the
Fr e s h m e n H o u s e : a l e g i t i m a t e e d u c a t i o n a l e x p e r i e n c e o r a n e x t e n d e d d a y c a r e ? Dexter High School 2200 N. Parker Road Dexter, MI 48130
Nick and Joey King's mom, Carla Pizzoli writes a letter to the students of DHS page 3
January 28, 2011 Volume XVI Issue 5
THE BIG CHILL page 5
get it in the Rostrum, page 2 and 3
Controversies surround Freshman House Math teacher Brian Baird, science teacher Jessica Kreeger and English teacher Andrew Parker teach in the Freshman House. While teachers and students have mixed views on the effectiveness of the Freshman House program, a controversy over teacher overload pay within the House may influence the decision of whether or not to run the program again next year. Photos by Alison Rossini
Serena Bidwell
staff writer
The Freshmen House has been a controversial project since the idea was conceived, and the controversy only continues halfway through the school year. However, this time the debate surrounds the issue of payment to the Freshman House teachers. Should they be paid by the same standards as all the other teachers if their schedules differ in structure? According to Principal Kit Moran, the issue of Freshmen House teachers’ pay revolves around the number of students teachers see in a day. Because of the Freshmen House teacher schedule, those teachers teach four classes in the time that all others teach three. This extra class means teachers meet with an extra 20-30 students each day. The teacher contract sets a Total Daily Teacher Pupil Limit, the limit of total students each teacher can see in a day before receiving overload pay. This contractual number is 116 students, yet FH teachers are seeing up to 139 students per day. In fact, out of the 12 Freshmen House teachers, only two, social studies teacher Ethan Konett and English teacher Andrew Parker are under the limit. Freshmen House teachers argue since they see more students than the contractual limit on a daily basis, they should be paid extra, according to the contract language. According to Moran, however, it would become extremely expensive to pay Freshmen House teachers overload pay based on this 116 TDTPL limit, and it is his position that the Freshmen House structure should have some different rules than all other teachers. In other words, because the teachers in FH have a different schedule, and will see more students every day than other teachers, they should not have the same rules regarding overload pay. Freshmen House teacher Ryan Baese said teachers told administrators about this issue last year, during the planning stages of the Freshmen House, but were essentially ignored. He said although all the FH teachers support the concept of the new program, the contract they originally agreed upon has not been followed. Moran said he does not want FH teachers to feel under-appreciated, though, because he said he knows how much additional effort they
have put into making the program function smoothly. “This issue should have been discussed a year ago, but it was overlooked,” he said. So the Freshmen House teachers began a grievance in September about the issue that was just resolved. As the first step in the grievance, the teachers sent their representatives, including the President of the Dexter Education Association, Joe Romeo, to verbally discuss this issue with Moran. According to the contract, Moran had 10 days to respond and eventually denied the teachers’ request for more pay. Then, a written document was sent to Moran, the second phase of the grievance process, but it was again denied. Moran suggested making the TDTPL for FH teachers 145 students, but the teachers did not accept that offer. The grievance then continued to the next level. The FH teachers had a meeting with Superintendent Mary Marshall, but she denied the grievance. Freshmen House science teacher Jessica Kreeger said the response of Marshall was disheartening. However, before the grievance reached the next in the process, an appeal to the Board of Education, Marshall offered a compromise. Moran hinted at the beginning of January the grievance would need to come to a close soon, since the master schedule for next year is completed during February and March. And sure enough, earlier this month, the controversy was finally settled. Romeo and Marshall joined together to reach an accord. According to the new agreement, the TDTPL for Freshmen House is 100, and the limit for all other individual classes in Freshmen House is 29 students. Teachers are paid an extra $134.89 per overload student. Now that the issue has finally been resolved, Moran said, “The FH teachers have put a lot into the Freshmen House, and I understand that they want their efforts to be recognized.” However, despite the debate regarding teacher payment, Freshmen House math teacher Kathryn Day said there are many benefits to the program regardless of the outcome of the grievance. The teachers in the Freshman House talk to each other constantly about students, she said, and they discuss which students need extra
help and how to get students to succeed in every class. Because of this, Day said teachers can work together better as a unit. Freshmen House English teacher Andrew Parker agrees. He said, “Students have their four core classes for the whole year, which the previous trimester schedule did not provide.” He said this allows students to grasp the material better and allows teachers more time and flexibility with class periods. He compared the gap that the absence of a core class in T2 would create equal to a summer break that can set the students back considerably. For this reason, Freshmen House provides an opportunity for students to achieve greater success because they can retain information and build on what they are learning throughout the entire year. Parker said, “The transition work implemented at the start of the year helped ease the students in so that they understood the expectations of the high school curriculum.” Freshman House English teacher Zack Lindke also agreed and said, “Probably the biggest benefit is the House provides freshmen time to acclimate to the high school environment, where it is anticipated that the rigorous workload would differ greatly from that of middle school.” An additional benefit is the relationship formed between teacher and student, according to Parker, who said the Freshmen House style provides for a chance for teachers to work with students, improving what they struggle with individually. Despite all the advantages of the Freshmen House, the current contention regarding the amount of pay Freshmen House teachers receive may have tremendous influential power about the future of the program. Whether Freshmen House will continue next year is still uncertain, but Lindke said, “My personal take is that the house needs to continue next year. Though (it) is a lot of work, far more than we anticipated even, it is worth it.” And while this grievance surely caused some stress to the teachers, Moran said he is hopeful about the future of the Freshmen House. He said, “It would be upsetting for a program with so much to offer the students to dissolve because of this issue.”
Tightened airport security causes traveller stress Kaitlin Gotcher
staff writer
While at the airport, a mixture of emotions come to play: fright of the flight, irritation at the dreadfully-long line, sorrow for leaving family and excitement for visiting a new place. Sometimes, though, this feeling is embarrassment, as a person is subjugated to a pat-down. Airline security has tightened again as Advanced Imaging Technology makes its way through terminal doors. This bodyscanning device picks up metallic and non-metallic threats, including weapons and explosives that could be concealed in clothing. Pilot John Smith, who agreed to an interview only if we didn’t use his real name because he fears repercussions at work, flies hundreds of passengers a day and said this new technology is an unnecessary invasion of privacy. He goes through AIT because, as a pilot and member of the Airline Pilots Association union, it is difficult for him to refuse the new security measures. “Had they not done so, I would be refusing to enter these inspection points unless I could go through the standard magnetometer inspection,” he said. Despite the TSA’s efforts to create a safe feeling, some even find the AIT disturbing, including Humanities teacher Susie Walters. On her way to Phoenix for the holidays, Walters was exposed to AIT in the Detroit airport. “You know, on an intellectual level, all they are looking for are substances,” Walters said. “But on a personal level, it’s uncomfortable to know someone is scrutinizing your body.” Advanced Imaging Technology uses chemical trace-detection techniques that sees through clothing. However, there are many items that the machines do not properly pick up and cause the
passenger additional checking according to Smith. “To subvert these machines, the terrorists could surgically implant an explosive device which would never be detected by these machines,” Smith said. Attempts to interview someone from the TSA were met with e-mails referring a reporter to the TSA website. A spokesperson said the TSA does not grant interviews with high school newspapers on the topic. On its website, though, the TSA says it took extra precautions to ensure anonymity during these screeings. The officer who views the image is set up in a remote location and never sees the passenger. This doesn’t make Walters feel better. “They have a picture of what you look like on the screen, and it’s ugly,” Walters said. Junior Annalise Dobbs, however, traveled to Costa Rica recently, and said she did not have a problem with the machine when she went through security. “It didn’t really affect me because I had nothing to hide so they didn’t have to search me or anything,” she said. “I was fine with it.” According to TSA, there are filters on the scanner that blur facial features and produces an image of the body that is more like a chalk etching than a photograph. The image is automatically deleted after viewing. All of this, they say, protects people’s privacy. Smith isn’t convinced. “The TSA says the person viewing the images is in a completely separate area and therefore not invading the privacy of anyone,” he said. “Would it make you feel more comfortable that there is someone looking at your naked body 10 feet away of 100 miles away? How do you feel about children being seen naked by a stranger?” SEE “AIRPORT SECURITY” ON PAGE 2 photo by Nick Byma, photo illustration by Claire Berger
Overlooked signs of the Apocalypse
Books to Read in the year 2011
•This morning when you woke up, your keys were where you left them. •Road kill or wrath of god? •For the first time a woman was not attracted to Ray Carpenter •The pictures on page 5 keep moving around. •You totally just looked at page five •Bieber fiever
•”Under the Bleachers” by Seymour Butts •”The Complete Proctologist’s Handbook” by Ben Dover •”Rusty Bed Springs” by I.P. Freeley •”Twenty yards to the out house” by Willie Makit and illustrated by Betty Wont •”Falling Off a Cliff” by Eileen Dover •”Things That Itch” by Mike Rotch
Words/phrases high schoolers use like way too much • Dude • Legitly • Will you go to the bathroom with me? • FML • F---! • Hundo
• Literally • Snooki • OK, so ... • I know, right • Did you see “Jersey Shore” last night?
