0809-6

THESQUALL

February 27, 2009 Volume XIV Issue 6

%FYUFS )JHI 4DIPPM 2200 N. Parker Road

Dexter MI, 48130

Alexander Dobbs Staff Writer

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One current and two ex-Dexter High School students face charges of home invasion and assault after a Hamburg Township man reported they broke into his home on Sunday, Jan. 11, and allegedly assaulted him before taking him into their car and dropping him off a mile away from his home.

The three: Michael Scott Campbell, 20; a 17-year old DHS senior and Nicholas Anthony Graves, 18, reportedly forced their way into the 19-year-old man’s Seney Circle home in the Mystic Ridge site condominiums, just south of Strawberry Lake Road and tracked him to the bathroom as he ran from the pursuers.

According to a Jan. 14 article in TheLivingston County Press and Argus, after the man was able to escape from his persuers, he locked himself in the bathroom to get away. However, the three were able to force their way into the bathroom, where they proceeded to kick and punch the man before dragging him outside into their car.

The attack and ensuing kidnapping was allegedly carried out over a $160 drug debt.

“They took the victim against his will,” Hamburg Police Chief Steve Luciano said. “We think it’s debt-related and possibly drug-related.”

However, Livingston County Prosecutor David F. Morse said the attack actually may have been carried out as pay back for an assault case last year when one of the suspect’s friends was attacked.

After the Hamburg Township man was taken from his home, Luciano said the victim’s 17-year-old girlfriend, who was unharmed, called police to alert them to the incident. She provided police with a description of the vehicle the suspects had been driving and approximately what time her boyfriend had been taken.

According to “The Press and Argus” story, the police then put out a “be on the lookout” warning to other local area law enforcement agenices.

Within an hour of the phone call from the girlfriend, a Pinckney police officer located Michael Campbell and Graves in an apartment complex. With assistance from an Unadilla Township officer, the two officers apprehended the suspects.

After the arrest of the older Campbell and Graves, Police Sgt. Gary Harpe said police were still unable to locate the DHS student. However, they did eventually reach him by phone and convinced him to turn himself in to police custody.

Later that evening, the DHS seniorturned himself into Pinckney Police.

Preceding their arrests, the three were held on $300,000 bonds in the Livingston County Jail.

The three now face official charges of first-degree home invasion and assault and battery. If convicted of the charges, they have the potential to face up to 20 years in prison. The preliminary trial date has been set for April 6.

Along with the charges of home invasion and assault, the trio also have involvement in separate cases with charges of delivery or manufacturing of marijuana and of possession of marijuana.

The reported incident occurred when police were dispatched to a home on Dexter Street in response to a report of “people crashing” into windows.

Pinckney Police Chief Denis Aseltine said that upon their arrival, police found the DHS student and another unidentified 20-year-old man in the home. The 20-yearold man was injured, and the police theorized the two had been fighting and that may have been the cause for the breaking of the window.

The two then gave inconsistent stories about how the injury occurred, which prompted police to search the house.

Upon searching the residence during the preceding investigation, police found three bags of suspected marijuana, a few marijuana plants, and drug paraphernalia, including scales, pipes and bongs.

However, police believe the two cases are separate and the charges and events are unrelated.

2

News

Friday, February 27, 2009

Snow day decision not always an easy one 4VQFSJOUFOEFOU EJSFDUPS PG USBOTQPSUBUJPO IBWF NBOZ GBDUPST UP DPOTJEFS CFGPSF DBMMJOH PGG TDIPPM Kaitlyn Shepard features editor

photo by Candice Wiesner

5IJOLJO PG TOPX Superintendent Rob Glass said the decision to call a snow day is a complicated one.

Tr u d g i n g t h r ou g h t he s n o w j u n i or M i c he l l e P i n e au m a k e s he r w a y t o he r c a r. S he c r o s s e s he r f i n ge r s a n d s a y s a s i l e nt p r a y e r t h at he r ‘9 5 C he v y C a v i l e r s t a r t s d e s pi t e t he f r e e z i n g w e at he r. W i t h a g r o a n a n d a s t u t t e r t he e n g i n e r o a r s t o l i f e . A s s he b e g i n s c l e a r i n g t he s n o w o f f i t , s he mu t t e r ’s t he w or d s , “ I f on l y w e h a d go t t e n a s n o w d a y.�

P i n e au i s on e o f t he m a n y s t u d e nt s w ho l o v e s n o w d a y s . S he s a i d n o t h a v i n g t o ge t up a n d b r u s h t he s n o w o f f he r c a r i s on e o f t he m a i n r e a s on s s he l o v e s s n o w d a y s . “ I h at e h a v i n g t o ge t up a n d b r u s h t he s n o w o f f m y c a r,� P i n e au s a i d . “ Plu s i f i t s n o w s t o o mu c h m y p a r e nt s w on’t l e t me d r i v e t o s c ho o l , w h i c h me a n s I h a v e t o s p e n d a l l d a y hu nt i n g f or a r i d e home .�

W h i l e t he h a r s h w i nt e r w e at he r i s a p r o b l e m f or s t u d e nt s a n d s t a f f , i t i s a n e v e n bi g ge r p r o b l e m f or t he t r a n s p or t at i on d e p a r t me nt .

D i r e c t or o f Tr a n s p or t at i on R o b e r t Po or s a i d t he s n o w a n d c o l d h a v e t he bi g ge s t e f f e c t s on t he bu s e s . “ W i t h s n o w ou r bu s e s r u n s l o w e r du e t o r o a d c on d i t i on s ,� he s a i d . “C o l d c au s e s h a r d s t a r t i n g a n d pl a c e s a bi g s t r a i n on e l e c t r i c a l a n d o t he r b u s s y s t e m s .�

A c c or d i n g t o Po or, w he n c on d i t i on s a r i s e t h at w i l l pl a c e t he s e k i n d s o f s t r a i n s on t he b u s i n g s y s t e m , s c ho o l c a n c e l l at i on s c a n r e sult. “ S n o w c a n c e l l at i on s w ou l d b e f r om a mou nt s o f s n o w t h at w ou l d m a k e t r a v e l d a n ge r ou s ,� he s a i d . “ Ic e i s a l s o a d a n ge r ou s c on d i t i on t h at s ome t i me s m a k e s t r a v e l a l mo s t i mp o s s i b l e .�

Ho w e v e r, l a r ge a mou nt s o f s n o w a n d h a z a r d ou s r o a d c on d i t i on s a r e n o t t he on l y t h i n g s h a v e c a n c a n c e l s c ho o l . W he n t e mp e r at u r e s a r e b e l o w 20 d e g r e e s f or s i g n i f i c a nt p or t i on s o f t he d a y, s c ho o l c a n b e c a n c e l e d .

S up e r i nt e n d e nt R o b e r t G l a s s s a i d s c ho o l i s c a n c e l e d on t he s e d a y s b e c au s e o f t he nu mb e r o f s t u d e nt s w ho r i d e t he b u s t o s c ho o l . “ W he n i t i s e x t r e me l y c o l d , w e c a n’t h a v e (s t u d e nt s) w a i t i n g ou t s i d e f or t he b u s ,� G l a s s s a i d . “ It i s s o c o l d ou t s i d e f r o s t bi t e c a n o c c u r q u i c k l y, w h i c h i s d a n ge r ou s .�

W he n i t ap p e a r t h at c on d i t i on s m a y p e r m i t a s c ho o l c a n c e l l at i on , Po or s a i d he w i l l c he c k t he r o a d s i n v a r i ou s p a r t s o f t he d i s t r i c t t o c he c k t he d i f f e r e nt c on d i t i on s . “ I go ou t a n d c he c k t he r o a d s b e f or e a n d du r i n g s c ho o l ,� he s a i d . “ I f c on d i t i on s w a r r a nt , w e s e n d ou t t h r e e b u s e s t o c o v e r a l a r ge nu mb e r o f r o a d s a n d c on d i t i on s i n t he n or t h , s ou t h , e a s t a n d w e s t p a r t s o f ou r d i s t r i c t .�

A f t e r d e t e r m i n i n g t he c on d i t i on s o f t he r o a d s Po or s a i d he m a k e s a p hon e c a l l t o G l a s s t o r e p or t w h at he h a s f ou n d . “A t a r ou n d 4 a . m . I w i l l r e c e i v e a p hon e c a l l f r om R o b ( Po or) ,� G l a s s s a i d . “He w i l l t e l l me w h at he t h i n k s a n d ho w t he d i f f e r e nt r o a d s a r e . F r om t he r e I w i l l c ont a c t s up e r i nt e n d e nt s i n t he s u r r ou n d i n g c ou nt i e s a n d c he c k ho w t he i r c on d i t i on s a r e .�

Ho w e v e r, m a k i n g a d e c i s i on b y 5 a . m . c a n s ome t i me s b e d i f f i c u l t f or G l a s s . “ T he r e c a n b e a l o t o f v a r i at i on i n c on d i t i on s w h i c h m a k e s t he d e c i s i on h a r d ,� G l a s s s a i d . “ T h i s m a k e s i t h a r d b e c au s e t he r e c a n b e d i f f e r e nt t e mp e r a t u r e s a n d r o a d c on d i t i on s w i t h i n t he c ou nt y.�

