MURMUR Volume 14, Issue 6 May 24, 2017
DELAYED LAUNCH
16 page
It’s not debatable that space will be a large part of humanity’s future. From overpopulation to dwindling resources, humans will have to expand into space eventually, and we’re taking large steps in that direction today. Companies like SpaceX, Boeing, and Blue Origin are taking the lead by completing contracts for NASA. But with all these advancements, students are dissuaded more than ever from taking the path towards space. Photo courtesy of SpaceX
MURMUR
Editor-In-Chiefs: Calvin Habba Audrey Jutis Andrew Kelley Copy Editors: Bridget Ekis Baila Lakatos News Editor: Riley O’Bryan Design Editors: Hannah Neal Oliver Depauw
Design Manger: Alexander Dorcey Sports Editors: Dathon Skelton Jason Acciaioli Bryce Mojica Social Media Manager: Ally Pierchala Buisness Manager: Kevin Elkin Staff Writers: Andrea Alvarado, Kali Berg, Riley Gregart, Trevor Jenkinson, Phathit Renas Adviser: Jodie Zwiren Waterford Kettering High School 2800 Kettering Dr. Waterford, MI 48329 (248) 673-1261
SPONSORS
Monica Acciaioli, Nicholas Ackley, The Andreas Family, The Andrews Family, Laurie Ankoviak, Monica Bandlow, Mia Bills, The Bredow Family, Natalie Britten Karen Brown, Margaret Bryce, Chris Burlingame, Patty Cascioli, Debra Clancy, Deconinck Family, the Dengate family Elijah Farrell, The Fields Family, The Groth Family, Pam Gutierrez, Jackie Harnock, The Jaque Family, The Kane Family, Tonia Lawnde, Jessica Lesh, Karline Littlebear, Luke Locke and Family, The Lopez Family, Just Mail, Natalie Macias, The Maggi Family, Zach Mattison, Anthony Miller, the Mojica family, O’malley, Gage Percival, The Regner Family, Amanda Rineer, The Saffron Family, Andi Steaban, Kim Wasilk, Xavier Welch, Sandy Stepanski, the Schoof family, S. Snow, Carol Renas, Mike Malley, Shelley Werthman, Kelley Family, and Laura Elkin THANK YOU!
contents
NEWS
INDEPTH
News briefs
4
The story behind STEM
5
STEM CONT...
6
Delayed launch
16-21
A&E A&E briefs
7
Midsummer music
8
Summer bucket list
9
SPORTS
Thirteen reasons why
10-11
Sports briefs
23
Meme eat meme world
12-13
The gym face-off
24-25
New spin on old issues
14
Senior sorrow
26-27
OPINION
Feature
What did I do?
15
Creative corner
28
My high school experience
22
Right on target
29
From newbie to captain of JV
30
Backpage Hannah’s declassified grad party survival guide
32
The Murmur is printed monthly, and completely put together by the students in the journalism class at Waterford Kettering High School. The Murmur serves as an open forum for student expression, and the opinions printed are not those of the administration. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters from the readers are encouraged. Letters may be delivered to room 501 or can be sent to the newspaper’s email address, ketteringmurmur@gmail.com. All letters are subject to editing of grammatical and punctuation errors. Letters must be submitted with a signature. Letters with libel or slander towards another person will not be considered for publication. Letters must be limited to 250 words. ADVERTISING Advertisements do not reflect the views of the staff. Potential advertisers can contact the staff through the Kettering phone number. The Murmur editorial board has the right to refuse any inappropriate advertising. COLUMNS or editorials represent the opinion of the writer. Thoughts or views which are expressed are not those of the entire staff or administration. STAFF EDITORIALS are written by the staff and include the combined opinion of the full staff.
LETTERS FROM THE
J
ournalism has done more for me than anyone can put into words. I have learned a tremendous amount of skills that can be used both in and out of school. This class is in no way comparable to a normal class setting. In journalism, you are not sitting at a desk listening to a boring lecture, or working on worksheets. Journalism goes beyond just papers, ironic right? There is brainstorming, interviews, collaboration, stories, design, photoshop, illustrator, just to name a few. Every day is a new and exciting adventure. The Murmur - the newspaper you are reading right now - is a student led program, which means if you want to make a change, then you can do it. There is nobody stopping you. Yes, there is a chain of command, but that is true for anything. I’ve been a part of the Murmur staff since my freshman year and to say the least, it’s been amazing. I have made so many new friends and people that I will never forget. To start off, Brian Wilson, who was the newspaper advisor for my freshman year, left a huge impact on my high school career. Wilson was able to make personal connections with each of his students, in such a way that made you want to improve your skills. He would push you straight out of your comfort zone and give you a critique that made you feel a little less than worthless. But after that, you fix your page to make it publishable, and are happy with the outcome. The next year, Wilson decided to better his future and move to California. He followed his dreams and went to a beautiful city doing what he loves, with whom he loves. Knowing nobody could replace Wilson, he chose an adviser that was familiar with journalism. He, along with our Principal Jeff Frankowiak, chose Jodie Zwiren. Our most current adviser,
EDITOR
who is actually gone on maternity leave right now. She is newer to this school, but not new to teaching. Her class is much different from the way Wilson used to run it. This isn’t not a bad thing though. She believes more in studentled, which is true, and can be beneficial. We all have that one teacher, which is more of a friend rather than a teacher, Zwiren is that to me. Her youthful ways makes her all the more relatable. When ever I have a problem, or am bored in a class, I go down to room 501 and kind of just hang out there. Without her, I don’t think I would enjoy newspaper as much. My editors that I have had throughout the years have definitely had an impact on me. Editors are the “head-honcho” of the staff and their main job is to make sure everything goes well. Starting with Alexia Hankin, my freshman year editor, who is now working for the MSU newspaper (find out what what it is called.) She had a pure love for journalism and everything it had to offer. I can still remember the times when she would skip her lunch period just to work on finishing up the paper. The funny part was, I never saw her working on her own page, she was always helping other people and making sure everything ran smoothly. Somehow her work was always flawless. She reminded me that being an editor is a lot of work, but if you put in the same amount of effort that the rest of the class does, then you will be happy with the outcome. She also taught me that if you don’t love what you do, then why bother doing it. My sophomore year editor was Kristin Warholak. Some of you may still remember her, seeing as she graduated last year on to be a chemistry major. Unlike Alexia, her dream was not to be a journalist. But she still put in 110 percent effort in everything she
did. She was big in designing fun pages. Designing is another skill that is not offered in any other class at kettering. I’m not talking about art or drawing (which are vital skills to have). I mean actual photoshop, illustrator, and indesign in a real world setting. Actual newspapers use these exact programs (except an updated version). She inspired me to be more creative with my pages. She made me realize that newspaper is fun and can be a source of entertainment as well as just news. This year, as some of you may know, I am the editor of the Murmur. Being editor as a junior really has its setbacks, but I’ll tell you what, I am glad I did it. The staff this year has been nothing but laughs and fun (besides the occasional headaches and arguments). They motivate me to be the best I possibly can. Without them, there would be no point in the Murmur. There wouldn’t be a Murmur without them. Like I mentioned earlier, this is a studentled class, and that remains true throughout. Without the students, there would not be a class, or newspaper. Most of you reading are probably wondering why I am even writing this. “He is going to be in the class next year why does this matter?” This isn’t completely true. The Murmur has helped me grow as a person, but now I have to try to expand my horizons. I have grown as much as I possibly can while remaining with the Murmur. I will not have a sufficient amount of time to lead the Murmur staff next year. I do not feel it is fair to not put 110 percent effort into the class, especially since that is what this job requires. So this is my last tribute. To the class, the Murmur, and to everyone reading. Sincerely yours, Calvin Habba
MURMUR STAFF Here is a photo of the whole Murmur staff. Good luck to all the graduating seniors, I wish you the best of luck in college or whatever you choose do to. As for those who are not graduating yet, enjoy your last couple years, they fly by quick! MAY 24, 2017
THE MURMUR
NEWS
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NEWS
BRIEFS
Social media is at risk of going bankrupt The popular application snapchat is a social pillar in today’s society. in spite of the applications popularity and user zealotry the application fails to make money. this peculiarity is not seclusive as many other popular applications and corporations such as Twitter and Spotify are in the same situation. the question being will popularity carry these companies to profitability or are they simply a fad.
Dow-Jones reaches record high
The Dow-Jones industrial average has reached record highs as of late. This bullish boom is said to be the result of Donald trump’s pro-business rhetoric. It is typical for the market to rally after an election and there is always a correction of some kind. The fear right now in the world of investing is that a significant correction is coming as the market has been rising consistently for almost 6 months.
