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September 28, 2007 - Volume XVIII - Issue 1 - Dexter

A dad in Iraq:

Senior Carly Dalton deals with having a parent overseas Page 5

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

Squall THE

New curriculum requires art:

Freshman required to take art as part of the new state mandates Page 7

photo by Maria Brundage

Looking forward to a new school year: Students from the new freshmen class file into the gym bleachers ready to learn about the high school and hear from Principal Kit Moran and the National Honors Society. NHS organized the event on the first day.

Scheduling problems frustrating With new agreements made in the teachers' contract, scheduling becomes a big chore for admins, counselors Scott Crompton managing editor

Setting an example: New Dean of Students Ken Koenig introduces himself to an incoming freshman.

Koenig helped clarify schedules for freshmen during the first day of school during the school wide assembly.

Without any information about what classes they were signed up for, where to go on the first day of school or even what hours they had classes, students across the high school were upset with the way the 2007-2008 school year started off.

But administrators did the best they could, according to Principal Kit Moran. “Student packets were sent out to students approximently the third week of August,” Moran said. “Not much was included about the first day of school in terms of what was happening or where to be. We were focused on a lot of other things like scheduling. All that was said about the first day of school in the packet was that it was a half day.”

Not knowing what was going on during the first day of school was bothersome, especially for some

freshman students who had never experienced the high school environment, especially considering class schedules did not come out until the first day, Sept. 4.

According to Moran, when it comes to schedules, Power School takes in all the students requests, then spits out a rough schedule.

What it spits out is not always what works, so counselors and administrators have to go through all of the rough schedules and make them work.

“Getting everybody in classes that will fit in their schedule is just the half of it this year,” Moran said.

“This year the teachers’ contract states that there cannot be any overloads (more students than the set amount in a class) this year. So, after we revise the schedule that Power School spit out, we have to go back through all of them again to make sure that there are no overloads in any classes.”

Continued on page 2. See scheduling.

photo by Maria Brundage

ros•trum \ n , pl rostrums or ros•tra \ The Latin word rostrum, whose primary meaning is “beak”, was derived from the Read THE ROSTRUM verb rodere, “to gnaw”. Eventually our new magazine insert rostrum came to be used to refer to the inside every issue of The Squall ship. 338 B. C. prow or beak of

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Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

news

Bond helps areas in need Heather Siller news editor

Dexter Community Schools will ask voters to approve a proposed bond, a request for money from the tax payers, of approximately $62 million in February.

According to the DCS 2008 Bond Proposal Factsheet, the bond will target 10 areas which need improvements.

The target areas include improvements to DCS infrastructure and energy efficiency, security, traffic and pedestrian safety, technology, athletic fields and facilities, Wylie Pool, land acquisition for further growth, music and performance, transportation and the senior center.

However these target areas will not include new textbooks or other classroom materials, because it is illegal for the district to ask voters to fund such items, according to Principal William Moran.

A bill passed in 1993 by the Michigan Legislature put specific restrictions on what items a bond such as the 2008 bond can fund, Moran said.

Technology, building and building improvements are legally able to be funded by a bond, but not computer software, or items needed in the classroom because the state expects the district to be able to fund itself in those areas, according to Moran.

“I would encourage a yes vote so that as much money as possible can be redirected for use in the classroom,” Superintendent Evelyn Shirk said. “If we get a positive vote on the bond, then money that would generally be spent on the purchase of buses and technology, for example, can be taken from the bond and not from the general fund.”

The main concern for Shirk is the deterioration of Dexter schools which she says will slowly start to happen if the district is not consistent with the school’s necessary upkeep.

And Moran agrees, “I think it is necessary to continue the level of education we currently deliver. Is (the bond) essential?

No. But necessary for the upkeep (of the schools) to avoid deterioration in the fu-

ture,” he said.

Although many people are concerned with the growing population of students and DHS’ capacity to hold incoming students.

“Based on what we see right now we think (the size of the current freshman class) is a bubble that will go through,” Moran said.

At each school’s open house the district invited parents to go on a tour around the district where they would have a representative from each school to show interested community members bond target areas at each schools.

On Sept.. 17 Moran gave community members on the bond tour a look at specific areas of DHS that the bond will potentially fund.

Broken tile at the main entrance, a new set of interior and exterior doors around the gymnasium for better security, expansion and new floors needed for the weight room floor, a new configuration to the locker rooms and a pool entrance, and two new science rooms to be made in place of a double wide classroom on the first floor are all areas of potential funding from the bond which was highlighted on the tour.

The proposed bond would also result in $0 tax levy increase. However, the current debt levy would extend for an additional 7-10 years.

“Bond money has to be expended for the purpose for which it was voted by the taxpayers,” Shirk said.

She continued, “So while the projects are being accomplished, the bond funds will be used. Timelines are based on project construction schedules. We have to expend most of it within three years.”

BOND

X

ISSUE I S S U E D N O B

YES S E Y NO X O N Bond notes

• The proposed bond is approximately $62 million • The areas it will help are: DCS infrastructure, security, traffic and pedestrian safety, technology, athletic facilities, land acquisition, music and performance, transportation and the senior center • Money from the bond will not go to textbooks or classroom materials

Scheduling (from pg. 1): Administrators already working on next year What went wrong?

• Water fountains still unusable as of 9/21 • Student schedules not available until first day of school • Two teachers still not hired by the first day of classes • Picture day scheduled prior to first day of classes while some students were unavailable

Since overloads cannot happen this year, there are more students than available teachers.

That is why Moran said there were many classes on schedules without a teacher’s name next to it.

“After we found out where the overloads were we started the process of staffing those positions,” Moran said.

And having no overloads at the high school was

Since counselors do not have to work in the summer, these problems had to be dealt with, mostly in August.

“I came in just about every Tuesday and Thursday,” counselor Gerry Holmes said. “I was concerned about the kids, especially the freshman, because I wanted their transition to go as smooth as possible.”

“We are getting used to our sophomore year as ad-

would just have an excess amount of students.

“After we found out where the overloads were we started the process of staffing those positions,” Moran said.

Since counselors do not work in the summer, these problems had to be dealt with, mostly in August.

“I came in just about every Tuesday and Thursday,” counselor Gerry Holmes said. “I was concerned

“

I was concerned about the kids, especially the freshman, because I wanted their transition to go as smooth as possible.” - Gerry Holmes, counselor

an important part of the negotiating process according to Dexter Education Association President Joe Romeo.

“The teacher’s union and the Dexter school board came to an agreement to come as close as we could to no overloads,” Romeo said.

“After we found out where the overloads were we started the process of staffing those positions,” Moran said.

ministrators,” Moran said. “We have already started planning for next year, so it goes over much smoother.”

“The teacher’s Union and the Dexter School Board came to an agreement to come as close as we could to no overloads,” Dexter Education Association President Joe Romeo said.

In order to make class sizes manageable new staff was needed to fill positions where, normally, a class

about the kids, especially the freshman, because I wanted their transition to go as smooth as possible.”

Not only do the freshmen need to get used to the new year, but the administrators, along with all the other staff and students, do too.

“We are getting used to our sophomore year as administrators,” Moran said. “We have already started planning for next year, so it goes over much smoother.”

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall Freshmen get mentors Senior mentors help ease transition into high school Alexis Sobczak staff writer

Freshmen Lauren Scott thought she would definitely get lost on her first day of high school until she met her senior mentor, Kimme Melinsky. “She was really funny,” Scott said about her new senior friend. “She showed us around and calmed us down about going to high school.”

Scott and Melinsky were paired up through a program known as Kick-Off Mentoring, designed to have seniors help make the freshmen class’ transition into high school a little easier.

Life science teacher Shirley Bitters is in charge of running Kick-Off at DHS. “This program isn’t really a new idea. Several of us teachers have had the idea for a while,” Bitters said. “Last year at a freshmen transition meeting the idea presented itself and a team of us decided to go with it.”

There are about 60 senior mentors this year, and each one is assigned five or six freshmen to mentor. Other high schools in the area have similar programs. “Saline and Brighton are the closest (to Dexter’s program) that I know of,” Bitters said.

Melinsky was excited when she heard about the program. “Mrs..

Bitters told me about starting a mentoring program, and she gave me some applications to fill out and give to other juniors,” she said.

Melinsky and her fellow senior mentors began the program this fall when they organized and ran freshmen orientation. “While talking to other mentors,” Melinsky said, “we realized that if we had a mentor, our transition into high school would have been easier.”

Scott agreed with Melinsky on this point. “Without our mentors, the first day would have been very different,” Scott said.

