February Issue

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The Bloomfield

Bloomfield Hills High School

NEWS

Girls join robotics team Number of females participating in robotics at BHHS has increased significantly Gillian Isaacson Staff Writer

February 2016

GIVINGG BACK

S

Popular Detroit street artist and BHSD almuni commisioned to paint mural in new art wing

tanding in the center of the gym she knew she was finally going to get her chance to show that in a male dominated sport girls could do what boys can do.

“So many people are shocked I am on the robotics team because I am a girl. I love robotics, wholeheartedly. Being able to make something yourself is a pretty amazing thing,” said senior Sarah Gerendasy who joined robotics five years ago and is now Captain of the Robotics Team. “The community is also very nice, especially those on the team. I would be lying if I said that being a girl in a traditionally male field had no advantages.

It makes you stand out a bit more, which can be good for job and college applications.”

Since 2009 the number of girls getting involved in the Robotics club “has skyrocketed,” Gerendasy said. “ When we started the team there were no girls, and now one-fourth of the team is girls. Girls are beginning to see this as more of an option. Seeing that more girls are becoming interested in robotics makes me feel very accomplished. It’s another sign that girls are pushing the limits and opening their minds and options,” Gerendasy continues, “More diversity is always a good thing because it means more viewpoints, more

Morgan Montgomery Staff Writer

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STATE NEWS Senate Bill 571 sparks controversy Bill approved by Governor Snyder significantly affects schools Shibi Sanjeev Distribution Manager

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overnor Rick Snyder approved a bill that contains a small provision that will directly pertain to government bodies like the Bloomfield Hills School District.

“This will cause incredible confusion. People won’t know what’s on the ballot and what they’re voting for,” said Shira Good, BHHS Director of Communications and Community Relations about Snyder’s bill. “I believe we have an incredibly intelligent community, but they aren’t mind-readers. It takes an information campaign to explain what the funds

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he art department and the Bloomfield Hills School District PTO commissioned local artist Kobie Solomon to design a brand-new mural for the art wing.

“It seemed like a perfect idea: a new mural for a new school by a former Lahser student who is now a successful artist,” said art teacher Matthew Beauchamp of the idea to contact 1995 BHSD grad Kobie Solomon to paint over the old art wing mural. “During the renovation, we asked the construction company to remove the logo, but the paint was extremely difficult to remove. So after the failure to completely remove the logo, we were left with a very unsightly mess. We considered a few options for covering the logo, but Mrs. York suggested commissioning Kobie.”

Solomon designed the mural to represent his street art and express the history of both Andover and Lahser.

“The purpose is that it would represent the new school; Andover and Lahser coming together. The Black Hawk represents BHHS,” said art teacher Michelle York. “It was to honor teachers from both sides coming together as one.

[The art department] wanted the mural because they want to think about the future.”

Solomon, who also painted the largest graffiti mural in Michigan, “The Detroit Chimera”, was excited to work with the school as well as advocate for street art in the Detroit area from the second York made the offer.

“My experience with Mrs. York as an instructor had a profound effect on the choice and direction of my career as an artist. So when she asked if I was interested, it was pretty much a no-brainer,” he said. “In recent years I’ve also found myself in the position of a sort of ambassador for street art in the region, and I felt this would be a prime opportunity to further the cause of the medium as a legitimate art form.”

To begin the mural, Solomon said he first thought about what makes the school special to create the physical design and later integrated his artistic style.

“I tried to take as many elements of the current identity of the school and the district as I knew and combine them into one image,” he said.

“As far as incorporating my style into it is concerned, I use animals in a lot

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Volume III-Issue III

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of my street work, and I also have a special place in my heart for birds of prey, so it was a pretty natural fit.”

Spending over 20 hours spray painting the design throughout winter break, Solomon said the mural was completed mostly freehand and with minimal materials.

“It’s a pristine wall in a nice space with a consistent environment, so it wasn’t overly complicated. Pretty much just plot, prime, sketch and paint,” said Solomon. “Aside from the primer base, the mural is all spray paint with the exception of a few brushstrokes with acrylic gesso for highlights and finer details in key areas.”

Solomon felt that the experience working with Mrs. York again was both nostalgic and reflective.

“I’ve only had a few true teachers over the years; people that were more dedicated to the principle of being an educator and a guide than in the idea of a paycheck, and Michelle York was the first real teacher that I had,” said Solomon. “Working with Mrs. York was a real pleasure, even a bit surreal to have come full circle again and be on ‘the other side of the fence’ so to speak. It was also a nice surprise to see the changes that have happened to the building. I can’t even begin to explain how lucky you kids are.”

York said that she was also affected by the experience and that she was proud of his work.

“It makes me feel very proud because I have known Kobie since he was a little boy back in the 7th grade.

