police to prevent drinking by minors. “The law does a good job enforcing (underage drinking),” Boychuck said. “There’s so many people doing it, it’s not effective enough. There’s just too many kids doing it (to stop it).”

Rinke, however, doesn’t think the law is enforced as much as it could be. “They can’t catch people doing it, so it doesn’t really work because the vast majority of the high school doesn’t get caught so it obviously doesn’t work,” Rinke said.

And Kebler said there are bigger problems for cops than kids having a party. “Most of the time nothing bad happens,” she said. “And hopefully you can laugh about it later.”

However, Boychuck still acknowledges bad things can happen when people drink too much. “(When people drink) girls do get taken advantage of and people fight,” Boychuck said. “That’s when you don’t know you’re limits. If you’re going to drink, you have to be smart. You can’t drink to the point when you’ll get addicted.”

But it can be difficult for a person to know when they’ve gone too far. “I think it’s probably when you think drinking is the only way to have fun,” Kebler said.

“People probably don’t know.”

Rinke and Boychuck said they agree, as did Bitters.

“People don’t know until it’s too late (that they’re addicted to alcohol),” she said. “(Drinking) has really become the norm.”

“It’s normal, and it’s a part of high school,” Boychuck said. “It’s not bad, and it’s not good. It’s there.”

Although people know drinking can have serious consequences, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says on their web site that over 87 percent of adults in the US drank before they turned 21, consuming 25 percent of all the alcohol in the US. According to a Dexter SADD survey, 33 percent of freshmen have driven with a drunk driver in the past year, and 60 percent of seniors have driven after drinking in the past year.

Of drivers 15 to 20 years old in the US who have died in a motor vehicle accident, 25 percent of them had a BAC of 0.08.

Despite this and the fact that people who start drinking before the age of 16 are four times more likely to become alcoholics, 7.2 million people ages 12 to 17 in the US have consumed alcohol in the past year.

“It’s just socially accepted,” Kebler said. “You don’t hear many people our age telling each other it’s bad.”

Bitters said it would take people like friends and family to motivate teens to stop drinking - the kinds of people who got them to start drinking in the first place.

It is not necessarily the law or even certain negative experiences that make students stop she said, although she says an alcoholic is a person who continues to drink after many negative experiences.

And even after their experiences, many continue to drink.

Rinke, however, said he doesn’t drink nearly as much as he used to. “I threw up a lot, and it tasted horrible after,” he said regarding his alcohol poisoning. “It wasn’t the law (that affected me). It was just really gross so I didn’t want to do it again.”

“As long as you’re responsible, I don’t see why it’s so bad,” Stark said talking about how his MIP didn’t affect his attitude toward drinking. “I would have been fine that night, but I drank around stupid people. It made me realize I should still drink, just not drink in stupid situations or with stupid people.”

Referring to the fight at the party she went to, Boychuck said, “Unfortunately, I don’t think it affected anyone’s thoughts (about drinking). The two guys still drink.”

And Kebler continues to sip her Chai tea at Panera and said, “I can’t wait until the party tonight.”

* name changed to protect privacy

Quick Alcohol Facts

��

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� ���

FOR HELP CALL: 1-800-ALCOHOL or 1-800-734-5192

•Approximately 14 million Americans (7.4 percent of the population) meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism

�� �

•Alcohol can hurt you--even if you’re not the one drinking. If you’re around people who are drinking, you have an increased risk of being seriously injured, involved in car crashes or affected by violence. At the very least, you may have to deal with people who are sick, out of control or unable to take care of themselves.

�� �� �

Get Help

•More than one-half of American adults have a close family member who has or has had alcoholism •Approximately one in four children younger than 18 years old in the United States is exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the family •In 2003, 31 percent of drivers age 15 to 20 who died in traffic accidents had been drinking alcohol.

Information from: http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/alcoholfacts.html

8

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

The window's low, the volume's high

Heck no! iPods won't go!

Why not allow students to listen to music during class?

Kyle Muse features editor

sometimes awkward conversations by the main stairwell in Dennis to Randy Quaid-like proportions.

I can understand why certain teachers don’t allow the use of music devices during certain portions of class- for example, when they are teaching, giving a test or feeling particularly communist- however, I am perpetually perplexed as to why they are banned during times when the teacher runs out of curriculum for the day, and we are left with nothing important to do.

I understand the potential hazards unrestricted use of music devices could bring to our school. A couple may be sharing their iPod, listening to Dashboard Confessional, when they suddenly decide there’s no need to get a room.

Nothing screams romance quite like smashing your girlfriend up against a locker for a spirited game of tonsil hockey.

And with unlimited access to hip-hop music, the imminent threat of a break-dancing competition looms, not to mention the slew of rival dance gangs that would inevitably form.

While an event like this may be quite the cheap thrill, I could all but guarantee that every student who posses any street cred would arrive to class long after the bells chime.

Despite any dangers administrators may cite in choosing to ban music devices from school, one fact will always remain: the problems that arise in school will continue to be omnipresent regardless of whether or not students are listening to music.

Why take a device away from a student that may help them perform better in school both socially and academically?

Students make up the majority of the school’s population, so it only seems logical that certain rules should reflect our innocent desires, within reason, of course.

Behavioral rules obviously should be left up to the administration.