“I wouldn’t have known where I was going at all.”

Most freshmen’s biggest fear about going to high school is getting lost. Scott said having her mentor really calmed her nerves for the first day of school. “She showed us that high school really isn’t as hard or scary as it sounds.”

The senior mentors will have connection meetings throughout the year with their freshmen, and they will also be involving them in social activities. “At the meetings we will be talking with the freshmen, and we will make sure they are staying on top of their homework, and that they are happy with how things are going,” Melinsky said.

“All we have done so far was run the freshmen orientation,” Bitters said, adding she hopes to continue this program, “I think it has potential to really help incoming students.”

Bitters thinks the program is going well, but she would like to change a few things for next year.

She said, “We would start the application process earlier for this years juniors to be mentors and add regularly scheduled mentoring time during the school day. That would be my hope.”

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news

Drinking water causes potential health problems Copper found in system causes inconvenience for students Emily Van Dusen staff writer

gested large quantities of this water, it would cause health problems including gastrointestinal issues. A chemical machine, which worked by releasing a chemical to purify the water, was installed to fix the excessive copper at the end of the summer, but after it ran for a long time, it became apparent that the problem was still there.

Moran said administrators then turned to the school’s two water softeners, thinking that there may have been a bacterial problem in them. However, after replacing the resin (which softens

One topic of discussion among the fervent first- day-of-school chatter was the building’s drinking fountains, which have been unavailable to staff and students since the start of the academic year due to elevated copper levels in the water.

The beginning of the “penny water” story originates in the month before students were released for summer vacation.

“We became aware last spring that down in the boys locker room there was green staining,” Principal Kit Moran said. Knowing that green staining generally indicates the presence of copper, Moran said admin• The building’s drinking fountains istrators decided to have been unavailable to staff and have the water teststudents. ed by HealthAIR, a company which offers environmental • HeathAIR tests revealed the preshealth, consulting ence of copper in the school’s water. and safety services.

These tests revealed the pres• Students are making due with water ence of copper, but coolers in the hallways in place of Moran said admindrinking fountains. istrators did not believe this was a major problem, be•Experts hope to find the reason for cause it seemed like elevated copper in the pipes to fix the a quick and simple situation. solution such as running a waterpurifying machine for a little while would solve the situation. the water) in both softeners, copper levHowever, after the water sat all sum- els in the water were still high. This remer, HealthAIR tested it again. This sulted in a meeting on Friday, Sept.. 6, time, they noticed that the copper levels held to discuss possible solutions. in some fountains were as high as 3.4 The 21 people in attendance included mg/L, which is more than twice the lim- members of the administration and repit of 1.3 mg/L set by the Environmental resentatives from both of the companies Protection Agency. (healthAIR and HOH) involved in the According to Moran, if anyone in- testing.

Water Update

“It was good to hear the different opinions,” Assistant Superintendent Mary Marshall said, “so we could have direction while we work to solve the problem.” Finally, this group decided the water would undergo another testing in the early morning of Sunday, Sept. 16.

Moran said he hopes these tests will reveal if the problem lies in the fountains themselves. A second meeting to discuss the test results was scheduled for Sept. 20 or 21. Though students are probably wondering when this problem will be fixed, “the timeline for fixing the problem will depend on Sunday’s test results,” Moran said.

HealthAIR’s Scott Staber also hopes for a quick solution but says it could take as long as a few weeks to solve completely.

“Through sampling and through various experts we all hope to find the reason for elevated copper in the pipes and then quickly take the necessary steps to fix the situation,” Staber said. “Unfortunately we do not know how long this process will take, but we are all hopeful it will be resolved in the next several weeks.”

Meanwhile, students are making due with water coolers in the hallway in place of drinking fountains, but some find the new situation to be a bit inconvenient, like sophomore Lauren Dreffs.

“I want the water fountains back,” Dreffs said. “It’s inconvenient because there aren’t enough water coolers.”

Many students share this opinion, but others believe that the situation is being handled pretty well.

Sophomore Rachelle Alcini said, “I don’t think there’s anything else they could do to make it better.”

The water coolers, as well as other aspects of the drinking water problem, are fairly expensive, according to Moran, and he said administrators are trying their best to sort it out.

Until then, students are working around it, like Alcini, who said “I just have to remember to bring a water bottle now.”

news

BRIEFS

Pioneer forfeits first two games The varsity football team lost their home opener to Pioneer 36-14.

One week later, the Michigan High School Athletic Association called to officially give Dexter credit for a win. Pioneer was forced to forfeit their first two games after a player’s former athletic director discovered that an ineligible player had played in both games. The player forced a fumble on a kick return in the game against Dexter. “It’s unfortunate those things happen,” Dexter football coach Tom Barbieri said. Pioneer declined to release the name of the player.

House introduces Michigan student journalism rights bill A new bill protecting student journalists’ rights in Michigan has made its way into the House. The bill was introduced by Andy Coulouris on Sept.. 15, 2007. If passed, the bill would prevent administrators from censoring student publications except under limited circumstances.

Those circumstances include: obscenity, defamation, advertisement of illegal products for minors and disruption of the school day. Previous bills have been introduced in the Senate.

Car accidents occur in parking lot Several car accidents occurred during the first few days of school in the parking lot. Junior Jack Coy and senior Jordan Evans’ cars hit while they were both backing out of parking spots at the same time. Each suffered minor damage to the paint on their cars. In addition, junior Mark Anderson bumped into a parked car while exiting a parking space. And senior Rachel Ariyavatkul backed into the car of freshman soccer coach, Mike Lewandowski, causing damage to the door of Lewandowski’s car. Ariyavatkul’s rear bumper was detached but since has been put back on. She said she is still waiting to hear back from Lewandowski about the damages.

Wastenaw County goes wireless

Water, water everywhere: As a result of elevated copper level in the school’s drinking water, administrators placed portable hydration machines such as this one in the hall for student to drink from.

An organization named 20/20 Communications has a goal to provide all of Washtenaw County with free low-speed wireless Internet access. Their hope is to “establish a wireless broadband network without a burden on taxpayers.”

They’re also selling subscriptions for Internet at a higher speed. They hope to finish March, 2008. Recently however, questions have been raised about whether or not the goal can be reached. There has been trouble getting the Internet to the rural parts of the county. Fewer subscriptions than expected has also been an issue. Another source of money that 20/20 was relying on was a grant from the state government, but they weren’t able to get as much money as they had hoped for.

4

Friday, September 28, 2008

The Squall

feature

A man of many faces From the gym to the football field, Koening gets it done Jake LaRosa staff writer

Ken Koenig routinely rolls into the teacher parking lot every morning at 6:45 a.m. to read e-mail, make phone calls and prepare for the rapidly approaching school day. That’s typical for him. But what’s not typical is that this year, not only is Koenig teaching classes, he has also assumed the newly created title: Dean of Students.

“Mr. Moran approached me last spring and pitched the idea to me,” Koenig said. “Then the second week of August, he asked me if I would take the job over teaching full-time.”

Koenig did take the job, and now has new responsibilities. “I do everything (assistant principals) Mrs. Glynn and Mrs. Sharrar did in the past years, except I’m in the building all week long,” Koenig said, referring to past assistant principals being at Mill Creek for half the day. “I know the students and faculty, and how things work here.”

The idea of him taking an administrative-type position is nothing new.

Koenig was offered the position of assistant principal four years ago, which he turned down.

“The status of that job offered (to

Part of Koenig’s job includes cafme) before was interim,” Koenig said. “And in order for me to accept eteria monitor along with paraprothat job I would have had to resign fessionals Connie Agostini and Dee from my teaching position, and I was Braden. “My big thing in the lunch not comfortable doing that.” room is to just make sure the students In his new position, Koenig still are acting like reasonable human beteaches the first two hours, then ings. Eat your lunch, talk to friends, makes the transition to Dean, which take a break from the classroom, is contractuclean up after yourselves and ally a teachthen move on to your next hour.” ing posiAnother responsibility for tion, not an • Koenig has three Koenig is disciplining stuadministrachildren. dents. He said the most diftive one.

“First I ficult part of this is trying to • He coaches youth teach my comprehend some of the obfootball as well as two hours viously bad choices some of varsity football and of Individuthe students make. t-ball. al and Team “If I can lay their options out to them, and they still Spor ts,” think the way they went is K o e n i g • He was voted assitant the best way, it is really hard said. “Then football coach of the for me to agree with them,” I have third year last year. he said. hour prep.

