The Squall, issue 5, March 2012 by The Squall

March 2, 2012 • VOL. 17 • Issue 5

Dexter High School 2200 N. Parker Road Dexter, MI 48130 www.thesquall.com

The Dreadnaughts’ voice

Rumors surrounding A&W closing prove false

page 4

Index

The Squall Page 2 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

4&5 News & Feature

Unique student philosopher

Rumor on the street

Rumors about A & W’s imminent closing prove false.

Jacob Caldwell fills his time with unique hobbies and activities.

6&7 Sports & Entertainment

page 6 Photo Credit: Cassandra Silvasi

Dreams turn to reality

Not just pictures of cats

Sarah Silvasi’s dream of playing D-1 soccer in college has been fulfilled. She will suit up for Valparaiso in the fall.

Reddit gains popularity among students as a source of information and engine of social change.

8&9 Center Spread Celebrating DHS

A look at the 10-year history of Dexter High School’s current building.

The Squall’s past

Dedicated staff Staff members who have been at DHS since the move to this building give their insight about the past 10 years.

Quotes from past Squall staff members as they reflect on the past decade.

10&11 Interactive Spread The 5x5 Teachers test their pop music knowledge in this month’s 5x5.

Republican candidates Don’t know the difference between GOP frontrunners? Just check out our handy flowchart.

12&13 Opinion & Editorial

page 14 Photo Credit: Mason Camilleri

Are we babied?

Going green

A pro-con on whether or not our generation is babied by society.

Does the government do enough to protect the environment?

14&15 Get Involved & YOU Page

NHS blood drive

A whole new world

NHS volunteers conduct the last blood drive of the year.

The Anime Club provides an opportunity for students to experience Japanese art and culture.

16 Photostory

‘A Touch of Class’

page 16

Video teacher Matt Martello writes and produces a semi-autobiographical play at Copeland’s black box theatre. Photo Credit: Kristie Duve

Web Preview

The Squall Page 3 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

Connor Thompson Editor-in-Chief Emily Darrow Editor-in-Chief & Head Designer Kristie Duve Photo Editor Jennifer Stirling Business Manager Alex “Mo” Mortenson Publicity Manager Carly Cash Illustrator & Design James Simonds Graphics Lindsey Lloyd Brandon Otto Kathryn Pisano Taylor Schmidt Dexter Stevens Jennifer Stirling Design Team Marissa Argiero Mason Camilleri Joel Gowen Justin Juback Chante Liu Melissa Mabry Miranda Mors Kathryn Pisano Makenzie Svihra Photographers Benjamin Bruetsch Sirah Camara Dan Edwards Nicole Ferguson Theodore Grammatico II Murphy Hansen Nathan Hoatlin Levi Kipke Cameron La Fontaine Nicole Lucas Michael McGonigle Michael Mioduszewski Colin Northrup Emily Pap Emily Tarnaski Jacob Van Hoof Staff Writers Rodney Satterthwaite Adviser

Memberships:

Illustration: James Simonds

Mail address: 2200 N. Parker Road Dexter MI, 48130 (734) 426-4240 ext: 7407 Email: dextersquall@ gmail.com

Staff Editorials Editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. Editorials are unsigned. Columns represented the opinions of the individual staff members who wrote them.

Staff policy

The Squall is a student publication distributed to students, faculty and staff of Dexter High School. The Squall is also distributed by subscription to the Dexter community. The Squall has a press run of 1700 copies and is printed by The Argus-Press in Owosso, Mich. The paper serves as a public forum with student editors making all content decisions. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of Dexter Community Schools.

Letters to the Editor

The Squall encourages letters to the editors. All letters will be screened for libel and obscenity. The editorial board may edit or shorten letter as long as the meaning is unchanged. All letters must be signed and include a telephone number for confirmation. Requests to withhold a writer’s name will be considered by the editorial board. Letters can be emailed to the Squall staff, dropped off in room 407 or given to any member of the Squall staff.

News

The Squall Page 4 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

A&W

memories Cam LaFontaine Staff Writer

William Howatt, 9 “I love A&W: How you get to sit in your car and get your food delivered by the waitresses, and the chili dogs and root beer are spectacular.”

Abby Mesaros, 10 “I love the milkshakes and the fries at A&W, and the service is really great.”

Bryan Tuzinowski, 10 “I love the ice cold A&W root beer, and the perfectly fried cheese curds and chili cheese fries are the bomb.”

