Squall, February 2010

W h a t ’s w r o n g w i t h a l i t t l e b u m p a n d g r i n d ? A p p a r e n t l y n o t h i n g a t C l u b C r o m e .

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

Library receives 500 books from substitute teacher Alex Everard

[ the squall ]

February 26, 2010 Volume XV Issue 6

Injuries at recent pep assembly cause adjustments for future events

editor-in-chief

A book has no expiration; a novel can be read an unlimited number of times, untouched by time and pop culture. Books contain a small amount of magic, and no one is more aware of that magic than Martha DeCamp, a lifelong reader who has been substitute teaching at Dexter High School for the past four years.

On January 9, DeCamp made a donation of over 550 books to the Dexter High School library in memory of her deceased parents, Gertrude and Wendell Drouyor, and her husband, Samuel.

DeCamp suffered the loss of her mother and husband within the last year and discovered the large collection of books while sorting through old family belongings.

“I was in the process of sorting things out and discovered over 600 books,” DeCamp said. “I kept every book that I could p o s s i b l y I gave them to the want, but I was still left school because I knew with over they would continue to 500.”

S c h o o l make students happy.”

Librarian J e a n i n e Martha DeCamp Fletcher was happy to

receive the generous donation.

“The books were a welcome contribution to the library,” Fletcher said. She also noted that the books were promptly filed into use, even making their way out of the library and into the classroom.

“Not all of the books ended up in the library,” Fletcher said. “Teachers in nearly every area of study are using these books in the classroom in one form or another.”

English teacher Ellen Doss, for example, now has several of the books stocked in her classroom bookcase, from Stephen King’s “The Green Mile” to Ernest Hemingway’s classic, “A Farewell to Arms”.

According to DeCamp, the decision to donate to the high school library came with relative ease.

Not only does she substitute teach at Dexter High School, but her family has lived in the region for generations.

“I gave them to the school because I knew that they would continue to make students happy,” Decamp said. “I’m sure I could have sold them, some of the novels being considerably old, but that’s not what it’s about.”

DeCamp grew up on Jackson Road and attended St. Joseph Elementary School in Dexter, before the introduction of Bates, Wylie and other elementary level-schools in the area. She received the rest of her education in Ann Arbor, through St. Thomas and University High School.

She was captivated by the quaint town of Dexter at a young age, lured in by some of the town’s trademark attractions. “I remember when we used to visit my aunt, who lived in Dexter, and on the way home we would pass the Dairy Queen. My eyes would light up,” DeCamp said. “My grandfather, Nelson J. Drouyor, was a Superintendent of Dexter Schools from 1921 to 1925.”

And she hasn’t just donated books; according to DeCamp, her grandfather’s educational documents can be found at the Dexter museum. “His salary was listed, in 10 payments, at $1,800,” DeCamp said.

“That seems so small now, but it was obviously a considerable amount at that time, and I thought it was a good contribution to Dexter’s history.”

And the ties to Dexter Schools do not end with her grandfather. DeCamp’s cousin, Donald Blakely, a member of Dexter High School’s Class of ‘65, was named “Alumnus of the Year” in 1990.

“I make a note of this because his plaque can be seen on the ‘Wall of Fame’ across the office,” DeCamp said.

DeCamp’s drive to promote knowledge stems from her lifelong dedication to learning, as she graduated from Eastern Michigan with a degree in teaching and proceeded to educate at Forsythe Middle School in Ann Arbor as well as the west coast before returning to the Dexter area.

“I went to college to be an architect, but teaching just kind of happened,” DeCamp said. “Since then, I’ve never not wanted to be in the classroom.”

The manners and spirits of students at Dexter were also contributing factors in DeCamp’s decision to donate. “I’ve always found these students to be respectful, intelligent and fascinating,” DeCamp said.

And it is that same fascination that she hopes will continue the use of her books. The donated literature spans several genres, covering authors from Charles Dickens to Stephen King to John F. Kennedy. “I’m just glad the books are here in the library now,” she said. “I just want them to make people happy, to bring pleasure to people just like they did to the first person who opened them.

That’s the beauty of books.”

“

Illustration by Gabe Altomare

Steve Miller

Staff Writer

“Red rover, red rover we call Waleed over.” Who knew that such a simple sentence would cause such a big problem?

During the latest pep assembly there was a wide variety of activity but perhaps the most intriguing was an injury that took place during a game of Red Rover. Senior Jeff Dinser was trying to prevent senior Waleed Mansour from breaking his team’s barrier when Dinser’s finger broke.

And while Dean of Students Ken Koenig said pep assemblies have been going on at Dexter High School for as long as he can remember, the Coming Home assembly has caused seom rethinking in terms of the types of activities planned for the assemblies.

Student Leadership planned the most recent assembly, and administrators

Foundation House correction In the January issue of The Squall, the front page story “Foundation House introduced in 2010-2011” contained incorrect quotes from

say they want to make it clear that they played and senior Luke Hattie fell down the bleachers while trying to join the pit while appreciated the class’ help.

“I think (Student Leadership teacher many other students were injured as they were Kim) Lund has done a fantastic job of making pushed to the ground.

Scott said, “That (assemblies) run definitely concerns me, but very smoothly from activity Anything that we do at the (the assemblies)should not to activity high school, safety is num- be cancelled. Students have made that in to a tradition.” and getting ber one..”

According to Koenig, the students there are no plans to cancel i n v o l v e d ,” Keonig said.

Ken Koenig, assemblies despite the For physical dean of students recent injuries.

He said there are e d u c a t i o n constant adjustments being teacher Angie made at the high school Scott, though, especially having to do with one area of concern at these assemblies involves student activities such as the dances and the playing of the popular techno song assemblies.

“We evaluate and reevaluate how it went,” “Sandstorm” while students rush to the he said. “I’m sure there will be adjustments. middle of the gym f loor.

At the Coming Home assembly, for Anything that we do at the high school, instance, a mosh pit formed while this song safety is number one”

“

Dean the Students Ken Koenig.

The first incorrect quote said, “There is some unrest from other programs because the foreign language and band programs like things how they are”.

In reality, Koenig said, “I want the world language department to be in the Foundation House. (I want) the core classes (math, science, social studies, English) as well as world

language to be offered and available.”

The second incorrect quote had to do with the music department.

Since music teachers are shared by different schools in the district, it causes the teachers to only be available to teach during certain times of the day.

The correct quote should have read, “We have to share the music staff with the rest of the district,”

Koenig said. “This causes us to be locked into a schedule, which limits when music classes can be offered.”

In addition, the world language department is not opposed to the idea of the Foundation House,.

World Language Department Chair Kimberly Lund said, “We believe that the Foundation House is good for kids, and we are excited about it.”

The Squall regrets these errors.

Common confusions about Foundation House

according to Dean of Students Ken Koenig

RUMOR

1

A student in the Foundation House is going to be locked away from the rest of the school.

TRUTH

Yes, the classes of the Foundation House are close together, and this is for a good reason. It is easier for teachers and students to meander to a couple classrooms if they are closer together. But the students are going to have two classes along with the rest of the school, where their classes can be located anywhere throughout the school.

RUMOR

2

A student in the Foundation House is going to be treated like a “baby”.

TRUTH

The Foundation House is meant to be a transition from 8th grade to the high school. The program’s goal is to create a better experience for freshman entering high school. The program allows students to have freedom within the school without feeling lost and out of place.

RUMOR

3

A student in the Foundation House is part of a scientific study.

TRUTH

The students are not part of a scientific study. The sucess of the Foundation House at Dexter High School is going to be measured by using ACT data as well as surveys.

RUMOR

5

A student of the Foundation House is not going to have lunch with the rest of the school.

TRUTH

Students in the Foundation House will have A, B or C lunch. Every other student in the school has A, B or C lunch. The students in the Foundation House will have lunch with the rest of the school.

RUMOR

A student who is in the Foundation House is going to lose credit by being in the program and is going to be behind the rest of the freshman class.

4

TRUTH

Both a regular schedule and the Foundation House schedule allow freshman to recieve 7.5 credits.

The Foundation House incorportates a one-half credit class in their program called a seminar, which ties all the core classes together in a class based around technology, study skills, public speaking and organization.

2

News

Friday, February 26, 2010

Potter prom theme creates controversy Megan Podschlne

staff writer

Hippogriffs, Muggles and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named are all topics of expertise for Harry Potter super-fan and senior Amy Jones. After spending weeks promoting the magical prom theme, the announcement was finally made: Harry would take over the school for one spellbinding night at Dexter High School.

Images of the Great Hall and Quidditch field immediately gave her inspiration for one of the most memorable nights of senior year. She said, “I love it! It is my dream prom.”

Jones has also been contributing to the creation of the magical night. “I have kind of come up with the ideas for what the room should look like and what the games should be,” she said.

“I’ve just put my ideas out there for what it should look like.”

However, not all students or parents are happy with this idea. English teacher and student council adviser Debora Marsh said, “I heard that one parent is not going to let their daughter attend because it’s wizards, and I answered that it’s fiction.”

One such student is Junior Haley Baker. “I personally don’t like it just because I don’t like Harry Potter,” Haley said. “I’ve never really been into the wizard and witchcraft kind of stuff, and I’ve never watched the movies because I’ve never been allowed to.”

“I think that the Harry Potter genre has way too many connections to the dark side,” said Baker’s mom Suzie Baker. “I know that some people say it’s fiction, but sometimes people don’t know where to draw the line between reality and fiction.”

And as several students came forward to explain that they had not had the opportunity to vote for the theme, Marsh worked with student council and parents to come up with a plan to create a fair solution.

Suzie, however, suggests a different method of voting to solve problems such as this. She said, “I think if they’re going to vote on (the theme) then there should be a standard on it. When I was in school, the seniors voted.”

But Marsh said they tried to make the vote fair as it was. “We did the best we could by getting the number of juniors and seniors in each class from the office, but the problem is that the office gave us or had some wrong information,” she said. “Thus, a teacher might not have gotten ballots. We decided not to count the vote and announced to the community that it was too late to change it.”

Jones said students should be less concerned about such a trivial matter, though. She said, “I just think people are being a little silly about the theme and should worry less about it and more about what they’re going to do.”

Marsh also said this is a minute problem. “I really don’t think it’s unfair if someone doesn’t vote, or even necessary for everyone to vote,” she said. “In a way I think the parents, since they’re doing all the work, should get to vote instead of the kids.”