Koenig also said he I do a quick thought it was necessary for c h a n g e him to take the job. He said, of clothes (shorts and hoodie to shirt and tie), “The consistency of having an assisput my attendance in the computer tant to the principal that stays in the and get a quick bite and slide on down same building all week long is a huge to the cafeteria where I start my day benefit, not only to the people on staff, as an administrator.” but also to the students.”

A little more Koenig

photos by Jeff Leonard and Chas Sloan

Small but sincere: Dexter serves as third school in three years New student adjusts to third school by joining swim team and bonding with teammates factinabox Sarah Akbarifard staff writer

Learning to adapt in a new school can be a struggle for any new student.

But junior Kiersten Lorensen hasn’t had to just adapt to one new school. She has attended three different schools in three different states.

Lorensen attended Starsmill High School near Atlanta for a year. Then she went to Northwest High School near Dallas for another year.

This year she attends Dexter High School.

“In comparison to other high schools I’ve been to, Dexter is the smallest,” she said. “People here realize I’m new, but in other schools I’ve been to, they don’t really notice that.

Starsmill High School is bigger than Dexter and is mixed a lot culture and racial wise, and so is Northwest High School, but that’s three times bigger than DHS.”

While Lorensen said she likes Dex“I’m originally from Texas,” she said. ter so far, she still doesn’t like the “I lived in Houston for six years, and in Georgia the swimnumber of times she’s ming is really commoved.

“We’re constantly petitive. It’s mainly I’ve automatically on the move because Olympic swimmers of my dad’s job,” she there,” she said. learned to adapt. I said. Lorensen’s faLorensen who’s have been moving all ther is a Director of on Dexter’s varsity my life since I was two swim team said she Science Engineer at a months.” has been swimming Conway Freight. for 12 years. “Swim“When I hear the ming is what really news we’re going to - Kiersten Lorensen, be moving again, I’m keeps me going,” she senior not too happy about said.

“It’s easier it and sometimes untransferring schools sure,” she said. But she said she does because of swimming because I know still keep in contact with her friends I will meet new people that way.” She from other schools she’s attended also said she has bonded with many through talking to them on the phone girls on the DHS swim team including junior Alexis Sobczak and senior Kimand texting them.

Out of all the schools Lorensen has mey Melinsky. attended she said she likes Northwest “I’ve automatically learned to the best. adapt,” she said. “I have been moving

“

all of my life since I was two months.

Without swimming I don’t know what I would do.”

However, at Starsmils and Northstar High School, Lorensen said the courses are a lot different than the ones at Dexter High School. “The teachers teach things a lot differently so it’s hard sometimes to learn it,” she said. “The class sizes are a lot bigger, and we have block schedule which is 4 classes a day.”

As for college, Lorensen said she would like to go back to Texas for swimming. “But then again, I also want stay home near my family and everyone,” she said.

But for now Lorensen said she simply wants to stay put in Dexter and finish off her junior and senior years of high school. “Hopefully I stay here,” she said. “I like it a lot, and I’ve never lived in a place as small as this one before.”

Lorenson: Attended three high schools in three years.

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Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

feature

Student deals with father's absence

Dalton stays strong while her father is stationed in the Middle East

Katie Johnson features editor

In the summertime they rent Harleys and take road trips, spending days cruising the streets. But during the year senior Carly Dalton only knows her father through pictures, e-mails and phone calls.

“For as long as I can remember, my dad has been away,” Dalton said of her dad’s job working for Kellogg, Brown and Root, a military contracting business. “He was in Hungary for six years, Bosnia for two and in Baghdad for almost two years. He’s stationed in Kuwait now, but he sometimes has to travel to Iraq and Dubai.”

Dalton said she relies on her mother’s support to deal with her dad’s absence. “My mom is really strong,” she said. “I know it can get really hard for her to not be around him. I really appreciate it, and I feel that she is a really strong woman. I know I wasn’t an easy one to raise,” she laughed.

Dalton’s mother, Karen Dalton, also said she feels his absence has made her two daughters stronger. “We are all very independent,” she said. “I’ve had to do everything by myself. We have friends around here but no family close by.”

She also said her husband still plays a huge role in raising Carly. “He really did have a lot of impact on her,” she said. It’s been hard, but we sat down and said, ‘You know, we can do this.’”

Despite her family’s strength at home, Dalton said that she still at times feels scared for her dad. “When he was in Iraq, I remember him coming home and being afraid of in ground sprinklers because there are land mines over there,” she said. “It never really hit me at the time, but it scared me because I realized that he wasn’t perfectly safe (in Iraq) like I let myself

think.”

Still, Dalton said her father’s absence has given her a great sense of appreciation for life. “I think it’s given me a greater appreciation for my family,” she said. “When he’s home, I appreciate it, and I don’t go out as much with my friends. You have to really appreciate the family you have.”

Dalton’s mother also said that they enjoy quality family time when her husband is home. “When he’s home everything stops and we’re home with dad,” she said. “We try to make it strictly family time.”

But Dalton’s father, Danny Dalton, said that it is still hard for him to be away. “Being away from my family is the most difficult part of my overseas work,” he said in an e-mail. “My job keeps me busy sometimes working 17 or 18 hours a day seven days a week.

Without being this busy, I don’t think I would be able to remain away so long.”

Dalton’s father also said looking forward to breaks with his family is what keeps him going. “I don’t particularly like the phrases ‘quality time,’ but in the case of working overseas you do have more of it,” he said. “When I come home or we plan a family trip to another country, I am with my family 24 hours a day during my entire two or three week break. Every day at home or in a foreign country with my family is something special. This, of course, takes an exceptional family to deal with this work situation, and I am very lucky in that regards.”

Dalton agrees with her father. “I have a lot of respect for anyone to go over there for our country,” she said.

“If someone was put in the same situation as me, I’d tell them to cherish the time at home and not take it for granted.”

Dalton’s father also said he feels

Ryan Aliapoulios trends editor

Estimated employees at Pfizer’s Ann Arbor site in January.

Estimated employees on site by the end of this year.

For some students, the Ann Arbor Pfizer plant shutdown was just another story in the business pages. \But for senior Rachel Ariyavatkul, the event hit a little closer to home.

“My family ended up moving to Dexter because of Pfizer,” Ariyavatkul said.

“They had another plant in Kalamazoo that shutdown in about 2003. Now this last year when the Ann Arbor plant shut down, he got transferred to Connecticut.”

Ariyavatkul’s last move was when she was 7-years-old, but due to job complications her family was faced with selling their old home and possibly moving out of state.

“When I first heard about it, I was like, ‘No way,’”

300

780

Employees have accepted positions at other Pfizer locations.

Acres in Pfizer’s Ann Arbor campus.

Michigan workers will lose their jobs over the next three years.

1000

6000

School-age children leaving Michigan as a result of Pfizer’s move.

Acres in Pfizer’s Ann Arbor campus.

177

Despite her quick Ariyavatkul said. “But then I found out that I didn’t have to adjustment to her new home, move, that I would stay with however, Ariyavatkul said my mom in Dexter, and my that life without her father dad would go to Connecticut around the house is difficult.

“It sucks,” she said. for work.”

“He knows a lot about Although Ariyavatkul was things able to stay around in Dexter to t h e finish out the school year, It’s at a point now h o u s e , she said where it’s not even and it’s weird that selling a big deal to think n o t their old about my old house h a v i n g house was inevitable. like it once was.” h i m here, but “We knew we would - Rachel Ariyavatkul, my mom t a l k s have to sell senior to him it,” she said. ever y “It actually day and wasn’t that huge of a switch surprisingly. I talk to him a little bit every It’s at a point now where it’s day, so I guess it could be not even a big deal to think worse.”

The worst part about about my old house like it leaving her old house once was.”

Pfizer’s Chain Reaction January: Pfizer announces to its 2100 employees that it will completely shut down its Ann Arbor facilities. It also offers some workers positions at alternate locations.

Photos courtesy Karen Dalton

Studying abroad: Because of her father’s job, Dalton has had the opportunity to travel overseas, such as Italy. “I’ve been to Europe I think five times,” she said. “I’ve learned about so many cultures. It’s been a big part of my life.”

Pfizer closing hits home for student

Pfizer 2100

incredibly lucky to live in the United States. “Being in war-torn countries and seeing first-hand the atrocities people have endured leaves you very grateful that your family is lucky enough to live in the United States,” he said. “Many times in the early days in a country, food, water, heat, electricity, or in the case of the Middle East air conditioning, just a sense of security are some of the things we too often take for granted.”