Anthony Quail, 11

“I love the footlong hot dogs. They are so juicy and the chili is amazing. I like going to A&W any time I can.”

ne of Dexter’s most popular restaurants is the drive-up A&W located on Dexter-Chelsea Road. But rumors of its imminent closing, remodeling and land disputes arose prior to its scheduled opening on March 1. Coley O’Brien, owner of the Dexter A&W, said, however, that the rumors aren’t true. “No, we are not closing for remodeling,” he said. “We will be open for the 2012 season on March 1 and plan to close on Nov. 30. Our goal is to open every season on March 1. Given the seasonal nature of our business, it makes more sense to begin smaller remodeling projects immediately after we close for the season so that we don’t interrupt our operations while open in the spring. A major renovation, one that would take longer than the three months we are closed, would, of course, require us to close part of the season to accomplish. However, at this time, there are no plans to undertake a major renovation.” A&W employee junior Bailey Mayrand isn’t quite sure where the rumors about her employer closing started, but said she had heard them. “People had come up to me, asking if the A&W was closing but I really didn’t know, and I was pretty worried, because if A&W closed I’d probably cry. I love working there,” she said. While the operators of A&W do not have any plans for a major renovation, O’Brien said he has been doing small renovations in the interior of the building. “Prior to the 2012 season, most investments I have made in the Dexter A&W have been from an operational perspective,” he said. “For example, I have recently invested in a wireless

handheld ordering system to better serve our guests, which allowed me to easily integrate credit card processing. Also, I recently added a walk-in cooler/freezer to free up space in our food preparation area, allowing me to redesign the work flow of our kitchen. I have made many upgrades to the operations side of our business that to most customers are likely invisible. Hopefully, the only difference customers have noticed is higher quality food and quicker service.“ He also said there are not any land disputes or road projects currently planned to run through his property, despite rumors to the contrary which both have been part of the closing rumors. “My inclination is to believe the land dispute rumor is related to the proposed bypass of the one-lane bridge adjacent to our property,” O’Brien said. “One of the proposals is a road to bypass the bridge on the northeast portion of the property. I’m not aware of any projects concerning the property in the near future given the current budget constraints.” Washtenaw County Road Commission Senior Project Manager Matthew MacDonell agrees, but he said there is a design for a road on the property but noting is in the works that would affect the A&W property. “There was a design concept developed several years ago which may have had an impact on the property,” he said. “However, there is nothing planned in the Road Commission’s Capital Improvement Plan for improvements to the roads adjacent to the property.”

Closing time?

A & W owner denies rumors his store will shut down

Illustration by: Carly Cash

Feature Murphy Hansen Staff Writer

Waking up at 5:30 a.m., about two and a half hours before school starts, senior Jacob Caldwell rolls out of bed and changes for school. Arriving at school at 6:30, he begins to rehearse any new pieces he has received for orchestra or finishes any homework that needs to be done. He doesn’t mind the early hours, however. These are his passions. Caldwell is considered a talented viola player by his orchestra teacher, and he loves to read. “Books and music affect me just as they do anyone,” he said. “Both are fulfilling and enjoyable to engage in, but they also expand one’s schema. When you read, especially nonfiction, you experience new ideas, and when you reflect upon those ideas, you grow intellectually and personally.” With music and literature at the forefront of his interests, some of the people who have inspired him in his life are considered some of the best in their respective fields. “I admire their accomplishments and their contributions to the world,” he said. “I try to follow their example so that one day, I too can change the world. Some of the people, like Socrates, are known to the general public, but others, like Gustav Mahler, are not. I come across these more obscure people naturally as I pursue my interests.” Caldwell’s interests academically will lead him to Wooster College in Ohio for his undergraduate studies. “I hope to be a Philosophy or Classical Studies major, and I want to attend graduate school at the University of Chicago and eventually earn a Ph. D,” he said. Philosophy is interesting to Caldwell because “there is not always a right answer,” he said. “It’s quite ironic, because good philosophers know this to be the case, and yet, the still seek out the truth. There are many people who would disagree, arguing that philosophy doesn’t lead to any sort of career, and (that) it is therefore useless.” However, Caldwell argues that philosophy is more important than many say. “Throughout history, some of the most

