Squall, April 2010

Wa n t e d : S u p e r i n t e n d e n t w h o s t a y s . M u s t l o v e s n o w d a y s . A n d f r e e d o m o f t h e p r e s s . the squall the squall the squall

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

April 30, 2010 Volume XV Issue 8

R O B

Superintendent pulled away from Dexter, takes job in Bloomfield Hills

G L A S S Photo by Candice Wiesner

I will meet some of the community, have a two hour-long public interview with the board and staff writer have dinner with them as well.”

After that, Glass met with some administrators in charge of various aspects of Dexter High School Superintendent Rob Glass has been offered the position of the district, though he didn’t get to meet any superintendent of the Bloomfield Hills school teachers or other staff.

When he begins working in Bloomfield Hills, district. He was one of two finalists for the position, the other being Superintendent Glass said he will have to jump in with both feet and immediately tackle the biggest issue Michael Simeck of Berkley. at the moment there: the Currently, Glass lives in district is attempting Birmingham. He took the job to merge Andover and as Dexter superintendent in 2008 planning to move once The board will be Lahser High Schools, a his son graduated high school looking for ... someone rehashing of a similar in Birmingham. However, who recognizes that our attempt seven years ago Michigan’s housing market world demands that we that was voted down.

According to The tanked, and Glass is stuck in not settle for the status Detroit News, voters Birmingham driving two and quo but instead prepares a half hours every day and our students for a global had reservations about often working early or late. community. the “mega-school” that “Long hours are very Larry Cobler, would be created by such common,” Glass said. “Two board president a merger, but they also rejected a move in 2007 to four nights a week I have to build two new smaller an evening commitment that goes to 8 or 9 o’clock. I also will have a 7:30 high schools to replace Andover and Lahser.

Betsy Erikson, a spokeswoman for the a.m. meeting one or two days per week.”

Glass said this is a big reason he applied district, said the problem is now fiscal. “In the for the position in Bloomfield Hills when it past, it was buildings. Now the conversation opened, hoping to eliminate his commute and has become about economics. Can we keep two high schools open? Can we afford to do this have more time to spend with his family.

Glass was a finalist from a pool of around 30 anymore?”

According to the same article, the Board of applicants. According to Glass, the Bloomfield Hills group that reviewed the resumés and Education should have made its final decision letters of reference eliminated all but four about whether or not to combine the two schools by April 22. If the schools are indeed applicants in the first round of eliminations.

After that, a 45-minute interview merged, the process would be difficult for all eliminated half of the remaining group. The involved according to Glass, who will soon final interview took several hours, according have to tackle that issue.

Glass will be leaving behind a few things for to Glass, who was interviewed before being his successor here as well. Dexter Community offered the position.

Before the interview took place, Glass said, Schools is working on implementing strategic “The final interview goes around eight hours. plan goals such as focus house, foundation

Connor Thompson

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house and International Baccalaureate million tax increase it would have caused.

According to the Dexter Community Schools programs at the high school. The first two would focus on making sure more students website, a decision will not be made as to the graduate prepared for college based on ACT process through which Glass’ replacement standards, a list of developmental goals for will be chosen until after Glass finalizes students and career exploration, along with his move to Bloomfield Hills. The Board of Education does, however, hope to have a new skills required in a more modern workplace.

Supporters of the International superintendent chosen soon.

Larry Cobler, president of the Dexter Baccalaureate program say it would not only provide a diverse educational experience for Community Schools Board of Education, said, Dexter Community School district students “We hope to have the process completed before but also bring people to Dexter from all over Superintendent Glass departs toward the end of June.” the globe.

Though the board has not yet begun looking Next year, additional aspects of strategic plan goal 2 should start to be implemented, a for candidates, Cobler had an idea of what they process centering around character education would be looking for in a candidate: “I suspect programs which would focus on, for instance, the board will be looking for someone with vision, someone who recognizes that our world bullying.

Glass’ final opponent for the position demands that we not settle for the status quo in Bloomfield Hills, Michael Simeck, was but instead prepares our students for a global recently in the midst of a debate within his community.”

The board will also be looking for someone own district, Berkley Schools, over whether or not to pass a $168 million tax proposal to to carry on the initiatives set in the past as well. “There are some improve and modernize the exciting opportunities district, which has several that have arisen from work schools which are old and in need of improvement.

I have never fit any- around the strategic plan, we will be looking for Angell Elementary School, where better in my and someone who can lead us for instance, is 89 years career than I have down the paths that we old and almost had to close down this past winter due here.” have begun,” Cobler said.

Asked how he would to a malfunctioning boiler, advise his successor, Glass according to The Daily Rob Glass, reiterated that point.

Tribune, a publication superintendent “Follow the strategic plan focusing on southeastern and keep working on the Oakland County. Fortunately, things we started.” on the day in question, Glass said he has enjoyed his time in inclement weather caused a county-wide snow day, allowing custodial staff time to fix the Dexter, and, though it does now have to come problem. Other schools in the district, found to an end, “I’ll miss everyone a lot and regret in Berkley, Huntington Woods and Oak Park not being able to continue. The people here are average an age of 67 years. The proposal was amazing. I’ve never fit any where better in my voted down, due to the $4.27 million to $7.75 career than I have here.”

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2

News

Friday, April 30, 2010

News

Briefs

by Jack Nixon

Golf scramble held for Lemasters On Saturday, May 14 at the Ann Arbor Country Club a fundraiser will be held for the Renden Lemasters family. Renden died in an Ann Arbor house fire earlier this month. (see story on page 3).There will be space for 36 teams to compete,with an entry fee of $250 per team. Helping to sponsor the event is the non-profit organization Cleat Repeat, and they will be taking new or gently used sports equipment to distribute to needy children in memory of Renden. To register for the event go to the Country Club or Lafontaine Chevrolet Dealership in town. When the teams are playing, they can take part in a longest drive contest, closest shot to the pin, 50-50 raffle, silent auction and if someone gets a hole in one, Lafontaine will give them a brand new Chevrolet car.

Students fight at Cornerstone Elementary On March 18 at Cornerstone Elementary School, a sixth and a seventh grader got into an argument that ended with one of the students at the hospital. One of the boys struck the other above the ear with a stylus from a Nintendo DS, that ended in a very small wound producing a fair amount of blood. “A bus driver in the area gave immediate assistance while First Responders and 911 were called and offered immediate medical attention,” Principal Mollie Sharrar said. After, the student was transported to the hospital and the parents were notified.

He was released shortly after. “The parents have been informed of the results of the investigation and are in agreement with new measures for additional support measures in place.”

Sharrar said. According to Sharrar, the district is not releasing the names of the students.

Kit Moran wins MIPA Administrator of the Year Principal Kit Moran has been named Administrator of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association and will receive the award on April 30 in Lansing. “I will be there with my whole family,” Moran said. “My daughter has many friends from Dexter, and she is very excited.”

Adviser Rod Satterthwaite, editors in chief Britany Martini and Alex Everard and managing editor Marne Little nominated Moran, and he said he was extremely thankful. Administrators get nominated based on their cooperation with the newspaper staff and their understanding of the issues related to scholastic journalism and student press rights. Moran said a piece of advice he would give future Squall staffers is, “Question authority.”

Healthcare Despite confusion on Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, HR 4872, the long-term effects are considerable

profit motive, Pituch said. “In a small clinic that French and American health care systems, News Editor owns an MRI machine, I could order an MRI for even under the United States’ new, more highly everyone who comes in with a headache,” he said. socialized plan.

“In France,” he said, “the sicker you get, the In this scenario, the money from the co-pays President Obama signed HR 4872, the Heath Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation for all the unnecessary procedures land in the better the coverage.” This differs from the United Act of 2010, into law on March 23, marking the pockets of the doctors who run the clinic. Pituch States where, if one has a life-threatening disease conclusion of a drawn-out battle on the floor of said this strategy is often used by specialists who such as cancer that requires expensive care, Congress over the details surrounding health perform short but expensive procedures, such as insurance companies are likely to put a limit on coverage and force the patient to pay for any costs plastic surgeons and orthopedic surgeons. care reform.

He said the new health plan does very little to that exceed said limit. This can cause financial However, the argument over the merits and flaws of the law still rages, and confusion about discourage using profit as a motive, and it does ruin among those already fighting for their lives.

According to Berry, this is not an issue under not address the need to discourage spending the actual facts of the new system lingers.

Outlined in the new law are provisions to money on expensive interventions and unneeded full single-payer coverage.

“Hospitals do not expect to make a profit, nor expand the affordability of health insurance to intensive care for people with a very small chance does the government expect to make a profit,” of surviving.

32 million more Americans who are This touches he said, adding that France’s health care system currently uninsured. According to on a common is consistently run at a deficit which is kept official White House releases, the Right now patients misconception under control but accepted as an inherent part bill “brings greater accountability to health care by laying out don’t have enough regarding HR of providing universal health care. “No one is which going to be excluded because there’s not enough commonsense rules of the road to opportunity to make a 4872 involves the money.” keep premiums down and prevent choice.” implementation Much of the debate over the new plan has been insurance industry abuses and of “death panels” rooted in the ages-old capitalism vs. Socialism denial of care.”

The reform bill establishes a new Dr. Ken Pituch that would decide feud. Detractors of the bill argue that having the the fate of patients government more involved in the health care health care system for the United system would clog the industry with unneeded on life-support.

States which includes increased According to bureaucracy and restrict freedom of choice in funding from the government to help insure more Americans, as 45 million-- Pituch, this rumor came from a paragraph in the medical care.

However, a New York Times article by about 15 percent of the population--currently do bill which gave an incentive to physicians to speak to their patients about what their wishes would columnist Roger Cohen states that the true not have any form of health insurance.

Official statements, released on whitehouse. be, should their health deteriorate to the point of situation is far from the common perception.

“Both countries use a mixture of public and gov, explain that tax credits will be provided being put on life support.

“This turned into a death panel deciding private,” Cohen wrote. “France is at a very far which could improve affordability of plans with expensive premiums, with an ultimate goal of whether grandma lives or dies,” Pituch said, while remove from ‘socialism.’ The United States has improving the Affordability of health care for stressing that the actual idea in the bill, namely already ‘socialized’ a significant portion of its those who would otherwise be unable to pay for doctor-patient discussions of the course of action medicine.”

Cohen refers to the Medicaid and Medicare if things take a turn for the worse, is an important the cost of health insurance.

The bill also contains a clause requiring the conversation that doesn’t happen often enough programs, which rank among the largest, publicly-financed health systems worldwide, purchase of health care by those who can afford it, under the status quo.

“Right now patients don’t have the opportunity according to Cohen. just as car owners are required to own insurance.

