Black & Gold Quarterly (BGQ) November 2020

BGQ BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY november 2020 / / volume one hundred

B L A C K & G O L D Q U A R T E L Y : NOVEMBER TWO-THOUSAND TWENTY EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Josephine Baldyga Maria Linck CONTENT EDITORS Mallory Swope Ted Arnold BUSINESS Niklas Fagerman PHOTOGRAPHY Josephine Baldyga Drew Johnsen Evelyn Linck Maria Linck Elizabeth Phillips

GRAPHICS Sterling Goodwin

STAFF WRITERS Collin Benedict Leland Brown Samuel Elkins Samuel Galoci-Sandin Sterling Goodwin Ethan Gremel Drew Johnsen Alejandro Lepczyk Evelyn Linck Averie McGraw Elizabeth Phillips Aiden Preston Trinity Whiteford CONTRIBUTORS Jazryel Freeland COVER Maria Linck ADVISER Susan Roskelley

MISSION STATEMENT

Editors’ Note 2020 has brought about changes that many of us were not prepared for. From a four month long quarantine, to virtual school, to getting used to wearing masks everywhere we go, our generation has been forced to adapt to a rapidly changing world. In the moment, adapting is not an easy task, but our generation will become more resilient because of it.

Even high school journalism has not been spared of the changes and unknowns stemming from the pandemic. The momentus 100th year of the Black and Gold Quarterly began with staff members writing down the most overused words of the year — which included mostly COVID-19 related terms — and promising to come up with something new and unique for the first issue. These efforts were in vain. In the end, most of this magazine can be circled back to COVID and the effects it has had on society.

COVID has shattered the world and left many of us thinking when will things return to normal? Amidst the pandemic, society has continued to strengthen and fight a long-standing fight for social changes. Many that have risen to the surface as a result of the pandemic. The Black Lives Matter Movement, the state of the environment, and a polarizing election are three social issues that we shed light on throughout this issue.

Bringing things a little closer to home, we focus in on how local small businesses have dealt with problems posed by the pandemic, the effects of Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival closing this year, how local immigrant workers have been affected by the pandemic, and how Central students feel about adapting to online school. We also added in a lighter side of the pandemic: mask stereotypes. To learn what the mask you wear every day says about you, flip to pages 6-8.

Amongst the change and struggle, fall is still here and we need to celebrate the short time we have left before a Michigan winter sets in. In our seasonal feature, we highlight some ideal ways to spend a fall day.

COVID stinks. All of the editors were quarantined. Enjoy this abnormal issue.

From the Pub,

Josephine Baldyga & Maria Linck

The Black and Gold Quarterly (BGQ) is Traverse City Central High School’s student-run magazine. Since its conception in 1886, our publication has evolved with the times, frequently changing in style, format, and even name. However, one factor has remained constant—our staff’s desire to capture the story of our community, to challenge the accepted, and to open our minds to perspectives that we hadn’t previously considered through investigation, research, and inquiry. We are constantly striving to improve our content and artistic elements; after all, the BGQ is a school publication, so educating both ourselves as well as our readers remains one of our primary goals.

2 // BGQ // November 2020

CONTENT 100 Years of the BGQ

4

Mask Stereotypes

6 8

Voting by Mail Gallery Identity in Traverse City Opinion Column Press Shuffle Small Businesses, Big Problems Migrant Workers 50 Questions Planet COVID Quarterly Showcase Social Media’s Social Impact Fall Feature Central Speaks A Summer to Remember Future Four in Politics Recipes

10 12 14

Graphics: S. Goodwin

16 19 22 25 28 31 32 34 36 38 41 42

Send information, advertising, and other inquiries to: Black & Gold Quarterly Central High School 1150 Milliken Drive Traverse City, MI 49686 Phone: (231) 933-6533 Email: roskellesu@tcaps.net

100 Years of the BGQ

by AVERIE MCGRAW staff writer

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Black and Gold publication, we decided to dive into the original newspapers and interview people involved in it over the years Looking back at the 1925 and 1940 Black and Gold newspapers gave me a very nostalgic feeling. I was curious if there were any big changes in the focus of the paper and discovered that we definitely have a lot more editing and technology today. There wasn’t half of what we have now, like iPhones, computers and big projectors. In the first issue of the “High School Review,” the main focus was on how students would get scholarships and how they would get to college, whereas today, some seniors don’t really think about college until the last minute. I also looked at an issue from October 1999, which covered teacher strikes and school violence, TV shows and gaming systems, sports music, and the 90’s style. This fashion era is back today as a “new style” to teenagers, which made me think about how I was raised. My mom was born in 1977, so she had a very retro lifestyle because of the way people dressed and the music they listened to compared to now. In the 2015 issue, writers focus more on the school being drug free, as well as the school’s “Out With The Old, In With the New” construction of F building.

I spoke to English teacher Missi Yeomans, former Black and Gold newspaper adviser, about how Central has changed. “I taught [Newspaper] for 12 wonderful years,” Yeomans reflected. Since her time serving as staff adviser, Yeomans has noticed “the archives also reveal that student reporters had courage. Then as now, they asked tough questions and handled their role responsibly,” Yeomans added, “sure, there is fluff: who makes the best caffe macchiato, but there is substance too. Reporters tackled tough topics: sex, drugs and rock and roll, mental health, death. . . with the intent of informing, entertaining, and helping their fellow students.” In years past, she tried to switch to a magazine format with her students, but there wasn’t enough space, so she switched back to the newspaper format. “They went from broadsheet (the largest newspaper format, usually characterized by long vertical pages) to magazine for about one and a half years in 2008 to try it out, but didn’t like it because it is about a third less surface area space for spreads.” Eventually, Jim Filkins, retired publications teacher, switched the newspaper to the BGQ magazine in 2015 to modernize it.

There’s been talks on how CHS wants to go to digital but is still printed today.

“The mode has changed. I am happy the paper is printed, for then it is read and enjoyed and challenged as a momento.” Historically, radio and TV were more for bullet points; the paper was for in-depth analysis. Today, the national media is largely a disappointment due to editorial cuts, but the BGQ has been through many versions and is still going strong today. // 4 // BGQ // November 2020

Graphic: J. Baldyga

Mask Stereotypes Graphic: S. Goodwin

by AIDEN PRESTON & ETHAN GREMEL staff writers

What does your mask say about you?

Gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, schools, and more. All of these public places have had to mandate mask wearing in their facilities due to the coronavirus. The virus is one of the most covered things in mainstream media, and has completely taken over everything. Every conversation seems to bring up one of the viruses’ many annoyances, whether it’s the three month long quarantine, how COVID-19 has affected every kind of business, or about the newest trend in fashion: the mask. At this point, living under a rock is the only way to have avoided wearing a mask at some point in the past few months. There’s a wide assortment of different types and styles of masks, and not surprisingly, the type of mask a person wears can say a lot about them.

The basic paper surgical mask is by far the most common variety. Paper mask users don’t care about accessorizing with their mask. These masks aren’t very high quality, comfortable, or long-lasting, and can only be worn once or twice before heading to the trash. These are the most pocket-friendly, a large reason why they are so common. In March, when the whole pandemic started getting serious in the US, masks were incredibly hard to find. Central students 6 // BGQ // November 2020

often have to pick up paper masks on their way in the building if they forget them. People who wear this mask generally don’t care about matching their outfits with a mask, don’t go out much, or just feel that using a new one is better and easier than having to wash and reuse.

The second most popular type of mask is the cloth mask. The cloth mask is recommended to be washed after daily use. This type of mask isn’t anything special; it is just there to get someone through their day. The cloth masks have one very big factor that sets them apart from paper masks: they are reusable. Instead of dumping money into paper masks, two or three of these can be cycled throughout a week as long as they are washed. Cloth masks aren’t all sunshine and rainbows though; they are constantly rubbing against the user’s face, and because of their material they can be very irritating. Despite the inconveniences, the cloth mask is so convenient to own that many people can look past the discomfort.

Those who use cloth masks are just trying to go back to normal and making the most out of their situation.

They don’t like masks, but they understand why they have to wear them.

Some have taken it upon themselves to make a

unique, custom mask themselves. At the beginning of quarantine, supplies and masks as a whole were scarce. Homemade masks illustrate a lot about a person and what that person is into. Custom made masks are either super creative and stylish masks, or don’t work or turn out very well. Homemade masks have the most potential to look good because the creator gets to decide exactly how the mask looks.

Stereotypically, homemade mask wearers are very crafty or had their masks gifted to them by a crafty friend or relative.

The KN95 mask is the most user-friendly mask.

They are designed to stick to the outside of faces to provide maximum comfort and avoid face touching. These masks aren’t very common despite being designed to comfort the user. KN95 masks are also relatively soft and good for easily irritated skin. The KN95 mask is based off of the N95 mask, but is targeted more towards day to day life compared to the N95. This type of mask is for people who are looking for a perfect medium between the cloth and paper.

These people just want to be comfortable, cheap, and social at the same time.

Another typical type of mask are branded masks.

