Uncaged | Volume 23, Issue 5

05 UNCAGED VOL. 23

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF STOCKBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL

FOLLOW OUR FEATURES EDITOR ON HER DIET JOURNEY THROUGH THE LATEST TRENDS Hamburgers or tofu? Vegetables or eggs? Follow our editor as she covers the bread and butter of keto and vegetarian diets. Page 4 and the Uncaged Instagram.

COVID-19 COMES TO STOCKBRIDGE? As spring breaks comes along, so does the coronavirus. For updates, follow us at uncagednews.com and our social media. Page 6

WHO TOOK THE SPIRIT? School spirit just isn’t as cool as it used to be.

Find out why on page 8.

20. MARCH 2020

UNCAGEDNEWS.COM

STOCKBRIDGE, MICHIGAN

Content 3

FARMERS STATE BANK ART COMPETITION senior Sarah Steenbeke’s winning entry

News Brief Teacher vs. Harlem Wizards, who will win?

4

Feature Try plant-based dieting, a lot of teenagers are doing it

5

Feature A cold killer wreaks havoc

6-7

Cover Story

8

Editorial

Orange crush? What’s that?

Teach us for the life we will live

9

Opinion Michigan abortion bill exaggerates an issue

10 Advertising The people who make this all possible

11

Advertising/Sports Rurl students travel the extra mile just to play sport

12

Sports Girls varsity basketball takes first after 13 years of trying

Uncaged is the student-run newspaper for the students of Stockbridge High School.

An open forum for student expression, Uncaged provides independent reporting and opinion. Something to say? Letters to the editor must include the writer’s full name, cell phone number, and be 150 words or less in length. Response to ideas presented through the newspaper and web are encouraged. Letters are subject to editing and may not be anonymous or to third parties. Leave letters in Elizabeth Cyr’s room #207 in the freshman hallway or email us at uncaged@panthernet.net.

Uncaged receives individual critique through state and national competition through various state and national organizations. Staff awards may be viewed at uncagednews. com in the About section.

EDITORIAL BOARD Hannah Bolton Editor-in-Chief Creative Editor Abigail Douglas Web Editor Justin Jaszkowski

Feature Editor Bella Roberts Assistant Editor Chris Kaltner Opinion Editor Samantha Stitt

STAFF Web Designer Zack Sawicki Photo Editor Tyler Gipson Illustrator Sydney Switzenberg Staff Reporter Sam Nichols Business Manager Jordan Myers Staff Reporter Isabelle Bliss Business Manager Hannah Smith Staff Reporter Emily Breslin Freelance Columnist Kaitelyn Walker Staff Reporter Mickenzi Merriweather Adviser Elizabeth Cyr

CONTACT US Stockbridge High School 416 N. Clinton Stockbridge, Mich. 49285 Room 207 P: (517) 851-7770 E: uncaged@panthernet.net

FIND US ONLINE AT Web: uncagednews.com Twitter: @uncagedshs Facebook: Uncaged Online Instagram: @uncagedstudentnews Snapchat: uncagednews #UareUncaged

FRONT PAGE CONTENTS & ART. Cover design and photo illustration by Sydney Switzenberg.

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NEWS

20. MARCH 2020

UNCAGEDNEWS.COM

Picture a huge brick castle connecting to a bridge leading to the entrance across a surrounding moat. In front, there’s a horse standing stationary with rolling hills and mountains landscaping the background view with only the light of the moon illuminating the night sky.

This beautiful scene represents the award winning work in the Farmer’s State Artwork Competition.

The Grand Prize winner, second grader Henry Marshall, won the one hundred dollar gift card by bringing his creativity to the table. Marshall drew the stationary horse on a path in front of mountains.

One of the category winners is fourth grader Caroline Hicks, who drew the huge castle with a bridge surrounded by a moat. Sixth grader Xavier Zimmerman won for a drawing of a barn with rolling hills and mountains.

Senior Sarah Steenbeke drew a darkened night with the moon and butterflies in the sky and each category winner won a $25 gift card.

During art class, art teacher Jay Langone mentioned the artwork contest to Steenbeke.

With little confidence, she agreed to submit her painting to the contest.

“I participated because he asked me,” Steenbeke said, “I was baffled that my artwork was even good enough.”

Describing her joy in the idea of whimsical butterflies in the night’s sky with the moon, Steenbeke said, “All my pieces are a reflection of what I think is pretty or enjoy.”