“

The Squall Page 5 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012 influential figures, whether (they be) leaders, idealists, reformists or revolutionaries, were either philosophers or acting upon philosophy. Additionally, as Voltaire said, philosophy, among other humanities, is possibly the most important of all studies, because it allows the student to transcend the dogmas and prejudices of the time and see things with an objective, inquisitive and critical eye, resulting in a reflective and, theoretically, a righteous life.” Susan Walters and Ellen Doss have Caldwell in their Humanities class and say he is a exceptional student. “Jacob is all those things: naturally intelligent, a hard worker, articulate, involved, etc. He really appreciates the value of an education and is actively involved in making the most out of class,” Doss said. When he is not busy learning, Caldwell is playing his viola. And when it came to picking out an instrument, he decided to go with the one that wouldn’t be most student’s first choice. “Every instrument in the orchestra is unique, but I was drawn initially to the viola simply because it was the least popular,” he said. “As I became more familiar with the instrument, I began to favor it to most of the other instruments because of its sound. The tone of a viola is many things: dark, sweet, reflective, perhaps even melancholy.” Caldwell is the ideal student according to orchestra teacher Matt Deloria. “Honestly, I think Jacob has all the qualities I look for in a student,” Deloria said. “He works hard and has talent. He pays attention to detail and is very teachable. He is mature for his age and determined. I can’t imagine a quality in him I would seek to change.” So while he has given to the orchestra program, it has also given back to him. Caldwell said, “When you have something that you dedicate yourself to, regardless of what it is, you are going to grow in some way. I would have to say that playing the viola has led me to become a more appreciative person, perhaps because I am used to playing the minor role in things.”

He is mature for his age and determined. I can’t imagine a quality in him I would seek to change.” - Matt Deloria orchestra director

s d a e e f l i l l l s e ’ r w e d l h Calosop i h p Photo Credit: Chante Liu Senior Jacob Caldwell concentrates on a piece of music in orchestra. He has played in the orchestra for eight years and will attend Wooster College in the fall.

Sports

The Squall Page 6 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

Other signed athletes Edward Reny Wayne State Football

Tucker Whitley Siena Heights Football

Michael Mioduszewski

Signed

Eastern Michigan Football

Charlie Sleder Hope College Football

Jake Haviland Eastern Michigan Football

Victoria Pepper Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne Soccer

Claire Tewksbury

U of M Pole vaulting

Micaela Conter Central Michigan Pole vaulting

Drew Barnes Alma College Wrestling

Silvasi commits to Valparaiso soccer

Photos by: Cassandra Silvasi

Senior Sarah Silvasi blocks a shot for her club team. Silvasi was scouted by five other colleges, including The University of Michigan, before choosing to play soccer at Valparaiso.

Teddy Grammatico Staff Writer

Senior Sarah Silvasi has been playing competitive soccer since she was eight, but her career is showing no signs of coming to an end. Silvasi has just signed a letter of intent to play at Valparaiso, where she will be competing for the starting goalie position against two others. Silvasi said she has been talking to college coaches since her freshman year, and Valparaiso was not the only school that has scouted her. The University of Ohio, Ball State, Central Michigan, George Mason and Morehead State all offered her a spot on their respective teams. Choosing Valparaiso over the other schools wasn’t a challenge, however. She said her decision came down to more than just soccer. “Valparaiso has a good nursing school, and that’s what I’m planning on doing,” Silvasi said. “I really like the coach and the players too. It’s a close-knit team.” Silvasi signs her letter of intent on National Head Coach John Marovich will be heading Signing Day, Feb. 1.

into his fourth season this year as the leader of the Valparaiso womens team. He enters the season with a career record of 2623-9 and a .526 winning percentage. And Marovich is one of the reasons Silvasi chose Valparaiso. “My Valparaiso coach is really nice and motivating,” she said. Her family was also impressed with the coach. “We adore the coach and his players love him,” Silvasi’s mother, Cassandra Silvasi said. “Even though we left the decision completely up to her, it was secretly our top choice too.” Coach Marovich did not respond to request for interviews for this story. Sarah has also played for a private soccer team, the Michigan Hawks, and it was while playing for the Hawks she was initially scouted. “My goalie coach would talk to schools that I asked him to,” Sarah said. She had help from her mother as well. Cassandra Silvasi said she has been involved with her daughter’s soccer career from the start. “I have been involved to the extent of being the team manager, traveling with her and of course the expense of her playing,” she said. “She has so much on her plate, and she always manages to shine at everything she does. We are so proud of her. We could not ask for a better kid.”

