February 2017 Murmur, Waterford Kettering High School by Waterford Drift

MURMUR Volume 14, Issue 4 February 15, 2017

16 TRANSFORMATION page

Following the life of a Kettering student facing more complicating issues than finals or friends. The LGBTQ+ community includes more Kettering students than you think. Sophomore Devin Stewart is one who is on the road towards discovering what his true identity is.

MURMUR Editor-In-Chief: Calvin Habba

NEWS

contents

Letter to the Editor

News briefs

Copy Editor: Bridget Ekis

Misconceptions of teaching

Copy Manager: Baila Lakatos

The Syrian conflict

6-7

Web Editor: Andrew Kelley

Design Editor: Hannah Neal

Design Manager: Alexander Dorcey

Peter and the Starcatcher

Sports Editor: Dathon Skelton

A rising star

Social Media Manager: Ally Pierchala Assistant Business Manager: Riley O’Bryan Staff Writers: Jason Acciaioli, Andrea Alvarado, Kali Berg, Oliver DePauw, Kevin Elkin, Riley Gregart, Trevor Jenkinson, Audrey Jutis, Phathit Renas Advisor: 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, and Shelley Werthman

THANK YOU!

Born in the wrong body

16-19

FEATURE Creative corner

Sports Manager: Bryce Mojica

INDEPTH

OPINION #Relationshipgoals

First my mother forever my friend 12 Bring back the block

Systematic failure

14-15

A&E

A&E briefs

Ally’s anatomy of chocolate

What’s happening

Meme eat meme world

Cutting the cable

24-25

Ads

SPORTS Sports briefs

New coach new beginning

Winter in Waterford

Backyard Battle

30-31

Ads

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 TO THE

EDITOR

An anonymous letter was brought to the attention of the Murmur Staff about a controversial subject that was covered in the January issue. The article was called “Reverse racism is racism” Written by Website Editor Andrew Kelley. It was an opinion piece on how some colleges look for diversity instead of grades. The letter goes as follows. As a person of color, I am not only offended by the racist statements made in the article but also how those statements misrepresent what Waterford Kettering High School stands for. […] "Minorities had have their time of discrimination. Whites are having their time now." Is a direct quote from the article. At what point in history has racism become a competition? It cannot be denied that people of color are still being oppressed given the fact that murders and hate crimes against PoC are rarely headlined by major news outlets. To be clear, racism and prejudice towards minorities in the United States did not end with desegregation. Minorities have endured decades of oppression and attacks by people and the United States government. To this day, widespread racism and bigotry continues. The U.S government not only has a long history of targeting minorities and immigrants but also has repeatedly went out of their way to remove immigrants from this

country while instilling a false sense of fear of the people who share the same hopes and dreams of their fellow Americans. The following are examples of anti-immigrant policies enacted by the United States: The Chinese Exclusion Act, The Mexican Repatriation Campaign, Executive Order 9066 (Japanese Internment Camps), The Patriot Act and now President-Elect Donald Trump’s promise to ban all Muslims. The sole intentions of these were and are to spread hate, violence and fear towards minorities. I wish I could agree with the statement “minorities have had their time of discrimination” but that would not be true. Discrimination is far from over as we have seen these past few months as hate crimes and speech toward PoC has only increased. Hate is being normalized again and as a nation we are going back in time where racism and xenophobia was considered morally acceptable. The 21st century is not plagued with progressivism. It is gifted with

the progressive philosophy to move forward as one to better the country for all people. For someone to go out of their way to publicly humiliate minorities, and imply that they are unskilled compared to white people appears short sighted and unwilling to accept change. The article suggests that minorities are unable to achieve success in secondary school because of the color of their skin. This could not be further from the truth. There are scholarships for PoC because PoC have a huge disadvantage in society. The people of color who earned those scholarships have stolen nothing from you. They have had their hard work rewarded. To accuse them of stealing what that have rightfully earned is outstandingly racist and is exactly what oppressors have been doing for centuries. Do not perceive us as lazy, unintelligent or inadequate to succeed because of the color of our skin. Do not treat us like second class citizens. We are people too.

As always, we encourage anyone to write a letter the editor and voice their opinions on our issues. We love to hear feedback and will be happy to publish it in our next issue. Just bring the letter on over to room 501 or email it to calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com. FEBRUARY 15, 2017

THE MURMUR

NEWS

News

Briefs

Trump enacts first executive order banning immigrants from seven countries Friday, January 27 had Trump signing off on one of his first executive orders, banning citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days from immigrating to the U.S. The order also halted the admission of all refugees into the US for four months. These bans were made to give time to the FBI to develop new screening methods to prevent Syrian refugees that could be “Trojan horses” from entering the U.S.

As Trump banned over 218 million people from entering the U.S., chaos rippled across airports nationwide. Demonstrators marched on eight airports across the country, saying that the ban directly targeted Muslims. Some travelers were detained, as the order was passed during their flight to the US. These actions affected those applying for visas, and also legal US residents traveling abroad.

Groundhog Day

Michigan’s Woody the Woodchuck has predicted six more weeks of winter. After not coming out of her house on February 2, Woody agreed with Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil that there would be another six weeks of winter.

Day of Remembrance

January 26 marked the 50 year anniversary of the Apollo 1 disaster. Roger Chaffee, Gus Grissom, and Ed White were killed by a flash fire during a routine simulation. Family, astronauts, and NASA officials gathered to pay respects to those

that have fallen in Apollo 1, the space shuttle Challenger, and the Columbia pod.

Pictured: 1: Apollo 1 crew 2: Challenger crew 3: Columbia Crew Photos courtesy of NASA.gov

Photos courtesy of creativecommons.com and wikimediacommons.org

NEWS

www.waterforddrift.com

February 15, 2017

Misconceptions of teaching From the outside looking in, teachers often aren’t recognized for the hard work they put in BY BRIDGET EKIS Copy Editor bridgetekis@waterforddrift.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

to standards, educators are responsible for more than just creating lesson plans and passing out exams. Puddy’s workload has increased dramatically since his first year at Kettering back in 99’. Similar to his shift in workload, he noticed a difference in the political influence of the education world. 10 “From the government standpoint I think they’ve just chosen to become more involved,” Puddy 9 said. “I will say personally, I don’t want to speak 8 for all teachers, there’s a sense from government 7 politicians that there’s distrust in what we do, like they don’t believe necessarily that we’re here doing 6 our level best everyday. They want to dictate what it 5 is that we produce, what we teach or what comes out of our classrooms.” 4 Both Sutherland and Puddy expressed this 3 concern of a lack of trust from the government and 2 from other peers. One common misconception of teaching is that they only work for nine months of 1 the year, they work from seven to three everyday, 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 and they have it easy. “Part of the misconception is people think Hours teachers only work this certain amount, and in *Sample size of 20 Kettering teachers turn only deserve this certain amount of money or compensation or respect,” Sutherland said.”And often times that money, that salary, that respect level does not even hold a torch to what people would make in other sectors of our society.” While she was teaching, Sutherland spent her “summers off” working a waitressing job so that she could make enough money to live comfortably. And if she wasn’t waitressing, she was attending journalism workshops or other professional development workshops in order to hone her craft. “No teacher gets into this because they want to make money, no teacher gets into this because they want to not feel like they have a voice or a choice in how they help to shape their students lives,” Sutherland said. “No teacher gets into this to According to the be a selfish individual, that’s for sure.” From the year Sutherland started, she was put in Department of the position where she had to take a two percent Education, The pay cut more than once, along with a total pay percentage of teachers freeze. Therefore, no matter the amount of work she put who do not feel their into the job itself, she would not be seeing a raise job is secure has grown anytime in her future due to the contract negotiations from 8% in 2008 to which are still in place to this day. “I think that’s one of the really hard parts of this 34% in 2011 profession is that it does reach a certain point where like you can’t hide your emotions, and you can’t hide your stress, and you can’t hide your feeling of helplessness,” Sutherland said.