These are common almost everywhere.“I thought it

would be more hygienic to have a new [mask] every day of the week, and they also look pretty cool,” noted Central student Syrys Smith ‘24. Every day of in-person school, Smith has entered the building wearing one of his branded masks. In many cases, people can purchase masks from their favorite movie franchise, video game series, sports team, or anything that interests them. Some even buy branded masks just because they look better than the boring, solid-color masks. People who use branded masks see the whole mask situation as a way to be funny or uniquely express themselves, but they also feel that the mask situation is here to stay for a while.

For Smith, this was an opportunity to express himself with special masks. “My mom showed me them on a website and I said ‘those look sick.’” Smith is collecting Spongebob Squarepants masks, with his goal being to collect at least one mask for every character.

It does not matter if you have the most basic of masks or an intricate branded mask, you cannot escape stereotyping. The masks are to protect you and others, but it is also a way to express yourself.

Whether it’s about the price, style, or look of the mask, everyone’s mask says a little bit about them. //

An Election Like No Other

by TED ARNOLD content editor

Voting by mail stirs up an unprecedented turn of events

Graphics: S. Goodwin

8 // BGQ // November 2020

Every year on a Tuesday in early November, tens of millions of Americans arrive at polling places around the country to cast their ballots. In the weeks leading up to that date, those unable to vote in person sign and seal ballots destined for the county clerk’s office, where they await verification and counting. In most elections, tens of millions of Americans utilize this process, but this year’s election was far from typical.

In 2016, over a quarter of votes in Michigan were cast before election day, either by mail, or by voting early at designated precincts. In 2020, 41 percent of registered voters requested mail in ballots, more than double the rate of 2016, according to The New York Times, and over 85 percent of those ballots were cast. Nationally, about 101 million votes were cast before election day this year. Those votes are equal to roughly 73 percent of the total 2016 turnout.

Here in Traverse City, all ballots arrive at the office of the City Clerk, Benjamin Marentette. Marentette served on the Michigan Election Modernization Advisory Committee, a group working with the Secretary of State to improve access to voting.

Marentette has been at the forefront of the expansion of voting by mail, instructing his office to “send an invitation to every registered voter in Traverse City, inviting them to vote absentee and [giving] them a link to the application to try to make it easy.” This push for absentee voting expansion has seen Marentette publishing opeds, posting informational videos, and participating in interviews with local media, all in an effort to get out the vote. Marentette says the county issued 250 percent more absentee ballots in this cycle as compared to 2016, as the country sets record turnout.

Voter turnout efforts were front and center in this election. Social media efforts bombarded voters, providing resources enabling voter registration, absentee ballot requests, and helping prospective voters make a plan to vote. Snapchat alone registered 1 million voters this year, and Facebook registered an additional 4.4 million. These social media giants are part of a wider movement to encourage participation by young voters in elections. Led by campaigns like vote.org, the internet is becoming a tool to increase voter turnout.

Despite concerns about the security of absentee voting, Marentette is emphasizing the safety of voting by mail, reassuring those who voted by mail, “[absentee voting is] a method that is proven to be safe and secure, and has never been proven otherwise,” he continued, highlighting that, “there’s really no instances of widespread voter fraud. What there is a lot of is widespread instances of people trying to keep folks from feeling comfortable voting.” The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy think tank, concluded that voter fraud is extremely rare, despite tens of millions of Americans voting by mail every election.

Just 8 hours after polls closed on election night, President Donald Trump began his much anticipated strategy of sowing misinformation by falsely declaring victory while millions of votes had yet to be counted, and no candidate had secured the required 270 electoral votes. Trump continued by urging states to stop counting outstanding ballots. Social media sites rapidly became overcome by conspiracy theories and false claims ranging from illegally cast mail in ballots (no ballots have yet been pronounced fraudulent) to more people casting votes than were registered to vote in Wisconsin (quickly proven false by state election officials). This was largely anticipated, and social media platforms and news outlets quickly reacted by limiting the spread of, and quickly fact checking, false claims.

This election’s chaotic and unconventional processes closely reflect the stance of the nation as a whole. The Coronavirus pandemic and ideological clashes have shaped the last year in remarkable ways, fundamentally changing the way we vote in the process. This rise in voting by mail will undoubtedly lead many to continue voting this way, bolstered by a large-scale proof of its security and convenience, even long after the pandemic passes. //

The Gallery 10 // BGQ // November 2020

a student showcase

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ISAIAH GAVALDON, AUDREY GOLLAN, AUDREY GOLLAN, GANNON DANIELS, PARKER ZWART, LILLY KUBERSKI

Civics and English teacher,

Kathryn Phillips, is new at Central

High School this year, but she has been teaching for 15 years. Phillips spent the early years of her life in Chicago, but right before high school, her parents split and she headed up to Traverse City. “Once I got to St. Francis High School, I was very outgoing. I talked a lot and made a ton of friends,” remembers Phillips. “In fact, I’m still friends with them now.”

After college, she started working as an account executive in Dallas, Texas. “I had clients and I would write articles for them, try to get them positive media, and get radio stations and news stations to say good things about them,” she explained. “When I worked in public relations, there was a ton of traveling, so when I got married and had kids it was too much. I still stayed with the company, but just did the writing from home.”

A few years passed and once her kids entered school, Phillips started volunteering at their school for fun. “After doing the writing from home and volunteering for a while, I realized I wanted to do more. I went back to school to be a teacher, graduated, and the rest is history.”

Just this year, Phillips started working at Central High School. “Mr. Perkins [East Middle School principal] called me just a couple of days before school started and told me I was going to be working at CHS. I cried after the phone call because I loved my job at East. The staff, kids and the community was all familiar to me. Nothing at Central was.” The start of the school year was not easy for Phillips. “For the first two weeks when we were online, I was very lonely. No one came in to talk to me because they didn’t know who I was,” she said.

Phillips has come a long way in little time. She has learned two new curriculums in just days and has met tons of new staff and students. “Now that all the kids are back I’m happy and getting to know people.” Though she loves meeting new students, she has also loved seeing her former students in the hallways, especially the ones she didn’t get to say goodbye to in the spring. //

12 // BGQ // November 2020

Ben Brewer ‘24 can’t remember a time when he wasn’t playing tennis. “I’ve been playing since kindergarten or first grade,” he recalled.

The transition from Woodland to CHS has been easier because of his involvement on Central’s tennis team. “I have friends from tennis that I knew from a couple years ago,” he explained. With so much happening at the beginning of this school year, it was good for Brewer to have tennis there. “I can’t say [the transition] has been perfect but it hasn’t been terrible,” he expressed.

Brewer enjoyed the experience he got from finally trying competitive tennis. “The tennis season finished a few weeks ago and I was glad and also a bit sad. Coming from a school where the only sport is cross country it was fun to try a sport that I had been playing for a long time, but never played competitively.”

Brewer does not only focus on tennis, but he also takes part in other activities. “I like swimming and recently we got a ping pong table so I’ve been playing on that a lot,” he described. “I go on hikes with my family a lot too.” A perfect day for Brewer would be to “do nothing, just hang out at my house with family.” After having a busy tennis season Brewer is ready for a break. //

Assistant principal Ben Berger is a true Trojan. “I grew up in Traverse City and went [to Central High School]. I loved it...I was pretty involved and I had a really good experience. I was in student senate and just really enjoyed the interactions I had here.” Since Berger was a student, not much has changed. “Where the new weight room and gym are there was nothing, so the big gym was just its own island.” Imagine having to walk outside in 30 degree weather everyday just to get to gym class, crazy right? “9th graders are also a new addition, but besides that everything is still the same.”

“My experience here is what made me want to have an impact on young people’s lives and get into teaching,” reminisced Berger. However, he did not follow through in becoming a teacher, as he had originally planned.

Berger started out at Central High School as a teacher, but eventually decided to pursue being a principal. “I really enjoyed being a teacher, but I was frustrated with some of the things going on outside of the classroom,” Berger explained. “Becoming a principal was a way to widen my sphere and reach more kids and impact the culture of Central.” With Berger’s persistence to improve CHS for the better, he has grown to love the Central community.

Berger’s favorite thing about Central is the backstory.“I feel like Central has a deep tradition. Traverse City is such a great town and Central has always been the flagship high school. This building has been here since 1959 and before that, Central was founded in 1855. I love the history, and the tradition, and the fact that once you’re a Trojan, you’re always a Trojan,” he remarked.

If you were to ask about Berger’s normal day, there wouldn’t be one answer. “I love being a principal because there is no typical day. For my typical morning, I get in a little early to do some email work and set up for the day, but once kids get in the building you never know what way the day is going to go. It’s unpredictable.”

For Berger, the students are his main priority, and one of the most difficult objectives is making everyone feel comfortable. “The outside perception is that we are too big of a school. I think some people get scared away from this.” Berger wishes that students could get an inside look of the school and see that the size of the building is truly deceiving, but once you settle in it seems much smaller.

In five to ten years, Berger still wants to be at Central because ultimately, he is here to make an impact on the community and tradition of the school. //

identityin

traverse city Photos: E. Linck

by EVELYN LINCK staff writer

In our spin-off of Humans of New York, the Black & Gold Quarterly went into the Central High School community in search of uniquity. Our mission was to find inspiring stories and share them to encourage self-expression. Through a variety of randomly selected people, we were about to find one commonality: passion.