Additionally, citizens of France and other Dr. Ken Pituch, an M.D. for more than thirty to make a choice,” Pituch said. “The only choice is countries with national health care under a years who has spent the last seven years as a aggressive intensive care.”

Another observation from some critics of the single-payer plan may still purchase insurance Pediatric Hospitalist--a pediatrician who only attends to patients admitted to the hospital as bill is its failure to eliminate the current system of from private providers should they so choose.

Berry reinforced this opposed to clinical visits--at Mott Children’s insurance provided mainly by assertion, explaining Hospital in Ann Arbor, says although the new private companies, rejecting that French insurance system has not had any significant impact yet, the the single-payer option that Hospitals (in France) companies do still was proposed early on in long-term effects should be considerable.

Pituch said increasing the affordability of reform hearings. do not expect to make exist under private The concept of the singlehealth care will encourage sick people to seek a profit, nor does the ownership and that the government does not medical treatment and decrease people ignoring payer system very nearly government.” solely control French a completely serious problems or using the emergency room resembles health care. socialized health care system; for non-emergencies.

“Coverage can be This is a solution to a significant problem, the term single-payer refers to Richard Berry, supplemented privately. according to Pituch, who said oftentimes the ER- the single pool of funds from newyorktimes.com Some prefer it,” Berry -which is free for those not yet admitted to the which insurance for all citizens said, adding that the hospital--can be overused by the uninsured. This is provided. The pool would be private insurers provide can make it unavailable for those who need it for made up of contributions from the nation’s employers and employees in the form an extra level of comfort not present in the life-threatening conditions.

Pituch also said with more Americans of taxes, in addition to major funding from the national system.

While both Berry and Pituch expressed insured, hospitals that care for the uninsured, budget of the federal government. This system is such as U of M Hospital, will be able to provide employed in other countries, such as Canada and support for implementing a single-payer system in the United States, each acknowledged that several Western European nations. care at a lower price.

Richard Berry, Editor of Continuous News the new non-single-payer plan is a movement When a hospital admits patients who have no insurance, he said, “They end up charging more for the International Herald Tribune and Head towards a better system.

“It is absolutely a step in the right direction,” Editor of European News for newyorktimes.com, for those who do.”

Despite HR 4872’s achievements in extending has lived in France for 33 years and expressed Pituch said, though he added that it is “a first step care to uninsured Americans, Pituch said the bill strong support for the single-payer system of only.”

Berry agreed. falls short in discouraging corrupt practices that health care.

“For the general population, it’s the only “I see no negatives at all (with the single-payer have been ongoing in the medical community.

Doctors will sometimes take advantage of plan),” Berry said. “It’s the easiest, most equitable step that’s ever been taken outside of Medicare and Medicaid,” he said. “It is a step in the right care reimbursements from insurance companies way to run health care.”

Berry noted significant contrasts with the direction.” and base decisions on personal hunches or a

an analysis by Max Berry

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3

Feature

Friday, April 30, 2010

Dudash nominated for Teacher of the Year

Steve Miller

from the CCSO, “(The national headquarters) only have to deal w ith 56 applicants a year because the lower branches eliminate the rest. It works almost like a sifter, less and less applicants get through each time,” he said.

He also said the National Teacher of the Year is CCSO’s most prestigious national honors program that focuses public attention on excellence in teaching.

If the administrators nominate a teacher, the teacher has to fill out a plethora of paper work according to Dudash.

“It is an application process,” he said. “There were eight essays I needed to write. I submitted the information to the regional coordinator in early December. It takes around five months for the CCSO to sift through to thousands of applicants. They selected a maximum of three regional finalists that go on to the state level. If you are one of the three finalists, they call you at your home. They called me Monday the 12th.”

A nd Moran said Dudash is deser v ing of whatever he w ins. “It’s pretty cool that he’s the top three,” Moran said.

“I think he has a passion and enthusiasm for education and for kids. He gets things out of kids that they did not think they had.”

staff writer

Jaime Dudash has given much to the Dexter school district over his 13 years, which includes teaching social studies at Mill Creek and the high school as well as bringing home five cross countr y state championships.

His reward? Becoming one of three finalists for the Michigan Teacher of the Year.

“Dexter is a great place to live and work,” Dudash said.

Dudash started off his career at Mill Creek and worked his way to the high school, where he became popular among teachers and students alike.

“Mr. Dudash is really funny but at the same time dedicated to teaching,” sophomore Jake Waldrop said.

The Michigan Teacher of the Year is selected by the Council of Chief State School Officers. They have been honoring teachers since 1952, and nomination begins at the local level.

“The state sends out an e-mail once a year in the fall, asking if we have any teachers, secretaries or staff that we feel are deser v ing of the award,” Principal K it Moran said.

Dudash is the first Dexter High School teacher to be a finalist for the Michigan Teacher of the Year.

Furthermore in the past 58 years, only one teacher from Michigan has been selected for the National Teacher of the Year.

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan contacts school superintendents throughout the state and asks if they have any teachers who they feel are worthy of the award, according to Dudash.

“When they sent me the e-mail, Mr. Dudash just jumped out at me,” Moran said. “Ever y parent and student wants Mr. Dudash.”

According to Todd DeWard

Photo by Joey King

Social studies teacher Jamie Dudash helps a student with his work outside of Dudash’s own classroom.

Principal Kit Moran said Dudash does not confine his teaching to the walls of his room, a quality that is earning him recognition.

ParaEducators provide unique help Ali Bowman

staff writer

Most students casually walk past room 408 without ever noticing the unique classroom. But for some, this is where they come every day to take their classes taught by special education teacher Megan Pugh.

“Depending on the student’s individual needs, they may spend the majority of their day (in a special education room), or only a few classes,” Pugh said. When they are not in these rooms, they attend other classes assisted by a para-educator.

The amount of assistance a student receives from a para-educator depends on their individual needs.

They can have a one-on-one para-educator who is with them all day, share a para-educator with a couple of other students or attend supported classes which have one teacher consultant who is available for students who need help.

Barry Gore had been a f light attendant for 25 years before becoming a one-on-one para-educator. A buy out by US Airways led him to retirement which led him to DHS. Gore has an autistic daughter of his own, which was a big inspiration for him to take the job. After being involved with the special education program at Dexter, he saw how important one-on-one para-educators were.

“It’s nice to be a motivational part for a student,” Gore said. “(This job) has given me continued knowledge of how to deal with my situation at home.”

Not being a traditionally patient person, Gore said he has gained patience and compassion from this job.

In Gore’s opinion, the ideal situation would be to stay with the same student for their high school career. “One of

the best things for any student needing extra help, or with my special needs daughter in particular, is continuity,” he said. “Change can be a real challenge and these kids need, want and require a routine. To have one person they are comfortable with, someone they are used to and have a good working rapport with is essential to success, both with the student, the para-educator and with the parents.”

He also said there is a definite bond that develops between student and para-educator. Gore has worked with two students in his time as a para-educator and still stays in contact with his previous student who It’s important to under- graduated last year.

According to Pugh, Dexter stand that everyone is has a fantastic reputation, different.” which is part of the reason Barry Gore, she chose to take her job para-educator here. “(Dexter) has a strong community which makes in possible to go on lots of trips (with the kids),” she said.

Some of these trips include shopping and other activities to practice functional living.

“My goal is for students to become independent productive members of society,” Pugh said.

Gore says he wants to help the students do their best and to see them go on to graduate and get their diploma.

According to him, it’s important to understand that everyone is different. “I sometimes see kids shy away (from special education students) in the hallway, and there’s really no need for that,” Gore said. “They have a have a hard time blending in, so it’s be nice to see students going out of their way to talk to them.”

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Sophomore copes with family death Kaitlyn Shepard

features editor

Sophomore Alex Semifero stayed up all night on April 2. She ate junk food and watched movies. She flipped through the pages of “Seventeen,” while gossiping about boys. She listened to music and danced in her pajamas. The next morning, everything changed.

“My brother, Jay, called me at like 7 in the morning and told me he was coming to get me from my friend’s house to take me to the hospital; someone was hurt,” Semifero said. “My dad ended up telling me later that it was (my step-brother) Renden. I found out at the hospital that there was a 0 percent chance of him surviving. My first thought was how (my step-brother) Ryan was going to deal with it, and if I would get to tell him goodbye.”

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 3, Renden Lemasters’ South State Street rental home caught on fire. The fire started on the front porch of the home, above Renden’s second floor bed room. Renden passed away later that day from burn-related injuries. He was a 2005 Dexter High School graduate.

According to an article on annarbor.com, the fire may be related to a string of four unexplained fires that started around 2 a.m. the same morning. Investigators took samples from all the fires to the crime lab.

“What is suspicious is we had four fires in a close area within approximately 12 hours,” Ann Arbor Fire Marshall Kathleen Chamberlain said.

The string of unexplained fires has left many wondering if the deadly house fire started out as a prank.

“I’m completely outraged. This could have been 100 percent prevented,” Semifero said. “Some stupid kid probably thought he’d play a funny joke, and it impacted my family and all our lives forever.

We all know nothing is going to be the same. I personally want to know how they feel that they murdered someone with so much of their life ahead of them. I hope that person goes to jail for a really long time.”

The cause of the fire is still undetermined. However, according to the annarbor.com story, it may be linked to a series of fires dating back to the beginning of the year.

Semifero said one of the main reasons her life will never be the same without Renden is because of how close they were.

“He was my closest brother,” she said. “I’ve been close with (2009 graduates) Jay (Semifero) and Ryan (Lemasters) on and off, but Renden and I never had a fight. When Jay and Ryan would be mean to me and what not, Renden would always help me say stupid comebacks back. He was always really nice to me.”

Renden expected to graduate from Eastern Michigan University this spring with a degree in computer science. According to Semifero, EMU will be awarding Renden an honorary diploma on Sunday, April 24, during their graduation ceremony.

Renden will always be remembered as a happy individual, who loved living life to the fullest, Semifero said.

“The one word I think of when I think of him is optimistic,” she said. “I don’t think I ever saw him when he wasn’t smiling. He just absolutely loved everything about life and lived it to the fullest. He was nice to everyone, and everyone he met loved him. He gave off happy energy, and it made everyone around him happy.”

Renden’s close friend Bryan Vessels, a 2005 graduate, said he almost never saw Renden in a bad mood and is completely irreplaceable.

“Renden’s personality was truly one-of-a-kind,” he said. “Over the course of 10 years, I saw him in a bad mood only twice. He was the only person I knew that could go to social gathering where he didn’t know anyone and by the end of the night he would be best friends with everyone. I never had that gift, which is one of the many reasons why I enjoyed being around him. I feel like I lost part of myself in that fire.”

According to Semifero, it was this happy-go-lucky attitude that had the biggest influence on her.