Average amount in hours that teachers spend working outside the typical school day per week

Frequency ( in teachers)

ormer Kettering teacher Jesse Sutherland didn’t originally intend on being a teacher. While at Michigan State University, she studied sports broadcasting and had the dream of being a sideline reporter. However, she began to realize her skills on camera couldn’t compare to the gratification she felt when sharing her passions with others. After numerous internships, she decided to give teaching a shot. “For me teaching was always something that just felt like innately a part of me,” Sutherland said.“I had such a passion for it that I think the thing that made me the happiest and the most excited was being able to spread that passion, and that knowledge to other people.” Sutherland student taught at WKHS, and by the fall of 2009 had her own classroom. She taught language arts, and built the broadcasting program, known today as WK-Today, almost from the ground up. She remained in the building until the spring of 2014. While teaching, her priorities stretched farther than students academic success. Her love for the teaching profession kept her afloat during tough times. “The more I did it and the more I got to work with students, the more I just felt like it was something I just felt really passionately about, and incredibly fulfilled by being able to be there for students,” Sutherland said. “And not only teach them subject matter, but also help them navigate all of the other things that come along with being a teenager.” Similar to Sutherland, art department teacher Frank Puddy also shares a passion for creating a positive environment for his students. “If you asked most students who walk in this room and then at the end of the semester walk out they enjoyed the experience, not just the learning how to make art,” Puddy said. “They enjoyed the environment, and that’s important to me too, is to create that sense of comfort.” Aside from the positives within the profession, there are a multitude of misconceptions the general public has about being an educator. “To put it bluntly, part of the really hard part about being a teacher is that most people in our society went to school,” Sutherland said. “It’s this shared experience, and because of that they think they know what it’s like to be a teacher, I think there’s a lot of false perception of the work that goes into it.” From professional development meetings, to end of the year evaluations, to adapting the classroom

THE MURMUR

NEWS

THE COMBATANTS Syrian Government

Run by the Assad-Regime since 1971 and backed by Russia, caused revolution in 1973 due to changing of the constitution to allow nonMuslims to be elected president. Sunni Muslims revolted, and the Syrian Government is still struggling with them to this day. The US does not support the Syrian Government.

The Islamic Front

Several rebel groups that have joined to “fight for the people’s revolution”. The US does not have an opinion on them, and the group is supported by Saudi Arabia.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL)

An extremist Sunni Muslim group, ISIL claims authority over Muslims worldwide. ISIL has enacted sharia law in controlled territories. The UN has charged ISIL with ethnic cleansing on a historic scale.

February 15, 2017

The murmur

The Free Syrian Army

The Free Syrian Army is the largest group, made of soldiers and officers that defected from the Syrian Government. The main goal of the FSA was to protect peaceful protesters, but now has shifted to fight ISIS The US supports the FSA.

Federation of Northern Syria

Opposed to the Syrian Government, but has spent most resources fighting off ISIS and the al-Nusra Front. Stand for democracy and wish to establish a federalist Syria. Made mostly of Kurds, a group that was highly discriminated against by the Syrian Government.

Al-Nusra Front

Al-Qaeda linked jihadist group, responsible for over 50 suicide bombings. Supported by Turkey and the Islamic State of Iraq. Classified as a terrorist group by the Syrian Government and the US. Has fought side by side with the FSA.

news

THE SYRIAN CONFLICT

What you’ve missed from the war that Americans have chosen to ignore

Casualties

THE PEOPLE

One in ten Syrians have been harmed due to the Syrian Civil War. The UN’s death toll was 250,000 fatalities, as of 2014, but has since stopped counting. The Syrian Center for Policy Research estimates that 400,000 were deaths caused by violence, and up to 70,000 due to the collapsed Syrian infrastructure, with another 1.8 million Syrians injured from the conflict. The life expectancy has dropped from 70.5 years to 55.4 as of 2015.

Illegal escape Syrian refugees desperately try to escape the war through the Hungarian border.

Causes

BY ANDREW KELLEY Website Editor andrewkelley@waterforddrift.com

Survivors

At least 4.5 million Syrians have fled since the beginning of the war, most being women and children. At least 6.5 million are displaced within Syria. The refugees flee mainly to Europe, causing European countries to struggle with the influx of those in need. Certain warring parties in Syria have added to these numbers by refusing humanitarian agencies access to those in need.

Surviving conflict Two young girls walk to school through the rubble, with backpacks provided by United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

THE WAR

War Crimes

Pro-democracy civilian protests began in 2011 after the arrest and torture of teens that graffitied revolutionary slogans on a school wall. More took to the streets when security forces fired on the crowds. Rebelling factions took up arms; first to defend themselves, and afterwards to push out security forces and take land for their own. The Sunni Muslim majority has become pitted against President Assad’s Shia sect.

The UN possesses evidence that all sides of the conflict have committed war crimes, including but not limited to murder, torture, rape, and forced disappearances. Government aircrafts have dropped multiple barrel bombs on gathered crowds, which may constitute many massacres. ISIL (Or ISIS as referred to by the US) has been accused of waging a campaign of terror, punishing those who disobey their rule with public amputations, executions, and mass killings.

Worldwide connections A soldier for the Syrian government aims his Chinese manufactured weapon while wearing his Russian manufactured uniform.

War crime A Syrian man carries the body of an innocent child from the rubble, the effect of a war-torn nation.

Photos and facts courtesy of bbc.com, aljazeera.com, & cnn.com

news

www.waterforddrift.com

February 15, 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: Halie Hester Grade: 12 What is piece about: This piece is about toxic relationships and what I really want to say to the people who cause pain in my life. What inspired you to write? I just wrote this piece for fun. What do you want to do? I am not sure what I want to do in the future.

What I didn’t Say First off, screw you. You were too caught up in your own life to even acknowledge mine. You were too immature to even leave me. you found it easier to just avoid contact at all cost. It may have been easy for you but it wasn’t for me. I would spend my days waiting for you my nights thinking about you. Why? Because I was stupid. You weren’t coming back and I knew it. I blamed myself it wasn’t even my fault it was yours. You did this to me you made me feel this way. You made my life bad in attempt to fix your bad life. You made me feel pain because you claimed that’s the only thing you have ever known. Now I realize maybe it was my fault. I was naïve enough to cry over you to feel bad for myself. It’s my fault for making excuses for you. I want to thank you though. For hurting me you made me stronger. Maybe one day you’ll realize exactly what you lost.