Stories like theirs are what makes us believe in the power that comes from expression through journalism. People are art. We feel combining their words with a visual story, a unique and inspiring message is created. Members of our community have conveyed their identities and inspired us through their words and sense of passion. To us, this is the truest kind of journalism— finding moving stories and sharing them.

Sam and Sterling Last March, the COVID-19 pandemic racked the nation. No one knew what was going to happen or how. For the entire summer everyone had one question: how are we going to go back to school? And are we? When it was announced that we would start the school year online, everyone was confused on what to do, seeing as most people didn’t take online schooling previously, if at all. There are two sides to this argument, and that argument being In person school vs Online School. We are going to break it down and give our opinions. Ready? FIGHT!

Sam Says: This is a highly debated and discussed topic with face to face schooling being better than online.

When we were in remote learning, so many things went wrong; between internet outages, distractions and no socializing, people were going crazy! The BGQ polled the student body and asked “would you rather do in person or online schooling?” and over 71% of people who responded voted for in person.

Having a school system you can easily work with is important. It helps someone learn better than having something you can’t work properly in.

Face to face vs. online isn’t just a popularity contest. It’s also something that helps students regularly. In person helps students be social, for one. I researched how being more social helps students and my findings were promising. The PBS article “The Science of Smart: How your Social Life in High School affects you today,” talks about how high schoolers being social can have long term impacts. In one instance, the article states, ”groups can still function well socially—if they find a comfortable niche among their classmates.” In other words, kids in groups like geeks, jocks, emo and different types of cliques feel comfortable and can help them be more social with other things too. This proves in person schooling is better because online isn’t being social at all. You aren’t talking to your friends, you’re not getting any interaction with anyone but a screen. We need social skills but we just aren’t getting any.

If we have the proper precautions in place, why isn’t in person better? It’s safe with the strictness of mask wearing, sanitizing before and after riding the bus, and signing out to go to the bathroom to track you. With everything we are doing to protect ourselves from COVID-19, we should start getting back 14 // BGQ // November 2020

to normal, and going back to online won’t provide that. Everyone can remember before coronavirus and how school was before it. This is the new norm; with the proper precautions we are putting in place, we need to start transitioning back to what we all knew as school normally. And who doesn’t want that?

The only problem is we can’t control the virus.

This may give a point to the opposition, but with the things we can do to combat it, we will end up victorious. As long as we can still be safe, this throws a

“I get the help that I need when we have in person school. I also have the motivation to get my work done.”

-Mackenzie Bergemann ‘22

“I get to see all of my friends and get a more in-depth learning experience.”

-Ralphie Ford ‘22 point to in-person learning as well. With the recent outbreak at Central, we have some more safety issues. We need to make sure to take the maximum safety precautions so we don’t have another. Some things are just a given in this day and age: don’t cough on someone, make sure to social distance, try not to be next to someone at all times, and be sure to spread out. We are already semi-trained on what to do for COVID-19 and have many precautions in place. //

Squabble Over School

by SAMUEL ELKINS & STERLING GOODWIN staff writers

Sterling Says:

The issue of online versus in person schooling has been a highly debated subject among staff and students alike. Even as we return to in person, we are plagued by the looming threat of another shutdown. Needless to say, it’s a polarizing issue with consequences that affect everyone. Whether you have been restlessly awaiting the return to in-person or perfectly content on a Google Meet, the unstable nature of learning through COVID-19 persists. In an effort to mitigate the risks of live instruction, several guidelines have been put in place. We are all aware of the one-way floor markings and the constant cleaning of desks. These all seem like great strides, but how effective are they really?

When it comes to school, the health of students and teachers should come first. We still have many things to learn about the virus, and the return to in person puts the well-being of many people at risk. Following state regulations regarding safety with over a thousand students is a logistical nightmare that has yet to be solved. Most classes are too large to allow students to remain a distance of six feet, and it is nearly impossible to not be in direct contact with another student in the hallways. Remote learning is new and awkward, but the safety of our peers and teachers outweighs the cost of online.

We do know that the spread of the virus happens through aerosols and moisture. This means that masks and six feet distancing are the best ways to fight the spread. While the directional arrows are a step in the right direction, the narrow hallways of the school make proper distancing a real challenge. Adding on several students’ disregard for the given paths through the school, and the effectiveness of the arrows seems quite low. Another issue arises when it comes to the paths. Due to many hallways only being one-way lanes, you may have to take much longer routes to reach a class that would otherwise be quite close. Nothing is more frustrating than having to

walk all the way around the auditorium to reach a class barely into F-Wing. At least Central is making an effort to optimize the halls. Kegan Fernow ‘22 observed, “The one-way pathing lines were a bit off the first week but I do like the changes done in F-Wing.”

But can these small changes save Central?

The shortcomings of Central’s precautions have not gone unnoticed. Fernow notes that while “you can almost find [hand sanitizer] around every corner,” other regulations are ineffective or not followed. All it takes is one person to ignore this protocol and increase risk of spreading the virus. Especially with the presence of asymptomatic infections, you can’t approach the issue like you do not have the virus.

COVID-19 requires a proactive approach in order to slow the spread. Most upsetting is the efforts of those wishing to adhere to the policies being negated by the minority of people putting themselves before others’ health.

The benefits of in person school cannot be ignored— I would much rather be in a classroom than stuck in front of a webcam—but it is more important that Central’s staff, students, and their families are healthy. In order to stay in the building, we need to take responsibility for our health. //

“[Online school] is less stressful. It’s hard to focus on school and work when I’m constantly worried about Corona.”

-Maci Wilcox ‘23

“It really depends. In normal circumstances, I would say in-person, but I have a pretty bad feeling that covid will return.”

-Henry Huschke ‘21

On January 17th, over two years since her last project was released, Halsey’s Manic came out. The album did well, and was generally liked by critics. The most popular song of the album was “Without Me,” which peaked on number one on Billboard. The album had a autobiographical theme, with lyrics like “Still learning,” “I should be living the dream/But I go home and I got no self-esteem.” The record sold 239,000 copies in the first week, landing on #2 Billboard. Featured artists include Dominic Fike, Alanis Morissette, and Suga of BTS.

The only reason Manic wasn’t sitting at the number one spot was because Eminem’s 11th album Music To Be Murdered By was released the same day, January 17th. The album sold a solid 275,000 copies during its first week to secure the number one spot on Billboard. This may seem impressive, but this album isn’t one of his bestselling records. Within the 20 song tracklist there are some features, and the most notable are Ed Sheeran and the late Juice WRLD. The most popular song from Music To Be Murdered By was “Godzilla” featuring Juice WRLD, which peaked at #5 on Billboard.

Justin Bieber is well known at this point in his career, and his fifth album Changes is a crossroad album for Bieber. Changes came five years after his last project, Purpose, in 2015. The album was released on Valentine’s Day, and the entire album seems to be dedicated to his wife. It wasn’t critically acclaimed, with Rolling Stone reviewing it as, “None of these songs are bad, exactly, but they’re almost universally forgettable.” The record has a sizable amount of features, including Ed Sheeran, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Summer Walker, and Kehlani. The most popular track was “Intentions” featuring Quavo, which peaked at #5 on Billboard.

The album sold 231,000 copies during its first week, making its debut at number one on Billboard.

Finally, was the word fans said as Lil Uzi Vert’s long awaited album Eternal Atake came out on March 6th. It had been two and a half years since his last album came out titled Luv is Rage 2, and since then he’s left fans eagerly waiting for Eternal Atake. Jesse Ballmer, a freshman here at Central, is a big Lil Uzi Vert fan. “I really liked Eternal Atake, especially in the middle.” Ballmer says. When asked if the album was worth the two and a half year wait, he responded. “I really enjoyed it when it came out. Luv is Rage 2 is good too, but Eternal Atake was definitely his best album.” Urgency with Syd was the album’s sole feature. “ It should’ve had at least a few features,” Jesse said. There were a lot of memorable tracks on this record, but Jesse’s favorites from the album were “Chrome Heart Tags” and “Celebration Station.” No album is perfect, and for Jesse, there weren’t consistently good songs on the record. “I didn’t really see any flaws, but I didn’t like some of the beginning songs.”

16 // BGQ // November 2020

During mid-July, there were two posthumous albums sitting on the top two Billboard spots, and one of them, Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon was released on July 3rd. The late Pop Smoke’s career was just getting started when he was shot and killed in a home invasion on February 19th. His unfinished album was completed by his management team, and in my opinion it solidifies his legacy. The record sold 251,000 copies first week, landing on #2 on Billboard. There were more songs with features than without on this album, and they include Quavo, Lil Baby, Dababy, Swae Lee, Future, Rowdy Rebel, 50 Cent, Roddy Ricch, Tyga, KAROL G, Lil Tjay, and King Combs. The most popular song from the album was “For the Night,” which peaked at #6 on Billboard.

The other posthumous album that came out in July was Juice Wrld’s Legends Never Die, on July 10th. Juice Wrld’s career was in its early stages when he tragically died of a seizure on December 8th. The posthumous record sold 497,000 copies first week, making it the biggest rap debut of the year. The songs on the record were only songs that Juice wanted to release before he died, and features include Mashmello, Halsey, Polo G, and Trippie Redd. The album debuted at number one on Billboard, and stayed there for a few weeks. The most popular songs from the record were “Come and Go” with Marshmellow, and “Wishing Well.”

