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theTROYINDEPENDENT Vol. 1 Issue 2
December 5, 2011
thetroyindependent.org
SEE FALL PLAY, PAGE 3
BY DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN AND CAROLYN GEARIG Editors-in-Chief
They go to every game. They stand in the front. They cheer. They rally the crowd. The carry the deer head. They are the TC Line. The Troy Independent sat down with the TC Line to find out what their favorite memories were from football season, what they’re planning for basketball season, and how they’re going to choose the Line for next year. How will you hand down the deer head for next year? T, JOE PRITCHARD: The junior that shows the most spirit [will get it].
DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN
BY DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN AND CAROLYN GEARIG Editors-in-Chief
As the THS marching band played “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette walked into the Polish American Cultural Center to introduce Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. The crowd cheered, raising their “Michigan for Mitt” signs. At 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, November 10, Mitt Romney came to Troy for a political rally, in which the THS Marching Band provided entrance music, as well as playing the American National Anthem. The rally was originally set in Madison Heights, and the Lamphere High School band was going to play. The decision was made to switch it to Troy with a day to prepare; Superintendent
Above: From front, senior Ah Young Kwak, sophomore Erin Gao, and junior Mindy Kim rest at attention during the rally. The Troy Colt Marching Band agreed to play at the rally on a day’s notice. Left: Mitt Romney, Republican presidential hopeful, addresses his supporters. Haling from Bloomfield Hills, Romney returned to Michigan for the rally.
Barbara Fowler scrambled to get the THS band ready. “It was challenging…we shocked the bus garage when we said we needed five buses the next day,” said Troy High School Director of Bands Brian Nutting. The band arrived at the rally an hour early in order to get set up and play welcoming music for all patrons. “This all came up last minute. I heard about it at 4:00 [on the afternoon of the ninth],” said Karin Tabaka, mother of freshman trombone player Michael Tabaka. Even so, some parents, including Karin, still managed to attend the event in support of their children. Attendance was especially important to John and Tami Kendziorski, parents of junior alto saxophone player Emily Kendziorski, who tape all of the
band performances and upload them to their YouTube channel: johnktroyhighband09 (named for the year John began filming). “I think exposure here in Troy and T.V. exposure is all good…they’re a great band and deserve some exposure,” said John. Nutting was also pleased with the publicity the band gained from the rally, including being mentioned in 12 nationwide newspapers. “In the end it was a great learning experience being in that environment. The exposure was as positive as we’d hoped,” he said. However, while some students were excited to get to perform at such a unique venue—“I think it’s a really interesting and unique experience,” said senior drum major Alex Vincent— others refused to perform. SEE ROMNEY, PAGE 3
What are you looking forward to the most about basketball season? R, BRETT ST. CYR: Watching Evan [Mahone] and James [Young] tear it up. [And] all the new chants. What will you miss the most about TC Line next year? O, MILES MACDONALD: That’s a good one. Tailgating. [And] spinning beats on the cowbell. What was your favorite theme and why? Y, ANDY HALL: The goth theme. We all looked really scary. The crowd was loving it. SEE TC LINE, PAGE 3
PHOTO COURTESY OF MILES MACDONALD
The Troy High School Theater Ensemble put on its fall play, Almost, Maine, from Thursday, November 17, through Saturday, November 19 in the Troy High Auditorium. “It’s funny and entertaining, and it has varied characters,” said TTE director Rick Bodick. Stage manager Liza Burakova, junior, described the play as an adorable and funny series of skits, and joked that she did not mind having to watch it 17 times as part of the backstage crew. Bodick noted how long the cast and crew had been preparing for the show. “Auditions were September 22 and 23. We began rehearsals September 26, rehearsing three days a week,” he said. The show was originally written by Tony Award nominee John Cariani and premiered in New York in 2006. Consisting of nine separate scenes, the play explores the ups and downs of modern relationships. Many of the actors had to take on more mature roles than in past performances, some even facing a first time on-stage kiss. “Playing a [romantic] character… is a little bit different, but it still is about playing any type of character presented to you, and making it the best you can,” said junior and theater veteran James Hendrickson, whose character, Steve, a highly unemotional person, falls in love with a girl and develops his emotions. Actress Maggie Steele, junior, said, “[My costar, sophomore Alex Dello,
CAROLYN GEARIG
BY SONALEE JOSHI Public Relations
The TC Line gets ready for the Homecoming game goth theme by wearing chains, chokers, and wigs. The Homecoming game was held on Friday, Oct 7.
