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May 2, 2008 - Volume XVIII - Issue 8 - Dexter

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

Amid war students find voice While death toll rises, student protests grow louder

change.

Dexter Students for Peace and Activism was created several months ago with hopes of uniting the students of DHS who want to make a difference toward peace and progress.

The club’s first event was a peace march on Ann Arbor’s

IR

The

takes you to

Squall

Fighting for Peace: Raising his fist in the air, junior Pat Ledwidge exercises his right to protest. Below are other Dexter students who participated

A lot can happen in the course of five years. Most students can earn a college degree. A couple can start a family. A half-decade can render many important happenings.

In the five years since the Iraq War began, however, it is hard for most to find any good amongst all that has occurred.

There have been more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed, as well as thousands more Iraqi citizens.

Iraq’s civil war is as violent and unforgiving as ever.

A hefty trillion dollar tab has been racked up to be paid in full, one way or another, by our generation.

Perhaps the only good that has come from our military involvement overseas is the rediscovery of our nation’s sociopolitical pulse. The growing trend in youth participation at DHS reflects a greater movement that is happening nationwide.

An unprecedented number of young people are participating in the 2008 presidential campaigns, and protests and demonstrations are occurring all over America. Young people want

Federal Building where they united with other protesters and displayed their frustration and anger with the Iraq War. Around 15 Dexter students gathered with members of Michigan Peaceworks and marched for several blocks until they reached their destination. Once there, they all laid down in the street, some wearing white shirts with fake blood on them, others holding signs denouncing military involvement.

The demonstration sent a powerful message to pedestrians and helped show just how much faith and trust the American people have lost in their government to make the right choice.

Once they reached the building, protesters listened to speakers and even a few musicians. A casket was placed on the steps to represent all the soldiers and civilians who lost their lives.

Peace Club isn’t only about speaking against the Iraq War, however. Each month the club picks a new theme they feel is important, then try to spread awareness and help the chosen cause as must as possible.

Since March was the five year anniversary of the war, it was fitting to speak out and join Michigan Peaceworks in the protest. For Peace Club, the month of April brings with it the issue of Genocide in Darfur and how to raise awareness.

Peace Club strives to unite Dexter students, and people in general, towards creating a more peaceful world.

Something is happening in America, out of the ashes the Iraq War has created comes a revitalized youth ready to make their voice heard.

5 Q

Photos by Leah Gibson and photo illustration by Candice Wiesner

years later

An analysis piece by Alex Everard staff writer

Dexter feels effects of war Katie Johnson features editor

With the five-year anniversary of the Iraq War, many are left with unanswered questions. For some, the war has become a distant reality when they can only turn on the TV and see glimpses of a car bombing. But for Valerie Alford, Corporal Benjamin Howison and sophomore Elena Lundy, these stories of the war hit closer to home.

“When our first son told my husband and me that he wanted to enlist in the Marine Corps, we were surprised because neither of us comes from a military family,” Alford said in an e-mail interview. “We simply didn’t know that much about it. But we supported him after seeing that he was serious about wanting to step up to the plate and serve his country in his generation. He was out of high school for a couple of years when he made the decision. I think it would have been harder for me to release an 18-year-old than a 20-year-old. A great deal of psychological maturity happens in the years following high school.”

Alford currently has two sons in the military, one who is a corporal in the Marine Corps and the other a sergeant in the Marine Corps. “The first (oldest) son is about to deploy for the third time, destination unknown to us at the moment,” she said. “He has not been to Iraq before, however. The second son is currently in Iraq for the second time.”

Sophomore Elena Lundy is in a situation similar.

Her father is stationed in Kalsu, where he is in military intelligence. “He sees if there is any potential threat and tells command officer anything that happened overnight,” she said. “He left for Iraq May of 2007. He has been accepted to officer candidacy school, so he should be back in four weeks.”

When her father first left for Iraq, Lundy said it was no big deal and that it didn’t become a reality until her father was wounded. “A rocket blew up in his camp, and he got a shrapnel in the back of his leg,” she said. “He got a Purple Heart and that’s when it became a reality for us.”

Lundy also said she is able to remain in contact with her father. “We can e-mail while he’s on shift, and he can call every two weeks or so,” she said. “A lot of times it’s hard to get a line because every soldier wants to talk to their family, and a lot of the time there are blackouts, so they can’t call.”

Alford, however, deals with her sons’ absence in different ways. “I exercise, stay focused on daily tasks, stay in touch with people, in this case partic-

ularly some other military moms I know, and pray regularly for my sons,” she said. “I also stay in touch with their wives, as each of them is married. The son who is in Iraq has occasional Internet access. This is a wonderful way for him to stay in touch with his wife.”

Still, Alford says that she prefers to contact her son in ways other than e-mail. “I prefer to send him snail mail,” she said. “He says there is nothing quite like getting a letter that you can touch.”

For Lundy, support comes in the form of a group at her father’s base in Georgia. “Sometimes they give out picture books to the young kids to show them,” she said. “They’ve been a big help because I have an 8 -year-old brother and 6-year-old brother.”

She also said her father being in Iraq has been eye opening and educational. “We know a lot more about the war,” she said. “What you see in the news is the worst part of it. It’s not what’s going on all the time. You only see the killing and the insurgents trying to put bombs but most is reconstruction so they can protect.”

Still, Lundy worries about how others see the war.

“The new Peace Club, I’m all for it,” she said. “But when they get on the subject of the war, they say what they knew, not what is going on now. They sometimes don’t understand because they only see what the news shows them.”

Even with her son in Iraq, Alford said she hopes her view of the war hasn’t changed. “As we are over there now, I feel it would be foolhardy and a danger to national security to change our minds and come home before securing a measure of stability with the situation,” she said.

Although Alford and Lundy have family members in Iraq, Corporal Benjamin Howison, a 2003 Dexter graduate, knows what it is like first hand.

“I was in Iraq two different times,” he said in an email interview. “My most recent time in Iraq I was a vehicle commander with a convoy security element.”

Howison was in Iraq for 13 months, and the decision to become a Marine was simple for him. “I have great pride in America,” he said. “I feel that I need to do my part to help defend this nation and ensure that we continue to have the freedoms that everyone deserves.”

He also said he knows the people of Iraq need help. “Since spending time in Iraq, I have seen firsthand how a small village can change just in a few months,” he said. “One of the villages in our area was a hot spot for insurgent activity. After helping set

up an Iraqi Police station in that village, things started to quickly turn around. The people in that village were less afraid every day.”

But he said the mindset in Iraq is much different than in America. “Most Americans do not realize that this is a life-time • Lundy war,” he said. “The people in Iraq have grown up under a dictator. They were oppressed under Saddam. It is very hard to have them understand that democracy is much better and their children will have a better life because of it.”

Although Howison feels that the war benefits Iraqis, Thomas Fluent, father of senior Natalie Fluent, said the war inevitably takes its toll on soldiers.

“I would say that many of the individuals we saw were struggling with issues related to separation from family and home,” he said in an e-mail interview. “It is difficult to be so far away and have bad things happen at home and then be helpless to do anything about it.”

Fluent, a commander in the Navy and a specialized doctor in psychiatry, said that many of the patients he treated at Landstuhl, a hospital in Germany that treats all casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan, suffered from mental health problems. “There are many mental health providers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan with the troops and so many people are seen there and never leave the theater of operations,” he said. “So most of the folks that we saw in Germany were not doing very well. Many would have been experiencing thoughts of suicide or homicide or had become unable to perform their jobs in a safe and effective way.”

“Others struggled with experiences related to combat or seeing, hearing (or) smelling extremely upsetting things and still others simply had the onset of a major mental illness like bipolar disorder or schizophrenic and just happen to be in the military at the time,” he said. “For many folks it was the combination of very stressful circumstances and being so far from home in a strange and not very friendly place.”

Still, Howison has hope for the future of the war and the soldiers. “This is a life long war. There will be no measurable Victory Day in the near future,” he said. “The war is won with one Iraqi at a time. We need to continue to flush out the resistance and help out the innocent.”

Dexter Graduate killed in Iraq

David Pisano opinions editor

Staff Sergeant Michael Elledge, a 1985 Dexter High School graduate, was killed in Iraq on March 17.

An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated close to the vehicle he was riding in, killing Elledge and a 23-year-old comrade from Virginia.

Elledge, 41, had served in the Marine Corps for four years following high school before becoming an aircraft mechanic. Moving a few times, Elledge eventually felt some direct effects of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

He was laid off when United Airlines started downsizing following the attacks. He worked for some time as an auto mechanic before deciding he must do his part to serve the country.

He attempted to enlist with the Marines once again but was unable to because of his age. Persistent on serving, however, he decided instead to enlist in the Army, beginning his first tour in late 2005.

Although his wife and three children live in Colorado, where Elledge was based, he still has family in this area. Hundreds attended a memorial service that was held in Brighton to honor the fallen soldier.

Elledge was deeply religious, friends say, and he was prepared to pay to the ultimate price for the sake of his country.

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Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall Chelsea High School's paper not offered next year

news

Some students say administrative censorship leads to decline, principal says minimum enrollment number is 20

Maria Brundage copy editor

Administrative Perspectives

Dear Readers, We are sorry to announce that this opinion article by Health Editor Ari Gaiski has been censored by the CHS administration. Because of printing deadlines, this space is empty. We hope to print it at a later time, and apologize for the disappointment.

Mead said he began prior-reviewing to prevent future problems like the three he found in that issue. “First was an article about the football team and he police,” he said. “The reporter did not do her homework because she never even attempted to interview the police.

“Second was (an article about) elections to extend the bond issue and the superintendent was Sincerely, quoted throughout the article but had never been interviewed so it must have been fabricated or plaThe Bleu Print Staff giarized.

“Third was a cutie article with inappropriate stuThere was half a page of blank space in The Bleu Print, Chelsea High School’s student newspaper in dent commentary - all sorts of sexual innuendoes March 2007 where then-junior Arielle Gaiski’s ar- and swearing.”

Mead said the Bleu Print is a function of the ticle should have been. This year, any blank pages and the paper cannot print. Next year, there may be school’s curriculum, and as such should be consistent with it. This includes not including things like no pages at all. articles promoting illegal activity, reviews of R-rated movies and news stories with opinUltimately A year ago, CHS senior Ariion and factual inaccuracies. everything that elle Gaiski watched the half“Ninety percent of feedback time show at the Dexter-Chelhas been not citing sources, happens in any sea basketball game. And was and inaccuracies,” he said. (high school) is Mead has also requested shocked by the Dexter dance the principal’s team’s performance. “I perthat articles be changed. For responsibility.” sonally thought it was, to put example, he put his foot down it lightly, inappropriate and when the staff wanted to interdistasteful,” she said. “What view pregnant students for an - Ron Mead, I saw, as well as many otharticle about teen pregnancy.

CHS principal “Mead said that was fine, as ers, was a lot of dry humping motions and sexually explicit long as we got permission from dance moves being performed the girls and their parents,” CHS senior and current editor-in-chief Phoebe Coin front of hundreds of people.”