No one was expecting a Taylor Swift album when Folklore was unexpectedly released on July 24th. The album came 11 months after the release of her latest project Lover, and Taylor gave no hint whatsoever that there was an album coming. Folklore wasn’t as pop as her last few albums. The genre was alternative, and the most popular track off the album was “Cardigan,” which peaked at number one on Billboard. The album’s only feature was Bon Iver. The record sold over one million copies worldwide first week, and it spent seven weeks at the number one spot on Billboard.

by COLLIN BENEDICT staff writer

This year in music, we got albums anywhere from long awaited projects, albums from beloved pop artists, surprise albums, and emotional posthumous albums. We have seen a rise in the rap genre of music, with rap albums topping the charts in 2020. In this article, we dive into the most notable albums of 2020 and how they performed.

FREAKY

FAST H

MAKES IT H

FREAKY

FRESH H H H H H

ORDER AT JIMMYJOHNS.COM

Because sandwich.

1217 E FRONT ST 231.929.2999

1294 W SOUTH AIRPORT RD 231.935.9355

18 // BGQ // November 2020

Businesses, Big Problems Small

How the small businesses of Traverse City have dealt with the pandemic at hand

by ELIZABETH PHILLIPS staff writer

Photo: E. Phillips

Remember when you couldn’t leave your house because of a worldwide pandemic? That’s when your favorite local businesses struggled the most. One of those small businesses is Mundos, a local coffee shop with locations in Traverse City and Suttons Bay. Dan Clark, who has owned Mundos for four and a half years, never thought something like this would happen. “Things like [the pandemic] did go through my mind before. [I thought of] what could rattle us so much, such as a stock market crash, but I never thought anything like this,” Clark stated.

Mundos did not have to stop conducting business, but they had to make some changes in order to stay open. During the shutdown, Mundos operated as a to-go order only business; they used DoorDash and did call-in orders, something that they had never done before. Mundos still does call-in orders, but the business has operated somewhat normally since Governor Gretchen Whitmer opened up restaurants to 50 percent capacity. “We added some more seating, so people can spread out a little more. [It’s] about 450 square feet, which equates to about 15 seats,” explained Clark, “so we’re going to continue that, and we’re going to continue to do those [to-go 20 // BGQ // November 2020

orders].”

With all of the social distancing restrictions, Clark has missed the interaction he used to get with customers. “For me, the connection with people has changed a lot. I miss the hugs and the handshakes, and I think everyone else kind of misses that too,” Clark expresses.

Even with the difficulty of masks and social distancing, Clark notes that customers have been more loving towards his staff. “If anything we feel the love a little bit more from people. The tips have been better. Lots of kind words, support and gift cards,” stated Clark.

Another positive for Mundos is that sales have increased since last year. “Our sales are probably up about 50 percent from last year, overall. April was slower than it was last year, but after restaurants opened back up for indoor seating, our sales began to climb,” Clark explained.

Even though Mundos was lucky enough to not close down, The Hair and Beauty Lounge did not have the same sort of luck. The Hair and Beauty Lounge is part of an industry that has been hit very hard during the pandemic. When rumors started

swirling about businesses going into shutdown, The Hair and Beauty Lounge staff, including owner Whitney Allen, all anticipated the shutdown would be two weeks at the most. “We had called the clients and told them we had to reschedule everyone for two weeks later. I called the girls and told them to just clean up the fridge, and by 2:30 that day they said the salons were closing. And, again, we were in the mindset that it was for two weeks, and we had come to the point where we were okay with it and had accepted it,” explained Allen.

Two weeks turned into four. Four weeks turned into eight. Eight weeks turned into ten.

Michigan was one of the last states to reopen salons. The Hair and Beauty Lounge worked closely with other industry professionals to come up with a solution to suit Governor Whitmer’s rules. To make sure their salon was safe to reopen, The Hair and Beauty Lounge remodeled and revamped their business. They made stations six feet apart, purchased new shampoo bowls, and moved their makeup lounge to a smaller area, away from the hairstyling part of the salon.

“We had gotten the mindset [that] we have to flip the script [and] we need to do what we can to reopen,” Allen said. Hours also changed for Allen’s staff. “We extended our hours, so we’re open seven days a week now. Whereas our stylists used to work an eight hour shift, they now work six hour shifts. So from the hours of eight a.m. until two p.m., we have six stylists here, and then from two to three, it’s a shift change, so there’s no crossing of clients usually,” Allen explained.

Severe changes like this have been very common among small businesses, including Peace, Love, and Little Donuts, a donut shop located in downtown TC. John Schnepf has owned the Traverse City location for four years. His location closed down for about seven weeks, starting in March and ending in late April. Peace, Love, and Little Donuts had to change the way they did business before to make sure they could reopen and do so safely. One of the biggest changes has been that there are now many different ways they can get customers their donuts. They use multiple platforms to do so. “So it used to be: walk in the door. Now there’s seven different ways we’ll get you donuts,” Schnepf noted.

There are also sneeze guards in front of the counter where people order. These are in most businesses to protect customers and workers from being too close when communicating. However, the sneeze guards, along with other factors, have made it harder for Schnepf and his workers to communicate with customers. “Really just from a communication stand-

point, the donut fryer is pretty loud. The radio is going, the phone’s ringing. We’ve got kids in here, ‘I want a dirt donut’, ‘I want sprinkles, I want sprinkles’.

So all of those things in conjunction have made face to face communication a pretty big challenge for us,” Schenpf explained.

All of the businesses have been doing one thing more than any other: cleaning. “The cleanliness has always been a premium in a restaurant, but now it’s more of a premium,” Schnepf says that he and his workers wipe down everywhere customers touch door handles, the counter, the refrigerator, etc.

As for the future, predictions vary among the different business owners. Schnepf believes that the masks will be something that sticks around for a while: “I think that probably next fall, a year from now, we’ll probably take the masks off. But I think that for the next nine months, we’re gonna have to wear them,” Schpenf pondered. Clark wishes he knew what would happen: “I think for me, that’s one of the hardest things to do, trying to predict what’s going to happen. And I think if you could predict what would happen, you’d be a pretty rich person throughout of all this,” The future is hard for anyone to foresee, but Allen believes that if we continue to work together as a community and respect one another, we’ll be able to make it through with fewer infectious cases.

Despite the negativity and uncertainty 2020 has given, it’s refreshing to see that these businesses have been resilient through it all. We hope each small business can continue to adapt and change through every new curveball 2020 decides to throw. //

Graphic: S. Goodwin

The American View of Agriculture

by ALEJANDRO LEPCZYK staff writer

A look behind the scenes of the difficulty of finding seasonal employment in the agricultural industry.

The Grand Traverse economy relies heavily on two things: tourism and agriculture. This area has a large farming community. With that farming community comes fresh produce, farmers markets, and cooperatives, not to mention goods that are packaged for sale outside of our immediate area. This industry provides a lot of jobs for the region; however, it is difficult to attract and retain employees, presumably due to the hard work, long hours, and typically lower pay. A 2018 statistic highlighted that only 0.08 percent of American jobs are dependent on agricultural employment. According to the New York Times, in 1987, nearly five million people lived on farms, and that number has consistently decreased by nearly two percent each year.

Does Michigan have an effect on the bigger picture of agriculture as a whole? Yes, it does. It is reported that McDonald’s purchased 1.5 million Michigan-sourced apples last year to be cut up and be placed in their ‘Happy Meals.’ This past year Michigan’s treasury published that 104.7 billion dollars are annually contributed to the economy through the agricultural industry. In an age of internet diets and social media trends, a popularity in co-ops and farmers markets have increased the younger generation’s interest in fresh produce, as can be seen at local produce sold at touristy or boutique retailer locations.

These places often sell to a more affluent group.

Why is there such a lack of interest in seasonal employment when millions of people are out of work? One of our BGQ staffers with agriculture connections confirmed that they were in desperate need for employees. He mentioned that this year not all of the fruit was able to be picked, resulting in a poor season for their farm. Many other local farms have suffered from the same problem.

22 // BGQ // November 2020

Many US farmers have made claims that Americans have moved on from farming to seek opportunities in urban areas. This exodus, which has sometimes been referred to as a brain drain, has resulted in farmers becoming more dependent on migrant workers. Hispanic immigrants pick a wide variety of local fruit, primarily including apples, cherries, and grapes. These workers typically get paid very little; the reason for this is that they are not valued in our current society. Maybe it is time to start appreciating the people who are willing to do the work that many American citizens are not. The problem here is pay; many will often claim that migrant workers are stripping American people of their employment, yet they refuse to raise minimum wage, leaving the situation at an awkward balance. They don’t want the migrants coming into the country but American people have little interest in an agricultural profession. This leaves us with two different choices. Do we offer higher pay? Or do we choose to allow more workers in on work visas? Even musical artist and recent presidential candidate Kanye Omari West spoke about this issue in his 2005 song Heard ‘em Say: “Before you ask me to go get a job today/Can I at least get a raise of the minimum wage?” That same mindset appears to be held by many American citizens who have little interest in farm labor due to the low pay that is often offered. Farming is no longer a profession one can truly take pride in chasing.

