The SuperSquall

Superman, Super Seniors and the best of them all ... the Super Squall October 23, 2009 Volume XV Issue 1

Dexter High School

Did you know ...

The

The most popular car color is

total price of every car in the

student parking lot is

2200 N. Parker Road Dexter MI, 48130

There is only

over $6 million

You may be wondering ...

red.

one yellow car.

The most expensive car is priced at about

$63,000

the

SUPER

SQUALL

Why Super Squall?

Due to a delay in technology, the Super Squall is the combination of the September issue and the October issue. The two issues have been mushed together to form something Dexter High School has never seen before, a 24-page Squall plus two Rostrums. We hope the Super Squall will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Enjoy!

Girls getting physical; Powder Puff has returned this year. The girls talk about their expirence playing football

page 14 Every year they come to Dexter from all over the world. They live in your homes, eat the same food you do, and hang out with you and your friends. Learn more about them on

page 11

Smart boards

Illistration by Gabe Altomare

coming to

Lauren Gagneau staff writer

Until the new high school was built, every classroom was equipped with chalk boards and dusty erasers.

However, with the $55 million dollar bond that voters passed in November, many changes and improvements have been in the works. Among these improvements are interactive whiteboards, a new tool teachers will benefit from around December.

After seeing an interactive whiteboard in a demo classroom, Technology Director Matt Maciag became interested in the idea of having these boards at Dexter. And the bond helped having these boards installed in all six buildings a reality.

If everything goes as planned, Maciag said every teacher in the district will have an interactive whiteboard in the classroom by Christmas time.

There are other schools in the S.E.C. who have installed interactive whiteboards according to Maciag. “Chelsea and Ypsi have both already started using the boards, except they purchased different brands than we are currently looking at,” Maciag said.

Instead of having to use a projector or even writing notes on the board, the white board can now be used as an interactive tool.

Dexter

A limited collector’s edition brought to you

by The Squall

According to the interactive whiteboard website, by using the interactive save lessons to replay for absent students or to create tutorials for students to whiteboard the touch of a finger is the control of the mouse cursor. With a view over again. Whatever a teacher puts up on the board can be saved and reused—what a great way for students to review.” simple tap of a finger, any task can be performed.

Since Livingstone incorporates maps into her lessons, the board will be Maciag said these boards will provide many advantages to the teacher. a convenient tool for this as well. “I teach World One being that they can control the actions from Literature in different rooms throughout the day, the front of the classroom.

Also you can write or draw and not all of them have maps,” she said. “It’s “Also you can write or draw on the whiteboard with your finger or the pens provided and save on the whiteboard with important for students to know where the author the image to the computer,” according to the your finger.” lives or to be able to locate the setting of the story.”

There are various types and sizes of boards Interactive Whiteboard website. These images or available on the market They range in size from notes from the class period can then be saved and Matt Maciag 45 to 104 inches diagonally, and run from about printed or e-mailed. district technology director $800-$10,000 each.

Maciag said the biggest advantage of these The technology department is still debating on interactive whiteboards will be the engagement the brand of interactive board they are going to between the students and teachers. He said purchase. The brands under consideration are the students will be much more engaged in the lecture Eno Board and the Active Board. the teacher is giving when they feel like they can At this point there are no downfalls that come to Livingstone’s mind be a part of it.

English Teacher Linda Livingstone is looking forward to the new addition about the Interactive Whiteboard’s. “I like to try new things,” she said. “I’m of this technology in her classroom. “Interactive whiteboards are great tools all for looking at tools to help students enjoy and get more of their school for teaching and learning,” Livingstone said. “Teachers can use them to experience.”

“

District looks to change the high school experience

A

Max Berry staff writer

s a school district, Dexter has consistently performed at a level at or above that of other schools in the area. However, according to Principal Kit Moran, the time has come to acknowledge that the competition extends far beyond the borders of Washtenaw County.

In order for its graduates to continue to succeed in an increasingly global economy, Dexter Community Schools and the high school administration have decided drastic action must be taken.

Nationally, public education is under the lens and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is stressing the fact that schools in America must understand they are not competing with other schools or even other states.

“It really is global,” Moran said. “We can’t compare our students to students in Ohio. Now we’re having to compare them to students from places like China and India.”

Because of this, administrators have decided to explore a plan, referred to as a “reimagining” of the high school, to increase the competence of DHS graduates.

The re-imagining, which is still a work in progress, will involve making several radical changes to the current high school curriculum. The most significant change is the plan

to split the high school into two “houses,” one for freshmen and sophomores and one for juniors and seniors.

Under the possible plan, the underclass house will be called “Foundation House” and will be a comprehensive two-year college and career-readiness program which aims to teach students the necessary skills for post-graduation life in the first two years of high school.

The upperclass house or, “Focus House,” would build upon the base students gain in the Foundation House. In their final two years of high school, students would be able to take more concentrated classes and some college-level classes.

Leading the movement to implement the new program is science teacher Jeff Dagg, who is the chairperson of both the School Improvement and Leadership and Design Team.

According to Dagg, it is imperative to raise the goals for high school students.

“Our students need to develop skills that will improve their ability to learn,” Dagg said. “(When they graduate), they should have a broader set of skills that they can apply.”

This, according to both Dagg and Moran, is the purpose of Foundation House. The separation of underclassmen from upperclassmen, they say, would improve the ease of transition into high school for freshmen and ensure they are ready for college or a career.

In Foundation House, the student body would be split into teams of around 100 students, each with its own teacher for every core subject (English, social studies, science, math and

article continued on page 15

2

News

Friday, October 23, 2009

Effect of state budget cuts still up in the air Emily Van Dusen Copy editor

As a district which finds pride in its technological innovation and extracurricular opportunities, Dexter Community Schools stand to lose more than just finances in the face of the state budget crisis.

With a proposal that would potentially cut around $218 per student in public school spending, change would be an inevitably at the high school, but this type of change is not what administrators find themselves believing in.

With such a drastic cut, the high school alone stands to lose about $261,600 for its roughly 1200 students. “We’re very concerned,” Principal Kit Moran said. “We’re twisting the arms of politicians to try to stop this from happening.”

“The State has not passed a complete school aid budget for the 09-10 school year,” Executive of Finance and Business Sharon Raschke said. “Any speculation on what the outcomes might be or how they would affect the district is premature.”

Raschke said the level of federal assistance for education funding throughout the states is also undetermined. These two uncertainties will have to be resolved before any decisions can be made for Dexter Schools, but at a more local level, a third factor will be contributing to the district’s financial situation.

“Washtenaw Intermediate School District is presenting a re-

gional enhancement millage proposal to the voters in Washtenaw County on Nov. 3,” Raschke said. This proposal seeks to increase funding by two mills (property tax units) for five years by levying a regional enhancement property tax. If passed, 10 Washtenaw County schools will receive its benefits, including Ann Arbor and Chelsea.

In the event that Dexter is forced to cut significant funds, Raschke said she could not comment on which programs would stand to lose the most resources, saying only that no decisions to that effect have been made at this time.

“The outcomes of these three issues, all which affect the general operating revenue the district will have for this year, will be used to revise the district budget for 2009-10” Raschke said.

Along with the rest of the country, those involved with educational budget issue are trying to ride out the recession without losing the integrity of a quality education.

“The State Fiscal Agency has reported that the economy will improve,” Raschke said. “If the economy improves, the school aid fund will improve.” In the meantime, she said efforts are being focused on developing a solution which would allow the state’s schools to continue to operate under their current high standards.

“For the long term, you cannot spend more (expenses) than you have coming in (revenue),” Raschke said. “Short term decisions and planning need to be sustainable for the long term.” photo illustration by Ariel Star

News

Briefs

Lion’s Club looking for exchange students

The Lions of Michigan Youth Exchange program is looking for students between 16 and 21 who are interested in foreign exchange. Each exchange is three to five weeks, and knowledge of a foreign language is only necessary for those traveling to France and Spain. Students are responsible for fees and fares but may contact local Lions clubs for help. Applications for the program are online, and must be e-mailed to the State chairperson by Feb. 1, 2010. The Lions Club is also looking for potential families to host a youth for three to six weeks. For more info, call Peggy Allen at (734) 428-7034 or email PeggyA7747@aol.com.

Blood drive considered a success

The National Honor Society hosted a blood drive on Sept.

29. NHS members arrived at DHS as early as 6 a.m. to set up for the event and worked throughout the day to keep things running smoothly. Senior NHS members Katie McDonald and Margaux Empey were in charge of the drive. The goal was to collect 45 pints of blood for the Red Cross, and 44 pints of blood were collected. Despite not quite reaching the goal, NHS adviser Cheryl Wells said the Red Cross volunteers were not disappointed at all. According to Wells, there were over 65 people who came and tried to give blood. The main problem, Wells said, was that a lot of kids didn’t bring their ID, and there were a lot of kids with colds.” In order to donate, students must be at least 17, with ID, and meet the height and weight requirements.

The next blood drive will be Tuesday, Dec. 1.

MTV’s ‘MADE’ back at DHS

The MTV show “Made” returned to DHS on Oct. 2. Assistant Principal Ken Koenig and Jessica Arbus from MTV coordinated the auditions, and Arbus conducted the interviews. According to junior Kevin Paulun, one of the students who tried out for “Made,” the interviews included questions about what students wanted to be made into and why students needed MTV’s help to accomplish the goal, how being made into what the student wanted would help them, and Paulun said, “They also asked relationship questions.” Paulun was at the auditions to be made into a professional drummer, but this year, there was not a lot of competition according to Paulun. He said, “When I went, there were only four people there, including me.”

Count day numbers are up

Health care reform under debate Nic Miller News editor

Although party leaders face immense political policy challenges as rival proposals are being picked apart in Washington. Democrats are tantalizingly close to bringing legislation that would make sweeping changes in the nation’s health care system.

If this legislation passes, The United States would move universal health care system which has already been implemented in most other first world and industrialized nations and is even provided in many developing countries.

Having recently moved from Canada to the United States, junior Kyle Traverse, knows a thing or two about universal health care.

Traverse, having lived in Canada for the larger part of his life said, “It would improve the health and wellness for the overall population, but there’s a lot of greedy people out there who want more than what they think the government has to offer.”

Traverse also said a drawback to the universal health care provided buy Canada os it can sometimes take months simply to receive an MRI. The complaint for many Democrats is that under the status quo, too many Americans do not receive the affordable health care they need when they fall ill.

Answering its promise upon election, the Obama administration has laid out a Health Care Reform act known as, H.R. 1495.

English teacher Zachary Lindke said, “The system we function on today is health care, not wellness care. The different being that health care is only offered when you’re sick and does not include keeping you healthy. It only includes making you better when you are sick.”

Essentially, over the past year Democrats have been trying to reconstruct one-sixth of the economy, writing a bill that will affect almost every American, every business and every doctor and hospital in the nation.

The debate has not only entangled those in Congress but has made its way across the tables of many American families.

Although Lindke is employed by the state and therefore has health care coverage taken care of, he stills feels passionately that the country’s system is too expensive and does not offer enough. “The United States needs a system of wellness care that covers all citizens with exceptional care at an affordable cost to all people at all times,” he said.

However, several broad boarders for the health care reform have been agreed upon. Millions of uninsured Americans will receive subsidized health benefits, and the government will make effort to slow the growth of health care costs if passed.

Many are skeptic however. “The bill that will be passed, which is a fraction of what needs to be passed, will be too weak and watered down to really matter, Lindke said, “ Granted, it is a step in the right direction, I don’t see a bill coming out of the House or Senate that is really going to benefit the public.”

Health Care FAQs Some people have advocated a ‘singlepayer’ system. Why has it not gained more support?

Single payer is a health system run entirely by the government. It would replace the private insurance market, creating a Medicare-like structure that would cover all Americans. The government, the single insurer, would pay hospitals and doctors for their services. The idea has not gained traction, despite passionate advocacy, because of widespread opposition to government-controlled health care and to dismantling the current system. “It’s not politically feasible,’’ says Donald Taylor, a Duke University health policy professor.

Would reform require individuals to buy health insurance?

It’s very likely. People from low to middle incomes would receive subsidies to afford it. Medicaid, a government program for the poor and disabled, could be expanded to cover more lower-income people. The goal: drastically reduce the number of uninsured Americans, currently at 45 million. Meanwhile, people who get insurance through their employer would likely retain that coverage.

Would reform require employers, including small businesses, to cover their workers?

Despite opposition from the business community, a plan that requires businesses to provide insurance benefits for their employees likely will be included.

information from webmd.com

Count Day was Sept. 30. Based on the number of students in attendance that day, schools are allotted a certain amount of money per student. This year’s amount of money is not yet available, but during the ‘08-’09 school year, each student was worth $3,938. For this count day. DHS had 1213 students this year. Secretary Tammy Leventis, who is in charge of Count Day at DHS said, “There’s been a 45 student increase from last year, so that’s good (for the district).” Last year there were 1168 students in the high school, according to Leventis, which means the total amount of money made for the district from high school students was $4,599,584. There are two Count Days every year, one in the spring and one in the fall. According to Leventis, the fall Count Day brings in the most money, since the amount of money allotted per student is different for the spring and the fall Count Days.

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3

News

Friday, October 23, 2009

Overcrowded school has advantages an analysis by Ray Carpenter Staff Writer

It’s official. The high school is overcrowded, and the upperclassmen are blaming it on the newbies. While it’s not actually their fault, the dislike is hard to shake, with 315 freshmen clogging the hallways. The overcrowding has many different facets, some more apparent than others Apart from the obvious fact that classes are overcrowded, the extra load of students seems to have wreaked havoc with the system.

Sophomore Connor Thompson said scheduling mixups and overlarge classes are prevalent, although that might be attributed to trimesters.

He said, “It would be good to hire new teachers.” So is the money being spent on new computers, SMART Boards and USB bracelets better spent on expansions?

Thompson said he doesn’t think such a radical change as new expansions to the school are necessary, saying instead that the students need to prove they need it.

But does the school need it? Are a few crowded classrooms and some early mixups

worth the millions it would take to add on another wing? If the district keeps growing at this pace, it might.

So why is Dexter so large when Chelsea High School has only 933 kids in a 1,200 student building?

Chelsea High School Principal Julie Deppner said, “We have seen a steady decline in enrollment the last few years.”

At one point CHS had 1,200 students enrolled as well, so why is Dexter immune from the falloff?

The theory of Urban Flight say as cities get overpopulated and polluted, the wealthy and able flee to cozy little villages. Unfortunately, since everyone has the same idea, those villages get crowded too.

The Dexter district is currently the place to be, but eventually the rich will leave for greener pastures and whiter picket fences.

How long does Dexter have until it peaks and begins the gradual downward slide? How many more students is the high school going to have to deal with before the flood stops?

There are 599 students at the middle school, so the stream appears to continue.

Principal Kit Moran attributes Dexter’s success to the quality of education. Moran

said that above all, he would like to think the growth at DHS is because students want to come here, but the boom seems like a cycle.

School gets better equipment, more students come, more money goes to the school, school hires more teachers, more students come, more money goes to the school, etc.

But why is the school already overcrowded when the building was built in 2002? In the 2000 census, Dexter had 2,338 people, but in July 2008, that number had risen to 3,272.

That’s a 30 percent increase.

Chelsea has 5,005 residents but still fewer students than Dexter, whose population is lower.

This seems to imply that Dexter’s population is made up of more parents than Chelsea’s.That population explosion was so large, apparently, that the designers of the high school were caught unaware. They seemingly couldn’t see how large Dexter would grow.

For now, anyway, students will have to be patient with each other and the administration. And there are worse problems to have.

As Sophomore Andrew Paulissen said, “It would be a nice problem to fix, but I would rather having rappelling ropes on the stairs.”

Well played, Paulissen.

News briefs District saves $170,000 in energy costs Last year Dexter schools hired Randy Westerman as an “energy czar” in an attempt to monitor the district’s energy costs and save money. According to Westerman, last year the district saved $170,000 on their energy bill as compared to the previous year. Westerman said the savings came as a result of encouraging staff and students to turn lights off when leaving areas, not using parking lot lighting when parking lots were not being used, and keeping temperatures lower. “This year water conservation will be added to the savings list,” he said. “Also, at Creekside and DHS, occupancy sensor control of lighting has been installed.”

Scuba diver comes to Oceanography class

Photo by Ross Chamberlin

Hat policy modified Students can now wear hats in the hallway and at lunch; classroom policy is up to individual teachers Nick Gonet Staff Writer

As senior Dom D’Onofrio walks down the hallway with his hood on, he passes paraprofessional Connie with no fear and no exchanged words.

“I can’t even count how many times last year I remember walking to the office to get my Pittsburgh hat,” D’Onofrio said. “It got old asking (secretary Joan) Whitehead if I could have it back. This year things are different, real different. I’m used to (paraprofessional) Dee Braden telling me to take off my hood, or my hat. Now I just can wear it almost all the time. It’s a pretty nice freedom.”

The new policy that has D’Onofrio so excited is one which allows students to wear hats in the halls and in the commons. In the classroom, the use of

hats is up to the individual teacher.

“The administrator team saw (the old hat policy) as a problem,” said Dean of Students Ken Keonig, “ and we looked for a solution.”

So while the new policy allows teachers to have the power to decide whether they allow hats or hoods in their class, Braden said hats and hoods can be a problem “Sometimes in the classroom you can’t see past the bill of the hat,” she said. “And that’s just not OK, especially the hoods. I don’t think so.

They shouldn’t be allowed. And that’s that in a nut shell.”

Koenig, however, said the biggest problem with the old hat rule was the lack of consistent teacher enforcement.“For the longest time it’s always been no hats,” Koenig said. “Some teachers enforced it, some didn’t. We were having too many conflicts, that weren’t dangerous, that led to insubordination and Saturday schools.”

Senior Jake Rochowiak said some students are unaware of the change and that it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference one way or another.

“I think it’s nice,” he said. “It’s hard to tell. Some teachers allow me to wear it, and some don’t. But not having someone yell at me in every hallway is a pretty good feeling.”

Spanish teacher Anglea Chea, however, won’t allow hats in classroom in spite of the change.

For her it’s a matter of respect.

She said, “It’s just like, you know, respectful. Like at the dinner table, just a custom tradition. A classroom is just a tiny bit more formal than hanging out with your friends.”