• I wish it was stromboli day • Wanna get a cookie with me? • Ray Carpenter, will you marry me?
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NEWS
Friday, January 28, 2011
NEWS
Airplane Day to remember Carolin
Natalie Collins
briefs
Alex Mortensen
staff writer
Trimesters still creating scheduling issues Since the implementation of the trimester scheduling system, there have been considerable problems every year that have crippled the counseling office for weeks and kept students waiting for classes for days on end. “These problems have been caused mostly by inexperience,” Principal Kit Moran said. “Now that we’ve been with trimesters for four years, we are beginning to understand them better.” The scheduling problems last year were particularly bad but were caused by a unique circumstance according to counselor Kristy Doyle. “The problems last year were caused by the state offering teachers a retirement package in which they could retire while still teach part time,” Doyle said. “Some of the teachers who took this package didn’t let the school know that they were leaving until June, and this made it difficult to put an accurate schedule together.” These problems are in the past according to Doyle. She said, “as long as we stick to our timeline, the beginning of the year (will not) end up such a mess.”
Pool renovations face delays In 2008 a $47.9 million bond was passed to help the district pay for a series of upgrades in everything from buildings to new computers. Students are already seeing many of the benefits of the bond. According to Principal Kit Moran, students can see the effects of the bond money throughout the high school. “The money was used to construct the first floor hallway outside the hallway, which reduces crowding,” Moran said, “The tech. upgrades have affected everyone in the school. These included things like the lab carts and district wide Wi-Fi.” Some projects have been slow going, though, such the Wylie Pool renovations which has faced several delays. This has created some frustration among students involved in any of the area’s aquatic program such as senior Austin Daugherty who is part of the varsity swim team. “It was kinda frustrating not being able to have any home meets for our senior year,” Daugherty said.
Trimesters to continue next school year Dexter High School has been in a trimester schedule since 2008, but there has been talk of changing back to a semester system in order to remedy scheduling problems and accommodate a future IB program. However, according to Principal Kit Moran the high school will be staying with trimesters for next year. According to Moran there are a variety of reasons behind this decision. “The biggest (reason) is the difficulty of change. When I listened to parents, teachers and kids, I didn’t think there was evidence to support a change in our system.” However the future remains uncertain, because according to Moran, “We have not yet decided for the year of 2012-13.”
Prior-review issue not yet decided Last year there were a series of debates and special school board meetings regarding the district’s publication policy. To date, no decision has been reached by the board regarding this policy according to Principal Kit Moran. This issue was brought into the spotlight even more last year by a group of parents who were opposed to some of the articles published by The Squall. At first, these parents voiced their concerns on an anonymous blog titled “Clean Up DHS” where they posted links to articles they saw as controversial and, in their opinion, unfit for some of the student body. This uproar prompted the school board to hold a series of special meetings where they invited people to come and voice their opinions. In the end they decided the policy committee would make a recommendation to the board as a whole. Moran said, “As of right now the sub-committee has yet to have made any recommendation to the board. I wish that they would finish up and do that.”
Students stress over PowerSchool changes Every trimester after exams, students anxiously check PowerSchool, waiting for their final grades to be posted. But at the end of last trimester there was a problem. The grades were unable to viewed by the students. This problem was caused by trimester dates on PowerSchool switching too quickly. According to counselor Kristy Doyle, “What happens is they roll over grades. They rolled over the grades right when the teachers put them in.” The inaccessibility of their final grades posed a problem for many students such as junior Jacob VanHoof. “It was frustrating,” Van Hoof said, “I was anxiously waiting for the final grades to be posted for more than a week.” Unfortunately for students like VanHoof this problem will persists because the grades will still need to roll over at the same time. According to Doyle, “If student wants to see their grades, they will have to do so either right away or wait until they roll over.”
www.thesquall.com
staff writer
Making a difference in the world was always the goal of Laurence Carolin. And before his death last January, his friends and family both promised to carry out his dreams of trying to eliminate extreme poverty and preventable disease. One way they are trying to keep Carolin’s memory alive is Airplane Day on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Foggy Bottom. Airplane Day was created to help raise money from some of Carolin’s favorite charities which include ONE.org and the United Nations Foundation. Carolin’s mom Lisa got the inspiration for the name of Airplane Day because it takes place around the day that Laurence arrived in the United States from his native country of South Korea on an airplane. Laurence had always been very active with various organizations to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease. In fact, when he received money from the Make a Wish Foundation, he donated most of it to The United Nations Fund. Lisa is organizing the event with the help of one of Laurence’s closest friends, junior Ali Bowman. Their goal is to make sure that Laurence’s wishes come true. Bowman said, “We’ve had a couple of meeting where we came up with ideas and such. Sam Griffith, Hannah and Paul Ruble and I are working on putting together informational posters about different issues contributing to extreme poverty in Africa that we will display at the event.” Bowman said their goal is to make sure that Laurence’s wishes come true and people become aware of these problems. Event organizers were able to get multiple musicians from the Ann Arbor area to perform.
The bands include Bluesmatics, Echoes and Half Six. The band Bluesmatics learned of the event through Alex Arnest, who works at Ann Arbor Music Center. Laurence received guitar lessons from Arnest and his family and friends asked Arnest for help promote awareness of the benefit. Arnest then asked bands like Bluesmatics if they would be willing to preform at the benefit. photo from Lisa Carolin “We were eager to help Still making a difference: Laurence Caroand will be asking our lin died in January 2010. His friends followers, friends and and family are holding Airplane Day in family to join in on this his honor on Feb. 5 at Foggy Bottom to help raise money for his favorite charigreat cause,” Anest said. ties. Admission to Airplane Day is free, but an optional donation to the United Nations Foundation is suggested. For Laurences’ mom, the Airplane Day will be a day to celebrate Laurence’s life and help change the world for the better. She said, “I believe that his roots in South Korea opened his thinking to world issues from an early age and that culminated in his support and involvement with ONE.org and the United Nations. It seems only fitting that a celebration dedicated to Laurence occurs on the anniversary of Airplane Day, since that was the day he truly became a citizen of the world.”