School is hard enough as it is without the added stress of thinking up crafty new ways to snake headphone wires through clothing.

I’m sick of feeling like a juvenile delinquent for wanting to listen to music while there are many more important school issues administrators could choose to regulate.

Frank Dufek contest manager

the blingin’ is back As I round up my motley crew of Dexter High School’s finest music, I strap myself into my automobile and pick my musical poison.

There are so many choices.

There’s my outstanding collection of deadly, beat assassin rappers. My ear bleeding country and my relaxing alternative rock collaboration.

I have always known that music defines what people think about you, but I wanted to prove it to you wonderful, objective, high school students.

From previous experience I knew that walking civilians in most subdivisions decide how they will act towards you based on the music you listen to.

I decided I would drive through local subdivisions and play different music in order to prove that music has everything to do with what people think of you.

For the first ride through Loch Alpine that day I chose my favorite Rap MC, ODB (Ol’ Dirty Bastard, may God bless his soul).

I decided I would turn the music up just enough so that oncoming walkers could hear it but not to the point where they could hear it from a block away.

I turned the bass down and followed every traffic law I could. I came to a complete stop at every stop sign, went the speed limit, had my seat sitting upright and used my turn signals.

The first couple walking through the neighborhood in Loch Alpine was middle aged, looked like parents and were talking to each other.

I approached from the rear so that they would hear my music before seeing me.

When I became even with them, I slowed down so as to not endanger their lives.

As I looked to my side, they were less than happy with my music choice.

I waved but did not even get eye contact.

I decided I would try the same experiment again with a different subject. This time the couple was younger. However, it had close to the same reaction.

Scorned and upset that people perhaps think less of me because of the music I play in my car, I left the dreaded Loch Alpine and headed towards Brass Creek.

I decided I would try playing Tim McGraw.

I made sure once again that I came up from behind so as to not blow my cover before the reaction.

It worked out well with a couple walking with their kid.

I was coming up to a stop sign after turning around in a court.

I turned the music up as loud as it would go and broke every law I could think of in the small amount of time I had.

I accelerated as fast as I could, ran the stop sign squealing my wheels, took my seat belt off and leaned my seat back.

As I became even with the couple, I was going about 35 mph (speed limit 15 mph).

I looked at them and waved with a straight face and my hood on. What happened next will forever astound me; they waved back and smiled.

Very excited that I found the anecdote to dirty looks, I chose my alternative rock collection and popped it in.

I did the same thing I had done with the country music except in a small subdivision off Mast Road.

The reaction was indifferent.

When I arrived home and sprinted to my room, I thought, ‘It cannot be true.’

I couldn’t believe that people would be so judgmental of someone else based on the kind of music they play in their car.

I came to the conclusion that no matter what kind of person you are, people will not take the time to get to know you unless you listen to country music.

I was so excited. I realized that if you want to get away with something that is not acceptable or legal, just listen to country music.

I’m not an ambi-turner There isn’t the abundance of white there used to be parading through the halls.

But don’t put your hoods and robes on just yet; I’m not talking about race. I am, however, referring to the magical little Apple creation called iPod and the school policy that segregates it from my ears.

There’s simply no clear reasoning behind the ban on mp3 players in the halls and classrooms. A few weeks ago I recall witnessing a fight between two classy young ladies taking place on the second floor.

Nearly everyone within the vicinity of the brawl stopped to gawk at it. I felt like I was trapped in an episode of “Making the Band 2,” minus the diversity and the cheesecake.

I arrived late for my next hour and missed out on those crucial first few minutes of class where so much is always accomplished.

I can assure you that I would have been right on time for class with my notebook out and pen in hand had my iPod not been forced to part my ears while traveling the halls.

I would gladly choose listening to my Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot CD over watching two people’s dignity slowly fade away.

I’m sure there are studies somewhere out there proving that music is beneficial in calming students down and allowing them to focus more clearly on their work, but that would have taken a lot of work to look up-- so just take my word for it.

Listening to music is also an easier way to arrive on time for class. 311 beats shallow, pedantic, sped-up and

photo illustration by Spencer Ryan and Brandon Mayotte

Bush, supporters use questionable motives to justify war Imagine you go home to see that your house has been blown up by someone.

The police aren’t really sure who did it, but you decide it might be your neighbor.

You kill your neighbor because even if they didn’t really burn your house down, they may be a potential problem.

After your neighbor is dead, you realize there was no evidence showing that your neighbor was a problem, and they had no weapons they could have used to burn your house.

Well, now your justification for killing your neighbor is that your neighbor wasn’t a very nice person anyway.

But what about all the other mean neighbors in your neighborhood?

Are you going to kill all of them because they aren’t very nice?

This is what’s going on with the war in Iraq.

The country of Iraq has no link to the 9/11 attacks.

We invaded the country for reasons that never seem to be consistent.

Our reasons went from weap-

ons of mass destruction to taking Saddam out of power because of his supposed connection to al Qaeda to freeing the Iraqi people.

Now the reason seems to be fighting terrorism.

Within five hours of the 9/11 attacks the Bush administration focused on Iraq.

As CBS news reported, “Barely five hours after American Airlines Flight 77 plowed into the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was telling his aides to come up with plans for striking Iraq.”