Being there is why I’m here.

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Science teacher Cheryl Wells’ Oceanography class had a scuba diver come into their class and talk to them about his experiences on Sept. 23. “Everything we see on DVD or movie or in a book about the ocean was probably filmed by a scuba diver,” Wells said. She said scuba divers have to be aware of the ocean around them.

She also said she hopes students will learn that not only do scuba divers have to worry about critters in the ocean, but they also need to know about ocean water conditions, water temperature, pressure, salinity and oxygen levels. Senior Sam Huddleston said, “ It was a good experience because it was an introduction to scuba diving and got us familiarized with the gear.”

Squall named Pacemaker finalist The Squall has been named a Pacemaker Finalist by the National Scholastic Press Association. This award is sometimes called The Pulitzer Prize of scholastic journalism.

The Squall has won two previous Pacemakers, one in 2005-2006 and one in 2007-2008.

Fifty-six high school newspapers in the country and four others in Michigan are Pacemaker finalists.

Pacemaker finalists are judged on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting and evidence of in-depth reporting and winners will be announced in Washington, D.C. On Nov 14.

Martello keeps Walking for Wil Video teacher Matt Martello again walked 20 miles around the track during the Chelsea football game on Oct 9. “I am walking for my best friend, Harry Wilcox.

He was a French and drama teacher at DHS from 2001-06. He died of brain cancer on June 2, 2009,” Martello said. This is his fourth time walking and each year he said he recruits students and staff to walk with him for cancer. The donations from his walk go to either the American Cancer Society or to a student who would like to take go on the drama club trip to New York but can’t afford it.

4

Feature

Friday, October 23, 2009 Brittany Martini editor-in-chief

I

t’s a six-letter word everyone knows. It’s a six letter word that affects everyone and transforms lives. Students and staff alike have been affected by cancer: the good, the terrible, the uplifting and the indifferent. This is the story of a student and two staff members who have been there and done that.

A former teacher

S

ometimes the six letters come in the most unexpected circumstances. During the summer of 2003, former drama and French teacher Harry Wilcox had a seizure while on a plane, seconds before takeoff. His first seizure ever happened on a plane carrying numerous Dexter High School students on a summer trip to France.

“He was my best friend,” currant drama teacher Matt Martello said. “We go way back. I knew him when I was teaching in Rossfield (Ohio). We had developed this mutual respect for each other through drama competitions, and I grew to recognize how much of a legend he was. You can’t replace a legend.”

After the seizure on the plane in 2001, Wilcox was informed that the seizure was caused by a brain tumor.

“Cancer doesn’t take the murders, the robbers or the criminals,” Martello said. “Cancer takes the innocent. It takes the good people. Cancer takes the teachers, the friends, and the family.”

Despite how rough the realization of how serious cancer is, Martello said perspective and optimism can help.

“For me, cancer has taught me lots of things,” Martello said. “Through the Walk 4 Wil I can give one day out of the entire year for to someone else. For one day, it is not just about me. I plan to walk until I literally cannot walk any longer. Twenty years down the road, I want to still be walking the track for my best friend.”

Cancer raises

questions

ence taught her to appreciate life and how to take extra responsibility.

“I had a lot of extra responsibility (while my mom underwent treatment),” Conter said. “I drove my brother and sister (Brennan and Micaela, both sophomores) to all of their functions. I learned how to appreciate the little things. We also had a lot of help from extended family to help around the house, which helped a lot.”

Conter said she went through a lot last year from last year fall to early summer, but she is using those experiences to help others as well as her own family member with cancer.

“I am helping organize a walk for breast cancer this month,” Conter said.

“When I was in fourth grade, my mom did a three day walk for cancer. I plan to be a part of a walk or any other charitable event to help other people, just like my mom, who have gone through or are going through similar experiences.”

A dad

for

The six letters can sneak up on you.

An unexpected phone call in November of 2006 changed physical education teacher Angie Scott’s life forever.

“My mom called and she was hysterical,” Scott said. “I knew that second that something was wrong. She told me that my dad either had a stoke or a seizure. All I knew at that moment was that I needed to be with him.”

A couple tests and a CAT scan, confirmed that Scott’s dad, Arnie had a cancerous brain tumor.

“We did chemo(therapy),” Scott said.

“It was successful, and we had a sense of relief.”

However the relief did not last long for Scott and that fallowing May, her father was hospitalized once again after feeling ill for the second time. On May 20, her father passed away.

“It was three weeks before the relay,” Scott said. “I was now going to be running in memory of my father. It was a really tough time for me. However my Relay for Life team helped me through it and made the the situation a lot easier to get through. There is something about having other people that are going through a similar situation that is really comforting.”

For the past three years, Scott and her team made up of 40 to 50 friends, family members and even other staff member have participated. This year she plans to do the same.

“Assuming I can and I am able to, I will run in memory of my father once again,” Scott said. “I have learned through the whole experience how truly blessed I am and the support system from my Relay team helped tremendously. It put everything into perspective for me.”

all involved

A mom

S

ometimes the six letter word is something that runs in the family. Sometimes the word floats, to some extent, in and out of occasional conversations, occasional tests. For senior Taylor Conter, this was the case. Her mother was diagnosed last fall with breast cancer.

“My mom just went in for her yearly mammogram,” Conter said. “It was somewhat normal for me because my grandma had cancer and so did a couple other members of my family. It was completely shocking for me, and I never thought that it would happen like it did.”

After two surguries, chemotherapy and radiation, Conter really put her life into perspective.

“Currently everything is fine,” Conter said. “Everything is more than fine actually. My mom is 100 percent cancer free and has been since the beginning of summer. The experience has taught me that life is short. I learned to live life with no regrets and that nothing is impossible. A lot of positive things have come from the experience even though it was such a hard thing to go through.”

According to Conter, this experi-

Sometimes that six letter word causes some fear. Sometimes it can be transformed into something beautiful. Martello, Scott and Conter all eventually took something positive from their experiences with cancer.

It is a six letter word they knew. It is a six letter word they experienced. But now it’s not just a six letter word.

Cancer is something that is a part of all of these people. It brings them together to overcome something that had been unspeakable. Today they break the silence and speak of their experiences to learn and to grow from them.

Facts about cancer •Cancer can be prevented from any pf the following things: not using tobacco products, eating healthier foods, maintaining a healthy weight and wearing sunscreen.

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•Possible symptoms of cancer include: a new mole, unexplained changes in weight, difficulty swallowing, and a sore that does not heal.

•There are four ways to treat cancer: radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy.

Source: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/ factsheet/Sites-Types/general

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5

Feature

Friday, October 23, 2009

Lack of credits forces some seniors to a fifth year Kaitlyn Sheperd Feature editor

Super senior Ryan Kovacik feels many things, but super is not one of them.

Kovacik was supposed to graduate with the class of 2009; however, because he was unable earn all of his credits, he has to repeat his senior year. “All I did in high school was mess around,” Kovacik said. “I didn’t figure out until it was too late that school and partying don’t work out.”

Kovacik must complete a full year and earn a total of eight and a half credits to earn before he can graduate.

Counselor Gerry Holmes said that while lack of credit is a reason seniors may not graduate, there are many other factors that can delay graduation.

“Students deal with all sorts of things that you may not realize,” Holmes said. “Things like family situations, illness and issues with American School can delay graduation.”

According to Principal Kit Moran it rare to see a fifth year senior; however, every year there are a few.

“In the past students asked permission (to stay for a fifth year),” Moran said. “We worked with the students on a case-to-case basis.”

Moran said many of these students chose to stay because of behavioral issues they have had in the past. Many of these students including Kovacik are put on contracts to maintain grades and appropriate behavior.

However, Moran said it would not be uncommon to see a fifth year Integrated Program or special education student. Moran said state law only allows the students to be enrolled in high school until the age of 19.

However, IP students are allowed to be enrolled until the age of 25.

Kovacik said being fifth year senior does have its plus side, though. “Everyone is afraid of you,” he said. “You also get to see people grow up, people that you have watched mature from freshman to seniors.”

Although Kovacik said being a fifth year senior has its plus side, he said if he could go back and do things over, he would make sure he wasn’t a fifth year senior. “I would definitely do things differently,” Kovacik said. “You get a lot of s--- for being a super senior.”

Kovacik said one of the annoying things about being a fifth year senior is the age difference. “It’s annoying as f—-,” Kovacik said.

“Everyone thinks I am a lot older than I actually am. I’ve heard rumors that I am like 25.”

Holmes said the age difference as a major reason why many an non-graduating students may seek an alternative way to finish high school.

“It takes a very strong person to come back and finish a fifth year,” she said. “Many students find themselves in a different place in their life and choose to earn their diploma an alternative way.”

According to Holmes, although several

fifth year seniors may attempt to come back and complete their final year of high school, many find themselves seeking alternative ways to earn their diploma in the end because they aren’t in the same place they were in high school.

“Some students try to come back,” Holmes said. “However, many of their lives have changed since high school. With work and other things going on, they find it difficult to complete that fifth year.”

Unfortunately Kovacik was unsuccessful in completing his fifth year at DHS. Kovacik was expelled from Dexter for several reasons, including a violation in his contract with the high school.

However, Kovacik does plan on finishing high school and earning his diploma. “I am currently attending Milan Alternative,” Kovacik said. “I plan on graduating from Milan.”

According to the state of Michigan’s website Alternative schools, such as the one Kovacik attends, are like any other K-12 program, only they offer additional resources to help students.

“Students served include those who have special needs and are lacking sufficient credit to graduate with their class. Alternative education programs often include expanded services from the regular program such as counseling, childcare, and transportation.”

Overall, Moran said fifth year seniors are something that are dealt with as they come up.

“My goal is to get students a diploma,” Moran said. “If they need a fifth year to do that, then they need a fifth year.”

Although Kovacik’s plans have been delayed a year, he said he still has plans for his future and has already taken steps to achieve them.

“I plan on entering the Marine Corps,” Kovacik said. “I went to military school to help prepare myself during high school. I loved the challenge and how hardcore it was.”

Holmes also said just because a student doesn’t do well in high school, it doesn’t mean their life is over. “I want to instill hope in students,” she said. “I don’t want students to think that they are a lost cause just because they didn’t do well in high school.”

Holmes encourages fifth year seniors to attend a community college for a year or two after they earn their diploma.

“Community college is a beautiful chance.

It’s a second chance at life,” Holmes said. “It gives the students a chance for a fresh start with a new GPA. If a student chooses to transfer to another college, 85 percent of their admissions decision is based on their performance at Washtenaw (Community College).”

Holmes said while there have been record highs, in the double digits, of non-graduating seniors in the past two years, she is happy to say she has more hope for this year.

“In my part of the alphabet, at least, I have fewer shaky seniors,” Holmes said. “There seems to be a f luctuation over the years; some years are just better than others.”

“My goal is to get every student a diploma. If they need a fifth year to do that, they need a fifth year.”

Kit Moran, principal

“I want to instill hope in students. I dont want students to think they are a lost cause just because they didn’t do well in high school.”

Gerry Holmes, guidance counselor

Photos by Ariel Star

Blogs, photo slideshows and more at www.thesquall.com

GO DREADNAUGHTS! ...and leave the “clipping” to us!

Precision Haircuts • Perms • Styles • Formal/Prom Up-Dos

Dexter Plaza (next to Busch’s)

We’re open 7 days a week for your convenience!

dexterglass.com

Handmade! jewelry!at!the!!

Dexter!Farmer’s!

Market!and!

Dexter!Picture!

Frame!Shop!

!

M-F 9-9; Sat 9-6; Sun 10-5

6

Upage

Q &A with

5X5 Tyler McCarthy

Jack Nixon staff writer

&

Dan Flowers entertainment editor

Q:If you were stranded on an island, what pet would you want?

A: Dog. Q: Why? A: ‘Cause they’re fun and smell food.

Q: If you had that food would you eat that pet?

A: No.

Mr. Garrison ( from “South Park”)

Ms. Olmstead

Mr. Baese

Mrs. Wells

Mr. Callaghan

staff writer

Mr. Wells

Um ... we all have inner beauty that shines on our students.

Mr. Moran

Me

Mr. Slave. He’s a major hottie

What do you think the best senior prank was?

When the seniors took for sale signs from houses and put them in front of the school

At a different school kids got arrested and the police pulled out a gun and put it to their head

Putting (paraprofessional) Connie’s (Agostini) Gator in the middle of the pond

One that would cause no damage but still be effective

When those kids paint balled the school

Would you wear a bannana hammock to work if you could?

What’s that?

No, I would slip and slide all over the place, plus I don’t look good in yellow.

Absolutely not, not even on the beach

Absolutely not

Every day. A glowin-the-dark one

If you could have one other job, what would it be?

Something in the medical field

I couldn’t imagine having any other job,.

Maybe The Joker

Nascar driver

Sing and dance on Broadway

A club dancer. I don’t know if I’m smart enough, though.

What do you think the term “hoser” means?

I don’t know.

A nickname for a fireman

Like a dork

I don’t want to know.

A person who wears pantyhose

Who do you think the best looking teacher in the school is?

Jamie Misevich

Friday, October 23, 2009

5 things to do and not to do for Halloween

Q: Would you eat me?

A: No, probably not.

Ian Mccarthy u page editor

Q: Would you let me eat you?

A: If I die, sure.

To Do

Not To Do

1. Participate in Devils night. Stock yourself 1. Go Trick or Treating. But if a kid in high school with all of the necessary supplies for a good time, comes up to my door this year with no costume just make sure to stop by Chelsea. on wearing a sweatshirt saying, “I’m a high school student for Halloween,” I will punch him/her in the 2.Dress in skimpy clothing. This is the only time face. you can wear something incredibly provocative without being called a slut. Show your best.

2. Get arrested while executing your Devil’s Night prank. Think it out. Have a plan. Exit strat3. If you’re going to a party that requires a cos- egies are essential. tume, think of something creative. The T-shirt with a skeleton on it is not funny anymore. Twen- 3. Wear a pimp costume to a party. Not only is tieth time is not a charm. Stop. this completely unoriginal, but the pimp-to-prostitute ratio will be thrown off.

4. Have your family pass out candy on Halloween. I don’t care if your family doesn’t believe in 4. Take more than one piece of candy. When that Halloween. Put out some candy. Nothing is worse 3-year-old kid comes up, he arrives to an empty than the dark house in the neighborhood who has bowl. Not that it has ever happened to me with no candy. my red M&M costume on, bawling with no candy left in the bowl.

5. Think of a funny or clever costume. It’s really not about how scary you can be anymore. If 5. Not participate in Halloween. Be social with you’re doing something that requires a costume, your friends and get out. Your AP homework can make it clever. wait one night, super star.

Q: If you were a pizza topping, what would you be?

A: Cheese.

Q: If you were a pro wrestler, what would your name be?

A: J Money.

Q: Will you follow me to find the great pumpkin with Charlie Brown?

A: Absolutely.

Student look alikes

have had me scratching my head and even turning around to take a double take.

Ever since we were little kids, we have been Identity theft seems to me a common crime taught that everyone is different. these day.

I have always had faith in my education Here are some students who look so similar about uniqueness, but this year students I have trouble believing my eyes.

Nick Gonet staff writer

Senior Alex Watson

Senior Rob Mayrand

Senior Mason Mabry

Sophomore Lindsey Green

Freshman Dalton Bryant

Sophomore Dan Hanrath

Senior Kevin Yarows

Freshman David Berdish

Senior Dan Flowers

Senior Ross Chamberlin

Sophomore Mishael Bingham

Sophomore Adam Walters

uPage

Freshmen5X5 Q & A

7

Friday, October 24, 2009

compiled by Ian McCarthy staff writer

Ethan Young

Kim Frauhammer

Libbey McMurray

Gary Spikberg

Crazy Tech Guy

No, because I'm gonna carry a baseball bat that day.

No, I can block all of the seniors from doing anything that would be considered fun.

Sure. I never use the school bathrooms

Most def. I fear no one

Are you nervous knowing that last year freshmen were injured during the fourth Friday of every month?

No. Um, I don't know. Of course you would write that.

No, because (senior Alexander Dobbs) will protect me.

There are two seniors in the right and left urinals.

Do you use the middle?

No, because they're just gonna say stuff and get really mad until I move.

I would wait, but I'm not a boy.

What is your opinion of seniors?

Most of them are pretty cool, but I don't really know that many.

Um, I like them. I don't know that many, but the ones I know are on the dance team, and they're nice.

Um, they're nice to me. They're all my brother's friends so they're nice to me.

I don't know. The only one I have in my class with me is a super senior.

We get along very well especially since I’m bringing Halo back.

Where do babies come from?

Did Jono think of that? When two adults like each other they get married.

The stork

The stork

Blahaha. Are you serious? Are you serious? A woman.

The Matrix. This all isn’t real. Just make sure you take the blue pill.

If we were to go see a movie together, what would we go see?

“Transformers 2” because I would be with you.

What movies are out right now? We would see Cinderella because I like shoes.

“GI Joe, Rise of the Cobra”.” Why not

( Runs away in fright, then pulls out his iPod checks his movie app) “Inglorious Bastards.”

“Gamer.” It’s about humans controlled by video games.

Welcome to my reality.

Ha, no.

Yea, why not?

DO: Make a fair attempt at attending all of the football games: The student body has a duty to support Dexter High School. This duty calls for the undying support of a hardcore student body. Don’t be lame and make some stupid excuse to miss out on an experience. Dress accordingly for the theme; make it a good Friday night. Be Dreadnaughty.

5 things to do and not to do during first tri

Get to class on time: Don’t be that student who always walks in late to school. Tardies don’t stay tardies in name. They add up, and sooner or later you’ll be staying after school in detention, when you could be at home. Get to class on time, its 7:40. It really isn’t that early and it’s not that hard to follow.

Get the good grades and keep them: Some people may think that if they mess up now, they have two other trimesters to make up for the mess up in first. Not a chance. If you mess up now, I’m sorry to say this but, you’re screwed.

High school is the real deal. Make an effort to get the good grades that your parents love to see, and lock them in. For keeps.

Stand clear of the middle stairs: High traffic areas have potential for severe injuries and even death. Don’t stand in the middle or even off to the sides in that middle stairwell. People are going to get pushed and shoved and trampled on. Let’s keep DHS a safe environment, please.