FEATURE

Name: Katie Pettibone Grade: 11 What is piece about: One day in creative writing we had to write a poem about things we’ve always wanted to say to someone, but never have. What inspired you to write? This is about one of my old friends that pushed me away for many reasons, but I never seemed to ever tell her the right words until I wrote this poem. What do you want to do? In the future, I would like to be a travel journalist.

Name: Mason Marshall Grade: 12 What is piece about: This piece is about my most vivid memory I have as a young kid. What inspired you to write? I wrote this piece as an assignment for my creative writing class. What do you want to do? In the future, I would like to pursue a career in creative writing.

My Memory When I was little, I remember the time around Christmas in my old apartment was always a fun, joyous time. During the days leading up to Christmas, our house, particularly the dining room, was buzzing with the holiday spirit. My mother would always buy several boxes of sweet Christmas sugar cookies for us to enjoy. While we waited for the cookies to finish their baking, my mom set my brother and I up with a tray containing several different colors of frosting. Blue, white, yellow, red, green, and purple. She told us to wait for the cookies, but we’d always dip our fingers in for a quick taste of the frosting whenever her back was turned to us. She’d pretend like she didn’t notice, but looking back, I am almost certain my mom could see the little hand-made imperfections in the circular frosting containers. When at last the cookies had finished their baking, we would all go to town putting the frosting –and whatever else we liked, such as sprinkles or designs- on the cookies. We’d stack them in layers in a large cookie bin, a piece of wax paper dividing each level of cookie. Late at night, every night until about a week after Christmas, I would sneak down stairs, past my dad who was sleeping on our couch [...] For the full story, go to waterforddrift.com

Locked and Unspoken I’ve been convicted of all your wrongdoings. From the lies, the secrets, the jealousy. You’ve put me behind the bars of your own sins. I’ve been suspected and now put on your trial. I’ve been falsely accused for the social crime you committed. I am no cereal killer. I am no mass murderer. The only thing I’m guilty of is caring too much. The only thing I’m guilty for is alibiing the bully. You know how to act. You’re a professional. You know how to manipulate and disintegrate. To cause the pain and never take the gain. You should be the one behind these bars. Behind the lies. Behind the secrets. Behind the jealousy. But no, my flaw is the thing to blame. I am too scared to lose you. So I’ll just keep quiet, and be the one locked in because of your own guilty sins.

WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

BY CALVIN HABBA & ALLY PIERCHALA & BRIDGET EKIS Editor-In-Chief & Social Media Manager & Copy Editor calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com allypierchala17@waterforddrift.com bridgetekis@waterforddrift.com

1. YOU SIR, BE GOOD TO MY BETTY! Senior Justin Scott scolds Sophomore Chris Carter on behalf of the beautiful Betty Bumbrake played by Jack Stewart. 2. IT’S WHAT YOU TWO WILL HAVE As junior Kaitlyn True kisses senior Brendan Martin goodbye as their exciting adventure comes to an end. 3.I’M FEELING YOU, SUN! Senior Brendan Martin is a very happy Peter when he finally arrives on land after the neverland shipwreck. Feeling the warm sun on his face and the listening to the birds in the air, he’s finally free. 4. CARRY ME, SMEE! Senior Jessie Nye plays the beloved role of Black Stache the ruthless, gutless, captain of The Wasp. The stache is on everyone’s lips, and backs while Nye is carried by her right hand man Smee played by Junior Katie Pettibone. 5. A WHOLE SHIP HALVED As a hurricane rumbles, disaster strikes leaving the Neverland ripped in two. 6. DISASTER & DESTRUCTION The cast demonstrates how the waves roll and rumble and crash against the ships, ending in devastation for the poor old Neverland. 7. RUN PETER RUN Blinded by the sun and bombarded with birds Peter finds a way to escape the natives all while protecting a chest full of stardust. 8. TAKE A BOW Members of the cast join hands and bare bright smiles as the audience applauds their hard work and dedication.

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

4. 5. 6. 8.

7. THE MURMUR

FEATURE

Photo by Camilo Weisbart

A RISING STAR

Senior Camilo Weisbart, a young artist who hopes to make a career out of DJing BY JASON ACCIAIOLI Staff Writer jasonacciaioli@waterforddrift.com

he music is playing loud, the crowd is jumping up and down, and Camilo Weisbart is in the spotlight DJing. About two years ago Weisbart got his whole setup and this is when he got into DJing. “I started listening to a lot of electronic music and I had a lot of buddies who started getting me into DJing as well,I wanted to do it myself so I got a set up and I have been playing music ever since then,” senior Camilo Weisbart said. Weisbart was not only inspired by his friends he also is inspired by famous DJs such as Bassnector. “Bassnector definitely inspires me the most,I try to go to concerts and raves as much as possible because every time I go to a show it’s truly different. I take a lot of inspiration from it and I take a lot of knowledge out of it, I listen to the music every time I go to a show and I learn a lot from it, all DJs play differently and I take tips from them,” Weisbart said. While Weisbart does consider himself to be

self taught he still has learned from his friends that DJ as well as the tips he has taken from listening to pros. Going to raves and concerts is a lot different for Weisbart than it may be for many people. While he is there to have fun he also listens to the music deeply to get ideas of new things he can try and experiment with on his own. “I practice everyday, I go home and I usually hop on to the boards and listen to some music for a little bit, also every weekend I have friends come over and we just sit in my room and I’ll play some music for them and if people ask me to come DJ a party for them I’ll do that,” Weisbart said. As Weisbart has been getting started he has just been playing music for some of his friends and people at small parties but he does plan to expand and try to perform more. “I’m going to get a producing software to start making my own songs and I want to put them out in the world and play them at shows

and eventually start playing at festivals in the summertime” Weisbart said. There is a lot more to DJing than most people would think, the equipment and software can get pretty expensive. “My board itself was $250 and the software I use which is Serato DJ is around $100 and depending on what type of speaker you get they are all different types of price ranges,” Weisbart explains. DJs can play songs produced by other artists, or make their own tracks. Many people may wonder what DJs actually do while DJing, and how hard it is. “I have my left track pad and my right track pad and I load up a song on each and I just choose when I want to transition it,sometimes I’ll play two tracks together and sometimes I play one track for quite some time and then Transition it to another,” Weisbart explains. There is a lot to DJing and every DJ is different in their own way.