I know that he has had a lot of challenges in his life and that he feels like I was one of the people that made a difference in his life,” said York. “I feel like as a person that is retiring at the end of the semester, I have left my mark through the mural with Kobie.”

Solomon plans to create more masterpieces in the area and eventually work with the school again.

“Generally speaking, Michigan has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to contemporary street art.

It’s endearing to me that the district opted to have this included in the students’ experience,” said Solomon.

“I feel vindicated, forgiven, proud, and definitely a bit flattered. It’s great to be able to give something back.”

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2 Junior attends AIPAC summit

Iran-U.S.A

What in the World?

U.S. works with Iran

John Kerry and the Iranian foreign minister have set up the release of four Americans.

Lacey Cohen visited the conference in Washington D.C. Jason Moonka News Editor Junior Lacey Cohen attended an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) summit in Washington D.C. to learn about advocating for Israel in politics and the media.

“I’m very involved in a Jewish advocacy organization called BBYO (B’Nai B’rith Youth Organization) and every year they send a delegation of about 70 students to the AIPAC high school summit in Washington D.C.,” said Cohen. “It’s an application process, and I applied and was accepted.”

The summit lasted three days and taught students about how to both advocate for Israel in media and lobby Congress politically. According to BBYO regional director Katie Fried, Cohen was picked to attend the conference out of a large pool of applicants.

“Lacey was one of only two Michigan teens selected to attend the AIPAC summit,”said Fried. “The teens are selected based on their leadership qualities, experience, and other factors.

Lacey exhibited the ideal qualities necessary to attend the AIPAC summit.”

“The first day was about making relationships and meeting people from all around the country. It was basically a day to get to know everyone at the summit,” said Cohen. The second day was based on advocacy and advocacy writing such as social media advocacy and other ways that you can advocate for a cause. The third day we had lobbying appointments where we were lobbying congress, trying to get them to sign the Royce Engel letter, or if they had already signed it, thanking them.

At the AIPAC summit, activities consisted of listening to lectures on various topics.

“We were mostly listening to lectures, it was basically professional people who were telling us of the most effective ways to advocate for a cause,” said Cohen. “I liked the lecture on social media, which was on how to post on social media and appeal to your entire following, not just a specific group.”

While many attendees at the summit lobbied Congress to sign the Royce Engel letter, a letter from Congress to the president urging for stronger nuclear restrictions on Iran, Cohen met with the staffer of Sander Levin.

“I am impressed that Lacey got the opportunity to go to Washington and have an influence in politics,” said Cohen’s friend Jessica Lusky. “I hope that she had a political impact while she was there.”

Ultimately, Cohen feels that the most important thing she took away was the experience of working on Capitol Hill.

“I think that the most important thing that I took away was the experience of lobbying congress. I thought that was really cool. Just seeing how I can make my voice heard, and how I can actually meet with a Congressmen to see if they can do something that I’m trying to advocate for. Actually getting to have that appointment and talk to them was really cool.”

News

A reporter, a former Marine, a pastor, and another citizen were released by Iran A fifth American, Matthew Trevithick, will also be released but not as part of this negotiation This negotiation was kept separate from the nuclear treaty talks

International

The U.S has passed an agreement with Iran to keep them from building a nuclear weapon

The Iran Nuclear Deal

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U.S.A

Republican Primary

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Democratic Primary

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Trump

Cruz

Rubio

Kasich

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Sanders

New Hampshire looms large

Clinton

Now that the Iowa caucuses are finished, the candidates must head over to New Hampshire for the next primary. New Hampshire is showing very different polling numbers compared to Iowa. According to polls taken by Real Clear Politics, Trump is at 33.7% while Cruz holds second with 12.2 followed by Rubio and Kasich with 10.8% and 10.4% respectively. This is quite different from Iowa where Cruz and Trump were much closer. On the Democratic side, Sanders is at 55.5%. A double digit lead over Clinton who has 38%. And with the recent dropping of O’Malley and Bush, there are votes up for grabs on both sides of the race.

All of the candidates will begin to shift over to New Hampshire to prepare for the upcoming election that is set for February 9th.

Turkey

ISIS suicide bomber in Turkey

On January 12th, a terrorist attack in Turkey left 10 German tourists dead and another 15 injured. A According to the New York Times, Syrian man wearing a vest full of explosives mixed into a crowd of tourists near the nine domed, blue mosque, a famous monument and tourist hub in Turkey, with the goal to hurt as many people as possible. This attack was the first major attack on the important tourist industry in Turkey. These terror attacks are one of the many side effects of the conflict caused by ISIS and are likely to continue as the Islamic state continues to lose ground in Iraq and Syria.

What do you think?

Was the Flint water crisis the governor’s fault?