She didn’t just let it lie, however. A member of nybeare said. “The girls agreed, but their parents The Bleu Print, she wrote about it in her monthly refused, so we stuck with just an informational articolumn. She said, “And so the content of my article cle on why more girls are getting pregnant that they went on to explain how grotesque I considered the used to. Although our article had nothing directly scene to be and made my point that it was out of to do with the use of birth control, Mead forced us hand, especially when presented in front of a whole to include a fact box on the cons of birth control, community: old people, parents and children alike. which was pretty random for the article to have. He “I tried my best to write the article as a pure hu- used editorial strength that I should have as editor, mor and opinion piece, which it was, but included not him. He took my job away.”

Mead stands by his decision, though. “Teaching a statement along the lines of, ‘I am proud that our school has more class,’ or something to that extent. contraception is part of our curriculum and doing It wasn’t a direct stab, but it was aimed at fellow so only when teaching disadvantages, as such the paper needs to be consistent with the adopted curpeers to get a good laugh out of them.”

Unfortunately for Gaiski, The Bleu Print was riculum,” he said. “These girls are minors, and it is (and is still) under prior review, a policy under not appropriate to single them out in a public paper which school administrators read the newspaper without parent approval. I would be fine if the edibefore it goes to print and make changes to it they tor would make these type of decisions but am not sure any 17-year-old understands the consequences deem necessary.

And Gaiski’s column did not pass inspection. of decisions in sensitive areas like this. Ultimately “When my editor received the directives from the everything that happens in any (high school) is the administration, my page/article had sections of principal’s responsibility.”

That extends to editorial decisions as well. “Since highlighter throughout the piece,” she said. “The parts they highlighted were directed to be taken it’s not happening (with the adviser and editor) it’s out of the article, but everything else was fine. Of become my responsibility,” he said.

DHS principal Kit Moran knows how Mead feels course, they conveniently picked through every bit that made my article. So I said I would rather not but has a different philosophy regarding school include the article at all if it meant that I would not newspapers. “We differ on the subject,” he said.

“I’m a history major by training and I really bebe allowed to keep the original as is.” lieve in the Bill of Rights. I really believe in a free press.”

He said he also sees the paper as an educational Prior review is a relatively new policy at Chel- process but in a different way than Mead. “If we do sea. It began last year with the October issue and our job right, we model what goes on in the real an article investigating athletes given preferential world, and prior review doesn’t exist out there,” he treatment by the Chelsea police, written by 2007 said.

When Moran gets a complaint about The Squall, graduate and then-editor-in-chief Joy Wilke. “The paper was delivered to the office rather than the he refers it to adviser Rod Satterthwaite and the journalism room two days early,” English teacher student staff. “I say it’s a student paper,” he said. “If and Bleu Print adviser Phil Jones said. “(Former it’s great, it’s their paper. If it’s crummy, it’s their DHS assistant principal Patrick) Little grabbed a paper.”

And he has no desire to change that. He said, “I copy and looked through for whatever reason. He then took it to Mr. Mead, questioning the article. read it front-to-back just in case, but I don’t want to (CHS principal Ron) Mead said the paper couldn’t see it ahead of time.” be distributed.”

Mead immediately began to censor the paper.

“He told us that we had to physically cut the article out of every copy,” Wilke said. “Since then, he’s Jones thinks in line with Moran. “My philosophy forced us to submit a copy of every issue to the ad- has always been the students run the paper, he said. ministration to review it before we send it to print. “After I teach the journalistic things, then I sit back Anything they don’t like, we have to take out.” and advise, which is what I see my role as. There’s This policy hit home for Gaiski when her article a reason why I have an editor. (Mead) is going became back with changes. “There is no doubt the yond what I believe I should be doing and doing whole staff as well as Mr. Jones disagreed with the what the editor should be doing.” directive,” she said. “My article was a well-written Jones said has also watched the censorship take opinion with a lot to back up my accusations. It was its toll on the class. “If you are writing in face of cennews (that) I thought I wasn’t alone on being con- sorship it puts you in a horrible position,” he said. cerned or bothered about.” “(Students) don’t take a chance to research and go through the process (of writing an article) and have

Finding a story

“

Editing the story

An Adviser’s Philosophy

the principal say, ‘No, you can’t print that.”

Conybeare agrees. “It’s to the point where we don’t brainstorm anything controversial because we know it will be censored.”

Gaiski also said censorship has defeated the purpose of a student paper. “It made it so the paper isn’t seen as a high school paper,” she said. “It is a community paper. If they want a community paper and they feel like trying to censor what their children see then they can talk to the Chelsea Standard. It is the Bleu Print’s job to deliver news to our peers. But the censorship won’t let us do that. It’s as if we barely have any part in what is printed.”

Fighting for the story

TV,” Jones said. “We had no backup for that, so we scrapped the entire issue in anger.”

However, Jones said a lot of the anger from last year has been diffused. “Last year the kids walked out frustrated,” he said. :There hasn’t been that feeling of misery this year that there was last year.”

For example, CHS junior Jessica Tchoryk said they had to deal with the censorship as a reality, adding, “It’s better not to dwell on it and ... get ideas that are appropriate and still worthwhile.”

The end of the story?

Next year, however, the staff may not have

When Mead first started to prior review, the staff time to dwell on anything. “The production writfought back. “We did a lot to spread the word that ing (newspaper) class is not going to run this we were being censored,” Gaiski said. “We made T- year because there was not enough enrollment to shirts that had the First Amendment on the back justify running the class,” Mead said. “Basically and said, ‘CHS censors students’ on the front. We the line for running a class is 20 kids in a class.” sold them, gave them away and talked as much CHS junior Annika Scheweibert agreed, but about the issue as we could whenever possible.” also thinks journalism is an important class to None of this was successful, Wilke said, adding, keep. “A lot of it really was money is tight and “We had students sign a petition against censorship they couldn’t pay for it,” she said. “They can’t that the administration ignored. We met with the give us the money because we don’t have the superintendent, but he sided with Mead. Nothing kids, But our class has always been under 20 and worked. We were stuck.” we function really well.”

Wilke even had an American Civil Liberties However, Conybeare said there may be a link Union (ACLU) representative accompany her to the between censorship and the dropping numbers. meeting with Superintendent David Killips. “But “Students don’t want to be in a class with conjust having the backing of the ACLU wasn’t enough troversy - and not the good kind of controversy,” to convince the administration to back down,” she she said. “It’s the kind that hinders student from said. “(And) a lawsuit would take years to resolve. that they want to do and create -- its frustratThat’s not the kind of thing I wanted to get into ing. My underclassmen friends were like, I don’t right before leaving for college.” want to be on the paper. You’re censored, what Conybeare remembers the disheartening effect can you even write about?” this had. “There was a lot of anger because of that, Regardless of the reason for a reduced class and every issue Joy seemed to come back in tears size, Scheweibert and Tchoryk are trying to get from getting the paper from Mead after we had sent the class to function as an independent study next it to be prior reviewed,” she said. “There wasn’t a year. “We sent letters to all the people signed up lot we could do, short of challenging Hazelwood and a few extra people,” Tchoryk said. “We got (a 1989 US Supreme Court decision which made it them all to sign up for independent study. We’re legal to censor student newspapers under limited going to come together and do it the same as it circumstances), which could is now.” take years.”

Another possibility is runWilke said the failure to ning the paper as an extrastop prior review affected mocurricular activity, accordI say it’s a student rale on staff. “It became ining to Jones, but he is not paper. If it’s great, credibly frustrating because we thrilled with the idea. “Just never knew what was going to imagine every single day afit’s their paper. If be censored,” she said. “Some ter school everyone sticking it’s crummy, it’s things completely took us by around for an hour,” he said. their paper” surprise. As editor, it was ex“it didn’t appeal.” tremely frustrating not to have Mead also said it wouldn’t - Kit Moran, control over the content; I felt be an ideal situation, but he as though I was sharing my job hopes it can continue outside DHS principal with Mr. Mead.” of class. “If it doesn’t work She also said this sharing out as an extracurricular I’m creates unnecessary stress for the staff, adding, disappointed because the school should have a “Prior review produces a lower quality product newspaper,” he said. because it causes students to be disheartened and Jones does think the independent study idea frustrated.” has promise. “You see how independent they

“

The story now Conybeare said prior review also hurts the quality of the newspaper due to time constraints.

We have to give him 72 hours of turnaround,” she said. “It’s hard to get a solid issue out in two weeks.”

Mead disagreed that this puts undue stress on the paper. “The 72 hour ... rule is just a practical reality as all of us administrators have a lot to do and there are times when this can not be a top priority. With few exceptions the reality is this - we get the paper close to final form on a Friday afternoon and have our feedback to them before their fourth hour class on Monday morning. When they submit changes, the usual turn around on these is within a few hours. Yes, there are exceptions but very few. So in spite of the rule, we are really taking about a day.”

When Gaiski’s article was pulled, the Bleu Print ran half a blank page with a note to readers indicating the article had been censored. But this year, Mead has said the paper cannot print if there are blank pages. “I think this is just an effort to overly draw attention to the removal of work. Also, we had been told that there were always back-up articles at the time which apparently was not true.”

The lack of back-up articles caused one issue to not print. “In October of this year, we had an R-rated movie review, for which we had a backup movie review, and there was an article describing a TV ad that was pulled from TV and he said we couldn’t print it because it was pulled from

are, he said. “I’m not looking over their shoulders. It might work fairly well as an independent study.”

He did confess that he almost did not want the newspaper run next year. “I wanted the school and students to feel the hurt,” he said. “So the following year we could bring it back and have support for it.”

To be continued Regardless of how the class functions next year, the future looks different for the paper, according to Conybeare. “Next year, although The Bleu Print will be produced by an independent study class instead of a regular elective, the younger students are lucky,” she said. “Mead will be leaving and our new principal, Julie Deppner, has stated that she will not prior review the paper.”

That still doesn’t make the censorship happening now OK, according to Conybeare. “Although Hazelwood made it constitutional to censor high schools, it doesn’t make it any less of an infringement on a student’s First Amendment right, she said. “Quieting the youth only makes us angrier and forces us to get louder.”

And this quieting hit home for Gaiski. “I feel still that I was wronged by the administration and that if there is any justice in the school system, you would have to think it comes in the form of freedom of speech,” she said. “I joined the paper to bring up issues students wanted to hear about. Not to sit in the back seat while the administration does my job for me.”

Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall

news

3

news

BRIEFS Seniors to take trip to Cedar Point Senior class adviser and science teacher Jessica Kreeger and five other chaperones will take the senior class on a trip to Cedar Point on May 22.

Originally the school wanted the class trip to be during the MME in March, but it soon changed to May because of scheduling difficulties.

“Usually the senior class trip is planned by a motivational speaker, and that is not me,” Kreeger said.

“I am nervous about being in charge of it, but it is all falling into place well.”