Don’t hate the Norton’s. Love them: AP English Language teacher Jo Muszkiewicz runs and keeps her AP English Language class in top notch shape. She’s a fairly simple teacher. Just do the two things she asks: put in an effort and do the work. All the juniors will have a new best friend soon. It’s called the Norton Sampler.

And every AP English student will learn to love Norton Tuesdays. You can be part of the many other juniors whose Facebook statuses will be: “Norton Sampler” or “Ughh … Nortons.” I loved it.

So will you.

DON’T: Make the Lady Gaga fashion statement: People don’t need to walk in the halls and see low cut shirts or super short miniskirts. There will be finger pointing and whispers. A lot of it. Make that fashion statement if you want to. We have a dress code, but other than that, you’re free to do as you wish. Just be kind to the general public.

Please, save others the potential to gag.

Be like a herd of animals and stand in the middle: The hallways in DHS are used as a medium of transportation that students use to transport themselves from point A to point B. It’s not for you to meet, greet and disperse all in the middle of the hallway. Save that for the commons during lunch. During passing time stay off to the sides and let traffic through.

Do anything illegal: Don’t do anything that you know that you’re going to regret. It’s only the first couple months of school. Let’s not get DUIs and other shenanigans. There are such things as drug dogs.

PDA is not OK: No one wants to see couples hugging and smooching or all around acting disgusting in public.

This isn’t just a first tri thing. It’s a kind reminder for the whole year.

Party like a rock star: It’s cool to party. It’s a stress reliever. I’m all for it. It’s just that, it’s not very attractive or appealing to those around you when you come to school the next day and you have, “I partied. Got wasted. And feel like crap” written all over your face.

with paraprofesional Connie Agostini

Q. If you could enter a Gator racing league, would you?

A. Oh yeah, definitely.

Q. What is your radio codename?

A. Ha ha. I don’t have one. Ha ha. Oh, you are funny Q. On average how many underclassmen do you catch smoking in the morning a year?

A. Oh god, three a year.

Q. What is the weirdest thing you have ever seen over the years?

A. Oh, I’m not goin’ there.

Q. If you had to fight any staff member in the school in handto-hand combat who would it be?

A. (Paraprofessional Dee) Braden. Yeah, definately Braden. ( Braden later, in lunch, after hearing this news said, “Oh, she’s not quick enough to get me.”)

Q. If you were an amputee, and you could choose which limb you had to lose, which would it be?

A. What is this … probably my right arm. I’m left handed.

Q. Which Harry Potter character do you most relate to?

A. Never watched Harry Potter.

Q. What is the worst part about your job?

A. Dress code enforcement. No one else is doing it. It’s just awkward.

8

Feature

Friday, October 23, 2009

Young author writes about his unique senses Dyllan Rafail publishes book at the age of 12, gives first-hand depiction of living with Asperger's Alex Everard Editor in Chief

I

mmediately af ter Craig R afail turns o f f t h e l i g h t s t o h i s s o n D y l l a n ’s bedroom, the young boy responds, “Dad , why d id you t u r n t he d a rk on? ” “ That was one specif ic time I can recall t h i n k i n g t o m y s e l f , ‘ Wo w, h e s e e s t h i n g s t o t a l l y d i f f e r e n t l y. H i s m i n d i s s o u n i q u e ,’ ” R afail, a physical education and science t e a c h e r, s a i d w h i l e r e c a l l i n g a m e m o r y o f h i s son D yllan, now a published aut hor at t he age of 12.

D y l l a n h a s A s p e r g e r ’s S y n d r o m e a f o r m o f aut ism, and according to his recent book, a s p e c i a l p o w e r. S e e , D y l l a n f i t s t h e a t y p i c a l mold of a superhero. He is endowed w it h special abilities beyond his control, but h e s t r u g g l e s w i t h t h e p o w e r ’s p o s i t i v e a n d negative ef fects and tr ies speak ing for ever y child in the process.

The idea of turning his stor y into a book s t a r t e d o u t w i t h D y l l a n ’s d e s i r e t o d r a w at tent ion to liv ing w it h aut ism and an o p p o r t u n i t y t h r o u g h Va n B u r e n S c h o o l D i s t r i c t ’s p r o m o t i o n o f r e a d i n g a n d w r i t i n g . “ E a c h s t u d e n t h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y, i f t h e y chose, to w r ite a book and enter their work t o b e s e l e c t e d ,” R a f a i l s a i d . D y l l a n ’s b o o k , “ S u p e r S e n s e s : A c h i l d ’s d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e challenges and rewards of liv ing w ith Autism/ A s p e r g e r s ”, w a s s e l e c t e d a s a w i n n e r, a n d the arduous the process of being published began.

The motive behind spreading the word, according to R afail, was to help erase the one of the worst aspects of life w ith Autism, yet the e a s i e s t t o t r e a t : m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s .“ D y l l a n set out to complete t his task bec ause he wanted to help erase misunderstandings a b o u t a u t i s m ,” R a f a i l s a i d . “ T h a t c a n o f t e n be the most fr ustrating thing, just being m i s u n d e r s t o o d .”

A lthough Dyllan is not initially outspoken, especially to strangers inquir ing about his “d i s o r d e r ”, t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n t o h i s b o o k exceptionally descr ibes what his life is like and why he w rote about it. “Ever y day I live w i t h w h a t I c a l l ‘ s u p e r s e n s e s ’,” D y l l a n w r i t e s .

He is c a ref u l to hig h lig ht what t he med ic a l c o m m u n i t y c a l l s h i s s i t u a t i o n , h o w e v e r. “ My fa mily c a lls it mild aut ism a nd sensor y i n t e g r a t i o n d i s o r d e r.”

Special education teacher Liz Sheilds said that the voice Dyllan is giv ing children w it h aut ism c an g ive t he public a v iew of t he d isorder t hat is ra rely seen. “People just need to understand that when children are behav ing dif ferent ly due to aut ism, it i s a l m o s t a l w a y s a r e a c t i o n ,” S h e i l d s s a i d . “ Their senses are responding to what is happ en i ng a rou nd t hem; it i sn’t ju st r a ndom b e h a v i o r.”

S h e i l d ’s c o l l e g u e , s p e e c h p a t h o l o g i s t E m i l y Pet rous, sa id t hat misundersta nd ing a re generally spaw ned by the unique reactions aut ist ic children ex hibit in cer tain socia l sit u at ion s. “O f tent i me s a ch i ld won’t pick up on cer tain body language or inter pret c o n v e r s t i o n a l q u e s a c c u r a t e l y,” P e t r o u s s a i d .

“It is i mpor t a nt to keep i n m i nd t hat t hey a re

not being dif f icult but simply have a dif ferent v iew in cer tain aspects of the senses and how t h e y a r e u s e d t o c o m m u n i c a t e .”

D yllan directly addresses this point in his introduction, say ing parents and teachers may initailly react to aut ist ic children w it h fr ustration. “I hope my book w ill help people u n d e r s t a n d ,” D y l l a n w r i t e s . “ P e o p l e s a y I a m p r e t t y g o o d a t e x p l a i n i n g h o w I f e e l .”

Bot h Sh ield s a nd Pet rous ag ree t he awa rene ss a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g s p r e a d b y D y l l a n ’s w o r k is nothing but progressive to f ur ther public u n d e r s t a n d i n g a b o u t a u t i s m a n d A s p e r g e r ’s . “ I t ’s r e a l l y f a n t a s t i c ,” S h e i l d s s a i d . “ A u t i s m a w a r e n e s s m o n t h i s M a y, b u t i t i s a l m o s t a s t h o u g h i t s h o u l d b e e v e r y m o n t h .”

The book has been embraced by many of its readers and sold out of the original 500 copies in the f irst week of publishing. The standpoint from which the book is w r it ten, that of a child l i v i n g w i t h s e n s o r y i n t e r g r a t i o n d i s o r d e r, i s a contr ibuting factor to the interest being g e n e r a t e d b y D y l l a n a n d h i s s t o r y.

In his book, Dyllan works to connect w it h ot her children w it h aut ism by telling how aut ism af fects his senses and how he u s e s t hem to c om mu n ic ate. For e x a mple , A s p e r g e r ’s c a u s e s h e i g h t e n e d i n t e r e s t i n cer tain areas dur ing childhood, such as ar t, math and science, but some social sk ills may b e a f f e c t e d .“ I l o v e a r t ,” h e w r i t e s . “ B e i n g creative helps other people to understand me!”

One of his concerns while w riting the book was reaching out to those who str uggle w ith more severe aut ism and t he parents of t hese children who may misunderstand what their children are going through.

“Some days I feel conf used like static on a T V,” w r i t e s D y l l a n . “ M y t h o u g h t s w o n ’ t c l e a r.

I w ish I could just turn the channel and make i t g o a w a y.”

The book also descr ibes the sensor y images t h a t c o m e s w i t h a d i a g n o s i s , o f “ s u p e r s e n s e s ”, c o m p l e t e w i t h e x a m p l e s . “ I h a t e b e i n g h o t ,” h e w r i t e s . “ I t ’s l i k e I a m a n i c e c r e a m a n d m y thoughts are dr ipping dow n into a puddle on t h e g r o u n d .”

D y l l a n ’s anecdotal ev idence of the d i f f i c u l t i e s o f A s p e r g e r ’s f u r t h e r b u i l d t h e ra re adva nt age s he a lso enjoy s. “It ma ke s me feel special like, maybe, I get to feel things m o r e o r b e t t e r t h a n o t h e r p e o p l e ,” D y l l a n w rites.

A nd, like a tr ue super hero, D yllan stick s up for children like him and children who suf fer f rom severe t y pes of aut ism. “ There a re ma ny chi ld ren who have cha l lenges much b i g g e r t h a n m i n e ,” D y l l a n w r i t e s . “ I w a n t t o b e br ave l i ke t hem. Be c au se l i fe i sn’t a lw ay s e a s y f o r m e , I w o r r y a b o u t o t h e r p e o p l e a l o t .”

M e l i n d a R a f a i l , D y l l a n ’s m o t h e r, h a s g r o w n to k now what daily life is like for her son and how he deals w ith his unique senses. She helped dur ing the w r iting process by aiding Dyllan w ith more tedious tasks like editing the book. “There were times when all of it b e c a m e o v e r w h e l m i n g ,” s h e s a i d . “ D y l l a n h a d a specif ic image in his mind and a cer tain way he wanted to depict how his brain sees t h i n g s , s o t h e r e w e r e n u m e r o u s d r a f t s .”

P e r h a p s a c o n t r i b u t i n g r e a s o n f o r t h e b o o k ’s success is the underly ing concept Dyllan had for his creat ion. He sta r ted w it h a pic t ure on each page (D yllan both w rote and illustrated “Super Sense s”), a nd bu i lt a f it t ing body of tex t around it. “Images help br ing to life s o m e o f t h e f e e l i n g s D y l l a n h a s ,” h i s m o t h e r said.

A s for dealing w ith his local limelight, D yllan w restles w ith the at tention he is get ting. On one hand, he said he feels “pret t y good” t hat his book is f inished a nd awa reness is being raised thanks to him, but, on the other hand, he could do w ithout the crowds of people.

A sy mptom of aut ism is uncomfor tableness around chaotic groups of people, such as the recent book signing D yl la n head lined. He ma naged to sign over 300 book s. He lef t, h o w e v e r, s t i l l p u z z l e d .

“He kept tel l i ng me, ‘Mom, I don’t ge t why so many people would want my name on their b o o k ,’ ” M e l i n d a s a i d .

Perhaps D yl la n w i l l need to prac t ice his s i g n a t u r e . “ We ’ r e t a l k i n g t o a n o r g a n i z a t i o n r ight now who is interested in buy ing a mass a mou nt , a nd we’r e a l r e ad y or der i ng a not her 1 , 0 0 0 s i n c e t h e f i r s t 5 0 0 w e n t i n o n e w e e k ,” Craig said.

D y l l a n ’s d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d u n i q u e s i t u a t i o n are something he not only lives w ith, but embraces. The str uggle being a pseudosuperhero is taken in str ide by D yllan.

His father said, “One day a commercial to cure aut ism c ame on telev ision and D yllan t o l d m e , ‘ T h e y ’ r e n o t t a k i n g m i n e a w a y.’ ”

The Truth About Autism Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3.

Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socio-economic status.

Treatment options include vision and music therapy, dietary intervention, and vitamins and supplements

Source: www.nationalautismassociation.org

Dyllan Rafail and his family pose for a photo at the book signing ceremony for “Super Senses”. Dyllan wrote the book to help others understand what it is like to live with autism.

Photo courtesy of Craig Rafail

Feature 9 Delhi Bridge finally open to traffic

Friday, October 23, 2009

Historic bridge reopening helps some students have a faster communte to school Rachel Butler staff writer

During the time the East Delhi Bridge has been closed, residents such as seniors Alex Beattie have been unhappy with the length of time its rehabilitation has taken.

“Sometimes it would take me at least 10 minutes out of the way,” Beattie said about having to take a detour in order to go places past the bridge.

The East Delhi Bridge has been steadily deteriorating to the point of failure over its long existence over the Huron River.

Since June 2005 the historic structure has been closed, causing drivers to seek alternative routes that often take them on an inconvenient detour.

Instead of completely replacing the bridge, the existing bridge underwent rehabilitation construction in order for it to be preserved and reopened.

The East Delhi Bridge has been available for Dexter residents to travel over since the late 1900s. Due to its long history, the bridge has gone through a lot of weathering, according to Kelly R. Jones, a Bridge engineer from the Washtenaw County Road Commission. “It was actually taken out by a tornado in 1917,” Jones said.

Over 88 years after it was worked on for the tornado disaster, an inspection of the bridge in June 2005 revealed severe weathering that concerned inspectors, who then closed the bridge, declaring it to be a failure.

“Its beams were were failing to provide sufficient support,” Jones said.

According to Jones, what originally started as a project intended to replace the existing structure quickly turned into a project aimed at rehabilitating the existing one-lane bridge because of a concern residents had about preserving the history of the bridge.

And even though the bridge closing has inconvenienced Beattie, she said she is glad that they decided to keep the original look of the bridge.

“It’s really pretty, and I like how historic

it looks,” she said.

“I’m glad they didn’t decide to replace it with an ugly normal looking bridge.”

The rehabilitation process has taken several years and includes a variety of major and minor improvements to the existing structure.

“We replaced all of the beams below the road deck because they were rusted and had holes in them,” Jones said. “The steel above was also replaced.”

A new rail and traffic light added to the structure were some of the minor improvements, according to Jones.

The bridge was closed for such an extensive amount of time because the project escalated from just repair work to a complete rehabilitation project.

“It just made sense to do all the construction at once,” she said. “We never want to keep a bridge closed for too long though; we would like to maintain our road network.”

Senior Elizabeth Reynolds who also lives near the bridge is excited that bridge is being reopen. “I will have more freedom in what route I choose,” she said. “(Before I couldn’t) even get to the park

Photos by Ross Chamberlin

The finished, one-lane Delhi Bridge is now open to traffic.

Security improvements part of new bond John Brundage staff writer

Along with the paint, a fresh coat of security is being applied to DHS this year, as part of a districtwide upgrade in security infrastructure.

“The high school was built very user friendly, with over 40 exterior doors.” Principal Kit Moran said.

This has translated, for those who wish to do harm to the building, into easy access according to Moran.

The school has suffered numerous incidents of vandalism, most notably the destruction of the light up sign and the paintball strike on the cafeteria.

Action is now being taken. Though these incidents weren’t the deciding factors in the security increase, as several hundred thousand dollars in bond money had already been allocated to installing more security, these incidents exposed an urgent need for an upgrade according to Moran. “(After the paintball incident) the company agreed to give us a head start on the cameras,” Moran said.

This year cameras will be added to complement the existing motion sensors and alarms. A warning from the current security system is accompanied with uncertainty because of the lack of visual confirmation.

“If a poster falls off the wall it sets (the sensors) off,” Moran said, “Occasionally I’ll get a call (from the security company) late at night telling me that an alarm went off. First they call the janitors, and

if they can’t get the janitors, they call me. (With cameras) if I got a call I could pull up my laptop and see what was going on.”

A credible threat is usually characterized by multiple blips of the motion sensors in multiple rooms, according to Moran. When a threat is determined to be credible, the police are called. This adds a level of risk in the uncertainty.

“We eventually get billed when the police get called over. They aren’t our personal security, and we don’t want to be like the boy who cried wolf with our alarms,” Moran said.

Moran said by 2010 DHS should have cameras installed in key places.

“There’s going to be a camera at every entrance from the outside,” he said. “Realistically we want them in by the end of the year.”

Moran also said there will not be anyone monitoring the cameras, but if something happens they will assist in the investigation of the incident.

The cameras are digital and programmed to recognize movement and sleep when no movement is registered.

“If for instance, someone with a paintball gun comes in it will be good to have a record of that,” Moran said. “The new cameras will be all digital as opposed to analog. Now you get a full image, and we’ll be able to blow it up. On analog, if you blew it up, you got fuzz.”

Along with the cameras, a sign at the front entrance will let students know that they are being monitored. Moran said that the intention of this was not to be foreboding.

He said, “We are trying to fulfill our mission of taking care of students without creating a prison atmosphere.”

10

Feature

Friday, October 23, 2009

Teens and Tattoos They're self-expression for many students but

consider the long-term effects, says a tattoo artist

No regrets: Senior Sara Bayer shows off her new tatoo. She said she had no regrets other than not asking her parents first.

Photo by Candice Wiesner

Kaitlyn Shepard features editor

Yes, it is real. And yes, it hurt.

Senior Sara Bayer finds herself repeating this statement ever since she got her first tattoo in August.

“Whenever people see it, they are always really surprised,” Bayer said of her tattoo. “They always ask me if it is real, if it hurt and if they can touch it.”

Bayer got a portrait of three crows flying on her right forearm, a decision she said took her a long time.

“I had been looking at stuff online for about six months before I got it,” she said. “I have always thought birds and flight were really fascinating. At first I was going to get swallows, but after researching them I decided I wanted something more badass. Crows are some of the strongest birds so I decided they would be a better match.”

According to Dana Forrester, owner of the Lucky Monkey tattoo shop in Ann Arbor, Bayer did a good thing by taking her time before getting her tattoo.

