Troy High School, 4777 Northfield Parkway Troy, MI 48098
Free!
theTROYINDEPENDENT BY JAKE LOURIM Sports Editor Troy junior Alison Holland and senior Jenn Busk will be playing soccer in college at two of the best programs in their respective divisions. In other words, it won’t be much different than it is now. Busk inked with the College of St. Rose after a commitment near the beginning of last school year, joining fellow senior Irene Young, who will play at Louisville. “I like the size,” Busk said. “It’s bigger than Troy High, but it’s not too huge.” St. Rose is in Albany, N. Y. with an enrollment of 5,130. Busk is unsure what she wants to study, but she did like that the coach was focused on academics. Busk got a pleasant surprise after she committed. She watched her future team go through the Division II Tournament, winning five games in a row en route to a national championship. They beat Grand Valley State for the championship.
See College, page 5
in this issue seniors’ biggest nights: gimmees and prom page 4
baseball honors parents in cancer game page 5 movie: “three stooges” earns five stars page 6
upcoming dates May 28
Memorial Day No school
May 30
Senior’s last day Senior picnic
June 7
Honors Convocation 7 PM, main gym
June 9
Graduation 3 PM, Oakland University All Night Party, 10PM-5PM
June 13
Half Day Hours 1 & 2 exams
June 14
Half Day Hours 3 & 4 exams
June 15
Half Day Hours 5 & 6 exams Last day of school
index
NEWS page 2 ARTS page 6 SPORTS page 4 COLLEGE LIST page 7 SENIORS page 5 OPINION page 8
Seniors wage water war The senior class carries on the water wars tradition, featuring 31 teams and a $1,500 prize
It is finally time for the Senior class of 2012 to bid farewell to THS, and they’re going out with a bang. As the weather got warmer and senioritis kicked in, the class of 2012 engaged in the unofficial senior tradition: Water Wars. The basic rules are as such: pay $10 to enter, form a team of five seniors, square off against another team, and try to get the other team out of the round by squirting them with a water gun. In this bracket-style face off, the winners get all the cash collected. If a team loses a round, they have one opportunity to buy their way back into the tournament for $5. The tournament started precisely at 3:00 p.m. on April 30 and will carry on throughout the summer until one team wins it all. The entire competition is organized by a volunteer senior each year; this year it is Katie Brakora. There are 31 teams participating. According to participants such as Claire Shabet, a member of the team “Wet and Wild,” the competition is not just an average water
Activist Week a success BY ANNIE CHEN Staff Writer
At Athens there’s Charity Week. At the International Academy there’s Charity Ball. At Troy High, there’s Activist Week. From April 16-20, Activist Week, which is hosted by Student Government, gave opportunities each day for students to benefit the community. Donations for different charities were made through multiple ways other than
College bound seniors offer advice
Three seniors going to Stanford, University of Michigan and Princeton share their experiences BY ROHIT MARUTHI Staff Writer
After a grueling application process, Troy High seniors have received their college decisions. May 1 was the final day to select which school to attend, although some students are still on waitlists, hoping for good news. Many colleges use the Common Application. “Common App helps a lot with the process because you have one form [that allows you to apply to many schools],” said Annie Xiao, senior, who applied to 6 schools and
Junior wins international DECA award BY CAROLYN GEARIG Editor-in-Chief
Eric Robertson, senior, and Kris Zuhl, sophomore, sneak up on senior Sean Murphy’s street. “I’m not a part of water wars, but Eric asked me to help distract Sean so he could catch him,” said Zuhl. “I’m on yearbook staff, so I went to his front door and I was going to tell him I needed to ask him a question. But he figured it out and didn’t answer the door!” Robertson was a part of “The Dream Team.”
BY VIVIEN LEE AND SONALEE JOSHI Public Relations
thetroyindependent.org
fight. “You chase people around in cars, stalk them to work, and wait outside their houses; people do crazy stuff,” said Shabet. Every participant has their own story about the outrageous lengths people will go to to win. “One of my teammates, Shalin Shah, forgot to lock the trunk of his Sedan and got cornered into a cul-de-sac in my neighborhood by an opposing team. They opened the trunk and started squirting him with a water gun,” said Sahab Grover (Team Asian Invasion), whose team had to buy their way back into the tournament after Round One. He explained that a common tactic is to invite a person to someone’s house and attack him or her upon arrival. Shivani Rishi was on the team against the Asian Invasion and explained how her team took out Dev Singhal. “We had Lauren Dietz’s brother go up to Dev Singhal’s front door with a baseball bat, and Dev’s car was parked in the street so Jason, her brother, was like ‘Hi, I accidently hit a baseball through your car window on the driver side.’ Dev got suspicious but walked outside and our team ran
See Water Wars, page 2
Junior Jennifer Stencel won first place in the Quick Serve Restaurant category of the DECA International Career Development Conference, held from April 29 through May 1 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Stencel finished as a state champion in the Jennifer Stencel, junior, Quick Serve wins a first place award Restaurant in the DECA international Management career development condivision of ference in Salt Lake City, the State con- Utah, from April 29 through May 1. ference, held from March 9-11 in Dearborn. This qualified her for the international competition. In Salt Lake City, Stencel took a 100 question test and completed two role plays where she took the role of a restaurant manager asked to resolve a problem. With 10 minutes per role play, Stencel came up with a solution and created visuals to explain her idea. Out of 200 competitors, Stencel qualified as one of 20 finalists. She completed one more role play and that, combined with previous scores, earned her first place. “I was in disbelief when I heard my name called,” said Stencel. “I was shaking and I didn’t know what to do.” DECA, which stands for Distributive Educational Clubs of America, is an international organization of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and market-
JENNIFER STENCEL
Five Troy soccer players’ college decisions
May 18, 2012
MELANIE FODERA
Vol. 1 Issue 4
See Jen Stencel, page 3
collecting money, thereby giving the benefactors the name “activists.” With posters plastered in hallways and Student Government members wearing tshirts with non-profit organizations written in Sharpie, Monday Awareness Day eased the students into Activist Week. A competition of the most abundant children books collected was held on the next day. Letters and care packages for soldiers were collected on Wednesday. Both jeans and shoes donations were collected on Thursday, as well as Se-
nior Citizens Prom. Lastly, canned foods were donated on Friday. “Activist week was a great success this year. We exceeded our goals and expectations, and we are looking forward to expanding and having an even bigger impact next year,” said senior Maggie Smith, public relations officer of Student Government. Unlike typical charity events, Activist Week approaches charity donations in a
will attend the University of Michigan. Instead of filling out many different applications, students can fill out their information once on the Common App, and then complete school-specific supplementary applications. The 2012-2013 Common Application will be available on August 1. So what kind of information does the Common App ask for? As Edgar Wang put it, “It’s a chance for you to express who you are, what you believe in, and what you dream to become. The Common App is not merely a document that proclaims your SAT/ACT scores, AP scores, date of birth; it’s a document that mirrors the true self you’ve molded across the years.” Wang will attend Princeton University this fall. Students can choose to apply early action, early decision, regular action, or rolling decision. Distinguishing between the many types of deadlines can be a useful strategy. Early Decision is binding; if accepted, one must withdraw all other applications. Early Action
guarantees a non-binding decision or deferral usually in December. Regular Action results come out in the spring; rolling decision allows for applications to be submitted any time during the school year, and acceptances are on a first-come, first serve basis. In a pool of extremely competitive applicants, how is it possible to stand out? “I think the essay really helps you out. Writing an essay that’s not typical or cliché is very important. Don’t submit an essay you don’t feel confident in or you don’t think reflects your best work,” said Xiao. Wang advised, “Just hope that your character and your passion shine through on your application and convince that admission officer to stamp ‘accepted’.” Rolland He, who will study at Stanford University, summed it up by saying, “The joy of getting into one’s dream school makes the huge amount of effort spent into writing and perfecting the essays and all the nights spent fretting over colleges all worth it.”