What Camilo is doing is awesome there are a lot of DJs out there. I think he has potential to do something big with it if he gets noticed. Louis Peter, 12

It is cool to have a student DJ because we can work with them more and collaborate with them and make the dance better for the students. Kristina Wylin, 12

FEATURE

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FEBRUARY 15, 2017

#Relationshipgoals

Relationships as teenagers and how they have changed over time BY RILEY GREGART Staff Writer rileygregart@waterforddrift.com

think it’s safe to say that dating norms have changed a lot over time. It used to be “going steady”, and he would give you his jacket. Flirting was done face to face, not by emojis. The boy would have to call your house phone and have to ask to speak to you, not send you an Instagram direct message asking for your Snapchat. Relationships are created now through text or over social media. Not that this is wrong, we are using the technology that is at our fingertips. Also it’s a lot easier to ask someone on a date over text rather than having to walk up to them at school and asking face to face. We all know that takes some serious guts. Frankly, it’s much easier to be rejected over text rather than face to face. Flirting is almost completely done over text now, by sending an emoji or a risky text. It’s rare that a guy or girl will just flirt in person because let’s be real It’s super hard. Couples end up being stuck in this phase called “talking”, sometimes for months. No one really knows what it is or why we do it, but teens insist on it. They are “talking” or a “thing”. So you pretty much act like you’re dating and do everything a couple would do but just don’t put a label on it. Personally I’ll wait it out and when someone asks if a guy and I are together I’ll say “kind of” or “It’s complicated”. Why do I do this? I know I’m

not the only one who does this. Yes, it’s nice for the first while when you’re first getting to know each other but it gets to a point where I’m just waiting for it to turn official. And it’s not easy to hint that you want to make it official. Does the girl have to wait for the guy to ask? It’s 2017, you would think the girl should just be able to ask without there being any weirdness and without her feeling like she’s making him feel like “less of a man”. Speaking of “being a man”, what does this mean? Most people think of him paying for dinner, opening doors for the girl, you know, gentleman actions. Honestly, what’s wrong with letting the girl pay every once in awhile? I have a job and don’t see anything wrong with picking up the bill every so often. A guy shouldn’t feel like he has to spend his money on me. Girls work just as hard and most of us would love to treat our guy to dinner or a movie. Yes it’s sweet sometimes; when a guy grabs the door for me, pulls out the chair or opens a car door. But I’m a big girl and am totally capable of all of these actions. I understand that the guy is being nice and chivalrous but don’t feel like you have to be on all the time. I would like you to feel like my equal, not someone you need to take care of. Skip the idea of being chivalrous and the pressure to be such a gentleman all the time and let the girl treat you. Be kind of course,

but there doesn’t need to be this pressure of having to do everything for a girl. The standard is ridiculous and as a woman I feel bad. I can handle myself and I would like to treat my man. Why is that such a foreign concept? Its 2017. Why do we care if a girl ask a guy to a school dance when it’s not Sadies? If I were to ask a guy out or to make the step and ask him to be my boyfriend people would think it’s weird, no? Why do we have this preconceived notion that that’s not the way the world works? I know I’m guilty of it and I would very much struggle asking a guy out and feel wrong doing it but why? If I want to be with someone and i like them then why as a female do I feel so wrong taking that leap and making that risk? Am I worried he will say no? I think I’m actually more worried about what other people will think, and if I’ll make the guy feel weird by asking him out? Now come on how wrong is that. I would put another person’s opinion in front of my happiness? Now there is your problem, Girls are so worried about breaking the status quo that they won’t even go after what they want. So we sit and wait for a guy to make a move that he may never make. Or we stay “talking” to a guy for months because we don’t want to be the one to make the move because it’s abnormal.

Personal relationship goals

• Binge watch a show together instead of having to go out all the time. • • • •

Be able to spend time away from each other and not feel totally freaked out about it. Having an entire conversation of inside jokes that only you two understand. Be able to talk to their mom for more than five minutes without it getting awkward. Not feeling like you need to write about how great your relationship is on social media because you know its great and that’s all that really matters.

• No pressure to be

“done up” every time you hangout together.

• Supporting each other’s personal goals and push each other to be the best version of yourself. FEBRUARY 15, 2017

THE MURMUR

OPINION

Everyone has their own ideas about stepmoms or stepdads, but not all of them are right BY ANDREA ALVARADO Staff Writer andreaalvarado@waterforddrift.com

Mother daughter trip In 2012

my mom and I along with my friend and her mom, spent an amazing weekend in Chicago where we were able to bond and become even closer. Photo courtesy of Tammy Starkey

Just having a girls day During

the summer one of the things I love to do is spend time with my mom and get our nails done together. Photo courtesy of Andrea Alvarado

OPINION

hange in life can be hard and sometimes difficult for some people, especially if it means your dad remarrying and now you have a new stepmom. For some it might be great because they grew up without a mom, while others may feel as if it’s breaking their family apart. When it comes to step-parents if they get the feeling that you don’t like them and they’re trying their best at some point they’re not going to try anymore. It hurts to hear people stereotype stepmoms as if they’re the evil stepmom from Cinderella. This story is not fictional, this is reality and this is also my story. Since the day I came home from the hospital I was told that when my mom needed a place to stay that a woman she knew opened up her home to my mom and myself. This woman bought me pretty much everything I needed. I was just a baby so I had no memory of it. When I was old enough to remember things in my life, I was told that the women who helped me as a baby, was named Tammy, and she was my new stepmom. But, she wasn’t what I expected from a stepmom, she was actually really nice towards me. It was like she saw me has her own daughter and she would always dress me up, do my hair, and we would go shopping, sometimes we would have little photo shoots just for fun. We started to develop what was starting to be a great relationship. I would go over there every other weekend and half the summer with one of my older sisters and I loved seeing my dad, Tammy and my little brother. As the years went by I started calling Tammy mom but, my mom didn’t like that and said that I couldn’t call her that anymore. Life for me might sound great; however, things at home weren’t the best. From second to fourth grade I learned how to take care of myself. At the age of seven learning how to care of myself was hard but, I did it. My mom would have to take my three older siblings to school on her way to work while I stayed home and got ready. There were days that I wouldn’t see hardly anyone until dinner time because my siblings had friends that they would be with and I was the one who didn’t. I was the shy quiet kid in school and I liked talking to teacher, rather than talking to students. I was always picked on at school, even by my own brother. My mom was never home so I couldn’t talk to her, I didn’t think could talk to anyone but, I would tell Tammy and she would tell me people (especially girls), were mean to me because they were bored with their own lives. She made me feel better and always knew what to say. Even now she knows what will make me smile and laugh.

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When I turned ten I decided I wanted to move out of my mom’s house so I could live with my dad and Tammy. Being that young and leaving it hurt my mom but to me she wasn’t my mom anymore. I was able to figure things out and learned the difference between being a mom versus actually being a mother. My biological mom was never there for me as a kid and she still isn’t. Since I moved almost seven years ago I haven’t seen or spoken to her in about five years. To me my mom is Tammy, no matter what anyone says about stepmoms my stepmom, is my mom. I’m thankful for her and am glad that I can call her my mom. I didn’t have anyone to really be a mother figure until my stepmom came in my life. She was there for every heartbreak, every birthday, every school event and I know she’ll still be there for me even after I’ve grown up. She taught me that nothing is owed to you in this world, you have to work hard to get what you want in life. You’ll go through struggles in life and you may not think your parents can help, just talk to your step parents. When you think that they won’t care about how you feel, you’ll be surprised how much they actually do. They might not have helped give you life, but they will be there to help support you, trust me. Christina was never there to support me but, my mom was and she still is. Everything that I am able to do now is because of her and I love her for being there for me. There’s this saying my mom has always told me. “Pretty is what pretty does,” It means that you could be the most beautiful girl in the world but, treat people poorly and be ugly on the inside. There are people who don’t have a mom or dad while others that do aren’t close,or that take them for granted but, you never really know when the last time you’ll be able to have them in your life. I can’t tell you hardly one thing that I don’t do with my mom to say the least. Take it from me when I say that having a relationship with your stepmom or stepdad is one of the best relationship you could have. My advice for you is just put in a little effort, show them respect, and love them as much as possible. My mom says that she’s not my buddy, she’s not my pal, she’s not my friend, she’s my parent. To me she is my best friend and, I love my mom and I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world So even though she didn’t give birth to me she’s still my mom and I hope that if you have a stepmom or stepdad that you’ll try and have some sort of a relationship with them because you never know where it may lead.

