Civility by Uncaged (Stockbridge High)

UNCAGED Stockbridge High School|Stockbridge, Michigan Volume 21 Edition 5|March 29, 2018

Civility

In a divided nation, we may not always see eye to eye, but canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we still be civil toward one another? TEACHERS DESERVE MORE APPRECIATION FROM STUDENTS, PAGE 11

Contents 4 5 6 7 8-9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Feature

Senioritis: pandemic or pushover?

Feature

Clawmarks: A new production

Feature

U.S. students won’t be tested on identifying fake news, so test yourself

Feature

Fake news spreads faster than real news on various social media platforms

Human Interest Feature

Working against stress, one belly rub at a time

Opinion

Will the circle be unbroken?

Opinion

CIVILITY

Teachers deserve more appreciation from students

Entertainment

How not to waste your time at Universal Studios

Entertainment

A beautiful remaster of a cult classic

Ever since kindergarten, students have been taught the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. It is essential for everyone to maintain kindness and patience with each other to make this a better world. In this edition, we invite in civility as we encourage the practice of being respectful and courteous to one another. Whether it be through the merging of two art-based clubs to examining the hard work of teachers or to the new addition of therapy dogs, we are sure that, with civility, our school will become a brighter place.

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Sports Why you need to know Norm Grant

Pro/Con

Shots fired: The gun control debate

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

FRONT PAGE PHOTO SHOOT

Thank you to our front page models, junior Andrew Zeigler and sophomore Shaddai Demeranth-Shanti. Photography by Kali Roskowski, illustration by Zabrina Yannella. Page 2 photo of seniors Savannah Porter and Cassandra Eskew with therapy dogs Monroe and Rosalee by Madison Gee-Montgomery.

Stockbridge High School 416 N. Clinton Stockbridge, Michigan 49285 Phone: (517) 851-7770 x6207 Email: uncaged@panthernet.net

Uncaged is the student-run newspaper for the students of Stockbridge High School. It is an open forum for student expression to providing independent reporting opportunities and individual critique through state and national competition. Staff awards may be viewed at uncagednews.com. Something to say? Letters to the editor must include the writer’s full name, telephone number, and be 150 words or less in length. Satire, columns, and interesting features in reactions to other printed material 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 Team Kali Roskowski Editor-in-Chief, Zabrina Yannella Editor-in-Chief, Logan Connolly Sports Editor, Abbey Salyer Copy Editor, Lauren Morris Web Editor, Ronin Hackworth Columnist, Madie Gee-Montgomery Senior Reporter, Cameron Flynn Senior Reporter, Kayla Drew Senior Reporter, Martin Hoeksema Senior Reporter, Margaret Pulley Senior Reporter, Patrick Cox Staff Reporter, Maria Risner Staff Reporter, Michael Franklin Staff Reporter, Gavin Salyer Business Manager, Kimberly Higgins Social Staff Reporter, Kaylie Shepard Social Media Manager, Tyler Showerman Social Media Manager, Elizabeth Cyr Adviser

2 Content

School switches to ALICE active shooter safety procedures Zabrina Yannella Editor-in-Chief

Margaret Pulley Senior Reporter

Special education teacher Kathleen Riley wanted to be a teacher since she was 7 years old, but when she was told that the school would be taking active shooter training, she realized that this isn’t how she expected her first year to go. “It made me uncomfortable,” Riley said. “We were warned about what we were going to be doing and how long it was going to take a few weeks--maybe even a month--before the training. A few days before the training, I wasn’t sleeping well. I was having bad dreams and I was very, very worried about what was going to happen.” Beginning in February, superintendent Karl Heidrich informed the people of the school community that six teachers would attend an ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Training Program. During the training, teachers and administrators learned how to do anything to distract a shooter in different ways that vary from making noises to adding distance, all to prevent the intruder with intended violence in a school shooting. “If you think about the lockdown procedure that you used to do, and a lot of other schools used to do that was one solution. But, in an ever-evolving time in our day and age, it gives more suggestion. There are more opportunities to do something,” Lieutenant Keith Flores of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department and ALICE trainer said. “The old fashioned lockdown procedures, we’re not big fans of here at the Sheriff’s office. We want to empower our staff

members, our teachers and our citizens to do something other than just one option in lockdown so we kind of want to get away from that,” Flores said. With the ALICE, staff and students will barricade doors to make forced entries more difficult for the shooter. A common misconception is that the C in the acronym, for “counter,” means to use physical force, but physical force is always a last resort. Heidrich has high hopes that this more widely-known program will protect the staff and students more readily. “The history is we have used lockdown shelter in place for a long time, and we started looking at schools around us in Livingston, Jackson and Washtenaw Counties to see what their safety procedures are,” superintendent Karl Heidrich said. “If an active shooter where to harm anyone, we could have first responders come from any of those three counties, so we wanted more options that allow us to be proactive if an active shooter event were to occur.” Although ALICE protocol, further advanced than our current system, has already stepped foot into Stockbridge schools, staff has started a committee to address specific issues in the building from room to room. “It is going to take a long time to switch over, but we need to keep progressing to make sure student and staff safety stays a top priority,” Heidrich said.

Band travels to Manchester for Festival

Ronin Hackworth Senior Reporter The talent of Stockbridge students was on display once again as the concert band traveled to Manchester High School for a performance on Friday, March 9. “It’s important to put up my part, because it’s not just one person that’s doing the band,” sophomore John Morris said. “It’s not just one person that’s making the music. I’m doing this so we sound good, and I feel like it’s important to me to perform well for the band.” According to Band Director Patty Pniewski this particular recital was “comments only,” meaning that the band was not in competition with other bands and was instead only looking for feedback from a jury of three judges, similar to a scrimmage in sports.

Panther Powered: FIRST Robotics Team Takes on First Competition

Tyler Showerman Social Media Manager With teams and robots flooding the room, the bustling scene was a new sight for the young FIRST Robotics team. On Thursday, March 1, the Panther Powered team headed to Gibraltar, Michigan to begin the 3-day competition. 1 FIRST, an acronym meaning “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” is a program used to encourage involvement in the STEM field. The teams work in a 6-week period to create a robot that can play in a game for the competition.