Former Bush counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke recounted vividly how, just after the attack, President Bush pressured him to find an Iraqi connection.

To many people this came as no surprise.

As former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil and other administra-

tion officials confirmed, the White House was actually looking for a way to invade Iraq well before the terrorist attack.

But such an unprovoked invasion of a sovereign country required an explanation by Mr. President.

So what did the Bush administration do?

Struck fear into the hearts of Americans, letting everybody believe Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

“The Iraqi dictator must not be permitted to threaten America and the world with horrible poisons and diseases and gases and atomic weapons,” Bush said on Oct. 7, 2002 during a speech in Cincinnati.

Today, over three years after he said this, no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons have been found in Iraq nor has any documentation of their existence.

“Are you going to kill (your neighbors) because they aren’t very nice?”

Since there were not any weapons of mass destruction found, Bush decided to try another reason to justify the war with Iraq; the “link” between al Qaeda and Saddam.

This justification came as a shock to even members of Bush’s own political party who had access to classified intelligence.

Just a month before, Senator Chuck Hagel, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, “Saddam is not in league with al Qaeda.

“I have not seen any intelligence that would lead me to connect Saddam Hussein to al Qaeda.”

Bush and his administration refused to believe otherwise.

Even Europe’s top terrorism investigator, Jean-Louis Bruguire, reported, “We have found no evidence of links between Iraq and al Qaeda.

If there were such links, we would have found them.”

Still, Bush justified the invasion by citing the fully discredited Iraqal Qaeda link In June 2003 the chairman of the UN group that monitors al Qaeda told reporters his team found no evidence linking the terrorist group to Iraq.

Katie Fricke staff writer

what the frick?

When the 9/11 commission found “no credible evidence” of a collaborative relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, the White House denials came as no surprise.

Bush did not feel the need to justify his allegations saying, after the report came out, “The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda is because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda.”

This seems to be a great explanation by the president who never gives the American people the facts to back up his statements.

So with no weapons of mass destruction, and no link to al Qaeda, what’s our reason for being in Iraq?

A day at Ypsilanti High School opened my eyes Sara Newell features editor

live, laugh, love “What?! You got a problem man?” yelled a student as he shoved another against a locker, threatened him and began to throw punches until a hall monitor was able to break up the mess.

While many other students simply walked by the scene without a second glance, it became clear to me that I was no longer at good ole’ Dexter High.

I recently spent the day at Ypsilanti High School, and it didn’t take long for me to realize how sheltered I really am.

Driving to school that day my mind was filled with nervous thoughts. I knew that being at Ypsilanti would be a culture shock, but I

don’t think I had truly anticipated it.

Walking into Ypsilanti High School was probably one of the most intimidating moments of my life.

I walked in and was “greeted” by what could have been a bouncer at a nightclub.

He was huge, like a school-friendly version of André the Giant. I was then interrogated about where I belonged and why I didn’t have a pass.

The hall monitor escorted me to the main office. I was confused and stunned After proving to my new bouncer friend that I was indeed supposed to be there by talking to the secretary I had made the original plans with, I made my way to first hour. I thought that I could find room 105 very easily seeing as Ypsilanti High School is much smaller than Dexter High.

Unfortunately, I was sadly mistaken and I wandered around in busy halls full of strangers for a solid 10 minutes before realizing that there was a lower floor which is where room 105 was.

Throughout the day in each class I entered, I was immediately called out as “the new girl.”

Questions like, “Hey you. Who are you?

What are you doing here? Where you from?”

Were shot at me constantly. I was even brought

to the front of the class and introduced by a Humanities teacher, Mr. McGreedy. “Ladies and gentlemen, today we have a special guest from Dexter. Please give her a warm welcome,” he said.

Apparently thinking that I was going to just float through the day unnoticed was a misconception. In fact, Ypsilanti High has about the same number of students as Dexter High.

On the upside, most of the students and teachers were really friendly. Each teacher was happy to have me there, and students encouraged me to participate in the classes.

“Why doesn’t the new girl read a section?” a student in my World History class asked.

And the school curriculum was no different from Dexter’s. They have the same AP classes and similar elective classes such as Web Design and Sociology But there is no denying the difference in diversity and culture between Dexter and Ypsilanti. For me that was the biggest change.

As much as I may hate to admit it, students at Dexter live very sheltered lives. We, for the most part, are a middle to upper class white society with very little acceptance or understanding of anything different.

For example, if a black person comes to our school, we automatically have prejudgments

that they are from the “ghetto”.

However as I walked through the halls at Ypsilanti High School, I saw diversity.

Whether it was a group of guys rapping in a circle or two girls speaking to each other in Japanese as they walked to class, everywhere I looked there was a culture, an attitude, an understanding (or not), very different from that at Dexter High.

At Dexter the difference between people’s culture and race are very apparent, but at Ypsi High, black, white, Asian, anything you can think of, all seemed to run together.

Daily fights, drug busts and kids rapping in the halls is commonplace.

Kids are brought up differently. They learn early how to defend themselves and accept others for their difference because they have to.

They don’t know anything else.

“All the stuff that seems crazy to small town kids is just normal here,” Ypsilanti senior Cody Ingle said. “We’re used to it. We deal with it.”

Spending the day at Ypsilanti High School opened my eyes to the rest of the world, or at least part of it. Part of the not-so-suburban picture-perfect crap that’s been put out in front of us all our lives.