Ocean Bowl heads to Alaska Illustration by David Bays

Administration makes up for past observations Joe Sayre staff writer

Students may notice an extra face in the classroom this year as administrators are scrambling to conduct teacher observations that haven’t been done in reccent years.

By teacher contract, teachers have to be observed to by an administrator at least once a year. However, that policy has been ignored for some time.

Over the past few years, constant turnover in the administrative staff has resulted in the evaluation policy taking a back seat. Since 2004 the high school has had three principals, and result the evaluations temporarily lost priority. New teachers are to be observed and evaluated three times a year for the first four years of their career.

After that a teacher will either be fired or receive tenure. Once a teacher receives tenure, they are to be observed once a year for three years. Once the three years period is up, teachers will then be observed once every three years.

“We want to give our teachers critical feedback on their teaching,” Principle Kit Moran said. The evaluations are usually more helpful to the teachers being evaluated than to

the administrators according to Moran.

Scott Dyer is one of those students.

“Ninety-nine percent of the evaluations “They aren’t that big of a deal,” Dyer said. will be glowing,” Moran said.

“I just don’t like having another adult in the Moran said the purpose of the evaluations class. It makes me slightly hesitant to ask is to allow teachers to receive constructive questions. But I understand why they have criticism in regards to their teaching and to to be done.” make sure that the teachers are sticking to Students and staff say they mostly view the curriculum. the observations as a mild nuisance. TeachHowever, not all teachers agree that the ers and students say they are largely unafevaluations are completely useful. English fected by the observations. teacher Jo MuszAcording to Moran, kids kiewicz is not a fan who have been in class while the of the evaluations. teacher is being observed have “I don’t think not suffered any repercussions We want to give that they are necon their report cards. our teachers critical essary,” MuszkieWith a new, more permanent feedback on their wicz said. “I don’t administration this year, the obteaching.” think they reflect servations will become a more everything a teachregular part of the classroom Moer does.” Muszran said.

- Kit Moran, kiewicz has been Until all the observations from Principal teaching in Dexyears past are made up, he added, ter 11 years and expect to see an extra face in the has only had one classroom a little more often. evaluation that she Dyer said, “Hopefully they said she found useful. won’t forget to keep the observations up to Some students also don’t welcome the ex- date in the future. The extra adult in the tra adult in the classroom. They think the classroom is kinda annoying but, you got to added adult presence can be a slight distrac- do what you got to do.” tion while trying to focus and learn. Senior

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Classes sparse for next year Students' course requests far out number the available classes and teachers

Administrators have pushed the pros of trimesters on students and

physical education teacher Angie Scott said. “We can only offer 33 classes because we have two full time teachers and two part time teachers.”

Although some students won’t get the classes they requested, Scott Alexis Sobczak staff writer views this problem in a positive way.

“This is a good problem. We’ve never had this much overflow,” she teachers since the idea to switch was first created. said. “(P.E. classes) are quote unquote “nonacademic” classes and an However, the number of classes offered and chosen by students for opportunity to get in exercise or activity that students wouldn’t get in a next year far exceeds the number of teachers and classrooms available. normal day.”

This situation poses a huge problem for scheduling next year. But Scott said staffing is a problem but it isn’t the whole issue. “We only Principal Kit Moran said scheduling problems occur every year. “There have one gym and one pool. We would need and auxiliary gym (to have are always more requests than can be filled,” Moran said. enough space for all of the classes),” she said. “They will schedule classEven though this problem happens every year it seems to be intensi- es for seniors, juniors, sophomores, and then freshmen. By the end (of fied by the switch to trimesters. The school is offering more class choices high school) every student will get what they want, but they may have to but keeping the same number of teachers. Physical education, art and wait.” life management classes are in high demand.

Counselor Gerry Holmes agrees that there are a lot For example, there are 26 sections of the classes of requests for P.E., art and life management classes. “I Shirley Bitters, Life Management teacher, teaches can confirm however that a huge number of students, requested for next year. In a trimester schedule a particularly the current eighth graders, requested LifeI’m discouraged by the single teacher can teach 12 sections a year, four per time Fitness and Foundations of Art. It is important to fact that we can’t offer as term with one planning hour. note that all of these are elective courses,” she said. many classes as were In order for administrators to accommodate all Holmes also agrees students may have to wait to get requested.” of these requests, they would need to hire another the electives they requested. “I sincerely hope that stuteacher and there still would be two sections that dents chose their alternate courses with extreme care couldn’t happen. because there is a good chance they will be enrolled in - Shirley Bitters, “I’m discouraged by (the fact that we can’t ofsome of them,” she said. “Otherwise, we counselors Life Management teacher fer as many classes as were requested), but I’m also will have to find other electives for them to take, and excited by the numbers,” Bitters said. they may be courses not of their choosing.”

One effect of more choices with the same numThrough all the struggles Holmes said the staff has ber of teachers is that some students will not be able to take the classes made progress in allowing students more options to take the classes they that they signed up for. want and need in high school.

This could cause problems in areas like journalism and art that require “I believe I can speak for everyone involved by saying that we continue prerequisites for advancement. If a student can’t take Foundations of our effort to offer students more options each year and that we strive to Art the year that they planned on taking it, then they may have to wait accommodate all students’ requests,” Holmes said. “But the reality is, another year to take more advanced art classes. only so many teachers and classrooms exist at the present time--giving Another area that has been hit hard with student requests is physi- credence to your topic of concern. Naturally, we will do the best we can cal education. “We had enough students (signed up) to fill 43 classes,” with what we have to work with.”

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The Ocean bowl team and its adviser, science teacher Cheryl Wells, will head to Seward, Alaska for the 2008 National Ocean Science Bowl April 25- 27.

“The team is ready and has been studying hard in the subjects chemistry, physics, technology, marine law, biology, geography and climate of the ocean,” Wells said.

The team won their regional competition, which allowed them to proceed to the national competition. This is the third time Dexter’s ocean bowl team has made it to nationals.

Students stimulated by CSI The Advanced Chemistry class performed a CSI/ murder simulation on Mar. 20.

“The point of this simulation is to give the students an opportunity to use what they learned in class through the year,” Advanced Chemistry teacher Cherry Wells said. “ The students get to use chemical analysis, finger printing, blood analysis, hair and fiber analysis and chromatography to solve the murder case.”

Wells said the class gets into teams of each of the analysis groups and each group contributes what they know to solving the case. Wells said she has used this simulation in her Advanced Chemistry class for the last four years.

Nolan returns after baby English teacher Stephanie Nolan returned from birthing Graham Edward Nolan on April 7.

“It is so good to be back,” Nolan said. “ It is hard to get back into the swing of things, but I’m ready to.”

Although Nolan said it is hard to leave Graham for work, there is one thing that keeps her going, knowing she will have all summer with Graham.

She also said another thing that made coming back to school a smooth transition was the help that her sub, Abby Holland, gave her.

“She was a big help,” Nolan said. “She kept all of my classes up-to-date and on track. The students loved her, and she had a great relationship with the students. It was nice to come back and have zero complaints from my sub or my students.”

Discount card offered through ABCD, TDF Meetings were held between ABCD club and Think Dexter First club to form an alliance in developing the TDF discount card program. The Think Dexter First (TDF) Discount card was developed as part of the campaign to encourage our community to shop in Dexter.

“For every $100 spent at Dexter businesses, $25 more of the money spent, stays in the community compared to shopping at chain stores,” Shawn Letwin, ABCD member, said. Approximately 100 local businesses have joined the program at no charge. The discounts offered with the card include retailers, restaurants and other businesses throughout Dexter.

“ABCD is selling the TDF discount card to teams, clubs, groups and organizations to raise $15 per card sold to ABCD. Teams, clubs, groups and organizations can also sell the card as their own fundraiser and raise $5 per card sold and ABCD retains $10s,” Letwin said. The TDF card will be launched and available for all groups to sell on May 1, 2008.

District to hire energy czar During the week of April 13, final interviews were conducted for the position of Energy Coordinator, known informally by other districts as “the energy czar.”

“An energy coordinator would be hired, part time, to assess our buildings and mechanical equipment and work with district staff, students and parents,” assistant superintendent Mary Marshall said in an email.

According to the Energy Coordinator job description, similar energy programs in school districts have achieved savings exceeding 25 percent.

4

Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall

feature

Scotts balance school and relationship Kevin Yarows staff writer

In February of 2003 physical education teacher Angie Black went to the copy room expecting to make copies like she’d done many times before. But leaving the room, she came out with more than just copies. She had a date with math teacher Dewey Scott. A date which ultimately lead to their marriage a year and a half later.

For their first date, the couple went to Knight’s Steakhouse and a comedy club in Ann Arbor. Their first date went so well, both said they couldn’t wait to see the other again. They went out again the following night to the movies.

“From our first date everything clicked,” Dewey said. “Everything was going right. It just felt good.”

Things went so well, in fact, that about a year after their first date, Dewey took Angie to a Josh Groban concert. While at the concert, he proposed to her, and she accepted.

That August they got married, and now DHS has two Scotts.

They started dating when Dewey was in his sixth year working with the school, and they have been together ever since. Having worked at DHS before their relationship began, Dewey says his job is not much different now than before. “We don’t necessarily see each other a lot,” he said. “We’ll probably talk about once

a day.”

Although they work together, they leave home at different times in the morning, and they return at different times in the afternoon due to different schedules on any given day, Angie said. Angie said she also doesn’t believe there are many benefits to working together during the school day, but outside of school is where they can feel the effects. “I would say the biggest advantage to working together is that we have all of the same breaks,” she said.

The breaks allow time for vacations with the Scott’s two children Jordan, 10, and Jared, 8.

The two kids are from Dewey’s previous marriage.

Dewey said he also sees having the same breaks as a major advantage of working together, but also believes it makes day-to-day life easier.

“It’s nice at home because when we talk about work, we can easily relate to each other,” he said. “We have the same coworkers and students, so if we’re talking about how a student’s doing, we both understand, as opposed to if we had different jobs we wouldn’t be able to relate on the same level.”

Outside of school the Scotts enjoy a very active lifestyle that includes sports from basketball to bike riding to badminton. The Scotts will play just about any sport and enjoy playing with their two sons.

Angie said she and Dewey are both naturally active people, but being married they help

motivate each other to stay active. “I could be sitting on the couch watching TV and (Dewey) will come up to me and just be like, ‘Come on let’s go for a bike ride or something,’” Angie said.

“It definitely makes thing easier when you have somebody who constantly wants to get up and do things.”

In addition to playing recreational sports, the Scotts also enjoy playing in a golf Dewey and Angie Scott league at Pine View golf course during the summer. In addition to the golf league the Scotts play about three times a week during the summer, Angie said.

Angie began golfing about seven years ago and credits her beginning to Dewey. “I always thought golf was one of those things you had to start when you were really young,” Angie said. “Dewey was the one who really got me going.”

Another benefit to maintaining an active lifestyle is getting to spend more quality time with their two sons, Angie said. Both of their sons play golf along with other sports including basketball, soccer and football.