TrumpCare fighting ObamaCare The Trump Administration is still trying to replace Obamacare to no avail. The most recent form of legislation has passed the House of Tepresentatives but the bill still faces a dubious fate in the Senate as many Republicans fear the bill does not go far enough and democrats oppose anything trump related. Only time will tell if “TrumpCare” will come to fruition. Facts courtesy of CNN.com
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NEWS
WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM
MAY 24, 2017
THE STORY BEHIND STEM
Students have mixed opinions on Waterford’s new STEM program BY PHATHIT RENAS staff writer phathitrenas@waterforddrift.com
environment not all students are too keen on what STEM has offered them this school year. “I was told it would be mostly independent projects, you’d decide n the United States the STEM job field has been growing and it is projected to keep doing so. STEM on a project and do that for most of your time,” Kettering senior Carter stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Allen said. “ you wouldn’t be going to necessarily learn new stuff, you and Math. In order to take advantage of this would be applying your current knowledge to real world things, but that growing opportunity for those going into hasn’t happened.” A web page from the Waterford School District states “This course America’s work force the Waterford School District started a new program called meets the eligibility criteria toward earth science, physics and or a STEM this year to help prepare students that science elective, algebra I, geometry, algebra II and/or the fourth show interest in the fields STEM applies credit in mathematics.” This statement doesn’t necessarily ring true with what some students think of the class. to. “I would say STEM was a good idea in the beginning but then “STEM is from engineering all the way to the medical and biological fields,” you get here and realize it was nothing like it was advertised,” Mott STEM teacher Amy Klopman said. “The senior Jamie Stamper said. “It has been more hands on than a regular program’s aim is to give students a more classroom but the learning aspect of it is lacking. They’ll bring up a hands on approach to learning in basic concept for you and then you kind have to figure it out on your order to better prepare them for own. I don’t think this would have helped me at all if I were going into STEM careers.”The class is a STEM field after high school. They achieved a hands on learning available for both experience but without any educational gain.” Initially many students were told that there would be a different M o t t and Kettering students and is teaching staff and what they were pitched was for more in line with held on Mott’s campus. “I love it so far,” Mott junior David what those students expected. Efforts were made to address the discrepancies that said students had, McCullum said. but results were less than savory for “It’s a very good them. class, the teachers give t h e “About two weeks into the school “The students have been very positive, I think extra help you need. There are always two teachers around it’s awesome that the school district made this year we could tell STEM wasn’t what it was pitched to us as, it had when I’m learning so there is instant help, possible.” the potential to be but it was never so it’s a slower pace but it helps.” Throughout the school year students Klopman, Teacher acted on,” Kettering Senior Aaron Miller said, “the teachers repeatedly have had the opportunity to build many neglected any ideas things like Rube Goldberg machines, themselves. We sailboats, cars, and 3D print things such as rings and miniature chairs. that came from anyone but M r. R i g g s , “There is more hands on stuff and it’s not boring, it’s more relaxed. met with the Mott principal, wanted from the Obviously people stress about their grades and stuff but over here it’s multiple times about what we class and we didn’t see any improvement. more chill.” Mott junior Adrian Gomez said. told that we STEM class is held in the old auto shop on Mott’s campus which has After each project we were project been redone with new technology to allow experimentation and further would have an independent next time which was part of learning. Flatscreen televisions are placed around the room, there is a large working area with power tools, many computers and tablets are the reason many of us stayed in the class and didn’t switch out available, and there are three 3D printers. “The students have been very positive,” Klopman said. “ I think it’s right away.” An independent project opportunity awesome that the school district made this possible.” This year STEM is only available for juniors and seniors but plans was given farther into the year. Students are being made for freshman and sophomores to be allowed in for were given a budget of ten dollars and were allowed to explore different ideas at their next year. “If younger students came in they’d be able to learn through the own discretion. “I decided I’d like to learn the program for all four years which would greatly benefit them for going physics behind hot air balloons into a STEM related job.” Klopman said. “I’ll be taking it again next year and I think it’s something for everyone so I decided to build one that was approximately a meter in to try.” Mott Junior Thelia Schuster said. all directions. Our budget was WHAT’S THE ISSUE? Despite all of the available resources and different learning 10 dollars but I decided to go buy everything I needed myself and Continued on next page...
WHAT IS STEM?
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MAY 24, 2016NEWS
WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM THE MURMUR
FEATUREMAY 24, 2017 5
built the platform and sewed the balloon,” Miller said, “all I asked of the teachers was to supply a fire/heat source that would be safe to use within the school. I haven’t flown it once because I was never provided with a heat source.”
HAS IT HELPED?
Class time that the students do have control over is not completely under their control. In a standard academic center period students have freedom to work with those who can help them and do work at their own discretion. STEM isn’t a standard class but it turns out a nonstandard academic center may not be so great. “By taking STEM I opted out of two AP classes and an academic center hour, the academic center portion isn’t as beneficial as it would have been had I actually taken AC,”Allen said, “Partly because I don’t always get the full amount of allotted time to work, and partly because the teachers usually want it silent so I can’t collaborate with other students.” STEM’s purpose is to ‘give students a more hands on approach to learning in order to better prepare them for STEM careers.’ however some students have don’t think the class has succeeded. “My education has not been bettered by STEM. I am willing to say that my education has even been hindered by STEM,” Miller said, “Taking STEM is the biggest academic mistake I have made as a student. I do not recommend STEM for anyone going into a STEM field.” While most students who have problems with STEM have stayed in the class some students resorted to leaving the because they believed taking standard classes would benefit them more. “I left 2 or 3 months into the school year because it wasn’t working for me,” Kettering senior Devin Wallace said, “it was a super cool facility but I think the problem was a lack of direction, the things we were doing were so vague and sometimes projects wouldn’t even involve math or science. Getting out of STEM was a hassle, the class didn’t further my future. I dropped STEM so I could be at Kettering with Mr. Smitka because I learn more here.” Though not all students that wanted to drop out of STEM were able to. If a student thinks that their education is being hindered should they be able to have the power to change their classes? “I wrote a well structured email to administration about how STEM doesn’t fit my needs or expectations and why it would be in my best interest to get out of the class. I never got a response. That’s bullshit,” Kettering Senior Adam Chami said, “I feel forced into taking the class, we’re stuck.” The direction of the class is a problem for most students that have issues with how the class is run. The reasoning ,or lack thereof, behind the assigned work is a large discrepancy with many and little has been done by teachers to change this, judging by student’s comments. “It’s kind of put me back into physics and I’ve just relearned what I learned in physics last year. I would say they’re holding us back kind of,” Kettering Senior Nick Kettenbeil said, “Anytime we spoke up we were pushed to the side. They’d say they are listening to our ideas but then disregard them and think we were trying to fight or think we don’t know what we’re talking about.” Younger students do get to learn core math and science classes such as physics for the first time but for higher level students it seems to be menial and has led to a lack of motivation by many. “Many of the projects are just glorified elementary school level projects,” Chami said. “I’ve never seen a class where such large portion of kids just do not show up because they hate it.” Time management in the class is also another problem faced
6MAY 24, 2017 FEATURE
regularly by students. Inconsistencies with how class time is regulated by teachers has led to overworked students. “Some projects can get stacked on top of each other and you don’t really have time to get between all of them so you have to rush one and do a crappy job or take your time but not get everything done, you have to pick and choose.” Mott senior Isaac Pearc said, “Since I’m part of the Technical math part of STEM we have an online math course on top of the projects and that eats up a lot of my time, especially when in the classroom I don’t really feel like I’m being taught the equations or any basics on the subjects.”Allotted class time has also been managed in a way that has wasted time for students. “We’ll get homework assignments,an independent project, and an assigned project so that’s three things at once and that’s cool that we learn how to multitask but then we don’t receive any guidance on how to work through the project and the deadlines just get pushed back farther and farther because no one gets their stuff done on time,” Chami said, “it makes me just not care because if I’m told ‘it’s due friday’ I know it’s not really going to be due till maybe the following wednesday, it makes me have no motivation to do anything on time.” In a standard classroom teachers are responsible for a student’s learning but in STEM some students see teachers as being responsible for many of the problems they have with the program. “With the way we’re taught there’s no deeper understanding of any of the topics.” Allen said, “We’re given some equations then we watch a few youtube videos and we’re turned loose.” Though the primary purpose of a teacher is to teach, forming a positive relationship with students is also important. Making oneself available as a supporter or resource enriches the classroom experience and creates a more positive learning environment. “Every time we bring up an opposing opinion in anything or any constructive comments the teachers don’t acknowledge us and instead just disregard what we say and take it as a personal attack on them. They take offense to disagreement.” Allen said. Students are also bothered by other behavior that some of the teachers express. “We’ve never been treated like we’re mature,”Kettenbeil said,”once after a project we were dismantling and throwing stuff away and one of the teachers got upset because they thought we were throwing away things that weren’t trash. Their reaction was to dump the trash on the floor and throw the trash can. They then proceeded to yell at the class and make us pick everything up.”