PAGE 2
BY JAKE LOURIM Sports Editor Troy girls’ basketball coach Dennis Koch’s message last year as Auburn Hills Avondale accepted the district championship trophy was simple. Soak it in, so we can be there next year. He began his team’s motivation after Avondale romped Troy on the Colts’ floor, 57-38. Five seniors are back to try to make sure that that doesn’t happen again. “My heart was broken,” senior captain Katy McCuish said. “We’ll take
JAKE
When the final buzz- LOURIM er sounded on the Troy soccer team’s 1-0 state semifinal loss to Grand Haven Nov. 2, most of the seniors fell to the ground, crying. The season they had taken so far was over. After that moment of sadness, though, senior Jason Leslie got on the team bus and hugged every single player. After the stinging feeling subsided, it felt like a really special season for Troy. The Colts hadn’t won a regional title since 2003. They again weren’t expected to go far, having lost several top scorers from last year. That in-
that and know it’s not going to end up that way this year.” Troy has a long road to get there. THE TEAM: In contrast from last year’s sporadic lineup, Koch had a good idea of who would start early on: McCuish, senior Karin Moss, junior Sabria Cotton, and sophomores Rachael Zelmanski and Sydney Heath. Zelmanski and Heath will anchor the paint, but they’ll have to try to compensate for the loss of 6-foot-1 allOAA center Liz Siepker, now playing at Hope College. On the perimeter, Troy returns a trio of quick guards in McCuish, Moss, and Cotton.
Moss, especially, can fire up the team. A University of Buffalo signee, the streaky shooter caught fire at times last year to carry Troy. Koch emphasized she must take better shots and play better defense. “Hopefully she’s determined to win championships,” Koch said, “and not just work on her stat line.” But Moss and Troy have to improve consistency. Four times last year, they split league matchups after winning the first game. “That’s a good point,” Koch said. “That’s something we’ve already talked about this season. I think hopefully our girls and [I] will do a better job of preparing. Maturity and leadership will help.” THE SCHEDULE: Troy opens the schedule Tuesday at Oxford before diving into a grueling league slate. It includes matchups with Southfield-Lath-
rup, Clarkston, West Bloomfield, and Avondale. Koch likened the Red to the Men’s Big East Conference, which has 16 teams and several perennial powerhouses. “It’s going to be a dogfight day in and day out,” he said. THE POSTSEASON: Troy won’t get the chance to host a district again this year, but it will have a chance to take down Avondale on its home floor. “The girls are hungrier; they want to win championships,” Koch said. “The girls will have an idea of what it will take now.”
cludes Sean Cunningham, now playing professionally for a club team in Norway. But nobody told these seniors. They had lofty goals from the get-go. “I’m hoping we get another league championship, and a district championship, and maybe just get one game over that hump that we did last year,” Leslie said during tryouts in August. “We were trying to figure out how we would fill the roles of people that graduated, and I think everybody stepped up,” senior A.J. Kalina said. Only Leslie scored double-digit goals for Troy, but six players scored at least five. Troy players celebrated a regional title on Oct. 29. This senior class did what no class has done since 2003, win a regional championship. “With the classes that preceded this class, there was always a superstar, a
go-to guy,” Troy coach Brian Zawislak said. “Although Matt’s a very good goalie, on the field, there wasn’t a go-to guy, so I feel like this senior class established that team aspect. Everyone [has] to contribute in order for the team to do well.” And everybody did contribute. There was the first Rochester Adams game, when everything seemed to be going horribly wrong in a 2-0 loss. Yet Troy reeled off five straight wins after that game, including the next night. There was the Adams game in the district tournament, when the Highlanders scored in the first 40 seconds, but Troy then rallied to win 3-1. And there were all the 1-0 wins, when the game went deep into the depths of the second half at 0-0 but Troy netted the winner in the last few moments. “It’s that mentality that, this program, we just reload,” Zawislak said.