“He just made everything easier,” she said. “I was pretty upset after my parents got divorced, and then I got to meet Renden. We played pool and ping pong in his dad’s basement, and it just made things not so bad because I knew he was going to be my brother one day. He is the reason I’m as optimistic as I am.”

Even though Renden can no longer be with her, Semifero still thinks he will have an endless influence over her life. Semifero said her main goal is to make her brother proud.

“I know I want to live the way he did and do the things he couldn’t,” she said. “He’s made me a better person, and his memory will stay with me forever. I will continue to try to live my life to the fullest like he did.”

Although Renden will always influence her life, Semifero said she will always miss her brother.

“He gave the best hugs,” she said. “I really miss that about him.”

Village Hair Design 2846 Baker Rd. Dexter, MI (734) 426-8486

Photo courtesy of Alex Semifero

Renden Lemasters (back middle) stands with step-siblings Jay Semifero, Alex Semifero and brother Ryan Lemasters. Alex is currently a sophomore.

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Feature

Friday, April 30, 2010 According to Schimmel, the Dexter ultimate team had a successful day, winning two and losing two against more established teams.

Although ultimate is primarily low key, Schimmel said when it comes to rivalry, Washtenaw Technical Middle College is the team to beat.

“Since ultimate is the only sport they have, all the athletes play it. It’s like Chelsea for Dexter football. We want to beat them, but we really just don’t have any hope,” he said.

Once students reach high school, sports generally reach an extreme intensity level. The low key mind-set is a major draw for many participants.

“It has a different attitude than most sports,” junior Carl Schimmel said. “It’s more relaxed and we don’t drill.”

Unlike most sports, the ultimate team practices consist of actual games every time. Instead of focusing on specifics, they learn through actual game situations.

“It’s more of a game than a practice we just scrimmage the whole time,” junior Shaun Kreimes said.

Practices take place twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the band field.

Every practice is like competing against a new team, allowing the players to work on new strategies and learn how to work together.

Being a sport that has two seasons, one in the fall and one in the spring can be an advantage for students who play other sports, it is also a

Ultimate frisbee a relaxed sport Taylor Garcia

Staff Writer

Upon arrival at the Detroit Country Day ultimate frisbee Tournament last season, junior, Carl Schimmel knew the rain and cold weather would add a new element of excitement to the game. As the day unfolded, this proved to be correct. The once clean, cut fields had been turned into six to eight inches of mud and the Dexter athletes now had the upper hand.

“Even though we were playing a team made up of varsity soccer players and great athletes, we still tore them apart because they kept slipping with their flats on. We had on cleats, it was great,” Schimmel said.

downfall when players are lost to other sports.

“Our allstar player Steve Ferguson is doing track so we lost him to that,” junior Gabio Viola said.

According to Viola, other players are also lost to golf and baseball come spring season.

For students who engage in other activities outside of school such as part time jobs, the flexibility makes it possible to fit in both work and ultimate.

“It’s only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if I wanna get work off, it’s still a sport I can play,” junior Alex Hiner Andrew Humitz said. “It’s nice to be able to do both.”

This schedule accommodation embodies the laid back nature of the sport. It is a way to get out and enjoy yourself without all of the extra stress, according to Schimmel.

“Practices are optional,” he said. “Come if you want. If you’d rather just not go to practice, you can decide and there’s no consequences.”

Although it is entirely optional, generally 20-25 players show up to each practice, Schimmel said.

“The number of people that play really depends Gabio Viola on the weather, he said. If it’s a nice day out, more people want to come out and enjoy the weather.”

Coach and math teacher Will Maddix started the program in the fall of 2008 and said the response from the students has been nothing but positive.

Kraimes said, “Yeah I’ve really enjoyed having Mr. Maddix as a coach.

He really gets involved and joins in. He doesn’t just sit on the side lines.”

Campell hooked on roller derby Lauren Gagneau

Staff Writer

Being a member of a team and feeling commitment towards each member of it is an aspect of art teacher Autumn Campbell’s life she has missed since high school.

To fill this need Campbell has decided to try out for the Detroit Derby Girls, an all-female, amateur, flat-track roller derby league based in Detroit.

“I loved rollerskating as a kid,” she said. “It was like the place to be. Everyone had birthday parties there and just hung out together.”

Throughout high school Campbell participated in many team sports, including field hockey and lacrosse. And while she did not go on to play sports while in art school, today she said she thoughly enjoys doing a variety of outdoor activities such as rock climbing and kayaking.

However, these sports are more individual, and what Campbell sought was a team, something to be a part of.

A close friend of hers has had season tickets to the Detroit Derby Girls games and has been trying to get Campbell to come along with her. “After having (my daughter)Eva, I just never really had the opportunity to go, even though I had wanted to,”

she said.

But Campbell did attend a game for the first time and she said she was hooked. “After watching the first game, I knew that is something I was going to do,” she said.

The environment of each derby is very energetic but intense at the same time, and according to Campbell, there is a packed house every time there is a game and an all around great community of people. “Everyone is so friendly. All four teams are required to come to each game, and if they are not playing they are there to get the crowd involved and talk to newcomers,” she said.

The Detroit Derby Girls consists of four teams.

Each potential Derby Girl tries out and could make any of the four teams. Along with the physical component of the tryout, Campbell will also have to take a written test, which she has already began studying for. The test covers the rules and regulations for the sport.

Since tryouts begin June 21, Campbell said she made it a priority to start training. “I have to get in roller derby shape” she said. “I try to make it out to the indoor track once a week, usually on the weekend. Eva loves going so I can usually take her with me.”

Her goal is to skate three times a week. Two times a week Campbell does a three mile loop through her neighborhood.

When deciding to pursue the Derby Girls, Campbell said she considered her daughter in the decision first and foremost. “My daughter Eva, was a big inspiration for me,” she said. “If I say I want to do something, she will say, “Then why don’t you?” I noticed as I was getting older I was saying no more to different and new opportunities,” Campbell said. “But I decided I need to start saying yes more and not let things pass me by.”

Photo by Colin Johnson; Courtesy of www.detroitderbygirls.com

Heck on wheels: Detroit Roller Derby girls compete during a game. Art teacher Autumn Campbell is trying our for the team with the encouragement of her daughter.

Photo by Rachel Lomax

The Ocean Bowl Team consists of junior Spencer Bussineau, senior Justin Wike, senior Matthew Sarver, junior Maggie Grundler and senior Kyle Oberle.

Oceans Bowl off to nationals and won.

There they competed against teams like Ann Staff Writer Arbor Greenhills and Ann Arbor Huron.

Nationals will be at the University Of Southern Multiple regional competition wins and trips to nationals in different places across the country such Florida this year in St. Petersburg. There the team will as Washington, D.C. have made oceans bowl a great get to compete against 24 other regional champions.

The best the team has ever finished at nationals is experience for junior Paul Parker.

Parker said, “The ocean bowl team is great, it’s fun fourth.

As soon as school starts, the team prepares for to be with your friends after school. The downside is it the competitions. Some team is like being in another class, members practice and study but the kids on the team every day after school along make it fun. Plus it gives me experience in college level The ocean bowl team with putting extra time by themselves at home. sciences which will help me is great. It’s fun to be For making it to the national in a few years.” with your friends after competition, all expenses are Ocean Bowl is coached by science teacher Cheryl Wells. school.” paid for by NOAA. When the team went to The team has won multiple Alaska, aside from competing, regional competitions and Paul Parker, the team did field work with gone on to nationals six times. junior scientists, which allows the kids to see what a job in the There has been a team field would be like and see if for 13 years and Wells has that’s what they would really want to do. coached the whole time.

Wells said, “This years team is very hardworking.

The team studies a wide variety of science-related subjects including geology, geography, chemistry, They are all science kids, involved in Science Olympiad along with being on the Ocean Bowl team. They’re all physics, biology, technology and law of the oceans.

This year the team went to the Great Lakes very serious kids who I expect to go into a sciences line Research center in Ann Arbor in February for it’s of work in the future. I think being on this team will regional competition at the University of Michigan help them and get them jobs they want.”

Kevin Mors

“

5

Feature

Friday, April 30, 2010

Public speaking is DHS strength Forensics team on fast path to national status Brent Kellenberger

six to eight. Each competitor is from a dif ferent forensics team from a dif ferent school for regional competitions.

Dexter’s forensics team competed in the Southwestern regional competitions before mov ing to the state-w ide competitions.

In competitions, forensics teams are judged by a panel of judges, who give them a rank and a cer tain number of points based upon how the judges think they performed.

If a competitor on a forensics team does well, they move on to progressively higher and higher level competitions.

“I joined the forensics team because I enjoyed forensics a lot in middle school,” senior A my Jones said. Jones is a captain on the forensics team along w ith Kaas and fellow senior Henr y Seeger.

Kaas has been captain of the team for one year and competes in extemporaneous speaking, which is the act of speaking persuasively or informatively about current events and politics.

The forensics team has traveled as far as Las Vegas, Dallas and Wichita, Kansas for competitions. This year, the national championships for forensics w ill be in Kansas Cit y.

Kaas is in the debate class and on the debate team in addition to forensics.

He was originally only in debate, but he

staff writer

When he was in his sophomore year, senior Matt Kaas joined forensics for the f irst time. Now, three years later, he could be a national champ.

Kaas is par t of a team of seven that w ill represent Michigan in a national competition for forensic speaking.

According to forensics teacher Deborah Marsh, the forensics team is hav ing its most successf ul season ever.

Marsh has taught the forensics class for 16 years at Dexter and has been coaching forensics since 1983.

“I think it’s one of the most impor tant classes a high school student could take,” she said. “In this class they learn how to speak intelligently in front of other people. It teaches them how to think on their feet, and it boosts conf idence also.”

In forensics class students practice giv ing public addresses and interpretative speeches and then compete on a regional, state and national basis through the af ter-school club.

The class is only taught in the second trimester, but the forensics club practices and competes against other forensics teams from around the state and countr y from November through April.

Competitors are judged in groups of

says he joined forensics three years ago because he liked it and it looked fun to him.

“I like forensics because of the people in the class,” Kaas said. “They are a good group of people, and they are fun to hang out w ith, even outside of class.”

Kaas has received seven awards this season and has gotten f irst place in competitions in Groves, Nor th Branch and Chelsea among others.

The forensics team usually practices ever y Wednesday af ter school, but now that the team is going to bigger competitions, they practice and prepare for the competitions af ter school almost ever y day.

“When I f irst joined in forensics, I didn’t think I was good enough to get as far as I am,” Kaas said. “The ef for t and hard work I put into forensics and debate class paid of f.”

When Kaas graduates at the end of this year, he w ill be going to Michigan State Universit y to be a member of the MSU debate team. Jones w ill also be going to Hillsdale college to join the forensics team.