“Regardless of if he knew about the lead, his administration is responsible for it, so he should resign.”

-Afreen Hashmi, Junior

“Until they can prove that he knew about the lead, they can’t ask him to resign. But if he did it, he needs to go.”

-Michael Steinberg, Junior

Student fills out ballot for Democratic Presidential primary in Michigan

SENATE BILL FROM 1 would be used for.

“This will cause incredible confusion. People won’t know what’s on the ballot and what they’re voting for,” said Shira Good, BHHS Director of Communications and Community Relations about Snyder’s bill. “I believe we have an incredibly intelligent community, but they aren’t mind-readers. It takes an information campaign to explain what the funds would be used for.

“Think back to the communications campaign surrounding the current high school. People wouldn’t know how big the school would be, what it would look like, what facilities would and would not be included, how much the total project would cost, etc. How on earth would we expect people to vote for something they don’t fully understand? Our community would never be asked to write a blank check, but that’s what will happen since we won’t be able to outline how we intend to spend the money.”

Adding to Good’s thoughts, President of the Bloomfield Hills Education Association, Grat Dalton said that “many times, community members

(students, teachers, parents, senior citizens) follow the leaders in their communities to be informed about legislative issues. If a community member doesn’t have the time or knowledge to follow upcoming legislation or proposals individually, they usually rely on the school board, or their elected local government to be informed about issues.”

Dalton explained that as written, Snyder’s bill which was signed December 31s. stops public bodies such as schools from using use public funds or public resources within 60 days before an election to communicate issues with a local ballot question on the ballot.

“I do not believe this was necessary,” said Good. “Not at all. We already had campaign finance law that prohibits us from attempting to influence voters one way or another on a ballot issue. This, in my mind, takes it way too far and restricts us from distributing factual information. In a district that strives to be as transparent as possible, this is devastating.”

Social Studies Teacher Matthew Macleod ex-

plained that even though there are already restrictions in place about what school districts and other public bodies can say, lawmakers were were concerned that lines between information to outright support or opposition were being blurred.

“By stopping communication at a 60 day window, government official’s belief is that it will essentially prevent nefarious conduct among people and not having groups blur the lines between information and actual advocacy. I would rather see legislation that punishes government bodies that cross the line from information to advocacy. It’s almost like you are punishing everyone and that troubles me because that is an unnecessary restriction on freedom of speech.”

In agreement with Macleod, Dalton also feels that this amendment is a violation of the freedom of speech. “Some local government and school district officials expressed concerns that the bill would restrict the rights to free speech of many public servants. They also argued that the bill could make it illegal for public information

“If they can be sure that he is responsible for the problem, then yes, he should resign.”

-Geil Shock, Junior

channels to televise public forums that included discussions about local ballot measures,” he said.

“In general, opponents argued that the bill was badly written and would inhibit the ability of public officials to educate voters about ballot issues, preventing a well-informed electorate.”

Good said that the effects of the bill have already had an impact on the district’s future decisions.

“You will see an entirely different information campaign next time. We need some legal interpretation on the law so we understand what we can “pre-fly” out, but it will require an intense amount of effort 90-61 days prior to the vote,” she said. “Also, keep in mind that the law was pretty ‘sneaky’ in another way, too. Since legislators have advocated for public bodies to only hold elections in November, think about 60 days prior...in late August/early September. What public school stakeholders are available and ‘listening’ to schools regarding any major issues in August?”

Dalton also explained how he feels the community should overcome the challenges set by this bill. “Every time a law is introduced that may limit the voter’s voice, problems can happen.

The beauty of democracy is that bad laws and bad legislators can be changed. All we have to do is pay attention, and vote!”

For Good, the new law creates many problems, but “possibly the thing that makes me most angry, is the example the legislators set for students.

In our schools, students learn about our democratic system and how an informed electorate is the utter foundation of democracy. To expand a bill by more than three times its original size in the 11th hour, vote on it before reading it, and then sign it into law without any clarification or concern for the unintended consequences, is nothing short of totally irresponsible. I strongly encourage our community to voice concerns with the Governor’s office. It’s not too late to repeal this law and then have a grown-up conversation about the original intent of the bill.”

NEWS

3 BHSD considers installing bus seatbelts BHSD Superintendent Rob Glass explores the benefits and drawbacks of school bus seatbelts Merrick Weingarten Managing Editor

ROBOTICS FROM 1 ways of approaching the same problem, and eventually more -and better- solutions. The fact that girls are seeing robotics as an option means that STEAM will progress much faster than if it were limited to only men.”

From her perspective Gerendasy believes one of the reasons why girls are getting more involved is because of the team’s past successes at competitions but also because of activities the team has been doing within the district.