A c c or d i n g t o G l a s s w he n c on d i t i on s a r e h a z a r d ou s i n t he mor n i n g , m a n y s c ho o l s w i l l h a v e d e l a y e d s t a r t s . Ho w e v e r, b e c au s e o f t he p r o b l e m s d e l a y e d s t a r t s p r e s e nt , D e x t e r i s n o t on e o f t he s e s c ho o l s . “D e l a y i n g s c ho o l p r e s e nt s a l o t o f p r o b l e m s w i t h c h i l d c a r e ,� he s a i d . “ Pa r e nt s h a v e t o f i n d s ome on e t o t a k e c a r e o f t he i r c h i l d i n t he mor n i n g , w h i c h c a n b e d i f f i c u l t . A n d i f t he y c a n’t f i n d s ome on e t o t a k e t he i r c h i l d t o s c ho o l , t he y o f t e n w on’t go t h at d a y. I f n o t e n ou g h s t u d e nt s c ome i n , w e c a n’t c ou nt t h at d a y a s a n o f f i c i a l s c ho o l d a y.�

G l a s s s a i d e a r l y r e l e a s e d a y s a r e a l s o d i ff i c u l t . B e c au s e a d m i n i s t r at or s d on’t k n o w i f t he r e w i l l b e a n y on e home w he n a y ou n g c h i l d ge t s t he r e . B o t h G l a s s a n d Po or s a y t he y t r y t o m a k e t he b e s t p o s s i b l e d e c i s i on w he n i t c ome s t o c a n c e l i n g s c ho o l . “ We t r y v e r y h a r d t o m a k e t he b e s t d e c i s i on ,� G l a s s s a i d . “ We ’r e up e a r l y t r y i n g t o f i g u r e ou t t he d i f f e r e nt c on d i t i on s a r ou n d t he c ou nt y, a l w a y s k e e pi n g t he s a f e t y o f s t u d e nt s at m i n d . Ho w e v e r, t he f lu c t u at i on s c a n s ome t i me s m a k e t he d e c i s i on d i f f i c u l t .�

P i n e au r e c o g n i z e s t h at i t c a n s ome t i me s b e h a r d t o m a k e t he d e c i s i on t o c a n c e l s c ho o l .

Ho w e v e r, s he s a i d s he w i s he s s ome t i me s s c ho o l o f f i c i a l s w ou l d j u s t c a n c e l s c ho o l r e g a r d l e s s .“ I i m a g i n e t h at a l o t p a r e nt s ge t m a d w he n s c ho o l i s c a n c e l e d a n d t he c on d i t i on s a r e n’t b a d ,� s he s a i d . “ S ome t i me s t hou g h e v e r y on e j u s t n e e d s a b r e a k , e s p e c i a l l y i n w i nt e r.�

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Dan Flowers staff writer

In January Dexter High School was forced by subpoena to give out a list of all students who were signed out of school from Sept. 1, 2007 to Jan.1, 2008.

The subpoena is the result of a lawsuit brought forth by the Tyler Steffey estate for Tyler’s death last December in a car accident outside of the school on Parker Rd. Steffey was killed as he and two other students were returning from a store where they had purchased supplies for class.

The driver, senior Jake Stacey, and the teacher Shirley Bitters, are being sued for negligence before and during the crash. Stacey’s parents are also being sued, as they owned the vehicle that crashed.

Principal Kit Moran sent home a letter to inform parents that the school

would be releasing the names over that four month period on the sign out sheet. The letter also told the parents of the pending lawsuit and was sent out to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) according to Moran. “FERPA has been around since the ‘70s,� Moran said. “It basically says that your educational records (attendance, grades, discipline, etc.) are your private business. So the school cannot release any information without informing parents beforehand.�

The letter also gave parents the opportunity to take legal action and not allow the courts to use their child’s name in the lawsuit.

Moran said he received several calls about the case from parents, but he said he knows of no parents who actually pursued legal action to stop their child’s name from being released. “I don’t know how the legal wheels move,� he said. “We will find out more

when the attorneys come in March.�

The school district itself is being left out of the lawsuit as school districts are immune from these types of lawsuits by state law. Still members of the high school staff will be officially interviewed by both sides of the case in March, according to Moran.

The Stacey family offered to settle out of court for $100 thousand in June, according to an article in The Ann Arbor News, but this offer was declined by the Steffeys.

Stacey said he has not been to court yet, however he has given a deposition to the opposing sides attorneys. “I was interviewed by the lawyers for over three hour,� Stacey said. “They questioned me about pretty much everything.�

Both the Steffey family and Bitters declined to comment for this story.

Superintendent Robert Glass also said he could not comment at this time because the case is still pending.

DEXTER’S PUB On Main Street

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3

News

Friday, February 27, 2009

news BRIEFS

-PWF QSFQBSFT GPS *TSFBMJ NJMJUBSZ Alex Everard managing editor

Senior Ephy Love is on a visit to Israel, a country he is an official citizen of. Then, amid a regular day, he and numerous other civilians are told to flee towards a bomb shelter. It is determined safe to leave, then 17 minutes later, he is sent running back. The missiles that riddle the Gaza Strip are by no means unusual, and Love knows this.

As an official citizen of Israel, Love said he is fully aware of the past and current conflicts on the strip, a key piece of land in the IsraeliPalestinian violence that has been going on since Israel was created. Being an official citizen of Israel, Love is required to serve his country and chose the most common route, the military.

Although most citizens take similar paths and serve in the Israeli military, there are different ways to serve. “There are other options,� Love said. “You can give tours to Americans or other services like that.�

Love has his concerns about entering war, but said the country itself is nothing to be afraid of. “I’m not scared of living in Israel.

I’ve been there before and it’s a great experience,� Love said. “But war is always scary, there are always risks�

The risk-factor was recently heightened when, several months ago, Israel initiated a

ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, prompting a break in the temporary peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Consequently, the Gaza Strip has returned into an area of violence. Many countries are pressuring Israel to cease the invasion, but top Israeli officials suggest that there is no end in sight.

Although Love is a supporter and citizen of his country, he said the conflict could have been handled better by Israel’s top officials. “I personally think that they went overboard, but sometimes that happens when such people are calling the shots,’� Love said.

Love says his love for Israel stems from his father’s roots in the holy land, and he takes part in spreading his knowledge on the topic every summer. “I tutor children in Zionism in Wisconsin over the summer,� he said.

Zionism, the belief that Jewish people are holy and should all assemble in their holy land (Israel), is something Love is immensely passionate about; it is something that makes enrolling in the military worth it for him. “It is always dangerous, but it is something I have to do and something that I need to do for Israel, my way of life, and my beliefs,�

Love said.

According to Love, the fact that he knows current Israeli military members helps his decision to enter its armed forces. Love is close with helped him chose what division of the armed forces would be best for him.

“I have friends who are in the Special Forces and they talked to me about the training and aspects of each division,� he said. “For what I want to become, an anti-artillery sniper, the training is around six months, then if you get in for the position you applied for, up to a year and a half.�

For every citizen entering the military, three months basic training is required. However, extended training is needed if a citizen wants to apply for special units or positions, like Love.

Ultimately, the idea of required military service may seem strict or even unlawful to some Americans. However, according to Love, for a country like Israel, it is necessary. “For a small country that is constantly under attack from up to six different major countries, you need required service,� Love said. “It’s really just necessary for Israel to survive.�

Love will be serving for a slightly longer time period than average, four and a half years compared to the average of three, providing he is accepted into the division he is pursuing.

The three-month basic training program will start for Love in September, signaling the beginning of his enrollment in the warring country’s military. Although love sees the risks, to him it is ultimately worth it.

Love said, “I love Zionism, I love Israel, so I am willing to fight for it.�

-OVIE TO BE l LMED AT $(3 On March 3 the halls will be busier than normal. A new movie featuring Hilary Swank, Minnie Driver, Sam Rockwell and John C. Reilly, will start filming at DHS. “Betty Anne Waters� is a movie about a single mother who returns to law school to defend her brother who is wrongfully convicted of murder. The school office will be used in the movie for a scene in which Hilary Swank’s character is signing up for college classes. Because the office is being used for the film, the main hall will be shut down for the day. “There might be a lot of caution tape out,� Moran said. “I’m hoping they like using the school and the village, and with all the movies coming to Michigan maybe we can get more movies made here.�

&AN BREAK SETS OFF l RE ALARM

-JBJTPO %FQVUZ .PCCT SFBTTJHOFE Olivia Scheffler opinions

Kaitlyn Shepard features editor

S c ho ol L i a i s on D e put y Pau l Mobb s h a s not b e e n w ork i n g i n t he h ig h s c ho ol s i nc e No v e mb e r a nd h a s b e e n r e a s s ig ne d , ac c or d i n g to P r i nc ip a l K it Mor a n .

Mor a n s a id , “ We d id n’t k now i f t he r e a s s ig n me nt w a s goi n g to b e p e r m a ne nt b e for e , but t he Wa s ht e n aw C ou nt y S he r i f f ’s D e p a r t me nt has

p o s t e d t h at it w i l l b e now. A nd f r om now on , t he p o s it ion at t he h ig h s c ho ol w i l l b e r ot ate d (a mon g v a r iou s de put ie s) .�

A c c or d i n g to Mor a n , t he de c i s ion to r e a s s ig n Mobb s c a me a s a s u r pr i s e to h i m a nd t he s t a f f.

Mor a n s a id he w a s at a n ad m i n i s t r ator ’s me e t i n g w he n he r e c e i v e d a c a l l f r om S e r ge a nt L i s a K i n g of t he Wa s ht e n aw C ou nt y S he r i f f ’s D e p a r t me nt . K i n g i s Mobb’s

Photo Illustration by Chas Sloan

s up e r v i s or, a nd s he de c l i ne d to c om me nt on Mobb’s r e a s s ig n me nt . “L i s a s a id w e ne e de d to t a l k , a nd t h at ’s w he n s he told me Pau l h ad b e e n r e a s s ig ne d ,�

Mor a n s a id .