“It is really important that people take their time and do their research before getting a tattoo,” Forrester said. “They need to look at artists’ portfolios before they decide to get a tattoo.”

Brian Massey, tattoo artist at the Lucky Monkey, agrees with Forrester.

“Not all tattoo artists are equal,” Massey said. “You have to find a quality artist who works in a clean and reputable shop.”

According to Massey, finding a clean and reputable shop will decrease the risks associated with getting a tattoo.

“There is always going to be the potential for infection,” Massey said. “However, as long as you find a clean shop, the risks are relatively low.”

And Forrester said it is important to never allow your friends to do your tattoo.

“We have a lot of people come in with mutilated tattoos asking us to fix them because they let some guy who tattoos out of his basement do it,” she said.

One way Forrester said she insures customers do their research is

by refusing to tattoo people under the age of 18.

“We have a lot of teens come in for requests,” Forrester said. “But we tell them to come back on their birthday.”

According to Forrester, her reasoning behind this is to make sure that teens do not get a tattoo that they will regret.

“Teens especially are very susceptible to being influenced by fads and trends,” she said. “Getting a tattoo as a part of a fad or trend is not a good idea. That’s when people end up regretting it.”

As far as regret goes, Bayer said she only has one regret about getting her tattoo.

“I wish I had told my parents before I got it done,” Bayer said. “I didn’t tell them until after I got it, and they were really upset at first.

All my mom did was cry and cry and say things like, ‘What about your wedding dress?’”

However, Bayer said that the surprise tattoo did not tear her family apart in anyway.

“I think it brought us closer together,” she said. “Once they accepted it, they supported me 100 percent.”

Even though Bayer has the complete support of her parents, she said she is lacking the support from other adults.

“Right after I got it, I heard a lot of people saying that I had bad parents,” she said. “That’s not how it is at all. I choose to get this tattoo on my own; my parents had nothing to do with it.”

Bayer said her parent’s main concerns were about her tattoo were what it was going to do to her future. However, Bayer said she will deal with it as it comes.

“I really won’t mind having to wear long sleeves to work every day,” she said. “I am just going to hope I work somewhere really cold.”

Although employers and many other people look down on tattoos, Forrester and Massey believe it is a good thing.

“We won’t drag someone in and force them to get a tattoo,” Forrester said. “If you like it and it’s for you, then it is a good thing.”

Bayer said that her experience getting her tattoo was a good one, and that she would do it again in the future.

“I really wish I could get another one,” Bayer said. “But I promised my parents I would wait before I did.”

Factbox • The world’s most tattooed person is Tom Leppard from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, who has 99.9 percent of his body covered with a leopard-skin design.

• The most popular tattoos for teenage girls are those of butterflies and hearts.

• 36 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have a tattoo.

• There is a one-year waiting period to give blood after receiving a tattoo.

• The tattooing machine is based on the design of the doorbell.

FieldSource: The Brook Press, Brian Massey , The American Red Cross

Link Crew tries to help freshman transition Megan Podschlne staff writer

Seniors help out: Senior Liam Donevan participated in Link Crew, making the transition for freshman much easier.

When freshman Emily Praznik entered the school for the first time as a high school student, horror stories of freshmen hazing and cliques shot through her head as she waited in nervous anticipation for the gym doors to open and her high school experience to begin.

Finally, two upperclassmen opened the doors and, as the freshmen filtered in, she was greeted by a tunnel of cheering upperclassmen wearing neon green T-shirts.

As the day progressed, these people, known as Link Crew leaders, stood in bright colors as they continued to sing songs, do dances and form human knots.

Link Crew coordinator Shirley Bitters said, “Link Crew is a mentoring program for seniors and juniors to serve as mentors and role models for incoming freshmen.”

According to Link Crew co-founder Micah Jacobson, Link Crew is part of the Boomerang Project.

According to Jacobson, “(The Boomerang Project) aims to increase freshmen success and the overall culture and feel of a school. By connecting freshmen with a diverse and kind group of upperclassmen, we hope to see freshmen more successful, more connected to school and ultimately more comfortable faster ... (Link Crew) is now in 44 states and four Canadian provinces.”

Link Crew began at Dexter High School after

the school started having a freshmen transition day. Shortly after this began, Jacobson founded Link Crew and several teachers were sent to Chicago for training, according to Bitters.

According to Link Crew Coordinator and Dean of Students Ken Koenig, “Data showed freshmen transition was hard to have happen across the United States.”

Koenig also said data shows freshmen success rates are in ratio to graduation rates. This data was the evidence needed to begin Link Crew.

Senior Liam Donevan said that he became a Link Leader to help people and make sure no one had a difficult time coming into high school, making sure they all had fun.

According to the Link Crew website, Link Crew aims to better a school by specifically targeting three areas: safety, information and connection.

According the the Boomerang Project website, “Bullying, rumors, isolation and harassment are far more likely to pose safety risks on the average campus than external violence. Link Crew allows students to have a trusted source of safety from their first moments on their school campus.”

Information is also spread to underclassmen in a more efficient way through Link Crew. Upperclassmen can explain to freshmen issues such as where classes are, what classes they should take, what opportunities are available and the general conduct that should be maintained in the school.

According to Praznik, “(Link Crew) made me more comfortable knowing where my classes are and knowing my way around the school.”

Link Crew leaders also help freshmen by be-

ing someone who they can come to. Freshmen can form more connections with people in the school by getting information from Leaders on sports, clubs and activities.

Praznik said, “I think (the transition) was better (than in past years) because I had people to teach me stuff.”

Bitters said she is confident Link Crew will continue at Dexter High School. “We have committed enough resources to it so that we have enough stuff to keep it going,” she said.

Koenig said he began to notice a difference in the freshmen class within the first few days of school. “The freshmen have a little less anxiety (this year),” he said.

Koenig also predicts changes in the future of Dexter High School due to this program. He said, “In a few years after all of the students have gone through the Link Crew process, (students will) aspire to be Leaders.”

The Link Crew program has also been facing changes according to Jacobson. “The biggest addition this year will be a parent Link Crew program where new parents will be welcomed by current high school parents,” he said.

Future events for Link Crew Leaders and freshmen include Link Leaders encouraging freshmen to attend Homecoming and a “Cocoa and Cram” session for exam review. Freshmen will get help from their Link Leaders preceding exams and cocoa and snacks will be provided.

According to Donevan, “(We are) just (going to) keep helping freshmen and making sure their transition to high school is good.”

11

Feature

Friday, October 23, 2009

German exchange student excited by shopping Lauren Gagneau staff writer

Wilson as “Mom” and “Dad”. “I did not like calling them Mr. and Mrs. Mom and dad fits much better.”

According to Bifolchi, the school systems are very different in America than in Germany. And the changes have been hard Senior Matthias Bifolchi could not wait to come to America.

He has lived in Germany his entire life, and said he decided he to get used to. “In Germany school did not start until 8:45 and we got out at 1:30. Each class was only 45 minutes. The 72 minwanted to see what life was like in other countries. B ifolchi said the student exchange program was something utes is killing me,” he said.

There is always a big difference in homework too. In Germahe always had interest in, but it was not until his junior year that he started to put more thought into actually becoming an ny, Bifolchi said, the most he ever remembers having is around a half hour. Teachers there believe students do enough work in exchange student.

His teacher gave him the exchange student organization’s school, that homework in not necessary.

“I’ve had to stay up until 12:30 almost every night so far,” information and told him this opportunity would be life-changBifolchi said. ing.

There was also not any school sports in “After going to my first AmeriGermany.

“If you wanted to play a sport, can Field Service meeting, which is I love the family I am stayyou had to find a club team, or just play with the program that matched me with ing with. I get along well friends,” Bifolchi said. a family here, I knew this was going with Ned and Ben.” He said going to football games are so to be an experience I did not want much fun. He really enjoys playing with the to miss out on,” Bifolchi said.

After attending his first AFS

Matthias Bifolchi band and half time, and all the cheers the stumeeting, Bifolchi continued going

senior dent section leads.

Bifolchi said he has even put some though every month until he came to Michinto moving to the US. “I’m going to see how igan. “They helped me a lot on what this year goes and then decide then on what I to expect when I go there and what want to do,” Bifolchi said. the people would be like,” Bifolchi Compared to Germany, Bifolchi said he said.

Bifolchi has been in Dexter for just over a month, and said likes how friendly and talkative people here are. “It was very he has had a great experience thus far. He is staying with the weird being greeted by a worker when I walk into stores,” he Wilsons, who have two sons of their own: Ned and Ben. Both said. “Usually we would just do our own thing.”

Being in the U.S. is very difficult from his life in Germany. attend Dexter High School, and all three boys are in the marchBut Bifolchi’s experience has been positive, and he is anxious ing band together.

“I love the family I am staying with. I get along very well to spend the rest of the year here. He said, “I love being here. with Ned and Ben,” Bifolchi said. He also refers to Mr. and Mrs. I’m so happy my teacher pushed me to do this.”

“

Photo by Sarah Breuninger

Emily VanDusen copy editor

Henry Thurston will

always be a

Dexter Dread

Photo and illustration by Candice Wiesner

Three years ago at Battle Creek, football coaches from across the state were gathered at a conference for the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association.

One might assume that this group would present a stoic exterior, due to their competitive drive and authoritative presence.

However, this assumption was broken when Henry Thurston took the podium for about 15 seconds, and the group exploded into applause, jumping to their feet and wiping tears from their faces.

As the football team equipment manager, Thurston was receiving honorary membership in the MHSFCA for his 46 years of dedication to the Dexter athletic program.

“I got started with coach Al Ritt,” Thurston said. “I wanted to be out here with the kids and the coaches.”

According to football coach Tom Barbieri, Thurston’s tasks include setting up any equipment needed during practice, like dummies, shields and “beanies” used to differentiate between practice teams.

“His biggest job is that he works hard for about three weeks over the summer to inventory and organize the equipment,” Barbieri said. “It doesn’t seem like that big of a job, but each player alone has so much equipment: three jerseys, two pairs of pants, a helmet ... ” Despite the difficulties, Thurston said he enjoys the exciting atmosphere of game nights and team dinners that comes with his job.

“My favorite thing is going to the games,” Thurston said. “And taking part in Homecoming is always big.”

When football season wraps up with the end of fall, Thurston turns his efforts towards managing the equipment used by the track team.

“With track, I’m doing more things,” Thurston said.

“I got get things like hurdles, chalk or whatever Mr. Barbieri needs.”

In addition to his equipment manager duties, Thurston finds the time to hold a steady job at the bakery, participate as a member of the Knights of Columbus and act as an altar boy at St. Joseph Church.

“He’s very loyal to Dexter,” Barbieri said. Besides contributing his work to various organizations in the community, Thurston also shows this loyalty by writing letters to and clipping newspaper articles for his friends in college athletics, whom he met through church or his job at the bakery.

“He’s really good friends with (former Michigan coach) Lloyd Carr,” Barbieri said. “Lloyd comes into the bakery sometimes just to chat with him.”

“I donate money to the children’s hospital because of Llyod Carr,” Thurston added. “I also know a lot of other coaches, like the Eastern Athletic director Dave Diles.”

Ultimately, the various ways which Thurston has found to support coaches and athletes alike have marked him as an integral part of not only the Dexter Athletics program but also the entire fabric of the community.

“He’s a tremendous help in so many ways,” Barbieri said. “It’s rewarding to see it happen.”

12

Photostory

Friday, October 23, 2009

Fabulous Dexter High TO

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Senior class steps it up for float building

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Deanna Moore staff writer

The class of 2010 has never been particularly involved in the construction of homecoming floats. “There is a handful of kids who show up year after year,” said senior class adviser Kim Lund.

Therefore, Lund was pleasantly surprised when more than five people showed up to the initial design meeting on Sept. 15. Plans were constructed around the seniors’ chosen theme of “slots”, with the final motto being “Slotter For 7s” to reference slots, football and seniors.

Senior Jeanette Ganz was one of the eight people who showed up to the meeting. New to float building this year, she said she went to the meeting because, “I felt bad for Madame Lund,” referencing the lack of seniors who have contributed to float building in the past.

Ganz, along with senior Jason Yam, drewg “Vegas-ized” versions of iconic Dexter buildings such as the Dairy Queen and the Dexter Bakery, that were blown up and recreated on the senior float itself.

Ganz said, “Since very few people show up, the chances that your ideas are going to get put on the float are really good.”

Certain aspects of float building were changed this year, such as the hours that students are able to work on the float. In the past, students could work from 3-9 p.m. the week of homecoming, and then as late as it took to finish the float on the day before the parade.

Now, students could only work 3-7 p.m. during the week, and until 9 p.m. the night before the parade.

Another change this year is the budget for float building. In the past, as much as $4000 was spent on construction of all four floats. This year each class had to stick to a budget of $400, in accordance with the student council’s decision.

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1. Sophomore Molly Carmody helps out her class by folding tissue paper to put on the float. The sophomores took second in the float contest.

2. Junior Pantea Sokansanj helps build the sides of her class’ float by folding tissue paper. The juniors won the float building contest.

3.Senior Jessica Greeley paints a sign for her class’ float. The seniors placed last place in the float contest.

4. The freshmen float theme was poker.

5. Freshmen Brandon Otto puts cards up on his class’ float. The freshmen came in third for the float building contest.

6. Seniors Ian McCarthy and Danny Cohen help build the frame for the senior float. The seniors theme was slots.

7. Senior Laura Wiinikka-Buesser helpspaint signs for her class float.

8. Junior Megan Thompson spray paints tisssue paper. The junior class theme was roulette.

Photos by Ariel Star, Lindsey Gagneau, Sarah Breuninger, Luke Hattie

13

Photostory

Friday, October 23, 2009

Best Student Section in the SEC? DHS is #1 in something

While the football team may struggle, the student section helps maintain the spirit

Alex McMurray staff writer

The Dreadnaughts faithfully celebrate after a first down on Toga Night vs. Adrian. Room in the student section was scarce as usual.

S en ior K e v i n Mor s i s awa re t hat t he footba l l te a m i s, a nd ha s b e en, r id i ng a lo si ng r e c ord for h i s ent i re h ig h scho ol c a r e er. The te a m ha s m i s se d t he play of f s for ma ny ye a r s. But t hat do e sn’t s top h i m f r om c om i ng to ga me s, sit t i ng i n t he s t udent se c t ion a nd supp or t i ng t he te a m a ny w ay.

“It ’s s t i l l f u n to supp or t ou r f r iend s a nd have a n e xc u se to go buck w i ld w it hout b ei ng lo oke d at s t r a ngely,” Mor s sa id. “ W hen t he cr owd is loud , t he player s b e c ome slayer s.”

S t udent s c ome out i n w ave s a nd f i l l t he ble acher s e ver y F r id ay. The y w a nt to se e t he te a m suc c e e d a nd no mat ter what t he outc ome m ig ht b e, t he y ma na ge to have a f u n t i me ac c ord i ng to sen ior Joh n Br o sch.

Br o sch, who w a s r e c ent ly cr ow ne d home c om i ng k i ng

sa id , “I have a go o d t i me a nd hop e for t he b e s t for t he te a m.”

Mo s t p e ople in t he s t udent se c t ion d r e s s for t he t heme s at t he ga me s.

The se t heme s r a nge f r om W h ite O ut s to Toga Nig ht s.

The Black O ut i s save d for cr o s s -tow n r iva l Chel se a.

S ome say t he Chel se a ga me i s a Black O ut b e c au se t he y a r e at tend i ng Chel se a’s f u ner a l.”

The t heme of t he n ig ht i s r a ndom, u su a l ly picke d by t he f i r s t p er son to cr e ate a Fac eb o ok g r oup for t he c u r rent we ek ’s ga me.

Fo otba l l player s say t he y fe el t he v ib e of t he cr owd , e sp e c ia l ly a f ter a big play. S ophomor e Jay L e w i s love s t he crowd a nd t he enc ou r a gement it pr ov ide s.

“A f ter a touchdow n c atch, t he cr owd go e s w i ld , a nd ma ke s me fe el l i ke I b elong her e,” L e w i s sa id. “ The crowd i s one of t he ma i n r e a son s I l i ke play i ng.”

The student section enjoys an apparently endless supply of thundersticks on homecoming night. The thundersticks have become an annual tradition enjoyed be the section over the course of the game.

The student section cheers for a big play vs. Chelsea on blackout night, which is always reserved for the Dread’s cross-town rivals.

The student section celebrates a big play vs. the Adrian Maples and does everything possible to make themselves heard.

Even though freezing temperatures were present at the Monroe game, the student section still filled the stands to support the football team’s last home game

Photos by Nick Byma and Lauren Daugherty

14

Sports

Friday, October 23, 2009

Seniors Caitlyn Rize and Katie MacDonald both compete in powder puff football

Powder puff girls compete Photo illustration by Candice Wiesner

Jessica Deljevic staff writer

A chilly Sunday afternoon set the stage for this week’s Powder Puff football practice. The girls lined up and were placed accordingly by their coaches: varsity football players.

Multiple senior players such as: Waleed Mansour, Alex McMurrauy, Ryan Wesley, Mike Kedroske help out the senior girls.

As for the juniors, some varsity boys that help them out are: Josh Cash, Noah Hiser and Sequoyah Burke-Combs. The boys rotate each week and say they are there to teach the different skills of the game so the girls can perform the sport to the best of their ability.

The Powder Puff girls practice for two hours, at 3:30, every Sunday. They have one game for the season, and this year’s game is still in the process of being scheduled.

“I love powder puff. It’s so much fun,” senior Lauren Dreffs said. “We learn a lot about football and get to try out all the different positions on the field.”

“I can barely get any where with the ball ‘cause as soon as The seniors and the juniors play against each other for their games, so the competition is light-hearted but fun. The teams I catch it, someone has aleady ripped my f lag off,” senior Liz can’t play other schools because most other schools around the O’keefe said.

“Playing f lag is OK, but I would much rather tackle,” senior area don’t have Powder Puff teams which is what limits them to Katie McDonald said. just one game.

However, there is good reason for the “I can’t wait to play the seniors,” junior Kayla Kircher said. “I think we “We learn a lot about girls not to tackle.

“We don’t tackle because we don’t wear will be a good match up to each other football and get to try helmets or pads,” junior Megan Rademaker because we both have some really out all the different said.