Each of the winners have their artwork professionally mounted and shown in the Stockbridge or Munith bank offices plus features of the pieces on their Facebook pages.

Mickenzi Merriweather is Uncaged’s reporter.

Coordinated search for superintendent tockbridge Jr./Sr. High employees met in the school library Feb. 11 with Jay Bennett, the Assistant Director of Executive Search Services, from the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) to decide what they wanted in a future superintendent.

The meeting was followed by a community-wide information gathering session.

Bennett was hired by the district because of the complexity of finding resumes and reviewing them, according to board of education president Carrie Graham.

“The next step will be to review the resumes and

start the elimination process,” Graham said.

Part of the meeting was to gauge what the school staff felt were important qualities for the new superintendent, the board doing the same.

History teacher Corey Baird spoke about having an administrator that treated teachers as experts in their respected field.

MASB (Michigan Association of School Boards) helped in this process by setting up the meetings and by creating surveys.

“We will pick individuals that we will interview, ending with the final two,” Graham said.

The time line can be found on the Stockbridge Community Schools website.

Hannah Bolton is Uncaged’s editor-in-chief.

Letter to the editor “ASSAULT WEAPONS ARE TOO POWERFUL FOR CIVILIANS” response; The shadow print reads; “A WELL REGULATED MILITIA DOESN’T KILL KIDS”. The intention appears for this to be a negative reverse physiological or subliminal, message, but is a correct statement!

AR or MSR (modern sporting rifles) have specific appearances, but appearance does not make them “Powerful”. Power is determined by caliber, powder, bullet type and weight.

The statement “If police officers do not use them, neither should you”. Is Incorrect! The Stockbridge Police Department as well as other departments use AR or MSR rifles in .223 or larger calibers.

Obviously words like; “Obliterate”, “Power”, and “Kill” as they were used throughout the article, shows a hidden narrative, was very one sided and misleading..

Self defense firearms Instructors, law enforcement and firearms attorneys will dispute what is written in the “Safety” portion. To find out the right, take a CPL Class and speak with a firearms attorney.

Many politicians speak loosely about weapons and know not of what they speak. The firearms that citizens can legally purchase are not “Automatic Weapons” or “Weapons of War”.

Ronald L Miller, Stockbridge, MI

ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

Hoops, they did it again

Recent press release outlines punishments for prank threats “The bomb is going off at 9:05,” a message on a girl’s bathroom wall said.

Seconds after principal Jeffrey Trapp found out about the message, he told all staff and students to evacuate the building.

Confusion and chaos filled the air as students exited, bewildered on where to go.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” freshman Tierney Hackworth said. “I thought we had an early release until I saw a teacher freaking out.”

The November 11, 2019 building bomb threat left some students unconcerned and happy to go home, but a recent combined announcement by the judicial system, law enforcement and school administration detailed the consequences of such threats as no laughing matter.

Ingham county prosecuting attorney Carol A. Siemon signed a press release about how bomb threats should not be considered as jokes.

“They are terrifying and tragic,” Carol said. “It is natural for them to worry about their own school and their own safety.”

When it comes down to threats students don’t know what they are supposed to do at the time, but the staff members train for these situations with ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training.

“I think the day and age that we live in, it goes back to that whole idea of what we do with our ALICE training, that you should be mindful and not fearful of situations,” Trapp said.

The Michigan law for threats is that any type of threat at a school is violating the AntiTerrorism Act. Consequences of threats include a max of 20 years in prison, loss of scholarships and federal aid, denied college admission, denied entry to the military and required disclosing of pending cases on job applications.

“As a human being I realize that there is evil in the world and some people who want to do great harm to fellow humans,” Stockbridge police chief Johnnie Torres said.

The announcement told parents to talk to their children about the appropriate use of social - Carol A. Siemon media and to not make threats to the school.

Ingham County prosecuting attorney This announcement serves as a way to get the word out so that young people can understand that their actions have serious consequences.

Whether a threat is real or a prank, the districts ALICE protocol works to provide safety.

“Students and staff should do as Mr. Trapp says,” teacher Pam Gower said. “He’d never say ‘students and staff evacuate the building’ if it’s an early release. Students need to find trust in Mr. Trapp,” Gower added. Sam Nichols is Uncaged’s staff reporter.