Grant brings orchestra to younger grades
Alex Hiner
Staff Writer
Each year the second grade students at Cornerstone and Bates are treated to four different performances by various ensembles from the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. All of these performances are made possible through grants from the Educational Foundation of Dexter. The grant, this year written by third year music teacher at Bates and Cornerstone Robin Radcliff, has been written for the past 13 years by second grade teacher Jenny Van Houten of Cornerstone. Starting in 1997, the grants were written for the A2SO ensembles to come to Dexter, with the hopes that the students at the elementary schools would learn more about music, along with seeing if they may be interested in pursuing music as they move on to Creekside and have the chance to start learning an instrument of their choice. Van Houten started writing the grants to speed the love of music she said, “I felt it was important for the children to be exposed to the instruments and music. It also fulfilled one of our curriculum requirements, which was sound.” Each ensemble is made up of different instruments so the students get a wide variety of music and sounds. Along with the performances fulfilling the curriculum requirements for the students, Radcliff said she hopes the performances help the students better understand music. “I hope the students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the various styles and genres of music,” she said. These concerts have been able to introduce the second graders
Airport security
to a very wide variety of music and not just the popular music they hear on the radio and on TV. With professional musicians coming to play for a crowd full of second graders, many would wonder how do the students act and behave during the performances. According to Radcliff, the students are always well-behaved. “Students truly enjoy these performances,” she said. “There is very little chatter or clowning around during the ensembles’ visits. Students are mesmerized by the sound of the instruments and even by their appearance.” During the 2010-11 school year the string ensembles performed at both Cornerstone and Bates on Oct. 26, while the Woodwinds Ensembles were scheduled to perform on Dec. 14 but had to cancel due to inclement weather. They are hoping to be able to reschedule the performance for sometime in 2011. They also have two more performances scheduled for Jan. 13 at Cornerstone from 1-1:30 and at Bates from 2-2:30. After taking over writing the grant from Van Houten for the first time this year, Radcliff said, “I believe we need these performances for our young students because it affords them the opportunity to experience classical music from a professional group of musicians. Not only will they hear many beautifully performed classical pieces but will also experience Jazz and some contemporary music as well. I have personally witnessed students who struggle with ADD, ADHD and other symptoms, sit at full attention during these performances. In my opinion, the true intrinsic value of music, is its ability to touch our very souls.”
Continued from page 1
But the TSA said the screening is optional. Those who do not want to be screened receive an additional screening and a physical pat-down. Often, nevertheless, these pat-downs have been described as aggressive. “If you are selected for the aggressive pat-down, demand a private screening with a witness,” Smith said. “It is your right not to be felt up by a stranger in public.” There are separate inspection areas available for those uncomfortable with the screening. But according to Smith, if a passenger does not know that, the TSA is not going to offer it. Smith also said the new imaging system is an infringement of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which guards against unreasonable search and seizure. In addition he said the machines are ineffective, and he said he is unsure about the health affects in the long run. “Too many people are not aware of their Constitutional rights,and are freely giving them away to the Transportation Security Administration,” he said. Walters said she did not like AIT, but because she wanted to go to Phoenix bad enough she endured the new technology. In Phoenix the technology is not yet set up, since they still have to train officers. But because of the metal in her hip, Walters submitted to a pat down. “I had an easier time with that than the new technology ,” she said. The TSA website says advanced Imaging Technology was created to help quicken the process of going through security. But Walters believes it makes things worse. “Because Detroit hasn’t perfected it yet, you have to stand there and wait for the screen,” Walters said. “It makes flying more of a hassle.”
Smith agrees. “The delays in security inspection are causing me to leave passengers behind,” he said. “I am not allowed to delay a flight for passengers who are not through security.” Dobbs said she did not see the difference between the new system and the old one though. There are also those who are concerned about the safety of the screening. However, according to the TSA, the AIT uses millimeter wave technology, which is thousands of times less than the use of a cell phone. They say it is the equivalent of two minutes of flying and the new imaging system is proven to be safe for children, pregnant women and those with medical implants. However, Smith said these machines have not been approved for use in Europe because of the unproven claims of being safe for health. “If these machines are so effective and so safe, then convince the European Union that they are and install them there,” Smith said. “Foreign airport are where the threats are coming from.” Smith said the most effective procedure is when someone talks to each passenger and determines if a passenger could be a possible threat to security by their answers and body language. “This would have stopped the so-called underwear bomber,” Smith said. “The interviewer would have detected the passenger was going to Detroit without luggage or a coat.” Dobbs said, though, that the new imaging system made her feel safer because she said she knew there wouldn’t be anyone with a bomb or weapon on the plane she was on. “The safer the better,” Dobbs said. However, Walters said she did not feel any safer than she did three years because of the new imaging technology. Smith agrees. “I fly about 1,000 hours a year,” he said, “and I am perfectly safe with the previous safety measures which were in place before the invasive body scanners.”
Dexter Family Eye Center Dr. Kelly D. Carrier Dr. Megan L. Waters
Call for an Appointment Sat. & Evenings Available Most Insurances Accepted 3045 Baker Rd. St. 2 Dexter, MI 48130 (734) 424-0097
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Feature
Friday, January 28, 2011
After 35 years, it's The Hall Of Fame
Football Coach Tom Barbieri will be inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches HOF in March Tucker Whitley
Sports Editor
Junior football player Jeff Baldus isn’t a fan of long, hard practices. He knows he will have to give 100 percent. And then some. He knows he will be running. He knows he will be sweating, but he also knows on top of all that he will be getting better. “You know that if you’re practicing with Coach Barbieri, then you’re getting better,” Baldus said. “You can’t ever be mad about that.” And Baldus knows it’s time for practice when he hears the raspy voice of Barbieri, “Let’s go! This isn’t a country club!” Barbieri has dedicated his life to the sport of football, and has spent many hours with each program which he has serviced according to the who have played under him, and according to his assistant coaches such as 2010 Assistant Coach of the year Rick Appling.
And because of this work, Barbieri is being inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaching Hall of Fame on March 26. He is one of 14 inductees in the 2011 class. When Barbieri was informed by the Michigan High School Football Coaching Association historian, Jack Carlson, that he had been chosen to be inducted, he said he was ecstatic. “I was totally surprised,” he said. “Here I was trying to get others in, and then he approached me and told me that I was in. This is a dream come true and a humbling experience.” To be inducted into the Coaching Hall of Fame, a coach has to be nominated by past presidents of the organization. Current executive director of the association and former president Larry Merks said, “We make recommendations, and since I’m part of the past presidents, I had a vote.” Like Barbieri, Merks seemed happy with
Barbieri’s induction. Merks said, “I was pleased. We knew last year he was next on the list, and he was already an alternate.” The whole idea of the High School Football Coaches’ Hall of Fame was introduced in 1978 by Bo Schembechler who was coach of the Michigan Wolverines at the time. “(The Coaches’ Hall of Fame) was all Bo’s idea. He brought in his hated rival Woody Hayes to speak, and it’s been going on ever since,” Barbieri said. Barbieri said he is nervous about the induction since he will have to prepare a speech. He said, “(Debate Coach) Deb Marsh is trying to help me with my speech, and hopefully I don’t get Italian mixed in.” Though he may be nervous, the long-time coached said he is more overcome with happiness and eagerness. “I will invite over 120 people,” he said. “Those people will include past influential
players, coaches and even opposing coaches.” Though Barbieri knows this induction is already unique, he said it is even more so considering he’s been a head coach at four different schools: Hartland, Gaylord, Boyne City and Dexter. • Barbieri It doesn’t stop there. When Michigan made the renovations to its football stadium, plaques of last year’s high school Hall of Fame class were put in, and the same will be done with the class of 2011. The only problem was Barbieri had to chose the name of only one school he coached for to put on the plaque. Dexter fans will be happy to know he kept his loyalties with the Dreadnaughts. He said, “This is where I’ve been head coach the longest.”