Marsh said the skills Kaas and other debaters have acquired w ill help them in the future. “I encourage ever yone to take Forensics or Debate class,” Marsh said. “The skills that the kids learn in here can help them to be more successful later in life.”

Photos by Claire Berger

Junior Brandon Canniff prepares for the forensic state tournament by practicing his storytelling piece.

Senior Amy Jones competes in duo interpretation with sophomore Taylor Petri.

Senior Henry Seeger competes in oratory.

Junior Meaghan Thompson competes in duo interpretation with junior Claire Berger.

Debate becomes one of the top teams in the nation Dan Edwards

Staff Writer

The debate team finished this past season as the best team in Class A; they won the award for the best novice debaters in the state and then finished in the quarterfinals at the National tournament in Georgia.

“I think our team did very well overall. This was the first year we have competed nationally, and we did really well,” senior and captain Matt Kaas said.

In fact, coach and teacher Deborah Marsh said, “This has been the most successful season in my 16 years here at DHS. David Paolella finished fifth in the nation and Brandon Canniff finished second in the National Finals. But Matt Kass and Lukas Hosford were our key varsity players.”

Kaas and Hosford both won four tournaments this year, making them the most successful team in the state. “I’m extremely proud of them,” Marsh said.

The debate team starts to prepare for competitions the first

week of school and the season ends the third week of May with the state championships. The team meets after school in Marsh’s room Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until about 5 p.m.

“We just plan for weekend debates and practice our speeches at practices,” Kaas said.

Marsh said since Dexter has such a good debate program, they have their fair share of rivals. “Birmingham Groves is very good, and I would consider them our biggest competition,” Marsh said.

“Detroit Country Day is also very good. So I’d say Country Day and Birmingham Groves are our main rivals.”

There are a two different types of debates that students partake in policy and legislative debates.

Policy debate competitions consist of two members from the team debating about a selected national topic and subtopics within the main topic. The topic this year was increasing social services to get rid of poverty.

Legislative debate includes various simulations that put students in the shoes of a legislative official and allow them to develop bills and solutions to problems they are faced with.

The debaters are judged by a panel of 3-5 judges. The earlier the rounds the fewer the number of judges there are.

In actual debates, “You debate about a policy that is determined at the beginning of the

year,” former debate team captain and 2009 graduate Jasmine Injejikian said. “You go both affirmative and negative. You basically just read evidence for the coaches for the first two speeches. After that, you just have to answer what the other people say, also using evidence.”

But debate isn’t just a club, It’s also a class. Students in any grade can take the regular class where they learn and practice various argumentation styles and participate in different types of debates. If they wish to further their experience in debate, they can take the advanced debate class.

In the advanced class, they take on more complex topics than in the regular one. As a prerequisite to get into the advanced class, they must receive a grade of a B or higher in the first class.

However, if they aspire to take this class, they will be required to attend a couple of debate competitions where they will f launt their knowledge of basic speech principles and logical argumentative skills to other schools.

Marsh has been teaching debate and forensics at DHS for 16 years and has won some of the most prestigious awards that a debate and forensics teacher can win. She was named the National Speech Teacher of the Year in 2002 and was inducted into the Michigan Speech Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998. Marsh has also won several debate coach of the year awards. “She’s such a good leader,” Kaas said. “She keeps us in line really well, and makes us better overall.”

Marsh also said if anyone wants any information on the debate team, they should go to her room 515 or talk to any of the current students involved in the club.

She said, “We’re always looking for new members.”

Holding the prize: Senior David Paolella and junior Brandon Canniff pose with their awards. Paolella finished fifth in the nation while Canniff took second, Photo by Claire Berger both in the novice category.

Photo and illustration by Claire Berger

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6

Health

Friday, April 30, 2010

Chewing tobacco not harmless ALEX McMURRAY

staff writer

at tack a nd st roke over t ime due to ef fec t s of nicot ine which ra ises your pu lse a nd blood pressure. O t her r isk s include denta l c av it ies a nd g um d isea se due to t he suga r in ma ny of t hese tobaccos.”

Ker noha n sug gest s never using tobacco of a ny k ind a nd sa id add ic t s shou ld f ind ways to stop. A ssista nce c a n be prov ided, she sa id, t hroug h suppor t groups li ke The A mer ic a n Lung A ssociat ion or nat iona l quit lines such a s 1- 800 - QU I T NOW (800 -784- 8669).

For t hose who have contemplated chew ing, Ker noha n sa id t hese people shou ld t hin k if someone wa nt s to k iss t hem a f ter chew ing tobacco. She sa id, “I t hin k it is a hor r ible habit. “A sk how ma ny hig h school g irls wou ld wa nt to k iss someone who ha s just been chew ing.”

His lip is f u l l of tobacco, a nd his ha nd conta ins a t in. His bra in is a mbushed w it h add ic t ion. Senior Thoma s L it t le* uses chew ing tobacco a nd says he ha s no problem w it h it. L it t le ha s been chew ing since he wa s a f reshma n a nd enjoys t he tobacco bu zz. He is awa re of t he hea lt h r isk s but says he does not mind t hem.

“Chew ing c a lms me dow n,” he sa id. “I k now it’s gross, but at lea st whi le I chew I don’t ha r m ot hers. I don’t put t heir hea lt h at r isk w it h second ha nd smoke li ke ciga ret tes.”

L it t le is not t he on ly person at Dex ter Hig h who uses chew ing tobacco. In fac t, DHS senior ba seba l l player Fra n k lin Pa ine* ha s used chew ing tobacco. Why? Accord ing to him, bec ause he cou ld due to his age of 18 a nd bec ause wa nted to. It wa s a substa nce he sa id he wa s cur ious about a nd wa nted to d iscover t he ef fec t s on his ow n.

He’s done it more t ha n once but sa id, “Ever y t ime I’ve done it, I d id n’t enjoy it. I t houg ht I wou ld have a d if ferent ex per ience w it h t he d if ferent t y pes of of fered chew ing tobacco.”

In add it ion, Pa ine sa id he ha s t hrow n up more t ha n once a s a resu lt of chew ing.

Bot h of t hese st udent s may be subjec t ing t hemselves to ser ious hea lt h r isk s, however. Accord ing to Ca ncer. gov, chew ing tobacco is a hea lt h problem t hat c a n lead to cond it ions such a s cheek , tong ue, lip a nd g um c a ncer.

Gum recession is a lso a r isk. A st udy per for med by Ca ncer.gov, concluded roug h ly 7.6 mi l lion people ages 12 a nd over have used tobacco in t he mont h before t he sur vey.

A nd school nurse A i leen Ker noha n sa id, “Chew ing tobacco a nd snuf f conta in t he sa me c a rcinogens a nd nicot ine a s ciga ret tes do. O f ten k id s t hin k it is hea lt hier A dangerous pinch: Smokeless tobacco is ingested through small cuts in the lips and gums creatto chew, but is just a s ha r mf u l a s ciga ret tes. The sa me ed by tiny fragments of fiberglass in the product, which allows nicotine to enter the bloodstream.

According to school nurse Aileen Kernohan, there is no such thing as any level of safe tobacco. concer ns apply a s w it h ciga ret tes such a s add ic t ion (to nicot ine), increa sed tolera nce, increa sed r isk of hea r t

photo illustration by Joey Kind

Balanced food options leave health up to students Coleen Hill

health editor

“Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” is the new hit T V show tak ing people into the schools and show ing processed school food is not all it is cracked up to be.

According to Oliver, children have been brainwashed to believe school food is good just because it look s tast y.

However, Director of Food and Nutr ition, Sara Simmerman, said her job is to create a healthy, balanced meal for students to choose from.

“We have to follow federal guidelines,” Simmerman said. “Our food has to be 30 percent fat or under, and we have to prov ide students w ith protein, bread, vegetables, milk, etc.”

Simmerman also said school lunches only prov ide about 15 percent of a student’s meals and the other 85 percent come from another source, such as their home.

“Jamie Oliver is not separating school nutr ition from restaurants,” Simmerman said. “It is dif f icult to get nutr itious food in the forms k ids w ill eat it.”

Senior L orna Mosher said there is a lot of potential for unhealthy choices in the lunchroom, but it is up to the students to choose w isely.

“I think it is especially dangerous for the k ids who aren’t get ting nutr ition at home and think they can eat whatever they want at school, instead of eating responsibly,”

Mosher said. “It’s up to people to make responsible choices. They do of fer a lot of healthy choices ... I enjoy the fr uit and vegetables they of fer.”

One of the things Mosher least enjoys about school lunches, however, is that they are highly processed.

“Most of it seems highly processed which w ill take away from the nutr itional value,” Mosher said. “I w ish they had more fresh options. I do feel bad for people who have to buy it ever y day because they are eating the same processed food ever y day. The nutr ition people have too high of standards for students. They have to be caref ul on how they judge how other people eat because it’s relative to each indiv idual. What’s healthy for one person might not be for another.”

When purchasing a meal, Mosher said she looks for the healthy choices of fered.

“I always get a $2.50 meal because I pay for it myself,” Mosher said.

“I usually get whatever the entree is, and I get one fr uit and vegetable. I sw itched from get ting the milk because it had a high level of fr uctose corn sy r up in it so I dr ink juice now.”

Simmerman, however, said the Food and Nutr ition Depar tment tr ies to get student’s daily food needs in meals ever y way they can.

“Our pizza is made of whole grain bread,” Simmerman said. “By eating a piece of pizza you are get ting par t of the grain and protein you need for the day. We plan all our

meals ... we make them all from scratch, for example, our Stromboli. If you have the Stromboli w ith milk and an apple, it becomes a balanced meal.”

She also said The food and nutr ition school lunch plans for all the meals to be cheaper if people purchased a balanced meal.

“We make it cheaper if students get a balanced meal instead of buy ing just one thing,” Simmerman said.

According to the USD/MDE the nutr itional standards for lunches at the high school are that no meals can be over 825 calor ies, there must be 16 grams of protein, 400 milligrams of calcium, 4.5 milligrams of iron, 300 retinol equivalents of v itamin A, 18 milligrams of v itamin C. “ The food in our lunches usually ranges from 633 to 800 calor ies,” Simmerman said. “We get audited ever y year on our meals. We have str ict guidelines to follow.”

According to Simmerman, last year the Food and Nutr ition Depar tment spent approximately $510,000 on food for all of the schools and $205,000 of that was spent at the high school.

Simmerman said Dex ter High School has one of the highest par ticipation rates in Michigan.

“K ids really like our lunches and low pr ices,” Simmerman said. “I’m really proud of it because our staf f is awesome. It’s hard to do the qualit y job they do.”

Food Facts •The Food and Nutrition Department gets audited every year.

• For every paid lunch at the high school, the Food and Nutrition Department is receives twenty five cents from the federal government.

• For every free lunch given away at the high school, the Food and Nutrition Department receives $2.68.