“Although many of the student that have created these situations claim they were just joking, or did not think it was a big deal - it is a big deal.”

Penalties

Penalties of committing these threats can include a max of 20 years in prison, loss of scholarships and federal aid, denied college admission, denied entry to the military and required disclosing of pending cases on job applications.

Stockbridge staff faces Harlem Wizards The power team of physical education teacher Susan Lockhart, social studies teacher Darren Hejnal and principal Jeffrey Trapp will face the Harlem Wizards basketball team on March 24.

Hosted by the Stockbridge Athletic Boosters, the game proceeds will provide financial support for athletics at the high school with the profits planned to “go to anything that involves athletics,” booster Mary Hall said.

Sure to be a fun time for the whole family, the Wizards professional

basketball team focuses more on entertaining the crowd with a variety of basketball tricks rather than winning the game.

Entertainment starts in the Jr./Sr. high school gym at 6:30 p.m. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets may be purchased for $12. Early bird tickets can be purchased at the Harlem Wizards website for $10 as well as Courtside Plus tickets.

“It’s not just a typical basketball game, it has a lot of tricks and comedy in it,” Trapp said.

Sam Nichols is Uncaged’s reporter.

Editors’ Note Reporting and publishing during uncertainty As announcements of school closure due to COVID-19 spread across our emails, our staff made plans to finish this edition remotely from our homes. While much uncertainty swirled around us, we took efforts to make certain that we finished our work for our readers in school and around the community. It may not look perfect, but we did the best we could.

We are incredibly proud of the resilience in our student reporters and designers and thank all of you for your work at home and while you were out reporting events during our school closure.

There has never been a more important time for us to show our objectivity and defense of truthful information for our readers. We will continue to do so.

Sincerely, the Uncaged editorial board UNCAGEDNEWS.COM

20. MARCH 2020

NEWS BRIEF

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Boutique diets trend among teenagers Vegetarian, crunchy craze Zac Efron is. So are Meghan Markle, Miley Cyrus, J- Lo, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Clinton, Serena and Venus Williams. Even the Golden Globes took meat off their menu at the event in early January for one reason, veganism.

A booming trend, plant-based diets consist of mostly foods derived from plants such as vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits.

Now, the hard part for young adults: A plant based diet does not typically eat fast food, desserts, sweetened beverages, white rice, white bread, refined pasta, packaged foods and processed meats.

Certain problems such as heart disease, diabetes, weight loss, cancer and brain health can be helped by a plantbased diet, according to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Even fast food restaurants now offer plant-based options. Burger King introduced the Impossible Burger, McDonald’s has the P.LT. Burger, Qdoba the impossible tacos, burritos, and bowls, and Dunkin has the Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich,” according to Business Insider.

“The feast will be plant-based, a decision made by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association out of concern for climate change. The group is the nonprofit organization that gives out the Globes to movie and TV luminaries,” CNN said the night before the Golden Globes event.

However, not everyone is vegan for the environment, or the trend.

Haley Gipson, a junior never started becoming a vegetarian, she has grown up with the lifestyle. Her mom is vegetarian and had started in high school.

Gipson’s mother wanted her to be able to choose for herself when she was old enough to make the decision.

“I never made the decision to start eating meat because I never developed the taste for meat as a child, so it wasn’t like I was giving something up,” Gipson said.

The vegetarian rate among U.S. children and teens is only at 2 percent, but the popularity of vegetarianism among Hollywood stars and others in the media influences teens according to Stanford Children’s Health.

“I’m not vegan, so I eat eggs, dairy products and honey,” Gipson said.

Bella Roberts is Uncaged’s feature editor.

Keto, fatty fad The hottest diet on the block is based on fatty meat.

Ketogenic, shortened to keto, is everywhere.

Ketogenic diets are highly restrictive and meant to lessen carb intake through protein providing foods only.

“Often keto dieters must take a fiber supplement to help stay regular, but this should be discussed with a health care provider,” Barbara Gordon RDN reported for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Taking a multi vitamin could help with vitamin A, C and E that is lacked from the keto diet.

The regime can also cause some health problems if a dieter has a disease or health problem prior to the diet.

If someone has pancreatic disease, liver conditions, thyroid problems, eating disorders or a history of an eating disorder or if someone has gallbladder disease or a removed gallbladder, that keto dieter should proceed with caution.

“The keto diet aims to force your body into using a different type of fuel.