Mor a n a l s o s a id he h a s s p ok e n w it h Mobb s a nd t he de c i s ion to r ot ate of f ic e r s t h r ou g h t he h ig h s c ho ol i s OK w it h h i m . “ Mobb s i s c u r r e nt y on p at r ol i n a nd t h r ou g hout Wa s hte n aw C ou nt y a nd he’s doi n g f i ne . He s a id he’s OK w it h t he c h a n ge ,�

Mor a n s a id .

This c h a n ge is not on l y due to Mobb’s r e a s s ig n me nt but a l s o t he t u r no v e r i n s he r i f f s a f te r t he No v e mb e r e le c t ion , ac c or d i n g to Mor a n . “D ue to t he r e c e nt e le c t ion , S he r i f f M i n z e y i s no lon ge r i n of f ic e ,� Mor a n s a id . “B e c au s e of t h i s , w e m ay s e e c h a n ge s i n t he p ol ic e de p a r t me nt t h at c ou ld de c ide how of f ic e r s w ork i n t he h ig h s c ho ol .�

Ev e n t hou g h K i n g s a id s he c ou ld not c om me nt on t he i s s ue , one s t ude nt s a id s he t h i n k s s he i s r e s p on s i ble for Mobb’s r e a s s ig n me nt .

F r e s h m a n Fay e B oute l l s a id s he s tole m a r iju a n a f r om Mobb’s of f ic e , w h ic h i s w h at got h i m i nto t r ouble . “It ’s t r ue . It w a s a l l my f au lt ,� B oute l l s a id . “I s tole t he w e e d a f te r he s how e d

me t he s t u f f he h ad t a k e n f r om k id s at s c ho ol .�

This i n for m at ion w a s c on f i r me d b y a s ou r c e w it h k now le d ge of t he i nv e s t ig at ion w ho a s k e d not to b e ide nt i f ie d .

T he S q u a l l at te mpte d to obt a i n Mobb’s p e r s on ne l f i le a nd d i s c ipl i n a r y r e c or d f r om t he Wa s hte n aw C ou nt y S he r i f f ’s D e p a r t me nt a s p a r t of T he F r e e dom of I n for m at ion Act. A c c or d i n g to t he S t ude nt P r e s s L aw C e nte r w e b s ite , a publ ic or go v e r n me nt b o d y mu s t pr o v ide ac c e s s to it s r e c or d s up on r e q ue s t u n le s s t he r e c or d or me e t i n g f a l l s w it h i n a s p e c i f ic e xe mpt ion of t he S t ate’s op e n r e c or d s l aw.

How e v e r, t he F OI A r e q ue s t w a s de n ie d b a s e d on t he f ac t t h at p ol ic e of f ic e r s’ p e r s on ne l f i le s a r e e xe mpt f r om F OI A r e q ue s t s .

SPL C A t tor ne y A d v o c ate Adam G old s te i n c on f i r me d t h i s i n for m at ion but s a id s e p a r ate d i s c ipl i n a r y r e c or d s s hou ld b e av a i l able i nde p e nde nt l y.

A n at te mpt to F OI A t he s e r e c or d s r e s u lte d i n a s i m i l a r de n i a l f r om T he S he r i f f ’s de p a r t me nt .

Mobb s d id not return mu lt iple e -m a i l r e q ue s t s a s k i n g for c om me nt on h i s r e a s s ig n me nt .

Mor a n s a id , “ We h ate lo s i n g D e put y Mobb s .

I fe e l t h i s bu i ld i n g i sn’t a s s a fe w he n Mobb s i sn’t he r e . T he r e a r e p e ople w ho a r e go o d at ( b e i n g a l i a i s on of f ic e r), a nd he i s one of t he m .�

In early January, the schools fire alarm repeatedly went off during one day. Many thought the alarm system was malfunctioning. However there was actually a fire. A fan, used to circulate air through the high school broke and caused smoke to fill a room by the locker rooms. The alarm system detected the smoke and went off. Not being able to locate the problem, school officials reset the alarm, not knowing anything was wrong. The alarm continued to go off until the problem was found. “Everything is fine now,� Principal Kit Moran said. “We’re just glad to know that the alarm system is working.�

"RONSON WINS ADMIN AWARD Mill Creek Principal Jami Bronson has been awarded the Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Principal of the year. Bronson was nominated by Dr. Nic Cooper, former Saline High School principal. Despite being the only Dexter staff member to receive this award, she said the people she works with also contribute to the positive environment created in Mill Creek. “I am a firm believer you are only as good as the people around you.� Bronson said. “Each day the Mill Creek staff goes above and beyond to meet the needs of students. They are an incredible group of people who work so well together. They are the ones who deserve the recognition, they are on the front lines every day being innovative, creative, caring, giving, compassionate.� Bronson will be presented her award in March at the state conference.

0IONEER STUDENT DIES On Jan. 12, Pioneer High School student Michael Jefferson, 15, collapsed and died in the hallway of his school. Jefferson had complained that he was not feeling well during a gym class and was assisted to the office by another student.

While they were on there way to the office, he collapsed and fell into a seizure. He was rushed to the office, and the school nurse performed CPR and used a defibrillator to try to revive him. The school is facing criticism because of the time it took them to call 911. It took them six minutes to pick up the phone and call. Many people found this unacceptable, but the police reviewed the security tapes, which caught most of the incident, and declared that the school staff reacted fast enough.

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4

Feature

Friday February 27, 2009

4XPWFSMBOE It is the end of the third quarter, and Dexter is on a run. Junior point guard Stefan Elslager makes yet another basket, and the swish of the ball through the hoop is followed shortly by a roar of approval from Dexter’s student section.

By the time the buzzer ends the third quarter, Dexter has scored 18 points in five minutes.

At the end of the game, the scoreboard reads 53-36 in vivid orange letters--a decisive victory against a longtime rival. It is the first win for Dexter on Chelsea’s court in four years, and it is the fifth game in a row that the Dreadnaughts have emerged victorious.

Squeaking sneakers on the gym floor slowly halt while more than 200 Dexter students cheer in one black mass. This year’s varsity mens Dexter vs.

Chelsea game left fans and players alike elated and proud. But what about the coach at the sidelines?

R a ndy

Swoverland has been coaching at Dexter for more than 13 years.

He has lead the varsity mens team to numerous victories, SEC titles and district titles. He has been coaching as Dexter’s head coach since 1990, although he coached at Adrian for three years from 20012004. He returned from Adrian in 2005 when Mike Bavineau stepped down from the position of head coach at Dexter.

Swoverland is known for being a great coach, although his reputation doesn’t exactly make him seem amicable. “We don’t get compliments if we win,” Elslager said. “And if we lose, we have to run for every turnover over 15.”

“He’s usually pretty collected after losses, more analytical than anything,” junior Thomas Monson said. “Wins are obviously a little more upbeat, but there are always things to improve on no matter what the outcome, and that is what he focuses on the most.”

“The only time he’s ever had absolutely no negative comments was this year’s game against Huron,” senior Ryan Lemasters said. Huron went into the Jan. 13 game undefeated (also No. 6 in the state, class A), and Dexter managed to beat them 64-45.

“He’s very dedicated,” Elslager said. “He scouts every team we

p l a y and shows us films.”

According to Elslager, a typical practice under Swoverland usually includes reviewing plays, scrimmaging, and analyzing tapes of rival teams. Swoverland makes sure his team is as prepared as possible before games.

“Practices are pretty structured,” Monson said. “Everything we do has some sort of significance in preparing for our next game.”

“His style of coaching is definitely old-school. He focuses on the fundamentals,” Lemasters said.

Whether or not his players jibe with his personality, according to his players, Swoverland is committed to improving his team.

“Coach expects us to work hard every minute we are on the floor,” Monson said. “He’s consistent and professional.”

“He’s very stern and strict,” Lemasters said. “But what most people don’t realize is that he has a great sense of humor. He can be really enjoyable.”

Photo Illustration by Kelsey Heilman

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Lindsay Fisher staff writer

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Senior Jake Justice and debate partner, sophomore Lucas Hosford smile after winning the MSCI JV State tournament.

Justice and Hosford prepare for their tournament.

Senior Logan Powell and junior Henry Seeger pose with their newly won plaque from the MSU JV tournament.

Sophomore Cameron Maish and South Lyon junior Nick Evans pose after their debate at the MIFA State Legislative Debate tournament. photos courtesy Deb Marsh

Come for the food, stay for the fun. That’s what first drew senior Jake Justice to the debate team.

Justice joined the debate team two years ago when friend Ephy Love told him there were free s’mores at the meetings. “I was put to work immediately, but I stayed because it was fun,” Justice said.

On Jan. 17, Justice and partner Lucas Hosford won the JV state debate tournament at HH Dow High School in Midland. They won with their debate on alternative energy.

“It was so relieving to win,” Justice said. “We had debated for 10 hours already that day. We pretty much expected to win, but it was still accomplishing.”

English teacher Deb Marsh has been a debate coach since 1983, and adviser for Dexter’s team since 1994. She said she enjoys Justice’s debate style.

“Jake has creative arguments and always pushes the envelope,” she said. “Him and his partner Lucas like to use things like Chuck Norris, and answers to power the world, both to be funny as well as to make a point. It’s very important to know that debates consist of two sets of partners. You can’t debate without a partner.”

This out-of-the-box style is what Justice loves

about debate.

“There are really no rules,” Justice said. “You can do whatever you want. You could recite a poem. People may think it’s ridiculous, but you can get away with it.”