New texting law meant to An open letter from Nick and keep students safe on road Joey King's mom, Carla Pizzoli Jennifer stirling
Staff writer
A s te x t i ng w h i le d r i v i ng t u r n s i l le g a l , s t ude nt s fe e l t he pr e s s u r e to put t he phone dow n a nd a s t he s top s b y p ol ic e i nc r e a s e , p a r e nt s b e c ome c onc e r ne d t hei r te e n s w i l l ne ve r l i s te n . D e e Br ade n , a d r i v i ng i n s t r uc tor for 2 2 ye a r s , te ac he s s t ude nt s t h at d i s t r ac t ion s i n t he c a r c a n c au s e ac c ide nt s . “ Te x t i ng w h i le d r i v i ng i s c r a z y. Not lo ok i ng at t he r o ad at a ny t i me i s not go o d ,” Br ade n s a id . T he l aw r e ad s “A p e r s on s h a l l not r e ad , m a nu a l l y t y p e , or s e nd a te x t me s s a ge on a w i r e le s s 2 -w ay c om mu n ic at ion de v ic e t h at i s lo c ate d i n t he p e r s on’s h a nd or i n t he p e r s on’s l ap, i nc lud i ng a w i r e le s s te le phone u s e d i n c e l lu l a r te le phone s e r v ic e or p e r s on a l c om mu n ic at ion s e r v ic e , w h i le op e r at i ng a motor ve h ic le t h at i s mo v i ng on a h ig hw ay or s t r e e t i n t h i s s t ate .” S c ho ol L i a i s on Je r e my H i lobu k i s big on e n for c i ng t h i s . “ W he n I pu l l te x te r s o ve r, I te l l t hem w hy I pu l le d t he m o ve r, t he d a nge r s of te x t i ng w h i le d r i v i ng a nd t he c o s t s of t he t ic k e t s” H i lobu k s a id . A nd p ol ic e k e e p t r ac k of w a r n i ng s i s s ue d i n a d at a b a s e . I f a s t ude nt ge t s mu lt iple w a r n i ng s , t he y w i l l ge t t ic ke te d . G e t t i ng t ic k e te d a l s o de p e nd s on e ac h i nd i v idu a l c a s e . I f t he te x te r w a s c lo s e to c r a s h i ng , t he y m ay r e c e i ve no w a r n i ng , ac c or d i ng to H i lobu k . To he lp e n for c e t he s e p ol ic ie s , t he She r i f f D e p a r t me nt h a s s t a r te d a ne w pr o g r a m c a l le d She r i f f s Te l l i ng O u r Pa r e nt s a nd P r omot i ng E duc ate d D r i ve r s or S T OPPE D. “ T he p a r e nt s c a n or de r a de c a l t h at ge t s pl ac e d on t he d r i ve r ’s w i nd s h ie ld , he s a id . We c a l l t he p a r e nt s i f t he k id s h ave a ny r u n -i n s w it h t he p ol ic e ,” H i lobu k s a id , I n for m at ion , s uc h a s t he t i me of t he s top, w he r e t he s top to ok pl ac e a nd t he r e a s on for t he s top c a n b e m a i le d to t he p a r e nt s a s w e l l . A l s o, m a ny c omp a n ie s a r e s te ppi ng up to e nd te x t i ng w h i le d r i v i ng.
K e e pt he d r i ve .c om , a w e b s ite s p on s or e d by A l l s t ate I n s u r a nc e C omp a ny, show s te e n s t he f ac t s ab out d i s t r ac t ion s i n t he c a r. A c c or d i ng to t he s ite , “R e ac h i ng for a phone w h i le d r i v i ng i nc r e a s e s you r r i sk of a c r a sh b y n i ne t i me s . B e h i nd t he w he e l , one te x t w h i le d r i v i ng e q u a l s fou r b e e r s .” T he r e for e , “ No one shou ld be pr e o c c upie d w h i le d r i v i ng. T he y shou ld b e fo c u s e d on t he r o ad ,” Br ade n s a id . D e put y H i lobu k a l s o s a id , “ My j ob c ome s i n w ave s . I w ou ld n’t s ay it h a s got te n bu s ie r f r om t he te x t i ng l aw.” For t he f i r s t v iol at ion , t he f i ne i s $10 0. T he s e c ond v iol at ion i s $20 0. For i n for m at ion on t he S T OPPE D pr o g r a m , v i s it ht t p://w w w. m ic h iga n she r i f f.c om . For s t at i s t ic s on te e n s a nd d i s t r ac te d d r i v i ng , v i s it ke e pt he d r i ve .c om .
Keeping ‘em safe: Driver’s education instructor Dee Braden teaches class. Braden said students should never text while driving and should always keep their eyes on the road.
Editor's note: Mrs. Pizzoli asked The Squall to run this letter as a thank-you to the Dexter High School community following the untimely death of her son, Nick, in September. The letter appears here unedited and in its entirety as Mrs. Pizzoli requested Dear Dexter High School Students: You have made a difference in my life and I want to extend a long overdue thank you. Your unwavering support to my family and me in the last several months has truly been the one thing that has provided me the most comfort in dealing with the unbearable loss of Nick. From the candlelight vigil, to the flagpole prayers, to the balloon release, to the unending Facebook messages to Nick and I, you have been incredible through all this and shown how much you cared about Nick and what a difference he has made in your lives. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to come to know many of you and I am even more unbelievably thankful that, through you and the memories you have shared, I have had the opportunity to know Nick in a whole different way that wouldn’t have been possible without your generosity. Nick was a charmer. He had an amazing, quirky sense of humor and had a knack of making everyone around him feel good and being able to make them laugh and smile. He was one of the most compassionate individuals that I have ever known. He always was the one that wanted to make sure that no one’s feelings were hurt and always went out of his way to make other’s who weren’t as fortunate as him feel good. I always knew this about him, being his mother, of course … but it was reinforced through countless stories I have heard about him since his death through many of you, and by witnessing the impact his loss continues to have on all of us. Please keep Nick in your hearts. Let him inspire you to live life to the fullest and never take anything or anyone for granted. While Nick would have probably been horrified that I count many of you as my Facebook friends, I cannot even begin to tell you what a difference it has made to me to be able to read the messages that you have sent him (and myself) and continue to send. I am very appreciative that Nick was lucky enough to have known such a tremendous group of individuals and that now I am lucky enough to know many of you as well. I just want to “shout out” that I think the students of Dexter high school are an extraordinary and compassionate group of young men and women. You inspire me. I am proud to know you, and I want to simply thank you all for sharing my son Nick with me. Your generosity and compassion will never be forgotten. N4N Carla (a.k.a. Nick’s mom) P.S. Give everyone you care about a hug today! “ It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts.”