Instead of relying on sugar (glucose) that comes from carbohydrates (such as

grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits),” according to the Harvard Medical School. “The keto diet relies on ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat.”

However, eating fat all day, every day is not good for the body.

Keep saturated fats to no more than 7 percent of the daily calories because of the link to heart disease.

“And indeed, the keto diet is associated with an increase in ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, which is also linked to heart disease,” dietitian Kathy McManus said.

Cholesterol is not the only risk of this diet— nutrient deficiency, liver problems, kidney problems, constipation, fuzzy thinking and mood swings all could be present.

All of these stem from the same issue: the amount of meat and fat consumed and lack of a varied diet.

With all the risks associated with this diet, taking it on is not recommended unless prescribed by a doctor.

ILLUSTRATIONS SYDNEY SWITZENBERG

ILLUSTRATION SYDNEY SWITZENBERG

‘SONIC THE HEDGEHOG’ FINALLY MAKES IT TO THE BIG SCREEN 4

FEATURE

20. MARCH 2020

Sega’s mascot becomes a movie star in theaters everywhere. Based on the arcade game that came out in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog, the live action movie came out Feb. 14.

The movie was supposed to come out in November of 2019 but with the complaints of the appearance of Sonic, artist Tyson Heese went back to the drawing board and fixed the 3D Sonic design.

Movie goers occur to be surprised that this movie had success on the big screen, even though previous video games have been successful in the movies industry, such as “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” (2019). The audience rating at Rotten Tomatoes tops it out at 93%.

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A familiarity about these characters is that they always have to have a sad story to mix into it, to draw in the audience.

In the Sonic movie, Sonic (Ben Schwartz, the voice of Sonic) goes on trying to fit in or feel loved. Such as, in the Pokémon movie, Pikachu tries to find what happened to his Pokemon trainer and help this kid find his dad.

Moving beyond the character Sonic, the movie explores other characters and their lives, making the plot much more compelling. Jim Carey takes the show, like he often does, and becomes the villain Dr. Robotnik.

With the help of sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden the actor), Sonic and

him join forces to stop Dr. Robotnik.

James Marsden did an amazing job as Tom Wachowski in the movie.

He did a good job in another cartoon feature movie, such as, Hop (2012) about the rabbit who doesn’t want to be the Easter Bunny.

He always does a good job with these kinds of cartoon features.

He becomes a friend at the end and takes care of the cartoon features like they are real.

In the movie box office, “Sonic” made $8.1 million and the Tomatometer is at 64%.

Samantha Stitt Uncaged’s opinion editor.

A cold killer PHOTO HANNAH A BULLOCK; AZAIBI TAMIN/ CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL

COVID-19 spreads around the world, reaches local Michigan counties

Note: The coronavirus is spreading at such rapid rate. Even with our team’s best efforts, some of the information in this article could be outdated by the time you read it.

Multiple sources have taken the lead for sharing information about the epidemic.

Here are three national and local sources for reliable information:

You can check all of our social media for major updates on COVID-19 in our community.

CDC.gov

@uncagedstudentnews

uncagednews.com

If you don’t have a countdown number to spring break, you’re in the minority.

That escape from stress and work, spring break creates the peak opportunity for winter fatigued Michiganders.

Senior Zach Hann planned to unload all of his stress and escape the frozen climate through a cruise. A blazing sun and relaxing boat ride would refresh any midyear burnout he feels; however, possibly catching the novel coronavirus: COVID-19 The recently COVID-19 quarantined cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, made traveling outside of the country by any means, worrying and concerning.

“I feel like there may be a chance that I can contract it, but I’m not really worried,” senior Zach Hann.

Evidence that traveling can increase the likelihood of catching it does exist. People have trouble viewing the issue;however, since the problem has not blown up like how it has in other areas.

“I don’t think I have to really worry about catching COVID-19.”

Hannah Smith, who plans on going on a cruise, said. The Diamond Princess was near where the outbreak began initially; however, that doesn’t dismiss the need for precautions that travelers, especially parents, need to keep their kids safe.

“I am concerned of the cruise line cleaning properly and taking passenger safety as number one priority,” Kevin Smith said.

Having spread to 44 of the 50

states including Michigan itself, schools feel the impact of the virus.

“The state of Michigan has been working with federal and local partners to monitor the situation, develop and expand laboratory testing, educate and raise awareness, and prepare for COVID-19 in Michigan,” the Michigan Department of Education said in a letter to public officials and school superintendents.