Principal Jeffery Trapp and assistant principal Joseph Wenzel participate in an ALICE committee meeting to form protocols and procedures for future implementation with students in the building. PHOTO ZABRINA YANNELLA

Patty Pniewski directs concert band on March 9. PHOTO

PROVIDED BY AMY JO HURD

The band played a number of songs including “Bandology” by Eric Osterling, a personal favorite of some members of the band, including junior and saxophonist Hunter Fee. The occasion was formal with high school members being asked to wear black tuxedos, cummerbunds and bow ties, and middle school members polo shirts and dress pants. Every year the band attends this festival in an attempt to better themselves through constructive criticism that will allow them to improve their music in anticipation of future competitions. “I like that I’m able to express different things through music” Fee said. “It helps keep me concentrated on my studies.” Team coach Bryan Tasior was pleased with the results of the first event. “We did well. We definitely overcame a lot of challenges,” he said. Panther Powered, finished 24 out of 48 teams in their first competition of the year. The team consists of 20 students, yet out of those, 18 are underclassmen. Sophomore Jonathan Clark thinks, “We worked together really well and coordinated really well, better than I would have expected.” Panther Powered continues to work on their robot in preparation for their next competition March 22 through March 24. Their goal is to keep improving each match, according to Tasior. They are working toward making it into the playoffs selection process in their next competition starting March 22. Tasior emphasized, “Engineering is all about recovering from problems. You need to not let stress take away the fun of it.”

Anticipation. Senior Luke Fillip and sophomore Kelsey Andrews anxiously wait as volunteers inspect their robot to see if it qualifies for competition. “There is a 120-page rule manual that our robot has to follow,” coach Bryan Tasior said. PHOTO BRYAN TASIOR

News Brief 3

Senioritis: pandemic or pushover? Cameron Flynn Senior Reporter

Diminished interest in early wake-ups, chronic fatigue, long periods of daydreaming and a growing resentment in all school-related activities. The aforementioned conditions make up only a small fraction in the long list of symptoms associated with senioritis. This debilitating condition affects a large amount of students worldwide; both high school and college seniors. In fact, according to The Omniscient around 78 percent of seniors reported having the ailment. Though the condition can occur independently, it can also be contracted from infected individuals. These individuals may spread the disease by getting other students to skip school with them, skip working on homework to hang out or by making more it socially acceptable to sleep one’s days away. However, sweeping statistics and nationwide findings hardly explain the risks of this very real threat to one’s educational potential. So how does senioritis affect Stockbridge seniors? Senior Morgan Sipes, an unfortunate victim of senioritis, expressed that she thinks not only can the phenomenon be encouraged by other students, but that the majority of seniors are suffering from it. “I think all seniors have it, it is very common,” Sipes said. “All of us just do not care anymore and all of our grades are suffering.” She also thinks that it can definitely be contagious from peers who suffer from it. “If your friends have senioritis, they’ll say things like, ‘Oh, let’s go do this instead of your homework’,” Sipes said. However, this does not mean the condition is inescapable. Another senior, Zane Turner, had a much more uplifting view of the situation. “When I started junior year, I felt like I started with senioritis,” Turner said. “Even though I wasn’t a senior, I totally just gave up and did not do anything, and that caused my grades to slip and my GPA to go down, that encouraged me to do better in my senior year.” So, what steps do the afflicted need to take to alleviate their condition so they can turn their situation around. Firstly, while it is considered fine to take time to relax, it is still important to try not to overdo it. Instead of overworking to that point of giving up, taking a break before exhaustion would help a student work at a more efficient pace overall. Secondly, set smaller goals that are easier to achieve. Breaking down a task into smaller parts helps students focus on one task at a time. A mountain of work will turn into doable steps. And lastly, it is crucial that students remain vigilant when around people who show symptoms and may inadvertently spread the condition.

“EVEN THOUGH I WASN’T A SENIOR, I TOTALLY JUST GAVE UP AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING, AND THAT CAUSED MY GRADES TO SLIP AND MY GPA TO GO DOWN, AND THAT ENCOURAGED ME TO DO BETTER IN MY SENIOR YEAR.” SENIOR ZANE TURNER

Feature

Senioritis Also called: Senior slump ABOUT

SYMPTOMS

TREATMENTS

Usually self-diagnosable Symptoms include chronic fatigue, daydreaming and increased resentment towards school-related activities.

People may experience: Mood: loss of interest or pleasure in school-related activities, loss of motivation Sleep: excess sleepiness, difficulty waking up Whole body: restlessness Behavioral: agitation, incomplete assignments Cognitive: lack of concentration, slowness in activity

The college board has a few tips for afflicted seniors.

Keep a calendar of activities and deadlines. This includes tests, college applications, senior-year events and extracurriculars. Caution don’t overextend!

Enjoy your senior experiences — responsibly.

Avoid obsessing over the admission process. If you do, everything else, including grades, suffers. It’s all about balance and making the right choices.

Commit to an internship or career-focused job load. This can help you make informed decisions about your education and career goals. Or you can try out college early by taking a class at a local college in a subject that interests you or in which you excel.

Encourage yourself to celebrate the last year of school. You may enjoy cheering at football games, going to the prom, attending graduation festivities, and participating in clubs, sports and volunteer work.

Maintain a challenging course load. Urge yourself to take the most rigorous courses available, including AP, dual enrollment and career center courses (many of which can earn students college credit).