See Activist Week, page 3
NEWS
ALICE LIANG
PAGE 2
The orchestra plays at the Heritage Festival in San Antonio, Texas. The orchestra and band both earned highest marks in the festival on April 29.
Band and Orchestra take San Antonio
BY TOMMY ROWBAL Staff Writer
THS musicians play in festivals, parades, and SeaWorld
From April 25 through 29, Troy High's bands and orchestras traveled to San Antonio, Texas. They performed for the WorldStrides Heritage Performance and both won top marks. On April 29, the orchestras and bands competed in the Heritage Festival. The three orchestras—philharmonic, symphonic strings, and full symphonic—earned gold medals in the competition, as well as the Festival Sweepstakes Award. “Despite the hot and humid weather, the
orchestra played extremely well at the festival,” said Alan MacNair, director of Troy High Orchestras. “It was possibly the best they have ever played.” In their spare time, the orchestra, as well as the Troy High Marching Band, took a trip to SeaWorld San Antonio. “There were great rides and a large variety of animals to see,” said Zac Lines, freshman, who plays string bass in the freshman orchestra. “It was a very enjoyable experience.” The orchestras also got a few special treats, one being able to ride in a boat down the San Antonio Riverwalk, seeing the sights of the town from the river where it sprung up from. The other special event was the San
Teacher Feature
Mr. Marley shares high school memories BY ANTHONY PIAZZA Staff Writer
TIM MARLEY
What was your favorite TV show, movie, and band in high school? In high school my favorite TV shows Once upon a time, teachers were Space Ghost: Coast to Coast were our age, too. Back when and Unsolved Mysteries. The host the Rolling Stones were a new of Unsolved Mysteries had a creepy band and Seinfeld was the voice that still freaks me out. My most popular show on televifavorite type of movie was a legal sion, our teachers were facing thriller; I really liked A Civil Action what we are now: high school, and A Time to Kill. My favorite band driving, and a lot of firsts. Take was Incubus. a glimpse at what Tim Marley, What was the most popular thing math teacher was like in high at your high school? school. People did freestyle walking around Where did you attend high Marley’s first grade school; they would bounce from picture, circa 1988. school? locker to locker in the hall and jump I went to Crestwood High over ledges and railings. It’s like School, class of 2000. parkour. What was your favorite What advice would you give your freshthing in high school? man-self? My favorite thing was running cross coun- Enjoy high school—it goes by really fast— try. I love to run, and it was a lot of fun. and enjoy not having many responsibilities.
Water Wars from page 1
out from the behind the tree next to his front door and Betsy [Mappilaparampil] sprayed him with her water gun,” explained Rishi. She also said her team attacked an opponent as she was coming out of a tanning salon. Eric Robertson of “The Dream Team” recounted his experience against an evenly matched team. “We eventually had to do a tie breaker. It can be anything that the two team captains agree on; ours was playing video games. We lost and had to buy back in.” Some seniors, such as Alyssa Cabelof, did not enjoy the tournament as much as others, due to a constantly changing set of rules and
general disorganization. “People just cheat a lot, say they didn’t get hit when they did, or that they hit someone when they didn’t, and people just make up the rules as they go,” said Cabelof. Those who enjoyed the tournament generally said that it was just a nice way to end high school on a fun note. “Grades after us should definitely keep doing Water Wars. I think it’s just a fun way to end our four years at Troy High with all of you friends even though you are paranoid most of the time that people are following you,” said Rishi.
Antonio Fiesta, a celebration which occurs each year at the end of April. The Troy High School Marching Band made an appearance in the five-hour-long parade as well, complete with lights sewn to their pants that glowed a bright blue as they marched with their instruments. The bands performed just as well, with the Marching Band winning the Farthest Traveled Band and Best Non-Local Band awards. The concert, jazz, symphonic, and marching bands also won gold honors in the festival, and were invited to play at the National Gold Festival, along with the orchestra, at either Carnegie Hall in New York City, San Francisco, or Chicago.
To top it off, while experiencing a twohour layover at the Houston Airport, a few of the orchestra’s members used their talents by playing in the food court area of the airport itself, placing an open case on the floor for money donations. "I think it was really cool how everything came together," said Diana Otero, senior, who plays string bass in the symphonic orchestra. "The performance by the seniors encouraged the underclassmen to participate, and it became a contest of some sort. We raised a lot of money." Altogether, the performing members earned $158 in donations at the airport, which was given to the Orchestra Association of Troy High.
Thermostat system explained
Debunking the myths of Troy High’s crazy temperatures
BY DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Editor-in-chief
Downstairs it’s like a freezer, and upstairs it’s like a sauna. So goes the temperature grade of THS. According to Ken Miller, executive director of facility operations in the TSD, in the summer the goal degree is 70, and in the winter it is 76. The usual cooling season is from May 1 to October 31; the heating season from November 1 to April 31. Miller said that these conditions may vary from year to year with weather changes. These temperatures are regulation for all
schools and TSD buildings, with the exception of pool areas which need to be at least 82 degrees. “The average house is 2,000 square feet, and the average high school in Troy is 350,000 square feet with 1500 to 2000 people utilizing the facility daily,” said Miller of the difficulty of maintaining temperature. Because there are over 550 thermostats to be controlled within the TSD, it takes quite awhile to switch over from heating to cooling or vice versa, said Miller. Miller added that the annual cost for temperature regulation and the natural gas is around 2.9 million dollars.