“The coronavirus has been a problem in other countries and is now becoming an issue here in the United States,” principal Jeffrey Trapp said. “We are being proactive in preventing the spread in multiple ways including monitoring our attendance from sickness.”

The simplest sneeze or cough from the wrong person could easily spread the deadly virus.

The illness spreads through respiratory droplets, which can easily enter the body if they make contact with the eyes, nose or mouth according to the Centers for Disease Control(CDC).

With rising panic and contagion rates, students still have to do their school work. Schools are taking preventative measures to try to keep staff and student safety.

Novi Community School was the first to announce a policy that makes it so any students that traveled overseas must not return to school for a two-week period according to the Bridge, a non-profit news source in

Michigan. Most local universities and colleges moved to online-only instruction.

Regulations like these create that barrier that protects against the spread of possibly fatal illnesses like COVID-19. People look to sources like the local and national news that provide tips for how to avoid it. National organizations also get the beckoning call for help.

To avoid running the risk of contracting anything, the CDC recommends doing the basic flu prevention routine. This practice involves staying away from those that are sick, avoid touching your eyes and nose and staying home when you are sick.

Wearing a face mask, one of the more radical preventative measures, is commonly shown in the media time and time again.

Nothing guaranteed with a face mask, however. It can prevent the virus from spreading like any other common cold or flu.

The time has come for people to take more action. Reports from March 12, 2020 indicate that of the 1,257 known-cases in the United states 12 belong to Michigan. With the rate that COVID-19 has spread around the world, Michigan’s number of cases will rise.

“At first a friend and I were gonna fly to Daytona for spring break, but we’re now driving since we’d probably got sick if we flew,” senior Cassandra Chapman said.

Chris Kaltner

is Uncaged’s assistant editor.

Advisory, Resources and Updates

mlive.com @uncagedonline michigan.gov @uncagedshs PHOTO ALISSA ECKERT, MS, DAN HIGGINS, MAMS /CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL

UNCAGEDNEWS.COM

20. MARCH 2020

FEATURE

5

Got an issue you want me to explore? Contact

RAISE

me at kw5100@

YOUR VOICE

panthernet.net.

I’ll be your voice.

Gray.

White.

Tan. All three have something in common, besides the fact that they are neutral colors. They are the colors that fill our school.

We enter through plain black doors and are greeted with cream colored tiles and white brick walls. The soft glow of the lights becomes harsh as you walk the halls. Grayish blue lockers line the halls like toy soldiers. Most rooms could pass as any other room in the school because they all look the same. We sit in the building for hours staring at these bland colors while attempting to focus.

As we continue to progress technologically, we have kept the things we see in real life the same boring old way.

Most of us already associate colors with feelings, like blue means sad or yellow is a happy color.

Color has been found to have powerful psychological effects on behavior and emotions.

When children act irrationally or violently, some hospitals and correctional facilities have placed these children in pink rooms. The children consequently tend to calm down or eventually sleep according to research reported by the New York Times.

Simply adding more color into our classrooms could change the student’s attitudes and experiences.

If something is supposed to grab our attention or make our creativity flow then incorporate red.

Add blue in the RTR room or in another room where students who might need to calm down can go.

Add orange somewhere where improved communication and energy is wanted.

Small changes with the color of our school will greatly benefit our learning. According to paint maker Sherwin Williams color is the key to a “ready-to-learn environment.”

Yellow.

That is the color of the lockers in the seventh and eighth grader’s halls.

In eighth grade, the hall felt small, and I didn’t like the soft glow of the area very much.

Looking back, it felt warm and calm and a bit happy compared to our dry and bleak halls with grayish blue lockers.

Our school feels cold and plain compared to other schools I have visited.

Adding more color might just make the school feel more like a welcoming place and less like jail.

Kaitelyn Walker is Uncaged’s opinion editor.

8

OPINION

20. MARCH 2020

UNCAGEDNEWS.COM

EDITORIAL CARTOON SYDNEY SWITZENBERG

Schools prepare us for a life most won’t live One of the most essential tax forms came in the mail. Senior Jacob Rooke carefully teared open the perforated envelope and found his W-2.

A major problem existed, however. He had no clue what to do with it. So, he would have to hire someone to help him.