“In case anything happens because athletic girls.” positions on the field.” of tackling, we have no way to protect The rules of the game are simple. The girls have to play by the same rules as

Lauren Dreffs ourselves. It is definitely understandable.”

The girls say they still have a lot of fun every other football team, except for the senior on the field, though. They get to use the Al f lag.

Ritt Field just like the varsity boys, and The girls don’t tackle, they just have their games take place at 7 p.m. to rip velcroed, plastic f lags off of the “I’m really glad all us girls get a chance other players. This makes it a little harder for the person running the ball because it’s easier for to try something new like, playing football, senior Bridget the opposing team to rip a f lag off than to actually tackle a Lloyd said. “And, I’m really excited for our game.” person.

“

Water polo overcomes loss of key graduates Marne Little managing editor

Lining up at the edge of the pool, senior captain Liam Donevan gets ready to jump in and play his last home game of the season against Grand Blanc. With confidence, he and the varsity mens water polo team are about to add another win to their records.

While water polo isn’t one of the most recognized sports teams, and while they don’t have an exceptionally impressive student section, they have been doing a lot better than they had expected.

Last year the team was able to make it to the state tournament in East Kentwood for the first time. But they lost five of their seven starters to graduation, including their goalie.

“Losing a lot of seniors last year, we didn’t know what to expect,” coach Brian Semple said.

Semple has been the coach for six years and said he enjoys working with the team.

Donevan agrees with Semple on the fact that the team is down a few good players. “We lost a lot but managed to replace them,” Donevan said. “A couple of people have stepped up to help us be better than last year. Our main goal is to make it back to states and improve last year’s finish.”

Because the team lost a lot of their stars, it wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to how the season would turn out, and it wasn’t sure what they could expect out of the upcoming players Semple said.

Fortunately for them, a lot of their new

players will help to contribute to the varsity team in the future. “We gained good younger players and a good goalie who’s maturing fast,” Semple said.

Sophomore Ian Wilson is a new player and has stepped up to varsity goalie. Semple says he is expecting a lot from Wilson, and he hopes Wilson will continue to do well.

Semple also said he is expecting a lot for the rest of season from his key defensive players Donevan and junior Jeff Pitutch, and key offensive players senior captain Jesse Claflin, and juniors Austin Daugherty and Stephen Sobczak.

The team has beaten Saline, Grand Blanc and East Grand Rapids, but they have faced more of a challenge when playing teams such as Huron, Pioneer and Okemos. “We beat teams we were supposed to, and we played well against highranked teams,” Semple said.

Against these teams, Donevan said he doesn’t think the team has been doing quite as well as it could be, but it still has a chance of meeting its goals.

The team may be doing well, but Semple still doesn’t seem to be satisfied. He said it has been able to play well for a quarter or two, but it’s not quite good enough to beat the teams that it needs to. “We haven’t been able to piece together four quarters,” Semple said. “We haven’t played a full game yet.”

After seeing what his team is could be capable of, Semple said he has much higher hopes for his team to succeed. “I’m expecting to go to states again,” Semple said. “Hopefully we’ll do better.”

Photo by Austin Sullivan

15

Sports

Friday, October 23, 2009

Bergen sacrifices for the team and the dream Kevin Yarows sports editor

‘We are all a little tired’ is the quote on the back of this year’s womens swim team T-shirts. This quote, said by Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, is symbolic of a swimmer’s life during swim season.

With an hour and a half practices before school and two and a half hour practices after school, members of the swim team daily sacrifice sleep for the team.

But while swimmers make this sacrifice in order to better themselves in the pool, their coach, government teacher Cory Bergen, makes this sacrifice in order to ensure the success of his team.

“We know he misses the time he spends at practice,” senior captain Caroline Munzel said, “but he does it because he wants us to do better.”

And if results are any indicator, his time has been well spend. The Dreadnaughts have won the SEC consecutive 11 consecutive years, finishing either first or second in the state eight straight years from 1999 to 2006.

The constant throughout these years has been Bergen, now entering his 14th year of coaching.

He, however, gives the credit to the swimmers. “The kids established a culture and tradition of winning,” Bergen said, “and from there kids have felt the pressure to work hard to continue (the tradition).”

Bergen makes sure his kids work hard by putting them through a rigorous training schedule throughout the season.

The team swims morning practices five days a week, regardless of whether or not they have a meet that night.

“We train for the end of the season, SEC and states,” Bergen said. “We practice hard, but kids can swim while they’re tired.”

Bergen’s swimming background goes back to his high school days as a swimmer. As a coach, he began coaching at the high school and age-group levels at Willow Run for three years.

He spent three years coaching at Ann Arbor Country Club as well, before beginning his tenure as head coach of the Dexter women.

Despite the dynasty that he has helped develop, winning is not what Bergen finds most rewarding about coaching.

“I really love being able to help young, hard-working people achieve their goals,” Bergen said. “I love the process of learning, setting goals, overcoming obstacles and working hard within the framework of competitive swimming that the swimmers go through.”

And, in his swimmer’s eyes, Bergen’s love for swimming is one of the factors that contributes to the success of the team.

“He really takes a personal interest in our swimming,” junior Laura Steavenson said. “It motivates me to swim harder.”

In addition to coaching, Bergen also teaches AP US Government and Economics classes, giving him the unique perspective of a teacher-coach. This gives his swimmers the benefit of getting to know him on a deeper level and Bergen the benefit of getting to know his swimmers. “(Having Bergen as a teacher) is definitely a benefit,” Steavenson, who took Economics with him, said. “It lets me get to know him better not just as a teacher, but as a role model.”

Bergen realizes, in the end, there is a greater meaning to swimming than the results. “It’s not always about your finish time or your place,” he said, “but what you learned about yourself that you can take forward in life.”

[ A day in the life... ]

Photos by Lauren Daugherty

Early morning practice: Bergen starts each weekday before 5 a.m. to run practice.

In the classroom: Bergen teaches both AP Government and Economics.

Afternoon practice: After the school day is over, Bergen proceeds straight to Wylie pool to run the second practice of the day.

Reimagination spurs progressive discussion continued from page 1 and one special education teacher. There may also be a required world language or physical education aspect added to Foundation House.

The idea behind the teams is that teams will be able to plan out how they want to run their day; it is up to the students and the teachers in the teams whether they want to allocate more time for a science project or review for an upcoming math test.

The Foundation House would also work with The ACT College Readiness Standards.

These aspects are reading, writing and a fairly new concept called mastery learning.

According to Dagg, reading and writing skills are essential to reinforcing material taught in any class, but mastery learning is the key. The premise of mastery learning is to make sure students excel in an area before teaching new material.

“Students don’t stop until they learn (a subject),” Dagg said. “And they can do this at their own pace.”

The aims of Foundation House is similar to that of the current high school format: prepare students for postgraduation with a broad range of skills they can use in college or elsewhere. When students pass into Focus House, however, the situation would change drastically, according to Dagg.

Focus House would offer students intensive study in a multitude of areas, lending a feeling that is closer to college than the current high school context. Dagg said he intends to make connections to local businesses and universities in order to add a variety of college-level courses to the curriculum of Focus House.

“We really want students to be exposed to a collegelevel environment to develop their skills,” Dagg said. “It’s assumed that everyone goes through high school in a liberal arts curriculum. We want students to have options in other areas.”

The diversity of the coursework offered in Focus House will add a layer of relevance for students whose interests lie in specific areas, such as performing arts or business, according to Dagg.

According to Glass, providing a more personalized program that matches its curriculum to students’ interests would benefit students.

However, Glass admits change on such a large scale is difficult and could be painful.

“We have to try some of this on a smaller scale at first,” Glass said. “Which means we have several different programs running at once (the current and the new).”

Despite the effort it will take to get the program running--teachers will have to undergo additional training and prepare new lesson plans--Moran maintains this is the right move for the district.

“Generally, when schools come up with a new strategic plan, it’s usually put back on the shelf and they do what they’ve always done,” Moran said. “But this is urgent.”

Glass emphasizes that communication with the school community during the transformation process is key.

“The entire community (should) understand what is happening and have a voice in how it evolves,” Glass said.

The district faces obstacles other than possible opposition from within the district, however; as the funding situations for Michigan schools worsens, the need to implement this change soon becomes more vital, according to Dagg.

“It’s possible that a district could run out of money right now before a plan like this could be put in place,” Dagg said. “Funding could be be a bump in the road for this program.”

The district has applied for several grants at the federal and state levels, but according to Moran, there hasn’t been much success in procuring additional funding.

“We’re still not sure about the green light for (the program),” Moran said. “It’s a work in progress and sometimes it moves slowly.”

Reimagining Fact

•The ninth and 10th grades would be part of a Foundation House •The 11th and 12th graders would be part of a Foundation House •Students in the Foundation House would take required courses in subjects such as English, math and science •Students in the Foundation House would be able to explore opportunities such as internships and dual enrollment •The reimagining of DHS could take place as early as fall of 2010 •Science teacher Jeff Dagg is in charge of the school’s exploration of this idea

16

Sports

Friday, October 23, 2009

Kevin Yarows Sports Editor

Play the spirit game and be part of Dread Nation Dreadnaught class of 2010 and beyond, I have a challenge for you. I challenge you to be the best student section in, not just the SEC, but the entire state (or even in the country).

To do this, each person will be graded on one simple thing: participation. Contrary to popular belief, participation is not limited to simply showing up.

In fact, this is the very least you can do to not be deemed a social outcast and hated by all.

There is a simple scoring system. For doing something to help achieve our goal, you get points.

For hurting the effort, you lose points.

Ways to get points: +1 Showing up to the game. And by showing up, that means getting there an hour before the game to tailgate, getting into the stadium on time and being in the stands for “who dey.” Legitimate excuses are limited to life-threatening injuries, and that’s it. +1 Taking part in the theme. Bonus points can be attained by covering yourself in body paint.

Bonus points are rescinded if the paint cracks badly by halftime. +1 Participating in cheers. Contrary to popular belief, cheering DOES make a difference. Out of all the games Dexter has won in the last two years, every single win has come at Al Ritt Field, an obvious result of the student section. +1 Successfully starting a chant. Chants while the actual game is being played should be relevent to football, but timeouts and halftime are fair game for whatever chants you can get people to participate in. +1 Moving out of the aisle when people are trying to get through. This is just being polite.

Ways to lose points: -5 Not cheering. This is the worst thing you could do. This is the Voldemort of all evils. At this point, you are simply taking up space. You’re a space-filler.

-1 Showing up to the game late, strolling in with three of your best friends 10 minutes into the first quarter and pushing your way to the front.

-1 Instead of participating in the theme, thinking it would be a good idea to make your own shirts for the game with blatant disregard for what the rest of the student section is wearing. Make shirts to go along with the theme.

-2 Leaving the game early. Whether it’s 10 minutes early or 10 seconds, there is no excuse for this. This says you are giving up on our team. You are putting yourself above the team. Next game go straight to the visitor’s bleachers.

-1 Spraying silly spray, squeeking balloons or any other little, annoying things, at unsuspecting targets. There are good times for this, specifically after touchdowns, and bad times for this: every other time.

Each way to lose points is punishable with a cowbell ringing to the face, with repeat offenders being kicked out of the student section. We all come to the game with the same goal: having a good time and watching our Dreads get the win.

Each person must play their role to ensure this happens, even you, freshmen. You are all part of something bigger than yourself, Dread Nation. The (soon-to-be) best student section in the country.

Photo by Candice Wiesner

Students dressed in black for the anual Dexter-Chelsea game Since theme is “blackout” some students painted their faces and whole bodies.

Volleyball players punished for prank played on former teammate Caitlyn Rize trends editor

While on vacation, junior Lilly Foote* woke up the morning of Sept. 5 to a voicemail from her mom.

Her mom told her eggs were thrown at her house, forks were stuck in her yard and bleach was spilled on her yard and garage door. Foote tried to think about who might have done this to her house, and remembered a time when girls on the volleyball team talked about pulling pranks.

Foote then texted a girl on the volleyball team whom she suspected.

“They talked about the idea before,” Foote said.

“So, I had a hunch. I texted one of the girls, who was my friend, and said, ‘I know you did this.’

That’s when she confessed that it was her and two other girls on the team.”

Foote and her family discovered who the pranksters were and from there, tried to discover their motive.

“I really don’t know why,” Foote said. “I guess they said they were bored.”

Despite the harm the three teammates caused Foote, who did not make the volleyball team in the fall, she stands firm that it should not reflect the whole volleyball team.

“I don’t want to hurt the team. I don’t blame them at all,” Foote said. “Most of those girls apologized to my mom even though it wasn’t their fault.”

Foote said two of the girls have called her and apologized, but one girl still has not made the effort to contact her.

Sarah Spelling*, a junior prankster, says she feels horrible about what happened and does not want the whole team to suffer.

“A lot of people see this as a Dexter volleyball thing, but that’s not the case,” Spelling said. “Three girls messed up, not the program as a whole.”

Spelling may feel awful, but the motive for the prank still remains unclear.

“I wish I could say we did it to be funny or something,” Spelling said. “But that’s not the case. I look back; and I just don’t know why. It was not smart.”

Captain Ali Krips agreed and said the mistake of the three girls should not be be associated with the entire team.

“Different sports teams pull pranks all the time,” she said. “I know that the basketball teams mess with each other in a fun way. My teammates took their prank to an extreme. They picked the wrong person to pull it on, and they picked the wrong prank.”

Players were upset about the incident, but also hoped that it could pull the team together.

“The team bond is different,” sophomore prankster Casey Tyler* said. “Nobody is not talking to us, but you can definitely tell there is a lot of disappointment.”

“People were mad about it, but we’re ready to move on,” Krips said. “There’s no use dwelling on something that already happened.”

As a result of their actions, the three girls had to sit out for a week of their season.

While they could still practice, the girls were not allowed to participate in any competition, which included a weekend tournament and a game against Lincoln.

“I think the situation was handled properly,” Principal Kit Moran said. “Whenever a situation involves students making poor decisions, we take our time to try to be thoughtful and come up with fair consequences. We try not to overreact and make a knee-jerk decision but be careful instead.”

Athletic Director John Robinson said it was important to remain careful in handling the situation, but that it was also important that there be a consequence for the pranksters.

“There is a code of conduct and athletes are held to a higher standard because they wear our colors, represent our school, and represent our community,” Robinson said. “We’re fortunate in Dexter this doesn’t happen a lot. It’s important for athletes to represent more than just themselves.”

Dexter hosted an invitational tournament during the first weekend of the girls’ punishment.

The team was forced to play their round-robin games with eight players due to another player taking the ACT test.

Although they were down numbers, Dexter dropped just one game and emerged the winner of the tournament.

Since the three girls could not play during the tournament, they participated by keeping score during the matches.

“Keeping score at the tournament felt like we weren’t part of the team,” Spelling said. “And that feeling was the worst part of our punishment.”

“It was like torture,” Tyler said about being forced to watch. “I just wanted to get out there and play with my team.”

While the suspended players experienced one feeling on the sideline, the players in the game had to cope with a different environment.

“It was hard having people who don’t normally play a lot, now playing all the time,” senior captain Annie Coogan said. “But they proved themselves and did a great job.”

Despite being down numbers, Coach Sarah Hynes said she was pleased with her team’s effort and display.

“The first game of the day, we were a little sleepy,” Hynes told AnnArbor.com. “We were able to improve after that and play at a consistently high level the rest of the day.”

Dexter played on Sept. 15 with nine players on the roster. They defeated Lincoln in four games: 25-20, 18-25, 25-22 and 25-10.

“There hasn’t been a huge difference, but we’re going to have to go through even another adjustment when the girls come back,” junior Ali Krips said. “It’ll be nice to have more than nine players though.”

The girls were able to compete beginning on Sept. 22 at the Dexter Quad vs Saline and Pioneer.

Despite the difficulty the team had to endure while playing with such few players, Coach Hynes remains adamant about looking to the future.

“It happened a month ago so I think I will just put it in the past,” Hynes, who declined further comment stated.

Krips agreed, and said the team just wants to move forward.

“I’m happy it’s over,” Krips said. “It was taking away from practice and interfering with our season. We want to forget about it, focus on the season and grow as a team.”

*Sources agreed to talk to The Squall only if their names were withheld.

17

Sports

Friday, October 23, 2009

Teacher fantasy football league all about the fun Commissioner Baird seeks to keep the peace in the Couch Potato League Alex McMurray staff writer

His eyes glued to the computer anxiously pondering his next move, JV football coach and math teacher Brian Baird carefully scouts his potential draft picks.

He looks at performance stats between different NFL players, compares and contrasts them and has a few contenders. He has trouble choosing whom he will draft first for his Fantasy Football team, so he decides to wait for a more opportune moment.

Two weeks later, Baird meets with fellow Couch Potato League members at Buffalo Wild Wings. The league consists of Dexter football coaches and teachers, such as Dean of Students Ken Koenig, social studies teacher Ryan Baese and Dexter alum and defensive backs coach Tim Bergstrom.

The self-proclaimed fantasy fanatics meet annually at the restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor to draft their top players.

“The Couch Potato League started with me in Chicago, but when I moved to Dexter, I brought it with me and started with new

members,” Baird said “I’ve managed it for 17 years, eight of them here in Dexter.”

Fantasy football is a system that awards points based on NFL players’weekly performance. League members draft their top choices and pit them against opponents’ top players.

In order to win the league, a team must qualify for fantasy playoffs and from there must rack up the most amount of points per game.

The team that does so, wins the league and earns bragging rights for a year.

The league used to cost a certain amount of dollars and participants would have to buy in, but according to Koenig, Baird didn’t pay the winnings “He stopped giving the winners their award money, so we stopped paying,” Koenig said.

Baese couldn’t agree more with Koenig.

“The league is shenanigans,” he said. “It’s plagued by cheating and corruption, lead by the commissioner, Baird.”

This ribbing of Baird doesn’t seem to hinder the competitive nature between the coaches one bit, however.

After Bergstrom won for the second time in a row last season, he says he can’t wait for this season to come to an end, with him on top, victorious.

Whatever happens, Baird said, “There are whiners in the league, most of whom never win.”