He also said his close knit family makes the situation easier. “Your work must be satisfying,” he said. “I am very fortunate in that I find my work very rewarding in support of the military. The U.S. military and their families make huge sacrifices, and it is an honor to work with a company that makes the soldiers live a little easier while they are deployed.”

However, Dalton’s father said that he does miss out on simple everyday pleasures. “In each country you miss something different, being in the Middle East green grass, green trees, anything green, but I would say things like the basic freedom to go outside each day,” he said. “Many times you are living behind a security wall and you have no freedom to venture outside the perimeters.”

Still, Dalton and her parents are unsure of when he is coming home. “It’s kind of been a toss up,” Dalton said.

“My mom and dad are going to move to Houston when I graduate. He may stay over there for a couple more years before that, but we’re not sure yet.”

Until then, Dalton appreciates simply talking to her dad.

“A couple weeks ago I got a text from my dad,” she said. “He told us to go outside and feel the green grass. It’s hard for him sometimes because he feels like he’s missing out on me growing up.”

June: Pfizer employees begin leaving the Ann Arbor site in two-week waves. The waves vary in size from 11 to 160.

March: The University of Michigan announces that it will spend about 3 million to keep Pfizer researchers working in Ann Arbor.

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Infographics by Maria Brundage

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was leaving a room that Ariyavatkul herself designed called the “red room”.

“My dad said he wanted to take my old room, and he told me that since I didn’t have a place to hang out that I could design it and use it,” she said.

“I love designing things so it was great to showcase that on a bigger scale. Leaving that room was definitely the biggest bummer of leaving the house.”

Through all the hardships her family faces ahead, Ariyavatkul remains optimistic for the future.

“I don’t know how I feel about it,” she said. “Part of me wants to dislike (Pfizer), but they provide for our family.

My Dad’s never actually been laid off. I mean, I’m living in an apartment on an air mattress,” she said with a laugh,” but it’s not all bad.”

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August: Pfizer announces to its 2100 employees that it will completely shut down its Ann Arbor facilities. It also offers some workers positions at alternate locations.

Source: www.mlive.com

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Friday, September 28, 2007

health

The Squall

Passion pressures athletes to play while injured Celia Kuzon health and arts editor

Senior cross country runner Vince D’Onofrio pushed through his eight mile run at practice, the sharp pain surging up his shins and knees, worsening with every step. The temptation to stop certainly lingered in his mind; however, like many studentathletes, D’Onofrio continued to practice despite his injury and his body telling him to stop.

“It’s my senior year, and I really want to do well in cross country,” D’Onofrio said. “So I do the practices even when the pain is excruciating.” And this thought is common for many high school athletes who deal with pressure from coaches, parents, teammates and themselves to participate in sports when they are injured.

For D’Onofrio, the pressure, he said, comes mainly from within himself.

“It probably makes my shin splints worse when I run, but it is just too hard to sit out and watch everyone else succeed. I make myself do it,” he said.

And when athletes ignore injuries, the consequences can be severe. For senior and varsity basketball player Kelsey Johnson, this was the case. “ I hurt my knee in one of my games last year,” Johnson said. “I went to the doctor, and she said it was nothing serious and that I could play the next week.”

That was not good advice.

Johnson admits her knee still felt shaky when she decided to play again, but she didn’t want to sit out. “I didn’t think it was serious enough for me to sit out because the doctor said I was fine,” she said.

“I should have listened to my body more.”

Unfortunately for Johnson, the next game she played in, she injured herself much worse. “I still thought that my injury was not serious,” she said.

“But when I went to get an MRI, I found out I tore three ligaments in my knee which put me out for the rest of the season.” Johnson added she regrets not waiting longer to compete after she injured her knee the first time.

Varsity cross country coach Jamie Dudash said for his athletes it is a personal decision whether or not to participate while injured. “I ask most kids to be very frank and honest with their bodies,” he said.

“I’m not in their shoes.”

Dudash also said there are times when it is OK for a student-athlete to push through the pain. “A dull pain is just wear and tear or fatigue,” he said.

“If it’s a sharp pain, however, you should definitely stop. I never want to win at the expense of a young person’s body.”

Varsity basketball coach Randy Swoverland agrees, saying athletes should play if they can. “I pressure players to play as long as they have been cleared by a trainer or doctor and can’t further hurt it,” he said. “The decision is not really up to the athlete. It’s up to the trainers and doctors.”

Physical therapist Teresa Herrlinger has some tips for athletes to prevent injuries in the first place.

“Athletes need to warm up before training and playing with light stretching,” Herrlinger said. “They also need to train in their sport to build strength and flexibility.”

As for preventing athletes form re-injuring themselves, Herrlinger said, “They need to make sure they do the rehabilitation exercises and are cleared by a physician before returning to full contact.”

Herrlinger added that a big part of preventing re-injuring yourself is finding out what caused the injury in the first place. She said, “When you know the cause, you can easily learn how to prevent it.”

Concussion: Injury to the brain due to impact against the skull, often involving loss of consciousness. Other symptoms include mental confusion, ringing in the ears, dizziness or headache and possible memory loss.

Fractured clavicle: The clavicle runs from the shoulder to breast bone. Athletes usually fracture it by falling onto an outstretched arm or shoulder, especially on a hard surface. It usually fractures in the middle and is very painful.

Inflammation of biceps tendon: The tendon of the bicep inserts into the elbow and can become inflamed if overused. This is likely to affect weight lifters who do biceps curls and people who do a lot of writing.

Sprained Finger: Occurs when the finger is bent in a way that damages the ligaments that keep the bones together.

It is common in ball games like basketball and football.

Shin Splints: This is the general name for pain at the front of the lower leg. The most common cause is inflammation of the sheath surrounding the bone.

Sprained Ankle: The most common ankle sprain is the inversion sprain, which is caused by the ankle turning sharply inwards. This damages the ligaments on the outside of the ankle.

Infographic by Maria Brundage Source: www.sportsinjuryclinic.net

Eating disorder overcome through reflection Michelle Chirby copy editor

In fifth grade, she became a vegan. At 12-years-old she stopped eating. At 13 she weighed 79 pounds. “I was mostly using (vegan) ethics as a cover (for not eating),” senior Carolyn* said in an e-mail interview. “I guess that was my first documented attempt to lose weight. I just cut back and cut back.” Now, Carolyn is fully recovered from her eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and is back to her healthy weight.

According to Judith Banker, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Eating Disorders in Ann Arbor, approximately 5-10 percent of women and 1 percent of men suffer from eating disorders.

“It is very common for people to develop eating disorders in their early teens and around the age 18,” Banker said in an e-mail interview.

“Life transitions triggered by physiological change like puberty, relationship problems, family problems, moving, divorce or death of a loved one can affect the appetite and self-confidence.

These can lead to behaviors and a tendency to try and seek control over life and self-image by losing weight.”

Carolyn agrees and thinks previous life struggles contributed to her disorder. “I had disordered thoughts long before I developed a full-blown disorder,” she said.

“I was diagnosed with depression before developing the eating disorder, so I imagine that put me in a compromised mind set.”

Although there is no specific incident she thinks encouraged her disorder, Carolyn recognizes

how many societal influences idea that my body image wasn’t there are on teens. “I like to think true to Reality put into question they didn’t impact me, but these my entire world view, and that’s a images are ingrained in our soci- hard concept to deal with.” ety,” she said. “We don’t always Physically, Carolyn said her recognize the extent to which they biggest struggle was the toll andrive us and dictate the ways we orexia took on her body. “I had view ourselves.” been fairly active until that point,” Because the causes of eating she said. “So I wasn’t used to disorders can be both genetic and feeling so weak and faint all the cultural, Banker said it is impor- time.” tant for teens to build self-esteem.

Before her disorder got too se“Learning the tricks and secrets rious, however, Carolyn’s friends behind mass and family marketing got involved.

You need to find and advertis“Although ing and the at the time, something outside pop culture I hated the that obsession, someemphasis on way my parthing from the real looks and iments stepped world that you can age can help in, it was very grab onto.” much for the you see behind the messages best,” she said. on television “They got me - Carolyn* and in the meinto treatsenior dia,” she said. ment before I “When one had done too has an eating much perdisorder, the way you think about manent damage to my body, and yourself and the way you see your that’s something I don’t take for body can become very distorted,” granted.” she said. “The starved mind does As part of her treatment, Caronot see the world or the self clear- lyn saw several therapists and ly.” tried assorted medications. She For Carolyn, the idea of a dis- also spent time in the University torted image is what scared her the of Michigan Psychiatric Unit for most. “The hardest thing was the inpatient treatment. “I became idea that my perceptions might be very passive after that,” she said. skewed, because, of course, every- “I didn’t put much effort into my one said that - ‘Oh, you’re not fat, therapy because none of it seemed you just can’t see yourself prop- to be helping. So I spent a couple erly,’ - and that scared me,” she years in an unhealthy, but not lifesaid. threatening, state.”