“I don’t know how to do anything involving taxes,” Rooke said. “My parents never really taught me and neither did the school.”

Contrary to the curriculum standards, students need to learn how to do taxes, cook for themselves and change tires as much as they need to know how to write a rhetorical analysis, solve a quadratic or memorize all the U.S. presidents in order of office.

Schools practically kick young adults into this whole new world without even the tiniest shred of information on how to survive. Let alone, knowing how to live happily.

We kids will have a huge hand in what makes our society—responsible for making the decisions.

At this rate, we will be fully prepared to solve any issue involving the mitochondria, but issues of unemployment and homeless will have to end by themselves.

Don’t blame us if we can’t take the reigns.

The blame will only fall on the lack of education that each and every one of us fell victim to.

We can’t entrust these new minds because they don’t have all the information that they need to solve the complex problems of the world. General education helps prepare us for a future in an academic area most people won’t even use, while we may not even have the basic information for taking care of ourselves.

Knowing the basics of adult life helps, but knowing the how to thrive in adult life would get so many soonto-be-adults to what they want from life.

Knowledge about how to manage our time or how to take care of ourselves won’t just come to us.

Never mind how to pay a bill, file taxes or balance a checking account.

Consider a key goal in adult life of having our own place to live.

With our general education, none of us have learned to care for our homes the correct way, assuming we’ll even know enough to be able to move out. We need to be taught to take care of ourselves, at least to get by.

“Sometimes we take for granted that kids know how to wash dishes,” Susan Turgeson, president of the Association of Teacher Educators, told NPR. The school system comprises curricula that don’t teach the necessary basics of adult life such as how to take care of crying babies.

The topic of teenage pregnancy can rattle adults because of the problems that arise such as not knowing how to plan for a baby. Teenage pregnancy scares adults and teens themselves, but too many cases exist for adults in charge to just look away.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan has a teen birth rate of 16.4 per 1,000 females ages 15-19. This alarming data displays the need for classes in high schools that teach teenagers how to take care of infants as well as the phases of a growing child.

This knowledge will help prepare us for when we decide to have children, whether it is unexpected, soon after high school or decades after.

Simply re-implement classes like home economics or making a newer class that teaches all sorts of life skills that students will need to know to function in society.

It is unfair to send kids out into the world having us only know information and facts about the world instead of showing us how the world works.

Some teachers include skills like how to write a check into their coursework. Some schools offer mechanical classes. These baby steps are too small. Schools need to correct curricula so that they provide a more beneficial education to students.

“There are some things that the state could do to pick [the Michigan Merit Curriculum] up, but one of the big things is funding,” economics, psychology and law teacher Jennifer Leuneberg said.

The status quo isn’t sufficient. Schools need to find ways to get those funds. They need to find those resources. We are suffering for their shortcomings.

Perhaps the school could ask for a grant or even ask the community for help. Investing in us, is an investment for the future. By robbing us of a practical education, our lack of life skills makes others suffer from the bad decisions we make from not knowing any better.

Chris Kaltner is Uncaged’s assistant editor.

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, Uncaged writers have been taking on topics affecting young adults in the 2020 election with researched opinions

OUR NEXT IN A SERIES: INDIRECT INITIATIVE STATE STATUE AGAINST ABORTION RIGHTS

Dilation and evacuation abortion is not dismemberment

Percentage of women (who would have preferred to have had their abortion earlier) reporting specific reasons for the delay in obtaining an abortion

1

Inhumane.

59%

2

39%

3

36%

THE GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE, 2004

1

it took a long time to make arrangements

2

it took a long time to decide

3

it took some time before I knew I was pregnant or how far along I was

“

Women who seek abortions for fetal or maternal health indications often do not obtain an abortion until the second trimester 15–17 because many genetic and health conditions in the fetus are not diagnosed until after the twelfth week of pregnancy. Similarly, health conditions in the pregnant woman may not arise or may only become complicated in the second trimester.

Bonnie Scott Jones, JD and Tracy A. Weitz, PhD, MPA

for the American Journal of Public Health

This is the picture that the group named Michigan Values Life is trying to paint by using the word “dismemberment” in the new law that has been proposed for the 2020 November ballot in Michigan.

The Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act would prevent the use of “any instrument, device, or object to dismember a living fetus by dis-articulating limbs or decapitating the head from the fetal torso and removing the dismembered fetal body parts from the uterus,” according to the proposal.