•The Food and Nutrition Department spends $205,000 a year on food at the high school.

Photo by Rachel Lomax

7

Community

Friday, April 30, 2010

Recycle Ann Arbor offers free document shredding Matt Sarver

staff writer

Coming with the turn of the century, the strong support for recycling and properly disposing of paper waste gives people the chance to help the environment.

Many cities offer multiple means of environmentally- friendly waste disposal, and Ann Arbor is one of those attempting to keep itself green by offering a way to dispose of secure documents for free through the help of Recycle Ann Arbor.

Recycle Ann Arbor, a private, nonprofit organization and an affiliate of the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, is organizing two free secure document shredding events in 2010, allowing customers to bring their secure documents for shredding and recycling. Partnered with Allshred Services, both events are open to any Washtenaw County resident or business.

“With identity theft a major concern, people are continuing to look for

economical ways to destroy documents that contain private information,” said Jean Brown, communications manager of Recycle Ann Arbor. “All of the shredded paper will be recycled, so not only are the documents being securely destroyed, but the paper is being responsibly recycled.

We get a lot of customers who call to request secure shredding services.”

Even high school students can take part, and along the way learn a valuable lesson. “Even as a student, you should start becoming aware of protecting the privacy of documents that contain your personal information,” Brown said.

“Bank statements, credit card statements, copies of job applications with your social security number included on them -these are all documents that should be kept in a secure location, or shredded if they are no longer needed.”

Students also interested in helping the cause can follow Recycle Ann Arbor on Facebook, where all upcoming events are posted and bulletins are sent out to members.

However, participants do have limits to what they can shred freely. “Customers may bring up to 100 pounds of paper to shred free,” Brown said. “That’s about three standard file boxes.”

Customers with more than 100 pounds of paper will need to arrange the dropoff prior to the event to insure as many customers can participate as possible.

The first event will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 22 until 2 p.m. at Calvert’s Roll-Off Containers, located at 7891 Jackson Road. The second event will be held on Saturday, October 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Recycle Ann Arbor DropOff Station at 2950 East Ellsworth.

Recycle Ann Arbor is not the only organize to sponsor free shredding events.

Both Washtenaw County and Pittsfield Charter Township offer free shredding events over the upcoming months on September 25 and June 26, respectively.

For more information or questions, go to http://www.recycleannarbor.org and download additional details or call at (734)662-6288.

Dexters looks to cut Summer reading program busing to cut costs about more than books Justin Wike

staff writer

moving the transportation facility to the main campus or maybe a transportation loop for buses instead of a pass-through road.”

One of the many proposals to save money in the transportation department is to have K-12 students ride on one bus route, which is known as a single-tier system. This would eliminate the need for more routes which will cause buses to have fewer miles on them, lowering maintenance costs.

“For the (bus) drivers it would mean they have fewer hours in the day, but it would mean more of them keep their jobs and fewer laid off,” Glass said.

Another proposal would

Knowing that $3 million needs to be cut from the school budget Superintendent Rob Glass, the board of education and Director of Transportation Sean Burton are targeting many areas for cuts. One of these is the district transportation system.

“This is just part of what we have to save.” Glass said.

“We’ve been studying these changes for months and months. There are two main reasons. The first is to try to get the cost of transportation in line.”

Burton also worked with Glass in trying to save money.

“My part in the There will be many chaldecision-making lenges for us to face and process for the conquer if the proposed recommended changes go through.” busing changes was more of an

Sean Burton, advisory role,” Director of Transportation Burton said.

“We, meaning myself and the administration, have all students meet at a held several meetings. As a central hub to be picked up. team we provided input to the The current proposal has the central location at the loop and superintendent.”

According to a biannual intercampus roadway between survey conducted by the Bates and Wylie Along with this proposal Michigan School Business Officials, Dexter spends $905 there is the idea that students on transportation per student. would not be picked-up/ The average for southeast dropped-off at their driveways; Michigan is $720 spent per instead students would be picked-up/dropped-off at student on transportation The second reason for these one hub in their area; most changes according to Glass is subdivisions will not have a “with the bond work we are route through them unless it is doing, we thought we could necessary for student safety or be more efficient in its use by makes the route more efficient.

“

At the board meeting on April 12, bus drivers raised concerns about some of the proposed changes, but Burton is not worried about student safety.

“Our bus drivers are professionals and will continue to strive to provide a safe and efficient service to our students and their families,” Burton said.

Another proposal would be to have a no-transport zone inside of 1.5 miles of a students school. The exception for this rule would be any special education students who need transportation or if there are any hazardous conditions that exist.

These hazardous conditions would include if a student has to cross over or under railroad tracks unless a pedestrian crossing site has been established or if there is a condition that the transportation director identifies as hazardous.

According to Glass, the changes will not be decided upon until May 10; they will be implemented next fall.

“The routes will certainly be affected by the proposed changes,” Burton said. “The degree of change will depend on which proposed changes are implemented.”

Burton said the transition between the new and old busing systems will not be an easy one.

He said, “There will be many challenges for us to face and conquer if the proposed changes go through. Basically we will be rebuilding transportation from the ground up with new routes, new policies, new guidelines, etc.”

Charlotte Knoerl-Morrill staff writer For some Dexter High School students, the Dexter District Library is a pleasant place to be. They take home a stack of books every time they visit, devouring them in a few days and then bringing them back, ready for more.

Some students love reading and can’t get enough of what the Library has to offer. However, the Library also offers a range of activities for children and teens, not just books, to get them and keep them reading.

Reading, in addition to being entertaining, also can help kids and teens with real-life situations, according to Julie Darling, the library’s young adult librarian.

“It’s important to keep kids and teens reading for a variety of reasons,” Darling said. “First, studies have found a direct correlation between the amount that kids read and amount earned in future jobs, so reading means that you are more likely to earn a higher income. Second, reading opens up a world of possibilities in regard to learning new things and understanding other people’s perspectives and life experiences.”

The Library even offers a summer reading program, which, according to the Library’s website, had over 1,300 participants last year.

There is a kickoff party scheduled for June 18, which is when kids can register for the program.

For children, the program has them set a goal for how much they are going to read over the summer, and if they reach their goal, they receive a book bag full of surprises.

“The Summer Reading Program provides a variety of incentives for reading as well as interesting and fun programs that bring people into the library,” Darling said. “Every year the theme is different.

This year the theme for teens is Make Waves @ Your Library.

This is only the second time that I’ve done the Teen Read, Summer Reading Program. We have several more events than we did last year.”

Teens can register for other reading programs at the kickoff party in the Young Adult section.

This year’s summer program includes more than just reading, however. Darling said other events will include swing dancing, a Super Science day with the Hands-on Museum, duct tape art, free popcorn during a screening of “Alice in Wonderland,” a murdermystery night, a cake-sculpting and tasting workshop, a pizzamaking workshop with Cottage Inn, Teen Actor Bootcamp with the Purple Rose Theater and an afternoon of gaming with Vault of Midnight.

Past events at the Library have included Drop-In Rock Band sessions, a Books and Chocolates for Teens Drop-In book discussion and a Harry Potter movie night.

“The most popular event by number was the Cutest Pet Contest via Facebook. 250 kids voted,” Darling said. “We had a

Factbox The Events for Teens this May are: • Friday, May 14, Drop-in Pizza and Pages Teen Book Club, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

• Monday, May 17, Drop-in tutoring with the University of Michigan students, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Free tutoring for students in grades 6-12.

Saturday, May 22, Drop-in Wii Rock Band 2 on the Big Screen Tuesday, May 25, Teen Entrepreneurial workshop, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m (Pizza dinner break provided halfway through). The Entrepreneurial coach is David Bloom, Ann Arbor Spark’s 2009 Mentor of the Year

Zingerman’s chocolate-tasting and 50 people came. The most popular usually have to do with food.”

With all the different events the Library is hosting, from culinary workshops to theatre camps, Darling surely has busy job keeping up with all the events going on.

Darling said, “I’m in charge of selecting and implementing the events for the teens, and I try and have different things that appeal to all different interests and that sound like they would be fun. I use almost exclusively local Michigan talent, and I talk with other teen librarians about who they’ve brought in and what they’ve done that has been really interesting, popular and fun.”

8 Students show devotion to lacrosse Sports

Friday, April 30, 2010

Alex Dobbs

get-involved editor

T

he foot-falls pound the newly-leveled grass for hours on end. The team r uns through dr ills, instr uction sessions, more dr ills, conditions, clears, of fensive sets, defensive strateg y and scr immages.

Ever y day af ter school, the players engrave the grass w ith cleat divets and sweat from countless hours spent at lacrosse practice.

Lacrosse practices this year dif fer from many other spr ing spor ts.

While other spor ts practice on average for t wo hours, lacrosse practices average around the t wo and a half hour mark.

“We’re usually out there for t wo and a half hours, give or take a few minutes depending on the day,” senior lacrosse captain and four-year goalie John Brosch said. “ The longest time we have ever been on the f ield at once is three hours.”

Comparatively, senior baseball player Spencer Walz said an average baseball practice only lasts a lit tle over t wo hours.

“On average I’d say we’re out there for t wo hours,” Walz said. “Sometimes more but usually around t wo.”

Senior r ugby player Dom D’onofr io also said a r ugby practice would never last for three hours.

“No way would I be able to stay out there for three hours.

Rugby usually never lasts more than t wo,” he said.

According to Brosch, lacrosse is a game grow ing in popular it y in the midwest, so many athletes are not as familiar w ith it as other, more main stream spor ts. It is a dif ferent game than many k ids have ever played and is of ten descr ibed as a hybr id spor t bet ween hockey and soccer. It has many dif ferent r ules and dif f icult stick sk ills that take repetition, time and years of practice to understand and become prof icient in.

A lso according to Brosch, this team is specif ically unique because it is a f irst-year varsit y program w ith many f irsttime, young and inexper ienced lacrosse players.

First year lacrosse coach Br ian Callanan said his practices are longer than other spor ts because of these reasons.

“Obv iously as a new program, and w ith a dif f icult spor t to learn, w ith a lot of new players and me being out there pret t y much by myself, it takes time,” he said. “ Tr y ing to teach collegiate level schemes to f irst year players is

dif f icult.”

Callanan also said the amount of time his athletes actually spend at the high school is deceiv ing due to ex tra preparation time being required because lacrosse is a f irstyear, varsit y spor t.

“We are in the locker room at 3, but that doesn’t mean we star t practice at 3,” he said. “K ids have to get their equipment, take it to the locker room, change into all their equipment, and then walk all the way to the f ield. The set-up isn’t ideal, but it is our f irst year. Usually k ids are here from 3- 6:30, but that doesn’t mean we practice for three and a half hours. Consider ing the unique locker room situation, which adds 40 minutes of preparation time, I’d say we’re actually on the f ield for t wo hours and 40 minutes.”