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
Despite all of these problems that students have with STEM none want the program to fail. With it only being the first year problems are going to occur and students have suggestions as to how things could be fixed.“The use of the money seems like it could have been done differently, the surfaces are cool but they have a lot of glitches and are better for art based things. The 3D printers have also just been used to make random crap, like 5 tiny chairs,” Kettenbeil said, “I realize there was an electronics grant and I understand that but there are seven tv’s of which we rarely use and if we had some materials like wood and pvc available to us in the room we wouldn’t have to spend as much on independent projects since when we ask for things they are rarely provided.” Management of money isn’t the only thing that students think could be fixed. “In a few years this could be the best program in the state.” Wallace said,” There just needs to be more purpose behind what we we’re doing in the class and students need proper guidance.”
WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM THE MURMUR
NEWS MAY 24, 20175
ENTERTAINMENT
BRIEFS
Movies to watch out for
Pirates of the caribbean: Guardians of the Galaxy Peter Quill and his guardians are back at Bay watch is the new film based on the old Dead men tell no tales. Bay Watch
TV show with the same name. The story follows the very devoted lifeguard, Mitch Buchannon, who loves his beach more than anything. But things change when a new recruit comes to town and they bash heads. A local crime pops up that threatens the bay. Can these two settle differences for long enough to say the bay? Or will their beloved bay be in a world of trouble.
The fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is underway. Follow Jack Sparow on his latest and greatest adventure. When the deadly ghosts sailors escape from Devils Triangle his only option to save his life is to find Trident of Poseidon. Teaming up with a headstrong British navy sailor and a beautiful astronomer to create the perfect team.
The Minaj Scolarship
May Playlist:
If you’re on Twitter or any social media you’ve probably seen Nikki Minaj has been paying for students college tuition, Yep, all of their college tuition. The rapper herself tweeted on May 7th “Show me straight A’s that I can verify w/ur school and I’ll pay it. Who wants to join THAT contest?!?!Dead serious. Shld I set it up?” Students pretty much freaked out, Nikki spread the love a little more and tweeted out to a fan “If u give me a 4.0 then I’ll keep my end of the bargain.” This is a pretty great deal, shortly after students bombarded Nikki with requests for money to pay for books, to which she replied “Ok u guys. It’s been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left. I’ll do some more in a month or 2.” Keep an eye out for her next giveaway, you could be lucky enough to get your college paid for, in full, by a queen.
MAY 24, 2017
it again in their latest blockbusting sequel. This time the team is hired by an alien race, The Sovereign, to protect precious batteries from invaders. When it is discovered that Rocket has stolen the items they were sent to guard, the guardians search for vengene. See the squad do their thing, and maybe even solve the mystery of Peter’s real parentage.
THE MURMUR
Today’s most played tracks on the charts, available for download or take a listen for yourself on Spotify, the link is on our Twitter, @waterforddrift.
A&E
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Midsummer Music The best summer concerts and festivals in Michigan BY RILEY GREGART Staff Writer rileygregart@waterforddrift.com
Rap/Hip Hop Future. May 28th @ DTE.
J.cole.
July 23rd @ Palace of Auburn
I Love The 90’s. Aug 2nd @ Soaring Eagle.
Logic.
Festivals
Aug 20th @ Meadowbrook.
Kendrick Lamar.
Pop/Indy
Mopop
A music festival down in Detroit featuring lots of pop music, with hints of some rap and indy. Artists featured will be Foster the people, Solange, Tyler the creator, Vance Joy and many other amazing artists. The vibe at Mopop is said to be very fun and laid back. This festival even offers morning yoga Hills.classes before a full day of concerts for anyone who’s interested. Also if you’re planning on visiting make sure to check out the Mo arcade in between sets. This festival has yoga, an arcade, amazing music and it’s in Detroit. What more
The Weekend.
May 24th @ Palace of Auburn Hills.
Bruno Mars. Aug 12th @ Palce of Auburn Hills.
Misterwives. June 23rd @ Crofoot. Slightly Stoopid & Iration.
could you want? (July 29th and 30th)
July 7th @ Filmore.
Faster Horses
John Legend.
July 26th @ Palace of Auburn Hills.The place to be this summer if you’re a country fan. It’s Michigan’s three day country music festival. You can camp there on festival property. There are Aug 28th @ Royal Oak Theater. fireworks, and foam parties, not to mention awesome country music. Artist like Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, and many more will be there. Faster Horses is now also offering a car show along with the three days of amazing concerts. Country music, camping and car shows, if this sounds like your jam then be in Brooklyn June 8th @ DTE. Michigan from July 21st-23rd for faster
June 16th @ Meadowbrook.
Lil Yatchy.
Train. June 25th @ DTE.
Rock
Country
Zac Brown Band. Kenny Rogers.
June 14th @ Meadowbrook.
Lady Antebellum.
horses.
Movement
Kid Rock. September 12th @ Little Caesars Arena.
Sublime. September 9th @ Lottery Amphitheater.
An electronic music festival held in Detroit every year on Memorial day weekend. June 30th @ DTE. Movement is open to any ages and it’s also a family friendly event. Artist that will be there are Close, Carlcox, Juicy J and Adam Beyer. Although you can’t July 20th @ Soaring Eagle. camp on festival grounds, there are lots of hotels near by to stay in. And you could also commute, living in Waterford the drive isn’t too bad if you can’t afford to July 8th @ Joe Louis. stay in a hotel. Not to mention they do offer morning yoga classes. This is the 17th Movement festival, at this point it Sep 8th @ Palace of Auburn Hills. renowned.
Keith Urban. Bob Dylan.
Tim McGraw.
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Jimmy Buffet. July 11th @ DTE.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers. June 25th @ Van Andle Arena.
Pink Floyd Show. July 20th @ Motorcity Casino.
Korn.
July 30th @ DTE. MAY 24, 2017
SUMMER BUCKET LIST Shake up your summer this year and try something new, this list can finally help you and your friends answer the age old question “So, what do you want to do today?” CAMP ON THE BEACH
Swap out the evergreens and dirt for sand and sunshine and try setting up your camp site on the beach! Watching the sunset, sand volleyball and even playing in the water provides the summer vibes that everyone loves, with a very “instagrammable” view.
DRIVE IN MOVIE
Load up the back of your car with blankets, pillows, and some of your favorite snacks, gather up a group of friends and find a local drive in to change up the typical movie theater scenery for an“outdoorsy” summer night adventure.
MUSIC FESTIVAL
ROAD TRIP
Driving is a summer staple, so make it fun with a group of friends and no real destination. Adventure somewhere new on a mini road trip to a new city, or pack up the car for a week long getaway. Pause the TV, get up, and get outside. The possibilities are endless as long as you keep an eye on your gas tank.
If you’re a summer concert junkie, music festivals prolong the fun over three to four days. Gather up a few friends, buy a ticket and bask in the live music. Bringing together artists, fans and friends a music festival can fill your summer with something new.
HIKE PAINT CREEK
Getting your daily dose of exercise behind the beautiful backdrop of paint creek is a summer day well spent. Pack up a backpack with plenty of water, snacks and maybe even your camera and head out down the perfectly shaded trails with a buddy by your side. Changing out the typical subdivision walks for something new.
BY ALLY PIERCHALA Social Media Editor allisonpierchala17@waterforddrift.com Photos courtesy of creativecommons.com
MAY 24, 2017
THE MURMUR
A&E
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Th1rteen R3asons Why
Two contradicting opinions on the popular TV series “Thirteen Reasons Why”
W
e all know of the new TV show that made it’s appearance on Netflix, “Thirteen Reasons Why.” You can’t go a week without walking through the hallways or sitting in class, and hearing someone talk about it. The first day it was released on Netflix, it was immediately mentioned to me by a friend. I recalled hearing so many good thoughts and so many recommendations on the book that this TV show was based on that was published in 2007, so I decided to watch it. Worst mistake I have ever made. From the moment I began watching the show I felt a strong, uncomfortable, gut-wrenching feeling inside of me. People everywhere are boasting about how amazing this show is, but i’m going to release my unpopular opinion, and disagree. I will admit that the show is captivating. The way they perceive Clay’s confusion, and separated each tape into a different episode, kept me on the edge of my seat almost the whole time. I didn’t want to stop watching because I needed to know so many unanswered things. On the contrary, there were multiple times that I had to step away from the TV and take a break, because it was way too much for me to handle. While it was intended to be a show that could help prevent suicide, I can’t help but see it as a trigger for those who are struggling. It simplifies suicide in so many ways, not digging deep enough to really identify what is really all involved in a suicide. The story makes it seem like suicide is a direct result of bullying, sexual assault etc., when that is not the case. There is far more to it-like the topic of mental illness which by the way they completely ignorewhich makes Hannah seem like just an attention seeking, unhappy teenage girl. The way Hannah speaks in her tapes, shows that
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she is blaming everyone who did her wrong for her death. In truth, as tragic and upsetting as it is, suicide is a choice made by the one who commits it. Now, that doesn’t mean that it is completely okay to bully others or sexually assault anyone and say it’s not your fault they are hurt. Those things can be a huge factor in suicidal ideation. Sadly though, the act of suicide is completely the individual’s choice. This show also glorifies the idea of “revenge.” Hannah makes every individual included on the tapes, including Clay, feel irreparably guilty for her suicide. This is completely inconsiderate and downright wrong. Not many people who commit suicide would actually do that to the humans they leave on this earth after their death. The show perceives suicide as the perfect revenge for the people that hurt you. If you’re dead, the people who affected you will think again about the way they treated you, and regret their decision. This theory is disgusting and I hate thinking that this could influence more children to commit suicide, to make their bullies feel bad. In reality, suicide is not about other people. Peers may be a contribution to it, but all in all it is a very personal decision that is mostly about feeling hopeless, lost, and sad. Many people argue by saying that “this show had to happen for people to realize that suicide is a serious issue.” We’re in high school, people. I’m sorry, but you should be aware and realize how extremely serious and tragic suicide is before this TV show came out. Ultimately, I’d recommend to steer away from this show, despite the constant chatter about it. Staying “out of the loop” would be a much better thing to do, than to watch a teenage girl commit suicide.