“I believe that more girls have started to participate on the team because of an interest in math, or they just wanted to show everyone that can do things too,” said Senior Robotics Team member Matthew Malkasian. “Honestly I think that it’s a great step forward, not just on our team but, in the engineering world that girls and guys alike can work together as a team.”

Malkasian added on that he has seen more and more girls showing interest in robotics and he believes it is because the district is doing more to exposure them at an earlier age. “It’s great that girls are exposed at an early age, because they learn great life skills, such as math, as well as the confidence to stick up for themselves and their idea’s.”

Gerendasy herself was inspired to join Robotic through a summer camp. Dr. Law (the then High School Robotics coach) talked about a summer camp that the high school team put on, and I was so excited at the thought of making robots that I signed up.

In the summer after 6th grade, I attended the camp,” said Gerendasy. “They taught us a lot about math, programming, strategy and building, and I really enjoyed it. After that, I joined an FLL team and was hooked. My first introduction to robotics was that summer camp, and so I love participating as a counselor now. I like to think that I’ve come full cycle.”

Joining Robotics at a young age impacted Gerendasy’s life in a bigger way than she could have ever imagined.”Being inspired so young helped me move past the stereotypes before they really set in, especially with math. I really thought I was hor-

rible at it, but I gave robotics a change anyway.

I don’t think that would have happened if I had been much older. I would’ve been too scared.”

Along with activities the robotics team does, Engineer teacher David Zulkiewski believes another one of the reason for the increase of girls in robotics is the push for getting girls getting involved in STEAM related classes.

“My engineering class use to be only boys, then we introduced STEAM and now we are seeing a lot more girls joining the classes,” said Zulkiewski who has taught STEAM for the past 5 years. “I think there are great engineers and designers out there, some are men and some are women. For a long time there were career paths, like engineering, that had more of a progression for men. It is not to say a woman couldn’t do it, but more and more now the doors are being blown off and we are thinking outside of the box, and we are seeing these great thinkers and designers who were always there. Women are really getting their chance to succeed.”

According to Gerendasy, girls on the team they weren’t always treated equal. Sometimes the girls were asked to carry the banner or help with the awards but the girls on the team did these activities because they wanted to be involved. “A lot of girls might not want to do awards or the banner or the presentation but they do it because they know that is where the team needs them,” Gerendasy said. “Attention has been brought to this problem and really the solution is that if you’re a girl and you want to do something technical but you aren’t, you just need to say it and speak up about it.”

Another way the robotics community is trying to help more girls participate in robotics is offering a Girls Only Competition. “We did an off season Girls Only Competition, this is our third year, it is basically a competition to promote girls in STEAM. It is a competition where girls are given a real chance to design the robot, build the ro-

bot, and drive the robot,” said Gerendasy. “We did very well at the competition. We made it to the quarter finals, that’s farther than we’ve ever come at that competition. The competition proved that girls are capable of doing STEAM tasks just as well as boys. This means that if we limit robotics to just half the population, the world might miss out on the next Einstein just because she was a girl.”

Heidi Kattula, Director of Learning Services, agrees with Gerendasy that the sooner girls get involved with robotics, the greater the chance they will stay with it and explore STEAM fields in high school. “Through our programs of getting robotic teams into the middle schools and elementary schools, more girls have gotten involved because we now accommodate all ages. By the high school years, students sometimes don’t believe in themselves as easily as the little elementary kids do. We target getting younger girls involved because they believe they can do anything, while it is harder to get high school age girls involved.We develop programs for younger ages, and therefore girls have more access earlier on.”

Kattula believes girls are important to have in STEAM, but she values everyone who is in the field and participates in the activities. “Everyone is under represented in the STEAM field, whether it is a gender issue or not we need to recognize it and support people where they are at,” said Kattula.

“But it is important for girls to see their potential and the opportunities they do have. Without programs to get girls involved, they might miss out on a career they are meant to be involved in.”

Robotics is a team that values everyone, as Kattula said. Malkasian agrees. “I would say that if you want to meet new people in a new and exciting way, see if robotics is right for you. As long as you try your best you will be treated equally, no matter your gender.”

Even though seven new school buses with seat belts have been ordered, Bloomfield Hills School District Superintendent Dr. Rob Glass said that the decision to be the first district in the state of Michigan to install three-point seat belts in school buses can still be modified.

“We’re still doing our homework, and have not made a final decision,” Glass said, “If it’s the right thing to do, we should do it. However, we want to be on the leading edge, but not always on the bleeding edge. And this is one where we could be on the bleeding edge if we jump on installing three-point seat belts before fully understanding the issue.”

The discussion about having three-point seatbelts on public school buses started in the fall 2015 when The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommended that all school transportation operations in the country to install three-point seatbelts on school buses. “Seat belts save lives.