EVEN IF IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF WORK IN THE MOMENT, EVERY CLASS ADDED TO YOUR SCHEDULE IS JUST ANOTHER LEG UP FOR COLLEGE. PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS CAMERON FLYNN

Clawmarks: A new production

Clawmarks team members sophomore Tyler Gipson and freshman Brooklyn Baker make decorative quotes to hang all around the teacher’s lounge. PHOTO ABBEY SALYER

Abbey Salyer Staff Reporter Every Wednesday after school, seven students walk down to English teacher Pam Gower’s room to take part in Clawmarks, a club where they create works of art in literature, painting and book making. Those who participate gain the satisfaction of creating something; even some find it a good hobby, like freshmen Bella Roberts. “I like to put my creativeness into things,” Roberts said. “We might take a day and do art with watercolors, or we might take a day and look over writings that have been submitted to us.” Clawmarks is the student literary magazine, which includes other students’ submissions of writings or art. The end date of accepting submissions is April 26, and from then on, the process of making their one magazine kicks into full gear. In the beginning, there was the art club and the literary club. Since Gower was running both, she thought it would be a great idea to combine them both to make Clawmarks. Students are encouraged to be artistic with the projects they create. “What I realized was that both writing and art is about creativity. Why couldn’t we put it together into one club?” Gower asked. “Our mission is to promote and celebrate the creativity in our community through writing and art.” Since the clubs have combined to gain more people and more

skills, the students are able to plan for their literary magazine as they work on other projects such as decorating the teacher’s lounge with decorative papers and quotes. They also have paintings hanging in the cafeteria and flyers for anyone who is interested in joining. Sophomore Hannah Bolton and other students have responsibilities and deadlines to meet. “We plan fundraisers, field trips, and talk about the plans for the magazine and how it’ll flow with themes,” Bolton said. “We read through and make sure each piece is appropriate and what section it should go into.” Everyone who participates spends most of the time working as a team, but some will individually edit submissions for their magazine. For students wanting to submit their work, they can email it to Gower or share it with her in person at her room. Anyone interested in the arts can join, and that is especially why sophomore Tyler Gipson loves being a part of it. According to Gipson, he has been made fun of for participating in the club, but he does not let that stop him from staying. “Gower accepts anybody, and we have a lot of fun,” Gipson said. “I know that I am the only boy in Clawmarks, and I like showing that just because it is about poems and writing doesn’t mean that boys can’t do it too.” ART & PHOTO ILLUSTRATION ABBEY SALYER

Feature 5

U.S. does not want students to be tested on identifying fake news Feature story package compiled by:

Kimberly Higgins Ronin Hackworth Staff Reporter Staff Reporter

Kayla Drew Staff Reporter

The United States refused to take part with multiple countries that are testing students to identify fake news The revised Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, tests an added global competency section focused on cultural awareness, challenging extremism and identifying fake news, has been turned down by a handful of countries such as the United States, England, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Ireland and Japan, according to the BBC News. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, defines global competency as examining “local, global, and intercultural issues,” to accepting “the world views of others” and engaging “in open, appropriate and effective interactions with people from different cultures.” It was originally developed with the central focus on culture as it is needed “to live

harmoniously in multicultural communities,” according to the OECD. The fake news aspect comes into play with the understanding that the spreading of falsehoods can cause great disturbances among groups of people, especially when there is a clash of cultures. Fake news became more alarming around the presidential election in 2016 when it was recorded that there were about 1.4 million more Facebook engagements with fake news articles than with articles from mainstream news sources by a Buzzfeed News analysis that is being widely credited on higher-standard sites, such as the New York Times and Washington Post. In such tense political situations, fake news can influence potential voters to like

or dislike certain candidates, to establish or disestablish a bias against a certain group simply because of rumors spread about them. The opting-out of the test was brought about by the U.S. Department of Education’s decision that, although it is an important development, the test needed a more “solid empirical foundation to validate its technical stability,” according to the Business Insider. A point of criticism brought up by Trump administration about the new PISA test is that the United States already has such a large number of standardized tests, that students do not need yet another test to worry about. Among the education community, there is wide disagreement. Some educators say that fake news is not a very serious, or that it is interrupting the teaching core classes of which

the United States is taking the PISA tests for. However, there are some teachers who disagree, such as U.S. history teacher Corey Baird, who thinks that adding a fake news portion to standardized tests is a great idea. “I think we need to add something like this in our curriculum,” Baird said. Although, social studies teacher Jennifer Leuneburg brought up a valid point when she said, “I find it interesting that we would test on something that we don’t really teach yet. There is no standardized curriculum for it, so how would we test on something that is not standardized among schools?” Administrators struggle to decide if American 15-year-olds should be subjected to another standardized test when there are already so many.

Test your regular news source on this graph below. Plot your most watched news source. How about your favorite social media feed? Check out the Journalistic Quality & Partisan Bias graph at uncagednews.com to check your answers.

Complex

Liberal Utter Garbage/ Conspiracy Theories

HyperPartisan Liberal (questionable journalistic value)

Skews Liberal (but still reputable)

Mainstream (minimal partisan bias)

Skews Conservative HyperConservative Utter Partisan (but still Garbage/ Conservative reputable) (questionable Conspiracy Theories journalistic value)

Analytical

Basic

Journalistic Quality

Meets High Standards

Sensational or clickbait Liberal

Partisan Bias

Conservative SOURCE PATENT ATTORNEY VANESSA OTERO

Feature

Identifying fake news 1.

2. 3.

Your first step should be to look at the headline itself. You will notice that the real news website has content that is less than extraordinary. While the fake news article has headlines that are certain to provoke strong emotions. While any news article is sure to provoke some reaction something that sounds too outlandish to be true, it probably is. Look at the logos of the news websites in the top left corner. Notice how the fake news logo is different from the real logo. If you are not sure what the real logo looks like, it might be a good idea to look it up online.

If you are still unsure if the article is false or not look at the author. If there is no author anywhere there is a good chance the news is fake. If there is an author, and you are still unsure of the truth of a news article look the author up. Often times, credible journalists will have their name, their picture and a brief biography available from their news outlet. Lastly, if you are still unsure if a news article is true or not, look up the claim on a credible fact checking site such as politifact.com or factcheck.org. The journalists at these fact-checking websites make their money telling fact from fiction. As a result, they often have a place where you can submit contested news where they will be researched and looked into. Remember, if you don’t know it is OK to ask.