“There is a very high demand for dependable, skilled labor and it is getting harder to come by,” explained local vineyard manager Craig Cunningham.

Mostly focusing on Vinifera wine grapes, Cunningham managed a “baby vineyard” this past season, and ran a crew of only five to seven workers. I also asked Cunningham about the effect COVID-19 has

Photos: Courtesy of Andy Clapham & Paul Osborne

had on his season and employees. “My crew was small, aware, and I’d say nonchalant,” responded Cunningham. “I had masks and hand sanitizer available, and they were all still on the shelf at the end of the season. [Larger companies reported the same.]

Protective gear was made available, but pretty much only used when going shopping; when you are at home or camp, you are not that careful when around the people you live with. There were always a couple folks wearing masks in the field, but it was less than 10% of the total crew.” Cunningham has taken a very safe yet efficient approach to labor amid the virus and economic crisis.

A 2020 NPR article states that the amount of money sent to Central American countries from migrant workers is expected to decrease by 7 percent, similar to what occurred during the 2009 global recession. This decrease in the amount of money sent to one’s home country is predicted to affect upwards of 1.2 million households in South America.

The final question worth asking is why? Why are there immigrants (both documented and undocumented) coming in through the Southern border to do the work the American people are not? Evidently

there is a need for seasonal workers in the agricultural industry. The answer to this is multifaceted: and relates to both the economics and current views toward agriculture. Many people think of themselves as “better” than farm work; they have little interest in it. Yet we are all reliant on farming in one way or another. To quite literally rely on the fruit of labor but still not be willing to contribute to that part of the economy is close-minded. This is a form of entitlement. Shopping locally grown fruit (keep in mind I did not say local organic) can cost near the price of fruits imported from California. Not only will you be benefiting the local economy, you have the potential to get a true feel for the community.

There are many farming jobs available and migrant workers are needed to fill some of those positions. The best chance to hold on to the fleeing remains of the American dream may be to mirror how the nation originally arrived here, allowing immigrants to enter the country and support the nation’s economy. It is not subject to a political party; it is purely factual that many Americans refuse to do the work Hispanic immigrants will. //

Fall Bingo Graphic: J. Baldyga

by ELIZABETH PHILLIPS staff writer

DRANK A PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

SAID “IT’S FALL Y’ALL”

BOUGHT A FALL SWEATER

GONE APPLE PICKING

EATEN A PUMPKIN DONUT

GONE PUMPKIN PICKING

EATEN CANDY CORN

GONE TO A CORN MAZE

BEEN ON A HAY RIDE

BEEN TO A HAUNTED HOUSE

WATCHED A HORROR MOVIE

WATCHED A FOOTBALL GAME

FREE SPACE

DRANK APPLE CIDER

HAD A PUMPKIN DESSERT

HAD A CARAMEL APPLE

LISTENED TO HALLOWEEN MUSIC

TAKEN PHOTOS OF FALL COLORS

WORN A FALL COLOR

FALL IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON

FAVORITE HOLIDAY IS IN THE FALL

SAID “SWEATER WEATHER”

PLAYED A FALL SPORT

LIT A FALL SCENTED CANDLE

CARVED A PUMPKIN

24 // BGQ // November 2020

MR GLE

MS PEOPLES

Photos: E. Linck

by EVELYN LINCK & DREW JOHNSEN staff writers

Questions with Ms. Peoples & Mr. Gle

In this 50 Questions With feature, we put the spotlight on two of Central’s very own Ms. Peoples and Mr. Gle. Here we reveal the more personal side of Central’s staff through questions ranging from favorite meal to near-death experiences.

GLE BGQ-What is your most prized possession?

Gle-My family.

BGQ-What is your favorite kind of shoe?

Gle- Brooks Beast running shoe.

BGQ-What’s your lucky number?

Gle- 1.

BGQ-What is your favorite subject to teach in gym?

Gle- Interval jogging/heart rate. I like it because it is fun to watch the students that grow over the course of the semester. They thought they would never be able to jog for an extended period of time.

BGQ-What is your biggest fear?

Gle- My biggest fear is worrying about my own kids, I want them to be successful.

BGQ-What was the most trouble you got in growing up?

Gle- I never got in trouble, that was my brother.

BGQ-What is one of the most embarrassing things you have done while teaching?

Gle- I can’t think of anything super embarrassing that’s happened to me while teaching. I don’t get embarrassed easily. I’m sure there are a lot of things that I’ve done that other people would get embarrassed by.

BGQ-If you were to travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Gle- If I could go anywhere, I would go back on a cruise to the Mediterranean.

BGQ-What is your favorite season?

Gle- Fall.

BGQ-If you were to design a clothing line, what would it consist of?

Gle- Designer running pants.

BGQ-If you were to be any celebrity, who would it be?

Gle- Doug Gle. BGQ-What is your favorite name brand?

Gle- I don’t think I have a favorite, but I wear a lot of 26 // BGQ // November 2020

Adidas because our school is sponsored by them, I like Under Armour too.

BGQ-What is your ideal birthday gift?

Gle- Moomers ice cream cake.

BGQ-If you could teach any other class, what would it be?

Gle- I don’t want to teach another class.

BGQ-What is your favorite fast food chain, what is your order?

Gle- Arby’s, I have too many favorite things from there.

BGQ-What is your favorite NFL team?

Gle- The Lions. Unfortunately.

BGQ-What is your favorite Traverse City attraction?

Gle- The water, the bay.

BGQ-What is your favorite holiday?

Gle- Christmas.

BGQ-If you could change one thing about Central, what would it be?

Gle- A turfed indoor facility.

BGQ-What is your favorite sport to watch?

Gle- Football.

BGQ-What’s your favorite beverage?

Gle- Bai coconut waters.

BGQ-What has been your favorite halloween costume that you have had?

Gle- I don’t really dress up. There is nothing that sticks out as my favorite . I remember being a football player, but my earliest memory is when I was five my parents cut holes in a pillow sheet and I went as a ghost.

BGQ-What is your favorite piece of technology?

Gle- iPhone.

BGQ-What is your favorite song?

Getting Jiggy Wit It by Will Smith.

Who’s your celebrity crush?

Gle- I don’t really have one. //

Peoples BGQ-If you could describe your generation in one word what would it be?

Peoples-My generation, man, that’s a good one, pivotal.

BGQ-What is your favorite meal?

Peoples-Lasagna.

BGQ-Which famous person would you most want to have dinner with?

Peoples-There are so many, but I probably would want to have a meal with Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

BGQ-What is your favorite quote from a former student?

Peoples-From a former student, it probably has to be appropriate, “promise me that if you ever stop loving what you do you will retire.”

BGQ-Describe your perfect day.

Peoples-Waking up, having some coffee, feeling the warmth of the day on my shoulders, catching a beautiful sunrise, experiencing the day with those that I love, and catching a beautiful sunset. Then seeing the stars and moon before I go to bed.

BGQ-What is your dream pet?

Peoples-All the dogs I already have.

BGQ-What is your biggest pet peeve?

Peoples-When people can’t own up to what they do.

BGQ-What’s the most adventurous you’ve ever done?

Peoples-I would say it would be somewhere from skydiving to get over my fear of heights, or hoping in a car not knowing where I was going, to end up and finding myself five states away.

BGQ-What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Peoples-A blue raspberry freeze from Bardons.

BGQ-What has been your favorite vacation that you have taken?

Peoples-A couple years ago I went on a cruise and I went to the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and a couple places in Mexico.

BGQ-If you could have any superpower what would it be?

Peoples-I would want to see people’s intentions and what they’re thinking.

BGQ-If you could have any other job what would it be?

Peoples-I wouldn’t, this is all I’ve ever wanted since I was 12.

BGQ-What are three things you can’t live without?

Peoples-Love, honesty, and salt.

BGQ-What is your favorite movie?

Peoples-UP, that movie has everything anyone could want . . . AND its Pixar . . . so . . . c’mon.

BGQ-Who is your idol?

Peoples-My grandmother.

BGQ-If you had a movie made about your life who would play you?

Peoples-I like Kate Mckinnian. I think she is pretty goofy and funny.

BGQ-How do you take your coffee?

Peoples-Warm and black, or with a little hazelnut creamer.

BGQ-What is your favorite book?

Peoples-The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield or The Profit by Khalil Gibran.

BGQ-What’s something you want people to know about you?

Peoples-I am insanely shy but I also love connections once they’re made. I’m also loyal.

BGQ-What is your favorite thing about teaching?

Peoples-The experience with students, the conversations I get to have with them, and the way I learn about them.

BGQ-Have you ever had a near death experience?

Peoples-A few years ago after cancer radiation, I didn’t think I was going to make it. 2 years ago I had a very serious kayaking incident.

BGQ-What is something you always did as a kid?

Peoples-Draw or play basketball.

BGQ-Do you have any weird hobbies?

Peoples-I really love building things and remodeling my house.

BGQ-If you could be any animal what would you be?

Peoples-A dog or a sloth.

BGQ-If you could be in any movie, what would it be?

Peoples-ET because. . . well. . . ET, bikes, Reeces Pieces and bikes. . . //

Planet COVID

by SAMUEL GALOCI-SANDIN & LELAND BROWN staff writers

Graphic: S. Goodwin

28 // BGQ // November 2020

How has the COVID 19 pandemic affected the environment, and what new problems has it created?