The second place theme was Mardi Gras which Marsh said is inappropriate due to the images of heavy drinking and partying that are usually associated with the holiday.

Nevertheless, Haley would rather prom consisted of another theme and said others agree

with her. “From what I’ve heard, a lot of people don’t like the theme so I think we should revote because a lot of people didn’t get to,” Haley said.

Suzie agrees that the theme may cause problems with other students. She said, “I think that there are several options that don’t go into controversial topics that won’t offend anybody.”

Unfortunately for the Bakers, Marsh said that the theme is here to stay.

In response to keeping the Harry Potter theme, Jones said, “I think when they see the decorations up, they’ll think it’s really cool.”

Some of the expected activities include casino games, the Nearlywed Game, and mini-golf.

“I was really hoping that this year we could have a walk-through maze,” Jones said.

Marsh’s hopes for this year are simple: “I hope that we can stay within budget, make it reasonable for students and make it a lot of fun,” she said.

Jones has similar aspirations. “I’m just looking forward to going and having fun,” she said.

“It’s not really about the theme. I’d still look forward to going if it wasn’t Harry Potter. It’s really just about going and having fun.”

Phase two of bond begins Morgan Quist

staff writer

Phase one of the bond is wrapping up, which means the improvements at DHS are almost complete. Money from a $55 million bond passed by voters last November was split into two phases, one consists of changes to the high school and to Creekside, the second pertains to Mill Creek and the elementary schools.

The tentative completion for the technology work for both phases will be the start of school next year.

According to District Technology Director Matt Maciag, phase one encompasses any work that was to be done at Creekside and the high school. He also said, “There are technology upgrades that do not relate to any phase of the bond.”

Such an example would be the replacement of computers in all six buildings during the summer of 2009, which was done through the whole district and was not phase related.

Phase one, however, would include items such as the interactive white boards, projectors, sound systems and cabling that would be needed for any of those pieces of technology.

But how can the district cut teachers’ positions but still be providing students with the newest technology? Principal Kit Moran said once a bond is given to a school, there is a limited number of things the money can be used for.

Based on state law, the money cannot, for example, be used for the salary of teachers or for new text books, leaving the school to improve in areas such as technology and construction.

The changes to the high school are projected to be done by the summer, but Moran said technology infrastructure will continue into phase two, smoothing out any imperfections in the system.

And Maciag said he hasn’t heard much negative feedback to the upgrades. “Some people react well to (the changes) and others have a hard time adapting. We haven’t heard lots of negative feedback in most cases. Sure, there have been some bumps in the road because we have tried some things that no one else has tried,” he said, making reference to the USB bracelets that every student received.

“We will, as a technology department, adapt to new technologies and adapt to our teachers and students in a way that best meets both parties objectives. I have seen a variety of uses already in the installation of the new technology. Not to mention the fact that we had computers as much as 10 years old. The district was in dire need of a solid technology infusion and the bond has provided that. The big task now is training and assisting teachers on how to use it to its best potential in the classroom.”

Moran said everything is on track, and the project should continue along smoothly. “(We) have not fallen behind the timeline (of the projected bond timeline) and Granger Construction has been more than reliable, virtually fixing a problem within 24 hours of being notified,” he said.

Building problems have included the warping of floor tiles in science rooms, Moran said. He also added the projected bond timeline is on the Dexter Schools website if parents, students and administration want to stay updated and prepare for what’s to come.

Maciag said, too, the project on behalf of technology changes appears to be on schedule and the money on technology thus far has been well spent.

And other than the occasional complaint from teachers about new technology, Moran said he hasn’t gotten any negative feedback about what the bond has brought to the district. “People whine,” he said. “But it’s new technology. For the most part, everyone is excited about the results so far.”

News

Briefs

Brosch’s sets hat trick record

Senior John Brosch set a state record for the fastest hat trick in MHSAA history on Jan 23, destroying the previous record set by Tim Baldwin on March 16, 1979. Brosch’s first goal was scored 5:12 into the first period. His next two were scored in a 16 second stretch. He scored his second at 9:58 and finished off the hat trick at 9:42. Later Brosch scored a forth goal in the third period propelling the Dreadnaughts to a 5-1 victory over the Hornets. “The whole experience is unreal,” he said

Possible teacher layoffs looming

Dexter school district has to shave off $800,000 district wide by next year, which is why teachers are likely going to be laid off. If necessary, layoff notices will be issued around April 1.

There is no specific information on how many teachers will be cut, but Superintendent Rob Glass said, “We may not have to cut teachers if we have enough retirements to offset the positions we need to eliminate.” If teachers are laid off, lay offs would happen by seniority and certification. As a rough estimate, Glass said the district may have to layoff as many as 11 teachers.

U of M dance marathon planed for March

The U of M Dance Marathon is one of the largest student-run non-profit organizations in Michigan. The organization’s goal is to raise money and awareness for children in need of pediatric rehabilitation. The interactive therapies are provided through the allocation of funds to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. In March hundreds of students stand and dance for 30 hours without sitting down to show their dedication to the cause. The Marathon is the weekend of March 21-22.

Stadium improvements underway

Al Ritt Field now offers almost double the original seating, with the new addition of bleachers for students, fans and the band.

Construction on the football field is underway. Many changes have been made, including moving and rewiring the scoreboard, getting new bleachers and interior work done in the field. The next step is to put post holes in to support the new bleachers for the teams to use as an entrance to the field. The field is suppose to be ready around April, just in time for track season. Track coach Tom Barbieri said, “This is a good change for the stadium here. Deep down, I think we should have a stadium right on the high school.”

The new concessions will now be attached to the locker rooms and the restrooms at the enterance of the football field. Construction continues and will be ready for the use starting next season.

Photos by Ariel Star

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!

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

3

Feature

Friday, February 26, 2010

Paraprofessional enjoys long career

Dee Braden has been employed by Dexter schools for over 40 years. In this time, she has done everything from driving buses to teaching driver's education to coaching sports.

Alexander Dobbs

Get Involved Editor

She has been involved with the Dexter Community School district for longer than most students, and even some parents, have been alive. From gym teacher, to substitute, to bus driver, to drivers-ed instructor, to coach, to paraprofessional, if there is a job in Dexter to do, she has most likely done it.

And while many people may know who Dee Braden is, not many people know her story.

Forty-three years ago her career started, when Braden moved to Michigan from Illinois with her first husband who wanted to study business at the University of Michigan. But the story of Braden does not start solely within the Dexter Community Schools district. It extends much farther back into the town of State College, Pennsylvania.

“I was born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania,” Braden said. “I spent my entire life there until my freshman year of high school when I moved to Urbana, Illinois. I then spent my last three years of high school in Urbana, and I graduated from Urbana High School.”

Growing up, Braden said she led an active lifestyle and always enjoyed participating in athletics and pick-up games around the neighborhood.

However, during her high school career, school sports for girls were at a minimum. Despite this difficulty, Braden still found a way to stay active during her school year.

“Although they didn’t have a lot of sports for girls, I was in synchronized swimming,” she said. “It allowed me to stay active and work as a team with the other girls and I loved it. I had an extremely good time swimming.”

Following her graduation from high school, her passion for staying active inspired Braden to attend the University of Illinois in Champagne where she studied kinesiology. She graduated four years later with her degree.

With her graduation from college, Braden also experienced another thrill in her life, the excitement of marriage. And when her first husband wanted to go to Ann Arbor to study business, she agreed to go with him and assist him with paying his way through school.

“I went to the University of Illinois, graduated, got married,” she said.

“Then my husband wanted to go to business school in Ann Arbor so we moved up here, and I paid his way through school. Then we got divorced.

But that’s another story for another article.”

Although her first husband did not work out, moving to Ann Arbor did

bring Braden to her future career within the Dexter Community School District. To pay her husband’s way through school and to have money to live on, she took her first professional job at Wylie Middle School as a Lifetime Fitness teacher.

“I came to Dexter Schools in 1967,” she said. “I taught Lifetime Fitness at Wylie and was there for 34 years. My first year teaching, my annual salary was $4,500. Can you believe that? $4,500.”

And although she enjoyed it, a gym teacher is not all that Braden did at Wylie. She also got involved in a lot of extracurricular girls sports, always encouraging athletic activity.

“Teaching gym is not all I did though,” she said. “I also coached 7th grade girls volleyball, basketball, and track throughout my stay.”

In 1988 Braden also took on another responsibility as the driver’s education instructor for the high school. The hours of education were a little different from what current students now experience, though.

“I started teaching driver’s ed back in 1988,” she said. “That’s my first experience ever with the high school and the hours were awful. I taught one class starting at 6 a.m for an hour before school, and then another one after school from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m.”

Filling many positions does require a lot of work, however, and after many years in her profession, Braden finally decided to call it quits from teaching, officially retiring in 2002.

“I retired from teaching in 2002 and then just taught driver’s ed for a couple years in Dexter and Chelsea,” she said.

And although Braden was officially done with teaching, she was not officially done with working within the Dexter School District. After a paraprofessional job became open at the high school, the principal offered Braden the spot.

“I got a little bored just teaching driver’s ed, and so I started subbing around the district,” she said. “Then a parapro job became open, and the principal asked if I would take the job. And you know what, I’m glad I did.

Turns out I like high school kids.”

Today Braden continues to work at the high school with her paraprofessional position and said she continues to stay active and sticks to her longtime Lifetime Fitness roots, being healthy in her everyday life.

“I like to travel and I like to sail,” she said. “But most of all I would like to get back into riding horses. Oh and I clog. It’s like tap dancing with regular tap shoes, but it’s called clogging.”

Fact

Photos by Kent Sprague

Box

• Braden participated in synchronized swimming while in high school.

• She came to the Dexter Community School District in 1967, the same year the first Super Bowl was played.

• Braden studied kinesiology in college at the University of Illinois after graduating from Urbana High School in Illinois.

• Her annual salary in her first year at Dexter was $4,500.

• Braden has many hobbies. She enjoys traveling, likes to sail, would like to get back into riding horses.

• She has one daughter and is 64 years old.

Students learn from baby simulation management is when caring for another human being. “Unfortunately Opinion Editor everyone doesn’t have the opportunity to have grown up with positive parents who are able to manage their stress with their children and to It’s 3 a.m. and senior Lauren Gagneau is getting woken up by a doll. A give them enough attention.”