“We prepare for the next year, and that mentality that we’re capable of winning every game, that we’re capable of producing and improving talent as the year goes on, and just that team aspect that we need everyone to contribute in order to win.” The senior class certainly played a big part in it. “I really feel like the reason why we developed was because they took accountability for things off the field,” Zawislak said. “Making sure guys knew the practice time, making sure they were prepared for the game, what they’re going to wear to school, [and] little things like that. “The coaching staff held them accountable for those kinds of things, and I think the seniors really took ownership of the team, and by them taking a stake in it, it made it more important for them, and then I think the younger kids just fed off of that,” Zawislak said. Only one team gets to win a state championship, and obviously Troy wasn’t it. After seven 1-0 wins, the Colts ended up on the wrong end for the first time this season, halting a remarkable season put together by a momentous senior class. “I’m just proud of the effort,” Zawislak said. “When it’s all said and done, can we walk off the field with our heads held high? I know we would have loved to have been playing on Saturday, but we’re not, and that’s OK, because we did everything we could.” And that’s why, after that sinking feeling goes away, there’s nothing to cry about.
TEACHER COUPONS Ms. Kowalewicz’s pre-calculus student can earn 5 extra credit points, applied to your homework grade, for correctly completing the following problems from your text book: Pg. 190 #18, Pg. 206 #30, Pg. 207 #44. Original problem must be stated, all work must be shown, and the answer must be correct. Due by the end of the semester.
50 extra credit points to any student of Mr. Paciorek’s who can write a top 10 list of reasons why personal integrity is important in school and in life. Another 60 points to those who can give 10 specific examples from current events illustrating where society appears to be integrity-challeneged or lacking integrity completely. Due Jan. 5.
Ms. Kowalewicz’s calculus 3 students can earn 5 extra credit points, applied to your homework grade, for correctly completing the TrueFalse Quiz on page 1057 in your textbook. You must explain why or give an example to disprove the statement. All work due by the end of the semester.
Four extra credit points for any stuThe first student from each of Mrs. 10 extra credit points to any- dent of Mrs. O’Brien’s who submits Stratman’s classes who writes a one in Ms. Miller’s or Ms. Mor- a sample of all four sentence types math problem related to the holi- ris’ Food and Culture class (simple, compound, complex, and days and bring it to Mrs. Stratman who bakes holiday cookies. compound-complex) cut from a Must bring copy of recipe and newspaper or magazine. Online exwill earn two bonus points. digital picture of you baking them. amples won’t be accepted. Any of Ms. Vettraino’s 9 LC or 10 Good until end of the semester. Ms. Chang’s Chinese 2 and 3 classHonors students who can tell a riddle to the class and stump them will Cada estudiante en la Sra. Tucker’s es. No Homework Pass. Limit one get 3 extra credit points. Deadline: clase que canta y baila a la canción per semester per student. Valid “Mi hombre de Nieve” para la clase through 1/20/2012. end of first semester. recibe cinco puntos de crédito extra.
PAGE 3 To redeem your coupon, cut it out and bring it to your teacher, along with any other requirements stated.
20 points extra credit to Mr. Morrison’s students if you come up with a Physics Carol (all original words to any tune, describing something about physics) and sing it to another science teacher or in the hallways between class, before/after school. Ho! Ho! Ho! The first 12 students that bring in a top soil sample sealed in a plastic bag from their home properly labeled with latitude and longitude (Google earth) to Mr. Zynda will receive 10 points extra credit. Due date: Jan 3. For 10 extra credit points, write a complete paragraph (6-10 sentences) explaining in detail why Mrs. Parks’ class is the best English class ever. Highlight the verbs. 1 Free Recipe coupon Ms. Morris or Ms. Miller’s Foods Class.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE: How did you decide who gets to be what letter? TC, ZACH AMBROSE: It was kind of first come first serve—whoever talked to Joe first. The “T” is always the head of the TC Line and “ROY” are really cool. Why did you want to do TC Line? C, TREVOR GOHL: [For the outfits.] It was exciting. What kind of person do you think should be on the TC Line? O, ANTHONY PANELLA: Someone who’s energetic and loud. What’s your favorite memory from football season? L, MIKE MENDOLA: How cold I was in the rain...and the band.
FALL PLAY: and I] took the onstage kiss as part of the job, but the hardest part was having my family bothering me about it.” 125 spectators came to opening night of the production and thoroughly enjoyed the show, according to junior Marie Talarico, who thought the show was very cute and relatable to the teenage population. She enjoyed how contemporary the play was and how adorable the vignettes were. “That show had one of the best audiences I have ever experienced, and when we got to see everything come together after all the separate work we had done to put the different scenes together, it just felt [ really] amazing,” said Hendrickson. “I hope [the audience got] to enjoy the show as much as I do I hope they saw that theatre isn’t just a silly little play—we all work hard and that we want everyone to enjoy the show,” said junior actress Kelly Niemiec. Hendrickson wished the audience would glean one simple message from the show, “Take a chance!”