Entertainment

The Squall Page 7 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012 Mike Mioduszewski Staff Writer

The Reddit addiction

Site provides hours of news, Where to be online Follow the trend entertainment and political action Every day junior Drew Richardson goes home, takes off his shoes and logs onto Reddit.com for at least an hour, sometimes maybe three. Richardson said, “It’s just a fun way to relax after a long day at school. It is amusing and is interesting to me.” Reddit is a site which has skyrocketed in use in the past few years, especially with the younger population. Reddit has also been politically active. When the site’s founders realized the Stop Online Piracy Act might pass, which would have had widespread implications for the Internet community, they and other websites such as imgur.com and tumblr jumped to action. In fact, Reddit incited most of its 25 million plus users to action by shutting down its insanely popular site and prompting them to call their local representatives. Senior and long-time Reddit user Haden Quinn, who said he uses the site for at least eight hours a week was impressed by this mass protest. “They shut down their website,” he said. “It had a major effect on the online community. Once people realized that they might lose one of their favorite websites if the bill went through, it motivated them.” On Jan. 18 when people went to reddit.com they were redirected to the contact information of their local representative and were prompted to give him a call or email. “I did it,” Quinn said. “I honestly didn’t have much else to do that day. I was sick so I was bedridden.” He added that he thinks Reddit is a positive influence and isn’t “all about cute cats.” The site does, however, feature a copious amount of cats and other topics that are not politically motivated. According to Quinn, “Sub-reddits are branches off the original website, which are created by the community who use the

site. The goal of the site is to keep people interested and to give them a place to find and give information about topics that may or may not be covered in normal society.” Richardson is a fan of sub-reddits and said his favorite subreddits are /r/aww, /r/gaming, and /r/IAMA. “I spend most of my time on Reddit on these,” he said. “I also browse through all of the charities that are ran through the site. Reddit has swept through my group of friends, and it hasn’t been entirely bad. We have learned some stuff that we hadn’t even thought about before that. Reddit is sweeping the nation and recently Dexter High School. Whether it is a good or a bad thing depends upon how you use it, but the overall message and directive of the site is positive.” Quinn agrees and said Reddit is as good as you make it. It can be mindless entertainment or it can be educational. “Most people use it in a semi-constructive manner,” he said. “What makes it so appealing is that you can use it as entertainment or as a source for information and advice.”

GEMSTONE HOMES, INC. Ted Grammatico

Liscensed Contractor/Developer 2580 West Ellsworth Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108

Main 734.663.0630 Mobile 734.320.1866 Fax 734.663.1847

imgur.com

Imgur allows you to share images on the Internet easily. It can be used to share pictures with friends as well as post images on message boards and blogs. You can manipulate the image a number of ways and automatically submit it to popular sites such as Reddit or Digg. Plus this site’s use is completely free.

tumblr.com Tumblr lets you share anything via the web. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music and videos from your browser, phone, desktop, email or wherever you happen to be. You can customize everything, from colors to your theme’s HTML.

digg.com

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web, from the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog. They provide tools for the community to discover content, discuss the topics they’re passionate about, connect with like-minded people and make some new friends in the process. By looking at information through the lens of the collective community on Digg, you’ll always find something interesting and unique.

stumbleupon.com

StumbleUpon helps you discover and share great websites. As you click Stumble!, web pages appear that are matched to your personal preferences. These pages have been recommended by your friends or one of over 15 million other websurfers with interests similar to you. Rating the sites you like automatically shares them with like-minded people, and helps you discover great sites your friends recommend.

Spread

The Squall Page 8 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

The Squall Page 9 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012 Colin Northrup Staff Writer

Illustration: Carly Cash

Former Squallers remember 2002 Teachers remember the first days as hectic but exciting Levi Kipke Staff Writer

Then: News editor Now: Works for Marriott hotels

What do you miss the most about the news room?

“

I miss writing for the paper in general. I loved the laid-back atmosphere of the class, collaborating with students for story ideas.