CONTINUED Activist Week from page 1 more active and broad perspective. Not only do the donations go to multiple non-profit organizations and charities, but the process
PAGE 3 bulging. So she was very, very excited about that,” said Werenka. Because every year Student Government tries to mix up the events for Activist Week, they may try to have an expo next year, bringing in people involved in non-profit organizations and charities. But no matter what new way to fundraise or donate, Activist Week remains the same with the goal to do more than the originial. Werenka said, “The idea that we have so many different options, we can connect to someone with something.”
“Donating money is probably the most passive thing you can do for charity: here’s my dollar and now I’m done. But by asking people to bring something in or take an action of writing a letter to a soldier, it’s a more active Jen Stencel from page 1 way of giving.” ing sales and service. Troy’s DECA chapter is RYAN WERENKA STUDENT GOVERNENT ADVISER advised by marketing teacher Heide Rosen-
of writing a letter or taking time to look to for jeans shows more thought and sincerity as to handing over a green bill. “Donating money is probably the most passive thing you can do for charity: here’s my dollar and now I’m done. But by asking people to bring something in or take an action of writing a letter to a soldier, it’s a more active way of giving,” said Ryan Werenka, Student Government adviser. Of the many goals reached, the book drive was one of the most successful. A goal of 400 books was excessively met with an approximate 1,109 books collected. On April 30, Charolette’s Wing, the non-profit organization, came to collect the books students raised. “They just picked them up and the woman in charge was completely overwhelmed at how many we collected. Her eyes were just
berg; to join, you must be enrolled in a marketing class. 38 students are in DECA with 12 qualifying for the international competition. DECA meets once per week and also requires an out of school commitment. “I don’t even know what to say,” said Rosenberg. “It’s amazing. Jen was so gracious. It’s a hard competition.” While in Salt Lake City, DECA members attended a minor league baseball game and saw Eli Young Band in concert. “The whole experience of DECA has been exciting and life changing,” said Stencel. “It’s not even so much about learning business and life skills as it is about meeting new people and gaining new experiences.” Additionally, Kelly Feng and Snigdha Banda, seniors, placed in the top ten of the categories, and Noah Rice and Akhil Ganesh, seniors, placed in the top twenty.
guitar & bass lessons with bill gerazounis rock, flamenco, classical, jazz, world beat, & more 248-890-5237 vasilig@sbcglobal.net find us on facebook: the static dial
834 friends on Facebook? Wow. 128 followers on Twitter? Nice.
14 people in your accounting class? Perfect. Visit us. udmercy.edu/great
Take our virtual tour anytime at www.udmercy.edu/virtualvisit.
We want great things for you.
SENIORS
PAGE 4
The winner’s circle Gimmees winners reflect on how they felt in that moment when their name was called
BY DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Editor-in-Chief
Watching him dance, the crowd cheers on senior Jarrett Bochniak. Bochniak attended Prom with junior Rachel Sacco.
The Final Dance
prom for him
odrich to Prom by flying her over her house and placing nine-foot white letters that spelled out PROM on her lawn. Senior Vincenzo Julian, who asked senior Betsy Mappilaparampil by making a scratchoff card and putting it in her mailbox, said, “I just put on my tuxedo! Some family members came over earlier to take pictures of me, my sister [senior Jessica Julian], and our dates before we left for Cranbrook to take the group pictures.” LaDuke began his day at noon by eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes. “I then preceded to play Xbox until about three. After that, I took a shower, put on my tux, made myself beautiful, picked up my date, and was at pictures by four.
When senior Austin LaDuke got back from spending spring break in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, he suddenly realized that Prom was less than a month away. “I panicked under the time constraints, made some posters, and threw them up on [senior Lauren Dietz’s] garage one night. Not as epic as I would have wanted, but hey, I’m a guy. Cut me some slack,” said LaDuke on asking his date to Prom. However, for LaDuke, that wasn’t the trickiest part about Prom. “I had a heck of a time trying to match her neon purple dress. In the end, I pulled it off. It took multiple trips to the tux shop though,” he said. Senior Chris Michael agrees that “picking out a tux [was the hardest part.]” Michael asked his date, junior Rebecca Ress, by singing “My Girl,” by The Temptations, to her in the school cafeteria. LaDuke began preparing from Prom about two weeks beforehand by ordering his tuxedo. “I had to order my tux, get the [corsage], G.T.L, [and] make sure I remembered to buy the tickets and pay for the party bus,” he said. On the day of Prom, senior Mike Kunztman prepared by mowing his lawn and taking a shower. “My hair would not cooperate with me!” said Kuntzman, who asked junior Grace Go-
Thompson was so pleased with Prom that she couldn’t help but give a shout-out to the STUGO juniors who helped to pull it off. “[The] juniors did a great job putting it on and deserve a ton of credit for the dance going so well!” she said. “Everything was very nice!” One thing the juniors decided to add to Prom this year was a photo booth. “Lauren and I stopped at the photo booth, which [was] actually quite hard to figure out. Our first two pictures can attest to that. Then we hit up the dance floor,” said LaDuke. Other than the photo booth, the chocolate fountain was a main draw. “[I] attacked that chocolate fountain like it was my job!” said Lanzen. In between photo-ops and chocolate dipping, Prom-goers danced to songs that ranged from “Respect,” by Aretha Franklin, to “Shots,” by LMFAO. Senior Jessica Julian’s favorite thing to do at Prom: “Dance!” After his initial confusion with the photo booth, LaDuke said he really enjoyed the evening. “All in all Prom was an awesome time. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone get dressed up and just come to have one last bash before we graduate. With a perfect date, great friends, and some chocolate fountains, the night couldn’t have been better,” he said.
For most high school students, Prom is the ultimate, culminating event. Other than graduation itself, it’s the last time the senior class is together. This year, everyone bonded together to take a trip back to Old Hollywood. prom for her
Best friends senior Tessa Lanzen and senior Aarthi Hari were asked to Prom on the same day—Lanzen by senior Eric Elinski who put a chocolate bar with “Prom?” written on it inside of a SpongeBob piñata and Hari by Chad Formberg who brought her a Build-a-Bear. “Eric…got in cahoots with Chad to ask me and my best friend on the same day! So we were both kind of going crazy since we were trying to trick each other and keep secrets,” said Lanzen. Once asked, Hari prepared by arranging a party bus, buying heels, getting her hair done, and getting her dress altered. “Two weeks before I started eating really healthy so my face wouldn’t explode with acne,” said Lanzen. Senior Jen Thompson, who went with senior Matt Oppenlander, began preparations for Prom about a month before the dance. She decided how they would arrive, picked a place for pictures, bought a dress and shoes, and got her nails and hair done. “Figuring out what everyone wanted to do and keeping everyone happy [was the most stressful part],” she said. Lanzen brought a slightly different stress upon herself: “I tried to figure out every girl in our group’s prom dress color and cut to make sure nobody had the same dress, and that was a little stressful since some people didn’t get theirs until the last minute,” she said. Lanzen also had a last minute hair emer-
gency. After shaving, putting on lotion, practicing walking in her heels, and “trying not to look like an ogre,” she decided to dance to music from the Backstreet Boys. “I got my hair done and then danced around my house and it fell out a little,” she said.