9

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall Cartoon

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 CONTEST: Frank Dufek & Katie Fricke 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 Yuenger AD DESIGNERS: Brandon Mayotte & Spencer Ryan CARTOONIST: Jared Myers

THE ALL

ADVISER: Rod Satterthwaite

SQUALL CALL

Unscannable report cards prove scannable After last year’s report card scanning scandal, the district spent $300 to purchase allegedly unscannable paper which was supposed to make scanning and changing report cards impossible.

However, the Squall has found that these new technologies do not prevent the altering of report card grades.

termark) worked, but I am unaware if she tried using a

change their report cards. Students should take the time

scanner or not,” Bannan said.

they use to change their report cards and spend it doing

“The company sent us a sample copy and said it was

their homework instead. If students spent half the time

unscannable and uncopyable,” Newell said. “We then put

on their homework that they do on planning their evasion

it through a fax machine and scanner and it read “void”,

of punishment, they wouldn’t need to change their grade

but we didn’t use Adobe Photoshop. Our fail-safe is that

in the first place.

When first scanned into a computer, the report cards

students don’t have access to the paper, and it’s a special

“I’ll be asking for an adjustment on the price,” Bannan

do read “VOID” across them. However, Adobe Photoshop

kind of paper. The paper is uncopyable. It’s just not

said about the new report cards. He may have only been

automatically removes the watermark and prints the

unscannable if you have the right programs.”

kidding, but we believe Bannan really should ask for a

When students change grades on their report card,

revised copy exactly like the original.

The new cards are more appealing to the eye with their

they aren’t changing the grade on their transcript, but

catchy dreadnaught background and maroon coloring,

they are compromising the truth between parent and

but they do nothing that a plain sheet of white paper can’t

student.

The money spent on these new cards was a reasonable

their child failed every test and never did their homework

attempt to stop report card tampering, but the district

yet somehow managed a B+ in the class, it’s important

should have performed additional tests to assure that

that parents receive accurate grades for their student.

It is also important that students realize that the whole

paper would be completely unalterable.

The process of changing a sample report card took members of the Squall staff only 10 minutes.

issue could be put to rest if they would stop trying to change their grades and accept them for what they are.

Secretary Gina Newell performed some tests on the

Don’t find fault with the school and say they didn’t do

paper when it was first ordered, according to Principal

enough research, and don’t find fault with the parents

Jim Bannan.

who didn’t pay enough attention to their child’s grades.

“I believe she used a copy machine, and (the wa-

It is possible that the paper was advertised as uncopyable but not unscannable.

But whether the school bought paper that was never

And while we would hope parents wouldn’t think that

do to stop alteration of grades.

refund or another shipment of paper that works.

Students should show more character and simply not

meant to be unscannable or the company from which they bought it lied about its capabilities is irrelevant.

The only thing that matters is that the school resolve the issue of students being able to easily change report cards.

Since it is so important that parents receive correct student grades, the school should consider going back to the previous method of transporting grades: the US Postal Service.

It may cost a lot, but so does spending $300 for some-

POLICY: The Squall is distributed monthly to approximately 1,095 students and is estimated to reach 4,380 people with each issue. The Squall is printed by The Owosso Argus in Owosso, MI and produced by the third hour newspaper class.

TALK BACK: 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 734.424.4240 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 (CSPA).

AWARDS: The Squall has won the Spartan Award from MIPA, the Buckeye from GLIPA, the All-American from NSPA and the Gold Medalist from CSPA. In addition, The Squall has won Best of Show rankings at NSPA/JEA conventions in Washington, DC and Atlanta E-MAIL: letters@thesquall.com

thing that doesn’t work.

Dreads in the hall Q: What do you think about the fact that the new report cards can still be scanned and grades changed?

“I like the way they look, but it’s a waste if they don’t work, and they should’ve done more research about them.”

“It wasn’t a good idea to begin with because it’s not like your actual grade changed, just on the card.”

“It’s just the school wasting more money they don’t have.”

“It’s kind of a waste if they don’t work. And if they don’t, why’d the school buy them?”

“I don’t know a lot about the card but thought it was a good idea. It’s just not practical.”

Heather Jewell, freshman

Phillip Huddleston, sophomore

Nick Field, junior

Christy Derry, senior

Zach Lindke, English teacher

10

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

Flexibility is key

Yoga helps students limber up for sports molly brewster sports editor

Dedication: Sophomore Hunter Lyons does yoga on Saturdays with the hockey team. The golf team did yoga during their season as well.

On any Saturday morning, members of the varsity hockey team stretch out to Bob Dylan songs. While most teams’ preseason workouts consist of conditioning and weight lifting, the hockey team does yoga once a week to increase flexibility.

“It is easy to lift weights and get stronger,” assistant coach Tony Kingsley said.

“But the flexibility that you get from yoga is key.”

Although attending the weekly yoga classes isn’t mandatory for team members, the coaches recommend it.

“You can see the difference after the guys have been doing it for awhile,” Kingsley said. “They are able to move better from side to side and look more agile.”

Sophomore Hunter Lyons said he has seen improvement in his h o c k e y game

in the short time since he began yoga.