This language means that the procedure could not be performed, unless it is to save the mother’s life, because of a physical disorder, physical illness or physical injury continues the proposal.

However, this proposal does not target the woman directly. The person, physician or otherwise, who performs the procedure is at risk of jail time for up to two years and/ or a fine up to $50,000.

Adding prison time shifts the tone of this from medical to a horrible murder, with a dismembered body.

This is not how it happens. The procedure is not some horrific murder as the proposed name would suggest.

In actuality, the cervix is dilated, allowing a tube to enter the uterus where it will vacuum out tissue from the uterus—evacuating it, as the current name says, according to C.S. Mott Children’s hospital’s website.

Changing the name to “dismemberment” is just a scare tactic used by Michigan Values Life to scare those who are uneducated about what actually happens.

Painting a bloody picture straight from a horror movie, Michigan Values Life’s scare tactic is all in changing the name from the medical term to dismemberment, a lie that supports the proposal.

Those who want to change this are uneducated on this topic: This procedure is a hard process on everyone. It is not a

UNCAGEDNEWS.COM

decision to be taken lightly. Having to make the decision to get an abortion is not an easy one.

Women who need abortions will often get them whether the procedure is legal or not. Making them illegal just makes them unsafe for women.

This proposal is chipping away at women’s rights to access abortions.

Many do need this and taking away their only safe way to terminate a pregnancy is wrong.

Changing this law will not only hurt those seeking this procedure, but those who have had to make the impossible decision. Many women are not in a position to give birth.

“Circumstances that can lead to secondtrimester abortion include delays in suspecting and testing for pregnancy, delay in obtaining insurance or other funding, and delay in obtaining referral, as well as difficulties in locating and traveling to a provider,” according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“Poverty, lower education level, and having multiple disruptive life events, have been associated with higher rates of seeking second-trimester abortion.”

Medical circumstances for the fetus and the mother often lead to this decision, but lack of finances can force women to wait until this procedure is necessary as well.

For those who are living paycheck to paycheck, getting an abortion right away is far too expensive. Even for the first trimester, however some do not know that they are even pregnant.

On top of money is time, it takes time to find someone willing to do the procedure.

After that, time has to be taken to get to the place where education and assistance can be given.

By making it illegal to provide abortions, women will be forced to get them illegally, if they can find someone willing.

Hannah Bolton

is Uncaged’s editor-in-chief.

20. MARCH 2020

OPINION

9

Thank you

Bonnie and the Go Team for everything you do at our schools.

10

ADVERTISING

20. MARCH 2020

UNCAGEDNEWS.COM

Rural students travel the extra mile for sports “I guess you could say that the passengers are in a giant limo atmosphere.”

- bus driver Leslie Reasoner “Usually teams get on the bus upbeat,” bus driver Leslie Reasoner said.

Reasoner has taken countless teams to their games. Seeing them from the time they get on the bus, during the ride with athletes talking, listening to music and eating, to when they board the bus again with either a victory or loss under their belts.

The closest competitor in the Greater Lansing Athletic Conference (GLAC) is 36 minutes away at Leslie, the farthest being 1 hour and 10 minutes at either Lakewood or Maple Valley schools.

Living in a rural area access to competitive sports, from school sports to travel sports, can be farther to reach compared to more suburban areas.

Take Lakeland High School, which competes in the Lakes Valley Conference. Athletes’ furthest drive is 35 minutes to South Lyon High School.

Their shortest drive is 5 minutes to Walled Lake Northern High School.

Lakeland’s longest drive is one less minute than Stockbridge’s shortest.

Stockbridge students travel far and wide to compete in sports from Lansing to Brighton, and even as far as Flat Rock and Wixom. During the fall, the football team traveled 108 miles to Lee High School in Wyoming, Michigan and then 108 miles back home––a 3.5 hour bus round trip.

Senior Paige Wooden, who plays softball for both the varsity team and her travel team, Krash softball, drives to Lansing every Sunday during the winter to practice clocking an average of 1 hour 30 minutes round trip.

“I don’t mind long bus rides,” Wooden said. “They give me a chance to get my head in the game and prepare myself. It helps me relax however the closer we get to a game the more my nerves spike for the game.”

It is not just merely one student in one sport that is experiencing the long rides to and from for their sports.