Bitters said another reason for the activity, is showing how hard screaming doll. “I didn’t really get any sleep that night because the baby single parenting is. “It’s definitely looking at the issue of single parenting kept crying,” Gagneau said.

Gagneau is a student in Life Skills teacher Shirly Bitters’, Human and how critical it would be to have help when caring for a child,” Bitters Growth and Development class. The program is called Baby Think said.

According to Lauren, she said the activity made It Over and the babies come from Planned some people in her class rethink the idea of being a Parenthood. Each student in the class this year parent but not her. “It didn’t necessarily make me had the babies for one night.

Gagneau said that night was tough.

It’s definitely looking at the think twice about having kids, but I won’t be having Gagneau’s sister, junior Lindsey Gagneau had a issue of single parenting and kids for a long time, and I know I will need to be very baby also for the same night. “Between the both how critical it would be to prepared to take on such a big responsibility,” she said. of us, our babies were crying all night, and we have help when caring for a Along with teaching students the importance of got no sleep,” Lauren said. child” stress management, Lauren said the activity helped Not only did the two sisters stay up all night teach students other important life skills. but also the rest of the household. “Both the

Shirley Bitters According to Lauren the babies had a sensor so babies crying throughout the whole night made

Life Skills Teacher Bitters could tell how students cared for it. They were my parents stay awake too,” she said. graded accordingly. She said, “We got graded on how According to Bitters, one objective of the long the baby cried without being responded to, how activity is to teach members of society skills involved in caring for another human being. “A lot of people, I think, many times the baby needed a diaper change compared to how many grow up not having the opportunity to care for someone else,” Bitters times we changed it, and the same for burping, feeding, and rocking it.

It also calculates if there were any mishandlings,” Lauren said. said.

Bitters said, “It’s an introduction to talking about why it’s important Part of the curriculum of the class is teaching students about the importance of human relationships and development. Baby Think to have good coping skills while caring for another human being, It Over was primarily a way to show the students how crucial stress especially a child.”

Kristi Hughes

“

Teenage motherhood: Senior Kayla Garant feeds her “baby.”

Photos by Austin Sullivan

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Feature

Friday, February 26, 2010

The artof

Club Crome B Erin McAweeny

blog editor

eing accustomed to the heavily supervised and

rule laden school dances, there is a definite

difference in atmosphere walking into Club Crome in Whitmore Lake. The small dance floor

is packed with sweaty, thrusting, barely-covered teens, while the hiphop music blares and colorful beams of light flash across the room.

What is Crome?

Colcer, a Milford High school senior, came up with the idea of a teen dance club mid-summer and said he had no intent to affect school dances. “It was created with the sole purpose of entertaining high schoolers safely,” Colcer said.

Colcer says that the main purpose of the club is to get people “out of their bubbles, (and) a place where local teens could go and meet people from other schools that they otherwise would have no way of meeting.” Colcer said Crome gets most of its business from Dexter, Brighton and Ann Arbor schools and has attendance reaching almost reaching 800 teens.

It seems like two different worlds, in comparison to the most recent school dance, Coming Home, with an attendance of 12 that turned into a teacher karaoke party. According to Marc Colcer, cocreator of Crome, the attendance of the club is climbing each week. As more students decide to dance at the teen club over DHS dances the existence of future DHS dances and a senior trip is threatened.

Why people like Crome Senior K atie Frauhmmer, a regular Crome-goer, said reasons that most teens to go to Crome instead of school dances is unquestionable. “ There’s less restr ictions,” she said.

A side from the absence of freshman parents and the oppor tunit y to meet new teens, the apparent reduction in r ules is what Frauhammer said draws her and her fr iends to Crome.

A nother perk that school dances do not of fer is the more adult-like env ironment, complete w ith a bar that ser ves soda and water and an 18 and up V IP club.

Frauhammer said, “ The club atmosphere also makes it a really f un place to be.”

What are the rules (Crome vs. DHS) “The rules (at Crome) are a lot like a high school dances just without the restrictions on dancing,” Colcer said. Drinking, fighting or horseplay are not allowed, Colcer said. But the newest installment to the school dance rules, “face-to-face with some space,” has made all the difference for senior Katie Frauhammer. “Once the stricter rules on dancing were created I started going to Crome more,” she said.

•Frauhammer

Photos of students dancing at Crome courtesy of Club Crome; used with permission

Having relatives at school creates unique situations brother. Junior Dan Kedroske has had to deal with comparisons to his brother Mike his whole life. He Kevin Mors staff writer said, “My brother has always gotten really good grades so most teachers expect the same from me, Many students worst nightmare would be but they always learn quickly that were not the having their parent be a teacher and to see them same at all. It doesn’t really bother me that I don’t at school all day. Having them know everything always do as well as Mike. Well, I used to care but that goes on, them knowing everything that you’re not anymore.”

Mike said, “It’s unfair to Dan when people try doing or did.

But such is the situation for Kasey Swoverland and compare us at all, it’s not like I’m any better whose dad Mr. Swoverland, is a math teacher at than him at all, were just completely different Dexter High School. When asked if he expects people.”

The Cohen brothers are senior twins who have more out of his daughter then a normal parent been together their whole math teacher Randy Swoverland lives and have done almost said, “I expect more effort, but everything together. not more achievement.” Kasey According to Dan, “I don’t said she’s used to having him influence how she acts at school, I expect more effort, but feel the need to be better though. “Maybe I would act a little not more achievement.” than my brother. We get similar grades, but there differently, but he’s influenced the is some competition. It’s way I act for so long so I’m used to Randy Swoverland, always nice to do better it,” she said. being brothers, senior Mike and junior Dan Kedroske say they are very Lots of kids at Dexter High

math teacher on a test than him so I can Despite bug him about it. But I different from each other.

School have relatives around wouldn’t have done so well them, whether it’s their parents or in school without having siblings. Part of going to a smaller Jon. If one of us slacks we school is seeing your relatives throughout the day and there is no way to avoid help each other out.”

Even though having parents and siblings effect it. Having a parent in school can add even more pressure to perform, and heavily influence the way kids in school most students always seem to act you act. Having a sibling can create competition how they want and be who they are in the end. or create expectations that make lots of kids feel Junior Dan Kedroske said, “Other kids, teachers and my parents have all realized and accepted I’m pressure to live up to.

What if you were the younger brother of a just not like Mike and never will be; it was harder academically successful kid? Because you share when I was younger but now I do and act how I want a last name people want you to be just like your without worrying about being like my brother.”

“

Photos by Kent Sprague

Seniors Dan Cohen and Jon Cohen share a hallway moment.

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Feature

Friday, February 26, 2010

iFlurtz helps raise money for prom

Sirah Camara

assistant trends editor

According to English teacher and prom committee member Debora Marsh, last year’s prom budget was limited, and the prom the committee didn’t want to hold back on decorations.

They also wanted to keep prom tickets affordable. In order to do this, the committee decided to try the iFlurtz fundraiser.

“We knew that the economy was tough on everyone, and we didn’t want to scrimp on the decorations or the various activities that we offer during prom,” Marsh said. iFlurtz is a questionnaire that students fill out to match them with other students according to the answers. The questionnaire is free to fill out. After the questionnairs are filled out, the student council sends them to the iFlurtz to be processed, and when student council gets the results back, they sell them to students. iFlurtz allows student council to determine how much it will sell the results for, but

Seven student teachers learn their craft this trimester Alex McMurray

staff writer

each result costs student council 89 cents. In Dexter’s case, students have to pay $3 for their results.

Results don’t just show who you’re compatible with however. They also show a list of ridiculous opposites, best friend matches, birthday buddies, mojo and humorscope.

The committee only earned around $200 last year, but Marsh said they hope to earn more this year. She said, “We’re hoping that this year we’ll do better because people are aware of what it is.”

Sophomore Racheal Parr thinks this will work. “A lot of people did it last year, and they saw what it was, so I think more people are going to do it this year,” she said.

Sophomore Erin Steptoe said she liked the fundraiser because who she got matched with was funny. She said, “I don’t know how I could be matched with someone based on those questions. I got matched up with jocks that I would never date.”

Name: Jenny Tucker Student teaching for: Linda Livingstone, Jo Muszkiewicz Age: 22 College: EMU Major: English/Language Arts Favorite author: WIlliam Faulkner Biggest Inspiration: Brother Spends her free time: Cooking, reading

Name: Nick Farrell Student teaching for: Andrew Parker, Deborah Marsh Age: 21 College: U of M Major: English, minor in psychology Favorite author: Jack Kerouac Spends his free time: Playing guitar in a band

Name: Janine Hill Student teaching for: Meghan Pugh Age: 22 College: EMU Major: Special Ed; cognitive impairment Favorite author: Sophie Hannah Biggest Inspiration: Parents Spends her free time: Hanging out with her fiance

Name: Beth Anne Kubala Student teaching for: Angela Chea Age: 22 College: EMU Major: Social studies, minor in history Favorite author: J.K. Rowling Biggest Inspiration: high school teacher, Mr. Krajewski Spends her free time: Watching movies, reading

Name: Alexandra Gillett Student teaching for: Kristi Shaffer Age: 21 College: U of M Major: Spanish, psychology Favorite author: Ernest Hemingway Biggest Inspiration: U of M adviser, Dr. Coolican Spends her free time: Relaxing, sleeping

Name: Gina Bonk Student teaching for: Lisa Bauer Age: 22 Collee: U of M Major: Math education Favorite author: Robert Jordan Biggest inspiration: Godai Ryn Ninpo (martial arts she practices) Spends her free time: Painting portraits

Name: Jacqueline Grimshaw Student teaching for: Kim Lund Age: 22 College: CMU Major: French Favorite author: Charles Baudlaire, Poet Biggest inspiration: Mother Spends her free time: Playing music

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Health

Friday, February 26, 2010

exting and driving, the new drunk driving?

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Sarah Molnar

staff writer

Ju n ior Pau l Pa rker ha s had some clo se c a l l s wh i le te x t i ng a nd d r iv i ng. “I have c ome fa i rly clo se to ge t t i ng i n a n ac c ident ,” he sa id. “Luck i ly I lo oke d up a nd avoide d it. A f ter t hat I put my phone dow n, ( but) I u su a l ly te x t wh i le d r iv i ng onc e or t w ic e a mont h.”