Photo by Carl Schimmel
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Entertainment
4
2010
Friday, January 28 , 2011
A Year in Review
Entertainment editor Nicole Minzey takes a look back at the biggest events in entertainment from 2010. While these may not be the most popular people or events, they are the things that got students talking in the world of popular culture, good, bad and ugly
Photo from MTV.com/fair use
Millions of Americans anxiously awaited the return of the beloved show “Jersey Shore” this summer. Snooki, The Situation, Vinny, Ronnie, J-Woww, Sammi and Pauly D were all back for another season of binge drinking and bad decisions.
Photo from commons.wikimedia.org/used as licensed
With Facebook being more popular than ever, it was no surprise that Mark Zuckerberg was Time magazine’s person of the year. He’s ours too. Between that and the premiere of “The Social Network” 2010 was a good year for Zuckerberg.
Photo by smallscreenscoop.com/used with permission
Photo from buzznet.com/used with permission
The most mind-boggling movie of the year kept everyone guessing even after the movie was over. The story line and production of the film made it the best movie in 2010.
Photo from moviesonline.com/fair use
The premiere of the seventh Harry Potter movie made the Harry Potter series bigger than it has ever been before. People anxiously awaited the premiere, bought tickets in advance and came in costumes to see how the events of the wizards’ lives would unfold.
This trashy trend setter made an especially big splash this summer when she toured with Rhianna. Kesha made some of the best music of the year and made being a hot mess a trend for 2010.
Photo from southdreamz.com/fair use
This summer Americans everywhere joined together to watch the World Cup. Once every four years soccer become ultra trendy, and this year it was the hottest sporting event of the year
Staff Bests of 2010
Serena Bidwell Staff Writer Partying all day every day... and joining newspaper.
Marne Little Editor-in-Chief Beating Kirk Kumbier’s record at the Red Cross Swim-A-Cross
Kevin Skiver News Editor Ray Carpenter becoming part of my life.
Carl Schimmel Staff Writer the vuvuzela bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Claire Tell Staff Writer The return of the McRib.
Jake Aliapoulios Staff Writer “Inception”
Connor Thompson Managing Editor Water polo making the state tournament.
Xbox Kinect this year's holiday hit Dan Whitaker
around more, as opposed to just using a controller. The graphics are Staff Writer also more detailed.” Since it was only released a couple months ago, there are not many games yet, but the most popular so far, with 440,000 units Arguably the most popular new technology to come out this holiday is the Xbox Kinect system. Kinect has sold over 4 million sold is Kinect Sports, which is similar to Wii sports. However Kinect sports devices, with 2.5 million of those sold in is more involved in that December. Released Nov. 4, it was already players can play with named one of Time magazine’s Top 50 more people, since there inventions of 2010. Senior Ryan Souder said, are no controllers, and “It is the best motion sensing gaming system players get a better feel on the market.” for the game because Like the Wii or the new Playstation 3 they actually imitate Move system, the Kinect uses motion sensing the motions of playing a technology to play the game. Except this sport, as opposed to just system is different in one big way. Instead of swinging a controller using a motion sensing controller, players use a around. different kind of controller, their body. Souder said that Kinect Whatever movements a player makes, Sports is the best game for the on-screen avatar will make identical the system so far. “The movements. Photos by Justin Juback high variety of games and Souder said he loves the new system. “I Ready to play: Junior Micaela Conter gets ready to play Kinect online options make this thought at first the Kinect might not be that Sports on the Xbox Kinect system. Kinect Sports is one of the most popular games for the system. the best game yet,” he good because it was the first system of its kind, said. but it has turned out to be far better than I Another high seller is Dance Central, where a player can actually expected,” he said “It is way better than the Wii, because I can move
learn the dances to popular past and present hip-hop songs and then earn points for performing them as well. “I like that I can be active with the game, rather than just sitting around,” Souder said, “It gets tiring after awhile.” Kinect is also becoming known as a popular exercise option with its new game, Your Shape: Fitness Involved. It is becoming known as a better alternative to Wii Fit, because the game can sense a player’s whole body and develops a more complete workout. “The game is a great way to get in shape,” senior Brandon Pederson said, “because the game senses your whole body It makes it so there is more range of motion to get a better workout.” Reaching to win: Junior Brennan Conter extends his arm while playing Xbox Kinect. The Xbox Kinect was released in November 2010.
5
Sports
Friday, January 28 2011
U of M hosts biggest outdoor hockey game ever
MICHIGAN VS MICHIGAN STATE
harder to skate north because of the wind.” Junior Jake Waldrup also thought there was a big difference in playing at the Big House. “It was really cool to play in the Brent Kellenberger Big House, but it was very hard,” staff writer Waldrup said. “Every time the puck The varsity hockey team faced off against Huron at a hockey went in the air, it was hard to see, rink set up in the Big House On Dec. 5. The rink was made for the because of the dark bleachers in the Big Chill, which would happen a week later and feature the highly- background.” The Dexter-Huron game began anticipated Michigan vs. Michigan State hockey game. with Huron scoring “We got pumped the first and only for our hockey game point in the first by putting on eye period. black and listening During the second to Marky Mark,” period, Huron scored sophomore Blake yet again while Miller said. managing to lock The DexterPhotos by Claire Berger Dexter out. However The Big House: Michigan Stadium seats a total of 113,000 people. On the day of the Big Chill it was filled with Huron game was the in the third period, 104,073 fans cheering the MSU and U of M hockey teams. The varsity hockey team also played Huron in the Big last of three high senior John Grover House during the week of this game. school hockey games managed to score. played that Sunday “It was pretty night, and because sweet when I scored the point, because we weren’t have a chance at winning,” Waldrup said. the game was set up playing well before that. The point got us fired up,” outside, players had Waldrup’s tying point sent the game into an overtime Push comes to shove: MSU’s Derek Grant blocks UM’s Matt Rust as Grover said. to learn to adapt to they race to get to the puck first. U of M won the game 0-5. period, but neither team was able to score before time ran out. The Waldrup also was able to score a point a few game ended with a 2-2 tied score. the new conditions. minutes later in the third period, which evened up “It was harder to “I think playing in the Big House was an experience of a lifetime,” the score to 2-2. play outside,” Miller Grover said. “I can only imagine what it would be like to play in the “I was really excited after I scored the point. I realized we might actual Michigan versus Michigan State game.” said. “The cold temperature made it hard to breathe. It was also
Illustration by Carly Cash
Four ranked wrestlers help lead team toward states Taylor Schmidt
Photo by Leah Drinkard
Holding on tight: Junior Drew Barnes gets a hold on his competitor for a submission. Barnes said he has to work hard in the off season in order to improve his skills.
Photo by Charlotte Becker
Ready to wrestle: Senior Anthony Chisolm is about to begin a wrestling match against Manchester. This is Chisolm’s second year as a state-ranked wrestler.