Brosch agrees.

“We don’t get to the f ield until 3:20. Sometimes don’t star t actual practice until 3:40 depending on how much we talk,” he said.

Walz expressed concern, though, that keeping young teenage athletes at one thing for that leng th could create boredom and a lack of focus.

“Once in a while maybe ( baseball) could practice for that long, but af ter a cer tain leng th you just lose focus and practice gets bad,” Walz said.

However f irst year lacrosse player senior Jon Cohen disagreed when it comes to this lacrosse team.“ The time is necessar y because there a lot of new aspects, especially for newer athletes to the spor t like me,” he said. “When you’re always learning something new and always work ing at that, it’s easy to continually work hard and never lose focus.”

Callanan also said that he has never had a problem w ith his athletes losing focus.

“Never. Never had a problem w ith it,” he said. “We’re never standing around. There’s not much standing around in the game of lacrosse, and so we don’t stand around in our practice. There might be 10 minutes of instr uctional time and 20 minutes of execution. A nd, especially for the new guys, they work hard dur ing execution time because it’s something new to them.”

Brosch summed up lacrosse practices by say ing Callanan is one of the best coaches he has ever had and that not a second of their practice time is ever wasted. He said the team is out there for that long because it needs to be.

“We’re young and no practice time is ever wasted,” he said. “Practice plans are always well-thought out and wellexecuted. He’s the best coach I’ve ever had.”

Factbox • Lacrosse practices average two and a half hours • Lacrosse is described as a mix between hockey and soccer • This years team has a number of young and unexperienced players • The 2010 season marks the first varsity program for lacrosse in Dexter • Players see Callanan as an influential coach, and some players even see him as the best coach they have ever had.

• Seniors John Brosch, Kevin Mors and Ryan Wesley are captains

Photos by Austin Sullivan

Above: Dexter JV lacross players warm-up for the game. Right: Junior Dilon Sutter throws the ball in a JV game

Athletic fees to remain constant despite budget worries Alex Everard

editor-in-chief

As district departments succumb to the inevitable fate of “reimagination”, high school athletes can rest assured knowing pay-to-play fees will not be increased this or next school year. Statewide fiscal belt-tightening has forced hundreds of schools to increase fees in the last year; however Athletic Director John Robinson says there will be no change at Dexter.

“There have been rumors that sports fees will increase next year,” Robinson said. “I just want to be clear that, as of now, no such plans are in place.”

Specifically, the rumors center on pay-to-play fees according to Robinson. The fees currently sit at $100 per player and are subject to additional costs based on the affiliation of a given sport with the high school. Club sports, for example, often require more out-of-pocket costs. Although some sports do require additional fees aside from the pay-to-play charges, Robinson said there will be no spike in said fees as a product of the recent budget cuts.

“It is important to note that we do not deal with budget issues simply by raising costs,” Robinson said. “There are other routes we would pursue before upping costs.”

According to Robinson, these pay-to-play rumors surfaced after he informed coaches that the district was facing significant budget issues.

“People hear that we have to scale back to fit our new budget, and they automatically assume that we’re either cutting things or increasing fees,” he said. “But that’s not the case.”

With regards to how the athletic department will face the looming budget issues, Robinson

points to the upcoming combination of Athletics and Community Education. “With the combination of those departments, funds should be saved,” he said.

The process of making this combination happen is currently underway. “The applicants for this new position are being interviewed this week, and should be hired and in place for next year,” Robinson said.

This new position will be focused on efficiency and practicality, and as Robinson said the position will focus on saving money and coordinating sporting events and schedules in as budget-friendly of a way as possible.

However, despite the relative stability of the athletic budget, some parents still worry. Jessica Luckhart, a rugby parent, wonders how Dexter’s many club sports will be affected.

“I don’t think the fees (we) paid for rugby this season were extravagant, but I would hate to see club sports become a luxury because of the budget issues,” Luckhart said.

Luckhart is also concerned about the new allocation of funding and how it will compare with the costs of club sports. “I understand that things have to change and funds have to get jumbled around, but I am hoping it is done so fairly,” she said. “Club sports generally have less participation, but those who do play these sports should be able to keep affording the seasonal costs.”

From a parents’ perspective, Luckhart believes that sports will eventually be forced to raise costs, and she does not necessarily have a problem with that.

“I know that as Dexter grows and as the high school grows, they’ll add more teams and the kids (DHS athletes) will want to have new equipment,

different tournaments and so forth,” she said. “But I hope that the budget issues are a wake-up call for administrators and students.”

Luckhart believes that frugality can be a positive thing for the school. “In the face of these issues, I think parents just don’t want to see luxuries being given to teams while other sports face higher costs.

“At the end of the day, the kids are just there to play the games they signed up for,” Luckhart said.

“That should never cost a fortune.”

According to Robinson, club sports are not subject to the same treatment and funding as varsity sports, yet the economic situation is essentially the same.

As far as affiliation with the high school, club sports have a peculiar niche. In most cases, the school provides some form of funding to a given club team and also certifies a bond with the school so that said team can participate in postseason tournaments.

“In order for a club team to participate in the postseason it has to be directly affiliated with an MHSAA member school,” Robinson said. “Since we (DHS) are a member school, we can offer this affiliation to club sports. However, we can’t always offer everything to club teams that we do to varsity teams.”

This is where disparities between overall cost become apparent. However Robinson is sure that all athletes will not be charged excessive amounts to cover for budget changes. Student and parents should not expect their team to get brand new jerseys or goalposts, but “in the face of the changing budget, we can’t expect to have more things for next year, but we can expect to keep what we have now.”

Athletic fees: Rumors vs. Reality

• Every student athlete is required to pay a $100 pay-to-play fee for each varsity sport they play.

• Club sports such as rugby and hockey are not required to pay the flat-rate payto-play fee and often pay more for their seasonal fees.

• Both the Community Education Department and the Athletic Department will combine for the 2010-2011 season. The new head of this department will be in charge of budget efficiency for athletics.

• One family cannot pay more than $300 for a student-athletes in official school sports. This means that said athlete can play up to three varsity sports, or more than one student can play multiple varsity sports. This rule does not apply to club sports.

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Sports

Friday, April 30, 2010

Girls soccer team host fundraiser game Team organizes charity event during match against Saline to raise money for fight against cancer t h e t e a m’s h o m e g a m e a g a i n s t Sa line. The senior captains R ize staff writer a n d K r i s t i Hu g h e s c a m e u p w i t h T h i s s p r i n g t h e g i r l s s o c c e r t h e i d e a f o r t h e f u n d r a i s e r, a n d tea m w ill host a f und ra iser a re in cha rge of orga nizing it.

They got t he idea f rom ot her g a m e t o f i g h t c a n c e r. T h e g a m e is somet hing a ll t he girls are spor ts teams play ing f undraising “ The volleyba ll team passionate about according to games. k ind of star ted it, and then the senior Caitlin R ize. basketball “I think ever yone team did has been af fected by it, and it cancer in one way or was a lot a n o t h e r,” R i z e s a i d . of f un, so “ I ’m s u r e e v e r y g i r l I think everyone has w e w a n t e d on the team has felt been affected by cancer t o carry its negative ef fects i t o n to s o m e h o w.

We d o in one way or another.” the soccer have a mother of t e a m ,” R i z e one of the girls Caitlin Rize, s a i d . who was diagnosed T h e r e w it h and fought of f senior are several b r e a s t c a n c e r. A l s o , ways t hat o u r c o a c h’s f a t h e r, the event A l e x Fo r r e s t e r, w a s The team a v ictim of the disease.

S o w i l l r a i s e m o n e y. t h i s g a m e t a k e s o n e v e n m o r e h o p e s t o s e l l T- s h i r t s b e f o r e a n d impor ta nce since it does hit a lso get a cut f rom t icket sa les. c l o s e t o t h e w h o l e t e a m’s h e a r t .” T h e y a l s o p l a n t o h a v e a b a k e The game w ill ta ke place sa le to raise money dur ing t he o n T h u r s d a y, M a y 1 d u r i n g g a m e l i k e f r o m c o m p e t i t i o n s o r

Lynn Metz

“

raf f les. A ll of the money raised w ill be going to a cha r itable organization to help f ight c a n c e r, m o s t l i k e l y t h e A m e r i c a n C a n c e r S o c i e t y.

Not on ly is t he ga me a good c ause, but it is a lso going to be an enter taining one according t o s o p h o m o r e E m i l y Ta r n a s k i .

L ast yea r Sa line beat Dex ter 1- 0, a n d t h i s y e a r ’s g a m e i s e x p e c t e d to be just as close. “ They are a really fast team, but if we play rea lly good, I t hink we w ill be able to beat t h e m ,” Ta r n a s k i s a i d .

Last year the Dex ter - Saline game was played in Sa line and was also a cancer f undraising game.

The Sa line team a ll wore pink breast c a n c e r T- s h i r t s , b u t b e c a u s e o f a m isc om mu n ic at ion, Dex ter ju st wore their jerseys.

R i z e s a i d , “ It k i n d o f m a d e u s look bad, so t his year we wanted to show t hem t hat we suppor ted t h e c a u s e t o o .”

Photo illustration by Candice Wiesner

At a game against Saline on May 1, the girls soccer team will host a game to help fight cancer. Many members of the team have been affected by the disease according to captain Caitlyn Rize, including Coach Scott Forrester, whose dad passed away fro the disease.

Photo by Nick Byma

Track and field loses runners to other sports “I decided to take football seriously this year. More than ever,” Ball said. “If I were to run track this year, I wouldn’t have the ability Tucker Whitley staff writer to get strong at the rate that I would like to, considering Monday, Wednesday and Friday lifting sessions interfere with track.”

It is sad to many to see all of the runners go, according to Velez.

“I love track,” Velez said. “I don’t understand why so many people Wrestling season was just getting over, and sophomore shot put would give up a sport so easily.” thrower David Velez was getting ready for track. But And Velez said the track team is nervous when he scanned the gym he notices, something was about losing even more people next year. missing.

“We are all pretty worried, and we don’t That thing was other track runners. Though some I love track. I don’t unget it yet,” Velez said. “We usually have pretty dedicated runners were still working hard in their offderstand why so many good success and most everybody likes our season, it looked to Velez like the track team would be people would give up a coaches. It does make sense though that lacking in numbers, come time for the season.

And he was right. A large number of former runners sport so easily.” former runners were intimidated that our new head coach was going to be head cross have either been lost to graduation or have decided not country coach Dave Testa. The thing is, you to come out.

David Velez, don’t really have to deal with other coaches.