Class Musician, Nicole Amine: “I was actually very surprised to win class musician. I didn’t know that many people in my class knew that I sing, so I was very excited when I heard my name called!”
ANGI TIAN
BY DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Editor-in-Chief
ANGI TIAN
Class Clown, Karin Moss: I was totally thrown off guard when my name was called for class clown. I was confused because I didn’t really think I was that funny, but it brought a smile to my face. I appreciate the fact that people think so highly of me to nominate me for two awards. You guys rock! Class Flirt, Katie Shaheen: I thought it was really funny when I got voted class flirt. I didn’t think I was going to win, but it’ll be a fun memory to look back on in a year or so. Most Likely to Survive Dec. 21, 2012, Erin Savage: I am really happy to be named the most likely to survive 2012. In fact, I equate it to winning the Hunger Games. However, instead of returning home with a fiancé, I got a nicely painted chunk of wood. But, hey—who cares? I. AM. KATNISS. Dream Date Guy: Matt Kuntzman: It was surreal when they announced my name for Dream Date Guy. It still hasn’t really gotten to me. Any one of the other nominees could have won over me. Guy Jock, Will Yau: I was pretty surprised to win guy jock; I was definitely up against some stiff competition. We all deserved to win. I guess running for fun does pay off! Master Thespian, Alec LaFontaine: When I won master thespian I was in shock, not only because I was up against other extremely talented and amazing people. [To] know that I never had to star in a lead role and yet I could still capture the attention of my peers was awesome! Most Artistic, Rachel Lee: To be honest, I have no idea how I got class artist. We have so many awesome artists in our grade, but I guess I got lucky! Thanks to everyone who voted for me. Mr. Class of 2012, Austin LaDuke: I was very honored to win Mr. Class. It’s weird to think that this is how people see and recognize you, whether it be Mr. Class or whatever category. None of us went through high school trying to fit the image of one of these categories. It was a lot of fun to see who people thought should be nominated and who should win. Ms. Class of 2012, Kristen Shetler: It was an honor to be named Ms. Class of 2012. The people at this school are so amazing, and I felt so lucky that all these amazing people recognized how much I care about them, our class, and the school in general. Ms. Vogue, Morgan Zander: I was really excited when I heard my name called for Ms. Vogue because all of the girls in that category had such great style. But I was even more excited that I didn’t trip on the runway walk. Mr. GQ, Vincenzo Julian: I felt very happy and honored. I’m happy that people like the way I dress. I was really nervous, though! I just get nervous because of the attention. [But] I was excited, too! Ms. Individuality, Skye Curtis: I’m just so thankful that my evil, four-year master plot to win this award finally worked out! It would have been so awkward if my massive [campaign] hadn’t worked out: all of those wasted costumes for nothing! The Next Einstein, Nick Fava: I was surprised when my name was called because all of the other nominees are very smart and helpful guys. I’m happy that I’ve been able to balance academics and social life in high school. I don’t have crazy hair like Einstein, but I’m working on it. Nicest Guy, Jeff Holmes: All the guys up for nicest guy are really great people, so it was great to be able to win it.
RACHEL SMITH
The Gimmee: an award that allows winners to go down in Troy High history. This year the ceremony was held on Thursday, May 10, at 7 PM. As the lights went down, the names were called, and these select few joined the line of former THS winners.
Romeo and Juliet, Justin Byrne and Tarah Thompson: “I wouldn’t say that Justin and I are the type of people who win popularity contests, so I was in disbelief when our names were [called]. I am still surprised by how loudly people were cheering. Every time I am with Justin I am so happy, and I’m glad that everyone can see that,” said Thompson.
the experience
I always try to be nice and friendly because that’s how I would want to be treated, and it was really great that other people thought that, too. Thanks [to] everyone for thinking that I’m nice! TC Pride, John Wassel: It felt great to be recognized as the student with the most TC pride. I try to get out to as many sporting events as possible so that I can cheer on my fellow classmates. The credit should really go to all of them. They’re the ones that put in all of the hard work, and I feel as though they deserve all of the support that they can get. We have some amazing student athletes at Troy High, and I take pride in all of them. Unsung Hero, Regina Guerra: I was really shocked to have found that I won. I really wasn’t expecting it! But, I was really happy and very humbled by the fact that people had voted for me for unsung hero. For more, see thetroyindependent.org.
SPORTS
KATHY HORNE
PAGE 5
The Troy baseball team poses for a photo with special jerseys honoring a friend or relative who has suffered from cancer. Among them are senior Chris Michael (back row, middle, #8), who honored his dad and junior Kevin Simono (front row, second from left), who honored his mom.
Michael, Simono honor parents Baseball players remember cancer victims, family in scrimmage
BY JAKE LOURIM Sports Editor
The name on the back of Troy senior Chris Michael’s jersey was just one word that meant so much. Dad. Last Friday’s scrimmage was a night to honor those who have suffered from cancer and to raise money to fight the disease. And who better to honor than the man who meant so much to Michael’s career. The senior’s dad lost the battle with cancer two years ago. There would be no more rehashing after the game—no “You should have done this, you should have done that.” His dad would never see him play a varsity game. So when each player on both teams picked a cancer victim or survivor to honor on the back of his jersey, Michael made the only logical choice. He did all he could do: he pitched one for his dad. “It was a lot of fun,” Michael said. “It was an honor to be able to start the game, a really nice gesture by Coach.” Before the game, Michael’s mother and ju-
All that matters is June Girls’ soccer still has potential in state tournament
BY JAKE LOURIM Sports Editor
The Troy soccer team lost its second game of the season Tuesday, May 8, at Rochester, 1-0, making it tough to come back and win the league championship. But with this year’s team, I just have one question: Why does that matter? Every team in every sport at every level wants to win every game. I get it. But Troy coach Brian Zawislak so skillfully prides his teams on winning in the state tournament.