COVID-19 has taken over the globe over the last six months, and pretty much every aspect of life has been affected as a result of the pandemic.

From hoarding toilet paper to a lockdown that left the entire world quiet, this planet has seen it all. Although there have been a variety of life-altering changes, the environmental impact of the pandemic is arguably one of the most substantial. COVID-19 has changed the way people interact with the outside world.

In the early stages of COVID-19, it appeared that the pandemic was creating a positive effect on the environment. When the world was in quarantine, airline emissions dropped significantly, and vehicular emissions were also down. Frank Dituri, Director of Public Services in Traverse City, explained: “I know what it was like in Traverse City. For a couple of weeks, you could drive around and there was nobody on the road . . . So, all of a sudden, you have a month-long reset where people aren’t driving their vehicles. There are some benefits to it.”

With so many people staying home, the air started to become cleaner.

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), transportation makes up 28 percent of the United States carbon emissions. A study by scientists of the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, showed that airline traffic was nearly a quarter of what it was before the pandemic, and vehicular traffic was down 50 percent. The total daily global carbon emissions dropped seventeen percent in early April. If some restrictions had continued all throughout the year, global emissions would have been down seven percent. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) predictions show an increase in global

warming temperatures around 4°C by the end of the century. Global warming causes higher sea levels, increased precipitation, more melting ice, more severe weather, and possibly acidic oceans. The ocean is projected to soak up some carbon dioxide, acting as a buffer to climate change, which seems nice, but would affect the ocean’s pH (acidity) levels. More acidic oceans could cause issues for marine life, messing up patterns and possibly killing species.

These changes were unfortunately not sustainable, and as of August, emissions have already started to climb up again. Director of Municipal Utilities Art Krueger acknowledged this, saying “it seems now that, at least in northern Michigan, people are traveling around like they used to; there doesn’t seem to be that much decrease in vehicle usage.” The 2015 Paris Agreement said that the participating countries would work to keep global warming under 2°C (3.6°F), and try to limit it to 1.5°C (2.7°F).”I know cars and planes and other things like that produced a lot of carbon. Also, a lot of businesses shut down. And those take a lot of energy as well. So in that regard, I think it reduced carbon emissions and is probably beneficial for the environment” says Ethan Roe ‘21, co-president of the SEA Club at TCC.. The countries are behind in their quest for environmental stability, and to keep global warming under 2°C, global carbon emissions would have to be reduced by 2.7 percent each year until 2030, according to a study by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) in 2019. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, emissions would have to be reduced 7.6 percent every year for the next decade. Although global warming was slowed by

Photo: M. Linck

the lockdown, carbon dioxide emissions are still going up, just slightly less. Readings from the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii predicted that if the lockdown had not happened, this year’s emissions would have increased 2.8 ppm (parts per million) since last year. Even with the lockdown, carbon dioxide emissions still increased by 2.4 ppm. Even though the lockdown had an effect on the global emissions, it will just be a bump in the road unless people decide to take action.

One of the first things people might think of when it comes to COVID-19 and the environment is the littering of disposable masks. When walking around downtown Traverse City, or by the Grand Traverse Bay, disposable masks are often found on the side of a path or street. Krueger stated, “I think everyone’s getting more used to wearing [masks]. Maybe they blow out of their car when they open the door or something silly, hopefully [people are] not just throwing them on the ground.” Roe compared the mask problem to straws as well. “But . . . [the littering of masks is] something that’s similar to the movement around plastic straws and those being similar in regards to mass [littering].” Local government workers are also seeing this problem. Dituri added, “I don’t see any sort of end in sight yet for the conditions that we’re living under right now. So I have to believe that masks are going to continue to surface that way.”

The abundance of masks is causing problems in landfills and surface waters. A study in the United Kingdom found that if every person in the UK used a disposable mask every day for a year, it would add 66,000 metric tons (72,752 US tons) of possibly 30 // BGQ // November 2020

contaminated plastic waste, and 57,000 metric tons (62,831 US tons) of packaging. For reference, 30,000 US tons equals 60,000,000 pounds. Krueger notes that “not every single outlet [drains, culverts, sewers, etc.] goes into the surface waters.” But he pointed out they still find many plastics in storm drains: “yeah, we find all kinds of stuff in there. You know, wrappers, plastic bags, we’ll find cigarette butts, like I mentioned. You might find bottles.” Storm drains usually have filters designed to catch litter and stop it from going to the lake, but they can’t catch all of it.

This garbage could easily be thrown away or recycled by the user, but instead it ends up in our fresh water systems. COVID-19 can stay living on a mask for up to a week, which poses a threat to the essential workers sorting through the recycling. If a mask were to be put in recycling, it would contaminate everything else in that bunch, so now everything must be thrown away.

Action of some kind is needed if we want to come close to defeating global warming. Whether that action is everyone making an effort to weaken their carbon footprint and travel less, or picking up littered masks and other garbage, something needs to change. Dituri believes that we are able to take that action. “I hope we’ll see some of those data driven studies that show that it’s not impossible to reduce our use of fossil fuels, especially since there are immediate benefits because of it [the lockdown]. So I think there’s some lessons in that.” As of now, when the global environmental crisis is getting worse instead of better, we might have to learn those lessons quickly. //

Quarterly Showcase Photo: M. Linck

Social Media’s Social Impact

by TRINITY WHITEFORD staff writer

Everybody has their own opinions on current social movements, but how are these concerns addressed in a classroom setting without pushing the limit?

The Black Lives Matter movement (BLM), a public disagreement about ending police brutality, has been an ongoing protest for many years. It is human instinct to protect one’s beliefs and opinions instead of listening to both sides of a debate. This unwillingness to listen can lead to the many arguments that people have today, especially about the BLM movement. People have to work together to address this issue, or else the cycle of protests and debates will continue to swarm the news and our daily lives.

Many of us desire the same thing: for police brutality and injustice toward blacks to cease. The question is, how will we work together to achieve this? By starting in the classroom setting.

We’ve all been scrolling through social media and have come across BLM posts, mainly from supporters and others who disagree. Most of these posts regard some of the recent deaths of black individuals, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Travyon Martin, and others. BLM was intended to be a series of peaceful protests: a place where people could go and make signs and spread awareness; but some have taken it a little too far, causing the police to use force and riot controls such as tear gas, rubber bullets, batons and water cannons. Students have turned to teachers for information on how we can help solve the issue within the perimeters of the first amendment. Teachers have tried to come up with safe and easy ways to help out students, some by holding small group debates in the classroom, others by talk32 // BGQ // November 2020

ing one on one with the student. Both are effective, but some students have stuck to posting pictures of protests on social media, mainly because it’s easier to voice opinions on the internet due to the choice to ignore the backlash that comes with it.

Everyone has their own views on this topic. But how do we address topics like this in a classroom setting? Teachers have tried to approach this topic from both sides and minimize the amount of conflict that may come up during discussions. They’re also trying to find new ways to address topics such as these without creating too much controversy, while still letting their students openly discuss. From small group discussions to anonymous posts on Google Classroom, Jeffrey Glickman, our Crime and Justice teacher here at Central, has managed to find a way to let students express their opinions without having a whole class debate. He explained that he tries to teach the unit from both sides in order to reduce arguments and controversy during the class period.

“Generally speaking, all students want a safe environment, community, a place where everyone is treated with respect. A place where law enforcement has the tools to serve and protect but also not abuse its power.” Setting opinions aside, Glickman expresses that he wants his students to identify when there are cases of police brutality but also when the police force does an amazing job serving and protecting our community. Glickman encourages students to go out and find credible sources for information

Graphic: S. Goodwin

about such topics and also try to see how they can help take a stand in a peaceful way. “Many of the students generally arrive at the conclusion that the police method is pretty ineffective, and that people are being targeted because of their race [and feel] they’re being targeted unfairly, and so my goal is to try to empower the students to where they can take a stand working within the parameters of the first amendment.”

From a student’s perspective, experiences like these will vary from person to person, as well as their experiences with different teaching skills. Olivia Niessink ‘21 is taking AP Psychology, where they discussed in class the differences between prejudice and discrimination. Despite classmates having different views on this topic, they still covered it with not many issues. “The movement has been successful in drawing attention to this public health crisis, which is truly amazing. I can just only hope that it will continue to move forward and encourage people to educate themselves.” She also sheds light on why students have turned to social media to protest. “ I think that for most people, it can be scary to have to debate or argue with people that are near and dear to us as a result of voicing our belief regarding this movement. Social media kind of just allows us to put our thoughts out there and have the opportunity to ignore any backlash.” Aside from this, Niessink explains that students have a hard time understanding racial inequality because of it being so low at

Central. She also mentions that not many students at Central have a first hand experience with situations such as these, making it harder to grasp the concept.

Niessink believes that the government should pick up where Lyndon B. Johnson left off with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She states that “the government should take on the challenge of extending the work that Johnson started and ensure that race plays no factor into how far that racial group can progress or succeed in this country,” In the end, ultimately getting to the conclusion that “BLM is not a knock on the door of rights, but a stomp on the floors of both equality and justice.”