“I’m naturally a very active person being a P.E. teacher,” Angie said. “We really like to do a variety of activities with our kids, just spending time with them is great.”

Forensics team goes to states the Dexter tournament, second at Portage Matt Kaas staff writer Northern, first at Walled Lake Western and first at districts. She hopes to carry her success into the state tournament. Ariyavatkul said, Many people would rather die than speak “My favorite time is seeing my friends from in public, but for the forensics team public other schools like Corinne Wee from Andover, speaking is their favorite thing to do. The and Riva Shah from Portage Northern.” captains of the team are seniors Rachel Magyar also went to the state tournament Ariyavatkul and Nathan Magyar both of whom two years ago where he placed 8th in the event went to states last year. Another person to prose. He went to states last year too where go to states last year was he placed fifth. Magyar junior Jasmine Injejikian. said, “I use forensics to Ariyavatkul said, “We master my speaking skills have done well throughout because I will use them I use forensics to the season, and I hope we later in life.” master my speaking can take it into the state Magyar has placed tournament.” second at the Dexter skills because I will Ariyavatkul competes in tournament and first at use them later in the event Oratory which is districts.

Magyar really life.” a form of public address likes forensics.

“My where you give a speech favorite time was at states about a topic facing the last year just hanging out -Nathan Magyar, world today. with the team and when we senior Magyar competes in hung outside it was really interpretation in the event fun,” he said. prose where the speaker Injejikian only being a takes a story from a book and edits it to fit junior this year went to states last year for the into a 10 minute performance. first time where she placed 13th. Injejikian Injejikian competes in the public address said, “Broadcasting is so much fun, you get to event broadcasting where the speaker takes act like you’re on CNN.” a recent news packet and gives a five minute Injejikian has placed 13th at Troy Athens, speech as if they were a broadcaster for a seventh at Dexter, seventh at Portage major newscast.

Northern, seventh at Walled Lake Western Ariyavatkul has gone to the state and first at districts. “I really love forensics,” tournament for the last two years. Her first she said. year she competed in oratory 9/10 where it’s The forensics team is taking 10 people only freshman and sophomores competing. to states this year and hopes to do really She placed first, and last year competing in well. Ariyavtkul said, “With so many seniors regular oratory she placed 12th. This year leaving last year, I didn’t know if we would she said she hopes to do even better at the have a good team, but we have a lot of new state tournament. talent this year, and the team turned out So far Ariyavatkul has placed first at really well.”

“

GLOW club faces adversity “Many of them have in the past, whether they realized it was the Day of Silence or not. But that’s what teaching is all about--making sure that every kid gets a chance to learn in The hallways are usually filled with the loud chatter of a safe, accepting environment.”

This desire is what draws the GLOW members together. students, the noise of lockers slamming shut and telephones “They are looking for a feeling of safe community, of comfort, buzzing. But once a year, DHS becomes a little quieter.

On April 24, the Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever (GLOW) of no judgment,” Scott said. “Just a welcoming group where organization encouraged students to participate in the they can get together and there’s no prejudice.”

“I feel like for the most part people are getting better at annual Day of Silence. Their goal: to raise awareness about the discrimination and harassment that lesbian, gay, being open-minded,” Kruzel said. “But there are still many people who don’t accept it and are bisexual and transgender people very open about not accepting it. A face in everyday life. lot of guys aren’t afraid to call me a Sophomores Jeanette Ganz Don’t get f-----.” and Caleb Kruzel, GLOW coyourselves sucked Ganz has had similar presidents, said the Day of Silence experiences.

“My mom is gay, participants have received mixed into the fight. and I had a lot of people treat me responses from the student body.

They’re trying to do differently because of it,” she said.

“You always have people who give what we’re trying “I wanted to be part of the solution, you crap,” Ganz said. “Or they try to not to do.” to get people to understand that it’s intimidate you into talking or make -Angie Scott, not that big of a deal, to be part of fun of you.” something that really matters.”

Kruzel said that even the P.E. teacher Scott stresses that even though participants’ black clothing has a lot of people think that GLOW is been targeted by students who disagree with them. “Last year, there were people wearing a dating service for gay people, it’s not like that at all.

“It’s a group of allies--they’re advocating for lack of all white,” he said. “It wasn’t as successful as it could have been, and I think this was because of other people, not just discrimination, whether it’s discrimination based on race or sexual orientation,” she said. “It’s a place for people the people participating.”

Physical education teacher and GLOW adviser Angie to say that this isn’t right. And it isn’t just at DHS--it’s Scott said that the Day of Silence participants deal with international.”

And Ganz believes that the community still has a long these situations very well.

After one of these occasions, she said, “Ten of us sat and way to go before this discrimination will be completely talked about it. I told them, ‘Don’t get yourselves sucked eliminated.

“The school accepts the LGBT community simply into the fight. They’re trying to do what we’re trying not to do--put barriers between people, wedges between because they have to, but students either don’t accept it or don’t want to be associated with it,” she said. “People don’t people.’”

Still, the group hoped to receive a good turnout--from seem to realize that gay rights doesn’t have anything to do teachers as well as students. “I’ll be wearing black that day, with politics, anything to do with religion ... it has everything and I will ask other teachers to do the same,” Scott said. to do with equality.”

Cassandra Hall staff writer

“

Parents prepare for prom Ally Sutter staff writer

with prom for a few years. As head of the prom food, Muse looks for support from the community. “We get a budget to work with, Prom, which takes place on Saturday, started behind the scenes and our group of about seven or eight people comes together and on the first day of the new year, and it takes far more work than decides on what food, drinks and decorations to use,” Muse said. people realize, according to parent coordinator Allison Lyons. “We “We get some great help from Buschs.”

Though parents have been working on scenes and set up for have six or seven different areas in the school to work on and each has a general budget and leader,” Lyprom for the last five months, the town ons said. “We just go at it. It’s amazof Dexter is contributing to the dance ing to see the things that people can as well. “The whole community comes do with what they have at home.” together for the prom,” Lyons said. “I It doesn’t even look like our Students who have parents instand by the door and just see the kid’s school when you walk in. You faces and it’s hilarious to see them bevolved in prom are the few who realcause they don’t even recognize where ize how much work it takes to put it don’t recognize where you are. they are. So many people just enjoy all together.

My parents probably started helping to bring this thing together.

“It doesn’t even look like our school working on it back toward It’s really great.” and when you walk in, you don’t recChristmas.”

While some enjoy helping out once ognize where you are,” senior Lauren Himle said. “My parents probably or twice, others like Muse continue to started working on it back toward come back over the years.

- Lauren Himle, senior Christmas.”

“I got roped into it awhile ago, and With a budget funded by Student I’ve just contintued to work at it,” Muse said. “It’s a lot of fun, and we Council, the parents have to create enjoy it. All the volunteers get to see enough sets to disguise the entire the kids come in and it’s great to see selected part of the school. “Student them have fun.” council is involved in conjunction with While it’s fun, the dance requires everyone to come together in the parents,” head of student council Deb Marsh said. “We would not have a prom if it wasn’t for the parents. The parents are very order for it to work out. “I’ve had a lot of people helping me that creative. I’m just amazed with what ideas they come up with.”

I couldn’t have done this without,” Krull said. “There are many Parent Anna Krull, who is helping out with prom for her first parents involved in this to make it work out for you guys. You will year, is involved with the dance floor decorations. “I really enjoy be going, ‘Oh my gosh!’ for everything you see.”

Many kids with parents working on prom are graduating this it, and even when (my son) Alex is graduated, I may contintue to help out with it,” Krull said. “It takes 100 parents at least to put this year, and so it’s their parents last year. “If we want the tradition to thing together. I signed up and was given chair for setting up the continue, the parents who have seniors are leaving,” Marsh said. dancefloor. It’s gonna be really sweet.”

“So next year we need more parents of underclassmen to step it up Nancy Muse, mother of junior Brent Muse, has been involved and take the lead.”

“

Working for the prom weekend: Junior Chris Parr’s father, Mike Parr, works on building the frame for the Willy Wonka Squares game.

Parr, like many other parents, helped out with this year’s prom decorations.

Photo by Jeff Leonard

5

Friday, March 28, 2008

The Squall

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6

Friday, May 2, 2008

health

The Squall

Sobe Lifewater Calm-Strawberry Kiwi

Vitamin Water Defense (Raspberry-apple)

• Nutrition Facts: Calories: 50; Total fat: 0g; Sodium: 25mg; Total carbs: 13g; Sugars: 13g; Protein: 0g; Vitamin C: 100%; Vitamin E: 20%;Vitamin B3: 10%;Vitamin B5: 10%; Vitamin B6: 10%; Vitamin B12: 10%

• Nutrition Facts: Serving Size 8 fl oz; Servings per Container 2.5; Calories 50; Total Fat 0g; Sodium 0mg; Total Carbohydrate 13g; Total Sugar 13g; Protein 0g; Vitamin C 60%; vitamin B3 10%; vitamin B6 10%; vitamin B12 10%; vitamin B5 10%, Zinc 10%

• Other flavors available: Challenge Pomegranate Cherry, Energize - Passionfruit Citrus, Enlighten - Blackberry Grape, Shield - Orange Tangerine, and more

Benefits of performance waters, sports drinks dubious Kyle Boren staff writer

π

When it comes to Vitamin Water, Gatorade, Sobe Life Water or Propel Life Water, people assume they are getting all their essential vitamins and being healthy by drinking water.

Indeed these products do contain essential vitamins, but are they necessary, and are they healthy?

Vitamin Water bottles are 2.5 servings in one bottle. So consumers of the beverage are supposed to split the bottle into the servings, because that is how much of the vitamins they are supposed to get.

In addition, a bottle of Vitamin Water contains about 32 grams of sugar. In comparison, Coke has about 39 grams of sugar per can.

If people actually drink the whole bottle of Vitamin Water, another question arises. How many vitamins do we really need? One of the most popular vitamin waters is the flavor “Essential”.

In one bottle of “Essential” are the following percentages of the recommended daily dosage of vitamins: vitamin A, 50 percent; vitamin B3, 25 percent; vitamin B5, 25 percent; vitamin B6, 25 percent; vitamin B12, 25 percent; vitamin C, 25 percent; vitamin E, 25 percent; calcium, 2 percent; iron, 5 percent; potassium, 5 percent; selenium, 5 percent; zinc, 25 percent.

Perhaps this is too much of a good thing? According to Scienceline.com, a bottle of Vitamin Water contains too many vitamins for the body to absorb, and a person would have to do a lot of exercise to burn off all the unwanted calories from the drink.

And Vitamin Water has about half the calories of soda. In one 8 fluid ounce serving of Vitamin Water there are 50 calories while an 8 ounce serving of Coke has 100 calories.