“I can catch up to guys on the ice that I never could’ve skated with before,” he said. “You wouldn’t think that sitting in a room stretching would make you faster, but it does.”

But the workouts are anything but easy.

“It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be,” Lyons said.

“A lot of people think it’s about sitting there and meditating, but I’d say that yoga is harder than running a mile.”

Plus, now, “I can stand on my head,” he added.

Besides the physical benefits that the team gets from yoga, Lyons said it has helped the team become closer.

“I would be a little embarrassed to say that I do yoga if it wasn’t for the other guys doing it,” he said. “But we all make fools of ourselves together, and it’s something we have that other teams don’t.”

One common misconception about yoga, according to Lyons, is that it is all about relaxation.

“The only relaxing thing we really do is lay on the ground at the end with the

lights off,” he said. “We are supposed to breathe in through our mouth and out through the nose, but I’m usually trying really hard to do the position. I forget to breathe so that kind of defeats the purpose of relaxation.”

During yoga sessions the team spends an hour doing difficult stretching positions as well as other strength-training activities.

“High/low push ups are really difficult,” Lyons said. “It’s like a normal push up but harder because you bring you elbows in instead of out.”

The hockey team isn’t the only one to participate in yoga. The varsity mens golf team tried it during the summer.

“Even in the short time I did yoga I felt more flexible,” senior Frankie McAuliffe said. “It helps you turn when you hit the ball so that you can hit it further.”

Kinglsey, though, sees yoga training as a definite advantage for his team.

“Hopefully what the boys have gotten from yoga will give them the extra edge this season,” he said. “Most of the boys have been doing it for awhile now and are ready to see a big pay off.”

Meow!: The cat pose forces you to coordinate movements and breathing which are the two most important themes of yoga

Illustrations by Kendall Goode

The Bridge: Lift hips away from the floor, thrusting your pelvis up with each breath. Hold at the maximum height for as long as possible

Lotus: Sit on the floor in a cross legged position, grab left foot and put on right thigh, repeat wit the right foot

Information from healing.about.com

Photo by Brandon Mayotte

Poms declines offer to go to nationals raleigh holmes opinions editor

As the poms team ran onto the gym floor at Western Michigan University (WMU) on July 26, they had no idea what to expect.

“On our first day of camp we had to perform the routine that we had been practicing all summer,” senior Brittany Bourdon said. “The teams that won first, second and third place would get a bid to nationals.

We never thought we would place that high though.”

However, much to the surprise of Bourdon and her teammates they placed third and got a bid to nationals, a first for the team.

For the next three days the team participated in the Universal Dance Association (UDA) camp located at WMU. When camp was over, they had to make the decision whether or not to take their bid to nationals and compete there.

“We decided not to take the bid to nationals because it cost so much money,” Bourdon said. “It would have been thousands of dollars per person because we would have to pay for new uniforms, new music and a professional choreographer.”

Money wasn’t the only reason the team didn’t take the offer though.

“It would also require a ton of extra practices,” Bourdon said, “a lot of fund raising and a lot more dedication from everyone on the team.”

But some of the members of the team weren’t happy with the decision.

“I was upset that we didn’t take the bid to nationals,” sophomore Ashley Clark said, “because we had already learned the dance that we would be performing at it.

“All of the extra time and money would be worth it to me because this was the first time our team has ever had a chance to go to nationals.

“It also would have brought our team a lot closer because of all the time we would be spending together at extra practices and at the competition.”

Clark also said that the team would have done well at nationals.

“I think we would have done decently because our dance is so hard,” she said. “Hopefully we will have a chance to go in the near future, but the three seniors who are leaving are all really good so it will be hard.”

And even though the team didn’t go to nationals, they have been working for other competitions.

They had two competitions in which they competed in both the pom and the hip hop divisions, with

Photo by Kendall Goode

Caught in the act: The poms team performs at the homecoming pep assembly. The team recently declined a trip to nationals due to lack of money and time.

the pom division using pon poms and being more about technique and hitting motions. The hip hop division uses unusual outfits and funky moves and is judged on creativity of dance.

The team competed at Lake Orion High School on Nov. 5 and placed seventh in the hip hop division. They didn’t place in the pom division, but Bourdon is still proud of how they did.

“We competed against nationally ranked teams,” she said, “Therefore, we did pretty well considering we only do two competitions a year.”

The very next day, the team competed at Eastern Michigan University and placed fifth in the pom

division and fourth in the hip hop division.

“The competition at EMU was a Mid-American competition,” Bourdon said.

“We have never competed in a Mid-American competition, and it is a lot different then the UDA competitions that were are used to, so our team stood out from the others.”

“Although the team didn’t go to nationals, Bourdon said they did well this season.

“Even though we didn’t go to nationals I’m still proud of our team,” Bourdon said, “We did really well at our competitions and it was a nice way to end the fall season.”

Hockey fundraising called into question Some members of team accused of deception in soliciting money jennifer allen business manager

In early October the hockey team started collecting donations for a fog machine for the upcoming season.

“Our coach said that he wanted to see smoke come out of the locker room,” senior and goalie Cole McNabb said. “So that’s how we got the idea to raise money for a fog machine.”

However, rumors soon started flying that the boys were collecting money under false pretenses, telling people they were collecting relief funds for Hurricane Katrina, not for a fog machine.