nior Kevin Simono’s mother, Rose, were honored in throwing the first pitches. Their sons caught them. They were joined by a Berkley player and his family member, who had just come from a chemotherapy treatment at University of Michigan Hospital hours earlier. You could see it was hard for all of them to keep from crying. So after Troy sent four men to the plate in the top of the first, Michael walked out to the mound for his second start of the year with the name “Dad” on his jersey, the image of his dad in his heart. “He definitely would have been proud,” Michael said, “just for [me] being out there.” The senior had made only one previous pitching appearance this season, and it was a tough one. But Friday, Michael had the moment of the year. He sent the first man down swinging— four pitches. Three more tosses and he had another out. Two pitches later, Michael had sent the first inning down 1-2-3. Right then, Michael was the happiest guy in the world. He was unstoppable. He was on fire. He was playing for his dad. “It was kind of a victory,” Michael said. So who cared if he got knocked out in the next inning with five runs? Who cared if manager Jim Ellis had to come get the ball from him? Michael had those few minutes, and he’ll always share them with his dad. “Every day is a reminder that he’s still a part of my life,” Michael said. “He still influences my life.” He trains his team all year in preparation for those seven games in June. So now, Troy is 9-2. The Colts lost to Rochester Adams 4-1 and just suffered their first shutout against Rochester, 1-0. But two losses, or even more, have never stopped Zawislak’s teams from producing in the state tournament. And this year, when he has perhaps his JAKE most talented team LOURIM ever, isn’t going to be the one to break the trend. In his three years at the helm of the girls’ soccer program, Zawislak has never won a league championship. Yet his three teams have been to the state semifinals, quarterfinals, and finals, including two regional championships and three district titles. That means he averages a state semifinal berth. Those aren’t products of 18 regular-season blowouts, or even 18 wins. Last year’s team was 14-2-2 in the regular season, and only 11-3-4 the year before. Those are good records. But they’re not perfect. Nobody’s perfect. Last year’s team played Adams twice in the regular season, grabbing a 1-1 tie and a 1-0 loss. Nothing conclusive. But Troy got the
In the same dugout, there was Simono. His mother Rose was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, but he’s lucky enough still to have her. Simono said the hardest part of his mom’s illness was seeing her unable to complete tasks after chemotherapy. “It was difficult for her,” Simono said. “You knew she wanted to do something, but she wasn’t physically well enough to do it. It was rough—I’ve never seen her like that before.” Simono and his mother also participated in the first pitch ceremony, just as heartwarmingly as Michael and his mother and brother did. Then, Simono was playing for the name on his back. So he stepped up to the plate in the top of the first and ripped a double down the left-field line. All around—pink bases, pink ribbons on the hats, pink umpire shirts—there were tributes to all the family has been through. “It shows you how dangerous the disease really is, how it can change your life on a dime,” Simono said. “It’s special to still have [my mom].” It’s impossible to try to make cancer right. It’s impossible to erase years of hardship with one swing of the bat. But at least Friday, in a game honoring those who cancer has hit, Simono took a small step. “It’s just a blessing to still have her,” Simono said. “It’s also pretty cool to say that my mom beat cancer—not many people get to say that.” It went on the whole night—a 50-50 raffle to raise money for cancer, an auction to raise money, and much more. What happened on the field didn’t even matter. If you know Michael or Simono, you know that they’re two of the nicest kids in the world. Michael, the guy who dresses up every time he broadcasts the school announcements. Simono, the guy who never goes a day without telling a joke. You’ll never find either without a smile, even after all they’ve been through. It was about time they had a moment to honor it. Here was Michael, standing in the parking lot after one of the most emotional nights of his life. And did he agree to an interview? “Sure! I love being interviewed!” There aren’t many nicer guys. Some people say sports aren’t worth anything. Well, here’s what sports were worth Friday: a chance for three dozen players to play one for their grandparents, their uncles and aunts, their family friends. And a chance for two more to play one for their parents. Baseball was a lot more than baseball. So yes, winning is everything and nothing else matters. Except it’s not. Because people like Michael will never hear “You should have done this” again. At least Friday, Michael had two innings on the mound to share with his Dad. last laugh in the regional final, 3-0. Wasn’t even close. Adams managed only a few shots. Zawislak took his mindset over to the boys’ soccer team this past season. That team split with Adams, a 2-0 loss and a 1-0 win. But Troy got the last laugh in the first playoff game, 3-1. That’s how it goes. The Colts start playing their best soccer in the postseason. They gain experience all season—playing a goal down, playing a goal up, playing tied, defending set pieces—and use it to try to win seven games in a row at the end of the season. When his team came into the season ranked No. 3 in the nation, Zawislak was, of course, asked about a league championship. “It’d be a nice feather in our cap,” he said, “but I’m not totally focused on it.” For Troy, that’s all the league championship is. So don’t get tied up in two simple regular-season losses. In the beginning of the season, Zawislak asked his captains about their goals for the season. Getting back to the state championship came up, and according to Zawislak, senior Irene Young jumped in—she wanted to win the state championship. That’s still very possible. With at least five future college players, the Colts certainly have the talent. Troy just needs to stick it to its tough, solid mindset.
College from page 1 “That was awesome,” Busk said. “It made me even more excited to go there.” The success wasn’t new to St. Rose, which outscored its opponents over the course of its 24-1-1 season by a score of 90-13. Success is certainly nothing new to Holland’s college choice, either, as the junior has committed to one of the top programs in the country at the University of Memphis. The Tigers’ girls’ soccer website explodes with pictures of their three All-Americans. Holland will be in good company when she gets down there. She also liked the Memphis coach, saying that he reminded her of her club coach on the Michigan Hawks. Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan, as well as the assistant coach, was a goalie when he played soccer. Memphis swept through Conference USA this season at 21-0-1. But the Tigers’ season ended in the second round when they lost to Louisville, Young’s future school. Memphis was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation before losing to Louisville. Memphis moves to the Big East for Holland’s freshman year, so she’ll face off with current teammate Young, goalie vs. forward. Being one of the top players in the state, Young had several offers from all over the country. After considering Michigan State, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan, the forward settled on the Louisville Cardinals. She said she felt a very good “vibe” there. Like other players, it was hard for her to put a finger on what it was about Louisville—it just felt like the right place for her. Young really liked the athletic facilities— both soccer and the brand-new KFC Yum! Center for basketball teams—and felt comfortable with coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. The broad spectrum of majors pleased Young also. She doesn’t know quite what she wants to study, but she said perhaps business or marketing. Though it took some time for Troy’s other players to commit, junior forward Madison Hirsch came away from her first visit to Eastern Michigan with one clear thought—I’m going here. “I wanted to stay close to home, in Michigan,” Hirsch said, adding that she wanted to stay close to her parents, her “best friends.” “[Eastern Michigan had] my favorite coaches,” she added. “They were really nice and understanding.” Coach Scott Hall told Hirsch he could see her playing anywhere, but Hirsch is most comfortable at forward or defense. She said she also wanted to play with several close friends at Eastern, such as 2011 Troy graduate Emily Dzik and three players from Athens. Dzik played in all 18 games with 17 starts, two goals, and one assist last season. Hirsch, too, may soon be playing against a current teammate. Junior midfielder Erin Wrubel is off to Ohio University, so the two will be Mid-American Conference opponents when they graduate. Wrubel wanted to go a fair distance from home, but she chose a MAC school so that her parents could come watch her play road games at Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Western Michigan. She also said that the campus was beautiful, built on a hill, and that she got along instantly with the other players. “I felt wanted,” Wrubel said. What’s interesting about the group’s college choices is that all of the schools’ coaches have spent their entire careers at their respective schools and have been there for at least 10 years. So while the enrollments range from 5,000 to 23,000, the schools as far as 1,000 miles apart, and the conferences from the Northeast-10 to the Big East, all five will be doing what they know best—playing soccer.