FEBRUARY 15,2017

Bring back the BY BAILA LAKATOS Copy Editor bailalakatos@waterforddrift.com

Reintroducing the idea of block scheduling, and why it should be brought back to Kettering

s a junior here at Kettering, I have found that many students are unaware of their own school’s history. Specifically, block scheduling. I’ve been a part of many different discussions in my classes this year where block scheduling was brought up, and almost half of my class had no clue what it was. Okay, I get it, block scheduling hasn’t been a part of this school for a few years now. Generations come and go, and old rules/ways of the school become forgotten. The only reason why I am aware of what block scheduling is, is because my oldest brother was here when it was happening. However, although it is okay for things to change, I believe that block scheduling is something that needs to be remembered, and practiced again. Currently at Kettering, we are practicing a standard schedule of between 6-8 classes that last 45-55 minutes. With block scheduling, students attend fewer classes, with longer “blocks” of time. Instead of all of us taking 7 classes that last 55 minutes, we would take four classes a day that last 90 minutes. Honestly, I don’t know about you all, but

block scheduling sounds like heaven to me. 7 hours a day feels both excruciatingly slow and way too fast for me all at the time. While walking through the halls and making my way through every day, my brain feels fried, and my body feels heavy. It’s extremely challenging and exhausting for a teenager to go through all of these classes in one single day, being expected to easily process intensely large amounts of information from seven completely different subjects. Going into spanish first hour, my mind is locked in on what information is being passed to me. By the time I walk into my front door at the end of the day, I can’t remember a single thing I learned in that first class, or basically the whole first half of my day. Not only is it difficult to remember what I learned, but homework is crazily overwhelming. It’s no surprise that all you hear from high school students these days is complaining about how exhausted we are because of school. Students are thrown almost an hour or more worth of homework for seven classes, that we’re expected to do in one single night. When do we have time to rest? What

STANDARD SCHEDULE

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

THE MURMUR

about people who do extracurricular activities? When do we sleep? Without mountains and mountains of homework doing nothing but growing larger and larger, a ginormous weight would be lifted on every student’s shoulders in the school. No more stress, no more headaches, no more nights staying up until 3 AM cramming information in our heads when we can’t even speak coherent sentences. Taking out all of the overwhelming thoughts of what homework needs to get done at what date, leaves an enormous amount of space in our minds to actually learn and process the homework that we’re doing, rather than just worrying about getting it done. Getting our homework done easier and getting to bed at a practical time, will also help us students feel better in the mornings, and be more awake and willing to learn once we get to school. All of these benefits will help us students learn the proper way. Let’s better Kettering-and bring the block back.

BLOCK SCHEDULE

OPINION

SYSTEMATIC FAILURE Standardized testing’s failure does not have to be your problem BY KEVIN ELKIN & PHATHIT RENAS Staff Writers kevinelkin@waterforddrift.com phathitrenas@waterforddrift.com

Students are characterized, quantified, and defined by standardized tests. You know their names the SAT, ACT, NWEA; acronyms that represent the failed application of bureaucratic ideas. The fallacy of a perfect standardized test is perpetuated by a failure to accept that the metric and means of quantifying a student’s comprehension and level of intellect is monumentally flawed.

THE ORIGIN STORY

he United States as a country does many things without questioning what it’s doing. One of these things being the enforcement of standardized testing. Standardized testing has been prevalent in many nations since the 19th century. In 1845, Horace Mann suggested that students take written tests so that he could record the children’s results and in turn, find the best teaching methods. His goal was to give children equal opportunities so that as many children as possible could succeed. This view on the purpose of standardized testing slowly changed over the following decades. It started to be used as a way to separate students by ability, so that time wasn’t wasted on those who were less capable. This allowed students who were naturally intelligent to flourish and lesser students to be neglected. This seems ridiculous, but in the 1920’s a lot of kids were still dying from polio, and education wasn’t nearly as important as it is now, so the unjust nature of testing was ignored. In the 1920’s the College Entrance Examination board was also introduced, which is now known as the SAT. Standardized testing and the importance of a good education became far more important during World War 2, and especially during the Cold War. Our nation’s place among the world powers was important in every way, including the intelligence of the youth. The Soviets

1.) How many standardized tests does the average student take during the course of their education? A 30 B 60 113 D 100

were pumping out child geniuses so the United States’ response was to increase testing (makes sense). The innate fearing communism at this time led to more testing in the classroom than ever before. Studies conducted at that time showed that student’s home environment was the main factor in school achievement, but the government kept dishing out the tests. The next large change in testing that affects us as students today, was the “No Child Left Behind Act” passed in 2005 by George W. Bush. This is the main cause for the amount of testing there currently is in schools. The act had the purpose of improving education overall so that teachers and students performed better. The means that the government went about doing this was enforcing more testing. This resulted in students still getting left behind and schools being shut down because they didn’t perform well enough. The NCLBA failed to recognize that not everybody is as intelligent as the government wants them to be, so it ended up punishing those who needed the most help. There needs to be a reform on testing and the expectations of the government in relation to the education of students. Too much of our education is focused on passing tests and not actually acquiring knowledge.

THE FAULT IN OUR TESTS

ducation is a tricky business. The un-flawed idea of a standardized test makes a lot of sense. In theory, it creates a system where resources are allocated based upon students need. The actuality of this system is that students learn to test and not to learn. Knowledge is it’s own reward. In today’s society it doesn’t matter how smart you are if the

test doesn’t show it. Ghandi once said, “ live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” The current system’s motto is learn so long as it relates to the test. The capacity of an individual is far more than can possibly be measured by any test. Yet, there is call to put greater faith in them to determine the trajectory of a student’s career.

* Facts courtesy of motherjones.com 8 (00) 23728546 3478

OPINION

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FEBRUARY 14, 2017

A PRIMEVIEW ™ EM-237564-173653:33

SIDE 2

THE FALLOUT OF FAILURE

he fundamental fallacy of the system is that the standardized test is accurate. From this delusion all other problems follow. Senior Abbey Newkirk is one of the best students in her AP Calculus class. In spite of her continued success in mathematics she scored significantly lower on the SAT and NWEA in math than would have been projected. Newkirks’s unfortunate situation is all too common. The metric for

success is poorly designated and thus the means of quantifying a student’s level of success are futile. Good students should be rewarded and the “merit” based standardized test fails to appropriate reward. The call to put greater stress on tests like the NWEA for class placement would have resulted in Newkirk never having the opportunity to take calculus in the first place.