Ma ny p e ople a r e bu s y w it h t hei r d a i ly l ive s, a nd t he on ly t i me t hat t he y c a n t a l k to t hei r fa m i ly or f r iend s i s on t hei r w ay home f r om scho ol or work . W hen t h i s happ en s, ma ny cho o se to c om mu n ic ate by te x t i ng, wh ich le ad s t hem not to b e fo c u si ng on t he r oad.

V ic e P r e sident of A l l- S t a r D r iver s E duc at ion F r a n k Men z el sa id , “ We tel l ou r s t udent s t hat when t he y a re d r iv i ng, t hei r f u l l at tent ion ne e d s to b e on t he r oad a nd t hat t a k i ng you r e ye s of f t he r oad for e ven a spl it se c ond i s d a ngerou s a nd c a n le ad to a n ac c ident.”

A c c ord i ng to E z i ne a r t icle s, 37 p erc ent of p e ople s a ge s 19 -33 te x t wh i le d r iv i ng a nd 21 p erc ent of p e ople s a ge s 45- 63 te x t wh i le d r iv i ng.

A nd a s t udy c onduc te d by E d ga r Snyder & A s so c iate s i n 20 08 fou nd mor e t ha n 80 0,0 0 0 A mer ic a n s were te x t i ng, ma k i ng c a l l s or u si ng a ha nd held c el l phone wh i le d r iv i ng du r i ng t he d ay t i me.

W it h d i s t r ac te d d r iv i ng k i l l i ng ne a rly 6,0 0 0 A mer ic a n s i n t he sa me ye a r, it ’s no my s ter y t hat c el l phone u se i s r i sk y for d r iver s . Ju n ior E r ic a S w a n ha s had her l ic en se for a ye a r a nd t h i n k s d r iver s who a r e te x t wh i le d r iv i ng a re id iot s. “I u su a l ly have some one el se i n t he c a r te x t for me,” she sa id. “I f no one’s t her e, I w a it.”

A c c ord i ng to t he E d ga r Snyder a nd A s so c iate st udy, te x t i ng wh i le d r iv i ng c au se s a 40 0 p erc ent i ncre a se i n t i me sp ent w it h e ye s of f t he r oad.

“It i s ab solutely ha rder to d r ive wh i le te x t i ng,” Pa rker sa id.

“Even i f I t h i n k I k now what but ton on t he phone I’m pu sh i ng, I s t i l l lo ok dow n to ma ke su r e, wh ich d i st r ac t s me f rom t he road.”

Th i s sa me st udy foud t hat 56 p erc ent of te ena ger s ad m it to t a l k i ng on t hei r c el l phone s b eh i nd t he whe el, wh i le 1 3 p erc ent ad m it to te x t i ng wh i le d r iv i ng. “ Te x t i ng t a ke s aw ay you r f u l l at tent ion,” S w a n sa id.

Men z el a g re e s. “I t h i n k i f p e ople re a l i z e how d a ngerou s it i s to b e d i st r ac te d a nd d r ive, t he y wou ld not do it. A l so p e ople shou ld u se t hei r pa s senger s to help i f p o s sible. I f t here i s te x t you w a nt to re sp ond to, ha nd t he phone over to t he p er son i n t he c a r w it h you a nd le t t hem w r ite t he me s sa ge for you,” he sa id. “I re ad a st udy wh ich sa id t hat t r uck d r iver s who te x t a re 23 more t i me s more l i kely to cr a sh or have a ne a r cr a sh c ompa re d to nond i st r ac te d t r uck d r iver s. It a l so sa id t hat t he aver a ge te en send s 2,89 9 te x t s p er mont h a nd ma ny of t ho se a re done f rom t he road.”

D r iv i ng wh i le te x t i ng i s d a ngerou s b e c au se it i s of ten p e ople who c a n’t w a it to t a l k to t he p er son t he y a re te x t i ng. A nd wh i le Pa rker sa id he do e s not k now a nyone who ha s b e en d i re c t ly i n a n ac c ident a s a re su lt of te x t i ng wh i le d r iv i ng, he ha s re ad ab out it a nd k now s f i r st-ha nd t hat it d i st r ac t s h i m. “ W hen I te x t wh i le I d r ive, I of ten d r i f t over to t he lef t or r ig ht side of a la ne. It c er t a i n ly i mpac t s my d r iv i ng abi l it ie s,” he sa id.

A nd Men z el w a nt s st udent s to t h i n k ab out t he negat ive c on se quenc e s t hat c a n re su lt f rom te x t i ng wh i le d r iv i ng.

“Ju st t h i n k ab out e ver y t h i ng t hat c a n happ en a he ad of you wh i le you a re lo ok i ng dow n at you r phone,” he sa id. “I f t he c a r a he ad of you h it s it s bre a k s or i f a ch i ld r u n s out i n f ront of you r c a r, you w i l l ne ver se e it , Even w it h a l l t he se negat ive c on se quenc e s, t houg h, Pa rker sa id he st i l l w i l l te x t wh i le d r iv i ng, e ven i f it ’s i n l i m ite d c i rc u m st a nc e s.

He sa id , “ You’re d i st r ac te d by te x t i ng, fo c u si ng on send i ng it a nd reply i ng a s qu ick ly a s p o s sible, not re a l i z i ng you’re d r iv i ng.

I on ly te x t a nd d r ive i s some one a sk s me some t h i ng i mp or t a nt , such a s a home work a s sig n ment. I fe el a s t houg h t he y ’ l l t h i n k I don’t c a re ab out t hem i f I don’t re sp ond qu ick ly. The e a sie st w ay to pre vent te x t i ng wh i le d r iv i ng wou ld b e to ju st t u r n of f t he phone a nd reply to a ny te x t s up on a r r iv i ng home. Mo st p e ople, howe ver, do not w a nt to w a it i nclud i ng my sel f.”

Wrestlers consider health risks of cutting weight nicole minzey

entertainment editor

Photos by Taylor Kraft

Hitting the mats Wrestlers practice to get ready for a competition. Often wrestlers have to cut weight to meet their competition requirements. This has raised concerns about the safety of the sport for young men.

How much a n at h le te weig h s may not mat ter i n mo st sp or t s, but i n w re st l i ng, it ’s e ver y t h i ng. It de ter m i ne s what weig ht cla s s t he w re st ler w i l l b e i n a nd who t he y w i l l b e w re st l i ng a ga i n st.

But i s it sa fe to r apid ly lo se weig ht to ma ke t he c ut? W hat i s t he i nc ent ive for w re st ler s to st a r ve t hem selve s to she d a fe w p ou nd s?

W hen d ie t i ng, e x p er t s say it ’s he a lt hy to lo se 1-2 p ou nd s a we ek . S o how c a n it b e he a lt hy for t he w re st ler s to t r y to lo se f ive p ou nd s i n a si ng le d ay? I n add it ion to a f fe c t i ng ener g y a nd c onc ent r at ion, r apid weig ht lo s s c a n c au se more ser iou s c ond it ion s.

R apid weig ht lo s s c a n b e ha z a rdou s to a te en’s he a lt h. O ne d a nger of c ut t i ng weig ht i s dehyd r at ion. W hen a p er son c ut s out w ater f rom t hei r d ie t , t he y r u n a ser iou s r i sk of b e c om i ng dehyd r ate d.

Not e at i ng c a n c au se a p er son to b e c ome t i re d a nd u nable to fo c u s.

A more ser iou s ef fe c t of r apid weig ht lo s s i s he a r t a r rhy t h m ia or hav i ng a n abnor ma l he a r t b e at.

Ac c ord i ng to ju n ior w re st ler A nt hony Ch i sol m, t here a re some m i sc onc ept ion s ab out c ut t i ng weig ht. “S ome p e ople t h i n k t hat t here a re a lot of he a lt h r i sk s w it h weig ht c ut t i ng i n w re st l i ng but t here re a l ly i sn’t a s ma ny a s you wou ld t h i n k ,” he sa id. “It ’s ju st l i ke b ei ng on a d ie t ,” Ch i sol m sa id w re st ler s k now how to ma na ge

t hei r weig ht a nd have a st r ateg ic weig ht lo s s pla n c ont r a r y to t he p opu la r b el ief t hat a l l t he y do i s st a r ve t hem selve s. The y k now how to ke ep it u nder c ont rol a nd not le t it b e ha z a rdou s to t hei r he a lt h, he sa id. “A w re st ler k now s t hei r l i m it s when t he y c ut weig ht. The y won’t go pa st t hem.”

A c c ord i ng to scho ol nu r se A i le en K er noha n t h i s i s not ent i rely t r ue. K er noha n l i st s low blo o d suga r, ele c t roly te i mba la nc e s a nd muc sle lo s s a s some of t he shor t ter m ef fe c t s of c ut t i ng weig ht.

She a l so sa id ele c t roly te i mba la nc e s c a n c au se st re s s on t he b o dy ’s c a rd iac a nd ner vou s s y stem.

A not her r i sk of w re st l i ng i s c ont r ac t i ng sk i n d i se a se s.

I mp e t igo, a c ont a ge ou s sk i n d i se a se t hat c a n c au se bl i ster s a nd sore s, i s c om mon a mong w re st ler s. O t her c om mon sk i n d i se a se s a mong w re st ler s i nclude r i ng wor m a nd her p e s si mple x .

I n add it ion to c au si ng problem s to t hei r he a lt h, sk i n d i se a se s c a n c au se problem s for c omp e t it ion.

I f w re st ler s c ont r ac t sk i n d i se a se s, t he y may b e u nable to c omp e te. “ We t r y to avoid t hem a s much a s p o s sible so we’re a l lowe d to w re st le,” Ch i sol m sa id of sk i n d i se a se s.

Even t houg h c ut t i ng weig ht i s b ot h phy sic a l ly a nd ment a l ly st renuou s a nd sk i n d i se a se s c a n b e a r i sk a s wel l, w re st ler s do it to re ap t he b enef it s.

Ch i sol m sa id , “C ut t i ng weig ht c a n ma ke you fe el t i re d i f you’ve b e en doi ng it for awh i le, but it c a n g ive you a huge adva nt a ge i n c omp e t it ion.”

Ac c ord i ng to K er noha n, howe ver, t here i s a more sa fe w ay to lo se weig ht. She sa id , “E at a he a lt h f u l d ie t , ke ep hyd r ate d a nd e xerc i se.”

The truth about wrestling and weight •Impetigo, Herpes Simplex, and Ring Worm are all commonly contracted by wrestlers.