Despite their care-free attitudes and funloving mentality, Justice and Hosford have been successful. They have made it into elimination round in several tournaments and have won both JV states and a tournament in West Bloomfield.

The debate team gets to travel quite a bit as well, which Justice said he enjoys. And for some tournaments they get to stay in hotels, such as a recent tournament in Auburn Hills.

“We travel all around Michigan, and we get to miss a lot of school. I haven’t been to school on a Friday since before winter break,” Justice said.

This is not Dexter’s first pair of debate champs.

In 2002 Dexter took first in the Novice category, which is for the first year debaters only.

In 2003 as well as 2004 Dexter also took first in the varsity category, which is for debaters of more than two years experience.

Now a JV first in 2009 can be added to the list.

JV is for debaters who have been debating for two years.

This year’s team consists of about 20 members.

Justice said, “I’m interested in pursuing debate further in college, possibly at Wayne State University, and is looking for scholarships involving debate and to continue my success at new levels.”

5

Feature

Friday, February 27, 2009

Students experience the inauguration Coleen Hill staff writer

Standing in the crowd in Washington D.C. waiting for Barack Obama to take oath, senior exchange student Gourinchas was amazed. He couldn’t believe he was there watching the big screens. The crowd was silent with respect, waiting for history to be made.

“I was pretty happy,” Gourinchas said. “It’s American history.”

Standing next to his host family, Gourinchas said he was amazed at what he was experiencing.

“It was a big moment,” Gourinchas said.

“Everyone was silent when he was taking oath.”

When Gourinchas found out he was going to see the inauguration of President Obama with his host family, he was amazed. So amazed he immediately e-mailed his friends in France telling them the good news.

“My friends said, ‘Oh can you buy me this,’” Gourinchas said. “I bought a lot of souvenirs for my friends.”

Gourinchas host father Michael Wendorf said he and his family formerly lived in Washington, D.C and had followed Barack Obama’s campaign from the beginning. Since they think of Gourinchas as a part of their family, Wendorf said he and his family decided to take Gourinchas to the inauguration with them.

“I think it’s important for Bastien to see our

nation’s capital on such an important day,” Wendorf said.

Senior Shawn McCargar was also excited on inauguration day, but for a different reason.

McCargar’s dad Jim McCargar worked for the Obama campaign.

“My dad did a lot of door to door campaigning,” McCargar said. “My dad also passed out signs and sort of became a leader of the campaign.”

McCargar said although he was overwhelmed by the whole campaigning process, he does wish he got more involved.

“The inauguration was a moment I had been waiting for a long time,” McCargar said. “I got caught up in my dad’s excitement.

McCargar said he doubts he will talk about the inauguration in the future. He said he will probably be talking more about the process it took to get there.

“I’m really proud of the work my dad did,” McCargar said. “It was an amazing thing he did.”

McCargar said he and his dad would have loved to go to the inauguration to see Obama take oath.

“I would have loved to go,” McCargar said. “It would have been impossible though.”

But it wasn’t impossible for Wendorf or Gourinchas. And Wendorf said there were huge crowds throughout Washington and there was so much to do and see while being there.

“Out of all the memories I have, the most striking is the sense of good will and joy among all the people,” Wendorf said. “This was the one time to be a part of not only history but a policy.”

Wendorf also said it was nice to see so many people of different races and ethnicities come together for this event.

“We could all learn from this event,” Wendorf said. “It was nice to see the inauguration of the first black President at a time the country was ready for change.”

Gourinchas said he and the Wendorfs spent most of the day standing outside waiting for the inauguration to begin.

“When we arrived there were people everywhere,” Gourinchas said. “We couldn’t walk.”

The Wendorf family and Gourinchas stayed at the inauguration for about an hour but then left and watched the rest on television so they could get warm.

“We were going to stay for the parade, but it was delayed. And we were cold,” Gourinchas said. “It was suppose to start at 2 o’clock but didn’t actually start till 4 o’clock so we only saw a little of it.”

Gourinchas said that the inauguration was a huge moment that he will never forget.

“I’m happy I went,” he said. “It was amazing.”

Left: Bastien Gourinchas sits on a police motorcycle.

Middle: The US Capitol building where Obama is about to take oath of office.

Above: Bastien Gourinchas (left) stands under the 56th Presidential Inauguration banner in Washington, D.C. All photos courtesy of Bastien Gourinchas.

Student teacher adjusts to changing roles Andy Whitaker staff writer

It has only been four years since student teacher Devin Palmer was in high school, but a lot of things have changed in that short period of time. The most significant change she said she has gone through is the switch from student to teacher.

Palmer teaches math with Brian Baird, and she is his eighth student teacher in 17 years.

“I feel it’s very important to give back to the profession,” Baird said.

“It’s kind of like coaching students. We sit down after each time she teaches and review what went well and what she could improve on.”

Palmer is a senior at University of Michigan and said she hopes to teach high school math following graduation. “I’ll be certified to teach math in grades six through twelve,” Palmer said. “But I’d like to teach at the high school level.”

Palmer said that she wouldn’t mind working at the middle school level, but she would prefer to work with high school students. “High school students are at a higher maturity level, and the math classes are at a higher degree of difficulty as well,” Palmer said.

Palmer said she hasn’t had too much trouble coming back and adapting to the high school atmosphere, but it was a little different with the changing of roles.

“High school hasn’t changed much since I graduated,” Palmer said,

“but it is a little different being up in front of class instead of in a desk learning. Instead of just concentrating on whether or not I understand something, I have to be concerned about all of the students in the class.

I need to figure out how I can help all of the students by addressing all different styles of learning.”

Palmer said she knew in high school she wanted to study math in college, but she wasn’t sure how she would apply that to a career.

“I always liked math,” Palmer said. “I was the person in class who always helped the other kids and helped tutor people after school. I looked into a lot of different things (at Michigan) and ended up deciding on becoming a teacher.”

Baird said he enjoys having Palmer as a student teacher and is impressed with her work so far.

“She’s been doing excellent,” Baird said. “She has good control of the class, and she grasps the concepts really well.”

Palmer says she really enjoys the rewarding feeling derived from teaching and helping students who are struggling to understand a concept.

“The greatest part about teaching is when the student doesn’t understand something, and they’re getting so frustrated, and then all of a sudden you just say one thing different and it finally clicks,” Palmer said. “It’s such a rewarding experience.”

•Brian Baird’s student teacher Devin Palmer

Student Teacher Devin Palmer helps students in math teacher Brian Baird’s class. Palmer is Baird’s eigth student teacher in 17 years.

food: corn beef and cabbage movie: "Spaceballs" least favorite subject: English color: yellow vacation spot: Caseville, Mich. [“up in the tip of the thumb”] favorite band: Eric Church Country

photos by Jason Lomax

6

Health

Friday, February 27, 2009

photo illustration by Lindsay Baker

Is indoor tanning a safe alternative to the sun?

Allison Sutter Health editor

For many teens, indoor tanning is a popular activity during the cold winter months.

“It makes you feel healthier and not white during the winter,” senior Stephanie Ager said. “I see a dermatologist every couple months. You have to be careful, but I only tan a few times a week, which is a lot less than I used to. I’m superwoman. I’m never going to get skin cancer.”

However, according to Lisa Pilley, physician assistant at Northwest Dermatology Institute, “There are no health benefits to tanning indoor or outdoor.

It increases the chance of squamous cell, carcinoma and melanoma skin cancer, and the risk of melanoma is increased 70 percent when used by teens or people in their 20s.”

This five billion dollar industry has positive and negative affects according to Arizona Tanning employee *Sandra Bishop.

“It is different for each person, but tanning is recommended to help with seasonal depression, psoriasis, rashes and an overall sense of feeling more energetic and healthy,” Bishop said. “In order to be safe, ask your doctor and prevent burning by using SPF lotion and not tanning for too long or too often.”

While there are positive aspects of indoor tanning, there are

some important things to keep in mind. “People who are fair skinned, with blonde or red hair, and light colored eyes- blue, green, grey, are at a greater risk of developing skin cancer,” said U of M Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine Mary Kleaveland. “In my practice at West Ann Arbor Health Center, I have diagnosed many basal cell skin cancers and found close to 10 early melanomas in patients. I have also had several patients die of melanoma.”

Some students use the tanning bed only a few times before a vacation to a hot area, hoping to get a head start on being in the sun. “I tan for spring break to get a tan so I prevent burning,” senior Tate Sanders said. “I just went about twice a week for a few weeks before my vacation last year. It’s smarter.”

Kleaveland has faced skin cancer in her own family and is opinionated about tanning without protection, indoor and out.

“My mother died at age 56 after a two-year battle with melanoma.

She did not use a tanning booth but grew up playing outdoor sports such as swimming, sailing and golfing,” Kleaveland said.

“When she was young, we did not know the risks associated with too much sun exposure.”

There are healthier alternatives to indoor tanning according to Pilley. Spray tanning, which is available at Arizona Tanning can create a tan in one trip. Kleaveland said, “I recommend that my patients do not use tanning booths ever.”

Tanning Facts • On average, more than 1 million Americans visit a tanning booth everyday.

• 70 percent of indoor tanners are female.

• Every tanning salon in America allows only 20 minutes for each tanner per day. www.tanningfacts.com Academy of Dermatology

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For parents, the Wii may be a dream come true. Now children won’t just be sitting on a couch.

They will be up, moving while playing video games. And with the new game of Wii Fit, children and adults can get in shape while having fun.

The Wii Fit combines four ways to get in better shape: yoga, balance games, strength training and aerobics.

Each game has five or six ways that help players become more fit.

There are 15 muscle toning workouts to help users become more fit.