staff writer
Every morning junior Drew Barnes gets up early to run two miles to prepare for another season as a state-ranked wrestler. “I do this everyday during the summer to ensure that I stay in shape for the regular season,” Barnes said. But this wasn’t the only thing Barnes does to stay on top of his game. “Often times I attended clinics put on by well-known coaches and college wrestlers as well as working with coaches one on one to improve my game,” Barnes said. “I also attend any open mats put on by other schools. What that means, is schools will have practices and afterwards, will leave their mats open for anyone to come and live wrestle.” Barnes has been wrestling for quite some time. “I first got into wrestling eight years ago when my dad asked me if I wanted to play the same sport he did when he was a kid along with one of my good friends. Fellow ranked wrestler Shawn Chamberlain talked me into wrestling” Barnes said. Junior Shawn Chamberlain has been working for thirteen years to stand where he is at now. “I first got into wrestling when I was three when my uncles started the Dexter Wrestling Club. My brother joined the club when he was kid and I wanted to be just like him so I thought I would give wrestling a try” Chamberlain said. Little did he know, he would continue to wrestle for thirteen years and become ranked at the state level Barnes and Chamberlain aren’t the only state ranked wrestler this year either. Senior Anthony Chisolm has worked at great strides to go for his second year as a state -ranked wrestler. “A typical workout for me consists of me putting on layers of clothing and going running for a large amount of time or spending time on the elliptical,” Chisolm said. “Afterwards I will usually spend time live wrestling against other people on the team. Just like every other sport, in order to become ranked you need to push yourself to great strides.” Freshman Steve Bleise on his third year of wrestling has managed to already become ranked at the state level. “My
Dad first got me into wrestling three years ago when he was a coach,” Bleise said. “I work out about two days a week during the off -season. However I get most of my workouts in during the school practices. Who I look up to as my role model is Brent Metcalf because he has accomplished so much at the college level, such as winning the 2010 National Championship.” Bleise said it took a lot to become state ranked. “I had to win against tough opponents in tough tournaments such as Nationals and prove to them that I was worthy of being a ranked wrestler. Head coach Shane Rodriguez said having ranked wrestlers is both good and bad for the team. “Becoming ranked is a big accolade for the team because it brings more attention to the team and shows that we have skilled wrestlers,” Rodriguez said. “However it can be harmful to the team because it creates a lot more competition between us and the schools around us, because it brings in tougher schools from around the area making for a lot tougher competition.” It’s not what goes during the regular season that makes you ranked. Rather it is what goes on during the off-season, he said. “Off-season tournaments play crucial roles in becoming ranked,” Rodriguez said. “Tournaments such as the MYWA, Border Wars and States and Nationals are important because that is how you get noticed in the state because they show that you can compete with the best of wrestlers. For example, if you finished in the top three in the tournament you will be ranked among the top in the state at the start of the high school season. Each week a panel of coaches meet to discuss about the wrestlers along with the website michigangrappler.com that allows coaches and parents to post wins about wrestlers to help them become more noticed.” So far this season the team has had as high as six ranked wrestlers. “I’m real proud of our team,” Rodriguez said. “Normally we only have one or two ranked wrestlers. They have made great accomplishments so far and have helped the team a tremendous amount.”
Photo by Charlotte Becker
Claiming the victory: Junior Shawn Chamberlain is presented by the referee after winning his wrestling match against a Manchester opponent.
Photo by Katie Dawson
Taking hold: Freshman Steve Bleise works on his hold while at practice. Bleise has only been wrestling for three years and is already ranked as a freshman.
6
Get Involved
Friday, January 28, 2011
Shop with a Cop helps families celebrate holiday Lisa Crompton
great program. My kids seemed to really enjoy hanging out with the cops. They made it very fun for them.” She also said her kids were happy to be a part of the program for the second time this year, and they were able Liaison deputy Jeremy Hilobuk likes to see kids happy to purchase gifts for their family and themselves. and having fun, which is one of the reasons he likes Shop “It’s a way to show the kids the cops aren’t someone to with a Cop. Hilobuk, said, “Shop with a Cop is a great be afraid of,”she said. partnership event that the sheriff department is able to This year 33 kids participatdo with the schools. ed in the event. Seeing how much the Hilobuk also said the comkids enjoy the event munity was generous in dois always the most renating, including two busses warding part.” donated to transport everyone Hilobuk said those from the school to Meijer and who participate in this back again. event are children 12 “Each child gets $75-$100 years old or younger to purchase gifts for themwho are nominated selves and a sibling or other by school officials, in family member,” Hilobuk said. order to have a better All the money that is given Christmas than they to the kids is donated from would otherwise have. community members, and The Washtenaw Hilobuk said Meijer, the RoCounty Sheriff departtary Club and Peace Lutheran ment teamed up with Church were big donors. Photo by Jeremy Hilobuk Dexter schools on Dec. Hilobuk also said the police 8 for the 10th conMeeting Santa: Ryan Towianski sits on Santa’s lap and tells him and participants first met at secutive year to take what he wants for Christmas. His mother said he and his sister Creekside where they ate pizza enjoyed being able to participate this year less fortunate children and subs and had activities for to shop for Christmas the kids like making holiday cards, face painting, photos gifts at Meijer. with Santa and other fun things. According to junior and varsity cheerleader Ashley Katelynn Towianski, Canup’s daughter, said, “I really Bentz, the purpose of the event is to help kids who don’t liked doing the arts and crafts because it was fun. That have enough money to celebrate Christmas when they was my favorite part.” not otherwise get to. After eating and enjoying holiday festivities, everyone Because of low income and a lost job, the Towianski hopped on the bus and headed to Meijer. “Often, we will family had two children, Ryan and Katelynn, participate take volunteer high school students such as the cheerin the event this year. leading team and NHS students to help out with shopThe mother of Ryan and Katelynn, Shannon Canup, ping and other activities for the kids,” Hilobuk said. said, “Someone at the school signed us up for it. They The students who came also teamed up with a cop and both went, and I think they really enjoyed it. It’s a really
get involved editor
one student to shop with. That’s where Bentz comes in. “More people should volunteer, because it’s really rewarding. And it’s more fun than you would think,” Bentz said. Bentz is not the only one who feels this way either. Hilobuk said, “It’s a good event that we are able to do, and to see the kids reactions and to see how much they enjoy it is very rewarding.” Filling up the cart: Dexter Shop with a Cop participants who didn’t want their names used, shop for families in need. This was the 10th year Dexter schools participated in the event.
Photo provided by Jeremy Hilobuk
Ice rink in town brings winter fun Murphy Hansen
Ready to skate: The ice skating rink has attracted people from various areas to Dexter. Some of the sponsors include Dexter Village Council, Dexter Parks and Recreation Commission and the Dexter Area Chamber of Commerce.
Park, behind the Fire Station, about 15 years
staff writer ago. I believe that the rink was done by the Fire
The ice skating rink in downtown Dexter is home to lots of family fun all winter for sophomore Aimee McKenzie and her family. McKenzie and her family have been skating downtown for two years, and she says it’s easy and convenient. “The best thing about skating in town is that it’s close to home so it’s easy to just show up any time,” she said. “I like to skate with my family and friends. My sister, brothers, and I come up with games to play. Skating in town is fun because it’s close and you never know who’s going to be there.” The ice rink really sets the scene for the winter season downtown, but who puts the rink together? Allison Bishop, a member of the Dexter Rotary club said, “The ice rink was proposed by the Village Parks and Recreation Commission and supported with budget funding by the Village Council. We proposed the rink downtown to bring people downtown to enjoy the winter ambiance and create a great winter experience where people can enjoy the holiday lights and maybe visit the downtown businesses.” The skating rink used to be a great downtown tradition in Dexter years ago. Bishop said, “The ice rink was a tradition in Warrior Creek
Dept. I am not sure why they stopped, possibly due to the inconsistent weather. We also wanted residents and visitors to be able to enjoy Monument Park (Downtown Park) in the winter. Monument Park is the most visible park in the village which is a hub of activity in the summer and now in the winter as well.” The Rotary Club is not the only town club that helps to put this skating rink together. “The rink is made possible primarily by the Village with generous donations from the following: Dexter Chamber of Commerce, Dexter Rotary Club, Dexter Lions Club, Think Dexter First, and Dexter Daze Committee. The Village manages the preparation, installation and maintenance of the rink,” Bishop said. And the best part of the skating rink according to Bishop? “It adds a great small town America feeling to downtown and a Norman Rockwell look and feeling to downtown throughout the winter months,” she said. “The Village has and continues to receive overwhelming support and positive feedback on the rink. In our second year we feel as though we have made the rink even better and the experience more enjoyable. We hope that businesses in town are feeling some reward from residents and visitors going to the rink.”