Two-year runner Zac Whidby said, “Lots of runners sophomore You stay with your event coach for most of the are either playing baseball, spring soccer or they have day.” just decided to lift. Also, many of the coaching jobs Former head track and current football have either been lost, or just mixed, so people may not coach Tom Barbieri said he wants his football like that.”

This was the case with former track runner junior Jacob Ball. This players to lift, but he thinks that running track would also help them. would have been Ball’s third year of track, but he decided that lifting He said, “It’s key for my football players to be strong, but speed is another of the necessities for a good football player.” was more important to him.

“

Jacob Ball

David Velez

Zac Whidby

10

Opinion

Friday, April 30, 2010

4

(Collaboration Column) Candice Wiesner & Erin Mac head designer & blog editor

Brad Pitt’s midriff in ‘Fight Club’ Brad Pitt at his peak, before his poor decision to marry and grow ghastly facial hair.

Penguin Suits

5

An excellent addition to any party you attend. If you start out the night in a penguin suit, it is sure to be a success. If by the end of the night you are still in the penguin suit, congratulations.

1 3

Bassnectar- kyrian bee bop

It’s unlike any song you will ever hear or ever will hear again. The mix of electronic bass synths and dark circus feel make it completely irresistible.

Taco Bell

“The five bucks box, it rocks, it rocks It rocks for a meal, lots and lots It rocks for a jock It rocks for a fox It rocks with good shots, with guys with dreadlocks What comes in this box. This box that rocks.

A cheesy gordita, crunch so much.

Here we are sweet burritos supreme.

A crunchy taco and a cinnamon twist.

Both on a list, and wait let me think. A ice cold drink.

That is lots and lots, in just one box.

And its only five bucks.

And that’s why it rocks.” -Charles Barkley says it all

2

Die Walkure- “Ride of the Valkyries” Possibly the most inspirational song ever created.

Marne Little managing editor

Squall a learning experience Dear anonymous, concerned, Squall-reading parents, I apologize that The Squall has made you feel so strongly about, what you consider, inappropriate content. By the time this is printed, the board will have begun to make its decisions regarding this issue, but there are a few points I would like to make in hopes that you now understand how The Squall operates and why I and so many other students and adults disagree with you.

First of all, The Squall goes through a month-long editing process. The Squall does have an adviser; he reads through the paper before it is sent to the printer, and he does help edit the content of The Squall.

The writing process consists of six different editing stages where each editor is able to help edit the writer’s stories for publication. Photographers also go through an editing process where their photos are edited by the two photo editors as well as the adviser.

The Squall is a student publication. It is for the students and by the students, but I understand that our audience consists of more than just students. I realize that teachers, parents, grandparents and other adults read The Squall, considering staff members sell subscriptions to them in order to continue printing the paper.

Some of you are worried about the school’s finances and the way your tax dollars are being spent, but tax dollars do not

James Tatum

guest columnist opinions editor John Glenn High School’s “The Explorer”

Prior review hinders growth As I write this piece, I shake the fear that I am soon going to be looking at the Ministry of Truth (high school version) rather than the Dexter Squall. But I still worry. I worry because the institution of prior review on a student publication is nothing more than censorship, censorship on the same kind of critical thinking that an educational system is supposed to cultivate.

Before I go any further I want to get some simple definitions out of the way. First “journalism” is the investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience.

Second, a “newspaper” is a publication containing news, information and issues varying from politics, entertainment, crime and sports. Third, a “reporter” is a writer, an investigator, someone who presents news stories. The Squall and its staff meet all of those criteria.

They participate in journalism actively, reporting the news and then publishing that news in a student newspaper. The mere fact that The Squall is a student publication does not demean the staff’s capabilities, nor does it mean they cannot live up to journalistic standards.

I am the Opinion Editor of the John Glenn High School newspaper “The Explorer,” and I know what it is to be affected by prior review.

6

Reduced Schedules

Nothing says senior year like reduced schedules. They’re also the best way to contract Senioritis, a common infection among seniors in their third trimester of high school.

Reduced schedules take gold for best perk to being a senior.

Earth Day

We love trees. Spending a day with the trees is the best way to spend a day. Whoever doesn’t take advantage of Earth Day really gets the blunt end of it.

8

fund The Squall. Tax dollars provide our computers and help pay our adviser, but in order to print The Squall, the staff sells advertisements and subscriptions, and occasionally The Squall is given a grant, which is not tax dollars.

Unless you are buying a subscription to The Squall, your money is not responsible for the printing of it. You’re not taking the time to see how The Squall is funded, and you’re also not taking the time to closely read the articles you’re criticizing.

A number of the articles you have a problem with are from former years, such as the article “Strippers and drugs really exist,” which was originally published nine years ago. Out of the 40 - 50 articles printed in the seven issues so far this year, you cite a problem with one article. Therefore, out of roughly 800 articles published over the past two years, there have only been three articles you consider too controversial.

Many of you now say this is not a censorship issue and you do not want The Squall to be censored. You merely disapprove of The Squall’s content. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, however, the definition of censorship is the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc. and suppressing unacceptable parts.

If you want to remove what you say is the unacceptable, or inappropriate, content of The Squall, then you are asking for it to be censored.

Also after writing a profile on Principal Kit Moran, and creating a portfolio for him to nominate him for Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Administrator of the Year, which he won, I know he is way too busy with other issues to be able to sit down and censor the newspaper, yearbook, forensics skits, plays and literary magazine as you want him to do.

I apologize to Moran, adviser Rod Satterthwaite, The Squall staff and the rest of the student body for having to deal with these “Clean Up DHS” issues instead of spending time dealing with more important issues in the high school, but I thank you for giving me, and the rest of the staff, the opportunity to learn from an experience involving censorship and the rights and responsibilities of free speech.

Sincerely, Marne Little, managing editor

It was back in 2008 when the teachers went on strike across the Westland school district; I was still a reporter then. And I had decided, like many of my colleagues had, to write about and espouse my opinion on the strike and what the school board was doing.

After going through the lengths of looking at the school budget reports, interviewing teachers and the superintendent himself, my words were almost not put into print.

A meeting was called before the newspaper was set to print, a meeting that I unfortunately could not stay for. At this meeting the staff of “The Explorer” was told that the paper would not be put into print because the administration felt that some of the stories and views were not appropriate at the time.

Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have people there who fought against such censorship and made the case for our articles going into print. In the end it is a happy tale, but also a cautionary one – the facts found and ideas talked about by students should not be under the thumb of an administrator but rather under the review of students.

I say that it takes much more integrity to print things that may be racy or opinions that may be unfavorable than it does to hide namelessly posting comments on a blog.

With all due respect, I would ask the parents and community members complaining about the issues “The Squall” covers, if they have ever studied journalism, have they ever done active reporting anything they have ever written been published?

What I am expecting is an overall few to none response. So what past your own biases and opinions on what is politically correct, OK and not OK, makes you so ready and able to call for a muzzle on The Squall? No reporter looks at news to sensationalize it, make the mediocre into the monumental. They simply look to report the news. And despite the desire of many, you cannot edit reality; there is no prior review to daily events.

I have taken the time to read all of the stories called into question, and they do not overtake any issues of the paper, and the coverage given to drinking, drug and other vices and the opinions expressed on those matters in no way make them seem “cool.”

7

Our lives in 4 weeks It’s about to be the longest four weeks we will experience, but the final feeling of relief when we hear Mr. Moran dismiss the class of 2010 will make it all worth it.

extreme facebook

A few of our favorite things

Sarah Akbarifard blog editor

Facebook a facade As a student in the third trimester of my senior year, I still go home each night to do a little homework. But, of course, I always find a way to procrastinate. I could sit back and watch reruns of “16 and Pregnant”, play some good old Wii Tennis, or just go on Facebook.

Usually I’ll take the third option, for the sole reason that lately I’ve just gotten a kick out of the ridiculous activities users are engaged in. And here is a list of my recent annoyances: 1. It’s a fairly new aspect to Facebook that a user can become a “fan” of various things, ranging from musical artists to TV shows.

But when someone becomes a fan of 50 things over the course of one hour and takes over not only my news-feed but others with it, it’s completely outrageous. Especially when they become fans of things such as “Thanks Liver, You’re a Champ” or “F--- This, Let’s Get Drunk.” I get you’re a hard core partier, but is it really necessary to display that to everyone?

2. I understand some people think they’re the hottest thing to grace this planet, but are they really that narcissistic to take picture after picture of themselves and publish them in a album on Facebook, especially the pictures where it is clear to everyone that the picture in question was a mirror one? Are you really that conceited to be looking at the mirror all the time and then have the need to capture it for everyone to see?

3. Somewhat related to number 2, Picnik has become a FB phenomenon. It enables users to retouch pictures, add funky designs and put quotes onto those Kodak moments. It’s a helpful tool, and I’ll admit to using it. But when one has albums titled “Picnik Pictures!”, and it is full of picture after picture of quotes saying things such as “Best friends forever” or “crazy doesn’t even begin to cover it,” you’re ultimately illustrating how much of a life you don’t have, not your fantastic photo editing skills.

4. Some people think Facebook is Twitter and like to update their status every two seconds. No one really cares what you’re doing every second of your life, and if you really want people to know, you can switch to Twitter. And here’s a shout out to the users who spill their heart out on their status. If you really need to let your emotions out, go to a therapists to help with your problems.

5. Possibly my favorite aspect of Facebook is when users think it’s cool to make it so each letter in a word is capitalized then not and continue that pattern through the entire phrase or word. But the best part is when those same people add hearts and squiggle lines to whatever they’re saying. I admire you for your creativeness, but really? We’re not in the third grade.

Don’t get me wrong; I love Facebook as much as the next person.

I’m a “fan” of various pages, update my status like everyone else, but when people take it to these sorts of extremes they are setting a trap for everyone else to make fun of them.

Furthermore, by no means did I mean to offend anyone in this column. But I guess you could get back at me by taking over my news feed by becoming a “fan” of more pointless things.

Editors Alex Everard and Brittany Martini are not comparable to Stephen Glass; The Squall does not print yellow journalism. Instead of trying to usurp the efforts of The Squall, those concerned with its content should simply write letters to the editors. It is the official position of the Journalism Education Association that “the practice of administrative prior review as serves no legitimate educational purpose. Prior review leads only to censorship by school officials or to self-censorship by students with no improvement in journalistic quality or learning.”

In the end it is up to students to judge their student publications. If they feel it is unsatisfactory, they can simply choose not to read it, but due to the large rallying behind the staff of The Squall, I would say the opposite is true. The Squall provides the utmost satisfactory reporting.

11

Editorial

Friday, April 30, 2010

Hovering helicopter parents PRO

Katie McDonald staff writer

While parents tighten their leashes and hover closer over their children, it’s no surprise that many students are angered at helicopter parents for trying to keep their children living under a rock. However, what most students don’t realize is the reasoning behind the 8 p.m. bed times and check-in phone calls.