Then: Co-editor-in-chief Now: Assistant District Attorney, Philadelphia

”

In February of 2002, Dexter’s new high school opened its doors to students for the first time. Dick Lundy, who has been school board treasurer for over 30 years, said the board realized the need for a new high school when the average class size coming up through the system started to exceed 300 students. “As the bubble of students approached high school, we realized we needed to act or we would be faced with overcrowding,” he said. According to Lundy, the most challenging part of the process was to put together a plan the community could get behind and support. “If we could have, we would have built two high schools of about 600 (students) each,” Lundy said. “But the community was opposed to that idea and wanted a single Dexter High School.” The plan was designed to keep the schools together as a single campus as much as possible, and the high school building was constructed with future expansion in mind. And if the population growth picks up again, Dexter already has a contingency plan in case. “A third pod can be added to the high school, as the water and sewer (utilities) are in place to handle it,” Lundy said. “We also own 90 acres of additional land south of the high school. I’m proud of our high school and really proud of all of our kids.” One of those kids is Nicole Wright. She graduated in 2002 as part of the first graduating class of the new high school and said she had many positive thoughts about moving to the new building. “I was really

the old school didn’t have. For example,Wright said she loved the brand new Center for the Performing Arts and the new band room, which she said was amazing. But Wright said the best part of the new high school was, “No portables. When you would have a class in there, you thought, ‘Oh, rats’. A portable is a building that stands alone and is separated from the main building. There was one classroom in each portable and no facilities to wash one’s hands or use the bathroom. Unlike Wright, one of her instructors, Jo Muszkiewicz, had a portable and loved it. “You could make as much noise as you wanted to in them,” she said. Muszkiewicz has been teaching in Dexter since 1997. Despite giving up her portable, she said she was enthusiastic about moving to the new high school. “It was really exciting because it was a brand-new facility and there would be no more overcrowding,” she said. However, she said that the new building didn’t change the way she taught her classes very much. But, she said, the new school did prove beneficial to her classes in certain ways. “Having the ability to open the classroom walls to make one large common classroom is good for team teaching,” Muszkiewicz said. She also, said the new high school has some drawbacks. “I miss seeing many of my colleagues,” she said. I only see the teachers in my area most often.” Superintendent Mary Marshall was the principal of the 5th and 6th graders at Wylie in 2002. “Our high school is an impressive presence as you drive up to it, but I know once most parents come inside, the facility is only one of many factors they consider,” she said via email. “Having adequate facilities is an important component of a comprehensive educational program, but education is mostly about people taking care of people. It is the culture of the school that is most important.” Marshall attended several meetings about the new high school, but did not have direct input into the design. She was, however, working on the renovations of Wylie and Creekside at the time, preparing to move her staff into Creekside after the high school students moved out. Marshall attended the ground-breaking ceremony, though, and said she remembers the discussions about how to have the band play with t h e challengi n g acoustics of the outdoor ceremony. Challenges aside, Marshall, like Wright, thinks the building itself has many wonderful features. “I think the building has been a benefit to us,” Marshall said. “Having large meeting places, a top-notch gym and CPA, large classrooms with lovely views of nature and the special touches the students have added through their art make the high school building a place where learning can thrive.” Now, though, Marshall is concerned with ensuring that DHS will continue to thrive in the future. “In the next 10 years the economy will dictate what challenges we face. If housing developments increase, we’ll continue to look at how to use our existing buildings to the best of our ability. I also think that learning opportunities for our students that are outside of the walls of the school will dramatically increase.” Like many things in our country today, the economy is the linchpin to future plans. “The economy is key to determining how we use our space,” she said. ”Our teachers and students will be key in determining how we continue to develop academic programs that prepare students for a world with challenges we cannot yet imagine.”

Current building opened a decade ago

What was the best experience you had while a part of The Squall?

“

One of my co-staffers and I did a column together called “The Squaller Scandal.” We went on little adventures around Dexter and Ann Arbor trying new places, visiting old places, having fun and reporting about it.

What was the best part of being on the newspaper staff?

Then: managing editor Now: Reporter at “The Annapolis Capital”

“

I loved feeling like we were a part of building something important, rather than going to a class that might never apply to our lives after high school.

”

excited to step into a new building that nobody had stepped into before,” she said. “When I stepped in, I thought it was humongous. I was overwhelmed because I’m directionally challenged, and I was afraid I would get lost.” Wright said the teachers seemed rejuvenated being in the new building. “They were excited and more creative,” she said. “Definitely a difference from the old high school. There were smiles all around. There (were) more group activities and we even started doing more dissections in anatomy.” According to Wright, even clubs seemed rejuvenated by the new building. For example, SADD held an event called Prom Promise, during which they brought a crashed car to put in front of the school in order to convince students to sign contracts to not drink and drive. “It was an honor to be among the first to graduate from the new high school,“ Wright said. “It was an amazing experience.” However, for Wright, being among the first people to graduate from the new building had an emotional price tag. “The only drawback was that my mom was a Dexter alumnus,” she said. “So I was a little torn because I wanted to graduate from the same school as her.” The new high school also included some new features that

Interactive Spread

Who will you vote for?