•There is only one varsity wrestler for each weight class.

•Rapid weight loss can cause serious health problems, such as heart arrythmia.

•School nurse Aileen Kernohan said, wrestlers trying to lose weigh rapidly risk low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalance and muscle loss.

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Community

Friday, February 26, 2010

Mill Creek Middle School hosts conference At MAMSE conference middle school teachers share ideas about how to best teach their students

Tucker Whitley assistant -sports -editor

Mill Creek, named in a School to Watch in 2007 by the National Forum has been chosen to host the oldest and most significant middle school conference in the state, according to middle school Principal Jami Bronson.

The conference is The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators and is the state conference for all middle-level educators.

Though in past years Mill Creek has participated in the conference, MAMSE came to Mill Creek this time asking it to host this event. “Actually MAMSE approached us about hosting this conference since we have been identified as a School to Watch and can showcase our staff, community and school,” Bronson said.

Mill Creek has many things to look forward to now, according to Bronson. She said, “ We are anticipating 300-500 attendees, pending the economic situation on

each school’s professional development budget.”

Bronson said the Mill Creek staff feels honored to have the chance at hosting such a prestigious event.

“Our staff and school have been actively involved in MASME over the years and feel honored to host,” she said. Bronson went on to say, “MAMSE is the oldest middle school organization in the country, and this year we will be celebrating its 40th anniversary.”

According to Bronson, it’s uncommon for middle school teachers to attend something that gives them ageappropriate ideas as well as focuses on the middle school students.“It is not often you can attend a conference that focuses just on middle school students and walk away with what research says, best practice and age -appropriate activities for middle level students,” she said.

Considering Mill Creek is the host, much of the Mill Creek staff will be presenting their ideas, but they will also be receiving advice from other teachers around the state. Bronson said, “Mill Creek has a very knowledgeable staff on middle school practices and will be sharing their expertise as well as learning from other educators from across the state.”

Mill Creek Middle School is hosting a conference where middle school teachers come together to learn ways to improve the learning environment for middle school students

Photos by Taylor Kraft

Factbox • Mill Creek was approached about hosting MAMSE because they were named a School to Watch in 2007 • There are 300-500 attendees each year at the MAMSE conference •Mill Creek’s staff has been actively involved in MAMSE but this is the first time it will be hosting the event •MAMSE is the oldest middle school organization in the state and is celebrating its 40th anniversary

Athletics and Community Ed. may combine Proposed consolidation plans to generate additional funds for district, according to superintendent Max Berry

Co-News Editor

As the tight budget situation persists, school officials are compelled to come up with solutions that could slightly soften the damage done by cuts. This process is often slow and difficult, and as each solution’s effects take hold, the urgency of creating a balanced budget persists.

Dexter Community Schools has been presented with a plan, however, that may help provide some relief to the district’s ever-tightening funds.

Presented by Superintendent Robert Glass at a meeting on Feb. 8, the proposal outlines plans to consolidate the Community Education Department and the Athletic Department, forming an entirely new department.

These two departments may seem unrelated, but Principal Kit Moran maintains that this consolidation will benefit the district’s funding situation.

According to Moran, the goal of the proposal is to help offset the consistent losses of the Athletic Department by combining it with the more profitable Community Ed Department. Creating one department out of two would also decrease personnel, thereby saving additional funds.

As a whole, the new department is projected to be much more cost-effective than the status quo, according to Community Ed Director Barbara Bell.

“For the 2010-2011 school year the expectation is that the ‘new’ department will generate an additional $216,000 in

revenue,” Bell said.

Despite the consolidation, the new department will still have separate functions and sub-areas but will operate as a single entity, according to Glass.

The amalgamation of the department will also result in the conception of a new director’s position. According to the job posting on the Dexter Community Schools website, the new “Athletic and Community Services Director” will be responsible for implementing a plan that will offer “an array of athletic, enrichment, preschool, club and after school care activities.”

Additionally, the new director will oversee facility rentals and related fees and schedules. According to Glass, this person will have authority over the CPA and all district facilities with the potential to bring in revenue.

Bell said under the current proposal, she and Athletic Director John Robinson will both be present in the new department in their respective areas. Although Glass said the position may exist with the same responsibilities as the Athletic Director, it will have a different title.

The school board is going to be involved in budget matters and the selection of the new director, but the creation of the new position is strictly an administrative decision, according to Glass. He said the board will likely approve the administration’s nomination for the director job, once extensive searches have been conducted and a qualified individual selected.

“They have to approve who we we hire,” Glass said. “But not whether we create the opening.”

John Robinson Athletic Director

• Manages funds to pay for equipment, coaches, facilities, transportation and officials.

• Sets up game schedules for sport programs between opposing teams and officials.

•Responsible for hiring and supervision of coaching staff.

Barbara Bell

Community Ed. Director • Cordinates the times and lifeguards for the pool at Wylie.

•Cutout Rents out and does the scheduling for the facilities.

•Organizes the preschool and childcare program for before, during and after school.

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Sports

Friday, February 26, 2010

Pregame rituals help athletes relax on game day Toliver Rogers

Getting pumped: Senior Jesse Claflin leads teammates in a swim team pre-meet ritual. Their ritual consists of a group huddle involving loud chants and yelling.

Crank it up: The varsity hockey team prepares themselves for a game by listening to music in the locker room.

Photos by Austin Sullivan

staff writer

The day of a sports event may just be a normal day for many students. But, on the day of a wrestling meet, it’s more than just a normal day for sophomore Drew Barnes.

Barnes said he feels like he’s not even here at school on the day of a meet. “I focus on my match; I zone out everything else around me,” he said. “I just sit through class and think about every possible situation that could happen during my match and about how my other teammates are going to do in their match.”

Teammate and junior Josh Cash, also likes to have a free mind before meets. “We were told to wrestle with a free mind and not a cluttered mind, so that’s what I do,” Cash said. “Everyone is calm on bus rides.

There’s chemistry. People know what other people are going through so everyone just tries to do what they do.”

However, Cash did say that a problem he has seen is kids getting too nervous. “Some kids tend to get nervous, but as they grow, they will learn to shake the feeling.”

The womens varsity basketball team goes through the same warmup before every game. They listen to music and loosen up. “We listen to music and we all hold hands before and after games as well as practices,” sophomore Olivia Cares said. “I can’t tell you what we say while holding hands because it’s top secret.”

The hockey team arrives an hour early before every home game. “We get to the locker room earlier for away games,” senior Matt Stirling said. “We listen to music on our system for a half hour or so before we

start to get ready.”

Stirling said for the Chelsea game, “The sticks get names. We write on them with silver Sharpies.”

Sophomore Andrew Gibson said some guys even dance and play hacky sack before games. “Yeah, what can I say? I have some pretty good dance moves myself,” Gibson said.

Not everyone agrees.

“I’ve seen those dance moves and it is pretty bad,” Waldrup said. “Trust me, you don’t want to see them.”

Cash said that eating healthy is an important part in being an athlete as well. “I eat all the foods that will give me protein that I can later use.”

Barnes said, “I eat light meals and drink a lot of water the day of a wrestling meet.”

With wrestling being an individual sport, each wrestler has their own routine before they are in the spotlight. “I always listen to music before my match,” Cash said. “It helps me relax and get in the moment.”

Cash said he paces back and forth outside of the mat two times before every match and said it helps him let the moment sink in without music playing.

Barnes said he uses intimidation to his advantage before his match. “I jump up and down while staring at my opponent until he looks away,” he said. “They always look away.”

“About 15 minutes before my match I take a Powershot, which is an energy supplement. It gets me ready to go,” Barnes said. “Every match I am in, I listen to ‘This Plane’ by Wiz Khalifa. It’s a great song.”

As for wrestling, “It’s different than football.

It’s more of an individual sport so when you’re in a slump it’s on you,” Cash said. “The intensity turns up when you get to individual districts and it gets more emotional as you move on knowing every match could be your last.”

Athletic department employes new fleet of coaches Kevin Yarows

Sports editor

With more than 121 coaches employed by the Dexter athletic department at the middle and high school levels, there is bound to be some some natural attrition over the course of a year. But going into the spring season, there will be seven new coaches among high school sports.

“There are always some spots we need to replace,” Athletic Director John Robinson said. ‚“But (having so many openings) certainly isn’t something that is typical.”

Although there were an abnormal number of vacancies, there is no overlying factors to why they all came at once, Robinson said.

Spots being filled by the athletic department include the JV soccer, softball and baseball jobs as well as the varsity baseball job, head track coach and hurdle coach. The lacrosse team also has a new coach, Brian Callanan, but due to the sports club status, he is not employed through the athletic department.

Here is a quick run through of who the new coaches are and what to expect:

JV baseball: Mike Schmidt

Head track: Dave Testa

Mike Schmidt fills the void left by former JV coach Allen Wilson. He joins the Dexter coaching staff after being approached by first year varsity head coach Jonathon Hastings.

While this is his first coaching job, Schmidt does not come to Dexter inexperienced. He played baseball collegiately for the University of Michigan, leading the Big Ten in home runs his senior year while helping his team win the regular season and postseason Big Ten championships while playing in the outfield.

He graduated from Michigan witih a degree in kinesiology and has worked with the company Athletes Performance, including helping to train Major League pitcher Brad Penny in the offseason.

Outside of baseball Schmidt enjoys reading nonfiction, especially biographies, as well as working out.

During the upcoming season Schmidt said he plans on stressing the fundamentals, hitting and running the bases. He said will take whatever he is given and adapt his style to the players. Schmidt said, “I just want to everybody to have fun and be more successful than last year.”

When former head track coach Chris Hanlon was forced to move due to his wife’s job situation, it was only natural for Dave Testa to apply for the job. While he was already the men’s cross country coach and distance track coach, the head coaching job seemed to be the next step.

His coaching career began working as a volunteer coach at Mason High School during his senior year in college at Michigan State University. There he realized how much he enjoyed coaching and continued coaching at various places before landing at Dexter via a job posting.

He has worked as the distance coach for Dexter for three years and recently completed his second season as the cross country coach.

When he isn’t coaching, Testa said he enjoys spending time with his wife and friends. His other interests include following his alma mater, MSU, in both football and basketball and watching a wide variety of movies.

Testa said he loves working at Dexter because both the parents and athletes are very dedicated to the programs.

Testa said, “(The athletes) know that if they put in the hardwork and are committed, it will payoff.”