PHOTO EMILY BRESLIN

Playing both school basketball and travel volleyball, junior Grace Hall drives 45 minutes to the Legacy Center in Brighton every Tuesday and Thursday for Legends Volleyball practices.

As for school basketball the “long bus rides don’t bother me,” Hall said, “I usually just listen to music and sleep.”

Long bus rides are what almost every rural athlete endures.

Filling their time on the bus doing hair, makeup, eating and chatting.

“I guess you could say that the passengers are in a giant limo atmosphere,” Reasoner said.

The girls varsity basketball team filters on to the bus to travel 36 minutes away to compete with Leslie. The score of the girls game would end up being 41-23 and the boys lost 57-67.

FURTHEST DISTANCE TO COMPETE REACHES 1 HOUR AND 10 MINUTES

Lakewood 62 miles Lansing Christian 23 miles Olivet 42 miles Maple Valley 57miles

Perry 26 miles Leslie 13 miles

Emily Breslin is Uncaged’s reporter.

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Girls varsity basketball team takes first in league after long wait

After winning the game 41 to 18 against Perry: Mikey Dalton, Jessica Taylor, Kaylee Dalton, Madison Mazuca, Kayla Surline, Chelsey Asquith, Gwen Rogozinski, Rylee Tolson, Brooklyn Rochow, Grace Hall, Joslynn Caskey and Coach Dwight Crow Jr. hold up one finger signaling that they took first place in the GLAC. PHOTO STEPHANIE HALL

13

years.

The last time that the girl’s varsity basketball team won the league was in 2007, 13 years ago. Most of the girls on the 2020 team were around the age of three to four at the time of the win in 2007.

A Tuesday night home game against Perry solidified the GLAC (Greater Lansing Athletic Conference) title for the girls.

With a score of 41-18, the Panthers defeated the Perry Ramblers, resulting in the Panthers leaving the court with a league record 9-1.

The girls sprinted up and down the court furiously, guarding their red opponents, stealing the ball and scoring on the other end. The crowd full of parents and peers roared at their success.

Head coach Mike Dalton seemed ecstatic after winning the league only 2 years into coaching. “What a great feeling!” Dalton said. “Not many coaches get to experience a league title so soon. I’ve been blessed with a lot of good talent on my team.”

Dalton credits “great chemistry 12

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and good work ethic” to the team’s success.

Freshman power forward Kayla Surline, who moved up from JV to varsity after a few games, vouched for this chemistry.

“The team kinda just talked to me and helped me through everything and they were very nice about it,” Surline said.

Veteran juniors of the team, Chelsey Asquith and Grace Hall, buzzed from within after winning the league. As the buzzer struck zero, center Grace Hall recalled that “It felt pretty good; a lot of people don’t get to experience that type of feeling. It’s kind of hard to explain, like, it felt glorious, just like a warm feeling that I never really felt before.”

For forward Chelsey Asquith, she knew they had the game “towards the end when we had a few fast breaks and the tempo was really up.”

The team competed in Districts on March 4 at Dansville High School facing Laingsburg in their first game they fared poorly, losing the game 51-39. Laingsburg made it to the final district game but fell

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to Byron High School with a score of 49-29.

Twenty years ago was the last time the girl’s varsity team won Districts. All of the players on the current 2020 team weren’t even alive for the last victory, most of them age around 16-17 years old.

Winning the district would have meant a lot to the community.

“Athletics is something that many community members, young and old, take pride in,” junior high school principal and athletic director Meghan Kunzelman said. “So, I think that it would bring a sense of unity and pride to the community.”

Since no seniors played on the team during the season, the same team will take on districts next year, aiming to take the whole district.

Coach Dalton foresaw the team snatching the league title when “Perry didn’t score a single point at all third quarter,” he said. “I knew the game was ours.” When the timer struck zero and the “final buzzer sounded, it was almost surreal,” Dalton said.

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Emily Breslin is Uncaged’s reporter.

The team lines up after the win to take part in the ceremony of taking down the net. Gwen Rogozinski, coach Dwight Crow Jr., Rylee Tolson, Grace Hall, Chelsey Asquith, Mikey Dalton, Brooklyn Rochow, Kaylee Dalton, Kayla Surline, and Joslynn Caskey enjoy the moment. PHOTO STEPHANIE Hall

Junior Kaylee Dalton takes down part of the net in ceremony after winning the league game against the Perry Ramblers. PHOTO STEPHANIE HALL