BY BAILA LAKATOS Copy Editor bailalakatos@waterforddrift.com
“Thirteen Reasons Why is largely based on shock factor, the story is basic teenage girl drama with the twist being suicide. (So original.) The problem is that it is made to be noncommercial so that people trying to show that they care about suicide can talk about it, but also people who don’t care can watch a shocking show. Also, the acting was awful.” Jack Stuart, 11
“I thought it didn’t portray suicide in a healthy way. Hannah used suicide to send a message and make the people who hurt her feel bad, and it worked. I understand that they were trying to send a message of non bullying, but I don’t think it was done correctly.” Brendan Martin, 12
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MAY 24, 2017
BY ALEXANDER DORCEY Design Editor alexanderdorcey@waterforddrift.com
TV series vs The book BOOK
TV SERIES
Release date October 18, 2007
March 31, 2017
Point of View First person
Third person
Timeline Clay binge listens to the tapes all in one night
Clay listens to all the tapes slowly which takes him over a week
Clay A normal kid that everyone likes
A social outcast/ school nerd
The Suicide Death by overdose of pills
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Death by Cutting her self (bled out)
Why it was nessecary to put “13 Reasons Why” on the big screen for peoples to see
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etflix. The movie and TV streaming phenomenon that has become a spotlight for hot new originals. Netflix has taken some of this years best works and put them on their platform for only its viewers to enjoy. Originals like Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, and their newest series; 13 Reasons Why. A show that has everyone buzzing around in its hype. I had heard in the halls people talking about it when it first came out. Whispers of how good or bad it was. Overall everyone had the same thing to say about it. “You HAVE to watch it.” Now I’m not one to let people tell me what I should and shouldn’t do but all the hype around the show I couldn’t resist. I got home that night after work and loaded up episode one. I was instantly hooked. Three hours later, it was slightly after midnight i decided to stop. It took me 3 more days to finish, as I could only handle so much of it at once. I’ve heard a lot of criticism of the show. “Too graphic,” “Glamorizes suicide,” “Unrealistic.” However you feel about it everyone has an opinion. From start to finish I felt as if I was there. Just me, walkman, and the 13 cassette tapes. As if I was an extra person, a “undiscovered tape,” the bystander who saw everything and let Hannah Baker suffer. The raw emotion of the experiences she went through threw me into a twister of emotion. Now I feel people are somewhat upset about is how they portrayed their overall message. Teen suicide. How
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graphic it is or how they went about the events, or how they “glamorize,” or “popularize,” suicide. I believe this is necessary to open people’s eyes. The situation may be extreme, but many people may find themselves in the footsteps of Hannah Baker. Many people fall victim to sexual assault, or bullying and many people look and walk away. Some don’t even know. Scenes show the abuse some of the suicide victims can fall victim too. And people may complain they’re too “graphic,” but what do you think real life is like? Yes, people get raped. Yes, people spread rumors. Yes, people kill themselves. People don’t just commit suicide for no reason, but people love to pretend they had “no idea.” How much would your eyes open up if someone left you their physical voice, telling you what you did, and how you contributed to their own suicide? I’m sure it would mess you up. And I’m sure you would rather have a show on netflix open your eyes about suicide victims and how you never know what can hurt them rather than having someone you loved, hated, or thought nothing of, kill themselves. Teens live simply, but sometimes they have more than they can handle. So we can all start by watching the signs and just being nice to people. You never know what someone is going through so just be the best human you can.
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Meme eat meme w rld M
emes have a high cultural impact on today’s society. It is shown in the context of the meme in which it corresponds to current events and trends going on in the world. For the most part, a meme consists of anything of moderate relevance or relatability to oneself. Which is why they attract such popularity and are widely accepted by groups of all ages. Popular memes almost always consist of references to other memes or trends of which they were originally created. The relative relatability of the meme is what makes or breaks it. Memes ability to travel through social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook has greatly boosted the ability for memes to become mainstream or well known. Being able to share the meme from one person to the next has allowed it to reach a greater audience than ever before. With accounts dedicated to sharing and
BY OLIVER DEPAUW Staff Writer oliverdepauw@waterforddrift.com
reposting memes, it allows for an even easier flow of information and creativity through follower/poster interaction. The platform is just as important as the meme itself when it comes to reaching out to others. Memes revolve around the culture for ideas as well as ways to spread. In some ways, memes are being created in such copious amounts that would allow it to be considered a meme renaissance. With all sorts of individuals creating memes for any scenario, whether it be something to laugh at or a way of coping with your crippling depression™. The high speed of meme creation applied to the many sharing platforms allows for memes to reach a much farther audience than ever thought possible in the past. This can be both a helping and hurting factor for the meme in question. A current trend in the memes across the web
in 2017 alone is the ability to offend one or more group(s) of people through word play and slander, as well as incoherent stupidity that directly contradicts common sense. This creates many problems for those creating and sharing memes as the humor that once stood out is being removed as it is found to be sensible content. Sensible content can be anything of (but not limited to) racist, demeaning, or explicit nature. However in today’s culture, when twisted, almost anything can be taken as “sensible content”. This is because of the sensibility of the modern age of people. If everyone sought a certain meme or joke as okay, the content we see in memes would be completely different. The culture and the society of today is directly shown in memes, as they feed off the culture and the trends going on in the world around them.
People get offended by the simplest of memes, whether they are targeting a group of people to the plain arrogance of the average “captioned photo”. Although it may not directly apply or relate to the victim themselves. those creating memes have dubbed this as “triggered.” This is what destroys most memes as it brings negative attention to the matter, when perspective is what creates the quality meme. One common meme that has been ostracized is known as “pepe the frog” or as some of you may know, the “white supremacy frog”. This is a prime example of how the attention of a meme without proper context can be its downfall. 12
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Me: *sees quality, original meme* Society: *ostracizes the meme* me:
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he perception or how someone understands the meme is the focal point of its humor, and when it is taken in the wrong sense or out of context, it can ruin the meme in its entirety. For a meme to effect society in a positive and original meme, society as a whole must perceive it in a similar or identical way, which is how most popular memes rise to fame. When it is confusing and the joke isn’t clear, the meme tends to do poorly and is less likely to be passed around from person to person and group to group. The humor behind the meme is very important to its success. How memes are used and how the humor portrays itself helps show the purpose of the meme. Memes that can be switched and changed to fit any situation tend to be much more popular and stay in the loop much longer, as they can be created new with very little boundaries. The higher number of times a meme is recreated also plays into this as it gives much greater exposure to different groups of people Which leads to more recreation. Popular memes work as a chain reaction and feed off themselves and society to gain views, popularity and shares. The importance of memes within society and culture, and society’s influential effect on memes go hand in hand as they both require each other to survive and strive within the ultimately infinite place we call the internet.
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Meme of the month
Mom: get your grades up! Me: gEt YoUr gRaDeS uP! THE MURMUR
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New spin on old issues A comparison on two new and upcoming fidget toys used for ADHD BY TREVOR JENKINSON Staff Writer trevorjenkinson@waterforddrift.com
FIDGET SPINNER
FIDGET CUBE
Fidget spinners are one of the coolest products to come out of 2017 so far. While originally patented by Catherine Hettinger in 1997, the patent recently expired and manufacturers jumped on the opportunity to produce them. For those who don’t know, fidget spinners were originally made for people with ADHD and other attention related deficits. Rather than tap a desk or shake a leg, users can use the spinner as a positive outlet to expend their energy. The act of spinning it allows to part of the brain that affects ADHD to occupy itself in a way that doesn’t impact work in a significant manner. Currently you can purchase fidget spinners from a variety of places including Amazon, Etsy, and even Walmart. With prices ranging from $4.99 to $29.99, you’ll be sure to find one that fits your budget.