Breaking Away: Logan, whose family wouldn’t give their last name, triumphantly skates on his own for the first time. Logan said he enjoys skating in his free time with his sister, Leah.
Photos by Bethany Martini
Slipping and sliding: Leah tries not to lose her balance after seeing Logan fall down. Go to www.thesquall.com to see more pictures of this ice skating adventure.
Rosanne Crompton, PT Physical Therapist 4220 Sunderland Way, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103 734-426-3599 Rocrompton@comcast.net
Illustrations by Claire Berger
8015 Huron Street Dexter, MI 48130 (734) 426-1900
7
Opinion
Friday, January 28, 2011
THE
all
Squall The
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Freshman House not necessary
Marne Little
MANAGING EDITOR: Connor Thompson
EDITORS NEWS: Kevin Skiver DESIGN: Claire Berger FEATURES: Steven Miller ENTERTAINMENT: Nicole
Minzey
PHOTO: Nicholas Byma SPORTS: Tucker Whitley TRENDS: Sirah Camara uPAGE: Marshall Kellenberger GET INVOLVED: Lisa Crompton COPY: Ray Carpenter WEB: Emily Darrow, Rachel Lomax
DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Riley Baker, Charlotte Becker, Travis Chaffee, Katie Dawson, Leah Drinkard, Lindsey Gagneau, Shannon Gronvall, Justin Juback, Payton Lakey, Bethany Martini, Alison Rossini, Caroline Rossini, Carl Schimmel, Nina Smith, Nicole Swisher, Christine Wolyniak, Dmitri Yuhasz
Cartoon by Carly Cash
ADVERTISEMENT: Kelsey Heilman
Jacob Aliapoulios, Serena Bidwell, Sequoyah BurkeCombs, Natalie Collins, Dan Edwards, Taylor Garcia, Kaitlin Gotcher, Murphy Hansen, Alex Hiner, Brent Kellenberger, Julie Lindemann, Aman-Vir Mandair, Sarah Molnar, Alex Mortensen, Toliver Rogers, Evan Sanford, Taylor Schmidt, Jennifer Stirling, Clare Tell, Daniel Whitaker
TWEETER Carl Schimmel
CARTOONIST Carly Cash
ADVISER Rod Satterthwaite
POLICY:
The Squall is distributed monthly to 1,300 students and is estimated to reach 4,786 people with each issue. The Squall is printed by Owosso Argus Press in Owosso, MI and produced by the first and second hour newspaper class.
TALK BACK:
The Squall is an open forum for student expression. It accepts letters to the editor from any and all concerned parties. The Squall reserves the right to screen and/or edit any and all letters for inappropriate content and length. All letters must be signed. Requests to remain anonymous will be considered by the editorial board.
Freshman House has been the subject of some spicy debates. And while the goal of Freshmen House is to help freshmen become familiar with high school’s educational and social norms without becoming overwhelmed and falling behind academically, one of the problems with Freshmen House is the way the teachers get treated. Freshmen House has six classes while the other three grades of the school have five. This means Freshmen House teachers have to teach an extra class. Because of this, teachers teach an extra 20 or 30 students a day. The teachers who have to teach freshmen are supposed to be paid more according to their contract, but it turns out that they have had to fight for this extra pay through a grievance. More students means more lesson plans, more lectures, more papers to grade and more stress to deal with which should earn more pay. Teachers are already grossly underpaid. There is no need to add insult to injury. In addition Freshmen House is overprotective and the students in it are unenthusiastic about it to say the least. The thinking is that the freshmen get more education and less distraction by the upperclassmen. This is an admirable thought, but it could be executed better. Besides, if anything, upperclassmen influence freshmen positively in high school. Upperclassmen are the parental figures to the freshmen. They teach them what is right, wrong and acceptable in high school. They lead by example, and whether the example is positive or negative, the freshmen recognize their behavior and note it. As far as education goes, the freshmen only get the first two hours of every day for electives. That means after two hours of semi-enjoyable
classes, they have a solid block of four hours of pure academic classes. Freshmen classes are pretty strenuous without all coming at once. It is much easier to spread out electives throughout the day rather than get them all at once. Students need electives to stay focused in school. They can’t handle four hours of core academic classes. By the third hour information is no longer retained. If administrators think freshmen are unfit to begin high school on their own, then why not keep them at Mill Creek another year? The whole point of going to high school is so students can have more independence and responsibility. The Freshmen House usurps that responsibility, and the extra shelter is the last thing freshmen need. Teachers who teach in the house do support it. They say freshmen often fall behind early in high school and as a result lose hope and fall further behind as time goes on. But this is not every student. Only a small number of students follow this pattern, and for those few who need it, teachers offer help after school. If Freshmen House does anything it gives freshmen a false sense of reality about high school. When they start sophomore year, they will be shocked and confused and be expecting extra help. But none will be found. The main problem with the Freshmen House is that it is trying to fix something that is not broken. The old system worked fine, and involved less work and money. Why change a system that has been working for over 100 years? And any freshmen who need extra help in school can always turn to after-school tutoring or summer classes.
PRO-CON
MANAGERS
STAFF WRITERS
SquallCall
Ray Carpenter copy editor
WikiLeaks, started and run primarily by Julian Assange, is an integral part of keeping the public informed. The opponents of WikiLeaks are opponents of freedom of speech. WikiLeaks is doing what needs to be done to keep the American government honest. To date, WikiLeaks has leaked information about Guantanamo Bay, Iraq war logs, a video about a Baghdad airstrike and more. WikiLeaks isn’t specifically targeting the American government, however. WikiLeaks also has information on such companies as BP and an unknown (but major) bank, they say. They also have information about foreign governments, including Russia. Assange’s lawyer even said WikiLeaks has information so huge the organization is saving it for when it needs to defend itself. As recently as early January of 2011, a former Swiss banker named Rudolf Elmer gave Assange information on hundreds of offshore bank account holders, saying the information details mass tax evasion by the extremely rich. The very existence of WikiLeaks is indicative of a larger problem in the United States. When the U.S. needs to have an external organization watching its every move, it’s time to seriously re-evaluate the government. The American government needs to maintain its transparency, or citizens’ trust goes out the window. Last time I checked, the government was supposed to be serving the people, not the other way around. The government needs to be completely honest for its people to respect its authority. When people believe the government is trying to go behind their backs, why would they give it respect? WikiLeaks takes a step forward for the empowerment of the common person. In a time where the individual feels more helpless than ever in a world controlled by corporations, WikiLeaks takes back some power from businessmen. When the common man knows what the governments and
Is WikiLeaks helping protect the people from the government or engaging in treason? businesses don’t want them to know, it makes them more accountable for their actions. Another positive aspect of WikiLeaks is that it gives the people another source of news outside of the potentially-biased TV shows. Fox News is the obvious example here, but on the opposite side of the partisan coin, MSNBC is almost as bad. No matter what, news channels calling themselves unbiased should not have a partisan slant. Not only is it morally and ethically wrong, it leads to misunderstandings and ignorance among the masses. WikiLeaks doesn’t put a spin on its news releases. If the U.S. government is trying to stop them from releasing the unbiased truth, maybe there’s a problem with America. Their desperate attempts to silence WikiLeaks seems to imply that the U.S. has something to hide in the first place. Just the threat of WikiLeaks releasing sensitive material is enough to keep the U.S. government on its toes. Without any resistance, people are more prone to stepping beyond their boundaries. The American government is like a child, trying to see how much it can get away with before someone steps up and calls them out. A common complaint about WikiLeaks isn’t actually about the organization itself, but its founder, Julian Assange. I have a couple of major problems with this line of thinking. First, it hasn’t been proven that Assange actually did anything illegal. He claims both of his encounters were consensual. I don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it’s possible the two women were persuaded by the government to prosecute Assange. Secondly, it doesn’t even matter if the founder is slightly eccentric. The validity of the organization isn’t affected by the actions of its leader. Who cares if he’s a little out there? WikiLeaks is doing what no one else dares to do, and Assange’s personal life is irrelevant to the good deeds they’re doing. With WikiLeaks’ help, the world is becoming friendlier to the common man.