ROMNEY: What was your favorite game? T, MITCH JUDY: The [Homecoming] goth game.
“I find it morally repugnant that a superintendent of a public school system finds it...right to pull students out of school to be affiliated by associaIf there was one thing you could’ve tion with one party or the other,” said done differently for football season, senior euphonium player Skye Curtis. what would it have been? Senior French horn player Grace S, NICK KONDOLEON: I have Fu didn’t attend, either, because her no regrets. mother wouldn’t let her. Mrs. Fu could not be reached for comment. Are you guys planning anything big According to Curtis, seniors were for basketball season? more vocal about their concerns be!, CAMERON JOHNSON: It’s a cause they felt more comfortable exsurprise. We’re going to blow the roof pressing themselves to Nutting. “Mr. off. Nutting is wonderful. He’s never going to force a student [to do something]. How was it wearing the colt costume That’s not what music is about,” she every week? said. MASCOT, TYLER SMITH: It was English teacher Kathy Garvelink awful. You can’t see. also felt the need to express her alarm. She had a phone conversation with While the cast gets their time in Nutting and emailed Fowler and THS the spotlight, Burakova feels that the principal Mark Dziatczak with her crew sometimes is underappreciated opinion. “If things happen that you for their hard work building sets and find objectionable, you need to let making the show run smoothly from people know,” she said. Garvelink said she feels that perbackstage. “Our cast and crew are pretty tightly knit, so that’s awesome. forming at this political rally is I do feel like people outside of the the- viewed as an act of support towards atre underestimate how hard it can be, the Republican party. She was also since I always get comments on how distressed that the decision was so last I have the ‘easy job,’ and trust me; it’s minute because she had no time to obnot easier than acting. I’d say both can ject beforehand. “It’s not about Republic or Demobe pretty challenging, just in different cratic. It’s more about…the fact that ways,” she said. Steele explained a pre-show ritual they were being excused from classfor the TTE cast and crew, “We all es…to perform,” she said. Although troubled with this perforhold hands in a circle and yell ‘nine’ mance, Garvelink fully supports THS nine times. It gets us pumped up; we bands. “I love the band program. It’s also dance and listen to music [while] been a blessing for all involved,” she putting on makeup. It’s a great atmosaid. sphere and gets everyone ready to perBill Hevel, science teacher, agrees form.” with Garvelink. “I’m sure from the The TTE members all expressed band’s point of view it was great… their satisfaction with the success of They got exposure, but I’m not sure the fall theatre show. it should have been [with] a political “I really hope they just enjoy[ed] it formula,” he said. and come back for more shows!” said In dealing with backlash, Fowler Steele. said she has told everyone that the
TSD took this opportunity to give the band students time with a public figure. She added that she felt it is in the students’ best interest to see how the democratic system works. “[We were] very flattered that we were asked to showcase the THS band. Everybody was happy with it,” she said. Fowler noted that allowing the band to go was as easy a decision for her as allowing President Obama to speak at THS in 2008. Jeff Moore, science teacher, agrees, stating that he feels it’s important for the band to be open to performing to all types of audiences at all types of venues. “Bands are about performing arts. I think exposure in different environments is only positive,” he said. The band, through all of this, did seem to be a major selling point in Romney’s speech. Motioning to them, he rallied the crowd, “for each program we have in the government I’m going to ask if this program is so essential— so critical—that it’s worth borrowing money from the Chinese to pay for it, knowing that we’ll never pay it back in our generation, but [these guys in the uniforms] will have to pay it back. Is it that important?”
DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN
TC LINE:
Supporters listen to Romney’s speech. The rally lasted about an hour.