Read more by Jake Lourim: troycoltsportsupdate.com thetroyindependent.org.
ARTS
PAGE 6
Three Stooges, five stars BY ANTHONY PIAZZA Staff Writer On April 13, the three Stooges, Moe, the short tempered leader of the group (Chris Diamantopoulos); Larry, the witty yet dim witted one (Sean Hayes); and Curly, the bald, high-voiced Stooge (Will Sasso) made their comeback on the big screen in their newest movie, The Three Stooges. This movie had other competitors on its opening weekend—Hunger Games, The Lucky One, and American Reunion—but it still managed to rake in almost $30 million in the box office. The reception this movie received has ranged from mixed to positive, with the Fandango movie app giving it a “GO” rating (4/5) and the fans giving the movie a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie touches briefly on the lives of the three Stooges in their childhood spent in in the orphanage and goes to the present where they work as maintenance workers.
Moe, Larry, and Curly showcase their usual The plot centers around the three Stooges slapstick comedy staying true to their roots trying to raise $830,000 to save their orbut, also, add in some new elements. Many phanage from being foreclosed. In the scenes pop culture references are made throughout at the orphanage, we are introduced to two the movie which range from just the Stooges new characters: Peezer (Max Charles) and doing their classic vaudeville banter mixed in his friend Murph (Avalon Robbins). Over the with modern slang, the Stooges’ introduction course of the movie, we find that Murph is sick and her condition only to the iPhone (which Curly misinterprets as an “eye”-phone), The Three seems to decline, but the and a hilarious scene where Moe Stooges orphanage can’t afford the medical bills, and she can’t is hired as a cast member on Now playing in be treated. Later, the three Jersey Shore (they had the full select theaters Stooges are approached on cast in the movie as a bonus) as the street by Lydia (Sofía Ver“Dyna-Moe”. I was a little skeptical on how they would blend the gara) and Mac (Craig Bierko) who convince the Stooges to iconic style of the Jersey Shore with the Stooges’ trademark form of comedy, kill Lydia’s husband, but they unknowingly but they really exceeded my expectations. go after Teddy (Kirby Heyborne), their childAlso starring in the film are Kate Upton (Sis- hood friend. This whole thing seems a little ter Bernice), Jane Lynch (Mother Superior, dark for a Three Stooges movie, especially the head of the orphanage), Jennifer Hudson near the end, but any intense moments of (Sister Rosemary) and Larry David (Sister drama were played off excellently. Mary Mengele). That’s right, Larry David The plot altogether is simple enough for young children to follow, and interesting plays a nun.
Kiefer Sutherland returns to television in Fox’s “Touch” BY DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Staff Writer I rarely decide to watch shows due to the promos, but Touch “Touch” had such an interest- Thursdays at 9 PM ing concept that FOX I was drawn in: a 10-year-old boy, Jake (David Mazouz), who has never spoken out loud (except in the promos, which didn’t make much sense to me, but hey, they
Kiefer Sutherland and David Mazouz star in “Touch”, a science fiction drama that premiered in January.
got me to watch the show) is able to see and connect the universe through numbers. In each episode, Jake sends dad Martin (Kiefer Sutherland) on wild goose chases around NYC, through use of numbers usually put into Martin’s cell phone, to put the universe at peace again, such as reuniting sisters and unveiling the truth in law cases.
FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY
TV Review
The depth of each episode is oceanic; they involve multiple plot lines in which all the people intersect in the end, somehow. It’s very creative on the writers’ part. Ironically, the problem with this show is the writing. The whole point is that Jake never speaks, yet Martin continuously asks Jake questions as though he expects a reply.
CONUNDRUM ENTERTAIMNENT
Movie Review
enough that someone of any age will find a lot of enjoyment in it. The promotion for the movie could have been a little more well thought out, though. We can see that especially with the Stooges’ performance at WWE Raw on April 9, where they were greeted with both cheers and boos, and the television advertisements which could have been aired on more networks. However, this isn’t a deterrent to the movie by any means because it’s what is advertised that matters, and not the advertisements themselves. Overall, I’d say this movie has breathed new life into the Three Stooges franchise, reviving the trio in all their glory as well as putting a modern twist to it. The acting and special effects were done expertly to play out a fantastic script, and it doesn’t hurt to have the cast of Jersey Shore play a supporting role. Though the slapstick comedy and moments of borderline cliche humor may deter some people, I would definitely recommend it for really anybody looking for a funny and entertaining movie. Not all of their communication is bad: Jake has to do illogical things like running into the middle of the street in order to get Martin’s attention, so an exasperated cry on Martin’s part there is probably ideal. However, when Martin repeatedly asks Jake what he wants, it seems a little ridiculous. He’s never going to answer. Tough. That said, the acting is superb. On top of not speaking, Jake refuses to be touched, and I have never heard anyone scream louder than Mazouz when his character comes into physical contact with another human. And even though not given the best lines, Sutherland says his with just the right amount of confused hopelessness combined with the sheer need to help. Due to the enthralling concept, I expect that the writers will adapt, and the show will improve. Besides, most of America is so excited to have Sutherland back on TV that I don’t see how “Touch” could fail.
COLLEGE LIST THS post graduate plans include 22 states and three countries, ranging from the Air Force to Harvard University.