3.) What percentage of parents think there is too much emphasis on Standardized tests? A 30% B

25%

C 15% 67% * Facts courtesy of neatoday.org

THE UNFORTUNATE ANSWER

eform is years away. The standardized test and it’s sideeffects will be with us for years to come. There is very little call for reform, and those who recognize there is a problem fail to recognize the actuality of the problem. The only way to defeat this system, is to go beyond it. Learn for the sake of learning. Where the system fails you, you must succeed. Any and all information literally lies in the palm of your

8 (00) 23728546 3478

hand. If our generation were to effectively exploit this plethora of information we would easily be the most intelligent human beings to have ever walked the face of the earth. We will face problems of unprecedented proportions in our lifetime. The system will not prepare us for these challenges. It is broken and beyond repair at this time. Where the system fails us we must rise above.

3.) What percentage of National Education

Association teachers said the no child left behind standardized test was not developmentally appropriate?

70% B 10% C 30% D 50% * Survey taken from a poll of 1500 NEA teachers. * Facts courtesy of neatoday.org

EDUCATE YOURSELF

CRASH COURSE

Crash Course is a Youtube channel dedicated to giving quality education for free. There are 15 courses to date which each consist of anywhere from 7 to 48 videos which are usually more than 10 minutes long apiece. The videos are meant to be supplements that accompany high school and college level classes by giving a fast paced learning experience which is more engaging than a textbook or classroom. Crash Course is not only for students but also those who would like to gain knowledge on subjects that they may have been taught poorly or that they find interesting.

COURSERA

Coursera provides college classes to anyone for free. Coursera is partnered with numerous colleges and organizations including The university of Michigan, Duke, Stanford, The University of California and various others. Coursera offers classes covering math, engineering, physics, digital marketing, biology, medicine and more. The majority of courses are free and are surprisingly thorough. Some classes are pre-recorded while others are live. It is also possible to purchase certificates of completion for the courses. These certificates are not good for college credit but are potentially valuable to employers.

FEBRUARY 14, 2017

THE MURMUR

OPINION

INDEPTH

BY CALVIN HABBA & AUDREY JUTIS & KALI BERG Editor-In-Chief & Staff Writers calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com audreyjutis@waterforddrift.com kaliberg@waterforddrift.com

16 FEBRUARY 15, 2017

BORN IN THE WRONG BODY

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FEBRUARY 15, 2017

THE MURMUR

INDEPTH

ophomore Devin Stewart always felt different growing up, even as a small child. It wasn’t until he was eight when he came to realize what this feeling meant. Devin was born a female, but as he matured he realized his body didn’t match his mind. He came to realize that he is a transgender male. “I was always that kid who was trying to fit in and be girly like the other chicks at school,” Devin said. “But then I didn’t feel like myself, so I said, ‘screw it.’” It’s hard enough going through puberty alone, especially for someone like Devin, who felt as if he was an alien in his own body. “Emotionally, it is really confusing and you don’t know or realize what is going on,” Devin said. “I didn’t realize what was happening until I found out what it [being transgender] was.” Not only did he have to come to accept what he was feeling, but he also had to convince those around him that what he was feeling was real, and that there was nothing wrong with it. The confusion continued for him. One day he would come to school wearing a skirt, and the next he’d show up with his hair cut short accompanied by jeans and a tee shirt. Continued on page 18...

INDEPTH FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Survey out of 124 Students

72 percent of anti-LGBT homicide victims in 2013 were transgender women.

Transgender women face more discrimination in the real world than the average person.

70 Percent of surveyed students want to see unisex bathrooms at Kettering.

Transgender people still cannot serve in the US Military

73 PERCENT Of kettering students are unaware of the Bill on unisex bathrooms in Michigan

90 Percent of transgender people report experiencing harassment, mistreatment or discrimination on the job.

41 Percent of surveyed Americans reported attempting suicide, compared to 1.6 percent of the general population.

Transgender Statistics

WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM

... continued from page 17 It was in that moment that he realized wearing skirts was not who he was, so he fixed what he felt was off. Trying to figure out what made him feel like himself, Devin starting cutting his hair shorter, and started adding more masculine clothes into his daily routine. “It wasn’t really a quick change,” Devin said. “It got to the point where I just was like- ‘ya I’m not doing this anymore’. I was done with it. It just kinda clicked.” He pushed himself away from everybody during his early transition stages. While this was occurring his twin sister, Alana, although they weren’t close, was always ready to stick up for her brother and would try to make him feel more comfortable. “It’s actually pretty funny,” sophomore Alana Stewart said. “I was the more boyish out of the both of us [growing up].” Devin explains that the reasoning for this is because in the beginning he was afraid of changing, and also because he feared what others would say or think about him once they knew the truth. In today’s society, even the littlest of differences between people can cause an uproar of rumors, which is what terrified him, and what made his secret scary. Even lifelong friends of Devin began to notice the slightest changes in him. “I knew something was wrong, but I wasn’t going to be too pushy because I know how he is about that sort of stuff,” sophomore Ariel Jeans said. Once Devin came out and told friends that he preferred them using male pronouns for him, everything became clear. “I was perfectly fine with it. It took sometime to get used to but I did, and by how he acts now, so has he,” Jeans said. At first,transitioning came off as a bit of a shock to his friends and family. He explained that his sister was one of the quickest to adapt to the changes that needed to be made. “If he felt like he’s a different gender and he felt that that was him, then it’s fine,” Alana said. “It’s not a huge deal.” But on the other hand, it was a bit of a stretch for Devin’s father to finally accept the abrupt news, and even to this day his father is still ajusting. “Although Kettering is an open school, there is always room for improvement, there are a lot of things Kettering could do in order to make things more welcoming for the LGBTQ+ community,” Jeans said, “It all depends on what they’re willing to do and what they can actually do.” North Carolina was first to enforce a transgender bathroom law, and has recently passed the bill which restrict transgender citizens the right to use the bathroom they affiliate with. The bill has caused much controversy; LGBTQ+ rights advocates have filed a lawsuit against the bill, stating that the bill was against legality. The federal government ordered North Carolina to abolish the law because it violated the federal civil rights. Despite the laws abolishment,