JV soccer: Mike Lewandowski Mike Lewandowski steps into the role of JV women’s soccer coach with quite a bit of Dexter soccer experience, having coached the freshmen men’s team for the past four years. He has also made brief coaching stops at Saline High School and Saline soccer club. However, this will be his first time coaching either women or the JV level.

In addition to coaching, Lewandowski spent four years in the program as a player under current Mill Creek science teacher Jason Elmy.

He then went on to continue his soccer career, playing four years at Grand Valley State University while earning a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Liberal Studies.

Lewandowski describes himself as a coach who expects his players to listen and learn in practice so it can be reflected in games.

He said, ”The expectations of this season are for every player to work their hardest learn the game, have fun and be at the top of the conference.”

Sports 9 Field hockey and lacrosse go varsity Friday, February 26, 2010

Connor Thompson

staff writer

Lacrosse and field hockey have been added to the list of official school sports. This comes as the result of a long period of time as a club sport for both teams, and serves as a source of optimism for other club sports hoping to make the switch.

Senior John Brosch is a member of the lacrosse team. He said he is excited about making the switch to varsity because “varsity sports get more support and recognition.”

Club teams must be completely self-sufficient, as only varsity sports receive full funding from the school. Thus, club sports have to find their

own ways to pay coaching staff, purchase and replace equipment, buy uniforms and provide transportation to various team functions.

While lacrosse is receiving money from the school, field hockey is not yet at that level. Next year, it will branch off from the Washtenaw Whippets, a community club team that originally represented students from Dexter, Saline, Chelsea and Manchester, to become a school club. But, according the field hockey team’s governing board president, Blair Taylor, that is still a major improvement.

“We can have practices and half of our games at the school now,” Taylor said. “Before, we had always carpooled to Chelsea, which was very time-consuming. Now the players can just leave school and go straight to the field.”

Once a sport has made the switch to varsity, the school covers the tab for all team expenses. In all, the school foots

the bill for over 20 different high school and middle school sports teams. According to Athletic Director John Robinson, “The budget will be considerably less next year, but as of Feb. 3, the general fund subsidy for the entire athletic program, grades 7-12, is $496,238.”

Good news for Brosch, who said funds should be spread out, not focused on sports with the highest following.

According to an informational document provided by the athletic department titled “Procedures for changing the status of a sports team,” a new Now the players can just leave school and go team must go through a series of steps before becoming a varsity straight to the field.” sport: community club sport, school club sport, partiallyBlair Taylor funded school sport and fullyField hockey president funded school sport.

Initially, the team is not affiliated with the school and does not receive funding or any other assistance from the district.

The team gets new privileges each time it advances through the four stages.

First, a team gains the ability to officially represent the school, give out varsity letters and is subject to district rules.

Then, a team gets free access to facilities, as well as transportation. The school also partially funds the team. The final switch, and complete elimination of club team status, comes when the school completely funds the team.

A team doesn’t just make these changes whenever they want, however. According to Taylor, The school and the team’s league must independently decide to allow a team to change

“

•John Brosch

varsity lacrosse player

status. The criteria the school uses when evaluating a potential varsity sport include 14 separate terms, including sufficient student interest, adequate facilities, competent coaches, the ability of the athletic department to shoulder the workload accompanying a new sport, as well as its draw on the budget.

Said Taylor, “We started out by talking with Robinson, to see if the school was interested (in letting field hockey become a school club). After he expressed interest, we also needed to be approved by our own association (the Michigan High School Field Hockey Association). You just don’t realize how much work is entailed in getting a club sport working.

It definitely is a difficult task. Said Robinson, “Lacrosse and field hockey had been in existence for at least three years before becoming school sports.” This, in addition to the coming budget cuts, reiterates the point that losing community club status doesn’t happen quickly or without effort.

The best way to make this happen is, according to Taylor, through the hard work of team members and their families.

She said, “The group of families that carried over (from the Whippets,) they have made this happen. They worked together to make this work.”

• Kevin Mors

varsity lacrosse player

Zhou competes in Munich Coleen Hill

Zhou competed against over 100 other atheletes in the Red Bull Crashed Ice Championship, including some pro hockey players.

Zhao races during qualifications.

Zhou said he felt accomplished after his work in Munich.

Photos courtesy of Li Zhou

Village Hair Design 2846 Baker Rd Dexter, MI

734 426-8486

co-health editor

Standing at the top of the hill he looks down to see 10,000 people watching, waiting for him to make the first move. Senior and varsity hockey player Brian Zhou is ready for the experience of a lifetime in Munich, Germany where he is competing in a world wide tournament for Ice Cross.

Ice Cross is a relatively new sport that started about 10 years ago. It consists of people dressing up in hockey gear and speed skating down a hill and through a course of sharp turns and jumps.

Red Bull held the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship, in Munich in January.

This competition involved athletes from 20 nations competing to win the title.

One night after a hockey game at Ann Arbor Ice Cube, Zhou and his teammates saw the registration booth and at first Zhou wasn’t too excited about the idea of signing up.

“I didn’t really want to do it, but everyone wanted me to. I really only did it for fun,” Brian said.

Li Zhou, Brian’s mother, said Brian was forced by his friends to sign up.

“His alumni teammate that graduated last year, Michael Clutterbuck, literally picked him and dragged him to the register and both of them signed up,” Li said.

Though it was his first time participating in this sport, Brian placed third in the race and qualified to go to Munich to compete against some of the best hockey players in the world.

“Only three people in the U.S were picked to go to Germany,” Zhou said.

Brian’s parents were shocked to hear that their son was able to go to Germany and compete in a world tournament.

“I thought it was a scam,” Li said.

Once Brian arrived in Munich he received top treatment by staying in a five star hotel room, a paid plane ticket and many free things to take home from the experience.

While Brian was in Munich, he went through practices and the qualifications to compete in the tournament.

“During the practice run, I saw six guys get injured,” Brian said.

“One guy broke his ankle.”

Brian said Ice Cross is a dangerous sport but full of exuberance.

“The first time I went, when I was at the top of the hill, I felt like I was suffocating,” Brian said. “I was so nervous. I’ve never felt like that before.”

Li felt the same nervous feeling as Brian at qualifications.

“It was nerve-racking the whole time he was on the ice,” Li said.

“Especially when one of the athletes was taken to the hospital with a broken ankle. Several ambulances were at the rink during both the practice competition.”

After the qualifications, the top 64 competitors went on to compete to win.

“I came in 65th place,” Brian said. “I was .02 seconds behind the person in front of me.”

After Brian’s disappointing loss, Li did what any mother would and made sure her son knew she was proud of him.

“He did so well,” Li said. “He was one of the youngest. I believe he was the second youngest among over 100 or so competitors. He was the first runner up among all the competitors, beating some pro hockey players.”

Though Brian didn’t make it to the finals he was still grateful to have been able to participate.

“Being there was definitely worth it,” Brian said. “I couldn’t imagine anything like it.”

10

Opinion

Friday, February 26, 2010

Trashy TV consumes too much attention

Jack Nixon

Kaitlyn Shepard

staff writer

feature editor

Senioritis strikes

Walking down the hall you can hear a lot of interesting things. You can hear about last night’s basketball game or what’s on the the Calc test you have next hour. A nd if you’re lucky, you just might have the priv ilege of w itnessing a dramatic freshman break-up.

However, after walking down the hall on Jan. 13, I can officially say I have lost all hope in the students of DHS. On Jan. 12, one of the most catastrophic events of the decade took place. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed Haiti, and not a single person mentioned it the follow ing day. I heard more about “Jersey Shore,” MT V’s newest, and probably trashiest T V show.

Don’t get me wrong. Dexter has been a great place to grow up. Students get a quality education from some of the best teachers and are presented w ith some of the finest opportunities a high school student can ask for.

This time, though, Dexter has really gone off the deep end.

The day a déclassé T V show filled w ith drunk “guidos” and “guidettes” hooking-up and wasting their lives away ranks above the annihilation of an entire countr y, there is something seriously wrong.

If George Clooney can organize a worldw ide telethon airing on all four major networks and countless cable networks featuring some of the biggest performers in the music industr y in under a week, shouldn’t the students at Dexter High School at least be able to mention it?

The answer to that question is no. Students at DHS were too busy watching the “Youtube” clips of Snookie being punched in the face or talking about The Situation’s latest hook-up.

Dexter has always tried to be cutting edge, sw itching over to trimesters, and updating the technology in the school. As students, we have always been given the tools to compete in the ever-grow ing global society.

However, the lack of international interest and concern by students invalidates all of that. India has more honors students than A merica has students.

How are we supposed to compete w ith that when we are too busy focusing on big-haired, orange-skinned, reality T V stars who think Canada is one of the original 13 colonies?

If students don’t seriously change their priorities, the closest we w ill come to working in the global economy w ill be f lipping the new

“McItaly” burger at McDonald’s.

Come on fellow, Dreadnaughts. I know we live in a sheltered community, but that doesn’t mean we have to neglect the rest of the world.

Open a newspaper, f lip on the news, or heaven forbid, spend more than a minute on your homepage before going straight to Facebook.

There is still time to fix this, and it doesn’t take much. I’m not asking you to organize a telethon or auction off the dress you wore to the V MAs. I’m asking you to open your eyes. I’m asking you to stop play ing bubble-shooter and open a newspaper. Turn off “A merican Idol” and watch CNN. Stop sending naked pictures and text “Haiti” to 90999.

It doesn’t take a lot to make a difference.

Half the battle is giv ing the organization a voice and educating the community about what happened.

You don’t have to donate thousands of dollars to the Red Cross to make a difference.

Just turning the your lab partner and say ing, “Hey, did you hear about Haiti?” can make all the difference.

With a student body of roughly 1200 people, we are a force to be reckoned w ith.

Look at the Powder Puff football game. We are capable of doing a lot more than selling Tubos-Locos at lunch.

I wa ke up at 6:30 ever y mor ning to an annoy ing ta lk radio or a loud beeping. I go into school late bec ause I don’t want to get up. I get to Physic s, lear n how long a moon’s per iod is and f ind t he mass of Uranus. A nd I want to k now why I w ill ever want to k now t hat.

I t hought I wanted to be an architect, but I fail at relat ing t he mass of moons to building houses. Maybe one day I’ ll be building on a moon, but unt il t hat day comes, I don’t want to lear n about t he solar system, philosophy or ar t.