Real news

Fake news

Fake news spreads faster than real news on various social media platforms How to identify fake news and stop the spread of fake news Nearly 65 percent of the news found on social media websites is fake. Fortunately, 84 percent of American adults are at least somewhat confident in their abilities to identify fake news, according to a poll from the Pew Research Center. Yet, in one study from Stanford University, over 80% of middle schoolers were unable to tell the difference between fake and real news. There are many different factors that go into how difficult it can be to identify fake news. Sometimes, a fake news article can cause a strong emotional response, especially when the author created the article with the purpose of inciting outrage. Headlines are crafted with the thought in mind to grab the reader’s attention, but when this is turned against the reader as a form of clickbait, falsehoods are spread through the spanning effect of a controversial headline, such as “Dallas Cancels Halloween amid Ebola Concerns” compared to a real headline like “Mississippi’s Literacy Program Shows Improvement.” The real news story headline is a lot less provocative than the fake news headline. Often times, fake news originates in periods of contest, like in the 2016 presidential election. There were an abundance of falsehoods that came out about both candidates in an attempt to sway the public on their choice. Supporters of Hillary Clinton believed that 58 percent of politically-based fake articles were true, while Donald Trump supporters believed that 86 percent of fake articles were true, although the study acknowledges that the fake news articles used primarily had a pro-Trump or anti-Clinton bend, according to a Ipsos Buzzfeed poll. These articles were passed around not only by those with malevolent intent but also those who were simply clueless that the report might be false, whether because they were caught up in the their own fury or because they were trying to make a point for their political stance. The public deserves not to be lied to, so the average social media user has an obligation to determine that whatever articles they help spread are ones of validity. Identifying fake news can be easy, if you know how to do it. There are three steps that can be taken to avoid the majority of fake news. First: look into the source itself. If it says something like “blog page” or “Opinion-Editorial by: authors name,” then it is likely biased, whether it be positively or negatively against a certain group as the author is expressing their own thoughts. Second: make sure the URL does not have any random letters in it, such as abc.com.co. This could be a sign that it is a fake website. However, keep in mind that some combinations of extra letters are credible. For example, .co.uk on the end of a URL simply means that the website is based in the United Kingdom. Third: Check your immediate reaction to the article title. Fake news is designed to be very emotional or controversial. If you feel this way reading a headline, it might be a good idea to go over steps one and two. Some of such headlines may be true, but the vast majority of outlandish titles are false, needing only a Google search to discredit their validity.

Feature 7

Working against stress,one belly rub at a time

Taking a break from working on her art project in Jay Langone’s Art 2 class, junior Gracie Allen enjoys a moment with the GO TEAM therapy dog, Monroe.

High school works with Pinckney located GO TEAM therapy dogs Logan Connolly Sports Editor As Monroe and Rosalee walk into English teacher Pam Gower’s room, the gasps and smiles emit from the room, drowning out the worries of tests or assignments that are approaching. Gower’s students smile ear to ear, all very excited to introduce themselves to Monroe and Rosalee. These two are new and already popular, and they do not even talk. Monroe and Rosalee are not students―they are GO TEAM therapy dogs. Their handlers, Bonnie and Paul Barbick have been members of GO TEAM for over a year; however, GO TEAM has been around for a lot longer. Starting in 2012 in Waldo Canyon in Colorado, after a wildfire destroyed 347 homes and more than 32,000 people were evacuated, GO TEAM got its start. Two dogs along with their handlers went to hotels to help soothe the devastated residents and to de-stress the first responders. GO TEAM then felt that their services were needed across the nation. Over 800 dog and handler teams are members of GO TEAM, and their program has grown worldwide. Becoming a member of GO TEAM is a long process and involves months of training. The dogs must be at least one year of age before they can begin. The process starts with passing a CGC test, or Canine Good Citizen, through the AKC (American Kennel Club). There are full weekends dedicated to multiple scenarios training including nursing homes, TSA at an airport, elevators, escalators and even fire trucks with lights on and sirens blaring. “We walked down Michigan Avenue for one of the trainings. We went to Bass Pro Shop, so there is lots of people everywhere,” handler Bonnie said. “We just walk around and they’re quite comfortable doing that.” When Rosalee and Monroe are on the job, they cannot eat, play nor eliminate (what humans call “using the bathroom”). They only drink water. Getting the dogs to the school happened at a chance meeting. English teacher Elizabeth Cyr felt there was a need for these dogs in school after she had seen them in the hospital while with her mother. “My mother suffered a traumatic head injury, so I was at the hospital quite often,” she said. “It was stressful, and sometimes sad, and the dogs always provided temporary relief.” Cyr began to notice that she wasn’t alone in this feeling and she described what she called the “serendipity moment” when she realized she may be able to bring this same sort of relief to her students. “I saw the instant joy the dogs brought to people,” she said, “and the after effects it carried.” Cyr said she saw a lot of tension and stress at the

Cover Story

“I love the smile on people’s faces, the joy that you see when they pet our dogs, when they just see us walk in. I had a lady say to me, she was just observing, and she said, ‘You made that lady so happy!’” Handler Bonnie Barbick Rosalee enjoys a head scratch from senior Ashley Gunn in Jay Langone’s Art 2 class.

According to UCLA Health, petting a therapy dog helps lower blood pressure and slow down breathing in people who are anxious.

PHOTO ARI GOMEZ

Rosalee, a 3-year-old Miniature English Golden Doodle, looks up at the camera and gives her best smile. When not on duty, Rosalee enjoys swimming, traveling and belly rubs.