Fall sports overviews Tucker Whitley staff writer

Boys cross country

Water polo

A strong group of runners look to hit the trails for the Dreads this year according to the coaches. Key returners for the Dreads include sophomore Taylor Neely and seniors Aaron Gilman and Ben Carruthers.

Captains for the runners this year are Gilman and senior John Oliver.

This year’s goals are to take back the top spot in the SEC White division and to make it into the top seven in states, according to Gilman.

The boys are ranked eighth overall according to the state coaches’ poll.

With senior captains Jesse Claflin and Liam Donevan, the Dreads have shown many signs of skill, especially with the victory over Saline 19 - 5, according to senior Max Berry. Though the Dreads lost key players in Andrew Leonard, Robert Speigel and Karl Kumbier to graduation, Claflin, Donevan and Berry have stepped up to the challenge. The two captains look forward to this final month. Claflin said, “Our head coach Brian Semple has been with the team for six years now, and he is the man. I would say some strong points are that we are fast swimmers, and we have size in the pool.”

Photo by Alex Dutcher

Varsity football The Dexter gridders, according to Coach Tom Barbieri, field a stronger and faster team than any team in the past. With two running backs in the 1000 club (1000 total pounds lifted), Barbieri said the Dreads have the strongest backfield in the SEC. The Dreads did lose quarterback Alex McMurray to a season-ending leg injury but the team has three returning starting offensive linemen in Josh Cash (6’3, 285 lbs.) Ryan Wesley (6’1, 265 lbs.), and Mike Ferguson (6’, 230 lbs.). Returning junior running back Sequoyah Burke Combs said he is excited for the remainder of the season. Combs said, “We could be really good if we have good practices every day. We are strong this year, stronger than any team before.” This year the team has done something different in terms of captains. There are no set captains for the whole year; captain positions are earned and rotate throughout the year. The Dreads are 2-5 on the season.

Photo by Nick Byma

Womens golf

Varsity soccer

An undefeated girls golf squad looks to end the season on a good note, after the first half of the season, according to senior Jojo Parin. Other key returners include senior Megan Schlanderer and juniors Jessie Schlanderer and Liz So. “We are really good this year,” Parin, who has been on the team for the past two years, said.

“We’re undefeated. Nobody can beat us.”

Though not many sophomores move to varsity, sophomore Ian St. Pierre, who played varsity last year as a freshmen looks to make a difference this year for the Dreads. Other returners, seniors Kurt Miller, Kevin Yarrows and Jonathan Jebson look to lead the Dreads into the playoffs and to a good finish. Senior Nico Warden is prepared for his senior year as he has trained all winter and all summer for this season, according to his team mates.

Photo by Tyler Hansen

Photo by Austin Sullivan

Photo by JoJo Parin

Girls swimming

Varsity volleyball

The team looks to win its 12th SEC championship, according to sophomore swimmer Murphy Hanson. The team lost only four seniors to graduation last year, therefore the team is familiar with each other. Key returners for the Dreads include seniors Lauren Daugherty, Morgan Quist and Sabrina Letwin, and juniors Lisa Crompton, Laura Stevenson. According to Letwin, the coaching staff is good as well. “The coaching staff brings a certain atmosphere,” she said. “They bring laughter into situations but also know when to be serious. They know what they are talking about. We’ve already had our meets against the bigger teams, and the team looks really strong this season despite injuries and the flu going around.”

The girls volleyball team looks to continue its success, after claiming their victory at the Dexter volleyball tournament. Key returners for the team include seniors Ali Krips and Elly Miodeszewski. The Dreads have a tall team this year, including 6’1”, sophomore Olivia Cares and 6’ senior Sara Goble. The Dreads are strong at all positions this year, according to Krips. Volleyball captains this year are Krips and senior Annie Coogan. Spicer said she is looking forward to the rest of the season. “Our coaching staff is super supportive, and I love our coach,” she said. “It looks like we could win conference again this year. We are strong in all positions, and everyone does well.”

Photo by Lauren Daugherty

Photo by Alex Wallis

18

Community

Friday, October 23, 2009

Martello honors Wilcox through 'Walk for Wil' Once a year drama teacher honors former co-worker and friend by walking to raise money for the American Cancer Society

John Brundage staff writer

As the drama on the field is unfolded in the Dexter-Monroe game , another drama unfolded around the track.

For the fourth time, drama teacher Matt Martello made his annual 80 advances (20 miles) around the Al Ritt track to commemorate his recently deceased friend, former French and and drama teacher Harry Wilcox.

“I had a planning hour fifth hour so I decided to start early to get some laps in before the game.” Martello said. As fans filed into the stadium, Martello continued to walk around the track as the lap counter dubbed, “The Walk 4 Wil O-Meter” progressively grew higher.

At 8:04, Martello, along with eight companions who had joined him through the walk, kneeled down at the Walk 4 Wil O-Meter and tore off the final number, and Martello made his way to the Walk 4 Wil Table.

“This was the best of the four (walks),” Martello said, “I prepared better and bought these really sweet water proof socks ... I feel great.”

The walk jointly benefited the American Cancer Society and the DHS drama club.

Wilcox was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005 and lost his battle on June 9, 2008. Martello said Wilcox’s death hasn’t changed his purpose for walking, though.

“I wanted to give something back for all the time and energy that he gave,” Martello said. “(This time it’s personal) reflects the fact that before, when I was doing this in the past, he was bedridden,

and now he is dead.”

But the walk’s structure has remained the same over the years.

“It’s all the same structure,” Martello said. “It starts at 3 and any one can join me during the game.”

One thing that was different about this walk this year is that Martello was not able to call his friend during the walk.

“Normally in the middle of the walk I’d give (Mr. Wilcox) a call, tell him how I’m doing and thank him for his friendship.” Martello said.

Last year the walk raised $3500. Money from last year’s walk went to went to Teacher Angie Scott’s Relay For Life Team.

Martello said pre-walk donations totalled to a little over $1000.

And while Walk for Wil has no official affiliation with the American Cancer Society, Martello said he has an eventual goal of raising $100,000 dollars for the American Cancer Society.

“I have talked with their representatives, but it was just to see who I should make the check out to,” Martello said.

Donations benefiting the Drama Club will go to finance a deserving DHS drama club member’s trip to New York.

“What they do is they write a letter to the scholarship committee indicating what their experiences have been with drama and theater and explain why they want to go,” Martello said.

Then a committee of three to four teachers affiliated with the Drama club decides who gets the scholarship.

Past winners have been Ruby Grammatico, Alex Zadryinski and Hannah Rousell.

Martello hopes to continue walking. This time it truly was personal. “I wanted to avenge (Wilcox’s) death,” Martello said, “or as the Italians say: Vendichero la tua morte.”

At the Monroe football game, drama teacher Matt Martello walks in memory of his friend, former DHS teacher Harry Wilcox. This is Martello’s fourth year doing the Walk for Wil.

Martello was joined in his walk by fellow drama adviser Erin Palmer and other students and teachers throughout the game. Students also bought shirts throughout the week to support Martello who walked 80 laps, or 20 miles to raise money for The American Cancer Society and the DHS drama club.

Photos by Claire Berger Photos by Claire Berger

Town celebrates fall with Apple Daze Fall festivities bring the community together by providing activities for people of all ages Rachel Butler staff writer

NHS senior Allison Paciorka stands under the maroon and gold striped cover of the Dexter Lions prize booth early on a rainy October morning.

Through the sound of rain sprinkling above her on the tent’s roof, she can hear excited voices and laughter from children looking through stacks of craft kits and buckets of other small prizes on the table in front of her at Apple Daze.

Dexter Apple Daze is an annual event where families come to the center of downtown to celebrate the beginning of fall with a variety of games, face painting, food and entertainment.

“The focus here is drawing the families in,” Dexter resident Dick Ulrich said. “We really want to make this a family event with a carnivalfun atmosphere.”

Ulrich is one of about 40 Dexter Lions in who help make communities better places to live by volunteering where help is needed. In this instance Ulrich helped with the planning of Apple Daze.

To help the Lions, groups such as National Honor Society and Mill Creek’s Community Service and Leadership class also volunteer at Apple Daze.

“Without kids we couldn’t do it,” Ulrich said. “There isn’t enough of us to get the job done.”

The student volunteers help with running the games, getting people on and off the hay ride and running the prize booth where kids turn in the tokens they won playing the games.

Paciorka helped with running the prize booth because, she said, it sounded like a fun thing to help with.

“I think it’s great for the little kids to play for and get their prizes,” she said. “I like seeing how excited they get.”

The majority of prizes were donated from a local company in Dexter called Colorbök.

According to Ulrich, “(Apple Daze) is all about the community.”

Ulrich also said everything the Lions do is for the community which is why, according to Ulrich, it is so important that a variety of volunteers get involved. “We give about 90 precent (of what we earn) back to the community,” he said. “And (volunteers) are the community.”

The Lions Club’s plan of making Apple Daze all about the community is appreciated by many people including Paciorka. “It’s great because it helps support local businesses, and it’s good for the community because it brings the community together,” she said.

Even through the constant cloud coverage, cold temperature and rain, families still came to play games and enjoy the event this year.

“Everyone crowded under the tents,” Paciorka said. “But people still came even through the rain, and (everyone) seemed to be having fun.”

And Ukrich said the Lions in Dexter appreciate all the volunteers from different organizations in the community who help with events.

“One part of Lions is working with (volunteers),” Ulrich said.

And the Lions are doing all they can to work with volunteers more.

They have started a Leo’s Club (a Lions Club of youth) at DHS. This group also works with a youth exchange program over the summer and with an-all state Lions band.

Paciorka said she saw how helping other organizations affects the entire community after working at Apple Daze and that she volunteering can be an enjoyable experience. “Volunteer at something,” she advises fellow students. “It’s just a lot of fun.”

19

Community

Friday, October 23, 2009

Businesses see financial gain from homecoming week

Photos by Ross Chamberlain

Businesses in Dexter profit from Homecoming. Among the most impacted businesses are Nail Spa Studio, Hearts and Flowers and North Point.

Emily Darrow community editor

Football season is an eventful time in Dexter. Many students spend their Friday nights cheering on the home team and praying for a winning season.

And for many of these students the homecoming game that’s followed the Saturday after with the homecoming dance is one of most fun weekends of the year.

This dance creates a big impact on not only the students but the business that are all part of the experience.

Dexter is on the smaller side of its surrounding communities and homecoming presents a lot of extra income for local flower shops, nail salons and restaurants. Owners of Nail Spa Studio, Hearts and Flowers and North Point say they have about 50 more customers on the days following up to and the night of homecoming than they would on the average business day.

“The extra 50 people definitely help bring in a good amount of income,” said Mark Perry, the owner of Dexter’s newest downtown restaurant North Point.

For Justine Phung, the owner of Nail Spa Studio,

however, Prom brings in more customers for her.

“Homecoming is good, but prom is better for business,” she said.

Regardless of which weekend is better for businesses, many owners say they look forward to this time of year where they tend to get a large business boom.

“The business we get around homecoming is very important. It really makes up for the slow times in September,” Phung said.

And other business owners say homecoming is a bonus to their business.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a huge significance to our business, but having an extra 50 customers always helps,” said Liz Leszczynski owner of Heats and Flowers. “It really does help to bring in future business. When kids come and they enjoy themselves, their parents are more tempted to come in the future.”

Not only are Dreadnaughts helping out the community the weekend of the homecoming, but county rivals bring in the cash too.

“We get kids from Saline, Chelsea and Pinkney on top of Dexter kids,” Perry said.

“

It really makes up for the slow times in September.”

Justine Phung

“They come from everywhere, including Ann Arbor.”

Phung said..

Leszczynski agrees that homecoming has wide spread affects on everyone this time of year.

She said, “Prom is always more business, but kids love to come and order their boutineers and corsages for dates that come from all around the county. We like to help make their night special.”

Starting young

Dexter youth football program works to build skills in elementary-aged students Jessica Deljevic staff writer

Quarterback George Deljevic leads his team during practice Students in the youth football program practice four nights a week.

Photo by Emily Deljevic

Factbox • The boys practice for two hours every night except Monday at 5:45 • Senior Kyle Svihra helps coach for the gold team •This year’s sophomores are the first group of boys to go through the youth football program

About 60 eager elementar y boys arrive at the Creekside practice field, 6 p.m. sharp.

They are equipped w ith their own helmets, cleats, pads and a genuine excitement to start practice.

On the other side of the field, there are about the same number of fifth and sixth graders just as thrilled to be practicing.

These young men are all part of the Dexter youth football program.

The youth football program, a step up from f lag football, is an organization that exposes elementar y-aged kids to the intensity of tackle and more advanced plays.

The youth football program holds practices from 6-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Their games on Sunday afternoons usually last about two hours.

Head varsity football coach Tom Barbieri set up this program to improve the high

school team.

“I’m really excited about the season. I can’t wait to finally play tackle,” fourth grader Trent Barnes said.

Barbieri said he started the Youth Football program w ith a group of eight people who wanted to give third grade and older kids a head-start on mastering the sport for future success.

A n indication that the program is achiev ing its goal is the success of this year’s tenth grade football players according to Barbieri “The tenth graders this year are the first kids to of gone through the entire program starting w ith Youth Football,” Barbieri said.

“Those kids are doing really well this year, and the Youth Football program hopefully helped.”

They have a 2-2 record so far and have had several of their players move up to varsity.

The kids in the program play each other in games, fifth and sixth grades versus each other and third and fourth

grade verse each other.

Players are evaluated for about three days, a few weeks prior to games, to determine their natural ability and where they would perform best on the field.

The boys run through a series of drills that range from passing and catching to blocking and hitting.

A fter practice, the coaches fill out a detailed form ranking each kid from 1-5 on several different important skills.

The boys rotate positions too.

“We want them to get a chance to play ever y position on the field so they are familiar w ith the dynamics of the game all around,” George Deljev ic, one of the coaches for the third and fourth graders, said.

The boys had their first game on Sept. 27. In the meantime they are suiting up, fully padded and protected; preparing for their 120 parent fan base.

As fourth grader Keegan Glenn said, “I’m really excited because today at practice I made two tackles.”

20

Opinion

Friday, October 23, 2009

Caitlyn Rize

Alexander Dobbs

Trends Editor

Get -Involved Editor

David LaMore

Seniors deserve underclassmen’s respect

Staff writer

An open letter to Mr. Maciag, district tech guy

More stromboli, please

The entrancing smell of oven-broiled deliciousness invades my nosEntering my fourth year at DHS, I have learned a lot about the retrils as I enter the lunch room. I sniff the air, and my acute sense of spect (or lack thereof) that my peers choose to show. While there are smell picks up faint traces of pepperoni, peppers and ham. many kind students in the school, the general amount of respect peoThe light of heaven has shined down upon me, and I know the day Dear Mr. Matt Maciag, ple have for this school, for their upperclassmen and for themselves is has come. It is the last Thursday of the month, and the wonderful lunch appalling. ladies have prepared the best meal the cafeteria offers: Stromboli. The Here’s the story. I’m in Newspaper class on my beautiful 20” Let’s begin with respecting yourself. grease dripping, fat-filled, meat-packed goodness is sure to put a smile iMac desktop, when a fellow student discovers one of the greatest I’ll offer you an eye-witness account. It’s my senior year, last homeon anyone’s face who has the opportunity for this spectacular creation coming dance. I pay for my ticket and begin walking down the stairs to computer applications of all time: Halo: Combat Evolved. to touch their lips. the cafeteria. I turn the corner, and what’s the first thing I see? Some Since this great discovery, students have been addicted to the Vegetarians, my apologies that you are unable to taste this meaty girl is wearing a dress so short her cheeks are half hanging out. action-packed game. Sadly, this great addiction only lasted a few Is she flaunting what she’s got or just letting too much hang out? gift from heaven. days.

I’m going to go with option two, because I have reached the concluIt is a crime that such a phenomenal gift is only made available to Since you now know my problem, I’m here to confront you sion that exposing half your rump is not attractive. the student population once a month. When Micheal Jordan discovabout one of the greatest atrocities Dexter High School has ever Moving on past the initial shock of this girl’s ensemble of choice, I ered his unheralded talent for basketball, did he keep it to himself and faced. put my belongings down and walked toward the dance floor. let the talent die?

No, he spent hours working and developing the talNo, it is not land sharks but something of much greater I see no problem with a little bump and grind -- unfortunately that ent and unleashed it upon the world for the pleasure of fans and obimportance. You blocked many popular websites and our beloved is the style of our generation. However, it is possible to take bump and servers across the globe. grind techniques too far.

Halo from the school computers. This tragedy is all your fault.

Similarly, the Food and Nutrition Department has discovered If a chaperone tells you more than six times to pull your dress down, The first time you blocked Halo, you thought students weren’t their other-worldly talent for creating the dish that is stromboli. They where is your dignity? going to get past it. You were wrong.

If a teacher asks you to tone it down more than 12 times, do you should not keep this gift to themselves and let the dish die. Instead Sadly enough, the second time you blocked it, students were have any self-worth? they should encourage the sale of it and offer stromboli not once a not able to break the system.

If you look around and people are staring, laughing and pointing month, but on a weekly basis, to satisfy students’ urges for saturated You don’t understand. Halo keeps students busy and out of at you, maybe it’s time to check yourself and your preferred dancing fat and calories. trouble after they have finished their work. No more snorting style.

Stromboli, as anyone who has tasted it knows, is a delicious, calococaine in the bathroom or playing dice in the hallways; students Midway through the dance, I saw an underclass girl going bizerk rie-packed lunch, which is sure to give energy to the students of our are now staying out of trouble by engaging in a fun-filled, actionon an upperclass boy. After a chuckle of astonishment, I turned to my school.

These extra calories and delicious food will equate to increased distraught friend who looked me in the eye and said, “I just can’t bring game. student productivity and this increase will lead to more success in the myself to dance as slutty as these girls.”

However, since the blocking of Halo and other applications, classroom.

The general population grinds to some extent. I’m not calling for I have witnessed kids falling back on their bad habits such as the end of the grind, or for girls to completely cover themselves in More success in the classroom will create smarter students and prostitution in the bathrooms, building-jumping and injecting clothes. All I’m asking is for my female classmates to have some kind smarter students will mean success on standardized tests. heroin. I do not understand how you can let all of this happen. of self-respect.

Also the grease-fried meat and bread creation, while giving our stuAll of this has happened because of you.