And Carolyn believes that all In the end, however, it was teens, healthy or not, fear how oth- not her own efforts or the therapy ers perceive them. “We wonder if she believes “fixed” her. It was a the world as we experience it is close friend who challenged her the world as others experience it. to write a novel in a month. “Part And if not, which one is the capi- way through, I took my mental “R,” Reality?” she said. “The tal focus away from the project

“

long enough to take stock of myself, and I realized I was healthy - mentally and physically,” she said. “My hair wasn’t falling out like it once had, and I’d put on enough weight to get me to the goal my doctor had assigned me years ago. I had started eating more normally without really noticing, and even when I did notice, it didn’t bother me.”

Now, no longer bothered by her weight or eating habits, Carolyn is only bothered by her past. “I wish I had never developed an eating disorder,” she said. “It embarrasses me now, and I like to distance my current self from that younger, sicker girl. But at the same time, I learned a lot from it, especially in recovery because I went through many of the standard treatments with little success, and now that I’m fully recovered, I can examine what actually worked and why everything else didn’t.”

Eventually, Carolyn said she intends to write a book on the subject, including her personal struggles with the flaws in medical treatment.

“I feel like a lot of the assumptions we make about the treatment of eating disorders are inaccurate and often counterproductive,” she said.

“In my experience, most eating disorder patients recognize or can come to recognize the flawed logic that fuels their obsession, but recognizing it doesn’t make it go away. You need to find something outside that obsession, something from the real world that you can grab onto,” she said.

“We shouldn’t focus on stopping the disorder. We should focus on starting life.” *Name changed for privacy

Eating Disorder 101 • Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa (chronic self-starvation), bulimia nervosa (chronic binge eating and purging) and EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified, including compulsive eating and combinations of both anorexia and bulimia) • EDNOS is the most common form of eating disorder, followed by bulimia, then anorexia • The main warning signs of an eating disorder include: - over concern about weight, shape, food intake and exercise - binge eating - purging - chronic dieting - drastic weight loss, gain or fluctuation - self-critical remarks about appearance - strange eating behaviors or patterns - secretive eating or food hoarding • If you recognize someone with an eating disorder, confront them but be prepared for denial or hostility. If serious, contact an adult immediately.

Source: Judith Banker, Executive Director of the Center for Eating Disorders

7

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

art

Art by Nora Green

MME requires visual, performing arts credit Ally Sutter staff writer

Starting with the class of 2011, the requirements for graduation will change. A new state mandate called the Michigan Merit Curriculum will require students take four years of math and English, three years of social studies and science, a year of gym/health and a year of art.

Because of these changes, freshman will have to take more classes.

“Is it going to make school harder? Teaching harder? A little bit of both,” Assistant Principal Tim Authier said. “It’s going to be a radical change on the way we do business.”

Of these new requirements, the full required year of art is perhaps the most different. Dexter has never had an art requirement, however the new curriculum leaves a variety of options that count towards an art credit. These include playing a musical instrument in band or orchestra class, participating in the school choir, taking a photojournalism class, taking drama or any of the graphic arts classes.

“This should help us obtain the three R’s: rigor, relevance and relationships,” Authier said. “The new requirements will help challenge the students, help them grow in learning. We want them to understand what they are learning is useful in more than one way. We want the parent/teacher/student relationships to be encouraging and successful.”

In addition starting in September of 2008, the school year will

no longer be split into two semesters but three trimesters. Under a trimester system, according to counselor Gerry Holmes, trimesters will help students take the required classes and still have time for electives. “We will no longer have six classes a day,” she said.

“We are dropping sixth hour and making each class approximately 12 minutes longer.”

Under a trimester system, each year there will be time for three more classes. Teachers The new hope that this will leave room for requirements will students to pick their own elechelp challenge tives. “The new requirements will not make that much of a difstudents, help them ference,” Holmes said. “Seventy grow in learning.” percent of students already take - Tim Authier three years of science and social assistant principal studies and four years of math.

It’s the other 30 percent that it will be hard on.”

While it may be hard for the 30 percent of kids, school officials say they are doing their best to figure out ways to make it easier on them. “We are accommodating students by allowing math-related courses count for math credits,” Holmes said. “Classes such as building trades, CAD/CAM, computer programming, accounting and business will hopefully allow students to make choices about what classes they want to take.

“

Not only are the class requirements changing, but the testing ones are as well. According to curriculum consultant Sara Danksy, the state now requires all juniors to take the Michigan Merit Exam.

This exam, which includes the ACT among other tests, is a graduation requirement, and a requirement to be eligible for the Michigan Promise scholarship of $4,000.

“This $4,000 scholarship is not based on scores from the test.”

Dansky said. “But (Gov. Jennifer) Granholm has made it so that as long as you took the test, and maintained a GPA of 2.5 or higher in your first two years of college, you get the $4,000.”

To reward the students who scored well on the test, the state will award an early installment of the scholarship to students who got 1s and 2s on the MME and a qualifying ACT score. “During both freshman and sophomore year, $1,000 will be awarded to the student,” Dansky said. “After they finish their second year of college, the remaining $2,000 will be given to them.

“While in the past, students had to pay for the ACT, the Michigan Merit Exam is free, but the catch is that you must take it on the days that the school offers it,” Dansky said. “Once you get your test scores back, you have one chance to retake the test: in your senior year in the fall or senior year with the juniors in the spring.”

For her part, Holmes believes that while these changes maybe harder on everyone, they are ultimately positive. She said, “It’s a lot of work for next year, but it’s exciting, and it’s good for the kids.”

VanDusen uses music training to expand her horizons Morgan Quist staff writer

At the age of six, senior Katie VanDusen began playing the violin when a friend of her mom’s suggested how much she would enjoy practicing and playing.

“When you’re young and asked to do a sport or extra activity, you don’t really know what you’re getting yourself into, but you do it anyway,” VanDusen said.

Although she said she was stoic about playing the violin at first, VanDusen said her love for classical music and the violin hit hard in about seventh grade, when the music curriculum at Dexter got a little more serious.

Ten years later, VanDusen still plays the violin and is considering majoring in music in college. Northwestern is one of her top choices, because she says it has a strong music program and good academics as well.

VanDusen is a strong believer that the teacher or instructor a young musician like herself has, and the tools she will receive, are the most important factors to her success in music and success in general.

While she believes that a good teacher is a key role to success, it is also important to VanDusen to experience other mu-

sic in different cultures.

The summer before her sophomore year, she traveled to Europe for five weeks to play in southern France and Germany.

“Even though we were playing all the time,” she said, “seeing (Europe) and its culture was a great learning experience.”

Two summers ago, VanDusen received a full-ride scholarship (only one student per state gets this scholarship) to Interlochen, a camp for performing arts in northern Michigan.

This past summer, she went to Meadow Mount, an arts camp in upstate New York for seven weeks, where she was asked to practice her violin for five hours per day.

Well-known cellist Yo Yo Ma was also a student at Meadow Mount years ago.

Van Dusen has also gotten to meet well-known violinists, including her favorite, Hilary Hahn, whom she got to chat with.

All of this talent and chatting with famous musicians has not always come easy though.

“What any athlete (or musician) will tell you,” she said, “is that there are always setbacks. Although I hate this analogy, it’s like a math problem. When you are given the tools (to succeed), you must identify the problem and respond to that problem appropriately. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes.”

photo by Jeff Leonard

She’s got talent: Senior Katie VanDusen practices her violin in the orchestra room. Van Dusen bean playing violin when she was 6.

8

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

sports

Charlie Pettit Sports Editor

Searching for loyalty It is Sept. 17, and I’m pretty sure that three weeks ago, no one in the world imagined Michigan football being in the position that they are in.

From being ranked fifth in the nation to God-only-knows what ranking they will be at the end of the season, Michigan hasn’t won a football game since Bo Schembechler died a day before last year’s Ohio State game.

I don’t know if the death of the Michigan legend permanently handicapped the program because he was the symbol of it for so long, or if Lloyd Car hasn’t been reaching his players. But every Big House fan knows the team is filled with talented players who could, and should, be winning championships. But Michigan has yet to live up to championship form, playing the polar opposite and sucking it up bad.