PHOTOS LOGAN CONNOLLY

Though his fourth birthday was just celebrated this last January, Monroe has been training to be a GO TEAM therapy dog since he was a puppy. When this Bernedoodle is not working with children and adults, Monroe enjoys hiking, playing fetch and snuggling.

school that wasn’t normally there. She then began to think that the dogs could be a solution. “I asked Bonnie if she came to schools, and we started coming up with a plan,” she said. Barbick, who is certified with both Monroe and Rosalee, glows with passion when it comes to helping people. “I love the smile on people’s faces, the joy that you see when they pet our dogs, when they just see us walk in,” Barbick said. “I had a lady say to me, she was just observing, and she said, ‘You made that lady so happy!’” Senior Elizabeth Salyer experienced a visit from the therapy dogs during her first block in Jen Leuneberg’s class, and just loves dogs. When Salyer saw them, it happened to be the anniversary of the death of former student, Sevila Nash. “This is a bad day for some of us, and [the dogs] came in the door, and we just started crying because we were so happy,” Salyer said. “Seeing the dogs just brought our mood up.” These dogs not only have benefits for mental health, but also could have positive effects on physical health. According to UCLA Health, petting a therapy dog helps lower blood pressure and slow down breathing in people who are anxious. Petting a therapy dog also releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps lower depression. Dogs can help promote physical healing also, according to Therapy Dogs United. Barbick thinks her volunteer work is helpful and enjoys every second of working at the high school. “Working at Stockbridge has been delightful! The happiness and joy I see on so many faces while we are visiting, there are no words for that,” she said. “I hear laughter and such happy sounds while we are with the students. I’ve heard students say, ‘This is the best day ever.’ I can not get enough of that!” Barbick first started working with therapy dogs when she got Monroe. “I’ve always wanted to have a therapy dog for some reason,” she said. She learned about the GO TEAM through Sit Means Sit training, who is partnered with them. “[GO TEAM] just sounded so amazing and so awesome, that we went and did our good Canine Good Citizen test,” Barbick said. “I was a nervous wreck. It was just a CGC test and I thought I was taking the biggest exam of my life, and [Rosalee] passed it with flying colors.” But now, Barbick knows her job not only helps others, but also her too. “I walk out of these places, anywhere I go, and I wonder who got the most therapy,” she said. “The guests, the staff, or me?”

Cover Story 9

When your community turns on you

RONIN IN THE ARENA

Zabrina Yannella Editor-in-Chief

Will the circle be unbroken? Ronin Hackworth Columnist In the third congressional district of Illinois the Democratic Party circular firing squad is gearing up to take out moderate-to-conservative, an endangered species anyways, incumbent Congressman Dan Lipinski. What is taking place in the suburbs of Chicago is an absolute embarrassment. We are seeing a national party that already has inclusivity problems trying to make itself more exclusive. The humorist Will Rogers once said “I’m not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.” What he said all those years ago still rings true today. The race has been flooded with outside cash from groups like both pro-life trying to prop him up and pro-choice groups frantically trying to primary him. The fallout can be felt even here in Michigan where gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer is currently facing pressure from the left as Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is trying to win the Democratic nomination. Instead of focusing on trying to win back the governor’s mansion, Whitmer is having to prove that she is sufficiently liberal. If this infighting continues, Democrats should be afraid they are going to blow the election by nominating someone too liberal to ever win election anywhere outside Wayne County. If you doubt the Democrats ability to blow elections you need only look at November 8, 2016. If you still do not believe me, I would suggest looking up the sad, stupid, pathetic story of Christine “I’m not a witch” O’Donnell on YouTube. She completely blew what was supposed to be a slam dunk election, because she hijacked a pretty centrist Republican Party in Delaware, and turned it over to a bunch of right-wing extremists. The point is that neither the Democratic Party, nor the American people, have the time or the patience for boutique issues like sanctuary states or transgender bathrooms when there are people in this state, and in this country, living in unbelievable poverty, or with the misery of opioid addiction, and until Democrats figure that out, they are stuck in a catch-22 of losing elections and irrelevancy. My message is simple: Only one party has spent the better part of the past ten years trying to be the more ideological party, and we only have two major parties. We cannot afford to have one party responsible for a major public health crisis running everything, and the other party completely out to lunch. So, Democrats, when you can finally get it together the rest of America invites you to actually help in solving our problems, rather than just being stuck in the circle of insignificance.

10 Opinion

ONE VOICE: I am a democrat because the basics of the Democratic Party help the little guys. Instead of looking at who has the most power —money wise, they are looking at keeping America as a whole and where people need the most help. junior Hannah Glair

In a perfect nation, a student’s community, school officials, parents and peers would be supportive of her civic engagement through the use of her constitutional rights. But this country is far from perfect. The second students say something adults do not agree with, they turn on them right before their eyes. My fellow editor-in-chief and I had planned to walk out of our classes on March 14, for 17 minutes, one minute for each life lost during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida. The goal of the walkout was to use the rights given to us by the U.S. Constitution to create a peaceful walkout, a form of protest protected by the First Amendment. A loud minority group on Facebook found out about the walkout and its response was anything but personable. We were compared to Nazis and told to “go to hell.” Pointless: Voices in the minority group made it clear that they thought what we were doing in regard to the school walkout to commemorate the lives of school violence victims was futile. The language they used was hateful and unconstitutional, seeing as hate speech is not protected under the First Amendment. The group implied that what we were doing was dividing the school more than it already is, but the community has done a pretty good job of doing that themselves by creating a war zone on Facebook. But I am not mad at any of them. They have a right to voice their opinions just like I have mine. And, this is my turn to talk. Walking out gives the victims a voice, of not only the Florida school shooting, but all of the men, women and children who were killed in school shootings across the country. The goal of the walkout was not to divide, single-out or exclude anyone. I have never seen so much hate directed toward two young people who tried to bring their school together. Can we stop categorizing people as “conservatives” or “leftists” when we do not even know their political views and go about our days in harmony? I guess not. These assumptions just tear us even farther apart, as evidenced in the Facebook posts containing thousands of comments about the National School Walkout. This community has made anyone with a leftward idea out to be “clowns” for taking action. Rightward leaning community members are made out to be the heroes who “use their brain and don’t follow the masses.” Oh, and does the vocal minority know how embarrassing they are making themselves look by telling us we do not know our own rights as journalists?