“The balance games are most fun,” social studies teacher Cory Bergen said. Bergen also said he enjoys a good boxing match every now and then.

Wii was design to get people up off their feet and to interact with the game.

With the creation of Wii Fit people can stay in the comfort of

their home and exercise.

“It’s an advantage for most people,” Bergen said. “It shouldn’t replace workouts, but it’s good motivation.”

Although the game is fun, it also is good for users; it is a product that beats the repetitiveness of going to the gym.

And while it won’t replace a gym, it cabn build good habits for later in life according to Bergen.

Bergen also said his children use Wii, and he hopes that it will start good habits for them. But for the game to be effective users will have to be committed to becoming more fit.

“I don’t use it enough,” sophomore Andrew Herring said. “Most of the time just for fun”.

PE teacher Tom Barbieri said by using the balance board, however, the Wii can help people become more fit.

The Wii Fit may be great for some people but even harder to use for others, with all the distractions of home around to stop workouts.

“It’s impractical to workout while playing video games,” junior Danny Cohen says.

Children are difficult to sit down and to commit to something, so will it be possible for them to workout with the Wii? “I would most definitely leave the game,” Cohen said.

So the question some people ask is with this workout being a game, what stops someone from switching the disk or going to the kitchen to make some food?

All of the things that are offered in a house may not be available in a gym. Gyms have an atmosphere for working out, and people to help and motivate. “I’d choose a real workout because it’s actually working out.”

Cohen said.

With all the fun games the Wii Fit offers, can anyone resist its temptations? Yes for some. No for others.

But either way the Nintendo Wii has helped some kids get off the couch and interested in moving around and being involved in fun activities.

illustrations by Lindsay Baker

7

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Friday, February 27, 2008

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Kevin Mors staff writer

On Feb. 5-8 the drama club presented the musical “Hello, Dolly.” “Hello, Dolly” is a long-running musical, and there are numerous versions and remakes of the show Some of the earliest versions of “Hello, Dolly” are the “Merchant of Yonkers” in 1938 and “The Matchmaker” in 1955.

“Hello, Dolly” has also won many awards over the years including a Tony award for best musical. It has also been nominated for nine other Tony awards.

Also, in 1969 it was made into a film which was nominated for seven academy awards.

The play starts out in New York based on the life of Dolly. She is what she calls a meddling matchmaker. Her new job is to find a match for the rude half millionaire Horace Vandlergelder.

Junior Caroline Buckley was the lead role, Dolly in the DHS production. Buckley said she loves performing in musicals because she doesn’t like acting but loves to sing. She said the whole thing was fun, and she loved singing Dolly’s songs. “The best part of playing Dolly was probably getting to boss everyone around in the musical,” she said.

Senior Kendall Chappell was a first

time performer. She said she had never tried out to for a musical before, but it was her senior year and she thought it would be a new, fun, interesting experience.

“The best part is getting to talk to people you would have never talked to outside the play,” Chappell said. “Just don’t be shy and try it out. It’s really fun and lots of great kids will be with you.”

Director Erin Palmer said she was pleased with the performances. “Usually it takes 8-10 weeks for any level of performers to prepare for a musical,” Palmer said.

“The kids got ready in just five weeks. Kids practiced five days a week and even some Saturdays they came in for extra practice.

The kids lived for ‘Hello Dolly’ for those five weeks in order to give a good performance.”

Palmer also said the next drama club event will be in April at Copeland.

High school and middle school students will be performing a musical-comedy together, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.”

Palmer said, “It’s really going to be a whole community event involving all grade levels. The lobby for the play will be decorated by art from the elementary school kids. Each grade level will be involved in some way.”

“You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” will be performed April 23-26.

Let’s duet: Junior Caroline Buckley and Corey Bower sing a duet together during the opening act.

Mitch Clark, John Oliver, Bobby Elder, Andrew Schneider, Biscuit Hayes

Brandon Canniff photos by Lee Copley

Jim Kelly, Lisa Miller

Biscuit Hayes, Rachel Lamine Lookin’ Lovey dovey: Pat Ledwidge pushes Kendall Chapell on a luggage cart toward the train to leave for the big city.

'3"/,'03% (0&4 '30. &.$&& 50 1&3'03.&3 Aaron Gilman staff writer

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E L T BAT HE T OF DS N A B

For the past two years, senior Jake Frankford has been the MC at the Battle of the Bands.

“It can be fun experience for most who attend, but it can be an even more memorable experience for ones who participate in the event,” Frankford said. “Being an MC, there really isn’t a most memorable moment. It’s always a good time. The best part though is working with the crowd. You can just say make some noise and watch them go wild.” But this time Frankford will participate in the Battle as a band member for the first time.

“The last two years I’ve been MC for the event,” Frankford said. “MC is a lot of fun, but I’ve always wanted to play, and I have not, so MC is the next best thing.”

Having fun is what Frankford said motivates him to be a part of the battle, even though he hasn’t participated as a band member. He and his fellow band mates, who are from Dexter as well as one student from another school, feel good about how they will do in the battle.

The name of their band is Jehnova. Frankford plays bass for the band. “We feel confident that we will do well. We are all polished, musicians

and I think we’ll go out and bring a good show,” he said.

The band formed because everyone knew each other. “We started jamming, and then we wanted to start a band.

And ever since we’ve been going strong for a good two months,” Frankford said. “We practice two times a week, for three hours a practice, and if we feel that we need another practice or there’s a day off of school we will have another practice.”

According to Frankford the most memorable thing about the battle is hanging out with friends. “The best thing about the battle is when you’re out there you’re not just Billy Bob. You’re actually someone out there,” he said. “Our goal as a band is we want to bring as much energy as possible to the crowd.”

Bringing energy to the crowd is something that Frankford is used to from his MC days.

“We really want to entertain as much as possible and that will probably help our performance,” he said.

Frankford said he really enjoys the whole experience. He said, “We want to be serious and try to win, but the whole point of the thing is to have fun, and if you’re not having fun, then what’s the point.”

illustrations by Val Argerio

8

Sports

Friday, February 27, 2009

NASCAR fuels Dunham

Nate and Tyler Dunham pose watch a stock car race at Michigan International Speedway.

NASCAR fans watch intently from the infield as they cheer on the drivers.

Race Day: Anticipating the big race, drivers and fans prepare themselves for the fast-paced job. Drivers like Ricky Rudd (in the 10 car) put in hours of preparation to be ready for four hours of physically demanding competition. Inside of a car during competition a car can reach temperatures of 100 degrees.

John Brosch staff writer

NASCAR is the second fastest growing sport in America. But why is a sport that involves cars going around in a circle so popular?

Junior NASCAR fan Nate Dunham likes to think it’s the overall atmosphere. “When you have 43 drivers competing for hours and there can only be one winner, you’re bound to have an exciting sport,�

Dunham said. “Half of the entertainment is the fans themselves. It’s great to see a couple hundred thousand people decked out in their favorite driver apparel yelling for their driver.�

Dunham also said it is also entertaining to see some of the people who attend these races. “You see a lot of interesting characters,� he said with a laugh. “Some are missing some teeth while holding a Busch beer and smoking a Winston. Others have a tank top tan and wear goofy hat. Nothing surprises me at the track anymore.�

In a sport where the focus is to constantly acquire more fans, many racing tracks around the country focus not only what activities are available at the track but activities in the surrounding area.

At Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, a prime focus is to draw people for the weekend of the race. M.I.S. advertises golf courses, antique shops, amusement parks, restaurants and lake fronts in the Brooklyn area.

Many fans ride on private buses with friends and family across the country. “It’s fun to see the beater buses drive through Saline on the week of the race,�

Dunham said. “The busses are old, and the paint is faded, but it’s hilarious to see the crazies all proud that their drivers cars’ paint scheme is also on the

bus.�

NASCAR, though it may be appealing to the spectator, is very much a corporate hot bed of advertising. In 2005, when the sport saw a large increase in spectators, the sport raked in $1.5 billion of corporate sponsor revenue.

In that same year, the National Football League brought in close to $445 million, which was second among all sports. “Racing got popular at a good time,� Dunham said, “with the National Hockey League having its lockout, Major League Baseball had its steroid controversies, people found a new and exciting sport to follow.�

And Nate’s father, Kevin Dunham, said he likes to watch a lot of coverage before the race starts and during the week of the races. “I have always been very interested in the competition of building a better car than the next guy,� Kevin said. “I have always been drawn to the mechanical aspect of the sport.�

Many announcers are unique and bring their own point of view to the sport too. Nate said he enjoys listening to the announcers on FOX because former Daytona 500 champion Darrell Waltrip is always full of excitement and enthusiasm. “I love at the very beginning of races, when the first green flag drops, he yells, ‘BOOGIDIE! BOOGIDIE! BOOGIDIE! Lets go racin’ boys!’,� he said.

NASCAR is quite a bit different from other sports to its fans. The intensity, the passion , and competitive nature is definitely at the same level as all major sports.

Kevin said, “The sights, the loud noises of cars going close to 190 mph, the smells, the nice summer weather and the great family atmosphere have made me a fan for a long time.�

A young Nate Dunham receives an autograph from Ironman Ricky Rudd. Many pre-race festivities help NASCAR be a hands-on spectator sport.

Photos courtesy Nate Dunham

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•The first true NASCAR race was held at the Charlotte, North Carolina fairgrounds on June 19, 1949. •This race lead to what is now the present day Sprint Cup Series. • NASCAR is America’s fastest growing spectator sport. There are now an estimated 75 million NASCAR fans.