Junior Camille Hanks said the hockey team approached her table at lunch with a jar and asked if they wanted to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

“I knew they really wanted the money for a fog machine,” Hanks said. “We didn’t give them any money because we didn’t really believe that they

wanted the money for (hurricane victims).”

The hockey team had mixed responses to this alleged deception. “That was one of our best ideas,” senior Chad Green said. “I don’t think a lot of people believed (we were collecting money for hurricane Katrina) because we’re on the hockey team.”

McNabb, however, denies using the idea of the hurricane to raise funds. “Someone mentioned that as a joke at a (conditioning) practice,” McNabb said. “But we weren’t serious. We didn’t really ask anyone that.”

Sophomore Hunter Lyons, however, said that some team members did falsely use Hurricane Katrina to raise money, but only among their friends.

“Everyone who donated knew what it was for,” Lyons said. “We didn’t steal.

“One of the first days we were collecting, I approached some friends of mine at lunch and said that we were raising money for (Hurricane Katrina). But right after that I told them that I was just kidding and told them that we wanted to buy a fog machine.”

Hanks said that she didn’t remember any player clarifying that the money would really go to a fog machine.

“They just kind of ran off when we told them we wouldn’t give them money,” she said. “I don’t think that they ever really told us that they were raising for the fog machine. We just assumed they were.”

Members of the team also approached junior Adie Heyne and asked her to donate money for Hurricane Katrina.

“I didn’t give them any money,” she said. “I knew that they weren’t getting money for the hurricane.”

Coach Mike O’Donahue did not return phone calls seeking comment on his team’s fund raising approach. Ultimately, McNabb said that the team raised $140 through donations and the fog machine only cost the team $80, including the fog juice.

But the team remains unsure of what to do with the extra money.

“We might use the extra money to buy T-shirts for our fans, maybe a free T-shirt night,” Lyons said. “It isn’t right to just take the student’s money and keep the extra. We’ll do something for the fans most likely.”

“We (might) use the extra money to buy a new clock for the locker room,” McNabb said. “A lot of people were accusing us of using the extra money for drugs and alcohol, but we don’t do that stuff.”

Both said that they lost respect for the team because of their misleading fund raising.

“Then again,” Hanks said. “I don’t think anyone has much respect left for the hockey team.”

And Green acknowledges that many students dislike the hockey team because of their perceived arrogance.

“People hate us because we’re cocky,” Green said. “Also, we just don’t care about the school.”

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Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall Sports eligibility policy inconsistently enforced Not all coaches check their players' grades, attendance robert kuzon managing editor

Dexter High School has one of the most stringent eligibility policies in the area according to Athletic Director John Robinson. And though the policy may be strict, it has flaws, allowing students to violate the policy, especially when it comes to attendance, quite easily.

Currently an athlete must have no E’s and a GPA of at least 2.0 to participate in sports, which is slightly tougher than schools in the surrounding area. Chelsea’s policy, for example, says that an athlete can’t have two E’s. Also, in Chelsea two D’s count as an E, so an athlete with 2 D’s and an E is ineligible, as is an athlete with 4 D’s.

Dexter’s eligibility standards are also much stricter than the Michigan High School Althletic Association requires.

“The MHSAA sets what are more like guidelines,” Robinson said. “They say that a student must be passing at least four classes and be in school for at least

four hours a day. That is really a minimum though. Each district can choose their own regulations, they just cannot be below MHSAA standards.”

An issue that may be even bigger than that of academic eligibility is attendance.

Based on Dexter policy, a student has to be in class all day in order to participate in that day’s game or practice. According to secretary Joan Whitehead, only two coaches check their players regularly But Robinson said he and the tech. department are working on a way to make it easier for a coach to check a players attendance. “Right now we are trying to work with the tech department,” Robinson said.

“The current system is too slow. We are looking at a system that can help us keep better track, faster.”

The system that Robinson is describing would show a list of the sports teams with a full roster on the computer. Next to each player’s name would not only be a record of their current grades, but also a list of attendance.

Also, Robinson said there are plans for faculty, coaches and school board members to discuss what needs to be done about the eligibility policy.

“We need to figure out a way to make the policy less stringent, but without necessarily lowering the standards,” he said.

One of Robinson’s main focus is to make a quicker process for students to regain their eligibility. “Right now, realistically it takes four to five weeks for a student to gain eligibility back after a card marking is over,” he said. “We are looking to shorten the time to prevent athletes from having to sit out their whole season if it is at all possible.”

“With the exception of hockey, which starts a little bit earlier than the rest of the winter sports, most players who lose eligibility at the end of the first card marking should be able to get it back before games start,” he said.

Many coaches also say the district’s system is flawed “The policy is all right for what it’s trying to do,” varsity baseball coach Al Snider said. “It just needs to be enforced a little more strictly. I check my players’ tardies and absences daily, and if they have broken the rules, then they will run.”

Womens swim coach Cory Bergen agrees. “It is hard to check your swimmers at this point,” he said. “ You just have to keep tabs on the girls the best you can and try to stay within the rules.”

Snider, though, has a unique way of punishing players he finds have broken the attendance policy. “Either I make the player run around the whole complex with

MHSSA eligibility facts • Student must be enrolled by the 15th day of the semester to participate in sports of that season.