Day one of Writing for Publications, we start off by learning the First Amendment. From there on we go on to talking about case laws and what rights we do and do not have as student journalists. We continue learning about our rights as citizens and journalists in government and economics and over the course during our time on staff. Uncaged takes pride in what we do and make it our job to inform and entertain the people of this community through our work. Am I proud to say that I live in a place where some individuals think angry Facebook posts will solve all of life’s problems? No. Am I proud that some parents teach their children to patronize any child who has a different belief than their own? Absolutely not. But, when I see their children are not given the opportunity to voice their opinions, but instead their mouths become muffled by the hands of their parents thoughts and beliefs, I think to myself, “You are kidnapping your children of their First Amendment rights.” Doesn’t the vocal minority trust their parenting skills enough to let their children decide what they believe in for themselves? People have told me that this is a good learning experience; the things I have learned may come as a surprise, though. I have learned that people are fine with the freedom of speech until they think that it is personally attacking them. I have learned that sometimes children know how to handle themselves in a more adult manner than adults themselves. I have learned that people will try to manipulate you, deter you, break you down and belittle you from using your rights when what you think goes against what they personally believe. My job is to show them why I started in the first place and to stand up for my rights. I hope that by reading this bylined opinion, the realization that we are not the villains becomes apparent. With that, I would like to say “thank you” to the vocal minority. You turned something that was meant to be so transparent and innocent into a vexed political mess that has divided us even more as not only a student body, but a community overall. I am going to continue to move forward as a change agent and push onward with my plans to hold a school safety rally later this school year. The goal is to start a conversation on changing school safety and making our school climate one that is inclusive and inviting for all students.

Teachers deserve more appreciation from students Maria Risner Staff Reporter Behind the countless worksheets, the hours spent lesson planning and the gradebook where all is sacred, there is a hardworking teacher. Being only human, these adults are actually almost inhuman: superheros. They have the tough job of teaching 100 or more students a day. Meanwhile, students tend to belittle these great minds on a daily basis. Sometimes, I tend to hear murmurs of ridicule from peers towards the great staff we have. I often ponder on the question of how teachers keep up with everything. The harsh commentary, the workload, and especially how they balance their own outside-of-school lives on top of it all, how do they do it? Showing appreciation for all our teachers do is something we lack in this generation. It is time to show teachers that they are heard. They should be appreciated. They need to be valued more.

“Strive for more every day. Go out there and do awesome things after you leave and come back and tell us about them.” math teacher Jason Rickli

PHOTO MARIA RISNER

Check out the “Dear Students” video on our website uncagednews.com for more teachers’ thoughts.

As reported by Gallup, only 29 percent of teachers agree with the statement: “In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.” For those who have not noticed, teachers have their own lives outside of school. Some have children that rely on them, they also have their own frustrations and problems. Teachers give it their all to educate every school day, even if their outside-of-school lives might be hectic. Students should think twice before deciding to nag teachers on test grades not being marked in the gradebook one day after. A survey conducted by takepart.com shows that 78 percent of teachers are often physically and emotionally exhausted by the end of the day. An ample 87 percent say that the demand of their job will occasionally interfere with their family life. These statistics just go to show that the work is aplenty for teachers and we need to be patient and understand the time they take to teach is valued. We are all human after all. Don’t whine about having to learn a lesson. Yes, it may be hard, but it is not the teachers fault. Please give respect to them by accepting the class as is and how they put forth time and effort to make sure the class runs properly. According to NEA.org teachers spend and average of 50 hours per week on instructional duties. Sometimes, including an average 12 hours each week on non-school related activities such as grading papers and club advising. Teachers live to teach, but they also live to support themselves and their families. Just like students, teachers work themselves to exhaustion as well. We need to be respectful and patient with our educators. It is not easy doing what they do.

Opinion

Magic. Every Universal Studios attendee experiences it, yet no one can describe it. The Hogwarts Castle, lying in the Islands of Adventure part of the park, is home to the mystical Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. PHOTO KALI ROSKOWSKI

HOW TO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS Sharing a moment with my mom, Kim Roskowski, in front of The Simpsons Ride on the Universal Studios side of the park, I wonder what awaits. PHOTO AL ROSKOWSKI

−START WITH A

GAME PLAN Kali Roskowski Editor-in-Chief The lines snake through miles of iron bars to get to the ride, as the sweaty crowds of tourists push and shove to get a glimpse of a fantasy world come to life. Magic and body odor fills the air. This is Universal Studios. When meandering through both parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, there are so many attractions that catch a passerby’s eye that a game plan has to be constructed in order to hit all of the rides that everyone in each group wants to experience. So, I took the liberty of constructing a list of my favorite rides to make sure that anyone attending does not miss out on an extraordinary event.

12 Entertainment

1. Revenge of the Mummy

The ride design dates back to 2002, but do not let the 16year gap between then and now sway you to not ride. This ride, hands-down, is my favorite roller coaster of all time. Yes, seriously. If thrill and speed is what you seek, this ride is for you. Revenge of the Mummy blends theatrics, fear and thrill brilliantly as riders face some intense twists on this indoor coaster. On top of everything, because of the age of the indoor roller coaster, the line is relatively short--45 to 20 minutes nearly every time. Revenge of the Mummy counts as a mustdo for any coaster lover.

2. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Even if I was not a fanatic of the Harry Potter franchise, I would recommend this ride. The experience gracefully transitions several times between props and a simulation, each aspect a different part of the wizarding world. The Quidditch pitch, Forbidden Forest and dragon arena from the first task in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” are just a few of the places that the ride takes place in. The line itself snakes through the Hogwarts Castle (pun intended), through landmarks like the greenhouse where the Mandrakes dwell and past the griffin statue which is the entrance to Headmaster Dumbledore’s office. Though, if the rider is not a Harry Potter fan, she may not understand these references as much, but anyone can see the magic when riding a broomstick next to Harry across the Black Lake.

3. Poseidon’s Fury

This attraction is not a ride, but a walk-through theatrical experience. I will admit, I was drug into the line by my parents, and was not too excited to try it, because I wanted to get back to Honeydukes, the candy shop that lies in Hogsmeade in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, I found myself engrossed in everything that occurred. The show starts out as a tour through the Temple of Poseidon from an archaeologist, but soon, the group finds themselves trapped and amongst a battle between Poseidon and an evil force. The drama infused to this attraction will leave the participant eager to find out what happens next, and the experience is enjoyable for anyone who decides to step in line. Because of its unassuming look as a hunk of rock, many Islands of Adventure attendees blow right past it, so the line tends to be generally short, with approximately a 20 minute wait.