Grand Valley State
Jarett Bochniak Melanie Fodera Douglas Schomer
Jessica Baranowski Timothy Beardslee Kaylena Beaulieu Alyssa Cabelof Christopher Charters Jesse DuBay Chad Formberg John Hardwicke Taylor Marquardt Katherine Shaheen Rachel Shamoun Margaret Smith Amelia Troccoli Derek Verbruggen Paige Young
Art Institute of Michigan
Hope College
Four Year Colleges Adrian College Alexander Miros Tyler Smith
Albion College
Alma College Krista Chessin Enea Arllai
Babson College Ah Young Kwak
Baker College Drake Brown Gabrienne Ellis
Bowling Green State James Nahikian Micah Thornhill
Brigham Young Kristine Barlow Benjamin Paulson
Harvard University Allen Chen
Regina Guerra Jeffrey Holmes Erika Schlenker
IDC Herzliya (Israel) Zachary Schenk
Iowa State Joshua Kim
Kalamazoo College Matthew Kuntzman Marisa Oleski
Kettering University
Carnegie Mellon
Alexis Seigel
Case Western Reserve
Lawrence Tech
Yoon-Ji Kim
Lake Superior State Colton Rausch
Christine George
Chapman University
Basheer Bazoun Elizaveta Bodarenko Bogdan Tenniswood
Central Michigan
Marquette University
Katie Cox
Cedarville University Kelsey Dalzell
Victor Bergeron Joseph Bricely Peaton Brown Jack Buechner Christian Capece Amber Dalian Kelsey Denman-Duggan Marin Faraj Sarah Forgrave Lea Garsh Andrew Hall Robert Hawkins Matthew House Kelly Jaskula Summer March Bryan Martin David McCatty Christopher Michael Katlyn Moss Diana Otero Erica Pulte Christine Robertson Brett Saint Cyr Elizabeth Sheldon Whitney Swichtenberg Angell Winnega Edward Zilincik
College for Creative Studies Matthew Baranowski Jacob Boeve Allison Bourquin Victoria Stanovaya
College of Saint Rose Jennifer Busk
College of Wooster Peter Rohweder
Colorado College Michael Kuntzman
Columbia College Chicago Joshua Choi Nicole Amine
Defiance College Mikkala Smith
DePaul University Tuul Nyamgerel
Dickinson College Shivani Rishi
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Kelly Feng
Eastern Michigan Katherine Kapas Luris Karaj Andrew Kenny Voniisa Kirkwood Miles MacDonald Truman Stuart
Ferris State
Keneth Bachle Evan Burland Joshua Hulten Kristoffer Palm Matthew Woock
Franciscan University of Steubenville Cara Egan
Full Sail University Synethia Pendleton
PAGE 7
*as reported by the counseling department by may 11
Madonna University Colleen Konwinski Emily Pulte
Meiji University Kento Mizusaki
Miami University of Ohio Katherine Brakora Michael Mendola Nicole Pollina Shalin Shah
Michigan Tech Akshay Kalal Anthony Koch Luke McCloskey Dana Nowosatko
MIT
Justin Yuan
Michigan State
Kelsey Allan David Ament Samantha Barnowski Alex Bergman Bryan Berquist Christina Briones Meghan Bugaj Rachel Burland Justin Byrne Xue Cheng Alvin Chiang Kimberly Christie John Conte Amanda Cowherd Lauren Dietz Morgen Efros David Eicher Eric Elinski Alexis Faber Jacqueline Farber Jeanette Fouchia Shobana Ganganithi Patrick Gao Trevor Gohl Rebekah Ham Tyler Hanley Ahmed Haque Aarthi Hari Laney Hart Tyler Horne Helen Hou Ping-Yi Hsiung Evan Hsueh Annie Huang Weide Huang Dillon Jaghory Praneeth Jasti Ruth Abigail Jimenez Jannet Jones Andrew Kalina Jennifer Kim Ki Wook Kim Emily Klopfer Tyler Kochanski Nicholas Kondoleon Kevin Kuang Megan Lacusta Austin LaDuke Tessa Lanzen David Lee Doo Eun Lee Seung Woo Lee Amy Leung Qiu Hong Li Sophie Li Jonathan Liu
Dianna Maloney Betsy Mappilaparampil John McAuliffe Kathryn McCuish Kevin McDonald Aaron Meyer Jeremy Middleton Laura Moriset Sean Murphy Aretha Narayan Daniel O’Donovan Juliann Otto Henry Pan Anthony Panella Jason Petros Joseph Pritchard Laura Robertson Rachel Schroeder Hayley Steele Tarah Thompson Alexander Tompkins Long Trenh Jason Twu Stanley Urban Alexander Vincent John Wassel Madeline Watts Erica Wideman Arik Yee Julee Yee Anna Young
New York University Richard Ren
Northwestern University George Baker
Oakland University Katherine Abitheira Farhana Ahmed Sonya Ajlouny Dimitri Balcoff Yuliana Bedrus Evan Best Dakota Danhausen Biplob Dutta Igor Efremov Jenal Elia Rana Elias Stephen Fisher Matthew Gebara Lilje Gronstad Jacob Houhanisin Alexia Hutchinson Austin Jacobs Claire Jiang David Jordan Jessica Julian Vincenzo Julian Sindi Karoshi Stacie Kochis Ivan Koran Timothy Laba Alex Meinke Arifah Mirza Christopher Reynolds Austin Schultz Alexandria Seeger Nabiha Siddiqui Devashraya Singhal Cody Smith Raychel Stephens Melissa Tilley Anitta Varghese
Ohio Northern University Nicholas Guitar
Ohio Wesleyan University
University of Michigan, Dearborn Alice Galan Jenna Ha
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Zachary Ambrose Arianna Armin David Bai Rachel Berlage Ujwal Bharath Neha Bokil Filip Buniewicz Rebecca Campbell Shruthi Chandra Amy Chen Lily Chen Matthew Cui Sanjay Devireddy Christine Dolikian Lauren Eastes Nicholas Fava Courtney Fietsam Gratiana Fu Akhil Ganesh Jennifer Gleit Sujit Gogineni Alexander Golinski Jason Gong Sahab Grover John Hadad Vivian Hu Connie Jiang Oliver Jiang Hrushi Kadiyala Amy Kanka Yukyung Kim Alec LaFontaine Rachel Lee David Li Jessica Liang Alex Liao Sara Lin Jennifer Liu Mary Liu Antonina Malyarenko Syed Nabi Matthew Oppenlander Lindsay Podsiadlik Hrishikesh Purekar Danielle Raykhinshteyn Eric Robertson Stephen Schmidt Laurel Seabolt Claire Shabet Alice Shang Kristen Shetler Michelle Stuecheli Raj Subramanian Irene Suh James Tan Rohan Tangri Jennifer Thompson Joyce Tsao Stephanie Yang William Yau Morgan Zander Clark Zhang Danping Zhao Xinxin Zhou William Zhu
UNC Chapel Hill Janani Kumar
University of Oregon
Emily Webb
Fengning Liu
Queens College
Lia Grabowski Colleen Murphy
Princeton Edgar Wang Anqi Tian
Rose Hulman Steven Kneisler
Spring Arbor University Travis Schupra
St. Olaf College Skye Curtis
Stanford University Sandeep Arakali Rolland He Jessica Xu
SUNY at Cortland Corey Temple
Saginaw Valley State University Jay Satkovich
Texas A&M University Zehra Sherwani
University of Alabama Rachael Blinstrub Erin Savage Brianna Smiley
University at Buffalo Karin Moss
University of Detroit, Mercy Anthony Dunston Beth Knowlton Jason Leslie
University of Louisville Irene Young
University of South Carolina University of South Carolina, Upstate Megan Smith
University of Tampa Anna Higgins
University of Toledo Atul Vij
University of Washington, Seattle Borui Li
University of Wisconsin, Madison Diana Semon
Washington University in St. Louis Baraka Nasari
Wayne State University Muhammed Amir Maheen Asghar Leo Ayrault Snigdha Banda Peter Boules June Chang Arta Duda Rhiannon Finney Ashley Gibbs Christofer Hatzis Mitchell Judy Hassan Khanzada Zachary Kilgore Deepthi Krishna Bogdan Kulikowski