That is true whether in a passenger car or on a big yellow bus. School buses should have threepoint seat belts,” Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator, said in a personal statement.

According to a study completed by the NHTSA, 327 students have died in school transportationrelated every year in crashes involving large school buses and requiring all school busses to have threepoint seat belts could cut that number in half.

“It is obvious that students would be safer,” said Dale Goby, a consultant for Goby and Associates (a transportation consulting and management services company). “The big con is the cost and the use of the belts above anything else. The three-point seatbelts are not helpful if they are not used. And I think it will be the middle school and high school kids that want to rebel a little bit and be defiant in terms of its use. But, there is no question that students are safer on school buses with three-point seatbelts.”

A source that wished to be anonymous who is involved in the Michigan Transportation Industry, believes this action is unnecessary and sends the wrong message. “I see the NHTSA’s action as cowardly. By stating that active restraint systems are important and then saying the local school district should decide what to do, NHTSA gets off the hook. Now local district are the bad guys for not wanting to install seat belts because they do not have the money.

“We’re still doing our homework, and have not made a final decision...If it’s the right thing to do, we should do it. However, we want to be on the leading edge, not always on the bleeding edge. “ Dr. Rob Glass Superintendent

The drumline preforms their cadance at the show in January

BHHS drumline performs at NAIAS 2016 Drumline accepts invitation to march during the parade at the North American International Auto Show Jordan Newland Staff Writer Amidst the concept cars, the BHHS drumline marched and performed during the 2016 North American International Auto Show parade at the Cobo Center in Detroit.

“The invitation came in the fall, around November,” said band director Alan Posner. “Somebody was looking for some drumline participation to add some excitement to the show.”

“I got an email from Mr. Posner that someone in the district had a connection with the auto show and we got hooked up. I was really happy when I received the news,” said junior tenor drummer Sam Greenberg of the team’s inaugural appearance.

While the auto show was held January 11th through the 24th the drumline started rehearsals as soon as they were confirmed to perform.

“We were preparing for over a month now. We already

knew our cadence (a series of musical phrases and rhythms performed in a loop) so it was more of a review, although we did add a few new parts,” said Sophomore tenor drummer Christian Kassab. “We rehearsed every Wednesday and Friday for about two hours. It was a lot of work but it paid off.”

Looking back Senior Niketh Chopra said “We worked very hard and that was my last performance, ever, as a snare drummer for BHHS. It was a wonderful feeling seeing a crowd follow you and just stare at you in awe as they see your sticks move very quickly, it was really cool and I think it was awesome.”

“It was just amazing,” junior Andrew Doré said. “People were always trying to reach out and touch our drums. It was great because we got a lot of attention. It felt really nice.”

Kassab believes that performing during the Auto Show provided the drumline with some additional credentials. “It kind of gave us more of a legitimate name,” he said. “It made us feel like we’re more professional or that we’re a little bit better because we played at such a big event.”

Looking to the future, Greenberg feels this performance is an opportunity for the drumline to develop, grow, and mature. “We have the ability but we also have to take that to the next level. We shouldn’t have this be the highlight of our drumline because we should always look forward and aspire higher, but I think it will be remembered for a long time.”

What NHTSA is doing is playing to subjective fears of parents and communities and sending the bill to local school districts,” he said. “If there is a problem with deaths and injuries on school buses, then why are school district’s not eligible for NHTSA 402 money to help finance driver training, PSA’s, and support for training equipment and facilities? Because, at this moment, school bus safety is not a high priority.”

Glass agreed that the money could be better spent elsewhere. “The extra money that might be spent on those three-point seatbelts might be better spent on other safety features because most of the safety injuries actually occur outside of the buses. So, if you’re going to make an investment on this, might it be better to work on the least safe part of it around the buses (notification systems, cameras, safety procedures). It all should come down to where’s the money to improve bus safety, best spent.”

Currently, the Bloomfield Hills School district has been not been mandated to install the three-point seatbelts, but Brian Goby, the Director of Physical Plant Services, said that Bloomfield Hills School District has placed a modifiable order, which must be finalized in March. The order has been placed for five regular education buses and two special education buses with the three-point seat belts installed in them that would cost the district $98,497 each.

Lisa Folbe, a mother two students at Bloomfield Hills High School, sees no issue with investing seatbelts in school buses if the school district believes it will protect her children. “I think we should install three-point seatbelts on our district buses. It seems there has been an increase in the incidence of bus related crashes and associated injuries and fatalities. If passengers were required to wear safety belts, I think the benefits of outfitting busses with three-point seatbelts would far outweigh the costs. I do not have a problem with our district spending money to protect our students if the district sees value in doing it.”

“Because seatbelts are not mandated now, we are left with many serious unanswered questions. How will it affect evacuation times?

How are we going to mandate and monitor that children under eight years wear their seat belt?