However you view this topic, teachers and students alike are trying to minimise conflict in the classroom without disrespecting individuals’ opinions. Whether it’s by one on one talks with students or something along the lines of small group work, both ways are effectively impacting students and encouraging them to take a stand in whichever ways they see fit but also Individuals can help make a difference by trying to work together; working together helps everyone understand differing opinions and find a way to solve today’s problems from a student’s perspective. If we don’t have an open mind about others’ opinions, points don’t get across as quickly as they should and ultimately, they lead to creating more arguments. //

Things to Do During Fall

by ELIZABETH PHILLIPS Eight activity ideas to help you make the most of the end of Fall staff writer

34 // BGQ // November 2020

We’ve been cooped up for the past six months. Our summers weren’t as amazing as they could have been. Summer is over now, but there is still a chance for some redemption. Fall is here, which means there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to make this a great season. Go full into fall by doing some of these activities.

1. Fall themed movie night Whether you’re into horror movies or familyfriendly fall films, having a fall themed movie night will be an excellent time. You can do this solo or with a friend or two. Start by gathering ideas of what fall movies you want to watch. These choices could range from anything. I’m not much of a horror movie person, but as for “family-friendly” my picks are Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family, Girl Vs. Monster, or any Disney Channel halloween-themed episode.

Then, you can head to a store, (or use some snacks from home) and grab the fall snack essentials - candy corn, caramel apples, donuts, etc. After the food is prepared, set up your space. Grab lots of blankets, pillows, and basically anything that will make your space comfortable. Put on some fall colored/themed pjs, and turn on your films!

2. Getting rid of your carved pumpkin Sadly, our carved pumpkins can’t stay around forever. I like to hold on to mine for as long as I can, but once they start rotting, they’ve got to go. And to get rid of mine, I go through the bittersweet process of smashing them. As violent as this sounds, it can be a stress reliever. If you live where wildlife can come to visit, it can also be used as food for them. You can set it somewhere in your yard and let them feast.

3. Fall photoshoot Fall is arguably the prettiest season. The trees are gorgeous: beautiful mixes of red, yellow and orange.

To do this activity, you need a camera and a scenic location. You can take photos of you with the scenery, or just of the scenery in general. You could even be creative and dress up. On social media, it’s been trending to get an old, white sheet, cut some eye holes, and throw it over yourself. Then, put a pair of sunglasses on, and ta-da! You’re a cool ghost. Anything goes while taking pictures.

4. Baking There are so many fall foods you can easily make at home. If you had a full-fledged fall day and carved pumpkins, you could roast the pumpkin seeds for

a nice little treat! If you need help thinking of some recipes, we’ve got you covered! Page 42 has two excellent recipes for you to try. Baking is always fun when you have someone to do it with, but you can also easily do this on your own. Put some music on, grab your supplies, and get baking.

5. Color tour This is as simple as it sounds - drive around TC and look at the pretty colors. Picture this: you and a friend, in the car, with your favorite music playing as you drive around, taking in the scenery. I suggest driving around the Peninsula because there are amazing views of beaches, trees, and Lake Michigan, but anywhere around TC should do the trick.

6. Hike When I say hiking, I don’t mean putting on hiking boots and camping out for a night. I mean going to small trails and walking around. This is similar to a color tour, except on foot. There are many trails you can go to around TC. Some trails are Maple Bay Natural Area, Fruithaven Nature Preserve, and Empire Bluff Trail. Because it’s fall, make sure to bundle up for your hike. When you are on the trails, be respectful - stay on the path, pick up what you drop, and leave the trail how it looked when you got there. We want to keep TC as beautiful as possible!

7. Cider and donuts at a cider mill Cinnamon sugar donuts and warm cider. Sounds like a perfect activity for a fall day. Going to a cider mill anywhere in TC is a great experience. And if you’re not a donut person, oftentimes many cider mills have other snacks and sweets that are perfect for your day. A lot of places currently aren’t offering sit-down spots, but you can pick up the treats and bring them home, from places such as Farmer Whites or Friskies Farmers Market.

8. Football watch party If we weren’t mid-pandemic, I would suggest going to an actual football game and tailgate there.

But since the stadiums have placed restrictions on attending games, we will have to make do with what we have. If you’re missing the rush of watching your favorite team play, I suggest watching at home with a few friends. Set up an epic area, complete with snacks, blankets, pillows, and watch your game at home. It may not be ideal, but it will definitely be worth it. //

Central Speaks

by DREW JOHNSEN staff writer

High school can be tough. Between school, sports, clubs, social life, family responsibilities, work, and other obligations, it’s a stressful life, and sometimes there are little things that can get under our skin or brighten our day.

Central Speaks is a forum for students to share their thoughts about the ups and downs of the “Central” Life. Here’s what students like you had to say.

The school runs smoothly, but the Covid-19 procedures are a bit daunting. Having a one way hallway setup will cause more interaction and spread with everyone pushing to go the same way. Or when a kid has to walk more just to go all the way around because they went the “wrong way”. I feel the mask order is overbearing too. I understand and support wearing them when in the halls or walking somewhere; but, harm is going to come when kids are forced to wear a mask SITTING in class. Not to mention most rooms already have kids sitting 6ft apart.

This will cause potentially much more harmful side effects like carbon dioxide poisoning, dizziness, headaches, increased heart rate due to the lack of a stable oxygen supply, and even mild narcosis. Hearing all that I would rather get a virus with a 99% survival rate. Just coming back to the solution, the hallway arrows should be removed, and face masks shouldn’t be required when sitting in your classroom. You may say this “compromises safety,” but what I see is being compliant, not “safe.” Any student (or staff member) who feels nerve wrecked about the Covid-19 topic, or fears getting the virus, they should have simply gone to a homeschooling program or a homeschooling job. Thus, the large majority of students and I’m assuming staff members who don’t agree with the regulations, can take a FRESH breath of relief. - Logan Beilski ‘22

In response to Logan Beilski: We are required to follow all state and local guidelines for our school day.

Wearing masks as recommended by the CDC is one of the requirements. They are safe. Keeping desks apart and as much one way traffic in hallways as possible are also requirements. The one way helps the flow to maintain movement for all to not gather and avoids direct face to face contact. Not perfect but our goal is to reduce risk for all as much as possible. We want to stay in school and stay together as a community.

In response to Carson Fryer: This has been tough for all of us to move on and adapt to all the new pro-

cesses. We are all learning as we go. The staff is very excited to be back with students each day in person. They are working hard to create engaging lessons and keep academics high. If you have more ideas or suggestions for teachers as to how to better support you with your learning, let us know!! We are always open for feedback.

36 // BGQ // November 2020

The school feels more like a prison than an actual school. Keep in mind, this is an open thought. We’re herded around like sheep, told what to do and when to do it. The teaching style feels dry and scripted. This isn’t 1892.

This is 2020. The start time is ridiculous, and in the current situation, COVID, the board says that they’ll go back to remote after the *first few* cases. It should be the first case because in this pandemic, only one life can risk a thousand more. We get information knocked into our heads for seven hours a day, five days a week. Then we’re sent home, and then graded on it a few days later where we pretty much forget 95% of what we learn and have to rely on guessing. I would rather take school online because we’re in a PANDEMIC, not your normal day filled with sunshine and rainbows, with fluffy unicorns. We just need change. We need to change so we don’t feel like those sheep herded around on a daily basis. We need change so we don’t feel extremely bored and mentally exhausted the moment we arrive at school, and the moment we get home. The mask policy is taken to the next mile and a half. We need a little time to have our noses uncovered so we can breathe fresh air and not have to inhale our warm air under this sweaty mask. If we go online, we should be more occupied, and not treated like peasants in a webcam. If we go online, we need to be treated like we matter. But in physical school, we shouldn’t have a double standard for bullies and students, because what do you want the kid to do, curl up in the fetal position and cry while he’s getting kicked so he won’t be suspended? Because I wouldn’t want to go to a school with that double standard. We should have stayed online, because this pandemic is still very active and serious. Instead of waiting for five cases in the school to happen, wait for ONE. One case is all it takes for things to go south very, very quickly. Things need to be enforced better around here, especially the rules. But to close this one off with one final line, here it goes: Open. Thoughts. - Carson Fryer ‘24 I would like to know why our computers are disabled while we are at home. Why can’t we use them other than for learning or studying? I understand why they are disabled at school. It would be an interruption to the learning environment. But at home, there wouldn’t be much learning to be interrupted. I know that people study and work while at home, but it would be nice if the majority of “fun” or “recreational” sites only worked at home. - Christopher Fetty ‘23 I like Central so far. One thing though, is that I wish they would enforce the correct way to wear a mask. I see a lot of people wearing masks below their nose all the time and it seems like the staff doesn’t really care or do anything that often. - Addy Cook ‘24

In response to Addy Cook: Masks! They

are a work in progress. We are committed as a staff to enforce the policy. We are actively redirecting both students and staff that are not properly wearing masks. If we have regular names come up, we have one-onone meetings to see how to problem solve it. If you have concerns about mask wearing, please talk to your wing principal.

In response to Christopher Fetty: If you

are having technology issues, please stop by Tech Central for adjustments. We do have policies limiting access to non-academic sites.

The computers are funded with the purpose of supporting school work and not providing entertainment for students. We follow the national guidelines for blocked sites.