4. The Simpsons Ride

So many Universal Studio goers are itching to get to the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride, but the Simpson’s Ride is quite similar. As someone who has done both, I refuse to let anyone waste their time: The Minion ride is so not worth it. The Simpsons Ride, on the other hand, exceeded expectations. In this simulation, the rider immerses herself in the world of Springfield, and receives a first-hand experience of what it is like to be a character in a Simpsons episode. If park goers are distraught between these two rides and are on a crunch for time, Simpsons all the way. Besides, the line is way shorter.

A BEAUTIFUL REMASTER OF A CULT CLASSIC TWIN FANTASY (FACE TO FACE) 01. My Boy (Twin Fantasy) 02. Beach Life-In-Death 03. Stop Smoking (We Love You) 04. Sober to Death 05. Nervous Young Inhumans 06. Bodys 07. Cute Thing 08. High to Death 09. Famous Prophets (Stars) 10. Twin Fantasy (Those Boys)

02:52 13:19 01:29 05:04 05:25 06:46 05:39 07:39 16:10 06:54

Total Length: 1:11:16

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM PHIL COSORES

Patrick Cox Staff Reporter As Will Toledo taps his foot and begins to strum his guitar, the world melts and the listener is transported to a dream-like beach filled with teenage emotion and pseudoconfidence in the music video for the re-recorded version of the cult classic, “Nervous Young Inhumans.” Toledo’s retake on his own Bandcamp classic, “Twin Fantasy” brings on a tidal wave of awkward hormonal emotion and angst in the most teenage-like way I have ever heard in music. With a full band and a studio, instead of a cheap laptop, now in Toledo’s arsenal, he has created a better, catchier version, of his beautifully broken teenage adventure. Nearly every song in “Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)” screams to be sung along with, but at the same time, the tracks tease the audience to look deeper and listen to the lyrics. Few albums have lyrics that accurately depict adolescence as well as it is done here. One

of the best examples of this is the tale of Toledo and his equally mentally broken girlfriend in “Sober To Death.” There is a part of this album that certain people see as a flaw; in reality this is a characteristic that actually wraps the album together. Toledo’s vocals are a unique blend of voice cracks and a monotone-mannered voice that actually hides a storm of emotions resting just underneath the surface. This combination bleeds the naked, vulnerable tone his lyrics portray. Such an unusual trait propels the album into as much an experience as it is a piece of music. Nearly anyone who can appreciate actual instruments being played and is going through or has gone through being a teenager will love this album. Although many of the songs on “Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)” have poppy undertones mixed with rock, there are some that stray from this sound. An example of this is the track “High To Death,” which has a much more laid back and trippy vibe than nearly every other song on the LP. Yet it still finds a way to be a fantastic song. My only gripe with this album is that there are a few tracks that feel much longer than they needed to be. The songs possess very long instrumental breaks that I see as places that could be cut down. One prime example of this is the 16 minute, 11 second long track, “Famous Prophets (Stars).” If the song was just more cut down in these instrumental areas, it would easily be my favorite track of the album. The overwhelming positives that fill this piece of art make the listener feel that this was the album Car Seat Headrest was always meant to create, and what they always wanted to make when Will Toledo set out to create the original “Twin Fantasy.” To give this album a score lower than nine out of 10 would be a disservice to the music world.

Entertainment 13

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Trying out for the varsity baseball team, student athletes freshman Drew Davis, sophomore Kaleb Adkins, senior Chris Jenkins and senior Miguel Medina learn the wall drill from coach Grant to hone their pitching skills. PHOTO ZABRINA YANNELLA

WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW NORM GRANT THE BOYS BASEBALL TEAM WELCOMES NEW COACH

Martin Hoeksema Staff Reporter Stockbridge baseball is in a slump. It has been for 6 years. According to records from the athletic director’s office, the team hasn’t had a winning season since 2013. The baseball program put the season in rotation with players eager to begin the season with changes in mind. “I’m excited about the chance of a winning season this year,” junior catcher Daniel Ballagh said. The team lost a head coach due to disruptive issue with some of the players, but the athletics program pulled together and found a new one. The primary individual to interview and hire Norm Grant was athletics director Meghan Kunzelman who was impressed with the candidate’s experience. “He has coached for a long time,” Kunzelman said. “He has a really good knowledge of baseball.” Not only is Grant knowledgeable about baseball, but he also wants what is best for the players of the team. “It’s not only about wins and losses; it’s about teaching our athletes to be good people as well.” Coach Grant was born and raised in nearby Webberville, Michigan. His coaching career began with his son’s baseball team. Even though Grant has never coached a high school team, he knows he’s up for the task. “I wanted to lead a program,” Grant said. “I felt I was ready for that.” Coach Grant expressed high expectations that many on the team think are more than reachable.

“I expect commitment from the team and commitment from the parents,” Grant said. “It’s not just me building the program. It’s the current players and the parents getting involved, too.” As the season grows closer, conditioning in the off season comes to an end, meaning the season kicks off with the potential for a new legacy not only the baseball program, but coach Grant as well. The boys have a chance to combine Grant’s coaching talent with the commitment of the coaching staff, including assistants Bill Ballagh and alum Dakota Canfield who sees some promise in the schedule. “The team should have at least five wins this season,” Canfield said. The boy’s first game is at Michigan Center against the Cardinals on March 27. On April 27 there is an important game devoted to former left fielder Grant Whitaker, an alum of the class of 2007 who died in the line of duty as an Ingham County sheriff at the age of 25. The game will help raise money for a scholarship in Grant Whitaker’s name. “It is a chance to remember someone who gave everything to his community,” Ballagh said. “Grant was a very humble person with great character.”