Allison Li Nazieh Massarani Usman Mirza Alexander Nutting Niharika Pathuri Kayla Plancon Ionatan Pop Adam Regalski Amanda Riddle Atika Singh Supriya Singh Shaifali Sood Dylan Stanfield Franko Struga Renee Yaldoo
Wellesley College Alice Liang
Western Michigan Tupper Bigelow Marquise Bradley Sean Bronsteen Nicole Connell Andrew Farran Brooke Flaggman Alexander Franchi Stephanie Johnson Kelsey Kavulich Bronwen Little Davion Rice
Wheaton College Annie Arbitter
William Paterson University Nicholas Masters
Two Year Colleges Art Institute of California Sean Vincent Carbonell
Clark College Maxwell Ferreira
Macomb Community College Blake Andreoni Rich Her Kamryn LaCarter Jona Lifo
Michigan Career & Technical Institute Dashia Garaghty Joi Leonard
Oakland Community College Robert Andrews Julia Bochniak Stephanie Carryer Billey Chan Palina Chowdhury Sean Combs Dado Dabo Moneesha Das Gupta Shawn Fassbender Brittany Hornick Osama Imam Alec Kennedy Phillip Kinnee Paris Kowalski Robert Kraft Emily Kurlyandchik Limmie Laster Doris Lopez Coto Cullen Lumma Evan Mahone Muhammad Malik Alexander Matoin Benjamin Moraniec Bridget Myke Marilyn Nido Andi Nurce Kara O’Bryan Jevon Orow Caitlin Pangle Nicholas Papadelis Giorgia Paparisto Donald Pinneo Sandra Poles Stephanie Posey Erin Potter Gabriel Prizer Jacob Racette Stephenie Rascol Ashley Rayis Sarah Scott Steven Shehata Varun Sood Melissa Stanciu Christyn Tayar Nicolas Tymrakiewicz Ali Yousuf
Other Air Force
Camila Carrillo-Ospino Isaiah Dillard
Army
Bridget Powell
Military: Korea Dae Gwan Kim
Marines
Derek Denell
Work
Ryan Glover
OPINION
PAGE 8
theTROYINDEPENDENT Interested in joining our staff? Talk to your guidance counselor about signing up for our class, Writing for Publication: Newspaper. The Troy Independent welcomes signed letters to the editor and guest columns; email us at thetroyindependent@ gmail.com. Opinions expressed in staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board as a whole.
Carolyn Gearig, editor in chief Danielle Raykhinstern, editor in chief Jake Lourim, sports editor Peter Mansky, editorial cartoonist Vivien Lee, public relations Sonalee Joshi, public relations Anthony Piazza, staff writer Rohit Maruthi, staff writer Annie Chen, staff writer Tommy Rowbal, staff writer
Guest Columnist
Better off dateless I had a better time going to Prom alone than I would have with a date. When I look back at Prom, I won’t have to tell my kids about my awkward date; I’ll tell them about the amazing time I had with 22 of my friends. Since I only had to look good for myself, I didn’t have to worry if my hair AMANDA stayed perfect all night. COWHERD I didn’t have to focus all my attention on one person. It was less pressure. My parents bought me a corsage, and before you think, “how pathetic,” let me tell you: there’s no shame in that. I thought it was really sweet. The real shame is that so many seniors didn’t go solely because they didn’t have a date. It shouldn’t matter at all. You can have a good time both ways. I’m not saying going
single is necessarily better—I’m sure lots of couples had fun at Prom, too—but going alone was just as unforgettable. I heard a lot of “Prom sucked” on the Monday after, and most of those speakers had dates. I had a great time at Prom, and I’m not “uncool” for thinking that. I think I did have such a good time because I knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, and I just had a positive attitude going into it. I enjoyed every moment, because I can count the days left of being a Troy High School senior on my fingers and toes. I hope that high school won’t be the “best time of my life,” but there definitely won’t be another time of my life exactly like it. I’ll never forget drinking sparkling cider in our white Hummer stretch limo or eating Rice Krispy treats at the chocolate fountain. And when I tell my children about Prom, I won’t tell them “I went single” sheepishly. I’ll tell them proudly, because there is no shame in being single.
Peter’s Palette
Danielle deals da dish: a farewell to high school For my last column at THS, I’m going to break the rules a little bit. But, hey, who doesn’t? In most farewell columns, writers write about the great experiences they’ve had on their staff, what they’ve learned, what they’ll miss, and what they hope for in the future. Instead, I’d like to dedicate this column to my co-editor, Carolyn Gearig. When we first began this journey in 2010, Carolyn and I were not the biggest fans of one another. Looking back, I’m not even so sure as to why: it probably had something to do with the fact that we were so different that we didn’t understand DANIELLE each other. RAYKHINSHTEYN I was loud; she was quiet. I was a sophomore; she was a freshman. I wanted to live in New York; she wanted to live in London. I wanted to be Katy Perry; she wanted to be the fashion editor of Vogue. However, as we started working together, we realized what a great team we made. I was the writer; she was the designer. I was the talker; she was the organizer. And we
both had a vision for what this newspaper could become. We bonded over our mutual love of the newspaper—and let’s face it, our mutual love of Ms. Vettraino—but other than that I honestly couldn’t tell you what we really have in common, still. What I do know is that Carolyn is, neverthe-
I have no doubt that the legacy will continue for years to come.
less, one of my best friends. At the beginning of this year I was nervous as to how The Independent would carry on without me. I (as well as Carolyn) had been with it from the beginning, and I couldn’t imagine leaving it in the capable hands of anyone else. Now, I have no doubt that the legacy will continue for years to come, with Carolyn at its head next year, fully capable of training a leader for when she too has to leave. Carolyn frequently asks me what she will do without Alice Liang, Melanie Fodera, and me to guide her through her days. And to that I say, firstly, that she will never be completely without us. We will always be there when she needs us, maybe just not in the same room. Secondly, I say that she will be just fine. She is Carolyn Gearig, editor-in-chief of The Troy Independent. She actually was the one who thought of “The Independent,” and that’s what she will be. She will be independent. She will be her own woman.
BY PETER MANSKY Editorial cartoonist
check out theTROYINDEPENDENT.org for stories, pictures, columns, and more!
like us on facebook: “the troy independent” follow us on twitter @thsindependent.