Source: NASCAR.com

5SBJOFS QVUT BUIMFUFT CBDL PO USBDL Amanda Orr staff writer

While participating in a high school basketball game, Leah Gagnon tore her ACL and was forced to endure surgery and rehabilitation. She missed out on countless practices, games and tournaments. But, little did she know, this devastating injury would lead her on the path to the career of her dreams.

Gagnon is one of the school’s athletic trainers and has been a trainer for six years. “I never even knew that Athletic Training was a profession, but while doing rehab (for my knee injury) I began working with an athletic trainer and started asking him questions about his job,� Gagnon said. “The more I heard the more I felt it would be a good fit for me. I had always been involved in athletics and loved the idea of being able to stay involved.�

As an athletic trainer, Gagnon prevents, manages and rehabilitates athletic injuries. “I enjoy the athletic environment, but more than anything I really enjoy helping people,�

Gagnon said, “I like gaining an athlete’s trust and helping them when they need it.�

Gagnon said another enjoyable aspect of her career is the strong bond she forms with teams and coaches. While attending Western Michigan University for graduate school,

Go Dreads!

Reed Barbering

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We have lawn bags, rakes, and fall fertilizers.

Monday-Friday 8-8

Gagnon said she formed an especially strong bond with a member of the mens soccer team. “During a game one of the players tore his ACL in his knee, and I was able to observe the surgery and do all of his physical therapy with him,� Gagnon said. “This was the first time I was able to independently progress an athlete from post-surgery all the way back to playing again. I am still in contact with him, and he will always be a special person to me.�

Being a certified Athletic Trainer, Gagnon said she has witnessed her fair share of serious injuries.

With frequent concussions and head-to-head hitting, Gagnon said football has the highest risk of athletic injury. “(The worst injury I have seen) was a dislocated ankle during a football practice,� Gagnon said. “The wide receiver was running a route and planted his foot to turn but landed in a hole. He was lying on his stomach on the field, but his foot was pointed up toward the sky, completely flipped around.�

Despite the sometimes gruesome scenarios Gagnon is subjected to, she said she finds her job extremely rewarding. “One of my best moments was when I was able to see the soccer player from Western Michigan run onto the soccer field for the first time after completing his rehab with me,� photo by Anna Aiken Gagnon said. “Not only watching him (run onto the field) 8SBQQJOH BO JOKVSFE BUIMFUFT BOLMF Before a basketball game but he scored three goals in his first game back! It is a great f e e l i n g k n o w i n g y o u h a v e h e l p e d s o m e o n e g e t b a c k i n t o t h e trainer Leah Gagnon aids a student athlete by wrapping ankles. sport that they love.�

Saturday 8-7

Sunday 9-6

9

Sports

Friday, February 27, 2009

M A R C H M A D N E S S

$BJUMZOhT UJQT GPS UIF CFTU CSBDLFU Caitlyn Rize Staff writer

M

arch is approaching.

It’s the first month of spring or maybe another month full of snow. It’s a month of celebrating ol’ St. Patty’s Day, and the start of the last trimester.

March is approaching, and so is the start of NCAA basketball madness.

Selection Sunday is right around the corner, and on March 15 it will be time to fill out your brackets. Instead of picking all number one seeds for the Final Four, or taking upsets every chance you get, take a creative route to choosing your bracket.

Here are the ten best options you could take to perfect your bracket.

Option 1: The Mathematical Equation. I’ve heard Calculus teacher Dewey Scott has torn up the competition when it comes to basketball. Find out his equation for the NCAA Champion, and you will have success.

Option 2: The Coach. Perhaps you’ll go for the classy look of Xavier’s head coach, Sean Miller. Hands down, however, Bruce Pearl takes the cake with his orange suit. The Tennessee coach even showed up to a womens game with his shirt off and his chest painted orange.

It’s crazy and peculiar, but you have to admire this guy’s school spirit.

Option 3: The Most Intimidating Mascot. It’s survival of the fittest for the mascots, so which one would last the longest in a brawl? I’d definitely pick the Trojans, Spartans and Blue Devils over the Buckeyes, Gophers or Quakers. Keep in mind that Louisiana State University actually keeps a real tiger named Mike somewhere near their campus.

Option 4: The Creative Mascot. With our own Dreadnaught, we definitely respect a good, creative mascot. My favorite may be Otto the Orange of Syracuse.

Their jerseys are orange, their mascot is orange, so obviously the Orangemen are set to take the tournament.

Maybe you liked Sesame Street as a kid and would like a character from the T.V. show to win. George Mason has a lovely Oscar the Grouch named Gunston, and Xavier’s mascot, the Blue Blob, looks just like the Cookie Monster. Send them both to the final.

Option 5: For the chauvinists out there, you could base your bracket on which team has the best cheerleading / dance team. More often than not, this decision is based on the amount of clothes the girls wear. Less clothing equals a higher ranking. Pigs.

Option 6: The Uniform. Girls: which team has the prettiest colors, and who looks the best in them? Tyler Hansborough looks great in baby blue and white, but Texas’ uniforms accentuate their muscles very nicely. This is our chance to check out the men for once.

Option 7: Team name. Vanderbilt, Xavier or Gonzaga. These are probably the three sweetest names in the NCAA. Pick one.

Option 8: Team Slogans.

“Rock Chalk Jayhawks” has absolutely no meaning, but it sounds cool coming from the fan section at Kansas.

Option 9: The Bandwagon Option.

During the 2008 tournament, Davidson came out of no where to make the Elite Eight. Not only did Stefen Curry appear out of thin air, but so did the millions of Davidson fans who were behind them from the “beginning.” Whichever team seems to take the spotlight for the 2009 tournament is the team you should follow if you go with this option.

Option 10: The Standard Method. Of course you could take the easy road and choose the teams you actually think will win the tournament. This is lame, and there’s no fun in this option. This method will rarely win you any cash so live life on the edge and try an option listed above.

There they are. There’s nine creative ways to come up with the winner for your NCAA bracket. They’re kind of crazy, they’re kind of odd, but they could work.

Let me know, because I’m entitling myself to half your winnings.

illustration by Amanda Orr

4UVEFOUT USBWFM TQPSUT QBZ PGG Patrick Ledwidge Trends editor

W

hen he s t a r te d play i ng so c c er 11 ye a r s a go, he ne ver t houg ht it wou ld b e a s big a pa r t of h i s l i fe a s it i s now.

But sophomor e Sa m Ju s t ic e, a t r avel so c c er player who play s for M ic h iga n Wolve s U-1 5 (u nder 1 5 ye a r s of a ge), wou ld h ave it no ot her w ay. “I wou ld n’t t a ke bac k a ny of my so c ia l l i fe I’ve m i s se d for so c c er,” he sa id.

Ju s t ic e sa id so c c er i s a m ajor pa r t of h i s l i fe. “My home pr ac t ic e s a nd ga me s a re 45 m i nute s aw ay,” he sa id . But 45 m i nute s i s not h i ng c ompa r e d to t he t r avel t i me Ju s t ic e go e s for h i s aw ay ga me s. K ent uc k y, Oh io a nd I l l i noi s a r e ju s t a fe w of t he s t ate s he h a s to t r avel to for le a g ue ga me s.

Ju n ior Taylor C onter i s a l so a c omp e t it ive t r avel so c c er player who h a s to t r avel long d i s t a nc e s. She sa id she play s for M ic h iga n Ru sh, a c lub t h at a l so r e qu i r e s a 45 m i nute t r avel t i me, t h r e e t i me s a we ek for pr ac t ic e s.

T houg h b ot h a r e r elat ively t he sa me d i s t a nc e f r om D e x ter, Ju s t ic e play s for a d i f fer ent so c c er c lub. Ju s t ic e sa id mo s t k id s on h i s te a m a r e f r om su r r ou nd i ng h ig h sc ho ol so c c er p owerhou se s suc h a s Nor t hv i l le, Sa lem, D e t r oit C ou nt r y Day a nd L a n si ng.

Ju s t ic e sa id b e c au se he h a s to go such a fa r d i s t a nc e f r e quent ly for so c c er, it weig h s dow n on h i m pr e t t y h a rd . “ W hen I h ave a pr ac t ic e d ay, I u su a l ly ge t no sle ep b e c au se I’m up r e a l ly late doi ng home work ,” he sa id.

“I sp end a n hou r a nd a h a l f i n t he c a r a nd up to t wo hou r s on t he f ield , so it t a ke s up a lot of t i me.”

C onter a nd Ju s t ic e play i n t he sa me le a g ue. A c c ord i ng to C onter, t he le a g ue t he y play i n i s c a l le d “MR L”. She sa id t here

a re Midwe s t Reg iona l L e a g ue we ekend s t hat a re held e ver y fe w we ekend s du r i ng t he Fa l l se a son where ot her te a m s i n MR L play 2-3 ga me s to m i n i m i z e t r avel i ng e ver y we ekend. “ We u su a l ly t r avel to I l l i noi s or I nd ia na a nd k no ck of f t h re e ga me s,” she sa id.

Be c au se men a nd women play so c c er i n d i f ferent se a son s, C onter play s club so c c er i n t he fa l l, a nd Ju s t ic e play s for h i s club te a m i n t he spr i ng.

A c c ord i ng to C onter, it i s a long road to get t he opp or t u n it y to play i n MR L . “MR L i s t he le a g ue you play i n a f ter you ma ke it out of t he prem ier le a g ue,” C onter sa id. She sa id i n t he Mich iga n S t ate P rem ier S o c c er L e a g ue ( MSPSL) te a m s t r avel i n s t ate, but i n MR L her le a g ue ga me s c on si s t of mo s t ly out- of- s t ate te a m s.