Another disappointment I feel is in the lack of respect shown for our dents energy, is also such a favored treat in the lunchroom that having You don’t realize the importance of games and applications in school and our faculty. it on a weekly basis is sure to boost the sales for Food and Nutrition. the high school. Students like me should be rewarded for finishing I can’t say how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I hate Dexter.

Senior Jono Jebson said stromboli is a such delicious treat that he my work in class and on time. But, no, you have to ruin the fun for It’s the worst school ever.” spends extra money to receive more. “I myself make sure to buy two Realistically, we have it good. We have it really good. all of us. All of this, because of you. stromboli every time the lunch room offers it,” he said.

At Dexter we are blessed to have the best of the best: teachers who These high-tech computers are being put to waste because The extra money created by the stromboli sales will allow Food and genuinely care for their students. Nearly every teacher I’ve come students are not able to use these beautiful machines to their full across is willing to take the time to help someone after class if it’s what Nutrition to make an improvement over the daily cheese bosco stick capabilities. All of this, because of you. he needs. I have yet to meet a teacher who’s out to fail his/her stuand chicken sandwich meal we currently suffer through every day. The I know you are playing Halo at your desk right now with all of dents. increase would also permit the district to raise the pay of their F and your gamer friends, so why not let us play with you? Let’s not be Not only do we have great teachers, but we also have amazing facN employees, and who doesn’t want our lunch ladies to have more a Debbie Downer here, come on. ulty who make it their responsibility to take care of us. I’ve found Prinmoney?

I ask you, Computer God, one last time, please remove the cipal Kit Moran to be one of the most personable faculty members at Stromboli is also such a fantastic food that it raises the morale of blocking of these great programs. Do it for yourself, the students DHS. With 1,200 students, I wonder how Moran takes the time to say the students each and everyday it is served. hello to me every single day. He cares about his students, and we are and Halo.

“I wake up every stromboli morning a happier person, just knowlucky to have him.

Thank you. ing that at lunch time I will be able to enjoy the delicious food,” said Along with a great staff, students are also given the tools to sucJebson. ceed. At Dexter, students are set up with all the opportunities to make Sincerely, something of themselves.

In the depressing life of puberty, homework, tests, Saturday Dave LaMore In comparison to other schools in the SEC, we are top caliber. Our schools,and having a sticker put on your car by Connie for not having test scores are consistently higher, we have a high number of students a parking pass, anything that makes high school students happier is who go to college and our sports teams are above average. something that needs to flourish.

In the 2007-2008 school year, Dexter won five state titles in one year and was named the top athletic By making more money for our school and Food and Nutrition Department and boosting the morale of program in the state. This is an extremely impressive feat for a public school, but then again, we aren’t just students, how could weekly stromboli not be a feature of our cafeteria already? any public school.

When lunch lady Doreen Reardon was confronted with this difficult question, she responded evasively.

We have a lot to be proud of at Dexter, and we shouldn’t be taking these things for granted.

“Stromboli is a difficult dish to make,” she said. “It takes a week to prepare and several hours to cook Lastly, respect is lacking in the rankings. Maybe seniority is a difficult thing to understand, but I have each and every batch.” been here longer than you have. Because of seniority, I think my class deserves a little respect.

When I was a freshman, I was petrified to do anything to anger an upperclassman.

When I retorted that her being less lazy and making more stromboli could potentially boost her income, As a sophomore, I waited patiently for my chance to have some power. her negative tone underwent a slight change.

Finally, as a junior, I entered upperclassman-hood. However, I made sure to never step on any senior “Well, I guess we could look into making more stromboli,” she said. toes.

This is the start of positive changes that I need to see, but in the end, students, I leave the success of This political classification system used to be exemplified at football games. weekly stromboli up to you.

Each year I was excited to move down a couple rows and get closer to the fence. As a freshman, I stayed Last year, after our cafeteria elected to change the size of our delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, soul-warmin the back. My sophomore year I moved down but not too close. My junior year was the year to stand in ing cookies from seven ounces to five ounces, a petition and an article in the “The Squall” forced a change. the first few rows.

This year, thanks to hard work done by the students last year, you are able to enjoy full-sized cookies.

Finally, I am a senior. According to the classification system, I get the fence. So, imagine my shock, my If you want more fat, more meat, more grease and more delicious goodness, I urge you to petition your anger and my exasperation when I saw sophomores crowding the walkway.

I want the system back. lunch ladies to make more stromboli. Pressure them and encourage to make it a weekly part of our cafeteria.

If you are an underclassmen, it is your duty to make seniors happy. You can not give us dirty looks for More stromboli, more money, more happiness. taking your spot at a football game. You can not say anything when we cut the line in the lunch room. You Need I say more? don’t have any power. I’m sorry. Wait your turn.

Respect is a beautiful thing when it is practiced. Try it.

Idea to restructure high school hurts underclassmen the most Seniors, let’s look back on your freshman year. Think of the upperclassmen who gave you a hard time for being the underclass and the experiences and changes you went through under the influence of these 17 and 18 year olds.

Freshmen, let’s look back on your eighth and seventh grade years and how different the experience is of meeting all these new people compared to the isolation of one-year separations in middle school. This is why the proposal of tearing apart the two underclass grades from the upperclassmen is unthinkable to me.

Principal Kit Moran envisions a day at Dexter High School where each grade will have tags with different colors, showing their restrictions. Seniors and juniors will have increased freedom from the freshmen and sophomores “Coming in as a freshmen and being surrounded with 17 and 18 year olds is a little much,” Moran said. “We want to focus on freshmen having an easy transition to high school and seniors more prepared in a job and internship situation.” But this seems unnecessary.

As a freshmen last year, one of the most significant parts of my year was the influence of my senior and junior friends. I have never been closer to a group of people. To take that opportunity away from future students isn’t helpful or constructive.

To be the person I am now without those upper-class influences isn’t possible. How are freshmen supposed to mature into young adults without seeing what it’s like to be one? How are seniors supposed to take on responsibility and obtain the ability to interact with younger people without underclassmen around?

They can’t.

It is important for seniors and juniors to have real job opportunities, but why not have more consortium classes or classes only for upperclassmen? Why separate the grades completely?

Increased credits, longer days, shorter lunches and harder curriculum are changes in high schools across the country throughout generations.

But to take the entire high school experience and split it down the middle is one step too extreme.

High school is a significant part of life-long knowledge and social skills. This new proposal Emily Darrow will alter both aspects completely and for the Dexter Leader page editor worse.

Underclassmen are underestimated in maturity, and seniors can be given too much credit. I’ve known quite a few 15 year olds who are more mature than 18 year olds.

“I never had problems as a freshmen (with upperclassmen). I didn’t really think about it. It never seemed like a big deal. I hung out with a bunch of seniors and juniors, and I never felt like they were too much older than me that things were weird. Splitting up the freshmen and sophomores from seniors and juniors just makes no sense when there was never a problem to begin with,” sophomore Victoria Pepper said.

So to make the assumption that innocent ninth graders need a sheltering from the experienced 12th graders is merely a stereotype.

I do think job opportunities and internships are important to juniors and seniors, and freshmen and sophomores should be focused on getting core class credits under their belts. But tearing up the up-close interactions between all four grades is not the way to do it.

Although what we learn here is important for our future, the relationships we take away when we leave will be in our memories and survive in our hearts no matter where our lives take us.

High school is a lot of growing up and realizations. To take away from future generations the opportunities that I had as a freshmen simply to re-imagine the high school experience isn’t a fair trade.

21

Opinion

Friday, October 23, 2009

Alex Everard

editor-in-chief

Help me choose from 8 plans for my life beyond school As I begin my senior year, I am forced to come to terms with several things.

High school is ending, and for the most part, I couldn’t be happier to move on with my life. But, and I’m sure the majority of my fellow seniors face this dilemma, I will soon have I increased responsibility which will eventually force me to get a job (unless I go with Plan H: hitch hike across America until I reach Alaska and live alone in the wild).

So perhaps you can help me narrow down my choices.

Yes, Squall readers, I am giving you the opportunity to determine my future. I already regret this decision.

Plan A: Stick with journalism. As I’m sure you know, I am editor of this fine paper, and I’d like to think I’m somewhat decent at it. However, there are a few problems. First, newspapers across the country are going out of print as technology and television news pushes them to irrelevancy. News will always be important, but the direction it’s headed may not favor a young up-and-comer like myself. Also, I really only enjoy writing columns in which I can either make fun of people or vent my anger (columns that accomplish both of these are usually my favorite). So, considering these two issues, Plan A could easily turn into Plan D (see initial paragraph), and we don’t want that.

Plan B: Become a stand-up comedian. I don’t think I’m that funny, but I can perform on dollar-beer night to get my confidence up.

Plan C: Take $200 to Sudan and start anew. This will make me the richest person in a 200 mile radius but could present a whole new set of problems all together (i.e. Genocide, famine, tribal wars, lions). Also, my shockingly pale skin may cause me to stick out from my Sudanese brethren, and in case of emergency, I’m 100 percent positive they can run faster than me.

Plan D: Run for President. Obama had a pretty solid grassroots movement which helped him get elected, but I figure if I start now, that gives me a solid 18 year head start before I am actually eligible. Who knows the progress I can make towards my goal in those 18 years.

If the past 18 years are any indication, though, I’m screwed.

Plan E: Become at TV/Radio personality. It’s the perfect job for me. It requires no basis in fact or knowledge; I don’t have to actually “know” anything. I just need avid opinions. For example, say someone is attempting to push a health care bill through Congress in order to provide medical help to those who can’t afford it. My response to this would be, “(So and so) is a socialist. I don’t want to pay for some high school drop out’s stint in rehab (irrelevant statement). This person obviously hates America/is a terrorist sympathizer (not true).” The best part about this job is people will actually listen. The only downside to this is that I would have to deal with the listeners of Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck.

Plan F: Join the Army. By the time I’m old enough for my first tour of duty, most of the troops will be out of Iraq. That way I would get to go someplace awesome like Costa Rica. Worst comes to worst I can just fake a limp or say I have flat feet and they’ll send me home. (That still works, right?).

Plan G: Become a photographer for “Sports Illustrated” (swimsuit issue only).

That pretty much sums up my ideas as of now. Keep in mind this list took about 20 minutes to compose (adequate time for a decision such as this). You feedback would be greatly appreciated, however I do have a slight disclaimer to my readers: I will not sell myself for money. Again.

Kristi Hughs

opionion editor

Besides school work, of course, high school is all about the social ladder. The cool points. The popularity, if you will.

Beginning my last year at this school, I have really figured out how low people have stooped to try to advance another step further up this fictional ladder. I continue to see new lows that shock me.

I know getting your license, especially as a sophomore, is exciting. You’re free. You finally get to go anywhere you want, and you are behind the wheel.

Well, driving 35 mph or above in the parking lot is not really that cool. In fact, you look like an

When you get older you’ll understand, or why ‘Since U Been Gone’ makes me feel ancient

Brittany Martini editor-in-chief

In eigth grade I wrote a poem. A poem me at a sports tryout. On said sheet it asked for regarding being perfect and the inner struggle the year of my high school graduation. I must not have been a day over 9-years-old, and my to achieve perfection.

Some of it rhymed, and some of it didn’t. father turned to me frozen in shock.

Confused, I Yesterday I found this poem asked him what inside an old yearbook and had an epiphany: I Confused, I asked him what was the matter. He am growing old and time was the matter. He told me told me how fast I was growing up and refuses to slow down. how fast I was growing up blah blah blah.

Recently I have been and blah blah blah” I was in fourth faced with the challenges grade without any of applying to college and finding a career path.

Senior Brittany perception to time Needless to say, this has Martini or days or even months. caused not only a colossal That was the amount of stress but also year two planes a weird feeling in the pit of crashed into the my stomach. Not because of the essays, extra-curriculars or the general World Trades Center. That was eight years ago.

I am so old. length of the applications, but the placing my Every Tuesday I go on iTunes and check the birthday on numerous applications gives me an eerie aura. I will be an legitimate adult this new music and preview upcoming albums.

This past week I did something out of the February. ordinary. I reversed the order of my purchased I am incredibly old.

Way back when, my dad filled out a sheet for music, so it was going backwards chronological

“

order, starting with the first song I ever bought on iTunes, “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson. It has been played 217 times.

I am terribly old.

After being scolded for the umpteenth time, I cleaned my room last month. Submerged under my “Twilight” and Harry Potter shirts, I found my camera. Not digital, but an I-ZONE polarized camera. Top-of-the-line technology for a third grader.

It was my last day of school. I attempted to savor the moment of knowing I wouldn’t have to come back to school the next day.

This year I will do the same: bring my camera and capture the moment.

This year is the last time I will ever put my arm around the same kids I played four square with in elementary school and say, “Cheese”.

I am so old.

Now I finally realize that old is probably not the word to use. After reading my poem, I have the rest of my life to be perfect or try to become a better person. Maybe this is what people mean when they say when you’re older you’ll understand.

Emily Darrow staff writer

Many people are ignorant about the facts regarding suicide and depression In the last few weeks I’ve been astounded by comments made by my peers stereotyping and judging people who would dare to put a gun to their head or wrap a rope around their neck. In fact, someone in my fifth hour class had the nerve to say, “People dig themselves in so deep that it’s their fault if they want to commit suicide.”

Suicide has always been touchy and awkward to bring up in any sort of casual setting. It’s not typically talked about.

Starting now, I think we should change that.

There is a lot of ignorance at DHS regarding suicide, and I have heard a myriad of comments regarding why someone would kill themselves and what types of people consider it.

Stereotypically, people think suicidal teens wear black, heavy eyeliner, hate life and slit their wrists and are depressed freaks who take the wuss way out of life.

But my brother, Justin Crawford-Lucas, a freshman football jock, a beloved student, hot stuff with the ladies, every guy’s best friend, shot himself in the temple at his dad’s house on Halloween of 2002.

My brother was no wuss.

The perception of suicide is so warped that it makes it difficult for people to reach out. No one expects the girl sitting next to them with those gorgeous looks and Hollister skirt could be contemplating how many sleeping pills she’d have to take

before she wouldn’t have to wake up again.

People don’t look at the star of the football team and wonder if he goes home at night and plans out how difficult it would be to get his dad’s revolver out of the gun case without anyone knowing.

Those who are suicidal can’t simply be picked out of a crowd. Some say those who are suicidal are looking for attention and should be avoided because they have issues we don’t understand and don’t know how to deal with. They’re different.

Truth is, most don’t have any idea what’s going on at home with other people. How do you know that Hollister girl doesn’t go home to deal with an abusive father?

Maybe the football star is sick of being perceived as someone he knows he’s not but doesn’t know how to escape it.

Suicide cannot be assigned a stereotype.

It’s an extreme degree of hurt, which we all have felt in some form.

According to CDC.gov, in 2005 more that 32,000 suicides occurred in the U.S. That’s 89 suicides a day and one every 16 minutes. There are also no gender boundaries. Many assume females are more likely to kill themselves. Statistics from last summer, however, show males took their lives nearly four times more than females, representing 79.4 percent of suicides in the U.S. People say things about suicide, not knowing who is sitting right next to them.

You don’t know who’s lost a mom, dad, brother or sister to suicide, or if someone is suicidal themselves.

People who kill themselves are not whimpering idiots who hate everything around them and are only interested in slitting their wrists.

In fact, they have a hell of a lot more guts than most of the people surrounding them.

I’d never encourage suicide, an act with an endless ripple effect, but when’s the last time you could hold a pistol to your head and actually pull the trigger?

I want people to know pain can come from anywhere in anyone, and no one should be able to label the motive of something as extreme as taking your own life.

Next time you or someone you know decides to make a smart comment about going “down the road and not across the street” when cutting their wrists, think again. And if you, or someone you know, feels suicidal, don’t be afraid to reach out.

I lost my brother and best friend on the same day. No one should ever have to go through that, and no one should ever take that as a joke. Suicide is not a light subject but should not be ignored.

Know what you’re saying before you make comments. You never know when you’re going to be the one asking for help without a voice.

Want to be cool? Try not smoking, not driving too fast in the parking lot and not sending naked pictures of yourself and care less about what others think idiot. You are not only potentially in danger, but there is also no reason for anyone to drive that fast through the parking lot. And I know you are not rushing home to do homework.

How about when flying through the lot while bumping your music? Now you are at your coolest.

If that is the case, I’ve lost all respect for you.

Driving like a “’badass” is only one thing I have learned to hate at school.

Girls, sending naked pictures of yourself to anyone is not cool. It’s unintelligent and will not make any boy like you. It’s actually desperate.

I have seen way too many girls get humiliated because their “boyfriend” wants to see them naked

through his cell phone. Any girls who would even consider doing such a thing, don’t. I don’t want to receive any more pictures on my cell phone of a naked girl. I’m not interested.

Apparently a group of kids think smoking cigarettes looks cool. Now, I don’t care if you smoke, but smoking a “shig” so you look cool is just insulting.

Walking out to my car every day after school and witnessing people sitting on the hood of their car smoking a cigarette, is the worst attempt to look cool I’ve ever seen.

Not only do you look ridiculous, but you can get in trouble for a really stupid reason, which

would just give more people the opportunity to make fun of you instead of looking up to you.

Do you have nothing better to do after school but hang around school some more? I didn’t realize it was that hard to get in your car, leave, then smoke instead of broadcasting your disgusting habit in the parking lot.

If I could stress one point. It would be to not try so hard. Nothing makes me angrier, than when people try too hard to be cool. There is really no better way to say it.

Caring less what people think and caring more about being yourself is the only way anyone can be cool in high school.

22

Editorial

Friday, October 23, 2009

Thomas Griffith staff writer

School lunch: $2.50. Ticket to get into football game: $3.

Lost USB wristband: $6. Seeing a freshman run smack into the new glass partitions: priceless.

The new glass walls, one of which is located near the science room stairwell, are one of the new additions for the ‘09-’10 school year.

Not only do they add style to a high school that was lacking it, but they also increase security.

Dexter High School is 300,000 square feet. On the weekends teachers who come in have told Principal Kit Moran they feel uneasy since the school is empty and anyone could stroll right in. Computers have been stolen out of classrooms and belongings have been taken out of student lockers.

That, however, is not the purpose of the new walls; they are designed to section off the school so if someone does manage to get into the building, they won’t be able to access certain parts of the school.