Krisite Duve Levi Kipke

Did someone ever teach you how to dougie?

Rick Santorum

Dexter Stevens

17%

Twitter

11%

Sirah Camara

Angela Chea, social studies

Staff Writer

21% Facebook 20% Reddit

Alex Mortensen

Leslie Tracy, science

Michael McGonigle

Tom Barbieri, P.E.

Newt Gingrich

Stephen Colbert

Ron Paul

Mitt Romney

Barack Obama

Teachers

Kit Moran

Michael McGonigle

26% 11% 6% 2% 2% 10%

31%

Stumbleupon

Best entertainment?

43%

Favorite Squaller

Ryan Baese, social studies

Results based on a random survey of 100 students

Jo Muszkiewicz, English

The Squall Page 10 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

5x5

Mr. Moran taught me how to dougie at homecoming.

The what ...

Teach? I instruct the dougie.

I don’t know what a dougie is.

What do they do when they see you rollin’? Are they hatin’?

Yes. Definitely hating.

Haters gon’ hate.

Can I plead the Fifth?

They’re always laughing.

Every day. They’re trying to catch me riding dirty.

What’s your P-PP-Pokerface look like?

Eyes on cards, no smiles.

Sassy duck face in a beautiful

*serious face*

Just like Lady Gaga.

My pokerface is like the mask from V for Vendetta.

I’m in anatomy so hands deep.

That sounds obscene.

How deep are you rolling and is it with Yep. Pretty deep. someone like you?

You’re sexy, but do you know it?

Yep. I try not to show it.

That’s a trap so I won’t answer it.

I work out.

Of course.

It’s someone like Someone exactly like McGonigle, me. and I roll deep. Only because you tell me so, Michael.

Yes, I know. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah.

Interactive Spread

The Squall Page 11 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2011

Talking heads

Graphics by Emily Darrow

Follow the chart below to find your candidate

Are you voting ... Democrat? or Republican? Dislike Obama?

No No

Yes

Against socialized health care for all citizens?

Should gay marriage be legalized?

Yes No

What are your interests? Some of my friends own NASCAR teams.

Bashing Mitt Romney Foreign policy?

I oppose invading Iran and support legalized marijuana.

Moon Base?

What’s the point of all this weight if we don’t throw it around?

I’m crazy, but more in a 51st STATE, BABY! “theocracy” kind of way.

Opinion

The Squall Page 12 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

Letters to the editor

overkill?

Jacob Van Hoof

Thanks to hockey team for event Dear editor, I would like to extend a public thank you to the Dexter varsity hockey team and their parents for making Teacher Appreciation Night on Jan. 28 a fun experience. In this day and age in which I wonder if anyone truly appreciates educators, it was nice to know that one group at the high school chose to rise up and say thank you. It was an enjoyable evening, and I hope that this becomes one of the worthwhile traditions at DHS. Sincerely, Matt Martello Theater and Film, Media Lit. and Drama II teacher

Staff Writer

As a legal adult, and as a senior who is about to leave the protective care of my parent’s home for the free world of college, I am beginning to realize just how babied I, along with most other children of my generation, have been over the years. When I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I thought I had all the freedom in the world and the ability to do anything and everything I wanted, but I quickly saw how much more freedom I could have. It didn’t take long for me to notice multiple instances where adolescents are overly cared for. Dexter High School is one of the least restrictive and pro-student institutions in Michigan, but even we have some members of the community who believe students are too immature to deal with real issues. A locally run blog advocates some form of censorship of The Squall because they think we are unable to handle such adult material as readers and writers. But as high schoolers, we are aware of the fact that drug use, underage drinking, and sexual activity occur around us. Trying to “protect” us from such topics is unnecessary, and I would argue that it hurts us more than anything. It seems like I’m being coddled pretty extensively for a supposed adult. And the new curfew for young drivers is just another example of teenagers being babied. Requiring 16 year olds to be off the road by 10 p.m. is a preventative measure that doesn’t need to be taken. Kids who misbehave are going to do so whether they are driving or not, and this new curfew just restricts kids who actually obey the rules even more. In addition, there has been a crack down on “unsportsmanlike conduct” in youth sports. Sportsmanship is all well and good, but the focus on these new policies to protect kids’ feelings is too much. From refusing to publish the scores of sports games in fear of embarrassing the bad teams to misconstruing celebration as taunting, it’s getting out of hand. Obviously there are some cases where restrictions should be made, and there are some kids who need the extra care and guidance of adults, but it has gone too far. Most seniors will be adults by the time they graduate. Most of us are trusted to drive a car by the time we reach the tenth grade, but we aren’t allowed to watch an R-rated movie in school without permission, we can’t vote in elections and we have to be protected from having our feelings hurt? I don’t see how that really makes sense.