How are we going to fund it?” Brian Goby said.

NEWS

4 Syrian refugees find home in Bloomfield District

TECIP team is formed to handle crises

Two students describe their strenuous journey to America

Traumatic event crisis intervention team has been formed by Carla Westerby.

Raya Nashef Staff Writer

Lia Forman Staff Writer

Resting on the comfy couch in BHHS media center, he soaks in the warmth of the fireplace and remembers the fiery ruins of his war-torn home.

“We left because the war and the bombings were becoming too dangerous to live in,” recounts sophomore Abdulla Tanbal, who came to America from Aleppo, Syria with his parents, older brother and two younger sisters. “The Syrian government’s army came in and news came that they were going to bomb the area, and so we knew we had to leave. We didn’t have another choice.”

Although she was 220 miles from Tanbal, senior Tala Sarakbi added that her life in Damascus was similar. “Life was uncomfortable. I felt unsafe everyday. We were besieged by the Syrian military, so it became hard to leave in and out of places. After I finished tenth grade, my school was struck by a bomb and it collapsed.

So none of us could go to school anymore.”

Tanbal and Sarakbi are two of the seven Syrian students who have come to Bloomfield Hills High School within the 2015 -2016 school year.

“The school is doing an excellent job helping our Syrian refugee students integrate in the high school. They’ve enrolled them in online classes, and provided them with ESL teachers. All the accommodations are being made,” said ESL teacher Abeer Taha. “All the students are provided laptops as well, so they all have access to online resources.”

According to Tanbal and Sarakbi more often than not, the journey immigrants traverse to get to the US is both long and disheartening. “My family knew we should leave Syria because of the war, but when our house was bombed we didn’t have anywhere to live so we decided to go to Jordan,” Sarakbi said about her family’s decision to leave Syria three years ago. “Life in Jordan was tough. It wasn’t easy at all. Jordan is small and crowded. There were no jobs for my older brothers. School was different. It was a huge change

“The conditions in Syria have made life truly unlivable. All means of making a living are destroyed. Life is unsafe. They shouldn’t deny people from being free from this lifestyle,” Abdulla Tanbal Sophomore and that was hard for me. I went to school for one year in Jordan, eleventh grade, and then I had to drop out for two years and now I’m here.”

After leaving Syria and moving into Istanbul Tanbal said that “life in Turkey was full of hardship. The exploitation of Syrians over there is indescribable. They took total advantage of the Syrian people. They took advantage of us. I had only just started eighth grade when my school was bombed. I couldn’t continue my studies.

I couldn’t even go to school anymore. I had to work and help my family put food on the table.

We worked all the time. We left in the morning and didn’t come back until the nighttime.”

Both Tanbal and Sarakbi shared similar experiences regarding the process of coming into the states.

“We first went to Turkey and we stayed in Turkey for three years, and then we applied to the UN and came here. It took a year and a half until we were finally granted asylum. They asked us a lot of questions; ‘where are you from, why are you coming’ a lot of personal questions and things like that. It was a really long and tiring process,” Tanbal said.

With the recent political controversy surrounding America’s policy for screening refugees both Sarakbi and Tanbal said they believe refugees should continue to be granted asylum in America.

“Life in Syria today is much worse than when I was living there. The water supply gets cut randomly during the day, the electricity turns off randomly for hours at a time, even the roads have checkpoints now so there’s no means of transportation,” Sarakbi explained.

“I’m definitely against prohibiting refugees to come here. They can’t deny people from leaving Syria because life in Syria is not living. They have to allow people to leave the country for a chance at a better life. Most of the people who are coming into America are families with young children. Everyone I saw who came in with me into the country was a part of a family like me.”

Tanbal who was unable to even attend school agreed that the American Government shouldn’t reject the refugees. “The conditions in Syria have made life truly unlivable. The lives of the Syrian people have fallen apart. All means of making a living are destroyed. There is no way to make a living. Life is unsafe. They shouldn’t deny people from being free from this lifestyle,” he said. “When I came from Turkey to America I was overjoyed. It’s a dream come true, to live in America. It (America) has everything. If you come to America your future is very bright.

All you have to do is study hard, work hard, and you can work for the life you want. I feel lucky to be here at this school. I went from a school buried in rubble to the best high school in Michigan. The teachers are very helpful, and the classes are very interesting. I love being here every day and sometimes I don’t even want to go home.”

In order to prevent and respond to various crisis’ in the community Counselor Carla Westerby explains that she has created a Traumatic Event Crisis Intervention Team.