•Students must be 19 or younger to participate in high school athletics.

•Student must be present at least four hours of the school days unless excused.

•Student must have an average of at least 70 percent in each class which amounts to five credits towards graduation.

Fall sports wrap up Women’s tennis Record: 4-3-3 Highlight: “Every match was a highlight because no one on the team ever gave up. We came back to win a lot of matches that no one thought we had a chance to win.”

Kerry Brower, junior Equestrian Record- A Team- 2nd, 3rd, 4th B-Team- 2nd, 2nd, 1st Highlight: “We always tried our hardest and got a lot of points to show for it.”

Dain Marvel, junior

Information from MHSAA website

two weighted bats above their head, or I make the whole team run while the player who broke the rules watches from the mound.” Although Bergen doesn’t have specific punishments in place, he said not being able to participate in that day’s practice or meet is punishment enough.

Robinson said he and the athletic department are trying to make changing the policy a top priority. “We are doing our best to make the system better for everybody,” Robinson said. “We just want a fair, logical system that is easier to keep track of.”

Men’s water polo Record: 2-12 Highlight: “Making it to regionals for the first time in Dexter history.”

Bobby Adams, junior Men’s Golf Record- 16-0 Highlight: “Going undefeated for the first time in Dexter history.”

Frankie McAuliffe, senior Compiled by Molly Brewster

Cross country wins again

Sports injuries affect fall season kevin mclaughlin staff writer

photo by Mike Sayre

Holding the fruits of their labor: Accepting their plaque, Ryan Neely, Charles Wolcott, Dan Jackson, Alex Hess, Andrew Martin, Boby Aprill and Jason Bishop celebrate their fourth consecutive state championship. Junior Danny Jackson said, “It was really satisfying to have such a great season. But then to have our eye on states and win it, that was even better.”

Mens soccer team brawls with Bedford for victory

Referee suspends game due to violent play derek ager staff writer

A cool breeze passed across the Bedford soccer field on Oct. 15. The varsity team was playing their second game against Bedford. The game started out smoothly until 10 minutes in when the first obstruction hit.

“It started when a kid from Bedford came up behind one of our players and tackled him by his legs, “ senior Jason Lynch said. “It was the first card of the game.”

A Bedford player tackled sophomore Ross Seagram and came up from behind him, grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him down.

But the fouls didn’t stop there. The game ended up being called four minutes into the second half on account of dangerous play.

However, the violent play that lead to the game’s end was mostly one sided. Bedford players received seven yellow cards and one red card, compared to the one yellow card Dexter received.

“I was disappointed in what happened,” varsity coach Scott Forrester said. “I am just glad we got out of there with no injuries.”

“Contests with Bedford have always gone smoothly,” Athletic Director John Robinson said, adding he was surprised to see this happen.

Bedford Athletic Director Bill Regnier was disappointed as well. He said he had a special talk with his coach after the game.

“I was disappointed in my players,” he said. “I threatened to not allow them to play in districts if their attitude did not change.”

According to Robinson, soccer referees have a responsibility to keep the game under control. He thinks this didn’t happen in the Bedford game. “It sounds like the referees let the game get out of control,” Robinson said. “The referees have to talk to the players, not just hand out cards.”

Freshman Ryan Lemasters agrees with Robinson.

“The referee let things get too wild,” Lemasters said. “He kept giving out cards, but that doesn’t control the kids.

It just makes them more angry,” adding the game was called on a bad foul.

“It was a bad way to end the game,” he said. “When he picked up the ball, all of us knew it was time to settle down. We all just wanted to play.”

So what happened to this game? Did it count? Did Dexter win since they were up when it was called? Well, Dexter plays every team from the SEC two times. However, for the SEC standings only one of those games count.

So the game was dropped, as if it was never played.

The first game the varsity played on Sept. 8, Dexter 4 Bedford 3, is the game that was counted.

In the eight years that Robinson has been athletic director, he said nothing like this has ever happened. In fact, he received a letter from the Michigan High School Athletic Association last year, praising Dexter athletics for not having a single coach or player kicked out of a game.

And while Coach Forrester was disappointed in Bedford’s behavior, he said his team was able to learn lessons from what happened. “Even though the game had a disappointing ending, I think it was a learning situation where everybody got something out of it,” he said.

For the fans, this game was a big bust. Forrester felt bad to see the fans leave without seeing a good game.

“When we were leaving to the bus, I caught a glimpse of the fans,” he said. “The looked very disappointed they had to go.”

But for some players the game didn’t mean much.

They just wanted to play. “I was disappointed in Bedford,” Seagram said. “I just wanted to play some soccer.”

photo by Andrea Wolverton

Making the right moves: Junior CJ Burhop makes a move to avoid a Bedford player. Dexter was winning 1-0 in this game when the referee left the field because he thought the play was getting too violent.

A point guard on the basketball team. A cornerback on the football team. A second basemen on the baseball team. Senior Toby Puuri was all three of these things until he heard the 24 letter word: osteochondritisdissicans.

Puuri has been a competitive athlete his entire life, and until Fall 2004 he had been mostly injury-free.

However, everything would change quickly.

He began to realize something was seriously wrong with his knees. “A week after I broke my arm, I started limping really bad, and I knew something wasn’t right,” Puuri said.