The phrase “support the troops” has meant a lot to people, particularly considering the hard times troops are going through now. But many are finding it harder to support the troops due to the increasing unrest about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are undoubtedly hard times, and it seems as if government dissatisfaction is at an all-time high. But is all of this unrest directed towards the right people? People talk a lot about things they don’t understand. Just read the Internet. And whether one agrees with an operation or not, given the hard times that those overseas are going through, it’s important to support our country. In addition, it’s also important to support the deployed troops and stay patriotic. However, this is no longer the case. Now it’s all about how to tear down the government and express the frustration that everyone feels. All anyone wants to do anymore is argue, and the emergence of WikiLeaks has only encouraged this ridiculous trend. WikiLeaks is a website founded by Julian Assange, who was recently arrested in London on rape charges. So it’s obviously reliable. However, the point of WikiLeaks is far more troubling than its egomaniacal founder. At WikiLeaks, a person can find many things. However, the press has depicted it for its most widespread use: to show secret documents that the government doesn’t want the public to see. This is usually done by anonymous soldiers, such as “Bradass87.” This may not seem like a problem at first, but digging deeper, one can see the real trouble in an organization like this. There are many United States missions that are supposed to stay secret well after their completion … or failure. The Bay of Pigs comes to mind, though this operation was leaked as well and is still viewed as one of the most influential failed missions in United States history. Websites such as WikiLeaks tend to portray the country as weak or unstable. One out-of-control soldier can jeopardize the integrity of an entire country. And there are always conspiracy theorists who dig for some
Kevin Skiver news editor
reason to distrust their country even further. Furthermore, what if this information falls into the wrong hands? These operations, whether they’re completed or in progress, are secret, and enemies can and will use the information against America. This could be in a direct way or simply to make the country seem weak as a whole. Either way, it could be detrimental to what the government is trying to achieve. All that WikiLeaks really provides is the fuel needed to portray America as less of a country than it actually is. It also doesn’t help that the website wasn’t even set up by an American. If someone is going to leak American secrets, it shouldn’t be someone who is not even located in the country. Assange has been on the run for a while, since the American government hasn’t liked the way he has gone about his entire operation. And as for the “right to know” that the American people possess, that does come with limits. The government keeps things secret for a reason, and if someone finds it necessary to expose these secrets, they’d better have a good reason to do so. People don’t need to know about secret operations, whether they have succeeded or failed. The important thing to understand is that our troops are a representative of the United States as a whole, and documents of failed operations only make them, and us as a country, look worse. The government wants people to feel safe, no matter how misguided they may appear at times. A website like WikiLeaks is completely counterproductive in terms of war and safety. Assange is a criminal, and he should be prosecuted as such. All his website does is give conspiracists and enemies ammunition, along with spreading fear and paranoia within the American masses. People must be careful about the information they share, since information is oftentimes worth more than all the money in the world.
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Photostory
Friday, January 28, 2011
'Guys and Dolls' opens on Feb. 10 Marne Little
Juniors Taylor Petri, Patrick Rogers, Shelby Kasenow and seniors Graham Low and Laura Steavenson warm up their voices in preparation for musical practice. The memorization of their lines in crucial to the success of the play.
editor-in-chief
Like many of her students, history teacher Erin Palmer always wanted to be involved in high school drama. Video teacher and codrama director Matt Martello, helped her realize this dream by giving her the position of musical director during her first year teaching four years ago. “After (former drama director) Harry Wilcox (left), Mr. Martello didn’t want to have do all of it,” Palmer said. “He just wanted to do the plays, so he just handed me the musical. It’s always been my biggest ambition to direct, and it’s definitely the biggest gift Dexter has given to me.” As the director of “Guys and Dolls,” Palmer said she has to put in a lot of time and effort. “I put in about 12 hours a day, and when we get closer to the show sometimes, I don’t get home until midnight,” Palmer said. “I’m more than just on stage. I help with the sets, the tech. and the pit. I’m very lucky to have choir teacher Julie Bassett to help with the choir and my stepbrother to direct the pit. This year we’re really upping the game. I’ve hired a set designer and a costume designer, so it should be a spectacular show.” Palmer also considers herself to be a mentor to her senior students who plan to continue working in the drama department beyond high school, such as Ruby Grammatico and Nick Spencer. Ever since Grammatico received one of the leading roles in the female version of “The Odd Couple” her freshman year, she knew she wanted to dedicate her life to drama. “I
didn’t expect to get the part,” Grammatico said. “It was just by chance that I got it.” After Grammatico received her first role, she has performed in every school production. “I knew right away that I wanted to continue,” she said. Grammatico said she plans to continue studying drama in college. Grammatico is still in the audition process for schools for next year. “I’m applying for a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in acting and a BFA in directing at the University of Michigan and Western (Michigan University),” Grammatico said. “They’re both really competitive theater programs, but I’ll try nonetheless.” Unlike Grammatico, Spencer didn’t always know he wanted to work on the technical side of drama. “Ms. Palmer recommended it to me, so I’ve been doing it since sophomore year,” Spencer said. “I work with lights, sound and move stuff on and off stage.” Spencer plans to continue with lighting design after high school and is already working with programs outside of school. “I plan to go to college to study light design,” Spencer said. “I’ve already gone to the Ann Arbor Civic Center and done stuff with them.” For this particular musical, Palmer said she intends to make it the best for this year’s senior class because it is the first class she has had all four years. “I want to be able to send off the seniors on a good tone,” Palmer said. “They’ve known no other director, and they’ve tumbled along with me these past few years, so I want to give them a good show.”
Director Erin Palmer hands out scripts to students during a practice.
Sophomore Michelle Metevier and junior Alex Henry performed the dance number “Havana” during the Coming Home pep assembly.
Seniors Corey Bowen, Heather Jackson, Meaghan Thompson, Brandon Verna, Jackie Williams and Kyle Karagitz and junior Mark Vanden Heuvel and freshman Kendal Buzzelli practice jumps and dance routines to prepare for the musical.
Junior Holly Clegg and Alex Henry work on perfecting their dance move. Students in the musical practice on average three hours a day, five days a week.
Senior Ruby Grammatico sings her lines to during a practice.
‘Guys and Dolls’ Information •Tickets are $8 for students and $10 for adults •Show times are Thursday, Feb. 10, Friday, Feb. 11, Saturday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. •Sunday, Feb. 13 the show opens at 2 p.m. •”Guys and Dolls” was the fifth longest-running musical in New York City in the 1950s
Grammatico, Steavenson, Petri and Kasenow sing and act during a rehearsal. Photos by Nick Byma, Charlotte Becker and Nicole Swisher