Vitamin H2O Info • A Vitamin Water bottle contains 2.5 servings • Vitamin Water contains about 32 grams of sugar, while Coke has about 39 grams • Scienceline.com says that Vitamin Water actually contains too many vitamins for your body to use all at once, so they wind up being excess calories • Vitamin Water “Essential” contains 50, 25 and 25 percent of vitamins A, B12 and E, respectively • There are 17 different flavors of Vitamin Water • Vitamin Water was created by rap icon 50 Cent source: www.bevnet.com

Gatorade • Nutrition facts serving size 8 fl oz servings per container 2.5 amount per serving calories...50, total fat 0g, Sodium 110mg, potassium 30mg, Total Carbohydrate 14g sugars 14g, Protein 0g •Flavors available: lemon-lime, blue frost, grape, fruit punch, and more

Photo illustration by Val Argiero

• Other flavors available: Focus (Kiwi-strawberry), Power-C (dragonfruit), Balance (crangrapefruit), Endurance (peach-mango), Energy (tropical citrus) and more

Propel-Berry • Nutrition Facts: Calories: 10; Total fat: 0g; Total carbohydrates: 3g; Sugars: 2g; Protein: 0g; Vitamin C: 10%; Vitamin E: 10%; Niacin: 25%; Vitamin B6: 25%; Vitamin B12: 4%; Pantothenic acid: 25% • Other flavors available: lemon, kiwistrawberry, mixed berry, grape, and more

7

Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall

arts

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Student and teacher bands alike celebrate the power of rock and roll Sarah Akbarifard staff writer

It’s the rush of adrenaline that freshman Dan Stefanski gets when he is on stage, the rush of excitement that motivates him to play music. And Stefanski and his band received this rush on April 11 at the year’s last Battle of the Bands competition held at Copeland.

Placing third in the last battle in January, Stefanski said he was very anxious for this one. “Before coming on stage I get nervous,” he said. “But once on stage I receive a sudden rush of adrenaline. And afterwards the feeling was indescribable. I just felt great. All the pressure was off my shoulders.”

Stefanski’s band, Crown of Thorns, plays Christian rock and consists of junior Andrew Snyder on drums, senior Cody Wiesely on bass, Drew Elliot, a home schooled student, as lead singer and Stefanski on guitar.

Stefanski said the band’s passion for music is what drives them to ultimately participate in Battle. “I personally don’t care if we win Battle or not,” he said. It doesn’t really even bother me how we ended up placing. What matters to me is that I’m out there enjoying myself, and I’m playing in my hometown where my friends and family are supporting me. Winning isn’t important to me. It’s enjoying myself.”

Regardless of the fact winning doesn’t quite matter to him, Stefanski still said practice is necessary in order to succeed as a band. “I think one of the main reasons we did not perform as well at battle this time is due to the fact we didn’t practice as much leading up to the competition,” he said. “Since battle was a week after break, we, in a sense, just wanted to get out of school and have the chance to relax and didn’t quite practice as much as we should have.”

Stefanski also said he finds practice to be a crucial point in their band’s success. “I feel we are content with where we are as a band right now, but ultimately we want to be able to improve and see where that takes us in the future,” he said.

Another band that finds practice crucial to its success is Vintage, consisting of freshman Graham Low on drums, junior Chelsea Low on bass, junior Georgia Myer on guitar, junior Allison Sutter on keyboards and junior Lauren Wright on vocals.

“We practice usually practice once a week,” Wright

said. “But when we have performances such a battle we practice around two to three a week.”

With all the practice that Vintage has held, their efforts definitely paid off in the last Battle according to Wright.

“Battle this time around was one of the best we have played,” she said. “The last Battle was a pure disaster.

We didn’t practice and just sort of improved on stage. But we learned our lesson and did great this time.”

Wright also said the reason her band was so successful this time around in battle was because they wanted to get their music across to as many individuals as they can. “We’re different from most bands,” she said. “For example, our new song ‘Dear Mister President’ addresses issues that people turn there heads away from. People don’t understand that there is more to the world than being in high school. People are just so uneducated on issues that revolve around them.”

Vintage’s drive to get their music heard is not the only reason they participate in battle. It is also because the band has a different twist than most. “We’re mostly a girl band, minus Graham, of course.

And ever since I’ve been to battle since eighth grade I’ve never seen a girl band there,” Wright said. She added with a smile, “Who’s to say that guys are the only ones who can rock?”

While many may believe Battle is just an event for students, that is an incorrect based on this battle. The teacher band Progress Report consists of English teacher Rod Satterthwaite on bass, English teacher Ethan Konnett on drums, English teacher Berry Mergler on guitar, video production teacher Matt Martello on vocals and science teacher Beau Kimmey on guitar.

According to Kimmey, it’s enjoyment of music that keeps the band together. “It’s nice for all of us teachers together and do something that not related to school, something that’s different,” he said.

Kimmey also said the members of Progress Report try to practice about once a week, even leading up to the Battle. “We normally pick three or four songs and consistently practice them leading up to Battle,” he said.

While the band is consistent with their practice schedule, Kimmey said he doesn’t quite see the band performing in any major battle competitions. With a smile he said, “We’re Photo by Leah Gibson

Patrick Ledwidge staff writer

When junior Chelsea Low heard about The Rothbury Music Festival on the radio, she couldn’t wait to buy tickets. Tickets went on sale Feb. 27 for a discount fee of $200. The festival runs July 3-6.

Two months later, tickets are still on sale, but at a price of $244.75. There are also other expenses that can be added to the cost of this long weekend. RV passes and shipping costs are also factors to take into accord when purchasing tickets. An RV pass is an additional $100 and shipping is at a minimum of $10.

Along with purchasing an RV pass, there are on site lodging packages available as well. The festival features over 60 musical artists, including 311, John Mayer, State Radio, Snoop Dogg, Citizen Cope, Slightly Stoopid and Dave Matthews Band.

And Low’s whole family decided to go. “I am going with my family: mom, dad, brother and maybe a few friends,” she said. “We’re gonna have a tent, and we’re sleeping in

just doing this for fun, and some of us are still learning how to play the instruments we are playing.”

The last Battle for the 2008 year ended on a good note according to Wright, who also said the bands had a good time performing.

“My advice is for any upcoming band to participate in battle, whether you’re experienced or not, it’s blast,” Wright said. “I mean every show we’ve played almost something has gone wrong.

But, you kinda gotta roll with the punches. Everyone needs a bit more rock n’ roll in their lives.”

Every rose has its thorns: Senior John Germain plays acoustic guitar in this month’s Battle of the Bands. Germain also performed with his metal band Final Domain. The band came in second overall.

sleeping bags. We’re not going to be sleeping that much anyways.”

Chelsea’s brother, sophomore Graham Low, said, “I like music a lot, and there’s a lot of good music at one place. It’s great to have the good music.”

Both Chelsea and Graham grew up around music, and say it was a major part of their family. “My parents have always had music as a part of their family, so they wanted to in ours,” Chelsea said. “My dad made both Graham and I play an instrument before fifth grade. I took up the violin and Graham played the drums.”

Chelsea plays in Vintage, a band compiled of four junior girls and Graham. Graham, a freshman, plays in Untitled as well as Vintage and also has a solo guitar gig.

But they both agree their parents have been their greatest influence with music. “My parents have known each other forever,” Chelsea said. My dad has always been involved in music. He knows how to play the piano and the guitar, and he sing.”

Though they were influenced by their parents, Chelsea and Graham’s parents tried to not have an influence

on their children’s choice in music. “We strived to not directly influence our kid’s choice in music,” said their father Bruce. “We want them to find their own musical identity.”

Graham describes his parents as “Dead Heads.” “You go to a lot of Grateful Dead shows and walk around,” he said. “My dad was actually at the last show before the lead singer died.”

According to Chelsea, Grateful Dead concerts headed a revolutionary movement. “They were big at the time of the Vietnam War because of their massive amount of followers that were as well antiwar,” she said.

Both Chelsea and Graham, as artists, say they strive to play at a venue like Rothbury. “If I don’t, I’ll be thoroughly disappointed,” Graham said.

Chelsea also said with the amount of talent in her band, they are capable of playing at a large venue like Rothbury.

Though Chelsea is going with her family, she says that other people from Dexter need to go to Rothbury. She said, “Just pay the money and don’t back out. It’s going to be a rowdy time.”

‘Pretty. Odd.’ Panic at the Disco

‘Prom Night’

Ryan Aliapoulios entertainment editor

Ryan Aliapoulios entertainment editor

Panic at the Disco caused a pleasant disruption in the Fueled-By-Ramen emo-wave when they released “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.” After a hiatus of a few years and a dropped exclamation mark, they’ve returned with aptly named “Pretty.

Odd.” It seems as if many ex-emo bands are reinventing themselves with their second album, and Panic at the Disco has tried to do the same here by taking note from symphonic rock bands like Electric Light Orchestra and baroque pop in the vein of Sgt. Pepper’s-era Beatles. It’s a bold gesture to be sure but ultimately an unsuccessful one.

“Nine in the Afternoon” is a highlight and the first single from the album. Aside from the paradoxical title, the song has a warm, bouncy piano rhythm accompanied by nostalgic horn blasts. It’s whimsical and inviting and surprisingly genuine even though it sounds like it belongs in the ‘60s.

Unfortunately the latter is about all you can say about the rest of the album, despite the occasional

highlight. “When The Day Met The Night” is a playful folk throwback, but “Folkin’ Around” is obnoxiously folky, and I’m pretty sure I heard some banjo wankery in there somewhere, too. The experimentation becomes pretentious instead of interesting after a while.

“She Had The World” is another moment where the band’s ambitions don’t hit a false note. The song is a lament for a lovely girl who can only exist in lead singer Brenden Urie’s imagination powered on the back of airy string sections. It sounds kind of like “Eleanor Rigby” on Paxil, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Moments like these keep the album afloat, but there are far too few of them.

The new sound that Panic at the Disco is pursuing is admirable but too forced to seem like a natural direction for the band. It’s hard to criticize a band for trying to expand their sonic boundaries, but mostly the songs seem to all bleed together among the weird sounds they work so hard to achieve. All in all the album just ends up being kind of boring instead of refreshing. By themselves the songs are interesting, but the album doesn’t hold listener attention for much longer than that.

Directed by Nelson McCormick

“Prom Night” doesn’t start off that bad. It opens with a nice touch of cinematography as a camera pulls across a landscape in a fairly innovative way for another run-of-the-mill horror film. The pleasant surprise wears off almost immediately though, and the film quickly descends into sub-mediocrity.

The plot, or rather what the movie calls a plot, consists of a beautiful young girl named Donna (Brittany Snow- you don’t recognize her because she’s unimportant) who survived watching her mother murdered in front of her by an obsessive teacher who is the spitting image of Charlie Manson in his prime.

If the fact that a high school would employ a teacher with such an appearance isn’t enough to make you raise questions about the quality of this film, I can’t think of a better reason to deter you from seeing it.

Sure enough, the killer is arrested only to somehow break loose on what the movie insists on telling us every five minutes will be the best night of Donna’s life: prom night.

But this isn’t even a good bad horror movie.