Be c au se C onter ’s te a m i s so el ite, she ha s e ven had t he opp or t u n it y to t r avel ac ro s s t he c ou nt r y for tou r na ment s. “I’ve b e en to Ne w Me x ic o, F lor id a , Ten ne s se e, Nor t h C a rol i na , Oh io, I l l i noi s a nd I nd ia na ,” she sa id. Ju s t ic e ha s a l so t r avele d to tou r na ment s, but he sa id t he y ma i n ly re side i n t he m idwe s t.

T here i s a so c c er club i n D e x ter b ot h Ju s t ic e a nd C onter c ou ld b ot h play for, but ac c ord i ng to Ju s t ic e, t he e x t r a t r avel i ng i s wor t h it. “I’d r at her d r ive fa r t her i f it me a n s play i ng for a h ig her qu a l it y club,” he sa id.

C onter a nd Ju s t ic e b ot h a g re e, howe ver, t hat b ei ng so de d ic ate d to t hei r sp or t l i m it s t hei r so c ia l l i fe at scho ol, but t hat do e sn’t me a n t hei r so c ia l l ive s a re l i m ite d a s a whole. “ Ye a h, it l i m it s my so c ia l l i fe at scho ol, but I ma ke lot s of ne w f r iend s at so c c er,” C onter sa id. “I u su a l ly m i s s F r id ay e vent s.

I haven’t b e en to one ba sketba l l ga me yet , a nd I c ou ld on ly go to a fe w fo otba l l ga me s.

It ’s l i ke a double so c ia l l i fe.”

Junior Taylor Conter: has played with the Michigan Rush since 2007; also plays on the varsity team.

'BDUCPY • Taylor Conter and Sam Justice have both traveled all over the midwest for soccer including Ohio, Illinois and Indiana.

• They are both defensive specalists.

Sophomore Sam Justice: plays for the Michigan Wolves; also played varsity for his first time this year

10

Columns

Friday, February 27, 2009

Kyle Boren entertainment editor

Everybody love everybody The loudest five minutes of my life, and for many other seniors, was New Year’s Eve of the ‘09 chant that seemed like it was never going to end.

When the clock struck midnight, it was year 2009, and the seniors erupted.

These weren’t necessarily all of the closest of friends, but you wouldn’t have been able to see that. The talk between the seniors was about how everybody in the senior class loves everyone else, or ELE (everybody love everybody). The term derives from the movie “Semi-Pro,” when Will Farell uses it as his team’s motto.

The class of 2009 has been through a lot down the crazy road of K-12. Most of us share many of the same memories. We have experienced a lot of the same stuff. Some are bitter memories, some are hilarious, some are really sad.

But of any type of memory, I hope each senior will reminisce and remember how we all came together as a whole. Dating back to Dec. 11, when the senior class lost a fellow classmate, and more importantly a friend, it was evident to see everyone was helping each other out and that our class lacks the usual cliques. No one felt helpless in

Scott Crompton editor-in-chief

Dexter: good or great?

When playing football in Chelsea, I realized how great of a community Dexter is. The most prominent thing that convinced me of this is when six and 7-year-olds came up to our team and screamed profanity at us, telling us that we’re worthless.

Normally things like this do not phase me because listening to stupid stuff like that is not worth anyone’s time. However, this situation cut me deep. The fact that these little kids were bred to hate Dexter is what bothered me.

This event was not totally bad though. It made me appreciate my

this class because everyone had so much support.

I never thought so much good could come from something so bad. It shows everybody really does loves everybody in this class. It seems to have become the motto between a lot of the seniors.

At large senior gatherings, be it a sporting event or a large party, it is easy to see seniors get along well. Everyone is happy, and everyone is making the best of their senior year. Caring about what other people think is last on most of these people’s minds, as opposed to some past classes with the large number of cliques. In fact, it was rare to see past classes hanging out as a whole.

The reason no clique in our grade has any beef with another clique is everyone is so laid back.

No one is ever really dramatic enough or cares enough to be ridiculous and get angry about something not worth fighting for. The majority of high school drama is stuff not even worth fighting over, and the senior class has realized that.

We shouldn’t look back on our senior year, and think, “High school was just drama.” High school is only dramatic if you want it to be dramatic. Lets not go down as just another class like that.

The senior class should continue to keep up the happiness until the end of the year. Our senior year of high school is coming closer to the end.

We will always think back to these days, so lets enjoy all of it and never look back in anger.

Make it so you’ll never have any regrets about what you should have done when high school comes to an end. Don’t think the normal regret of, “I should have done this,” or “I should have gone to that.” Just go out there and do it. If you have regrets about what you have already done, it’s not worth it to dwell on it.

Enjoy senior year with all the people you have grown up with. I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t spend these last few months with any other group of people. We have so many memories we have already made. Lets make some more.

community, school system and the atmosphere I have been brought up in.

With Dairy Queen as our village’s main attraction, Dexter is a relatively small town. It is a quaint place that holds true to its traditional values and historical roots. You could say it lacks a fast-paced city life or a variety of things to do outside the home. It also lacks cultural diversity. But one thing Dexter does not lack is a quality school system.

I have been in the Dexter Community Schools system my whole life.

I went to preschool at the Little Gingerbread House and attended kindergarten through 12th grade here.

There has never been one time in my required schooling career where I have not had the opportunity to do something to challenge myself and make myself a better student. Our community does a great job in providing this opportunity for literally each and every student who goes through the system.

The opportunities that exist for Dexter students are not there for others in the area. Students from Chelsea or Saline or even from the big schools in Ann Arbor do not get the quality education and opportunity as students from Dexter.

Not many school districts are comprehensive enough to allow students to have as big of an impact in what goes on in the schools as Dexter does. Every year there are two students from the high school that represent the entire student body to the school board. This is a great opportunity for all students. Our voice is heard so that decisions made help us rather than hurt us.

Brittany Martini managing editor

To whom it may concern Before you glance at my mug shot and judge me, before you read my last name and judge me, before you skim the headline and judge me, please take the time to read the following, simply to clear the air.

Because stereotyping and judging people is growing exponentially, I decided to give everyone a little head start. So read on and begin to judge me, for you know no different and no better.

First, I like Ohio. Call me a traitor. Call me a swear word of your choice. I like it a lot. End of story. It sure beats Michigan. It is warmer and closer to the equator. It is home to the Cleveland Indians, clearly the most underrated team in the MLB. Oh, and there is a college slightly unheard of up here, Ohio State. They actually win football games.

Secondly, I like reading. Call me a bookworm. Call me crazy. I enjoy reading a good book in my spare time. The problem with this stereotype is that most who spend time tormenting people who do read are likely illiterate. This is why the stereotype does exist at our school.

Next, I like math. Call me a nerd. Call me a geek or whatever, but numbers make sense to me. With numbers there is always a right answer, a right way to get that right answer. I like that about math.

English, however, is a different story. Words are always complex.

They can be arranged in a plethora of ways, sounding formal or informal, creating an audience, noticing subject-verb agreement, the list goes on and on.

I like photography. I like taking pictures, fi nding new angles to capturing an ordinary event. I want to make this point clear, however. I do not take photos for the purpose of placing them on social networking sites.

I despise the red plastic cup, tongue hanging out, flush-faced, pictures people take of themselves. The mirror pictures are better though. You can not possibly get any more tawdry than a good mirror picture. This is the opposite of genuine photography. It’s just trashy.

I am moderate. I am neither liberal nor conservative. This leads to the common misconception that I could not care less about politics; this could not be further from the truth. I enjoy politics.

It brings out the worst (mostly the angry and the small) of people and makes for awkward fi rst date conversations (or arguments), though.

Do I support our current President? Well, has he done anything for our country yet? Was the inauguration the biggest in history?

Will the price of college rise exponentially? Exactly.

Lastly, the most important tidbit you should know about Brittany, is that if you are to pull out this article at a sporting event, you will not fi nd me.

I am a homebody. I enjoy being at my house and not participating in every school function. Tell me I am missing out on the prime of “high school fun”. Try to convince me watching hometown sporting events are “the highlight of the weekends”. I know better because I have attended two in my entire life. That’s right: two. I do not fi nd fun in them.

Do not get me wrong, though. I do support our school. I simply do not display my affection through physically going to games. I read all the recaps in the newspaper or I hear the scoop of “who took who’s fly swatter” the following day. I simply do not fi nd pleasure in attending a game where the entire student section is dressed in sheets and no undergarments.

I fi nd that as icky as Emo PDA. Even the acclaimed “Best Student Section in the SEC” (which smells like Monster and cheap cologne) gets a little too r-o-w-d-y for me sometimes.

Forever will people wonder why I wrote such a column: I mean I am giving people permission to judge me for Pete’s sake. Who do I think I am? What a completely whack-a-doodle idea. Seriously?

Truth be told, people are going to judge me with or without this column and people are going to judge you and your friends.

But this is a nice way for me to give people a subtle piece of who I am. People will do with it what they wish, but at least this way they have some facts.

The illiterate and judgmental people will have some background to make assumptions about me. Scratch that. They won’t actually.

These people were bamboozled by “whom it may concern”.

Every student gets individual attention from their teacher and is challenged no matter what level of intellect they are at. I have not come across a teacher, janitor, administrator (other than former Interim Principal Jim Bannan) or para-pro who does not invest maximum time and effort into making the part of the school they control the best it can be.

I have been to other schools in the area, and I know students who attend them. The feeling I get when talking with them or visiting is that Dexter takes education one step further and more seriously, as we should.

Chelsea, for example, has a censored student newspaper. To me, this action says that they do not value education nearly as much as we do. How can you censor a paper when the purpose is to learn how to create a newspaper that tackles challenging issues?