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Michigan republicans including House Speaker Kevin Cotter and Tom Casperson, still approve of the bill and say that it “is protecting the wishes of parents who may not have approved a gender switch concerning their child,” according to Michigan Daily. Similar to the reactions of the North Carolina bill, Michigan’s proposal is also getting a great deal of backlash from citizens and fellow politicians. “Transgender students -- like all students -- deserve respect and equal treatment, they don’t need conservatives like Tom Casperson telling them how, when and where to use public facilities” (Mlive.com) said Lonnie Scott, executive director of liberal advocacy group ‘Progress Michigan’. The bill would have a major affect on the Waterford School district should it be passed and be a considerable hit at our LGBTQ+ community. Considering only 27 percent of 124 Kettering students surveyed said they were aware of the bill, Kettering lacks LGBTQ+ knowledge that will hurt our community as a whole. “There are a lot of schools that have done that [unisex bathrooms],” Devin said. “I don’t think that I want to force the school to do that, but it would really be a good step in the right direction.” Devin’s mind goes beyond the common gender norms; in a way not many others can picture just yet. He points out that simple things, such as homecoming king and queen, doesn’t always have to be classified as one male and one female. If you really think about it, it would be quite awkward for a gay male to be presented as part of a symbol for a straight relationship with a female, and the same goes for a lesbian to be paired with a straight male. “It can be a king and a king or a queen and a queen,” Devin said. “Kettering doesn’t give a lot of recognition to it [LGBTQ+ community] as a lot of people would hope for,” Devin said. “I would like to believe that everyone accepts it, but not everyone recognizes it as much,” Devin said. Continuing with his transition, Devin has started to take medicine to slow down the female hormones. He explains that he is planning on starting testosterone, a steroid hormone that stimulates development of male secondary sexual characteristics, such as facial hair and a deeper voice, as soon as his doctors say it is alright and prescribes it to him. Devin knows that after high school he is going to face hate and criticism on a larger scale. He knows that it may become a challenge in his future for finding a job or even finding a partner. “There are always those people who will be jerks and want to contradict everything,” Devin said. “But that is how people are, there are always going to be people who will give me hassle about it but other than that, everyone else has been really supportive. I have supportive friends and a welcoming family and that’s all I really need.” “I don’t think anyone will ever understand it fully,” Devin said. “Even if I meet someone else who is transgender, their story will always be different.”

THE MURMUR

INDEPTH

Facts and statistics courtesy of glaad.org

Never leave someone out of an activity just because you are unsure or uncomfortable with the situation. Discluding a transgender person from a gathering or activity will make them, as well as anyone, sad and feel left out. Understand this is their way of life and you cannot change that.

Understand their is no “right” way to transition, it’s different for everyone. Everybody has a different transition story, so do not make one feel bad if they are a little different from someone else. The transition is already hard for them as it is.

Be patient with someone who is still unsure about their own gender identity. The last thing anyone wants is the be rushed and pushed into something they do not completly believe in, so give them some time to explore their options.

If you are unsure of what pronoun to use, listen first. You do not want to offend your peer, so listen during the conversation and see what pronoun the person prefers before assuming one. It is best not to judge someone for their personal preference on what gender pronoun they prefer.

You can't tell if someone is transgender just by their looks. Transgender people don’t look different from a “normal” boy or girl, so don’t assume what gender a person is by their appearance. Take into consideration their feelings and try to put yourself in their shoes, it is already hard for them as is.

HOW TO BECOME A TRANS-ALLY

ENTERTAINMENT

BRIEFS

Movies to watch out for

Get Out

If meeting a significant other’s family for the first time isn’t scary enough, for a young man named Chris his invitation for a weekend away with the family has a surprisingly odd, somewhat sinister twist to it. In the thrilling horror movie planned to hit theaters on February 24, the predominantly Caucasian neighborhood he’s taken to has a dark past, he soon finds out why no person of color has ever been there before.

Logan

There’s kindness in those Wolverine claws in the newest edition to the popular superhero franchise. In the upcoming film Logan, set to hit theaters on March 3, The Wolverine and his heroic legacy are uprooted out of hiding when a young mutant sets out to cause problems after being pursued by dark forces. The action packed adventure will leave you wanting more.

Ohh la la for GaGa

A&E

Sent out on a trip to bring back the CEO of his company, a young and successful executive is sent to a mysterious wellness center located in the frigid Swiss Alps. Not long after he arrives suspicions begin to flood his head on wether or not these treatments are treating anything at all. In the mysterious Sci-Fi thriller, set to hit theaters on February 17, forget about your worries, stress and not to mention sanity.

February Playlist:

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.

Gaga’s recent performance on the Super Bowl LI halftime show was just as controversial as you would have thought. This time however, it wasn’t for her extravagant outfits or her over the top choreography, Gaga stunned viewers with her very political driven song choices. Of course no Gaga show is complete without a few tricks from her bedazzled sleeve, she entered the show suspended in the air by ropes as fireworks shot across the sky, but the real show stopper was her amazing voice that filled the stadium and living rooms across the nation. All in all, Gaga did not disappoint.

A Cure For Wellness

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FEBRUARY 15, 2017

ALLY’S ANATOMY ...OF CHOCOLATE

Cutting to the core benefits behind one of America’s favorite treats. Patient: Dark Chocolate. Prognosis: Shocking health benefits behind the beloved bar. Dark chocolate is very nutritious:

Who knew chocolate could be good for you? According to nutritionists some brands of quality dark chocolate have a decent amount of soluble fiber and can be loaded with minerals. A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 75-80% cocoa contains Potassium, Magnesium, and Iron all of which can contribute to a healthy body. Dark chocolate is packed with fatty acids and can act as a stimulant like caffeine, but wont keep you up all night if you eat the sweet treat for your midnight snack.

A source of antioxidants:

Dark chocolate has been known for being filled with organic compounds that can biologically function as antioxidants. These active ingredients include polyphenols, flavanols and catechins. This is great news for chocoholics everywhere, experiments have revealed that the antioxidant activity in chocolate is higher than most fruits including blueberries and acai berries. Confirming that raw unprocessed chocolate contains among the highest active antioxidant count in all foods.

BY ALLY PIERCHALA Social Media Editor allisonpierchala17@waterforddrift.com

Improve blood flow & lower blood pressure:

Some of the flavor enhancing antioxidants in dark chocolate stimulate the lining of the arteries, producing nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a form of gas that your body creates, to send signals to relax arteries and calm blood flow to reduce blood pressure. Cocoa has been studied to improve blood flow as well, but the effects are usually pretty mild. But just because chocolate has these abilities doesn’t mean you can consume large amounts without

Can protect skin against the sun:

Protects against forms of heart disease:

With spring break sneaking its way up, consuming safe amounts of dark chocolate prior to a sunny vacation can help to darken your skins “sun-kissed” glow. The flavonals in cocoa improve blood flow to the skin, hydrating an illuminating, with one mouth watering bite.

Dark chocolate has compounds that help to protect the body against oxidation and in turn can lower the amount of cholesterol that gets clogged in some of our most important arteries, like the heart. Studies have shown the crazy health benefits a bar of chocolate can have on our bodies, it’s proven that a piece a day for a whole week drops our risk of heart disease by 57%.

Jump-starts your weight loss plan:

Dark chocolate can help you lose those extra pounds you’ve been trying to shake for some time now. Did you have to do a double take there? Oddly enough it’s the truth, dark chocolate contains several of the healthy fats your body needs to function. Mixing in healthy amounts of dark chocolate to your preexisting diet can help boost your body’s digestive patterns and prevent from overeating.

Improve brain function:

No chocolate was harmed in the making of this page...

Thanks to stimulants and antioxidants like flavonal, it has been discovered that dark chocolate can improve brain function and increased activity. The sky’s the limit when it comes to improving cognition, the sweet treat was used as a cure to improve verbal fluency and reduce risk factors for disease in mentally impaired elders.

facts courtesy of authoritynutrition.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

THE MURMUR

A&E

What’s h

PPening?