A class of memor izing count less ar tists, t heir paint ings and philosophers, may be t he worst class for a st udent suf fer ing f rom senior it is.

Hav ing to sit for t wo straight hours in a class like t his is br uta l no mat ter what class. Not only are we lear ning t hings t hat don’t interest me, but we of ten ta ke notes for 72 minutes w it h no brea k s. I have an aw f ul c ase of senior it is. and the main mens team supporters consisted of the well. Is it fair that they should lose the last-game-of-thenight feeling just because they don’t attract as many fans? “ They say high school lasts womens team.

I still believe his solution is a good one; however, it’s four years, but for me it ended That is not the case of Dexter athletics any more. af ter t hree,” senior Kev in Mors Jacoby’s very first statement that the boys took a seat to only fair that the women get a chance to play second at least said. One of t he great minds watch the girls play second was false. Two mens players once. It’s true that we would rather have varsity showcases in our school, Mors maintains rode the bus home with the womens team for that Lincoln and play first than no showcases at all. But, is it so difficult to let the women have a fair number of late-night games? a spectacular GPA of 3.2. How game. The rest left before the end of the first quarter.

As proven by the Dexter-Chelsea rivalry game on Feb. does he do t his w it h such a On top of the lack of attendance support, the mens team bad case of senior it is? It is has been anything but encouraging verbally. Day in and 5, fans will still come support their mens team no matter Caitlyn Rize his ama zing abilit y to r ush day out, my female teammates deal with “sarcastic,`” sexist what time they play. Yes, it was 5:30 when the students trends editor t hrough homework and copy comments from our program partners, in addition to our rolled into the gym to watch their mens team take on the Bulldogs, but the number of students in the Black Sea was t hat keeps him f rom failing his “friends” at school. f ina l year in t his school.

“Did anyone know we have a womens basketball team?” not any smaller than normal. There was no loss of the Senior it is descr ibes t he is a statement I consistently hear. The other constant “Friday night basketball atmosphere.”

Even though I found the column extremely offensive, decreased mot ivat ion toward comments are not as nice.

My name is Caitlyn Rize, and I am a female athlete for st udies displayed by st udents If we can’t get the support of our local sports editor, what I, for some strange reason, had some amount of respect Dexter High School. who are near ing t he end of kind of message is that sending to our already immature for Jacoby as a columnist. He was willing to put himself You may recognize my name because on the front peers who disregard our existence and ignore our success? out there with an extremely controversial opinion. As I t heir high school, college and page of “The Dexter Leader,” on Jan. 14 there was a graduate schools c areers. But No matter what time, no matter what gym, both teams wrapped up the article, however, that respect diminished. lengthy, heartfelt article about my sports injury. Upon should support each other. They are all a part of the same I’ve only written one other column in my short writing t hat just sounds a lot like la z y. opening the Leader to section C, I can’t express how program, after all. career. Even so, I know it is a cardinal rule that disclaimers Who doesn’t like to have a flattered I was to see that article. I’ve devoted many years bit of rela xat ion in t heir life, Jacoby listed three reasons the varsity boys should play eradicate the strength of one’s opinion. of my life into athletics, and that front-page article was a second every night: quality, popularity and history.

By adding disclaimers to his column, the strength of t hough?

A s a st udent goes great gift seeing as how my sports career ended due to a t hrough high school, t hey So because most women lack the natural ability to Jacoby’s opinion was lost. knee injury.

If he had stuck to his opinion without retracting what become more stressed, and dunk, they should be pushed aside?

However, all flattery was annihilated once my eyes senior year has a lways been Just because the WNBA attracts fewer spectators than he was saying, I would have been left with a little more wandered to the side of the page. A column written by the NBA, should we forget about the womens league all respect. However, this was not the case. Jacoby claimed t he year people just c an’t wait Terry Jacoby (the same man who wrote the feature story together? to enjoy covering female athletics and he said, “No matter for, being t he year of par t ies, on me, a female-athlete) titled “Girls should play first,” f r iends and ta k ing a brea k Jacoby’s worst argument of all, however, is the attempt what I say next, people are going to be mad at me.” caught my attention.

It was as if saying this made everything he knew was f rom school work. at history. Just because things were done a certain way in Because of popularity, quality and history, Jacoby the past, does not mean that is how they should continue. wrong to say, OK. I have grow n up t hink ing proclaimed in capital letters that the womens basketball If that were the case, women would still lack the right to What did using disclaimers accomplish? Were people t hat when I am a senior, I w ill team should always open for the mens “marquee” team vote or the ability to join the work force. less angry with his opinion because he was apologetic? able to come to school and on varsity showcase nights.

No, but I lost more respect for him because he could not rela x, like I do when I come Jacoby provided a solid solution to his problem, with As a young girl, I recall coming to the basketball the girls playing first at 6 p.m. and the boys following. One stand strong by his opinion. to Newspaper. Here I listen to games and watching a number of students support their of his main arguments was that when the mens team plays Columns are a place to voice your opinion, which is music and w r ite a stor y about school sports team. Gender did not matter; the main early, they lose the Friday night, varsity-game feeling. Last respected when the opinions are voiced with respect how I like to slack of f. Why womens team supporters consisted of the mens team, time I checked, though, the women have a varsity team as themselves. can’t a ll my classes be like t his?

I don’t want to say t hat t his year is a lot of work. Compared to junior year t his is a lit t le bet ter but not t he slacker year I had a lways hoped for. The fact t hat I have been here for so long has helped me lose a ll mot ivat ion towards right.” strong and ignore the harassment. lear ning t hings I don’t like, however.

Still, I power-walked to my car after school, If you are being harassed and have a Facebook Put me in a mat h class, I w ill listen or Myspace, make sure your settings are set to eager to get out and drive home from school for because t hat is interest ing to me. But private. This will prevent certain people from the first time in my new vehicle. When I reached t hrow me in A P US Histor y, cur rent ly my my car, however, it had about six key lines down having access to things you don’t want them to. lowest grade, and I w ill str ug gle to stay The summer before my junior year, I was on it, and someone was nice enough to put a piece awa ke. I have not hing against histor y, Facebook. As I was flipping through pictures, I saw of paper on my windshield with w---- written in Ashley BURLESON but isn’t it t he great Eleanor Roosevelt one of me and some friends before a homecoming big letters. I continued looking at the positives, health editor who said, “ Yesterday is histor y. dance. It was a nice picture and brought back nice however, tore off the paper, and drove home for the Tomor row is a myster y. Today is a g if t.

Most seniors look back at their four years of memories, until I saw I was tagged as “STD home first time, blasting my favorite tunes, not letting That’s why t hey c a ll it t he present.” So high school and smile. However, when I look back base.” I fell to the ground and started crying. I the immature people get the best of me. why focus on t he past when we have a Junior year, however, I started getting harassing at my high school years, I get depressed but excited couldn’t believe the lies had come to this. present wait ing for us?

A few weeks after finding the picture on text messages from students saying things like, that it is finally over.

I k now t hat I am a lways happy to I have been physically harassed, verbally Facebook, the ex-friend who had made the tag “Come suck my d---,” “You’re a w----,” and “You’re accept a g if t. Plus I love myster ies. harassed, discriminated against, and I’ve had my called me and asked me to be civil with her, a stupid b----.” I was used to these comments at They are way more interest ing t han reminding me that we used to be best friends. school, but now they began following me home. property damaged every year. somet hing t hat happened 300 years ago At first I tried replying to these messages with Although I can’t change any of the things that When I told her I wouldn’t because of the picture to some g uy who is no longer a live or of happen to me, I think it is important to give other tag, she told me that someone hacked into her other insults. But when I realized it was going any impor tance to me. nowhere, I changed my number. victims some words of advice to get through the account and changed it. That wasn’t true.

I wouldn’t c a ll what I suf fer f rom a lack When the harassers got my new number, I tried The best thing to do when you are being next few years of high school. of mot ivat ion. It’s more of a rea lizat ion The first thing to do if you are being harassed is harassed, though, is to not fight to prove yourself confronting them in person, but they always just of what I am doing. What I have rea lized don’t react, because if you do, the harassment will to everyone. I give you this advice because it laughed in my face and told me to “Go to h---.” is t hat I have been spending t he last The best advice I have in this situation is to fighting back doesn’t work. Your real friends won’t get worse. t hree and a ha lf years prepar ing for Harassment can start for many reasons. My leave you, and if they leave, they weren’t really simply ignore the text messages, even though it’s college, and I have been accepted. freshman year I dated a boy who was known to your friends in the first place. When you leave hard, because if you try to get the text messages to So why spend my t ime wor r ied about have hooked up with a lot of girls, me not included. high school and start college, you will make more stop, they won’t. a grade t hat w ill have an ex tremely low The most important advice I have to offer, in Within a week, I began to hear my name more mature friends. ef fect on my GPA . I k now colleges look If you are being harassed, don’t focus on the any harassment situation, is to not give up your than usual. I finally realized that people were at my grades for senior year, but as long calling me a w----, often to my face. Because of negatives. Focus on the positives. This will help morals or give in to the harassment. If you decide as I don’t get a ll Cs or Ds I w ill st ill to give into the harassment, you let the harassers the harassment, I broke up with the boy, but the you through the day, too. be accepted. That is t he reason I w ill My positive was having a new car to drive to walk all over you, which you do not deserve. harassment didn’t stop. continue to...

As I walk out of this high school on March 5, for I started to learn how to walk through the halls school on the first day of school. I went through with my head high and to ignore the harassment the day with people doing the same things they the last time, the final statement I will make is you * This ar t icle couldn’t be f inished due though, because that was the only way to minimize have done since freshman year. That day I even can’t prevent people from harassing you, even if to an ex treme c ase of senior it is. it. If people see you are weak, they will simply had a freshman ask me if I really had STDs, and the things they are saying are not true. Keep your continue harassing you, so it is important to be when I told her no, she laughed and said, “Yeah, eyes on your diploma, and you’ll make it through.