The fidget cube has the same purpose as the fidget spinner, but accomplishes it in a rather different way. There is an assortment of different sides to play with, including: a rotating joystick, buttons, all sturdy and ready to play around with anytime. The fidget cube is currently available in ten different color schemes. The original is available for pre-order from Antsy Labs, although there are many knockoffs currently for sale elsewhere.
. S V Richie Griffith, a sophomore at Kettering, bought a fidget spinner and fidget cube to help him focus in class, and Griffith believes that while both help him focus, the fidget cube is much more effective. Griffith would definitely recommend both to others.
Jason Norgren, a sophomore at Kettering, is one who received a fidget spinner from his sister, and doesn’t have prescriptive problems focusing. Norgren currently uses his spinner for tricks and personal enjoyment. He recommends the spinner, however says the effectiveness depends on the individual.
MAY 24, 2017
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As always with ADHD and other attention related deficits, please consult your doctor or attending physician for a professional opinion. While fidgets are a great tool, they aren’t always the best solution.
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What did I do? I
BY KALI BERG Staff Writer kaliberg@waterforddrift.com
Unhealthy Relationship?
Here’s the exit. Take it! EXIT
ONLY
“Bad relationships are like a bad investment. No matter how much you put into it you’ll never get anything out of it. Find someone that is worth investing in.” -Sonya Parker You know you are in a bad relationship when you realize you are miserable. The thought of letting them go may create unbearable fear of what may come afterwards. Staying in an unhealthy relationship is not only a waste of time, but also will keep us, as individuals, away from a growth of mentality. I understand what it feels like when its time to make a decision, whether that is to leave, or allow someone else to walk all over you. I understand how completely terrifying it is, but I promise you it is worth it. I have finally realized that a relationship shouldn’t leave you stressed out at night, or give you headaches. Everyone is meant to be happy, and if you aren’t it’s okay to take a break. Maybe it’s time to find your happiness.
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The answer to that is absolutely nothing
n the beginning I thought it was all my fault, and to be quite honest I sometimes still find myself blaming it all on me. Maybe if I were different, or if I had all my thoughts and realizations in order, I would have been good enough. Maybe things wouldn’t have ended as badly. When I was a little girl, I thought of relationships as Cinderella and Prince Charming, Ariel and Eric, and even Beauty and the Beast. In every single one of these romances there was always some sort of happy ending. I thought that’s what relationships really were, that I would always be happy. I always thought unhealthy relationships were about the individuals who beat their wives, or the individuals who completely brainwash their wives into doing things against their will. I thought of bruising of the wrists and arms, scars without end. I pictured blood and pleas for help. But I’ve come to realize that’s not exactly the case. “You deserve so much better,” “They are only hurting you,” “Don’t you see what they are doing?”. I wanted to scream at them all, I wanted to tell them it wasn’t as easy as they thought. You can’t just leave someone when things get hard, or atleast thats what I thought. I didn’t think that I would ever find myself in this sort of situation. But here I was. In the beginning it’s always nice. The flowers, the talking all day and night, the tight hugs and lovely attention. It seems like it can’t get any better, that is until things take a turn. Manipulation is a “talent” that very few people have, and is used on a daily basis, sometimes without us even realizing it. We all have that one person that can talk us into absolutely anything, or who can guilt us into doing things that please only them. I found my person. Many of the times they had a way of pushing past the outer defenses inside my mind without my brain setting off any warning bells, and I ended up down the drain with them, willingly. They make it seem as if everything was your idea, that you are the one to blame when things get rough. When something goes wrong it’s automatically your fault. I fell into this persuasive myth that you have to be either dumb or weak to fall into this position as some sort of doormat. I felt like I did something to deserve this. It seemed as if I had dug such a hole for myself that I just couldn’t seem to get out of. There were many nights I would stay up wondering what I did to deserve this. I spent more times crying to myself than being happy. I would beg and plead for you to answer, I would call and message you saying I just needed one thing from you, and that was to help me for once. I finally realized it wasn’t worth it anymore, I had to stop fighting to save something that was nonexistent. I wanted to hold on to all the good we had had in the beginning. I thought that maybe things would go back to how they use to be.
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KEVIN ELKIN, ANDREW KELLEY, RILEY O’BRYAN Staff Writer, Editor-in-Chief, & News Editor kevinelking@waterforddrift.com andrewkelley@waterforddrift.com rileyobryan@waterforddrift.com
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DELAYED LAUNCH
E
ven though students believe that space travel is of the utmost importance, many have no interest in pursuing a career in the field. So where does this disparity in interest come from? 11 percent of Kettering students are planning on pursuing a career that is involved with space. These will be the computer scientists and physicists, the people that have been studying for years to get a position at NASA. The majority of students, however, don’t realize that even today every job is space related. Continued on page 18...
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IN-DEPTH
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... continued from page 17
Intro
Earth contains 7.5 billion people to date. The calculated carrying capacity of the planet is approximately 10 billion people. It is projected that by 2050 earth will have a population of 9.6 billion people and that by the year 2100 earth will have a population of 11 billion people. At our current pace of technological advancement humanity cannot sustain a population of 11 billion people. We do not have enough resources to sustain this population. As the population grows there is an ever increasing potential for the outbreak of epidemics and increased global conflict. Humanity’s desire to become interplanetary is an intuitive desire to survive. Space offers more than explorative and adventurous benefits it is the future canvas of the portrait of humanity. The pressing goal for mankind now is the colonization of Mars. Right now there is a lot of talk but not a lot of call to action. Governments are architecturally slow but especially when it comes to designating money to space and even slower at planning and executing missions. During the golden age of space travel the American government allocated three and a half percent to nearly four percent of the annual budget to NASA. This is huge compared to the one half percent allocated today. NASA doesn’t fly anymore. Mission launches are contracted out to companies such as SpaceX. But that doesn’t mean mankind’s journey into space is over in fact it is just the beginning.
Careers
Many may believe that careers in space related positions are years away and involve to much math. Little do they know that there hundreds jobs here in the U.S. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Boeing all have job openings. Space is at hand. SpaceX has over 400 open positions across the united states. Blue Origin has about 100 job openings available namely in Washington state. Virgin Galactic has around 50 positions available. Boeing has over 260 positions available. These positions include jobs involving engineering, accounting and sales as well as barista positions. It will take all kinds to truly commercialize space travel. NASA has been the name of space travel since its inception, but now it is sad to say they are a slowly dying breed. There are only eight positions available across the country. NASA will have it’s place in the coming era of space travel, but not as the leader and innovator. It is worthy to note that there are still a significant number of positions within the NASA organization the number of jobs available is simply a metric of growth. Thus the point being that NASA is not growing and
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There is too much math in space related fields Gage Percival, junior
as with many things when something is not growing, it is shrinking. A career in space does not necessarily mean that you have to be one of the people calculating orbital patterns or engineering thrust systems, though these positions will need to be filled. Careers in space will vary widely as it’s not just about the journey to another planet but what we find and do once we get there. Sure there will need to be a significant number of engineers and physicists but just as important will be the geologists, environmental scientists, accountants, computer scientists and many more. There will come a day where space will be so engraved into the economic landscape of human civilization that we will one day wonder how it was that we ever got on without it. There are two orientations for the current standing space travel corporations. Companies such SpaceX and Boeing are focused namely on transporting satellites and supplies into space. These companies have a far more profitable standing business plan than their competitors. Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are companies focused on the speculative industry of space tourism. Both are a means of funding future research and design to make future efforts in space more applicable. There is also money to be made in the production of satellites. It is easier said than done to make a highly technical object that functions in a vacuum. Satellites and probes are big ticket items. Many different corporations and governments are in the market to increase their communications networks and defense grids and pay handsomely for them.
Mars
Jobs in space and space related industries are only going to increase in number and variety as new tasks are unveiled. Once humanity begins the process of colonizing another celestial body the job growth will be exponential. The colonization, of say Mars will require the complete reconstruction of society. Meaning every job that exists in today’s society will eventually become necessary on the red planet. It seems like science fiction to colonize another planet and to mine the resources of
said planet, but the actuality is that it is within our grasps. We have the technology and the ingenuity to overcome the obstacles which face the colonization of other worlds. The only thing standing in humanity’s way is money. Colonization makes sense but it also needs to make cents. Going to Mars isn’t like going to the moon. It isn’t a goal we set just so that we can say that we achieved it. Mars offers humanity a viable location for a second home. Mars is similar to the Americas before colonization in what it has to offer. In part it is about exploration but it also has the potential to yield fantastic amounts of wealth upon those daring enough to try. Mars holds a potential that is hard to define because the limits lie only in the bounds of human innovation and ingenuity. Mining of minerals and ore for the sake of production on the planet and to be shipped back to earth are incredibly viable ideas. The construction of civilization can rally around this industry. Mars holds the potential to be the staging point for humanity’s eventual venture into the rest of the solar system and hopefully one day the galaxy. This is hopeful to say the least. Humanity has a long way to go and it’s not going to be easy but with commitment and
I think space is incredibly interesting because it’s so vast and unexplored Colleen Squanda, senior
ingenuity there is no telling how high this rocket will fly.