“HE’S A NICE GUY. HE REALLY TRIES TO WORK WITH US AND TEACH US BETTER THINGS. SINCE HE’S A NEW COACH, HE’S REALLY TRYING TO LEARN EACH PERSON’S SKILLS AND PLAN OUT POSITIONS FOR US.”

-JUNIOR SHORTSTOP ALEX ROSE

Sports 15

You got a phone call around 7 o’clock from the school superintendent notifying you that classes had been

canceled for Wednesday, February 14 due to a potential gun threat to the high school. Just imagine if we would not have found out the information we had? Our lives could have possibly changed for the worst, but for a group of Florida students attending Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, they were not so lucky. Unfortunately, 17 lives were lost that Valentine’s Day. Yet, they were just 17 of the countless young people who have died due to gun violence in schools just this year. Critics say that if the teachers were armed something like this could have been stopped, but just imagine what would have happened if a teacher shot a student while trying to protect others from an intruder. Anyone who is mentally capable enough to have a gun should have the right to own a gun. However, guns have no place in our public schools. On average, 96 people die every day due to gun violence, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that was founded to end gun violence and build safer communities. Creating stricter protocols for the purchasing and handling of guns in America could eliminate so many unwarranted deaths across the nation. Each year, there are 36,252 deaths due to firearms in America, according to the Center for Disease Control. Why is that? This is because lawmakers have not taken enough precautions to ensure that those who are buying guns are trained and mentally capable of handling such a device. Brains are still not fully developed at the age of 18, or even 21, for that matter. Our brains stop developing around the age of 25 according to doctors at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and this is scary to me because there are some young children who own and operate guns on a regular basis. Could it be that 18 year olds are not mature enough to buy some guns, such as semi-automatic rifles? Seven children and teens are killed with guns in the U.S. on an average day, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. How do we find it safe to allow teachers to be armed 24/7? Just recently, a teacher in Georgia barricaded himself in his classroom and shot out his classroom window. Luckily no one was hurt. What happens when a teacher gets angry at your child and shoots him or her on purpose? According to The Brookings Institution, professional police officers hit their intended targets less than 20 percent of the time in training situations of an active shooter. You can just smell the newspapers hot off the presses telling of a lawsuit against an armed teacher who accidentally shot a student. There was an incident at Seaside High School this March where “a teacher who is also reserve police officer trained in firearm use ‘accidentally’ discharged a gun during a class devoted to public safety, harming a student,” according to The Washington Post. Teachers are trained to teach, not to kill. We live in a society where children already do not feel safe at school because of constant harassment and bullying filling the halls. Why should they have to worry about one of their teachers losing control and shooting them dead, too? Under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, buyers cannot purchase a gun for a personal or business use if they have been ruled mentally defective by a court or are committed to a mental institution. Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the Florida school shooting, had been linked to a history of mental illness and legally obtained the AR-15 used in the shooting at Sunrise Tactical Supply in Florida. Statistically, in a 2015 report conducted by the American Counseling Association, researchers reported that “only one-third of attackers (34%) ever received a mental health evaluation and less than one-fifth (17%) were diagnosed with mental disorder, although 78% of school shooters had a history of suicide attempts or suicidal ideations prior to their attack.” Why do we feel the need to spend millions of dollars on installing state of the art protection systems in our schools when we could be using that money toward getting students the mental health services they need and deserve?

16 Opinion

The average school shooting lasts twelve and a half torturous, nail-biting minutes, according to the

Shots fired: The gun control debate Zabrina Yannella Editor-in-Chief

Kayla Drew Senior Reporter

National Sheriffs’ Association. Granted, police are on the way, but there is a monumental problem here: The average police response time is eighteen minutes. This is not anything new. When danger lurks, the police are often not fast enough to stop the crime. They catch the criminal, but a criminal is not branded as so until having committed an act against society, so the police cannot save all victims. If the police cannot defend the schools, the schools must defend themselves. No one is saying that teachers who do not wish to carry firearms should be forced to carry firearms. A gun should never be forced upon an individual who does not have the knowledge nor mental fortitude to use it correctly. Poll results from 800 members of the National Education Association shows that 68 percent thought that staff members should not be trained and armed in schools. But understand this: 22 percent answered in favor of it. There does not need a 100 percent participation. Not every teacher needs a gun. There just needs to be some; potential shooters just need the threat to be in place. Using the FBI’s definition of “mass shootings” and “public places,” the Crime Prevention Research Center reports that from 1950 to July 10, 2016, only 1.6 percent of mass shootings have occurred in locations where guns are allowed to be carried. If it is not known where the threat is, why would someone risk it? Staring down the barrel of an AR-15 may be terrifying, but imagine how a potential school shooter would feel to be suddenly against an armed civilian. Realizing that one’s life is on the line as much as the victim’s, it shifts the power pendulum. After all, most school shooters are teenagers. For a moment, they face what may feel like ultimate control, playing the decision-maker between life and death, but as soon as they heard sirens, the evidence of real authority, they buckled up. The shootings resolved with the police. Yet, it is not as if these shooters did not understand what they were doing. They knew full well that firing a gun at classmates has a large chance of killing them. They knew the consequences. They knew that this was wrong. In Michigan, minors of and over 16 years of age are tried in adult court, according to the National Conference of State Legislature. By this, the justice system is acknowledging that minors do have the same capacity of morality as adults. Hence, the age for the ability of purchasing a firearm should not be increased. With the right training and respect for the weapon, an 18-year-old can be just as capable as a 21-year-old. The federal government put in place that, at 18, a person is allowed to apply for the military without parental consent, and all males are required to be registered in the draft. Furthermore, 16-year-olds are able to drive cars by themselves, and 18-year-olds can vote. If they did not have the mental capacity for understanding that harming others is not okay in our society, why would they be given these rights and opportunities? Firearms have been around for centuries, yet American schools have never had a problem like this with its children killing their classmates and themselves. According to FBI statistics, 75 percent of school shooters had a cited motive of being bullied, and another 61 percent had revenge as theirs. What kind of intense pain and apathy can lead a student to believe that murder is the best way to solve their problems? The dilemma in this nation is not with its weapons but rather with its students and what caused them to value life so little.