PAGE 4 I recently got my first parking ticket (well, my first ticket at all, for that matter), ironically enough, while attending a journalism conference. I was in Ann Arbor, at The Michigan Daily, and upon pulling into the parking garage and finding a spot at 9:27 A.M. on a Saturday, I saw a sign that said “No parking 6-10 A.M., except holidays and Sundays.” HowevDANIELLE er, looking around RAYKHINSHTEYN and seeing that there were at least three other cars parked in these spots, I assumed it was fine to park there. My ticket says my infraction occurred at 9:36 A.M. Really? Well, at least it wasn’t 9:59. Okay, so I understand why I got a ticket. I was parked somewhere I technically was not allowed to be. What I don’t understand is why I wasn’t allowed to park there. These signs took up practically the
entire first area of spots. Do they want to punish me for getting up early? Make me walk farther because I’m up before the rest of the world? Maybe it’s that they don’t want people parking there overnight. Okay, so they’d like all the bar-hoppers to drive home drunk? Good plan. Plus, if people parked there overnight, they would make so much money off of their parking ticket. I was there from 9:30 to 6:30 and I paid $10.45. That’s about $1.16 an hour. In Birmingham, the first two hours in a garage are free, and the fine for “parking during prohibited hours” is only $30, as opposed to the $35 ticket I received. The Ann Arbor rates are steep; if someone parked there overnight, they could easily make $20 off of him. That adds up. But, oh wait, that’s right! If they put those signs there, they actually make $55: $20 plus the whopping $35 ticket. That adds up faster. The only logical reason for such signs, that I can see, is revenue. I’m
not harming anyone if I park there. I’m not in anyone’s way. And, unlike timed parking spaces, which are used to keep traffic moving, there isn’t much traffic that needed space to park at 9:30 A.M. on a Saturday. Plus, the self-addressed envelope they kindly gave me was addressed to the “City of Ann Arbor Processing Center,” conveniently located in... New York. Huh? So not only are they conniving me out of my money, but they’re also outsourcing so they can squeeze even more dinero out of each $35 annoyance they plant. I’m glad this city is finding quaint little ways to cheat people out of their money. I’m glad I also found a quaint little way to only give them $25: paying the following day (always read the fine print). Most of all, I’m glad that I helped Ann Arbor raise a little cash. It obviously needs it more than I do.
Last year, I took two science classes, AP U.S. History, math, honors English, and Spanish. Every night I had at least two hours of homework, and some nights I was up until midnight or later studying. And that was when I was a sophomore. This year, I am in Spanish, AP environmental science, AP English, pre-calculus, and physics. My fourth hour is devoted to producing what you are reading right now. I’m in CAROLYN two AP classes, GEARIG but I chose not to overwhelm myself. I rarely have more than an hour of homework, my grades are fantastic, and I’m noticeably happier. What I’m trying to say is there are BY PETER MANSKY things—many things—more imporEditorial cartoonist tant than classes and grades. Too often I see a classmate stressed to the point of tears about an upcoming test, a B+ in a class, or a homework assignment they forgot to do. Relax! We’re teenagers. We should be having fun, not studying to the point of insanity. Obviously, grades are important, but to an extent. There is a fine line between challenging yourself and pushing yourself beyond human capabilities. Just because you took five AP classes and I took four doesn’t mean that you will be any more successful in life; on the contrary, studies show that constant stress is unhealthy. Another thing I’ve noticed is how few people in this school take elective classes such as art and home economics. So few people signed up for The Northend, our old school paper, that it was cancelled as a class. Obviously it is important to take core classes, but it’s important to find your passion— and maybe it is calculus, but if it’s not, find it, whether it be orchestra or painting. I’ve know people who begrudgingly took an art class only to find that art became their career. I suppose a lot of this is parental pressure. There are many kids whose parents whisk away their scheduling card and bring it back completed with AP classes, GBBE, honors math, and no room left for art or orchestra or yearbook. This makes me angry: there Check out is more than one view of success and more than one way to challenge your.org Danielle Raykhinshteyn, Editor-in-Chief self. It’s important to get good grades Carolyn Gearig, Editor-in-Chief for stories, pictures, columns, and and study hard, but at the same time Jake Lourim, Sports Editor so many kids at this school are tak- more! Like us on Facebook: “The Troy Peter Mansky, Editorial Cartoonist Independent” and follow us on twitter ing it to an extreme. If you’re taking Sonalee Joshi, Public Relations four AP classes and you have to sac@thsindependent. Vivien Lee, Public Relations rifice happiness and sanity to do so, I Ms. Christina Vettraino, Adviser don’t see the point, to be quite honest. I want to be as successful as the rest of Troy High, but I refuse to give up Your ad could go here! Interested in joining our staff? Pick up an application outside of basic things in order to do that. I may room 210. The Troy Independent welcomes signed letters to the edibe an underachiever, but at least I’m a For ad forms, go to thetroyindependent.org. tor and guest columns. Email us at thetroyindependent@gmail.com. We’d love to advertise with you! happy underachiever.
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