Central Speaks Back

As busy the administrators at Central are, they always have an open ear to listen to what is on the student body’s mind. Here’s what Principal Houghton had to say in response to our Central Speaks forum.

A Summer to Remember Traverse City locals and visitors experienced a summer without the Cherry Festival for the first time since World War II.

38 // BGQ // November 2020

by MALLORY SWOPE content editor

Photo: M. Swope

The National Cherry Festival has drawn attention from all over the country throughout the years, causing the disappointment to spread just as far when the news of the cancellation came. From here in Traverse City all the way down to Texas, teenagers shared their experiences and reactions from the Cherry Festival’s cancellation.

Maisie Smith ‘22 has enjoyed the festivities of Cherry Festival for the past several years and looks forward to the event every year.

“I was really sad [when Cherry Festival was canceled] because it is always so much fun, but I understood why they had to,” Smith stated. She noticed a void in her summer experience that directly correlated with the cancelation of the festival when she couldn’t meet up with her friends at the midway or volunteer at the kids tent like she has in previous years.

Upon relocating to Texas at the end of her eighth grade year, former TCAPS student Jessica Sarin faced severe feelings of homesickness knowing she would be missing out on all of her favorite things about Traverse City summers. Even after setting roots in Texas and finding things to love there, Sarin still gets an itch to come back to Traverse City every summer for the Cherry Festival.

“There’s just so many things I love about it,” Sarin explained, “I love the rides at the Midway [and I also] love how the music is loud no matter where you go.” Up until this summer, Sarin had been able to make a trip back to Traverse City right around the week of Cherry Festival.“I wanted to cry when I found out there wasn’t going to be a Cherry Festival this year,” she said, “I would literally buy a plane ticket to TC at the drop of a hat if it meant I could go to the midway.”

It’s July 2019. The night sky lights up from the colorful LED bulbs that reflect off of carnival rides as the sounds of screaming and laughing fill the voids of silence. There are fireworks in the background, their lights cascading across the horizon of the water.

There are people gathering at the food courts with their friends and family, the smells traveling with the wind. People come from all over just for this week.

The streets of Traverse City are full. The hotels of Traverse City are full. The heart of Traverse City is full. The sorrow that comes at the end of the week is soon replaced with the anticipation and excitement building for the next year. But the thrill is for nothing. Fast forward to July 2020 and the streets are full, but the atmosphere is different. There are no smells of fried food wafting through the streets. There are no lights shining. There is no laughter. For the first time since World War II, there is no National Cherry Festival in Traverse City.

When the news came of COVID-19 reaching the United States, there was little panic because it still didn’t seem real. When the news came of the first case of COVID-19 in Michigan, there still didn’t appear to be much panic because the state is so big - what’s one positive case? Then it was 10, then 100, then into the thousands, then tens of thousands, and soon every county in Michigan was unable to escape the positive cases popping up. In order to combat panic, the governor instated a mandatory quarantine that only allowed people to leave their houses to go grocery shopping or work if they had “essential” jobs.

It was only for three weeks though. That’s it. After that, life would resume to normal, COVID would be a thing of the past, and it would all be just in time for the best parts of summer: going to the beach, making memories with friends, hanging out around the campfire roasting marshmallows, and most of all, Cherry Festival. This excitement lasted until April 16, when the news made headlines all over the state: National Cherry Festival Canceled due to Coronavirus.

The decision wasn’t made lightly though. National Cherry Festival Special Programs Director Bailey Judson observed the process from the beginning, noting that the choice was made after considering “health and safety above everything else. . . looking at how we could do this event and keep the community, staff, volunteers and guests safe.” The committee came to the conclusion that at the end of the day, the festival attracts far too much attention to 40 // BGQ // November 2020

possibly ensure the highest degree of security for attendees’ well-being. “In working with local and state officials, it became clear that an event bringing in over 500,000 [people] was not going to be feasible,” Judson explained. While the choice was made in everybody’s best interest, not everything that resulted from it was beneficial. In direct correlation to the cancelation of the Cherry Festival, tourism rates dipped during typically peak times, leading to a domino effect seen across town. Some hotels were able to maintain full rooms, but many struggled to turn on the No Vacancy signs. Restaurants maintained business, though many missed the marks set in previous years. However, Judson added that “this was due to the pandemic as well; while the festival had an impact, it was not the entire impact.”

Ultimately, Traverse City visitors and locals alike will have to wait until 2021 for the Cherry Festival.

This subsequently raises the question of if there will be an event in 2021 and what it will look like if there is. Planning for each year’s event takes around a year to complete, so talk of what a potentially post-COVID Cherry Festival might look like is already in the works.

Judson noted that despite the uncertainty of the times right now, the outlook is hopeful for next year.

The committee has faced numerous obstacles in the short time they’ve been planning this year, as “a lot of it is the unknown,” Judson said. “It is difficult to plan an event when we don’t know how the world will look at that time.” Undeterred by the challenges, the board is looking at ways to keep their staff, volunteers, and guests safe all the while still having an unforgettable experience. //

Graphic: S. Goodwin

The Future Four in Politics

by TED ARNOLD content editor

Previewing the next four years of national leadership

Photo: J. Baldyga

Photo: M. Linck

DISCLAIMER: At time of print, a winner had not been projected by the Associated Press, with multiple states still counting ballots, and multiple legal challenges and recounts were pending across the country.

Coronavirus

Coronavirus

Supreme Court

Supreme Court

This campaign’s centerpiece was the nation’s response to the Coronavirus, and Biden proposed aggressive policies to contain the virus’s spread. Biden fully supports a federal mask mandate, requiring anyone in a public place to be wearing a face covering. He also supports the distribution of free testing, as well as leveraging the weight of the federal government to support the development and distribution of a vaccine.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death left a hole in the landscape of the highest court in the land.

President Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett sparked outrage from Democrats across the country. Biden strongly opposed taking a vote on the President’s nominee, noting similarities between this case and that of Merrick Garland, former President Obama’s nominee to fill a seat at the end of his second term. Biden has said he will appoint a commission to study the need for change on American courts.

This campaign’s centerpiece was the nation’s response to the Coronavirus, and Trump continues to oppose a federal mask mandate, which would require anyone in a public place to be wearing a face covering. He has committed to leveraging the weight of the federal government to support the development and distribution of a vaccine.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death left a hole in the landscape of the highest court in the land. President Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett continued his commitment to appointing conservatives to the court, a major promise for his first term.

Barrett, along with Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, will be the longest lasting effects of Trump’s presidency, and an effort he hopes to expand in a second term.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins Ingredients

Crumb Topping ¼ cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar ½ cup (62g) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted Pumpkin Muffins 1 and ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice* ⅔ cup (133g) packed light or dark brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup (227g) canned pumpkin puree ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil) ⅓ cup (80ml) milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Cheesecake Filling 6 ounces (168g) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1 egg yolk, at room temperature ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 Tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar

Notes

Photo: M. Linck

Instructions

Recipe: Courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 12-14 muffins, so you may need a 2nd muffin pan or bake this recipe in batches.

2. Make the crumb-topping first: Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix until combined. Add the melted butter and gently mix with a fork until crumbs form.

Don’t over-mix into a paste. Just mix until it is crumbly. Set aside.

3. Make the pumpkin batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla extract together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk or stir until just combined.

Avoid over-mixing.

4. Make the cheesecake filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sugar until combined.

5. Spoon 1 heaping Tablespoon of pumpkin muffin batter into the muffin cups. Layer with about 1 spoonful (not quite a full Tablespoon) of cheesecake filling, then another heaping Tablespoon of muffin batter - or however much batter is needed to fill the cups all the way to the top. Some cheesecake filling may poke out of the top or on the sides. Sprinkle crumb topping onto each, then press it down into the tops of the muffins to help prevent it from falling off as the muffins bake.

6. Bake for 5 minutes 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce heat to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for another 15-17 minutes. The total time these muffins should be in the oven is around 20-22 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before serving.

1. Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heat up in the microwave if desired.

2. Pumpkin Pie Spice: Instead of the pumpkin pie spice, you can use ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.

42 // BGQ // November 2020

Hot Spiced Cider Ingredients

8 cups of apple cider or apple juice Ÿ to ½ cup packed brown sugar 6 inches of stick cinnamon 1 teaspoon whole allspice 1 teaspoon whole cloves Double thick 6-inch square piece of 100% cotton cheesecloth Optional Whipped topping Cinnamon on top Caramel This recipe makes 8 (about 8-ounce) servings. You can save cider for later, or cut the recipe down if needed.

Recipe: Courtesy of Better Homes Garden Cookbook 11 Edition

Instructions

1. In a saucepan combine your apple cider and brown sugar, and mix. To add the spices in, you will need to create a spice bag. For this, lay out your cloth, and place the cinnamon stick, allspice, and cloves on it. Bring the corners together and tie. You can do this with a clean string or use the bag itself. Add the spice bag to the cider mixture.

2. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover the saucepan with the lid and let simmer for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the spice bag and discard it.

3. When in your cup, you can add whipped cream on top of it if preferred, as well as caramel drizzle. For some extra cinnamon, you can sprinkle a little bit of it on top.

Photo: E. Phillips