Students
Most students today know something about space travel and it’s potential implications on the future of mankind. “I think space is incredibly interesting because it’s so vast and unexplored,” Senior Colleen Squanda said. Though Squanda says that she has never considered a career in space, she is similar to many students at Kettering who find space interesting but not in terms of a potential career. Junior Gage Percival concluded that he saw colonization as a worthwhile endeavor. He believes that colonization will reap many explorative benefits. He also believes that the collection of resources from other celestial bodies would be of benefit to mankind. Though he believes that he has no place in this endeavor.
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MAY 24, 2017
Job Openings at NASA per State
“One of the major reasons why I’m not interested in pursuing a space related field is because there is too much math,” Percival said. Which is fair, math is a large part of space travel and it isn’t for everybody. Percival stated that he was leaning toward going into psychology. Which is a field which will find it’s place in the coming era of space as the stress of space demands understanding and the ability to cope. Senior Noah Lewis agreed with Percival in that he believed space to be a worthwhile pursuit though he two did not believe a career
I know NASA invented baby food so maybe we will invent more things trying to colonize other worlds Noah Lewis, senior Facts courtesy of spacex.com, cnn.com, and boeing.com
MAY 24, 2017
in space was for him. Lewis believes that space explorations value will come in the form of technological advancements. “I know NASA invented baby food so maybe we will invent more things trying to colonize other worlds,” Lewis said. What Lewis was referring to is a very real and important benefit to investing in space travel. Space spin-offs as they are known were arguably the most concrete benefit from the space race during the cold war. Many of the pieces of technology that we use today would have not been possible without the investments made in space. Things such as ear thermometers artificial limbs and GPS would not have been possible without the efforts There are kids I’ve graduated high school with that are working for NASA currently, and kids here at Kettering that are going to work for NASA or SpaceX one day Anthony Miller, Computer teacher
made by NASA and the investment made in the organization. Many students don’t think they could pursue a
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career in space in spite of an obvious interest. A distaste for mathematics is a reason given by many but there is something more to it. Many believe one needs to have, as NASA says, “The right stuff”. What is meant by this is that students do not believe they are good enough to pursue a career in space. The problems facing mankind in terms of space travel are truly difficult. More than intellect it will take creativity and commitment to overcome them. These things are derived from passion which is something many students obviously have. A career in space requires a certain degree of boldness and courage but no more than any other industry and this too is something that comes with passion. The shroud of difficulty and the blanketed decree that career in space are impossible are illfounded misconceptions. In due time all kinds and sorts of talents will be called on to do their part in the effort to colonize other worlds and explore the canvas of our future.
IN-DEPTH
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ASTROBIOLOGY Astrobiologists search for life beyond Earth. They study how life exists, the environments it lives in, and what it might look like in different environments.
ASTROPHYSICS
Astrophysicists study the laws of physics and chemistry to explain the birth, life, and death, of stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae, and other celestial objects.
ASTROBOTANY
Astrobotanists study the growth of plants in space-environments, including plant life that could possibly exist on other planets.
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ASTROGEOLOGY
Astrogeologists study the geology of the Moon, other planets and their moons, asteroids, meteorites, and comets.
AVIONICS
Avionicians fit electronics to aircraft, spacecraft, and artificial satellites, including navigation, communications, and management systems.
ASTRONAUTICS
Astronauts command, pilot, or serve as a crew member on spacecraft. This term applies to all that travel into space.
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ROBOTICS
Roboticists study and develop machines that can substitute for and take the role of humans, which would be useful in the dangerous environments of space.
BUSINESS
Businessmen need to keep the now privatized space companies running. They will need to look for profitable areas that will provide funds to companies.
PROGRAMMING
Programmers develop the software required for the systems on aircraft, spacecraft, and artificial satellites to function.
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CLINICAL SCIENCE
Clinical scientists study the biology of humans. Many curious things occur to the human body in zero gravity, and these scientists study those events.
ENGINEERING
Engineers need to math, science, economic, practical, and social knowledge to develop the tools and machinery required to get to and stay in space.
MISSION MANAGEMENT
Mission managers need to have the leadership and know-how to keep missions running smoothly. They need the basic knowledge of every position, and make the important decisions.
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My high school experience H High school isn’t the best four years of your life, but they aren’t necessarily the worst either...
FLASH BACK
BY BRIDGET EKIS Copy Editor bridgetekis@waterforddrift.com
igh school didn’t go how I wanted it to, and in all honesty, I’m grateful for that. I’m writing this for the kids who are stuck in a school they can’t wait to get out of. I’m writing this for the kids who push themselves to not look at the clock even if it’s only third hour. I’m writing this for the kids who can’t stand the limited lunch room selection of both people and food. In the fall of 2013 I made it to high school. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed. I loved Kettering and all it offered for me. I was enrolled in every honors class possible, involved in Symphony Orchestra and joined the newspaper without a clue of what I was doing. Three months prior to my first day, I made the varsity cheer team. This was the foundation to my fall semester of high school, although it quickly transformed from sweet to sour. Competition season was new and exciting to me. Cheer lasting for more than three months was something I’d never experienced, and I was ready for what competing had to offer. Even if competition didn’t go how I imagined it would, it was still an important turning point for my high school career. People are always telling me how mature I am for my age, and this was the first experience I’d had in high school that challenged just how mature I was. In the middle of the season, my coach resigned. After that, my team resembled the crumbs that get everywhere when you try to eat a Nature Valley granola bar. The reaction to her leaving was different from girl to girl, but for me, it was heartbreaking. This woman
was my first ever coach and taught me everything I knew about the sport. So when I got to high school and realized she’d be my coach again, I was thrilled. Even if some lousy incidents happened with her that season, I decided to forgive and forget. I wasn’t about to let what had happened dictate how I was going to treat her in the future. It wasn’t worth my time to be bitter, so instead I decided to be civil. I’ve learned to deal with curve ball situations that high school has thrown at me. You’ve honestly just gotta keep moving forward. It doesn’t matter how fast or far forward you move either. For instance, my junior year was full of work. Whether it was academics, sports, extra curricular activities or my actual job. This was the first time schoolwork challenged me and I wasn’t necessarily able to conquer it. By the end of my first semester, I earned my first two C’s I’d ever had in my life. I was so fried by the end of that first semester. I had two to three hour long practices, and precalculus homework that took me 30 minutes at the very least. I religiously scratched out notes every night as I attempted to decipher what the heck was going on in my advanced placement government book. 16-18 hours of my weekend were dedicated to work, and it seemed as if I no time to even breathe. My life was mundane and repetitive. Time in the classroom was exhausting. I wasn’t understanding the content of my first three hours, and quite frankly I didn’t even have the energy to care anymore. I wasn’t the same student I had been for the
past two years and that freaked me out. I couldn’t keep up with my peers and I didn’t understand how kids who were even busier than me could handle it. I was driving myself insane. Remember how I said to just keep moving forward, no matter how you went or how far you traveled? Yeah, junior year was my year where I inched like an insect just to get by. The biggest thing to keep in mind though, is no matter how frizzled, frazzled, or fried out you may feel, is that you just have to keep going. Remind yourself that you’ve conquered every battle you’ve ever faced up to this point. I’ve had my fair share of crappy experiences in high school however, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them. Without the high stress of my classes, sports, and extra curricular activities I don’t think I would have been prepared for life after high school. So, if you’re dreading walking through the halls everyday, or if you feel like you’d rather spend your time doing something else, I dare you to find a silver lining. Ask yourself, “how can I benefit from this, what could I learn here?” With that in mind, appreciate high school for what it has done, and don’t get caught up in adults telling you “You’ll miss these times.” Maybe you won’t miss them. You’ve got the rest of your life to build whatever you’d like it to be. These are the last four years that you don’t necessarily have that freedom. So seek freedom elsewhere. Good luck my fellow Captains! I know I can count on you to keep Kettering great, and to make this school your own.