When he went to doctors, they told him he had bone death in his knee, a symptom typical of someone in their latter stages of life.

Puuri had to go under the knife more than once. “I had one surgery on my right knee, and I had my left knee scoped but they didn’t do surgery on it,” Puuri said.

Doctors had to drill into his knee and allow the bone to grow back which incorporates an extremely slow healing process.

Osteochondritisdissicans is an injury that is rare but occurs in baseball more than any other sport.

Doctors said the injury resulted from him putting too much torque on his knee. “In baseball you twist your knees from hitting to stealing bases,” Puuri said.

Dexter High School trainer Leah Gagnon said many injuries to high school athletes like Puuri can be more serious than people realize. “Injuries to high school students can be dangerous When you are younger, you because the heal easier, but it is up the kids are still parents to keep their child learning to play that sport, hydrated and make sure they and their body are icing and resting their hasn’t learned injury.” to react in a certain way yet,” she said.

•Leah Gagnon And othhigh school trainer ers join Puuri in the ranks of the injured. Seniors Matt Gilman, Scott Baty and sophomore Meaghan Mead also got hurt.

Gilman and Baty play football, and Gilman broke his ankle in a car accident, while Baty suffered a stress fracture in his fibula. Gilman broke his ankle during the summer and sat out two games but missed six weeks overall. Baty, with a stress fracture, missed five weeks during the year and ultimately lost his starting safety position.

Mead has a chronic shoulder problem. She has loose ligaments in her shoulder, and her injury has been on and off for about a year. “It’s really hard to be out this long,” Mead said. “I want to be a part of the team.”

Gagnon said injuries to high school students are often more dangerous than injuries to mature adults.

“They can be more dangerous because the athlete is growing, and if you injure something like your growth plate, also it can lead to long term problems,” she said.

Gagnon said the onus for preventing student injuries lies with the parents. “When you are younger, you heal easier, but it is up the parents to keep their child hydrated and make sure they are icing and resting their injury,” she said.

But injuries will not stop athletes like Puuri from competing in high school sports. He said injuries are a by-product of playing a sport, and it is something that an athlete risks. He said, “I’ll play sports when I get healthy again. I don’t care.”

12

Friday, November 30, 2005

The Squall

Drama club performs Gibson’s classic play about Helen Keller ryan yuenger staff writer

She had to make herself deaf. She had to make herself blind. She had to make herself mute. All of this because she wanted to put on a good show.

For junior Tally Chomic some of her transition into the role of Helen Keller was hard. “While rehearsing, it was hard not to close my eyes,” Chomic said. “I had to listen to the conversations of the people around me while pretending to not be able to.

“The most difficult thing was not actually learning the role but trying not to laugh when I get water thrown in my face in one of the scenes,” Chomic said.

It was not all hard for Chomic, however.

“It was a very rewarding experience,” she said. “Although it seems like it would be a very difficult thing to master, it didn’t feel that hard to me, but maybe it was because I enjoyed learning this role so much.”

Chomic shared her role with sophomore Brittany Batell, with Chomic performing on Nov.. 8, 10, 12 and 19 while Batell performed on Nov. 9, 11, 18 and 20.

“Both girls did a phenomenal

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil: Playing Helen Keller, sophomore Brittany Batell hugs her doll.

“I thought it was the character I could pull off best, and it was really a challenge for me to do,” Batell said of playing Helen. Batell started drama club her freshman year.

job adapting to their roles,” director Harry Wilcox said. “Training yourself to become things that you are not is incredibly hard, but these girls exceeded my expectations. They were both equally excellent. They both also performed unbelievably.”

Wilcox said this was one of the best productions in which he has been involved. “It was very difficult not only for me, but for all of the actors considering the serious nature of this play,” he said.

There was one disappointment, however. “I was very disappointed in the attendance,” he said. “The was a total of 800 people over the span of the four public shows. Our total attendance could’ve fit into the CPA for one showing.”

Wilcox said this lack of attendance is disappointing not only for him but for his actors as well.

“I need to figure out a way for more people to come to our performances,” he said.

“These kids always work extremely hard, and more people should be coming to enjoy their talent.”

An inspiring teacher: Amanda Forester played Helen Keller’s teacher Annie Sullivan at the Nov. 11, 18, and 20 shows. “I tried out for her because I wanted the biggest part in the play, and I have a thing for playing Irish parts,” Forester said.

They got soul: Diving in to save their newborn baby after Helen Keller tips the cradle, seniors Maggie Craft and Sebastian Gerstner pull Helen away. Craft tried out for this year’s play to be like her sister. “I thought it was really cool to see my sister on stage in ‘Noises Off’, and I really wanted to be on stage too,” Craft said.

all photos by Brandon Mayotte

Oh captain my captain!: Captain Keller played by senior Sebastian Gerstner is interrupted at work by Helen. Gerstner said, “(Captain Keller) is a hard thing to play because I am usually the obnoxiously adorable character, and it was a new challenge to play someone angry and demanding.”

Pushing her buttons: Grabbing Aunt Ev’s (played in this night’s show by junior Jackie Stotlar) dress, sophomore Brittany Batell feels for her surroundings. Stotlar said she tried out for the play to test her ability as an actor. “It is easy to deliver a laugh line,” she said. “It is hard to make someone cry.”