The 34-32 loss to Division 1-AA Appalachian State was the first time a ranked Division 1-A team has lost to a team in 1-AA. This rattled the maize and blue pretty bad, as well as the 100,000 fans in Ann Arbor. The loss looks a lot worse on paper than it was on television In fact, I’d put 50 bucks on Appalachian State against most Division 1-A teams.

Just a week later the unthinkable happened again, though, as Michigan got stomped at home once more. The Ducks owned the Wolverines 39-7 in football, but doesn’t the food chain work the other way around? Michigan should have won that game by a margin that big, not Oregon. Lloyd Carr needs to move on, let Michigan football be less conservative and win more games.

I’m not a big Michigan fan myself, and I get a lot of s--- for it from everyone around because we’re so close to the U of M. Teams around the country and their fans hate the Michigan faithful for their hostility and belligerence.

Many people know that Michigan fans are supposed to be some of the best fans in college football, but after each of the two losses, I think that is very easy to argue. The blowout on the field had many inebriated souls red-faced and unhappy with the team and the season.

It was annoying when people were booing the team they would have killed an Ohio State fan for just three weeks earlier. Show some loyalty and help the team that you wear on your chest and hat.

Mike Hart stepped up as a leader on the field against Notre Dame and at the press conference the week beforehand. Someone on the team needed to do it. I think it was a good move to call his teammates out on playing terrible football, and it lit some kind of fire because Michigan definitely had their way with the fighting Irish last Saturday.

The 38-0 win was surely needed, otherwise I could name a couple of people on the Michigan sideline who might have lost their lives from mob rule. Although the win was a dominant one, I am still interested to see how we play against Penn State this week. It’s hard to get fanatical about last week’s win when Notre Dame hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown all season.

There are many more games to be fought by Michigan this season. As long as we beat State in a couple of weeks, Michigan’s season has no chance of being a complete bust. We all know that State is only good at sports you throw ping pong balls in.

Michigan football by the numbers

126 first team All-Americans 18-20

in bowl games

456-164-18

in Big 10 games

57-40-6 versus Ohio State 862-283-36 versus Division 1-A

teams

0-1 versus Division 1-AA teams Source: bentley.umich.edu

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A change of seasons: Senior Kyle Debruycker is one of many students affected by the change of sports seasons. Debruyckers sport, mens tennis, moved from a spring sport to a fall sport as a result of a Supreme Court ruling against the Michigan High School Athletic Association

photos by Jeff Leonard photo illustration by Val Argiero

Season change leaves little break for athletes was a lot hotter to train over the summer, and it is a lot hotter in the fall.”

Even with the changes the tennis team is optimistic about their season.

Over the summer womens golf coach Fred Ligrow was put “We made regionals last year and came in second, so I in a tough situation. Because of a U.S. Supreme Court Ruling many sports, including womens golf, was moved from a spring guess our goal this year is to make states again,” Debruycker said. sport to a fall sport. So teaching new skills As for the freshmen on the mens tennis to incoming freshmen and current golfers team, Kyle Debruycker said most of them was not an easy task for Ligrow. haven’t played before.

“Time was the biggest issue,” Ligrow (The change) was “It didn’t help the freshmen that we said. “With only a six week window, (the dumb. We didn’t didn’t have the winter to train indoors. We womens golf team) did not have as much have the winter to do have one freshman on the varsity team time as they would have if we played in the train indoors.” though.” spring. At the same time, each team in the On the other hand, Athletic Director John state is in the same situation.”

Robinson said scheduling the new sports The team was not allowed to have orga- Kyle Debruycker, went by very smooth and as planned. nized practices until Aug. 9, so the time to senior “This had been coming for about five actually prepare as a team was slim since years, so once it became official we knew their season started on Aug. 20. how we were going to handle it,” Robinson Sophomore Jojo Parin was one golfer said . “Tennis and golf were the easiest because they do not who was on the bubble for making the varsity team. “(The change) didn’t give me a lot of time to prepare,” Pa- share facilities and the sequence of events was the same.” rin, who worked to try and make the team over the summer, Although Robinson scheduled these new seasons, he didn’t said, “I only had the summer to get ready. Other teams proba- agree with the change that occurred.

“I think the female athletes in Michigan had a good situbly felt rushed too, especially with new freshmen coming in.”

Parin did make the junior varsity team but said the change of ation the way the seasons were in the first place,” Robinson said. “There have been some issues getting officials for volleyseasons still left her stressed.

And the womens golf team was not the only team that ball in the fall because they work college games in the fall.”

As for the womens golf and mens tennis team, members of changed from spring to fall. The mens tennis team was also both teams say they look to have successful seasons. put in the same situation.

As Debruycker said, “We’re about .500 right now, but we “(The change) was dumb,” senior tennis player Kyle Debruycker said, “We didn’t have the winter to train indoors. It can be better. Our goal is to make states.”

Kurt Miller staff writer

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9

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

sports Kickin’ it: Senior Adam Umstead works at soccer practice. Umstead said he likes to play an active role during practice so he is ready on game day.

Photo by Valentino Argiero

Umstead participates in multiple sports Alex Everard staff writer

much a hectic daily schedule of school an sports?

“I’ve just always wanted to try football,” Umstead, The defending state champion soccer team had a soccer player since the age of five, said.

According to his coaches, Umstead has a great their regularly planned game on Aug. 30, but the football team had an unusual schedule that week, work ethic, something needed to pull of such a challenge. “He does a resulting in a home game great job,” football coach versus Pioneer on the Tom Barbieri said. “Somesame day. So which team It’s been tough but thing like this isn’t easy so did senior Adam Umstead exciting. I really love choose to play for? he communicates well and Well, both. You see, works hard.” playing both sports.”

His leadership skills Umstead deviates from the normal path taken by stualso come into play with - Adam Umstead, dent athletes. both his sports. “Adam senior He’s a two-sport athlete, leads in a quiet sort of way,” soccer coach Scott but both sports happen to Forrester said. “Whentake place during the same ever we’re doing sprints season.

After earning a victory or drills he always gives it his all.” on the soccer field that day, And while some coaches might be concerned Umstead was then escorted to Al Ritt Field on a Gator and suited up to kick for the football team. about their players playing two sports, Forrester This sounds like a tiring day, but all Umstead said and Barbieri aren’t worried. “It hasn’t got in the was, “It wasn’t too bad.“ way so far, and it’s always good to give opportuniSo what would inspire someone to take on ties like this to athletes,” Forrester said.

“

Photo by Leah Gibson

Playing the fields: Umstead looks to the field during the Bedford game.

Barbieri added, “It’s really great. We talked about playing football last year during track season, and this year we settled things out.”

With the majority of his time devoted to sports, Umstead must manage time for schoolwork as well.

And when it comes to school, Umstead accomplishes something many students have trouble with, he finishes his homework. “I just do it,” Umstead said, “usually before I go to practice.”

And for now, Umstead finds more enjoyment playing football. “Football is new to me so it’s more fun right now,” he said.

According to Umstead, there is a different feeling when he plays on each field. “It’s exciting during football games because there’s a lot more people watching you.”

Senior Phil Huddleston, a soccer teammate, said, “I think it’s fine. As long as he doesn’t get injured and enjoys both sports, I don’t have a problem with it.”

So while it may seem hectic, Umstead said he loves playing both sports. “It’s been tough but exciting,” he said. “I really love playing both sports, so it’s been fun.”

Dancers and cheerleaders search for resolution Teams dispute who gets to perform on track during home football games, both say they hope for fair compromise coach, Joanna Shipley, said they didn’t want to comment except to say that each team is trying to find a compromise that will benefit both.

Clark though said part of the problem is the dance team would like a The first home football game of the season started out like any other bigger role at the football games. football game. The familiar sounds of the band filled the stadium along “It’s just like, (the cheerleaders) get to cheer the whole game,” Clark with the cheers from the student section going. said. “And we only get to do a half-time However, it wasn’t the football game itself that made show.” this game unlike any other, it was the performances from Athletic Director John Robinson said he both the dance team and the cheerleaders that made this is confident the problem can be solved if the It’s just like (the game one to remember. coaches sit down and talk about the situacheerleaders) get It was the first football game where both the dance tion. team and the cheerleaders cheered on the sidelines. And to cheer the whole “It’s just a matter of communicating, the this lead to a conflict between the two teams. coaches and myself. And with that, we will game.”