In the fall I’ll be attending Columbia College Chicago to pursue my passion for photography and journalism
FLASH FORWARD 22
OPINION
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MAY 24, 2017
SPORTS
BRIEFS GIRLS
GIRLS
Varsity Baseball
Varsity Softball
Track
Varsity Soccer
Varsity Lacrosse
May.30 TBA
May.30 4:30pm
May. 26 TBA
May.25 7:00pm
May.24 7:00pm
@TBA
@TBA
@Novi hs
The school year may be coming to a close, but spring sports are still underway. Baseball, softball, girls soccer, girls tennis, boys golf, and both boys and girls lacrosse are underway. The girls soccer team has played cross town rivals Waterford Mott once so far this year with an unfortunate loss. The boys golf team is struggling to live up to it’s potential and receive more wins.
@Kettering
@Lake Orion
The baseball team is nearing the end of the season. They are lead by coach Malley, who is also a teacher at WKHS. The team has seven seniors. The team has struggled recently to receive much deserved wins after hard work in the off season. Waiting at bat “I’m just trying to not think, I let my abilities and confidence do the work when I’m at bat.” Nick Brown, 10
Trying to get on base “My favorite thing about softball is playing with my teammates. They always make my days better. There is never a dull moment with them.” Sarah Amenson, 12
Junior Anthony Fox(Right) Sprints past a Lakeland high school runner: Anthony is not new to running track. He is now a returning varsity runner that has contributed to the teams success every year he has ran. He looks forward to his last season running for Kettering next year. Dreaming of success “It feel we could have accomplished more but I am proud of what we have done.” Anthony Fox, 11 MAY 24, 2017
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SPORTS
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P
Planet Fitness
lanet fitness, known for it’s fairly reasonable prices and franchise name that can be heard all across the continental United States, is home to many at Waterford Kettering. “My favorite thing about Planet fitness is the environment and it’s just my second home,” senior Taylor Reno said. “The price is affordable, it is not too expensive it’s actually pretty cheap and I think the equipment is clean.” As with the many pro’s the gym may have, there is considerably some cons. Planet fitness doesn’t have a vast majority of free weights as many other gyms do. Some my argue that free weights are the building blocks to a body builder’s success. Along with the lack of certain free weights, Planet Fitness had established a so called “Lunk” alarm system controlled by the staff to go off when a lifter may be grunting or dropping weights.
Ratings: Equipment Price Cleanliness Overall rating Photo courtesy to Dathon Skelton and Jason Acciaioli
BY JASON ACCIAIOLI & DATHON SKELTON Sports Editor jasonacciaioli@waterforddrift.com dathonskelton17@waterforddrift.com
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or those looking for a convenient place to exercise after school, Waterford Kettering’s pool and fitness center might just be that place. “The number one reason I work out at the fitness center is to stay in shape,” Patricia Cascioli said. “Reason number two is because it is very convenient.” The fitness center is located on Kettering’s campus, right above the pool. The gym offers a variety of workout opportunities especially for those who enjoy cardio due to the presence of many treadmills. The gym may not be suitable for body builders because of the lack of free weights. The gym has a set of dumbbells that range from two pounds to sixty pounds.
Center MAY 24, 2017
Iron City Ratings: Equipment Price Cleanliness
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ron City, is one of the only classic body building gyms in Waterford. It is a common place to find students at Kettering working out and aspiring to become more fit. “My favorite thing about Iron City is the people,” junior Antonio Garza said. “If you ever don’t know how to do something they will come around and help you.” Iron city is unique because it has a tanning bed and a separate room for aerobic activities. Iron city also makes their own protein shakes which can be purchased by customers.
Overall rating
Taking a look at the different gyms students go to in the area
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our Fit Club is located in White Lake, it is a gym that has a lot to offer. “It’s 24 hours and is very clean, the machines are very nice they have certain types of machines that most gyms don’t have like air pressured machines,” junior Jason Mydini said. The air pressured machines are machines that you increase or decrease weight with foot pedals or buttons rather than putting weights on. This gym is a private gym and often is not very busy. These machines are what attracts many people to this gym. There are many positive aspects about this gym but a major con is the price. “The price is a bit expensive it is higher than most gyms are,” Mydini said.
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Your Fit Club MAY 24, 2017
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The impact the realization of participating in their last sports season has on them
Maddy Kase “
I am happy with everything that I’ve accomplished athletically through four years at Kettering but it doesn’t mean that I won’t be incredibly sad after it’s finished
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his track season is also three sport senior Maddy Kase’s last high school sport. Kase who played volleyball, basketball and Track does not plan on continuing her athletic career next year. “It’s very sad thinking that this is my last high school sport ever,” said Kase, “but it does make me commit more and go harder than I did my previous three years.” Leaving behind the success she has experienced being on Kettering’s girls basketball team and also the individual success she has accomplished on the track makes it even tougher for Kase to leave it all behind. “I am happy with everything that I’ve accomplished athletically through four years at Kettering but it doesn’t mean that I won’t be incredibly sad after it’s finished.”
Lillia Schoof “
Leaving Kettering behind is going to be tough but knowing I have another season keeps me optimistic
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or all senior athletes their last sport season is extremely important but for Senior Lillia Schoof it is more significant than any of her previous years. “This year I was unable to be with my team throughout the playoffs (basketball) due to a knee injury,” said Schoof, “now that I’m healthy and running track I have a lot of goals set for myself.” Schoof plans on making it to states running hurdles in June and after that leaving to play basketball at Saginaw State University. “Remembering that my basketball career isn’t over helped me through the injury but leaving high school basketball is hard especially when it is because of an injury.”
Alyssa Watts “
I try my hardest every season but the idea it’s my last season playing is what makes me help push others.
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enior Alyssa Watts plays goalie for Waterford Kettering and is attending Saginaw Valley State University in the fall where she’s going to continue her athletic career. Kettering’s soccer programs have experienced rough seasons in the past but now the future looks bright. “Considering the fact that we started winning games it feels really different and makes me happy that we can say we won my senior year.” Watt’s who is a captain on Kettering’s girls soccer team is a big impact not on just the team’s performance but also the team’s morale. “I try my hardest every season but the idea it’s my last season playing is what makes me help push others.” Despite having seasons at Saginaw Valley State University to look forward to in the future, Watts says leaving high school soccer behind is still going to be hard. “It’s overwhelming, when I hit that last game you just think you have put so much time and effort into these past four years and now it’s all over. A new chapter is about to begin.”
Photos courtesy of Alyssa Watts, Noah Dooley, Kyle Piotrovsky, Maddy Kase, and Lillia Schoof
MAY 24, 2017
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Senior Sorrow BY BRYCE MOJICA Sports Manager Brycemojica@waterforddrift.com
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he spring sport season is perhaps hardest for most athletes, not just physically but more mentally. With distractions such as spring break, prom, and even summer vacation athletes have many things taking away from their season itself. But perhaps the biggest impact senior athletes experience is the realization that this is their last high school sport season ever. Although some athletes have their college athletic career to look forward to, most don’t. This realization is something all athletes experience but some take it differently than others. These five seniors all will be continuing their athletic career next year at their respective colleges. Even with the reassurance of another season they still have very strong emotions finishing their last season. Coaches, memories, and the all around atmosphere at Kettering is what makes it so difficult to leave behind.
The amount of time the athletes put in at Kettering makes it that much more difficult to leave. For most athletes Kettering is their second home, going to class and then practice afterwards ends up being pretty much the same amount of time they are home for. Also when you add in the games, tournaments, and meets most athletes also spend most of their weekend at their sporting events. For most people participating in their last season it is their fourth year. It doesn’t sound like a lot but when you look at the big picture it is four out of their 17 or 18 years they’ve been alive. Not having sports when it has grown to be a norm is also what makes it tough to leave. When you realize how much time these athletes put into their respective sports it’s easy to understand how hard it is to walk away from it all.
Noah Dooley “S
I have a lot of goals for this season, such as making it to and placing at states in multiple events
enior Noah Dooley who is a year-round athlete is competing in his final high school sport season. “It is sad it’s my last season but I try to not let my emotions get to me while competing or practicing because sometimes they can hold you back,” said Dooley, “especially in track.” Unlike most athletes track doesn’t end after this season for Dooley. “Next year I’ll be running track at Saginaw State University as a preferred Walk-on.” Although he has college track to look forward to, leaving Kettering athletics is still going to be difficult. “Although I try to not think about it, it is sad that I’ll be done representing my school soon enough.”
Kyle Piotrovsky I take it like I’ll never do it again, like there is nothing to lose.
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ootball, Wrestling, and Track all kept senior Kyle Piotrovsky busy throughout the school year but that didn’t stop him from maintaining a 4.0 throughout his high school career. Piotrovsky recently signed a letter of intent to throw shot put and discus at Oakland University next year. With a lot of athletic and academic success at Kettering Piotrovsky says he’s going to have a hard time leaving. “Being at Kettering and competing has been a lot of fun, I’ve enjoyed all four years,” said Piotrovsky, “but I know it’s going to be very tough to leave it all behind.” Piotrovsky still has the rest of his track season to further his athletic excellence and is highly anticipated to compete and perhaps win states as he is ranked number two overall in discus and number six in shotput in the state of Michigan.
WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM
MAY 24, 2017
CORNER
CREATIVE
Creative Corner is a showcase of students writing pieces. If you are interested in submitting your own piece to be seen in the next issue of The Murmur, please email your name, grade, and writing to calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com.
Name: Morgan Hubarth Grade: 12 What is piece about: It is a picure of a landscape. And the other one is a work in progress.
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FEATURE
Name: MaKayla Schneider Grade: 12 What is piece about: To represent my feelings at the time, and a portrait.
WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM
Name: Ronnie Deleon Grade: 11 What is piece about: What is the piece about: It was a perspective project and I was wondering what my phone sees “I did it for the culture.�
MAY 24, 2017
Right on t rget
Sophomore Isabella Zamecki and her love for archery
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he snap of the bow and whip of the wind on her cheek gives Isabella Zamecki the rush that keeps her love for archery alive. Her passion began when she picked up a bow at six years old with her friend and shot her first arrow. “Once I figured out how to pull the bow back on my own, I was in love; it felt so natural” Zamecki said, “When I shoot, it’s like there is nothing wrong in life. I feel that I am capable of anything.” Zamecki started shooting competitively at ten, doing small tournaments within the state. In 6th grade, Zamecki’s potential was bright and she increased her tournaments, competing and winning more often. “I normally compete every single weekend from January to March and then in the summers, I compete at least 3 times a month, on the weekends.” Zamecki said. Like any athlete, Zamecki has had her ups and downs. The mental game behind archery is 90 percent of the battle, “I shot at a tournament where there was more than 1000 people in room at once, buying things, yelling, and hearing other archers talk to one another about how they’re shooting, it’s hard to zone people out.” Zamecki said. Besides the pressure of the atmosphere, personal goals and the thrive to do the best all the time can become consuming, “I put pressure on myself all the time, no matter if it’s practice or a tournament. I try my best to focus on my form the most because that becomes my main issue.” Zamecki said. Hard work and competing was all that was on Zamecki’s mind until eighth grade, when overshooting and not stretching enough caused damage in her
BY AUDREY JUTIS Staff Writer audreyjutis@waterforddrift.com
shoulder. She began falling from first place to third, then completely stop shooting. After a year of physical therapy, working for her first place podium position and stretching thoroughly, Zamecki was anxious to pick up a bow again and go back home to the shooting range. “After a year of not shooting, it was the weirdest thing going back to everything always hurting and crying after I shot because it had been so long and I was so sore” Zamecki said. “But I kept working, and then when tournaments started, I shot the worst I had in a long time. My mental game was so off.” Practicing everyday, and getting back into her groove, Zamecki found herself sitting at the top of the podium once again, winning ‘Northern Regional Champion’, going on to becoming ‘State Champion’ for her division, a title she still holds to this day, and becoming ranked 32nd in the country. “When I placed in the state championship, I got all nervous for when they called my division, but when they called my name, everyone just looked at me because I was the only person out of the whole tournament that shot over a 1400, and I broke a state record. It was a pretty amazing feeling.” Zamecki said. Overcoming injuries and challenges, Zamecki is still working to maximize her potential and performance. “I plan on competing at the world trials in June at Michigan State University. And then hopefully advance to the worlds in Yankton, South Dakota.” Zamcki plans on taking her sport to the college level, and beyond.
Behind the bow
Upper limb
String Cabels Grip
Lower limb Wheel Facts courtesy of bowhunting.com
MAY 24, 2017
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From newbie to captain of JV Foreign exchange student Dominik Witte played lacrosse for the first time and made captain By Andrea Alvarado Staff Writer andreaalvarado@waterforddrift.com
“Everything about lacrosse is interesting and I like learning new tricks,” Dominik Witte Junior
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ometimes learning something new can be really hard. Especially if you’re learning something in a different country. Foreign exchange student Dominik Witte came to the United States to attend Waterford Kettering High School this year, and in doing so has made a lot of friends and joined some extra school activities. In Germany Dominik played soccer for six years and after he stopped he decided to play table tennis to pass the time. During the fall Dom played on the boys JV soccer team, he also plays the drums with Jazz band. Now that it’s spring time Dominik decided he wanted to try something new and started playing lacrosse for the first time. “I didn’t want to do so my friend Jeremy Carver showed me some moves and so I decided to play,” Witte said. Dominik felt appreciated when he was able to make one of the team captains for JV lacrosse. When Dominik made one of the captains it made him feel good on how he was doing so far. Witte felt supported by his team, and even though he made captain he still gets help from his teammates when he needs it. His teammates were surprised on how well and fast Dominik was able to learn how to play. “Dom is really good for being new, it surprised me because I know that I wasn’t that good my first year and he picked it up really quick,” said teammate Cristofori
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Since Witte started playing lacrosse he looked to see if there was any teams back home in Germany that he could join. To his surprise there are lacrosse teams and now when he goes back home he wants to teach his friends how to play and possibly start a team of his own. Along with his teammates, his coach saw how much dedication Witte has for lacrosse and how he gives a hundred and ten percent when they ask him to do something. “He leads by example without expecting anything in return,” said Coach Stuart. Witte has also showed a tremendous aptitude for the game and has never said a negative word about any of his teammates, nor has missed a practice. Witte has started to make connections with his teammates as well and they have already won the majority of their games. “The biggest testament to the team being supportive is they see him as merely another teammate, and not as Dom the foreign exchange student who plays on our team,” said Coach Stuart. It’s truly amazing how someone from a totally different country can try something new and be able to do what Dominik did. Everyone that knows Dominik knows that he is the most selfless person you could meet, and even though he is one of the captains he see himself just as a member of the team.
“If you train hard, you’ll not only WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM
be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.” MAY 24, 2017
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2017-18 STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTION Class of 2018 - Seniors Presidential Candidates: Tyler Robak Vice Presidential Candidates: Kelsey Gettig Alex Graunstad Mohammad Hadeed Secretarial Candidates: Maddie Fields Historian Candidates: Jeremy Carver Ally Harry
Class of 2019 - Juniors Presidential Candidates: Rachel Chambers Kyle Gineman Vice Presidential Candidates: Morgan Shields-Wykes Secretarial Candidates: Austin Strong Sam Toia
Campaign Week: May 22 - 25, 2017 Voting will take place online at: www.wsdmi.org/vote on Friday May 25, from 7:00am - 5:00pm MAY 24, 2017
VOTe HERE
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Class of 2020 - Sophomores Presidential Candidates: Jose Contreras Vice Presidential Candidates: Madison Ellis
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Seniors, grad party season is coming up and planning can be tough so use this guide to put together an awesome summer grad party
Hannah’s
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grad party survival
Guide
1 month
until the party -Decide on a venue & date Consider: -Your backyard (if you have enough space) -Public park (Hess Hathaway, Bay Court) -Public building (Lookout Lodge, etc.) -Reserve your venue -Invite guests -Make a guest list -Make a grad party invitation using your senior pictures Include: -Name -Date and time -Location -Address and send out invites
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2-3 weeks
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-Create decorations -Use pictures (Boards, scrapbooks, picture strings) -Table center pieces -Table cloths -Colors (School colors, college colors, favorite colors) -Display acheivements, clubs, sports, passions, etc. -Memory table (Jenga, letters, book)
2-3 days
BY HANNAH NEAL Design Editor hannahneal17@waterforddrift.com
-Create menu Consider: -Easy to serve food (buffet style) -Professional catering company -Buy bulk foods and make it yourself -Drink list -Check to see if your venue allows alcohol -Water -Pop -Juice/Lemonade -Purchase utensils -Forks, knives, spoons -Plates and bowls -Serving equipment and utensils -Reserve entertainment -Photo booth -Bounce house -Band -Outdoor games
1 week
-Purchase non-perishable groceries and supplies -Begin meal prep (if making own food) -Prepare meals that can be frozen until the party -Cut fruit -Make desserts or follow up with baking company -Make sure you have a place to store food -Wrap silverware/fold napkins -Finish DIY projects -Follow up with hired entertainment
1 day
-Purchase perishable items -Take food out of freezer to thaw -Final meal prep -Make drinks -Put together any dishes that can be pre made -Display desserts and other food that can be left out -Begin decorating venue if possible -Set out furniture if needed -Set tables -Table cloths -Centerpieces
Day of
-Display drinks and food -Heat up and prepare food -Put drinks into dispensers and add ice -Put finishing touches on decorating -Make sure the centerpieces are on the tables -Put out senior pictures and photo boards -Let entertainer into venue to set up -Set up outdoor games -Get ready to greet guests
-Have fun and enjoy your party!!! WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM
MAY 24, 2017