The editing in the murder scenes is laughable.

The dialogue isn’t spiky, and there aren’t even any scenes where teens are copulating only to have their lives compromised in doing so.

That’s probably the best word to describe this movie, compromised. What’s a PG-13 rating doing on a slasher movie? The violence is absurdly toned down and racial as well as social stereotypes abound.

The girls talk about how much sex everyone will be having after prom while they get their hair done. The boys literally carry flasks of whiskey in their hands into prom without so much as a slap on the wrist. Donna’s best friend played by Dana Davis is a carbon copy of Gabrielle Union in “10 Things I Hate About You,” and that came out nine years ago.

One would like to think that stock characters for movies aimed at pre-pubescent boys would be revamped every decade or so, but Prom Night is proof that such ideas are fantasy. There was no reason to remake this movie. I don’t think the director even knows if this movie was a joke or not.

8

Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall

sports Charlie Pettit sports editor

Tigers attract negative attention The Detroit Tigers have come into the 2008 season with the second highest team salary in Major League Baseball of $137,685,196, and the original roster has a career batting average of more than .300. With these factors the Tigers have been given high expectations by everyone by looking at their line-up on paper.

Many consider the team contenders for the American League pennant if not the World Series come October. Tigers owner Mike Illich made great effort to improve his alreadysolid squad by acquiring left-handed pitcher Dontrell Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins, who were more than happy to give away great talent for the right price.

An extremely poor start by the Tigers left many people worried about the team’s status, but remember, centerfielder Curtis Granderson has been injured and so has the hardthrowing Joel Zumaya. Fernando Rodney’s injury has also left the bullpen in a tight spot. Luck hasn’t improved either: the new aquisition Willis was just placed on the 15 day DL with a hyperextended right knee.

Injuries have allowed Dexter resident Brandon Inge to work as a utility man and he led the team in home runs through the first 10 games of the season. The new acquisitions threatened his playing time early in spring training despite the fact he has one of the best gloves of any third baseman in the game.

It would be a shame to see his much-needed defense leave if Inge were to request a trade. He said before the season he doesn’t want to leave Detroit unless the playing time isn’t sufficient when everyone is healthy.

If everyone does get healthy, and they keep that way, the Tigers are built for the long run. And if they can snap out of their stage fright and play, I would bet my team hat collection they are ranked either first in the American League Central Division or the wildcard.

ESPN needs to stop talking about panic for the team because all that does is attract unneeded negative attention and cause fans to lose faith in a very solid team. Regardless of this scare, Comerica Park will be filled, and the ticket office is only selling 15, 27 and 41 game packages as “season” ticket options.

I always thought that season tickets meant you get to go to every home game, but I guess the “Who’s your Tiger?” commercials are drawing the people back into downtown Detroit where the money is much-needed.

It’s a long 162 game season for the team so only time will tell where the Tigers will go. In the meantime they need to take a deep breath, and I know Jim Leyland is the man to calm this over-anxious ball club once more.

I’m glad the team is getting this out of their system early rather than late in the year. Injuries are a huge reason for this major slip, but slowly the team is coming back around to the Tigers we’ve learned to love and hate.

Soccer team aspires to go far Nic Miller staff writer

Last year many girls walked off the soccer field teary eyed after losing to Forest Hills Central in the state semifinals, which many players said was due to several injuries to some of their key players.

“It probably would have been a completely different game against Forrest Hills Central if myself and Krystyna Taheri had been able to play,” senior Caitlin Henderson said. “But we couldn’t because we were injured. I broke my foot, and she sprained her ankle.”

Henderson broke her foot the game before the semifinals and Taheri broke her collar bone ending their season with the 4-0 loss. “It was a really disappointing loss being that close to the championship game,” Henderson said.

Henderson also said the team’s goal is to make it back to the semifinals and win and advance to the state championship game.

Although, according to senior Amanda Marsh, it will be a harder road to the semifinals this year with a harder post season district and a rough start. “It has been rocky,” Marsh said. “It didn’t help our first game was Chelsea, but we are hoping to get a fresh start and make a run to the state finals.”

Unfortunately in the first game on April 8, Henderson sprained her ankle in warm ups and the team ended up tying Chelsea

1-1. Sophomore Kristi Hughes said, “Hopefully our season will go better. Our first did not go as planned. It sucked our first games was against Chelsea, because our first four games were cancelled.”

Recently it has been hard for Henderson to stay injury free. When the doctors finally gave her the OK to play, she reinjured herself no sooner than a month later, and she is back on crutches. However, according to Henderson, it should only be a couple of weeks until she is back in action.

Even if the remainder of the season bodes well for the team, its post season run will be harder than last year with two new teams in their post season district, Ladywood and Crestwood, both schools with a great track record according to Henderson.

Marsh and Henderson both agree that if the team trains hard, gets into shape, improves its defense and plays as a team they will have a good shot at a long post season run.

With many players from the same cast as last year, Henderson said the team looks to go far in to the post season as well as have a successful regular season.

“We could easily make it to the state semifinals again this year,” she said. “But we still have a lot of work to do, and we also have a lot of young players (three sophomores and one freshman).

They will need to gain experience and put in a lot of work.”

Kickin’ it: Junior Haley Brewster blasts the ball against Tecumseh.

Below: Senior Shantal Daratony takes a corner kick to get the ball back in play.

Working hard: Senior Megan Dinser slides in for a tackle against Tecumseh. Dexter won the game 7-0.

Photos by Jeff Leonard

Popularity of disc golf is on the rise Disappointment arises as new fees at Hudson Mills disc golf course are enforced

Kaitlyn Shepard staff writer

Standing at the disk golf course at Hudson Mills Metro Park, disk in hand, sophomore Dan Flowers prepares for the shot before him. He surveys the course with its right curve and many trees, knowing this is a difficult shot.

For many high school students such as Flowers, disk golf has become a favorite sport.

“It’s really just a chill sport,” Flowers said. “It’s easy to get a group of people together and just go and play.”

Flowers is fairly new to the sport of disk golf. He only started a year ago , but it’s still one of his favorite things to do.

“I knew a lot of people who played,” Flowers said. “And one day one of them invited me to go with them, and it was so much fun I’ve been playing ever since.”

And for Flowers disk golf has become an outlet for all the stresses put on by school, friends and sports.

“I compete in two or three competitive sports per season,” Flowers said.

“So things can get pretty stressful for me.

But disk golf just relieves the stress and makes

it easy to just chill out and relax.”

Sophomore Kris Kneply is another one of the many students who participates in this growing sport. But for Kneply, disk golf isn’t really a competitive sport.

“It’s more of a social thing,” Kneply said. “It’s just one of those things were you can get a group of people together and spend the afternoon playing.”

Hudson Mills is one of the most popular disk golf courses in the area. Because of this, many students and teachers have become upset that the Metro park has began charging for park entrance and for the use of the disk golf course.

“I think it’s stupid,” science teacher Beau Kimmey said.

“The reason a lot of people play is because it’s free. I think they will see a decline in the use of the course.”

Kimmey has only played disk golf a few times himself, but he said that this growing sport is good to participate in.

He thinks that this is especially true for students.

“I think it’s good that students are doing things outside of school other than playing video games,” he said. “The worst thing that could possibly happen would be for a disk golf video game to be made.”

For Flowers and Kneply, disk golf has become more than just an after school game. It has become a part of their future.

“Disk golf will definitely be something I continue in the future,” Flowers said. “I hope it will be something I can play for the next 40 or photo illustration by Candice Wiesner 50 years.”

9

Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall

sports

Baseball cuts cause player controversy a year and a half, and I also think that the team didn’t take enough guys,” he said. “I feel that the juniors, if they don’t make His chin was up, but his spirits were down as sophomore varsity, should be cut from varsity, and Alexander Dobbs walked away from the list of the kids who not be allowed to play JV. I’m still not made the JV baseball team. It surprised him his name was sure if I’ll try out again next year.”

Dobbs said he is enjoying his unplanned off the list.

And Dobbs is not the only player who played baseball for time off from a sport. He’s spending his extra time weight lifting and spending most of his life only to get cut from the JV team.

Sophomore Max Berry was on last year’s freshman team time with his girlfriend.

Miller, however, said the decision to cut and was also cut from the JV team. “ I just didn’t have a good tryout,” Berry said. But to find out why he didn’t make the was made by skill level and the students cut didn’t have a very team, Berry went to coach Jason Miller.

“I talked to Mr. Miller,” Berry said. “He good tryout.

Miller said he planned said that I just wasn’t prepared enough and that I didn’t have the best tryout. I think they to take 14 kids for JV and I’m sad I got cut had enough spots to get all the sophomores 14 for varsity, so with this year, but I’m on the team, but by bringing down so many more than 30 kids trying gonna be OK.” juniors it made it so there was not enough out, some people fell on room for everyone.” the cut line, and for Alexander Dobbs Although he got cut, Berry said he has no the JV team it was plans to quit playing baseball.

Dobbs and Berry.

- sophomore Miller said, “We “I have been playing baseball since the first grade, and I think that next year I will tryout kept the juniors and make sure I prepare more,” Berry said. because we feel “With so many seniors next year it will be hard that they will contribute as seniors next year.” (to make the team), but I’ll keep trying to play baseball.”

Dobbs said he enjoys baseball Even though Barry will not be playing this year he is still staying in close contact with the game. He is an avid New which made it hard for him York Mets fan and he is also helping to coach a youth baseball not to play. But his confidence isn’t team.

Marcus Wisley was on last year’s freshman baseball team totally drained.

“I’m sad I got where he held the best average on the team. This year Wisley cannot play. “ I didn’t make the grades to play. I had made cut this year, but varsity, but with my grades, I wasn’t able to play. Im not going I’m gonna be OK,” Dobbs said. to Dexter next year, but I’ll be playing baseball. keeping Dobbs started playing baseball in third grade and played “I’m my spirits up until last year when he took a year off to try lacrosse. gonna He said he wanted to get back to playing baseball this and for it spring because many of his friends play baseball and he go again next enjoys playing ball.

“I think that I got cut because I haven’t played baseball in season.”

Ian McCarthy staff writer

“

Fact Box •

There are 14 players on the junior varsity team

•

Math teacher Jason Miller is the coach of the junior varsity team

•

More than 30 players tried out for the team

• This is Greg Berklich’s first season as the varsity coach

Unhappy players: Sophomores Alex Dobbs and Max Berry were cut from the JV baseball team this year. Both say the incident has not resulted in their loss of love for the game however.

Photo by Jojo Parin

Farrell recognized as WXYZ's scholar athlete

Photo courtesy of Pat Farrell

Getting his award: Pat Farrell poses with his parents, Richard and Dawn Farrell, as he receives the Channel 7 scholar-athlete from sports caster Don Shane. Farrell’s mom nominated him for the award with help from football coach Tom Barbieri.