“The purpose of it is if a traumatic event happens in our school community, whether a death of a student or a teacher or house fire of someone in the community, this crisis intervention team comes together after the crisis to develop awareness and ways we can help our immediate school community to get through it,” said counselor Carla Westerby who is collaborating with counselor Melanie Brooks on creating a TECIP which Westerby says stands for Traumatic Event Crisis Intervention Plan. “Our goal is to implement TECIP district-wide and so at the high school level there is a team of us right now between 15 and 20 teachers and staff who are working towards implementing it here.”

Westerby and Brooks were first introduced to TECIPs through a seminar at Oakland Schools last year. TECIP is replacing a previous protocol to help the new school adapt in case of crises. has made progress on implementing their crisis plan.

“It is common that all school districts have some sort of intervention plan. There was a prior protocol that was used. I think that this a similar program as the one in the past but since we are a new school, together as one, we are trying to implement new things together.”

In addition to Brooks and Westerby BHHS has three counselors who are trained in TICEP. According to Brooks these professionals “know how to assess or to what level a traumatic event should be responded to. We are prepared to assess the severity or how many people will be affected by a certain event,” she said. “For example, if there was a fire in a home and unfortunately one of our students passed away, we would then go through

ABOVE: With an open design, the serveries have encountered students stealing. Throughout the early months, the disrtict has worked to combat the issue.

Thousands lost each month due to theft in cafeteria Flaw in school’s blueprints results in stealing from the cafeteria, each month up to 1, 200 dollars are stolen by student.

Brandon Kowalski Staff Writer could potentially cost the school anywhere According to Chief Manager for Aramark between $1,600-3,200 so far this school year. food servicing Bloomfield Hills School DisOne way to help stop the problem Romtrict, the architects who designed the new sek said that, “We asked to have had a police high school had a flaw in their blueprints. officer in the cafeteria who since has caught “Kids are able to come in through the pripeople stealing but we never know when that mary exits and we don’t have an organized officer is able to help out. Other times we flow coming in. This makes gaps in the syswill have our cashiers ask and look to see if tem and we have had an increased amount students are carrying hidden merchandise.” of stealing because of it,” says Romsek of the Along with adding a police officer more way the large eatery and four services were often, Romsek suggests preventing students designed thus causing an increase in thefts. from carrying their backpacks into the main “We have tried to move things around to cafeteria. “That would prevent this from hapbe ideal, but we really pening but with so many don’t have the power kids walking in at the same time it is difficult.” “People are sticking items in to change it,”she says.

Chef manager Mari- their pockets and backpacks “We also have talked to the principal and to anne Romsek said that and walking out the cafeteother staff about altering design flaw will cost the the layout of the cafe to Bloomfield Hills com- ria without our knowledge. prevent more stealing munity money accord- The first lunch, A-Lunch, from blind spots. As ing to employees at Ar- has the most kids out of all of now, it is what it is.” amark Food Servicing.

Students have sug“People are sticking lunches and creates an even gested other ways items in their pock- more rushed process which of cutting down on ets and backpacks and is a problem.” theft in the cafeteria. walking out the cafeteria “I think they should without our knowledge. add cameras in the cafThe first lunch, A-Lunch, Marianne Romsek eteria,” said junior Rayhas the most kids out of Chef Manager mond Dilworth. “That all lunches and creates an would make it easier to even more rushed process cut down on theft and cath those who do steal.” which is a problem,” said Romsek. ““We Associate Principal Scott Sugg reacted to aren’t sure exactly of the numbers cumuthis issue saying “We were told about students lative over the course of the semester, but eating and taking food out of the cafeteria we’ve caught up to 10-20 situations each without paying for it. After hearing this in late day; however, we can see the number of December, the school’s police liaison Officer bottles recorded on our end of the day reMurphy and I went into the cafeteria to an port compared with the number of drinks area we felt that these thefts were occurring that are now missing from our inventory.” in order to deter any possible stealing from While an exact amount couldn’t be prohappening there,” said Sugg. “We did this for vided, it is estimated meals and drinks range about a week to try to get the message across from $1-4 on the school’s menu, repetitive and since then we haven’t heard anything thefts have the ability to rack up hundreds more from Aramark food regarding stealing.” of dollars. For instance, the average item price of about $2 plus the student thefts

“I am happy to be part of TECIP. I think it is important because you will never know how people will respond in the middle of a crisis. I think if we don’t have a plan, we plan to fail.”

Melanie Brooks Counselor some steps to find out how many people are affected. If a student is very active in extracurriculars and academics, it would influence how big of a team we would need to inform the community. We don’t have one cookie cutter plan but TECIP falls in line with many different factors. “ After hearing about the suicides that have happened at West Bloomfield High School Junior Melissa Farnen said that she is pleased in knowing that BHHS adults are preparing a plan if tragedies would happen within her community. “It makes me feel safe,” said Farnen.

Looking the work the team has completed so far, Brooks says “I am happy to be part of TECIP. I think it is important because you will never know how people will respond in the middle of a crisis.