The paintball incident last year was one of the driving forces behind the new glass walls, according Moran. Before the school was lit up with thousands of paintballs, someone got into the school and turned off the motion senors. This allowed them to go undetected and proceed to fill the commons and stairwells with paintballs.

The cost of bringing in the fire department and overtime for the janitors was covered by insurance, but the school still had to dish out more money for the clean up.

The glass walls will now be

locked for after-school events such as basketball games. The doors are also equipped with an alarm system so that if someone were to try to open one of the doors, a school official would receive an update that someone is attempting to go into a part of the school that they should not be in.

This way the school can take action more efficiently than simply going through the entire school looking for someone who they think is roaming around. Last year, students managed to get into areas that are not intended to be reached, such as the candy storage area known as “candy land.” Once these students got into these areas, there were things going on that should not be done in a high school.

The glass walls are a nice change from the brick columned partitions with wood doors that are placed around the rest of the school. Not only are those boring and seem to cause more congestion with one small door and then a large door, but the wood doors also make it hard to navigate the hallway traffic with the mass of students who stand near the elevator and lockers.

The glass partitions are easy to pass through since there is only one large doorway, and students can plan their route easier around the oncoming “freshy” traffic.

The glass walls are clearly one of the better upgrades for this school year. They make D.H.S a more secure high school. They could also be the next youtube sensation when someone catches an unfortunate kid get drilled by the glass wall on film.

Dan Flowers sports editor

PRO CON New glass doors

As I took my usual walk from room 407 through the south pod for lunch, I noticed something very unusual: a large glass door frame had been placed directly in my path where the opening to the main hall used to be, well, open.

Fortunately, I noticed the large steel beams protruding from the glass and stopped, curious as to why this new structure was here.

While pondering this, I witnessed several students obliviously turn the corner, slamming straight into the glass wall.

Although watching someone who’s not paying attention run straight into a wall is humorous, I don’t see why there is a need for these new glass walls. The school has been under construction for a few months, and there are several new additions in order to make new space and heighten security. , including these new glass walls and doors on every floor in the south pod.

Seemingly popping up out of nowhere and without warning, several students have fallen victim to the glass gates, face first.

As if hallways weren’t crowded enough already with clusters of freshmen who never seem to know where they’re going, the new walls cut the walking space down to about seven feet in the doorways.

With our school already over capacity, we need as much

room as we can get. Students are funneling in and out of the narrow doorways, cramped shoulder-to-shoulder like rats going in both directions for classes.

And even when there isn’t a swarm of students converging on the doorway, it becomes another pointless obstacle in the way. Was it really necessary for all of this?

According to Principal Kit Moran, the walls were installed to prevent people from wandering the school after hours, but aren’t there already numerous other doors in place for that?

The wooden doors that have been up since the school was built are in the right places to stop any mischievous behavior if they are shut at the right time. And there are new motion sensors all around the school that can detect movement as discrete as a poster falling off the wall.

Besides that, I thought the school already had the whole wood-door theme going on.

I’m no interior designer, but the glass doors throw that out and give the sense of enclosing the hallways like a glass penitentiary.

The glass walls and doors are here, and we have to deal with it. But since they’re up, they might as well serve some kind of relevant purpose.

I propose decorating the glass with window markers.

Not only will that give them a homey touch and officially make them part of our school, but that will also make them more visible for of all those who are having trouble avoiding the thick steel beams.

Letters to the editor

Tech director apologizes for late Adobe products Dear Editor,

Squall call

the all

It's time to reinvent the high school experience

My name is Matt Maciag, and I am the Director of Technology for Dexter Community Schools.

I have been responsible for a number of technology shifts, upgrades and changes throughout the district over the summer and into the beginning of this school year.

The level of change this summer in technology was nothing short of seismic.

We removed hundreds of old computers, brought in new ones, deployed new servers, loaded new software, etc. The pace this summer was frantic and exciting.

With that said, we had a mistake that affected Newspaper, Yearbook and other graphic design classes.

The Adobe suite of software was ordered in August, however, through an issue with the supplier, the correct copy did not arrive until Oct. 1.

While this was not an issue directly correctable by us, it was still a situation that could have been handled better.

I apologogize to the students in those classes for missing out on those few weeks of a learning opportunity and to the readers of The Squall who will not have had an issue until mid-October.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Beginning as early as next year, the curriculum of DHS may be transformed. The schedules of incoming freshmen could be composed of core classes grouped together to form a “house”.

While a future junior or senior’s schedule could be created with more flexibility and more focus toward careers According to science teacher Jeff Dagg who is the teacher leader of this potential “reimaging” of the high school experience, this new curriculum will better prepare students for college and careers by incorporating the the Rs of current education philosophy: “rigor,” a strong curriculum, “relevance,” connecting content with student interest, and “relationships,” connecting students, teachers, parents and the community into an educational system.

This is a great plan. There aren’t many opportunities at DHS to advance in subjects and the courses offered are limited in scope.

By offering possible dual enrollment and internships to nurture students‘ special interest as part of the high schoolcurriculum, the district will give its students a head start in college and in life.

Dagg said under this plan students would not only graduate with a diploma but also with a National Career Readiness Certificate that credentials them to work in a variety of fields.

Having the ability to sample college courses and career options in high school should help the students make better decisions in their future, Dagg said.

He’s right. Having job and career experience throughout high school will help students make smoother transitions into the real world and figure out sooner what they want careers they might want to pursue.

By introducing this reimaging to DHS, Principal Kit Moran said he hopes to give students a better, unique learning environment and more opportunities, focusing on prospective careers by giving students a learning experience that other schools don’t offer.

We applaud Moran and Dagg’s efforts, and we hope this program will bring a greater sense of diversity to the school, as well as a wider range of areas for students to study, and a chance for students to look into experience different careers.

Matt Maciag Director of Technology, Dexter Community Schools

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23

Editorial

Friday, October 23, 2009

Squall The

EDITORS IN CHIEF:

Alex Everard, Brittany Martini

MANAGING EDITOR: Marne LIttle

EDITORS DESIGN: Candice Wiesner FEATURES: Kaitlyn Shepard ENTERTAINMENT: Dan Flowers OPINIONS: Kristi Hughes PHOTO: JoJo Parin, Lauren Daugherty SPORTS: Kevin Yarows HEALTH: Ashley Burleson, Colleen Hill TRENDS: Caitlyn Rize uPAGE: Ian McCarthy GET INVOLVED: Alex Dobbs COPY: Emily Van Dusen

g

Pro/Con: Living in a growin Nicole Minzey staff writer

NEWS: Max Berry, Nic Miller COMMUNITY: Gabe Altomare DEXTER LEADER: Emily Darrow BLOGS: Erin McAweeney

DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Ross Chamberlain, Ariel Star, Lindsay Fischer, Travis Chaffe, Nicole Chalou, Jojo Parin, Lauren Daugherty, Claire Berger.

ADVERTISING: Lisa Crompton, Murphy

Brown.

TWEETER: Thomas Griffith FUNDRAISING: Nicole Minzey

STAFF WRITERS Lauren Gagneau, Jack Nixon, Deanna Moore, Tyler McCarthy, Rachel Butler, John Brundage, Jessica Deljevic, Tucker Whitley, Dave LaMore, Morgan Quist, Sirah Camara, Megan Podeschke, Lauren Gardner, Ray Carpenter, Steve Ferguson, Toliver Rogers, Megan Kim, Liz O’Keefe, Sarah Molnar, Ali Krips, Nick Gonet, Aaron Gilman, Matthew Libersky, Connie Yam, Nick Baron, Steve Miller, Alex McMurray.

CARTOONIST Gabe Altomare

Adviser Rod Satterthwaite

TALK BACK:

The Squall is an open forum for student expression. It accepts letters to the editor from any and all concerned parties. The Squall reserves the right to screen and/or edit any and all letters for inappropriate content and length.

All letters must be signed. Requests to remain anonymous will be considered by the editorial board.

Con Dave LaMore staff writer

Dexter High School has been growing steadily, creating great new opportunities for students and the school.

For example, Jessica Kreeger’s science classroom is being converted into two fullyequipped science classrooms.

Just think, now students won’t have 39 kids in a given class, which will make things a lot less hectic, right?

Also, next to Kreeger’s room a Food and Nutrition lab will be ready by the second trimester. Now who doesn’t want to make a fresh cherry pie with brand new appliances?

20” iMac desktops have been added to many rooms, presenting a huge upgrade from the old computers.

Now all of you computer geeks can play Tetris on a 21” Hi-Def screen and play around in Photo Booth to make your head the size of Jimmy Neutron’s.

A larger school also means more diversity in the students and faculty, better sports teams, better technology, better facilities, better variety in classes and better school spirit.

Squall call

the all

Sports breed competition. Competition is the appeal that makes sports fun to participate in and fun to watch. However, competition often also causes drastic emotional changes to occur, from elation after a big win over a rival to disappointment after a loss.

These quick emotional changes often cause tempers to flare. And when tempers flare, or when players become offended, the maturity and the integrity of athletes is often revealed.

During the opening game of the college football season in a game between Boise State and Oregon, both the maturity and the integrity were revealed of players on each team.

Following Oregon’s loss, Oregon running back LeGarette Blount was walking towards the locker room when he was confronted by Boise State’s defensive end Byron Hout.

Hout lightly pushed Blount in the shoulder and said some words to him, taunting him about the loss. After the competitive game, and the big loss, Blount’s emotions were on edge, and he responded to the trash talk from Hout by punching him in the face with his right hand.

The punch temporarily stunned Hout, and both he and Blount were immediately surrounded and escorted off the field by their teammates.

But instead of leaving the field quickly and quietly, Blount continued to yell at Boise State fans and even lunged at a few fans as he was taken

The maximum capacity of the high school is 1200 students. Right now there are 1216 enrolled.

Principal Kit Moran said the high school will continue to grow in numbers, so this raises the question, where are are we going to put all these kids?

The school is already full as is and adding more kids is definitely not going to help the situation. How are we planning on adding more kids to a school that is already overcrowded?

According to Moran, the overcrowding in the school isn’t yet affecting class size, but what about the hallways, the buses and the cafeteria?

If you’re claustrophobic, stay out of the hallways during passing time. Getting from class to class is a challenge when you feel like there are 86,000 people in the hallways making it virtually impossible to get through.

community

You also have to add an additional two minutes or so to your travel time if you plan on using the middle stairwell because it seems like everyone in the school is there at once.

There could be a small freshman getting trampled, and it is possible that no one would notice. It all comes down to one thing: the school is overcrowded.

The overcrowding is also a problem in the lunch room. Any table you look at is full. Sometimes there’s even three or four kids crowded around the end.

And there are those kids who are unfortunate enough to sit in the second row at the circle tables. You see them sitting behind everyone else, eating their lunch off their lap.

There’s also problems before you even get to sit down. The lunch line takes about 15o million years, and by the time you finally get to sit down, you have no time left to eat your lunch.

The school definitely needs to expand. There really isn’t any other option.

Pro No one wants to be in a six-person student section with students who don’t cheer.

Instead, our school has hundreds of students, most of them willing to cheer loud and crazy.

With an exception of our football team, Dexter sports seem to be improving dramatically.

The soccer team has been ranked in the state for the past few years. The hockey and basketball teams are also improving.

So what is to come for Dexter’s growing population?

Some very special opportunities. Since every student at Dexter is worth around $8000 from the state, the school receives more money to create new opportunities.

Principal Kit Moran said Dexter is trying to get juniors and seniors into programs outside of school in real-life internships.

The freshmen and sophomores would have a separate high school atmosphere and experience than traditional high schools.

The juniors and seniors would not go to school at a different building necessarily, but they may not spend as much time at the high school.

It’s something new and improved, and that is why it’s great to be in a growing high school like Dexter.

Athletes need to show integrity and

maturity to make sports fun and enjoyable towards the tunnel.

In this situation, both players actions were inexcusable. After Boise’s victory, Hout should have left the field quickly and spent his time celebrating and rejoicing with his teammates, not wasting unnecessary words on his opponents and taunting them. And what Blount did was a step beyond the wrongs that Hout committed.

To physically punch another player in the face while on national television is not only wrong but extremely stupid. Both players’ actions prove they are immature individuals who lack integrity, an aspect that is crucial to successful competitive sport.

And sports integrity and immaturity is not only a problem at the college level. Recently, an instance of a lack of integrity occurred on the varsity volleyball team. Following tryouts one night, three girls who made the team went to the home of a girl who had tried out for the team but did not make the squad. The three girls proceeded to throw eggs at her house, place plastic forks in her lawn in a prank known as “forking” and throw bleach on her lawn.

This act shows not only a lack of integrity and respect for a fellow athlete, but a lack of immaturity and just plain rudeness. A teenage prank is understandable, but when it is done in a blatantly malicious attempt to harm the individual receiving the prank, it is inexcusable.

What these girls did was rude, and it shows that these girls are not only immature as athletes but also immature as people. The lack of being able to respect a girl after she is cut from a team and to damage her property in such a harmful way is an act that should not go unexcused.

Competition is what makes sports go, but it also often causes emotions to flare. Integrity is showing a respect for these emotions, respect for others and respect for oneself. In both these high school and college instances, maturity and integrity are not present, and this lack of sportsmanship is unacceptable.

College and high school athletes need to learn maturity on the field and need to learn about the importance of integrity in sport. Actions like those described are inexcusable, and the coaches of these players understand that. By punishing their players with suspension in both instances, the coaches displayed their understanding of integrity.

That is why the responsibility for learning about integrity and understanding comes down to the athletes. They must learn to respect the game and to respect those who play the game if sports are to be successful. Integrity and maturity are what make sportsmanship and comradery in sports possible, and without either sports begin to lose a lot of what makes them good.

October 23, 2009 Volume XV Issue 1

Dexter High School

Some seniors just couldn’t get enough of DHS. Read their about their stories on

page 4

2200 N. Parker Road Dexter MI, 48130

NEWS briefs

Total Walk for Wil coverage

page 7

It’s news. It’s brief.

page 2

the

5X

5

now on page 6 & 7

SUPER

SQUALL

Stadium plans behind schedule

Nic Miller news editor

Several improvements scheduled for the football stadium were promised this year including the addition of 1000 new seats, a new away-cheering section, a new field house complete with lockers rooms, and a new, more optimal location for the scoreboard.

The locker room will offer 70 lockers for the varsity football player and 70 more lockers for JV and freshman football team.

However, during games the field house will accommodate the needs of the opposing team.

The Dexter football program and boosters raised over $125,000 selling Gold Cards, bricks and advertising banners to help fund these improvements. However, these improvements are behind schedule due to state-mandated items that were not included in the original blueprints.

Football coach Tom Barbieri said, “The players were really

excited about the new improvements, however we couldn’t take on those kind of risks.”

By no means have the plans been canceled. In fact, some of the progress is visible. The field house at Creekside is nearly complete.

But various obstacles halted many of the construction projects.

According to Barbieri, plans for the field house had to revised in order to meet state regulations. One state requirement left void in the original blueprint was the absence of four toilets.

Barbieri said, “Apparently the new building requirements set a minimum number of toilets for locker rooms and our plans were not up to these new standards.”

Regardless of the setback, Barbieri said the changes are something to look forward to. He said, “I look forward to the press box, but I will also be really excited to get those additional seats so we can have room for everyone to be seated. I believe with the additional seats we will start to have even more fans show up.”

Construction progresses on the lockerrooms and field house at Al Ritt Field. Because of state requirments regarding bathrooms, the construction is behind schedule.

Photos by Sarah Breunniger

USB wristbands part of new technology plan Max Berry staff writer

Dexter Community Schools Technology Director Matt Maciag wanted to solve a problem.

When he looked around the district, he said he saw obsolete computers and outdated software standing as a barrier between students and their education.

This issue gave Maciag an idea for some of the $49 million bond that passed last November.

The district allocated about $9.8 million of the bond money to replace the school computers and overhaul Dexter Community School’s technology.

“We removed some computers that were 10 years old,” Maciag said.

“Our stuff was really old.”

Also included in the technology update was the new district-wide network, driven by the purchase of USB-drive bracelets for every student which give each student their own log-in.

Maciag said this is the first time the district has had a fully set up network system, as each individual computer had before been separate from all the others.

“If we went with a simple login/password setup, it would mean that

the network would have more data transfers happening, slowing it down,” said Information Systems Support Technician Roger Johnson.

“And it didn’t work very well.”

Using the USB drives, students can access their accounts from any computer they log into.

“The USB log-ins allow students to carry data from machine to machine as well as between home and school,” Maciag said. “This will make the overall user experience easier and better.”

Maciag said he hopes to see a variety of benefits for students in the immediate future and more gradual signs of success in the long run.

“Having access to up-to-date technology will expand the ability of students to succeed,” Maciag said. “We want our students to have the ability to be 21st century problem solvers.”

The benefits don’t end with the students, however.

“With standardized hardware and software, our faculty’s ability to instruct is higher,” Maciag said. “This generation of iPods and cellphones--this raises the engagement factor for a generation that learns better this way.”

A rash of technical issues with the bracelets may be an obstacle to this desired goal, however.

To the average student, the number of problems with the bracelets may seem surprisingly high. However, Maciag assures that this is not

the case.

“Our list of problems is minute,” Maciag said, “especially since we are doing the USB log-in program on the largest scale in the state, if not the country. Because it’s so new, there are bound to be bumps in the road.”

The most severe problems, according to Johnson, are corrupted USB drives.

“We’ve already had a dozen or so where the USB drives quit working,” he said. “But out of a total of over 1,200 put into use (in the high school), that’s something like .2 percent having a problem.”

At the time of the interview, Maciag said out of 2,500 wristbands in the district, he had addressed fewer than 100 technical problems.

“Statistically speaking,” Maciag said, “we have been very successful.”

Some students and teachers have adopted a new nickname for the bracelets, one that reflects their bright red, rubbery appearance.

“Twizzlers” has become the new vernacular used to refer to the wristbands, and it appears the name has stuck.

“When I heard that they were calling them Twizzlers, I looked at one,” Maciag said, “and I thought to myself, ‘You know what, that’s about right.’”

“I don’t care if you call it a Twizzler,” Johnson said. “Just don’t eat it.

You won’t be able to log into the network without it.”