Nathan Hoatlin Staff Writer

Today’s kids have their work cut out for them. The notion that they are babied is hilarious. From the moment we enter school, we are expected to make adult decisions that will affect the outcome of our entire lives. In addition, test standards and course requirements have become tougher, adding to a student’s already burgeoning workload. The stresses of schoolwork combined with the upsurge of drugs and a failing economy all contribute to the challenges faced by today’s generation. We grew up as the “lost” generation, on TV shows created solely for their shock value, energy drinks and cell phones. Where our parents played outside, many kids today only get outside in their video games. Obesity is becoming a problem not because we eat too much but because we do too little outside. Our modern world is one where what you do on a computer is just as important as what you do off one. We’ve been handed a country with a list of problems as long as it’s register. We haven’t been babied. In fact it’s quite the opposite. We’ve been exposed since a young age to a harsh, cruel, but real world, in everything from modern television to video games, to even billboards. Our mettle as a generation has been tested before, and will be again. We’ve experienced a recession, a technological revolution, and we’ve made it this far. Give us a little credit please. It seems like we’re being judged based on unproven assumptions. As a senior, three years in high school have taught me a lot. Granted, I was definitely immature and babied as a freshman, but I would like to think that four years in high school has matured me, as well as my classmates, into respectable, independent young adults. The notion that we have been babied throughout our educational experience is ridiculous. Can our parents curriculum even compare to the stuff we’re learning? I don’t think so. All of this exposure to the realities of life combined with the modern speed of information has allowed us to grow up in a cold, real world, and as such, our outlook on life will be different than that of our parents. No, we haven’t been babied at all, rather we have been handed a long list of issues, and are expected to tackle them. We have it tough. Probably tougher than our parents, but I’m confident that our generation will meet this challenge with dignity.

Our generation has it tough

If you’d like to write a letter to the editor, please email it to dextersquall@gmail.com and include your name and phone number for verification purposes. The Squall reserves the right to edit the columns for space, unprotected speech, mechanical errors and content deemed inappropriate according to The Squall’s editorial policy.

Hand holding

Editorial

The Squall Page 13 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

Government needs to do more to save the environment

It seems a lot of people and businesses around the country claim to be “going green,” and some people and corporations do indeed walk the walk, doing their best to use renewable energies, recycle, drive hybrid or electric cars and promote the use of clean energies to protect the earth from going up in flames and industrial smog. But is that enough? We respect people are concerned about the environment, but it’s not individuals who affect the e nvi ro n m e n t in the worst ways. What hurts us the most is the lack of action that the government takes to make this earth cleaner. The acts of individuals only go so far. Sadly for Mother Earth, there are a lot of people who don’t support a cleaner earth and don’t do their part to help. That’s why more needs to be done by the government and by corporations to step up and use their power and influence to Mother Nature’s advantage. One of the first things the government can do is establish safety regulations for offshore drilling projects. Remember last year’s BP disaster? We need to take more preventive steps to make sure another disaster of those proportions never happens again. We’re not completely against off shore oil drilling. The United States produced more oil and natural gas in 2010 than they have since 2003, and the oil industry employs a lot of people. We need to make sure corporations are held responsible for their actions. We need to be more responsible when it comes to our environment. A simple way we can prevent another one of those ludicrous oil spills from happening is to not rely

What we think: Without government incentives, there will never be long-lasting environmental change.