They must not want their students to be as well rounded as students in Dexter are. So, thank you Chelsea Schools. Thank you for allowing Dexter to be a better community and provide more for each individual.

We also have the best school spirit of any neighboring high school.

We have the best student section in our conference. We even have a great student turnout to our swim meets.

No other area school can say that. The students in Dexter are of a higher class. We take it upon ourselves to give Dexter a great name through school spirit.

Dexter is a great place to grow up and an even better place to get an education.

11

Editorial

all

Squall THE

Friday, February 27, 2009

call

4BGFUZ TIPVME CF TOPXEBZ QSJPSJUZ Snow days are a part of the school year. Students and teachers depend on them, using them as mini-breaks, knowing they will get a few during the winter months.

However, the most students know about a snow day is they occasionally get up in the morning to watch the news for school closings or go to the Dexter web site to check.

Beyond that, students have no real idea what the process of calling a snow day entails.

This is why we think students should be better informed about the criteria for calling a snow day. We also think the number one concern for every snow day should be student safety.

Students have no idea that director of transportation, Robert Poor, has to go out and drive early in the mornings to test some of the main and back roads when the road conditions are questionable.

Poor sends out three buses to cover more area and also calls Superintendent Rob Glass to see what surrounding districts are doing.

We know students complain if a snow day is not called when students think it should have been. However if they knew how much pressure the decision makers are under, perhaps the students wouldn’t be so mad.

The superintendent and transportation director decide whether to call a snow day, yet no matter which way they call it, angry parents will most likely have their phones ringing.

If they call a snow day, parents with young kids must stay home with their children. However, if they don’t call a snow day, parents think it is too dangerous for their young ones to be out driving or waiting for a bus.

Whether the roads are too slick for student

drivers or buses or it is simply too cold for kids to wait for the bus, if students are going to be in danger getting to school, we think a snow day should be called.

However some think education is worth the risk. That a few slick roads or cold temperature is worth the knowledge gained during that day of school.

We know education is important, but we can’t send kids trudging and driving through kneedeep snow drifts in order to get a day’s education. Though education is important, snow days can be made up, and the risk isn’t worth the benefit for one day of education lost.

Living in Michigan, we have to be ready for these days of deep snow and arctic temperatures.

However we have to know the details of school closings and what the major concern is when these days occur.

We want students to know how a snow day

On Jan. 20, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States of America. His election is historic in many ways, both obvious and subtle. He is the first Black man elected president. And he managed to run his campaign without making it an issue.

His election proves that, although minorities may still face discrimination in some areas, America is a country where any man, regardless of his race, can succeed in the greatest sense.

He also promises to make history by changing the identity of the nation. The U.S. has been known for decades around the world as a loud, blustering, wasteful and bloated bully.

Our unwillingness to cooperate with the United Nations and our unsupported occupation of Iraq under President Bush did little to dispel this notion.

Obama promises to lead Americans away from that tired image by not only working with the UN but by ensuring that all our dealings with foreign powers are conducted with civility, humility and a lack of insistence that we be the “big man” at the negotiating table.

The economic problems currently gripping our nation will present yet another chance for Obama to make his mark, but our relations with other countries are what will ensure our long-term prosperity.

The world is growing more and more globalized, and Obama is taking office with the right message at a crucial time, when we can join hands with the rest of the world or be slowly swept under the rug.

And to those skeptics who like to focus on the little details: the swearing in on Jan. 20 was strictly a formality. Obama officially became the president at noon, while the band that preceded the oath played longer than it was supposed to. He could’ve said the oath backwards, and he’d still be our president.

Obama is our president for good or ill, and it’s our job to support him as best we can.

MANAGING EDITORS: Alex Everard, Brittany Martini

EDITORS

Daugherty

SPORTS: Kevin Yarows HEALTH: Ally Sutter TRENDS: Patrick Ledwidge uPAGE: Jake Larosa

NEWS: Nicholas Miller GET INVOLVED: Brent Muse COPY: Emily Van Dusen

DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

is called so they know why we can’t have them whenever a snowflake hits the ground. However we also want the district to keep the safety of the students as a number one priority and always keep in mind when making a decision for a snow day that giving in to a phone call from an angry parent isn’t worth the safety of an entire town of children.

PRO CON cartoonist/staff writer

Scott Crompton

DESIGN: Candice Wiesner FEATURES: Kaitlyn Shepard ENTERTAINMENT: Kyle Boren OPINIONS: Olivia Scheffler PHOTO: JoJo Parin, Lauren

Obama or Nobama?

Gabe Altomare

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

Jake Larosa uPage editor

In the few days President Barrack Obama has been officially our president, there is no lack of blind, baseless worship of the man by the liberal media and the mindless goons who follow him.

Personally, I hope this guy can really do all the things he says he can, namely turning around the economy. But there are some policies he proposes that are un-American and undemocratic.

The foremost of these is Obama’s proposed “Civil Service” program. According to NPR, in talking about his plans to double the size of the Peace Corps and nearly quadruple the size of AmeriCorps and the size of the nation’s military services, he made this rather shocking pledge: “We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set.

We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as wellfunded.”

In other words, Americans would be forced to submit to two years of federally mandated social service, or would be punished by a 10 percent surcharge on their taxes. Sounds akin to communism.

I also find it funny that when Obama slipped up his words during his inauguration, it was no big deal.

If former president George Bush would have made the same mistake, he would have been ridiculed by the media for it.

It seems as though that President Obama can pass anything he wants through his mandate in congress. And most importantly, the media, whose role is to question and analyze the actions of the president, are too smitten by his popularity and oratory skills to care.

Anna Aiken, Val Argiero, Lindsay Baker, Ross Chamberlain, Rachel Dethloff, Shannon Gronvall, Luke Hattie, Kelsey Heilman, Jason Lomax, Georgia Myers, Daniel Newell, Kyle Oberle, Ashley Sharp, Kevin Sheaffer, Chas Sloan, Ashley Soares, Christian Wiesenberg, Stephanie Wolyniak.

ADVERTISEMENT MANAGERS:

Kelsey Heilman, Morgan Quist, Ariel Star.

STAFF WRITERS Jacob Aliapoulios, Nicholas Baron, Alex Bercu, Max Berry, Alli Bowman, John Brosch, Ashley Burleson, Garret Camilleri, Alexander Dobbs, Lindsay Fischer, Daniel Flowers, Aaron Gilman, Colleen Hill, Patricia Humitz, Marshall Kellenberger, Allison Krips, Marne Little, Krickett Luckhardt, Ian McCarthy, Kurt Miller, Nicole Minzey, Sarah Moir, Sarah Molnar, Kevin Mors, James Munson, Jack Nixon, Amanda Orr, Emily Pap, Caitlyn Rize, Michael Szymusiak, Karly Stanislovaitis, Miles Stephenson, Andrew Whitaker, Alexandria Zadrzynski.

CARTOONIST Gabe Altomare

ADVISER Rod Satterthwaite

POLICY:

The Squall is distributed monthly to 1,195 students and is estimated to reach 4,786 people with each issue.

The Squall is printed by Owosso Argus Press in Owosso, MI and produced by the first, second and third hour newspaper classes.

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.

Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors / MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service Chuck Kennedy/MCT

12

Photostory

Friday February 27, 2009

$SFBUJWF CMJOH DMBTT PGGFSFE Ali Bowman staff writer

Whether she’s adding the final touch to a simple bracelet or starting a detailed ring, junior Ariel DeYoung gets to make and design her own jewelry in jewelry class. A great hobby for some kids has also become a great class for many other creative students. “I think students really enjoy this class because they can find a new confidence in art classes,� jewelry teacher Autumn Campbell said. “They can discover a new talent with jewelry making if they originally thought they weren’t good at drawing or painting. I think they also enjoy making something that they can wear to school, which you see a lot of students doing.�

Students can design and create their own rings, bracelets, earrings and pendants in Campbell’s class. They get to individualize their projects using different sorts of raw metals including nickel, silver, copper and brass. They can then inlay different colors to create their art. “It’s really relaxing, especially because I have it first hour. The atmosphere is really chill,� DeYoung said.

Students use a variety of metal

smiting tools to solder pieces of metal together and inlay colors. They use equipment such as drill presses, torches, saws, saw blades and bench sheers to do so. “Students can make anything they want within the given requirements as long as they make it original and their own without any generic symbols like hearts or peace signs,� Campbell said. “It usually takes them about two weeks to finish a finish a project, and they get to complete seven pieces during the course.�

The class doesn’t require a special recommendation or a qualifying class to get in, but there is an advanced jewelry class available for students who would like to make more difficult, complex pieces. “I’m excited that our school is fortunate enough to be able to support this class because not all high schools are able to,� Campbell said. “The class is a great opportunity for students to have another artistic option other than other traditional art classes.�

DeYoung agrees. She said, “People should take the class. It’s easy and fun and you get to make cool things too.�

$SBGUJOH XIJMF KBNNJOH Senior Jamie Innis concentrates on polishing her finished product and putting a protective coat on it during Autumn Campbell’s jewelry class.

4BOEJOH Junior Sabrina Letwin sands off the scratches on her ring, and shines it in a plate of water.

4BXJOH Junior Nicole Chalou saws out her ring design, one of the first and most important steps of the jewlery-making process.

4PMEFSJOH Freshman Madison Opp uses the torch to weld two pieces together on her ring.

'JMJOH Senior Jacob Portman files his ring to be sure it is smooth on all the edges and the design and shape of the ring are correctly cut.

Photos by Lauren Daugherty