Although this was the first game that the dancers do what we can to resolve this issue,” Robcheered on the sidelines, they had been wanting to do it inson said. since last season, according to senior Ashley Clark, one of -Ashley Clark, Chelsea agrees and said that this commuthe varsity dance captains. nication has already begun. senior However, all of this was confusing to senior Chelsea “We’ve talked to the dance team about Reardon, the varsity cheer captain, who said it’s always them doing like a pre-game show and then been cheerleaders on the sidelines and the dancers at half the half-time show,” Chelsea said. “And then time. we could just do the sidelines.”

“It’s hard to know what were supposed to do,” Chelsea And despite their current conflict, members of both teams say they said. “It’s always kind of been what we do, and then the dance team don’t want to start an inter-school rivalry. does the half-time show.”

Chelsea said, “I hope that the drama will end and that this whole The varsity cheer coach, Doreen Reardon, and the varsity dance thing won’t be a problem.”

Kaitlyn Shepard staff writer

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Photo by Jeff Leonard

Cheering on the team: Senior cheer captain Chelsea Reardon performs during a football game. The cheer and dance teams have been in conflict about who gets to perform at halftime of the games.

10

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

columns

Austin Shapiro Editor-In-Chief

We Want You From: Your local army recruiter To: Dexter High School seniors Re: Your future

C

ongratulations, you are one year away from graduation, and your future is just over the horizon. What better place to start than Iraq or Afghanistan? You’re sure to get a great tan. It’s sunny 365 days a year.

There has never been a better time to join our country’s armed forces. Due to 3,776 deaths since Desert Storm II started, you’re sure to get right in on the action. No waiting in line. After nine short weeks of basic training, you’ll be on the first plane to Baghdad or Kabul.

Are you sick of dreary Michigan weather? Baghdad’s average high temperature is 86 degrees, including average highs of more than 100 degrees June through September.

If that’s not hot enough for you, don’t forget the rise in body heat due to wearing 45 to 65 pounds of equipment everywhere you go. And that doesn’t even include body armor, which we recommend. Got to protect the biscuits, not to mention all of your vital organs.

Don’t forget about the enlistment bonus. On average you’ll receive about $8,000 just for signing up and some people receive bonuses of up to $40,000. That money will really come in handy when you need to hire people to help you with everyday tasks after you’ve stepped on an improvised explosive device.

If the heat, quick action and great bonus don’t entice you, the job security sure will. Without any idea of when the United States will end their occupation of Iraq, you’re sure to be there for who knows how long.

Not to mention Senator Charles Rangel (D- N.Y.) has proposed a bill to reinstitute the military draft to provide soldiers for possible military actions in Iran and North Korea.

With all the new members, it’ll be a great way to make new friends.

Do you like lying on couches and talking to people about your feelings and deepest thoughts? One in 10 soldiers moves to a hospital due to psychological issues, so you’ll have a whole staff of psychologists ready and waiting to listen to you.

If you have any more questions, feel free to visit me at my air-conditioned office in Suburbia, USA, free of gunfire, land mines and mental strife.

However, please do not contact me prior to Jan. 20, 2009 as I will still be occupying my current job and will not yet have assumed my post as head recruiter. If you must contact me please do so by letter at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washinton, D.C.

War Facts and Figures • Total war costs are estimated at about $455 billion as of 9/24/07 • 27,936 soldiers have been wounded • 3,798 deaths have been reported since the start of the war • Only 148 soldiers died in the first Gulf War • On average about 2.5 soldiers die each day

Vick brings out the worst Hunter Lyons U-Page Editor

I

f I offend any members of PETA, The NAACP or The Whoopi Goldberg fan club, which I believe is inevitable, I apologize. Kind of.

In recent months you would have had to be under a rock to not hear about Atlanta Falcons quarterback and winner of Hunter Lyons annual “You Gave Up Over $100 Million Because You’re a Dumbass” award, Michael Vick, being accused of and eventually admitting to conspiracy of dog fighting. Vick is on trial for whether or not he killed dogs.

I would like to point out that I am an avid dog lover and have two of my own.

Dog fighting is illegal, and anyone who is involved in it should be prosecuted.

Though Vick is a true moron, others have attempted to trump him by saying some of the most absurd things one could think of in the past few weeks. I have made a small list of people who have tried and have come oh-so close to trumping Vick.

First, everyone’s favorite dread locked, not-very-funny celebrity Whoopi Goldberg. This Bob Marley look-a-like made her debut on my favorite ABC morning show “The View” and proceeded to do the unthinkable, justify someone killing

transgender prostitution, neither of which a dog.

She went on to say something to the ex- I think the American people are big fans tent of, this is how he was raised, and it’s of. Choose your words wisely, Stephon.

Number three on my list that you’re not uncommon for someone in his environment to do this. Goldberg should be a hoping will end soon is, surprisingly, defense attorney. I could just see her get- PETA. Yeah, I said it.

I believe what PETA does for animals ting every client of hers a not guilty call, is great. I’m a firm believer in animal pleading, “That’s how they were raised.”

KKK members are raised to hate blacks, rights, but I just have to believe people Jews and homosexuals, but that’s OK ac- have to have something better to do for cording to Goldberg because that’s how five days than stand outside a courthouse they were “raised.” Come on Whoopi, go holding a homemade sign. I mean, if you back to making unfunny comedies and have that much time, get a job. And if you have a job and are skiphosting telethons ping work for this, save with Gilbert Gottthose vacation days for fried.

Though Vick is a something else PETA-reThen there’s no lated, something where one’s favorite overtrue moron, others you actually engage in rated, bald point have attempted an activity rather than guard, Stephon to trump him by take up parking spots Marbury. Though I saying some of the downtown. respect Marbury for most absurd things And now for the man his effort to make of the hour, standing at basketball shoes ho in the past few at a staggering 6’0” tall more affordable for 6’ weeks.

215 lbs out of Virginia parents, his recent Tech, future starting comments make me quaterback of the Richquestion if he actually came up with that marketing strat- mond Virginia Correctional Facilty football team, Michael Vick. This guy went egy.

Marbury compared dog fighting to from terrorizing defenses on Sundays to shooting deer and hunting other animals having to pick up garbage on the freeway and also said dogfighting was a sport, just every Sunday morning.

But don’t worry, Mr. Vick. Those same an underground one. That’s great and a wonderful thing to say if he plans to go fundamentals you’ve been taught your whole life playing football will help you from the 68 fans he currently has to one.

The one problem with Marbury’s the- in prison. Coaches, I’m sure, have always ory is that whole thing about dog fight- told you to hold on to the ball. And simiing being illegal. Yeah, it might be un- lar in prison. But this time it’s the soap derground, but so is drug smuggling and you should hang on to.

“

Source: www.nationalprioities.org

David Pisano Opinions Editor

It feels good to be guilty Y

ou are an average teenage guy. It’s a Saturday night.

Your friend calls you to see if you want to hang out.

They ask what you’re doing and you hesitate. “Nothing.” You say that, but in reality you are in the middle of Soap Network’s weekend marathon. You are not alone.

Nobody readily admits to having guilty pleasures, but everyone has at least one. These can be music, movies, television shows, web sites or undergarments. But my question is, why should we feel guilty?

If I like to rock out to the acoustic version of Jessica pleasure. Don’t bottle it up anymore; I certainly can’t. There Simpson’s album, I shouldn’t have to hide it from my friends. are a few things you may want to keep to yourself, though.

For instance, if you like to wear women’s’ underwear, and Maybe her voice makes me melt as soon as I hear it, and mayyou are not, in fact, a woman, you might want to keep that on be I like that feeling. the “DL”.

I should be able to feel completely comIf you like to smell a certain girl’s hair fortable reading Harry Potter at the lunch when she is not looking, you should probtable. Who doesn’t wish they were a wizably hold up on revealing that. It just ard? Nobody was as sad as me to see the If I like to rock out works out better for both parties. series end, although it was a spectacular to the acoustic Perhaps you enjoy an occasional ending, and I cannot wait until the rest of version of Jessica booger snack. You should probably not the movies are released.

Simpson’s album, do this a whole lot in public. You should That is a whole other topic though, and I shouldn’t have also stop for your own health. the point is, I should be able to proudly If you randomly drive by the house of read the books without getting laughed at to hide it from my a person who you like just to see if they by mere muggles. friends.” are home, just tell the person you like Being the president of the unofficial them and stop being creepy.

Rosie O’Donnell fan club is an accomMost importantly, if your particular plishment to be proud of. I don’t think my friends would agree, but I don’t need their approval to know guilty pleasure has to do with any harmful or potentially illegal actions, such as stalking, stealing, underage “partners” that Rosie is an idol for all Americans.