Lisa Ritchie staff writer

He had his debut on Channel 7 News on March 23 when senior Pat Farrell was interviewed by Don Shane on sports telecast and given the Scholar Athlete Award sponsored

by McDonald’s. “People were surprised to see someone from Dexter on TV,” Farrell said. “It was a big surprise to me as well.”

To be nominated for the Scholar Athlete Award someone must send in a letter of recommendation, recognizing a good student and athlete. “It feels good that someone thought highly enough to recognize me,” Farrell said, still unsure of who nominated him. “I thought it was Mr. Barbieri, but he said it wasn’t, so I still have no idea who did.”

Athletic teacher and football coach Tom Barbieri knows who did nominate Farrell, though. “I didn’t nominate him, but I gave him a recommendation,” he said. “His mom nominated him, and I called Channel 7 News and helped out.”

Past Dexter students who have won Scholar Athlete Awards are Andrew Klinkman in 2007 and Bill Burgett in 2005. “I never thought it would happen to me,” Farrell said. “I always thought they were on a different level than I was, so it was really surprising when I got the call.”

Barbieri said the Scholar Athlete Award is an honor to win. “That award is a really special,” Barbieri said. “They chose one person every week all throughout the state of

Michigan for all different kind of sports.”

Farrell said his passion for football has always been part of his life. He began f lag football in second grade and tackle football in seventh grade. He credits the start of his interest in football to his friends. “My friends had always loved football, and I guess I just wanted to try it out,” Farrell said. “I ended up loving it and pursed it.”

Barbieri said he is glad he did. “He represents what is good about Dexter football,” he said. “He works hard, he’s a team player, and he makes his teammates better.”

Farrell is going to Central Michigan University to study wildlife conservation and biology, and he hopes to make the Central football team. “I might to try to walk on and play for them next season, hopefully that will be an extra bonus,” he said.

Barbieri said Farrell would be selling himself short if he didn’t play for CMU next year. “As his football coach, I know he has the desire,” he said. “If he just sets his mind to it, he can get it done.”

Not only did the award give Farrell recognition and his 15 minutes of fame on Channel 7 News, it opened other doors for him as well. “I received a leadership scholarship from Central Michigan, and I think it was because I put that I won the Scholar Athlete Award.”

Along with winning the Scholar Athlete Award, Farrell was also awarded $1,000 through the Burger King Scholars Program. The Program is aimed towards building a brighter future for graduating seniors. Awards must be used for educational expenses, such as tuition or required

rees and books.

“I didn’t expect to win this award at all,” Farrell said.

“I’m still surprised from winning the first one so winning the second was another huge surprise.”Approximately 120 people were awarded the $1.000 scholarships throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. “The odds seemed against me because thousands of people around the world applied,” Farrell said.

Farrell said his academics, leadership skills and extraciricular activities made the difference of him winning the awards and scholarships. “It may have helped that I’m in NHS, captain of the football team and captain of the rugby team.”

Another scholarship Farrell hopes to win is a Washtenaw County Scholarship. In order to be awarded the scholarship, Farrell said he has to write a 500 word essay on improving Washtenaw County roads. It also must include instructions to safer driving and improving intersections. “I doubt I’ll be able to win this one,” Farrell said, “but I didn’t think I would win the others so I figured I’d give it a shot.”

Along with being a Scholar Athlete Award winning football player, he is also a power lifter. Other hobbies he enjoys include fishing, hunting, and spending time with his girlfriend.

Farrell said winning these awards has been a great experience. He said, “It was awesome to find out I had won multiple scholarships, and I still can’t believe it happened to me.”

10

Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall

columns

Scott Crompton managing editor

All work and no play is not necessary Sitting in class, I often find myself pondering things other than what the teacher is trying to drill into my head. I ponder things like why I have to sit in class every day.

The answer to my own question is usually that I have to do this because, basically, the rest of my life depends on it.

Whenever I tell myself this, I instantly become deeply depressed and contemplate growing my hair out. But only over one eye because that’s totally scene. With frosted tips? If I’m feeling frisky.

But I also observe the other students around me. What I realize through these simple, non-creepy, qualitative observations is there are a lot of kids in this school who take school way too seriously.

I see people frantically taking notes on useless things like first derivatives and polynomial roots. This should be a hobby rather than time wasted in school.

Granted, my view on this issue is pretty narrow because I chose to take the classes that are riddled with these people: A.P. classes.

However, I am also in mandatory junior classes and students who have the ability to pass with f lying colors still feel the need to take these classes way too seriously.

Even though school is important for the growth of our adolescent minds, we do not need to stress over every little detail.

If I have learned anything from my extensive high school career, it is that the only way to not go completely crazy is make school fun or take easy classes. If you choose to take a lot of hard classes, you have to realize you are selling your soul to the devil.

However, there is still hope for those of you who have already made that sale. All you have to do is, simply, not care quite as much during class. However, do not let this concept become an extremist point of view that turns you into a worthless student.

You still have to care when it matters, because if you do not, according to colleges, you will not go anywhere in life. The day before a test, start caring. The day after a test, stop caring.

These simple guidelines can help you stay sane during a hectic

week of school along with all of your other time-consuming extracurricular activities.

When you let yourself out of the “paying attention zone,” you realize school can actually become enjoyable through the delicate art of looking like you are paying attention when really you are making jokes and laughing with your friends.

Now, I am not trying to say you need to become that piece-ofcrap kid whose sole purpose in class is to piss off the teacher. All I am saying is everyone needs to have a little fun every now and then in order to keep from becoming insane.

Yes, that includes all of you hard core intellects who take all six A.P. classes. Loosen up a little. Have some fun. Go a little crazy.

Forget your homework assignment. Accept mediocrity on a test.

Or even failure. Make a smart-aleck comment. You will thank yourself later in life, I promise.

Our years of being young and dumb are almost over. College will soon be here and once it comes, we will have to actually make something of ourselves.

I encourage you all to get a head start in making something of yourself today, but at the same time, do not be so serious about it because there is more to life than just school.

When there is a reading assignment and someone is murmuring something to their friend, there is no need to stand up, call them out and yell at them to be quiet.

Relax. Do your work. Participate. Get the things done that need to get done, and for your own sake, have some fun.

Austin Shapiro editor-in-chief

DHS Report Card from A to Z Though the year is not quite over, more than enough time has elapsed for evaluations. Evaluations, that is, of everything.

Attendance policy- Sticking to the whole “attendance is mandatory” statute.

C’mon! Grade C Band- We’ve got more bands than ... well, I don’t know, but we’ve got a lot of them.

Symphonic. Marching. Progress Report. Vintage. Rubber. You name it. Grade A Calculus- I haven’t actually taken this class, but I’m a fan of the concept, or theorem if you will. Grade B+ Diversity- DHS is slightly less diverse than the Vatican. Grade E Exemptions- My third day of exams is choir and weight lifting. Enough said.

Grade E Freshmen- Though technically still high school students, these delinquents remind me more of wild animals in heat constantly trying to mate in the hallways between classes. Grade D+ Grammar- If you’re going to scribble a racial slur on the bathroom stall, at least spell it right. Grade CHall monitors- They’re actually called paraprofessionals and Connie and Dee do a great job. Even if they won’t let me wear my hood or play cell phone games at lunch. Grade A Internet- Included in this topic is the school servers, which have an uncanny ability to not work on the days you need them most. Grade C Illustration by David Bays

Journalism- More specifically The Squall. In my completely unbiased opinion the paper is a gold standard for others to strive for. Not to mention I hear the editor-in-chief is a stud. Grade A++ Kissing- School is a place of learning, not Cinemax (See Freshman). Grade D Lunch- Finally, the Food & Nutrition department has recognized the powerhouse of Cheesy Taco Mac and scheduled it as a biweekly entree. Grade B+ Mondays- Still included as part of the standard school week despite several pleas for removal. Grade C National Honor Society- Adviser Cheryl Wells and her band of over achieving do-gooders never cease to lend a helping hand. Grade AOh-Eight!- We have the highest average age of any grade in the district. Put that in your pipe. Grade A Pep- In recent memory, no student body has been as apathetic as this years bunch.

Grade BQuestion- Don’t you hate it when people ask questions that don’t really go anywhere but drag on and on? I do. Grade N/A Respect- Some would greatly benefit from having a listen to a certain Aretha Franklin song. Grade B Sports- Despite what anyone says, two state runner-up finishes is nothing to be disappointed about. Grade ATesting- MME week was a colossal waste of time for non-juniors. Time that could have been spent playing three card monty or getting laser hair removal. Grade D Uniqueness- We’ve definitely got some characters. Grade A Venereal disease- No known cases at DHS, and it’s everywhere. Grade A Weather- Thou has failed us again. Only three snow days? Really? Grade BExchange Students- These friendly foreigners do their best to inject some culture in to the snow white halls of DHS. Grade AYou- I have something to say about each and every one of you. For your own personal evaluation come see me in the halls. Grade TBD Zoo keepers- Let’s face it, teenagers are wild animals. Henceforth, teachers can be likened to animal herders. Students at DHS are lucky enough to be herded by some the best. Grade A

Kevin Butler staff writer

PDA is almost as ucky as sex As I manned my daily post of greeter of my AP Government class, I witnessed one of the most interesting and disturbing sights of my high school career. As my fellow greeters and I encouraged stragglers in the hall to kick it in high gear and move along to class, a couple rounded the corner holding each other in their arms.

Normally this situation would have gone on without us greeters even thinking twice about what was going on. But as the final bell rang, the couple turned their heads and locked lips.

Now as I observed this borderline soft core pornography, I wondered not only how this couple was able to maneuver themselves down the hall during their 30 second Frencher but also how and why they thought this was acceptable for the halls.

Often as I meander the halls between classes, I will pass couples on my way to my next class. Sometimes I just cannot help but stare at what some of them get accomplished in six minutes. It shocks me how these couples think it is acceptable to be doing what they are doing.

I have nothing against some signs that two people are in a relationship such as holding hands, sitting on each other’s laps or the quick peck when they part ways for the hour. But when it appears that a couple is taking it to the next step,

that’s when I get uncomfortable. I come to this school to be in a safe environment.

What’s worse than going at it in during passing time, is smooching in class or in the halls when you are supposed to be getting your education. When I’m on a mission to go snap a picture of a teacher for yearbook or to grill a student with interview questions for newspaper, sometimes I walk into a stairwell to see what looks like two startled raccoons caught going through the trash.

Is it really necessary to for both of you to go to the “bathroom” at the exact same time? Can’t you guys go a whole hour without locking lips? Not only is it awkward to walk in on a couple going at it in the stairwell, but it’s just wrong for two people to be making out during class hours.

Now when you are making out in class, that is just downright unacceptable. If I ever see anyone sucking face while I am supposed to be earning my high school diploma, I will not hesitate to call you out on it and embarrass you in front of everyone. But by then you should be embarrassed you even thought about going at it in your classroom.

If you can’t go a whole hour without holding each other in your arms, then you need to find something to keep you busy for 57 minutes. Try doing your homework or doodling. And if all else fails, give taking notes for your class a shot. You may just like it.