Illustration: Carly Cash

so much on oil as our main source of energy. It really is that simple. Our country also needs to invest more of our time and money into other sources of alternative energies, ideally investing in wind energy, the cleanest, most efficient and cheapest source of energy. Thankfully, the Obama administration has taken action and has started to move the US in the right direction for the expansion of cleaner energy in the States. In 2010, President Obama approved the first offshore wind farm in the US off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The turbines will produce enough clean electricity to power more than 200,000 homes in towns on the coast of Massachusetts. We also should promote and encourage people to invest their time and money into buying greener and more efficient products by enticing them with rewards and benefits. The government should implement tax breaks for people who drive hybrid or electric cars and for people who prove themselves who are truly “green.” Standards should be set up for people to follow, and if people follow most of them, they should be rewarded by getting a reduction on their taxes. Those who fail to meet the standards wouldn’t be punished or forced to pay any higher taxes. Finally, public transportation should also be made more readily accessible to people living in the US. Not only does public transportation provide personal mobility for people and create thousands of jobs, but it also is good for the environment. According to the American Public Transportation Association, increasing the number of bus and rail lines will reduce driving by 4,400 miles per household which reduces congestion and our reliance on oil and other dangerous energies that harm our planet. We live in a beautiful world, yes we do. But the government needs to help us do more to take care of it.

Do you think the US should be more green? Freshmen Chelsea Kearns

Sophomore Maria Brooks

Junior Nick Prada

Senior Chase Galloway

“Yes, I think that we all need to become more green.”

“Yes, I do. It’d be better for us in the long run.”

“Yes, I think the US needs to change their environmental policy.”

“Yeah, we should find new sources of energy instead of relying so much on oil from foreign countries.”

Get Involved

The Squall Page 14 www.thesquall.com March 2, 2012

Made in Japan Club celebrates Asian culture Emily Tarnaski Staff Writer

Senior Cory Albert was in seventh grade when she was first introduced to Anime. Her friend gave her an Anime book which ultimately sparked her love of Anime movies and her immediate entrance into the Anime Club when she got in high school. It was a life-changing moment. Anime is a Japanese style of animation, usually with a science fiction theme, and The Anime Club is a group of people who get together after school in the history teacher Angela Chea’s room to watch Anime movies and episodes. Senior club leader Riley Baker said he knows people think his club is nerdy, but he also knows it’s more than that. “We are nerdy and all, but we’re also a group of people who get together to watch Anime, eat food and celebrate the Japanese culture,” he said. “The fact that everyone can enjoy it, and it is good that we can get together and say, ‘You watch these movies together,’ instead of just alone on

weekends is why I love it.” The daily schedule of the club is relaxing and full of camaraderie Albert said. “We usually go into a classroom, talk for about 10 minutes, vote for the movie we want to watch and then we start watching it.” The club is especially fun for an Anime connoisseur like senior Tony Fischer. “It’s entertaining and a different style of TV to watch than normal shows,” he said. “It’s never the same thing twice, that’s for sure.” And while the club may be fun for those who are interested in Anime, Baker said anyone can and should join . “You don’t need to like Anime or be knowledgeable about it to be in the club,” he said. “We might be the smallest club, but I believe we have the most fun and bonding time together. It’s just like going to a movie. I just love to go to hang out with my friends.” Albert agrees. She said, “Even if you don’t like Anime, you can come in and learn the Japanese culture and get to know other people.”

Giving back

Photo Credit: Mason Camilleri

Junior Daniel Lozen-Kowalski gives blood on Feb. 24. This was the final NHS-sponsored blood drive of the year.

NHS blood drive saves lives Ben Bruetsch Staff Writer

Senior Taylor Marcel has donated in all of the blood drives this year, including the third one which just occurred on Feb. 24. Every year, the National Honor Society holds three blood drives at Dexter High School, but not many people attend all three for any other reason then the perk of getting out of class. “It’s a good feeling to donate (blood),” she said, “because it’s a lot easier than giving money, which few high schoolers have these days. And you know that blood is going directly to helping someone. Whereas with money you don’t know where it went after you donated it.” NHS adviser Cheryl Wells agrees and said giving blood helps in ways people might not even

have thought of. “You may not realize it,” she said. “But blood is used in pretty much every surgery, not just a blood transfusion.” In fact, Wells said blood is needed more then most people think. Which is why people like Marcel like to give and want more people to do the same. “I think that people don’t give blood because they are scared to but really it isn’t that bad at all, and goes by much quicker than you’d think,” she said. “I know people who play sports shouldn’t give blood because they will have to skip practice that day, but others should give blood because it is just a little bit of time out of your day and the feeling of giving it is very rewarding.”

Illustration Credit: Carly Cash