So what if I love all of the Olsen twins’ movies? They are and so forth, I would recommend breaking the habit. At this great actors, and they make amazing films. I want to be able point you will have crossed that very definite line between to watch them with other people, not just with the cardboard guilty pleasures and pleasures punishable by law.

What I’m really suggesting is to not feel so guilty about cutout of the twins that I have in my bedroom. And don’t judge that either. these little pleasures. Take your time. Don’t try to reveal Maybe I do have every season of “Laguna Beach” on DVD, everything at once. and maybe I do watch them all twice a week. But maybe I Will you get laughed at, humiliated or shunned? Perhaps. don’t, and why should it matter?

But at least you can go home and finish your soap opera marSo I propose a movement. Everyone reveal your guilty athon.

“

11

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

editorial

Squall THE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

Austin Shapiro MANAGING EDITOR:

Scott Crompton

EDITORS DESIGN: Candice Wiesner FEATURES: Katie Johnson ENTERTAINMENT: Ryan Aliapolious NEWS: Heather Siller OPINIONS: David Pisano PHOTO: Jeff Leonard SPORTS: Charlie Pettit COPY: Maria Brundage & Michelle Chirby

MANAGERS ADVERTISMENT: Lisa Richie &

Caitlin Henderson

STAFF WRITERS Ryan Aliapoulios, David Bays, Kyle Boren, Kevin Butler, Shantal Daratony, Alex Everard, Leah Gibson, Matthew Kaas, Pat Ledwidge, Ian McCarthy, Kurt Miller, Brent Muse, Morgan Quist, Joe Sayre, Olivia Scheffler, Kaitlyn Shepard, Alexis Sobczak, Karly Stanislovaitis, Allison Sutter, Kevin Yarows ADVISER:

Rod Satterthwaite POLICY:

The Squall is distributed monthly to 1,083 students and is estimated to reach 4,332 people with each issue. The Squall is printed

by Morning Star Publishing in Mt. Pleasant, MI, and produced by the first and second 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.

the all SQUALL call:

cartoon by Nora Green

Disordered start hurts students Crowded classes, half-empty schedules and widespread confusion followed the new school year with zeal. Many students arrived at the high school without their schedules or any idea of what would happen on their first day.

Compounding the confusion, new teachers are still being hired and new “classrooms” have been created from such rooms as the teacher lounge. To further the disorganization, the schoolʼs water supply still isnʼt drinkable.

We would have liked to see administrators take more time to organize the start of the school year including the mailing out of schedules to students before the year began.

In previous years all students received a package in the mail containing information about classes, locker codes, dates for schedule changes and general

topics of the upcoming year. However, no such package was delivered in August, and counselors spent more than two weeks rescheduling- a direct result of this poor preparation.

The administration did have a quite a bit on their plates over the summer including the hefty task of making room for many new students (approximately 80). In addition, their original efforts to fix the water system did not improve the situation. The copper continued to leak from the pipes into the water making it unfit to drink.

Another difficulty arose from the transition between the old and new curriculums now required for all the incoming freshmen and the teachers who needed to be hired to follow it. However, nearly all of these setbacks could have been foreseen (except for maybe

the water system).

Dexterʼs population has been steadily increasing leading to more new students every year. Even more this year should not have been surprising. The new curriculum was passed over a year ago and schedules were started before the summer even began.

We think administrators should have used their time more efficiently during the last school year to prepare for the current one.

Packets should have been mailed out containing important information to students near the end of the summer vacation to inform them of any problems that they might face; better communication to the students about the various setbacks would have been appreciated as well. Hindsight may be 20/20 but foresight shouldnʼt need a prescription.

PRO/CON Earlier start not so bad Karly Stanislovaitis staff writer

There it is. The sound of the demon alarm clock that wakes you up every morning.

For all you demon-possessed alarm clock owners, there was bad news starting Sept. 4.

That demon will be going off a little sooner this school year because school starts five minutes earlier.

Before you blame DHS administrators for this change, Principal Kit Moran wants to assure students that the change was not his idea. “(The start time) was a decision that was made by the transportation department,” Moran said.

“They basically said we need to have you out five minutes early, and because the Transportation Department has control over a few

thousand kids a day, we had to say OK.” Those of you who drive to school will be affected the least.

If you ride the bus, the start time may affect you, in terms of bus times, but those effects will be minimal.

This change could be a good thing. It teaches you how to manage your time wisely if it is cut into, and it teaches you how to get where you need to go and do what you need to do in a reasonable time.

According to Moran, most of the benefits have to do with athletes.

“If you play sports, you get five more minutes of practice, so thatʼs a little bit of a benefit,” he said.

There is also benefit for students who have to get to work after school.

If you donʼt mind it, that part of your day will potentially not affect you. Next time you hear that demon alarm clock go off, remember, itʼs not so bad.

There are lots of benefits, especially for athletes and those who have jobs.

Early start detrimental For a lot of kids getting up for school is the worst part of their day.

For them the earlier they get up the worse it is. With class this year starting five minutes earlier, getting up for school will become that much harder.

Besides the obvious effect of having to wake five min-

utes

earlier, starting school five minutes sooner may have an effect on student performance in school.

Research in the 1990ʼs showed that teenagers are biologically prone to going to sleep late at night and waking up later in the morning, which contradicts how most public high schools are scheduled now.

Studies have shown that teenage kids are better off waking up early and going to bed later.

Even though five minutes may not make much of a difference it all adds up.

Three years ago Dexter High School started at 7:50 and now it starts at 7:35.

According to the National Sleep Foundation 60 percent of teens under 18 complain of being tired and 15 percent of teens say they sleep in class.

A study done by Dr. Kayla Wahlstrom at the University of Minnesota on the MInneapolis school district

showed the effect pushing back school hours when they moved back their school start times from 7:15 to 8:40.

Grades as well as attendance went up at the school as a result.

According to the study problems such as depression, tardiness, poor grades and obesity can be linked to sleep deprivation.

Teen sleep problems were brought to light in congress in 2003 when Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced a congressional resolution to encourage public schools to start no earlier than 8:30 by granting $25,000 to each school.

For teens, getting up earlier for school can be detrimental to their grades and health.

If anything high schools should be pushing their start times later.

Anytime school starts earlier its a step in the wrong direction.

By Joe Sayre

12

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Squall

photostory

Left: The marching band participates in the homecoming parade. The parade looped through all of the schools and through town before ending back at DHS.

Right: Senior Emily Everard works on pomping the senior float. The senior’s “Scrubs” float took second place in the parade.

Below: Sophomore Gabe Altomare paints the sophomore sign. Altomore said, “We had just enough dedicated people to get the float done.”

Below: The senior court rides on their second place “Scrubs” float. The court included King Brad Wiliams and Queen Bekah Williamson.

“Hanging out on the float with everyone was the best time,” Williamson said.

Junior class adviser Ryan.

Baese and English teacher Zach Lindke cut wood for the junior float. “I was living the dream,” said Lindke of helping with float building.

Students line the sidewalk after school to watch the parade go by.

Parade

Float Building Right: Drum major and senior Andrew Monson stands at attention. “Our performance was solid, we’ve been getting some good vibes this year," he said.

Senior Michelle Chirby leades the varsity dance team during pregame ceremonies. Chirby said the dance team practices three times per week and generally works on two dances at a time.

Below: Fotball player and senior Adam Umstead had two kick returns in the game, one to the Tecumseh 30 yard line and the other for a TD.

Homecoming all photos by Jeff Leonard

The kickoff of spirit week was Sept. 16 and ending with the dance on Sept. 22.

During homecoming week, students worked on floats for the parade, and showed up to support their Dreadnaughts as they took on Tecumseh in football.

Many students said they love getting involved during homecoming week, “Its really exciting for students. You have the football game, the dance.

It’s just all fun,” sophomore Alex Dobbs said.

The theme for the floats this year was TV Shows.

The seniors went with “Scrubs,” the juniors had “Legends of the Hidden Temple,” sophomores got “Survivor,” and the freshman went with “Pokemon.”

Football players played the homecoming game at Al Ritt Field in front of a lively crowd of students and parents. The end result was a 38-21 loss.

The week ended with a commons area packed with students at the Homecoming Dance. photo illustration by Jeff Leonard

Court

Dance

Right: Seniors Brad Williams and Bekah Williamson stand together after being announced as king and queen.

Below: The court lines up at the pep assembly as they are announced to the student body.

A group of seniors gather for a quick picture at the dance.

Seniors Chris Marsh with Shantal Daratony celebrate with friends.

Senior Kaitlin Herring enjoys a slow dance with boyfriend and 2007 graduate Ben Neubauer.