Now don’t get me wrong. Nothing is wrong with having a significant other. If I can walk down the halls and easily tell that two people are going out without having to check Facebook, that worries me. When you are conjoined at the hips and when the bell rings, you guys start going at it like you’re not going to be seeing each other for the next week, that’s where I draw the line.

Those 57 minutes of separation shouldn’t be too bad, and if you can’t handle it and sprint out of your classroom as soon as you can, that’s pretty sad. You have all of after school to hold each other in your arms and do what you want. Nobody in school wants to spectate on your sessions, especially unwillingly.

So you PDA offenders, lay off of each other for the seven hours we are in this school. It’s not that bad. I know you can do it. When that final bell rings for class, don’t begin snogging and earn a tardy. Get to class, resist each other and hold out until 2:26. After that get in you car, drive off and do what ever you please. Except sex. That’s ucky.

11

Friday, May 2, 2008

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 HEALTH & TRENDS: Celia Kuzon uPAGE & Get Involved: Hunter Lyons COPY: Maria Brundage & Michelle Chirby

DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Chas Sloan, Val Argiero, Leah Gibson, Maria Brundage, Melanie Pytel, Lauren Daugherty, Kasondra Engholm, JoJo Parin, Derek Wooton

MANAGERS ADVERTISMENT: Caitlin

Henderson, Brittany Martini

CONTEST: Nic Miller, Kyle Boren,

Jake LaRosa

STAFF WRITERS Sarah Akbarifard, Kyle Boren, Kevin Butler, Rachel Butler, Michelle Chirby, Shantal Daratony, Betsy Eber, Alex Everard, Casey Hall, Caitlin Henderson, Matthew Kaas, Jake LaRosa, Pat Ledwidge, Brittany Martini, Ian McCarthy, Nic Miller, Brent Muse, Morgan Quist, Lisa Ritchie, Joe Sayre, Olivia Scheffler, Kaitlyn Shepard, Alexis Sobczak, Karly Stanislovaitis, Allison Sutter, Emily VanDusen, Kevin Yarows

CARTOONIST David Bays

ADVISER

Rod Satterthwaite

POLICY:

The Squall is distributed monthly to 1,192 students and is estimated to reach 4,786 people with each issue. The Squall is printed by the Owosso Argus Press in Owosso, 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.

all

Squall THE

illustration by David Bays

call

Bleu Print should not be discontinued due to censorship Next year Chelsea High School’s newspaper, The Bleu Print, will be discontinued due to not enough students on the newspaper staff. Some current and former Bleu Print staff members say because articles were edited and censored by Principal Ron Mead, the paper will cease at the end of the school year.

CHS students, however, deserve a student newspaper free of administrative control.

The Bleu Print has been around since 1977.

Before that the paper went through multiple names and different advisers.

However, the past year and couple months have been tough for both students and current adviser Phil Jones because of the tension between The Bleu Print and administra-

tors.

After printing an article last school year about varsity football players getting special treatment from local police, Mead censored the paper for the first time in 19 years. Mead said the paper didn’t fully research their stories before printing them and his censorship was justified.

From that day on, problems got worse.

This eventually snowballed into not having the newspaper altogether. Perhaps the Bleu Print staff didn’t fully research its facts before printing the football players story. But that doesn’t give administrators the right to censor a student voice.

Students in every school have Constitu-

tional rights. Chelsea administrators should realize students have the right to publish a newspaper without having an adult censor it.

A combination of a lack of interest in journalism, the censoring of the paper and the financial problems all worked against the paper being continued for next year.

However, the censorship was just enough to push the paper that was on the edge towards being ended.

Financial problems and a lack of students are just excuses for not continuing a newspaper. However, the censoring of the paper should not be a reason for its discontinutation.

PRO CON Does rugby teach moral fiber or cause injuries?

"Rugby injury rates are reported to be three times higher than those inducted by soccer and football.”

"Rugby players play in rain, sleet and snow with no pads or helmets."

Morgan Quist

Jake Larosa

staff writer

contest manager

Rugby is a unique sport in its own. It’s a classic game representing the basic human struggle for control and achieving a goal, dating as far back as the Stone Age, when it was played with arrow heads and a slab of saber tooth meat.

Today, it’s similarly a laid back sport with little required equipment, skills and rational thought. The only necessary components are a ball, a field and a thick skull with a mongo body structure. While sports like lacrosse waste effort developing skills and general athletic know-how, rugby sticks to the basics: pick up ball, run, tackle. Bleeding is optional.

Moreover, practice consists of only running and scrimmaging so as not to confuse the athletes. All comparisons aside, rugby is a sport that actually holds the moral fiber of our school together. It teaches the values and problem solving skills teens need to succeed after high school and in the workplace: male camaraderie and teamwork.

Whenever a seemingly unsolvable problem arises, rugby players can solve it in good old fashioned rugby style: run at the antagonist and tackle him. Rugby also teaches something many kids today lack: balls. Rugby players play in rain, sleet and snow with no pads or helmets. The way God intended.

They constantly go against other players weighing at least 300 pounds and Division 1 football linebackers, and maintain a number five in the state ranking. They are undefeated and unscored upon.

The lacrosse team, on the other hand, has only secured one victory.

The rugby team is a hard working group of young lads that is here to stay.

I know very little about rugby, but what I know of it, I don’t like. Because the Dexter team has little experience, along with the fact rugby lacks protective gear, just screams danger.

In fact, statistics say rugby injury rates are three times higher than those inducted by soccer and football. And don’t even get me started on the rugby uniforms.

Hookers (a key player for ball resistance and pushing of the ball) and flankers (who “clean up” messy balls to start a new phase of play) in rugby are the players who sustain the most injuries during a game in rugby.

Forwards also tend to be injured more frequently than backs because of their greater involvement in physical collisions and tackles. On average, each player in a game of rugby will perform anywhere from 20- 40 tackles in a game, not to mention roll in manure. Gross!

Let me share with you some startling statistics that turn rugby off to me. Twenty-five percent of injuries in rugby happen to be injuries to the head, 44 percent of those involving concussions. Twenty-four percent of fractures inducted by rugby are those to the clavicle. This is unappealing.

Not only are players frequently getting hurt, but the rugby games seem like a pain in the neck to attend. Due to lack of local teams to compete against, the games are a hike.

With regular events taking place in Ohio, and regionals taking place in Indiana, it may be fun to some, but I personally would never want to drive to Indiana, or even Ohio for that matter, to play rugby. Ever.

Letters to the Editor: Squall is an example of good journalism Dear editor, Hi, my name’s Erika Thomas; I’m a junior at Kent State University, and I’m majoring in Integrated Language Arts which specializes in the studies of English, journalism and speech. I am currently enrolled in Teaching High School Journalism, and your adviser, Mr. Satterthwaite, is my mentor. It is through this experience that I have had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with The Squall.

Over the past month and a half I have learned

quite a bit about the format of your class and what it takes to create your publication. However, it wasn’t until I took a closer look in my Teaching High School Journalism course that I realized just how impressive your paper is.

You see, my class requires that we “adopt” newspapers from various high schools around the country. I, of course, brought in The Squall and compared it to a dozen other student publications. And what I realized is the caliber of your paper far outshines the others. Everything from the organization of the articles to the ac-

tual layout design appears to be clean and logical. The content of your stories are focused and include the use of sources.

With that said, I’m writing to you today to recognize you for your efforts and to let you know that you’ve set the bar high for peer publications. It wasn’t until I constructed my own mock publication that I realized the multitude of work it requires to achieve a superb newspaper. I can only hope that one day, when I’m a journalism adviser, that my paper looks half as good as yours. Keep up the great work, and I

look forward to seeing your progress.

Sincerely, Erika Thomas P.S. I enjoyed your inclusion of The Rostrum! The news stories within this section are fresh and stimulating. There was a particular article about male wrestlers and the depth they go in order to “make weight”, and I’m still thinking about it. Great job! That shows just how powerful and effective your stories are.

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Friday, May 2, 2008

The Squall

Above: Senior Mike Schultz, practices shotput.

Shultz said he really likes shotput. “It’s an individual sport all you are doing is trying to beat your own record,” he said.

Right: Senior Nick Reynolds stretches.

“This is my first year doing track, and it’s pretty fun.”

Left: Senior Katelyn Young warms up before doing the high jump. “I try to avoid the whole running thing as much as possible,” Young said.

Above: Senior Nick Butler practices hurdling. Butler said, “If you want to be fast in a meet, you have to work really hard at the practices.”

Right: Senior Adam Cares practices for sprints and the 4 x 100m relay.

Titan track & fearsome field Tr a c k a n d f i e l d t e a m s t a r t s i t s s e a s o n o f f o p t i m is t i c a l l y Rachel Butler staff writer

For sophomore Alex Dutcher the track and field season is one of her favorite times of the year. “It’s a lot of fun,” she said.

“The workouts are tough, but we all have fun together.”

Dutcher has been involved in track since middle school and said right away she was drawn to pole vaulting. “Pole vaulting looked really fun, and I’m not afraid of heights so I thought I’d give it a try,” she said.

Other than pole vaulting Dutcher also hurdles and loves to do relays. “Relays are a lot of fun because you’re out there on the

track working with other people,” she said.

Another pole vaulter is senior and captain Christine Murray. “It’s a lot of fun to feel like your flying through the air,” she said.

Murry has been involved in track and field since eighth grade and said she has always looked up to the other captains and upperclassmen before her. “It’s kind of weird being the oldest and not having someone older than you,” Murry said.

Other than pole vaulting Murry runs the 400-meter dash. “I like putting myself through the pain,” she said. “You get to do individual events but still work as a team.

It’s fun being with friends. It’s really a social thing too.”

Ellen Riehle is another senior captain who has been on the team since eighth grade and likes to be with her friends at track. “It’s a lot of fun to be around all the people,” she said. “It’s like a whole bunch of friends.”

Dutcher, Murry and Riehle say they are all looking forward to big meets coming up in the season, particularly the state meet.

“The big meets with a lot of competition are tough,” Riehle said. “But they’re still a lot of fun because your with your friends.”

After all the workouts and practices, the meets are Dutcher’s favorite part of being on the team. “The meets are fun,” she said.

“We all cheer each other on and have a good time.”

Photos by Jeff Leonard and Leah Gibson

Left: Senior Carly Dalton prepares to pole vault during the Adrian meet.

Dalton said, “Pole vaulting is the most fun thing I’ve done track-related.”

Left: Senior Janelle Heldt pole vaults during the Adrian meet. Heldt said, “Pole vaulting is a little insane, but it’s really fun.”

Above: Junior Stephanie Ward and freshman Stephanie Lim pass the baton the during the 4 x 100m relay. “Relays are fun because I get to work with my teammates to win,” Ward said.

Left: Sophomore Ryan Moore shot puts. Moore said, “Track is cool. It gives me something to do.”

Left: Senior Nick Butler hurdles during the Adrian meet. He said, “Track is really fun.”