When it comes to high school, there is a large gap of maturity and style between the incoming freshmen and the checked-out seniors. What may seem normal and nonchalant to older students may be a huge surprise and an inappropriate shock to younger students and their parents.

Major concerns parents have that make them hover over their children are high school dances and going out.

High school dances in the 21st century have been a major scare to parents about their children.

The style of skin-on-skin bumping and grinding makes parents fearful that their child is being violated.

The stress and tension parents have about allowing their child to attend school or club dances come from them wanting their child to respect their bodies and others’ as well. With hands free to wander and the up-beat grind music playing all night, there’s no wonder some parents would have strict rules about dances.

the all

Helicopter parents also want to protect them from any boys/ girls who could take advantage of them or make them do something that would make their child feel uncomfortable.

Material within the school also makes parents hover.

Movies with sexual references or adult language, books that talk about drinking or smoking or sex and paintings that reveal body parts are just a few “no-nos” these parents frown upon their child seeing.

Seeing, reading and watching these adult materials make some parents think children will get the idea that drinking, smoking or having sex is cool. Parents certainly do not want these ideas in their child’s head so it is rational for them to hover and monitor the context of what their child sees.

It is not only younger students’ parents that hover when it comes to going out, but older students’ parents do so too. We are growing up in a different world than our parents did, and there are a lot more bad people. When parents set a curfew or constantly text their child when they’re out for the night, it’s so they can make sure their child is safe.

Safety comes first with these hovering parents. That’s all they are looking for. Parents shouldn’t be criticized for caring about the safety of their children. Parents aren’t out to wreck their child’s high school experience. They hover to care for their child’s well being and protect them from taking part in things they are not maturely ready for yet.

P R O

Jeanine Reny staff writer

CON W he n I s e e my p a r e nt s i n t he mor n i ng , I don’t de s pi s e t hem . I s t h at a go o d t h i ng?

O f c ou r s e . It ’s t he go o d l i fe of b ei ng a s e n ior, b e c au s e w h i le e ve r y u nde r c l a s sme n h a s to b e home w he n t he s t r e e t l ig ht s c ome on s o t he y c a n br u sh t hei r te e t h a nd put on t hei r one s ie s , I c a n pr e te nd my phone d ie d a nd t h at ’s w hy I ’m home p a s t m id n ig ht .

I ’m g l ad t h at my mom f i n a l l y de c ide d to c ut t he c or d a r ou nd t he a ge of 5 , but p o or f r e sh me n s t i l l h ave to hold t hei r p a r e nt s’ h a nd s o t he y c a n s a fe l y w a l k to t he bu s . I s it t he p at he t ic c h i ld r e n’s f au lt?

Mo s t l i ke l y, no.

He l ic opte r p a r e nt s s e em to l i nge r a r ou nd t hei r c h i ld r e n , pr ob abl y b e c au s e t he y c a n’t ge t o ve r t he f ac t t h at t hei r l i ve s c on s i s t of w a k i ng up a nd pr e te nd i ng t h at t he y a r e i mp or t a nt to s o c ie t y.

S o t he y de c ide to ho ve r a r ou nd t hei r to o - shor t , p a le - sk i n ne d , i m m at u r e c h i ld r e n’s l i ve s .

I think it ’s a m a z i ng p a r e nt s c a n l ite r a l l y c ont r ol e ve r y a s p e c t of t hei r c h i ld r e n’s l i ve s , s t a l k t hei r Fac e b o ok , c r e e p i n t he bu she s w he n t hei r c h i ld go e s go to t hei r

Transportation cuts should consider drivers too

SQUALL call:

Le t te rs to t he

f r ie nd s hou s e , a nd e ve n ge t a t r ac ke r put i nto t hei r c e l l phone s s o you m a ke s u r e you k now e x ac t l y w he r e t hei r lo c at ion i s .

He ave n for bid t he y go o ve r to a d i f fe r e nt s e x ’s hou s e .

T he y a r e pr ob abl y doi ng i n appr opr i ate t h i ng s w it h t he b e d r o om do or lo c ke d , but I ’m pr ob abl y s p e a k i ng t he u n s p e a k able , a r e n’t I? Ple a s e , p a r e nt s , ke e p te l l i ng you r c h i ld r e n t he y w i l l m a ke f r ie nd s tomor r ow b e c au s e k id s a r e ju s t b a sh f u l .

T hei r l ac k of f r ie nd s do e sn’t h ave a ny t h i ng to do w it h t he f ac t t h at t he y s t i l l pic k t hei r no s e a nd t h i n k B a r ne y i s t hei r b e s t f r ie nd .

I ap olo g i z e for s p e a k i ng t he t r ut h .

It m ig ht b e sho c k i ng for p e ople to u nde r s t a nd t h at mo s t of t he u nde r c l a s sme n pr ob abl y s t i l l h ave to c a l l t he i r p a r e nt s e ve r y 3 0 m i nute s w he n t he y ’r e out s ide of t hei r p a r e nt s’ w atc h f u l e ye .

It ’s p a r e nt s w ho ho ve r t h at c r e ate socially aw k w a r d c h i ld r e n , a nd it ’s ju s t f l atout emb a r r a s s i ng.

L e t you r c h i ld r e n h ave t hei r ow n l i fe r at he r t h a n t he l i fe you w a nt t hem to l i ve .

H ig h s c ho ol s t ude nt s m a ke m i s t a ke s , s o s top t r y i ng to m a ke you r c h i ld r e n p e r fe c t .

T he r e i s no s uc h t h i ng a s p e r fe c t .

S top h id i ng a nd p e e k i ng b e h i nd t he bu she s a nd le t you r c h i ld l i ve a nor m a l , he a lt hy, h ig h s c ho ol l i fe .

T

here is no question that the school district needs to save money.

We have a budget deficit and need to find ways to cut costs.

But does the money saved outweigh the negative effects of the changes made? Restructuring the bus system is one way the district plans to save money. But is this really a good idea? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.

Some of the changes that would result from the restructuring of the bus system make getting to school a little more complicated, but are worth the money it would save.

Having kids walk from where the busses are to school shouldn’t be a concern, if the school provides supervision and a safe path for them to get to their respective schools walking to school.

Have we really become so lazy that it is a problem for students to have to walk a half mile at most to school? People have come accustomed to the school taking all the responsibility for getting their child to school.

The school’s transportation is nice and should be provided, but ultimately the responsibility falls on parents to get their children to school. The busses shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Having fewer stops shouldn’t be something to complain about. So what if the kids have to travel a little farther to the bus stops?

The only way to cut funds from the bus system is to cut down on drivers. It seems like a good idea in theory, but these are people. Laying them off means taking away their source of income.

They have families to take care of and basic living expenses.

Even if you just cut their hours to the amount they would work with a single tier bus system, their hourly wage wouldn’t allow them to make enough money with those hours.

How can we expect the bus drivers to work four hours a day when the timing wouldn’t even allow them to get another job?

Editor

Efforts to limit, censor Squall are appalling Dear Editor, I have been following with a great deal of interest the recent controversy surrounding some of the articles published by the Dexter High School paper, “The Squall.” I am writing to voice my strong support of “The Squall,” the students who write and edit it, the educators who oversee the process and the overall identity and mission of the publication.

The journalism awards that the paper has received—external validation of “The Squall’s” excellence—are apt indicators of the paper’s valuable contribution not only to the education of Dexter’s students, but to the community as a whole.

Shortly after moving to Dexter in 2004 with our two children—who were at the time a 2 year old boy and a 5 week old girl—my husband and I became aware of the paper and the national recognition that it had received. We picked up the paper and were immediately impressed with the professionalism, maturity and intellectual rigor represented in The Squall’s pages.

The Squall became another piece of evidence that Dexter would be a

good place for our family to call home. We imagined that our children, when they came to be high school age, would benefit from attending school in a community that produced such a high degree of excellence.

It is especially crucial at a time like this (when our nation’s journalism is threatened by economic and social factors) to provide the means to educate students about what constitutes balanced and informed writing. Indeed, from the “comments” section on the heritage.com website, it appears that the students are the ones doing the educating the community about balanced and informed writing.

Recent efforts to coerce “The Squall” to limit and/or censor its content are appalling. It appears that “The Squall’s” critics would be happy enough to see a Bowdlerized paper that sugar-coats through omission some of the serious issues which high school students confront on a regular basis.

Even more troubling, those who object to the content appear to be disingenuous in their criticisms, misrepresenting the stories and articles that they attack.

So: bravo to the students who design, write, edit—and now—defend this publication. It is my earnest hope that they will continue to do so in

spite of the detractors who willfully misconstrue the content and context of “The Squall’s” reportage. They may claim that they have the interests of students in mind. I see it as quite the opposite. One can’t teach people about making choices by limiting choices.

Our Dexter students have amply and admirably demonstrated their journalistic ethics, values, and skills. I encourage the board to discount the voices of the vocal minority who are either reluctant or afraid for teenagers to become fully cognizant, self-reliant, and empowered human beings.

The paper must have providentially been named The Squall.. Let it live up to its name and last out this media storm.

Sincerely, Dr. Audrey Becker Assistant Professor of English and Modern Languages Marygrove College Dexter mom Chair, Dexter Arts, Culture, and Heritage Commission

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Photostory

Friday, April 30, 2010

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Players come together and fight for the ball in what’s called a scrum. The players push and shove to gain possession of the ball.

Senior Dom D’Onofrio grabs a loose ball. D’Onofrio plays scrum half.

Senior Kevin Yarows takes a place kick. This is Yarows’ first year playing rugby.

Blue Devils focus on success Liz 0’keefe

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Staff Writer

ccording to senior Dillon Kipke, the rugby team has high expectations for their team.

Kipke has been playing organized rugby for a year and said his friends played a major part in his decision to join the rugby team. “I decided to play because my friends were playing, and it sounded like it would be fun,” he said.

Kipke also said he enjoys his teammates. “I like being around everyone on the team,” Kipke said. He said he also expects the team to have a good season this year because of winning their first game 13 – 8 against Grand Blanc on April 14.

Junior Bobby Elder has been on the rugby team for two years and plays second row, flank.

Elder said he decided to join the team because of what he had heard from other people on the team. “I was told that it was fun,” Elder said.

Elder also expects the team to a good season this year. “My hopes for the season are to play a lot of A games,” he said. “I think that we are a pretty good team.”

Like Kipke and Elder, junior Spencer Bussineau has high expectations for the team. Bussineau has been playing rugby for two years and plays second row, lock.

“Rugby is a fun, positive experience and I enjoy being part of it,” Bussineau said.

“My hope for our team is to win states.”

Freshmen Ryan Calhoun attempts to catch the ball on a pass but misses. The Blue Devils later won this game.

Photos by JoJo Parin