Applications from the “App Store” and “Play Store”that are currently popular among students BY CALVIN HABBA & TREVOR JENKINSON Editor-In-Chief & Staff Writer calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com trevorjenkinson@waterforddrift.com

Dash Quest

Dash Quest is a fun little game in which you play as a little warrior named Dash, setting out to save the world from the Lich! As you go through the game you unlock new abilities, items, and level up your character. Offering a story mode, endless, and daily dungeons, Dash Quest is an addicting game that will keep you hooked for hours at a time.

Polytopia Polytopia is a turn based strategy game that currently offers two modes, perfection and domination. You play as an empire of your choice, and the goal depends on the mode. In perfection, you’re required to get as many points as possible in 30 turns, all while competing against other empires. Domination does not have a turn limit, and your goal is to take over the entire map by destroying all opponents!

Tiny Rails Tiny Rails is a train game in which you go through the game as a conductor of a train, traveling the country unlocking new cars, finding Easter eggs, and enjoying the scenery in this quaint little game. You manage money, weight, passenger happiness, and even have the option of trading goods in different cities to gain even more profit.

iFunny In need of a laugh? iFunny is the app for you! Providing a constant stream of funny vines, memes, videos, and gifs, iFunny is the best of the best with over 10 million downloads on google play! The app itself offers several options for your amusement. The first is featured. Offering the cream of the crop, the featured section provides some prime entertainment every few hours. Next is the collective section. Pictures of Koalas? Political Posts? That homeless guy you saw on the highway the other week? No one knows what you’ll find

Bitmoji

For those who don’t know, Bitmoji is an app that allows the user to make and use custom emojis, featuring you! Offering a full suite of premade emojies, you can create yourself in the app and share it using text, facebook, or Snapchat. Don’t be afraid to show your true colors.

A&E

in collective, but it’s guaranteed to never run out, ever. Find an account that amuses you more than most? Feel free to hit that subscribe button! Then all that is left is look through your subscribed section and scroll through posts made by all your favorites! If you’re feeling really ambitious, make your own content! Who knows, maybe one day you’ll get your own subscribers, and even get featured!

All apps and further details can be found in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store as of January 2, 2017

The Rock Clock Tired of your boring old alarm clock? Want to wake up with a bang? Then The Rock Clock is for you! Featuring a number of alarms voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, if this app filled with fun times doesn’t wake you up in the morning, nothing will.

Pi Fight

Pi Fight is the perfect game for long car rides, sibling rivalries, or friendly competitions between friends. With simple one touch controls, Pi Fight is a simple, fun game. This game also has connections to the leaderboards so you can compare you scores with friends.

WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM

Pop The Lock

Pop The Lock is a fun timing game in which you have to tap the screen in order to hit a node to add to your score. Eventually you can unlock new locks from the store by using money earned by playing the game. Caution, this game is highly addictive.

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Meme eat meme w rld Kermit the Frog takes over the meme world BY ALEXANDER DORCEY Design Manager alexanderdorcey@waterforddrift.com

here’s a meme for every occasion, but one has resonated for years now. The green puppet came alive in 1955, but why is he still so popular in today's culture? Memes have to be relatable to one and their everyday life to be effective. If people can't make sense of a meme then they can't relate. Most memes stick around because they can latch on a topic and run with it. Once the topic is irrelevant, so is the meme. For a meme to be timeless is rare. So how has Kermit the Frog stayed relevant throughout these past few years? Being a childhood icon is the key to the frogs success. Kermit the Frog is originally a star of the “Muppet Show and many muppet movies. The Frogs popularity has really sprouted in 2014 on social media. Starting with the “but that's none of my business” tea sipping Kermit, which has became an icon. In 2015 This meme showed how it is the piece of the puzzle for some humor in every situation. Even celebrities e m b r a c e d the Kermit movement. Like Lebron sporting a “that’s none of my business” hat after coming home to Cleveland a champ (after the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead).

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

In 2016 the Kermit hype had died down but then the “Evil Kermit” or “dirty conscious” Kermit had surfaced from the movie Muppets most Wanted where he is made parody of Star Wars by facing a look alike in a black cloak. The meme represents our internal battles we have that may or may not always be appropriate. These memes flooded Twitter, Instagram and the rest of social media like a tsunami. Kermit has set a trend for many childhood icon memes to follow like Willy Wonka and Arthur which have been very popular in the past years. The memories people have from their childhood and the love they have for these characters people feel comfortable using them to poke fun of topics. Most of these memes are widely known or have no context which enable them to live long lives in the social media realm.

February’s Greatest Memes

Salt Bae Beauty meets butchery This man makes chopping up any type of meat a work of art which is elegance at its finest.

Cash me outside Daytime television gold Daytime television is a dark place many people cant experience and this is an example of just that. Young white woman that grew up “in the streets” tries to fight her mom and Dr. Phil. Priceless

THE MURMUR

A&E

the

Cutting

cable

Households are getting rid of the common cable and satellite companies to replace them BY HANNAH NEAL Design Editor hannahneal17@waterforddrift.com

Xfinity

DIRECTV Allows for better cables and technology than cable TV

Includes internet connected apps such as weather, time and traffic

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recieve local channels

Service can be interrupted by storms

h Networ s i k D

Costs a greater amount without internet

Allows subscribers to choose which channels they want to purchase

$138.90/month

$50.00/month

Expensive cancellation fee

&T Uverse T A

Includes DVR and On-Demand

Guaranteed that their prices will never change

$15 DVR fees each month

$125.00/month

$94.99/month

Large variety of channels to choose from

Least affordable cable rates

Two- year price guarantee

$20 Termination fee

g n i g el n a Ch hann c e h t

Michigan

highest cord-cutting * state

le ca b

97%

sed rea inc as

ve ra

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Th ea

*Cord-cutting is when a cable or satellite customer gets rid of their cable or satellite services

AT&T U-verse

over the past 14 years

A&E

Customizable bundles

is the

DIRECT V

Slow download speeds

120

150

*Facts courtesy of businessinsider.com, nocable. org, and forbes.com

Average monthly cost (dollars)

WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Ways

watch

with online apps along with other streaming devices for better costs and overall value

Streaming apps $ 9.00/Month

Netflix TV Shows: 1,197 Movies: 4,335 Devices: Tablets, smart phones, lap tops, Xbox, playstation

*Prices may vary

$7.99/Month

- Offers Netflix Original series; Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, Daredevil, etc. - Considered to have the largest streaming content available on a streaming app

Hulu Plus TV Shows: 1,113 Movies: 882 Devices: Tablets, smart phones, lap tops, Xbox, playstation

- Tv shows are typically available on Hulu within a day of their original air dates - A free membership has ads that interrupt the streaming of shows and act as commercials

$10.99/Month

Amazon Prime TV Shows: 450 Movies: 6,662 Devices: Tablets, smart phones, lap tops, Xbox, playstation

- A membership buys you free two-day Amazon shipping and other Amazon Prime exclusive benefits

Streaming devices $ 39.99 amazon

$ 149.00

Amazon Fire TV Stick

$ 50.00

Roku

Offers Alexa voice remote

Apple TV

$ 35.00

Optional gaming device that connects to wireless controllers

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

THE MURMUR

Roku Stick Considered the best streaming value in terms of price and features

Google Chromecast Never lose the remote again because any smart phone is the controller

A&E

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