Womens athletics deserve more respect

Underclassmen: brace yourself for bullies

11

Editorial

Friday, February 26, 2010

Squall The

EDITORS IN CHIEF:

Alex Everard, Brittany Martini

MANAGING EDITOR: Marne Little

EDITORS DESIGN: Candice Wiesner FEATURES: Kaitlyn Shepard ENTERTAINMENT: Nicole Minzey OPINIONS: Kristi Hughes PHOTO: Lauren Daugherty SPORTS: Kevin Yarows HEALTH: Ashley Burleson,

Colleen Hill TRENDS: Caitlyn Rize uPAGE: Ian McCarthy GET INVOLVED: Alex Dobbs COPY: Emily Van Dusen NEWS: Max Berry, Nic Miller COMMUNITY: Marne Little DEXTER LEADER: Gabe Altomare BLOGS: Erin McAweeney

DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Sarah Breuninger, Nick Byma, Nicole Chalou, Ross Chamberlain, Lauren Daugherty, Luke Hattie, Taylor Kraft, JoJo Parin, Chris Riecker, Alyse Shannon, Kent Sprague, Ariel Star, Austin Sullivan, Connor Thompson, Kayla Samuels

ADVERTISING: Lisa Kayla Samuels

TWEETER:

Crompton,

Thomas Griffith

FUNDRAISING:

Lisa Crompton

STAFF WRITERS Jake Aliapoulios, John Brosch, Rachel Butler, Sirah Camara, Dan Edwards, Steve Ferguson, Aaron Gilman, Nick Gonet, Caroline Green, Alex Hiner, Emma Korte, Marshall Kellenberger, Dave LaMore, Julie Lindemann, Tyler McCarthy, Alex McMurray, Steve Miller, Sarah Molnar, Kevin Mors, Jack Nixon, Liz O’Keefe, Emily Pap, Megan Podschlne, Morgan Quist, Toliver Rogers, Kevin Skiver, Tucker Whitley

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.

CORRECTION: In the article about the new security cameras, the company installing the cameras was called Cameratech. The real name of the company is Commtech. The Squall regrets the error.

THE

Safety should come before school spirit Before the Coming Home basketball game and dance, Student Leadership hosted a pep rally to pump up students for the weekend of events.

Usually a fun and exciting event, this year’s rally for the Coming Home game became somewhat dangerous after several injuries.

Some students who participated in the festivities came away with broken bones, stretched tendons and embarrassing memories.

While we applaud Student Leadership class for planning a fun assembly, we think pep rallies at DHS should involve more thorough planning and smarter decisions.

For example, at the pep rally the GORE-rillaz rec-ed basketball team faced the cast of the musical “Back to the ‘80s” in a “friendly” match of full-court Red Rover. Yes, this is as bad as it sounds.

The first run of Red Rover involved senior Waleed Mansour from the cast of “Back to the ‘80s” plowing into GORE-illaz team member, senior Jeff Dinser, resulting in a broken pinky finger for Dinser. After that, Red Rover was

quickly canceled.

After that event calmed down, the pep assembly proceeded with an introduction of the mens and womens varsity basketball teams at center court.

The mens team surrounded the women’s team and that is when the dangerous mosh pit began.

Classic techno music started, and the basketball teams invited the students onto the floor.

As much fun as this sounds, the mosh pit brought more injuries to the event. Senior Luke Hattie fell down the bleachers while trying to join the mosh pit and many other students injured themselves by being pushed to the ground. The event was may have been fun and exciting, but any activity at a school event should never cause injuries or provoke violence.

Yes, pep rallies are fun for students and help them socialize and interact with each other.

However, there are ways to have fun and pump up students without breaking their bones and endangering them. Red Rover is still a great option; however, full-court may not be the best idea. Students can still have competitions such

as musical chairs and tug-o-war that make things fun. The pep rally included these both successfully.

Student Leadership teacher Kim Lund said she is not sure whether she will teach the class again, but if she does she said pep rallies won’t include Red Rover and Sandstorm. “I think the assemblies have come a long way from the traditional ones of the past where only athletes from the major sports teams were included,” Lund said.

And pep rallies should not be canceled. They should stay aimed towards the student body and driven by the student body. That being said, students should never get injured in a school-run event. Pep rallies should stay fun and exciting and we applaud Student Leadership for this, but students and staff should also be kept safe.

Lund said, “I’m open for anything that keeps (assemblies) fresh but have learned that you can’t always expect people to use good judgement, so even though I’d like to include more students, the activities will be a little tamer.”

We agree.

Is the district wasting money?

O

ne might begin to suspect that Dexter Community Schools is ignoring student and community members’ concerns and desires for the direction they want education to go by mindlessly spending money.

Just because we have it, doesn’t mean we have to spend it.

Maximizing fiscal effectiveness, efficiency and stability does not seem to be exactly what the district does. Installing security cameras and buffing up technological oversight to ensure a safe and secure learning environment does not maximize student achievement, especially when we already have a top-notch academic program. Nor does it encourage students’ freedom and individuality.

The bond was intended to last 10 years, and for it to truly be effective, the district needs to increase and enhance N ic technological integration across the district. Technology enhances and extends instruction and learning. Integrating technology is a tool for learning and is beneficial for instructional and administrative purpose which is why we should be focused on making

P

O R

F

improvements to the technology department.

But the district has not maintained effective budgeting practices. I fear the projected expenses and revenues for Dexter Community Schools future when we spend money on things like glass, double doors.

Glass, double doors? And security cameras? What are those really about? Simply a way to creepily monitor student activity, finding further ways to reach into student lives. Why not invest in things that will really secure this establishment.

The district has done a better job with improving the accessibility of information with the its website and Powerschool. But this is not enough. By spending like there is no end in sight , the district fails to ensure and provide long-term financial stability.

Dexter should reconsider some bond projects and think r M i l l e twice before spending. It’s hard to understand how the money from the bond will last. I don’t see how Dexter Community Schools will be able to continue to implement new technologies and business operation if we continue to spend money at this rate.

CO

rom smart boards to USB wristbands, from new computers to new The remainder of the money, according to Allie, will be put towards security cameras, the school has made a lot of technological new printers throughout the district, document cameras in every advancements and has spent a lot of money on them. However, classroom and a new network. the school is not wasting its money.

“We’ll have an all new network with Wi-Fi A few years ago a $42 million bond was passed with throughout the district,”Allie said. “We’ll be a Wi-Fi $9.8 million of it going toward the district’s technology central, but it’s a work in progress.” department to make technology upgrades and improve Maciag said there will also be another round learning for students. of new computers at one point and the technology The department has purchased USB wristbands to department is trying to get the eno board into all the help students keep their computer work more private, other schools in the district within the next couple eno boards to assist teachers with teaching and years. students with learning, and security cameras to help Although it seems like the district shouldn’t be assure safety at the school. spending money on technology upgrades in this “We hope to make a difference in the classroom,” economy, because of state law, the money the district Director of Technology Matt Maciag said. “We’ve spent is using to purchase new technology could not be used $2.5 million so far, and will be spending rest over a in any other department to help the district deal with course of about nine years.” budget cuts. The bond money given to the technology The bond money has also been used to purchase new department can only be used by the technology department. iMac computers, replacing most of the old computers at the And that’s good. The new technology is improving learning e l M ar t ne L i t in the classroom. Students are able to be more interactive, and high school, and eight portable carts, with 15 MacBook laptops each, to assist students’ research in the classroom. learning is more enjoyable. It’s important to keep students updated on “Since the computers are all the same now, they’re easier to work with,” technology in the classroom so they can be updated in the rest of society.

Technology Associate Vickie Allie said.

And to do this, the district needs to spend money the way they are doing now.

N

12

Photostory

Friday, February 26, 2010

BACKSTAGE AT THE DEXTER HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE:

Back to the ‘80s Plugging in: Sophomores Mishael Bingham and Kimber Cre prepare the sound board for the show.

Finishing touch: Student Megan Sweetland finishes her makeup before the performance.

Letting it go: Juniors Patrick Rogers and Pantea Sokanj pose for the end of the song “Material Girl” during rehearsal.

Working behind the scenes Rachel Butler

W

staff writer

hile 350 pairs of eyes watch as actors sing and dance on stage, junior Austin Clark watches from backstage waiting for his next cue to run on into the darkness, move a set and run back, all without the audience seeing or hearing him.

Clark, part of the backstage running crew for “Back to The ‘80s”, said he enjoys the work he has done with musicals.

“We’re kind of the unsung heros,” Clark said. “Even though we’re not really recognized by the audience, you feel really good after (the show). You know that you’ve done your job.”

For some people who don’t enjoy acting, such as sophomore Charlotte Morrill, being a “techie” is a way to stay involved in theatre. “I really enjoy theatre,” she said. “I love watching theatre, and I’ve been in the drama club.”

Morrill was the Production Stage Manager for the musical and because of her love for the theatre, one of her favorite things about things about the job is being able to watch the show from up in the booth.

While Morrill said she enjoys her job, she admits that it can be stressful. “Acting is strenuous because you have to memorize lines, but being a tech is strenuous because you

have to work with very limited time,” she said.

The actors get their lines and start rehearsing about two months before the show, while Morrill said the tech crew starts only about a week before the show. In the short time frame it’s important to know a lot of general knowledge about the theatre. According to junior Nick Spencer, the light board operator, “You work a lot faster if you know a lot about the space you’re working in.”

While the techies only work for about a week before the show, Morrill advises aspiring techies that it’s a lot of work.

“Be prepared to put in a lot of hours,” she said. “It gets very stressful when it’s show week.”

Erin Palmer, the director of the show admits that her love of theatre has always been tech theatre and said that most people involved with tech are looking for something different in drama. “(Being a techie) offers a completley different view in drama. You’re not in the spotlight, you’re beside the spotlight, but you’re the one creating that light,” Palmer said.

Even though the techies are not seen or heard, Morrill said that she thinks the work she has put in to making the show go on is acknowledged, “Without any tech crew the actors would be in the dark,” she said. “The audience appreciates the actors, but the actors appreciate us and what we do for them.”

Stretching out: Actors do dance warm ups under the direction of Choreographer Lisa Shapiro.

Right on cue: Sophomore Daniel Kesterson watches the director for his cue.

Finishing touch: Parents and students work together to finish the set pieces. The main set piece was a giant, pink boom box.

Final adjustment: Freshman Sarah Castle focuses a spot light from the catwalk.

Underground music: The ten piece pit band provided all of the music for the show and was directed

by Kyle Koehs. Almost all of the music for the show was ‘8os pop music.

First time Rocker: Senior exchange student Dilan Ustek plays guitar in the pit. This was her first time performing with electric guitar.

Photos by Lauren Daugherty, Nick Byma and Kent Sprague