I think if we don’t have a plan, we plan to fail.”

For more information about BHHS TECIP please contact the counseling office.

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News

5 Teacher Eric Jasin retires

The problem with

Plagiarism

“ 36%

“

of undergraduates admit to “paraphrasing/copying few sentences from Internet source without footnoting it” -Plagiarism.org

1 3

Math teacher discusses his years of service Max Helfman Guest Writer “In a survey of 24,000 students at 70 high schools admitted to plagiarism.”

of high school students admitted that they used the Internet to plagiarize an assignment” -Plagiarism.org

-Plagiarism.org

When to use citations: • “whenever you use quotes • whenever you paraphrase • whenever you use an idea that someone else has already expressed • whenever you make specific reference to the work of another • whenever someone else’s work has been critical in developing your own ideas.” -Plagiarism.org

BHHS faculty discuss the issue with students plagiarizing and the consequences involved Julia Eisenshtadt Advertising Manager As she continued to read her student’s essay, English teacher Amanda Zang knew she would have to have that awkward conversation.

“What I ended up finding to figure out that this student plagiarized was the vocabulary that was included.

It was far more elevated than the student’s ability,” said Zang, who was upset to know her student resorted to cheating. “You’re super disappointed because you wish the student would have made better choices.”

For teachers like Zang, these situations are not enjoyable. “When you have those conversations, you don’t know how they’re going to go,” she said. “They can be accusatory ‘No I didn’t, how dare you!’ or often times kids agree and say yes I did, I’m sorry. Regardless, they’re awkward.”

According to media specialist Stephanie Bevier, “Plagiarism is using the words, ideas, thoughts, drawings, and concepts of someone else and then not giving them credit. There’s the purposeful stuff on one end, where somebody prints off somebody else’s essay and adds their name to the top of it and turns it in.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is someone who just cited something incorrectly or forgot to cite it.”

Aside from stealing another student’s essays or citing sources incorrectly, plagiarism comes in other forms that may not be as well known by students. According to Bevier even reusing old work written by the same student is plagiarism.

“Some people may not even realize that if you recycle one of your old papers, and you didn’t tell your teacher, that’s still plagiarism,” said Bevier. “When you do an assignment for a class it is expected that you’re doing original work, and if you recycle some-

thing, even if it’s yours, it’s not original work.”

Bevier believes that plagiarism is an issue because “it’s so easy. When all you have to do is copy and paste, it becomes simplistic. All the tools that make research easier and writing easier in turn makes it easier to plagiarize accidently or not.”

So, why is plagiarism a big deal?

“Technology is so extensive now it can search to find out what is original and what is not original work,” said counselor James Fogle “It’s a dangerous game to play to try to beat the system. Most of the time you get caught.” The possible consequences for plagiarism are clearly defined in the Student Code of Conduct as well as in class syllabuses. Punishments may include receiving a zero on the assignment, serving an in-school detention, or having to redo the assignment.

While some students do only plagiarize by mistake, Hall, Fogle, and Zang agree that steps need to be taken to combat plagiarism in the classroom.

According to Associate Principal Tracy Hall, most English teachers have incorporated the use of turnitin.com, a site that searches for similarities between students’ papers and online search results, in their classes. “ I think it does a pretty good job at detecting any instances of plagiarism,” she said.

Along with turnitin.com, Zang has another approach to limiting the opportunity for cheating. “In my class I have kids hand write their essays now and they can type up from the draft that they wrote,” she said. “If I see a huge disparity between the hand written essay and what they turn in for their final then I can have a

conversation with that student and obviously do more research to see if it was plagiarized.”

While she doesn’t enjoy having the conversations with her students or giving them consequences, Zang says she understands what must cause a student to cheat. “The demands and expectations that are placed on you guys [students] are far more greater than they ever were for me as a student,” she said. “With that being said, I think that kids make poor choices because of those expectations and stresses of doing well and getting the best GPA.” Fogle adds that part of the process to getting to the problem is figuring out why a student made the decision. “We start to look at why they made that decision, and what led them to that decision. If it was pressure, we talk about ways we can deal with pressure. There are a variety of ways people deal with stress, and one of them unfortunately is cheating. The student and I brainstorm on more healthy ways to handle whatever caused them to plagiarize.”

Although some plagiarism may be caused by stress and pressure, Zang still believes that plagiarism is overall a moral issue.

“We are trying to make a better system for kids to not be tempted to plagiarize, but I don’t think it can ever solve the problem when we are talking about morality,” said Zang. “At the end of the day, if a kid plagiarizes knowingly, it’s a moral issue. But when we’re talking about a kid who didn’t know how to cite correctly, that’s something that we as teachers can combat.”

On Friday, January 29th, at the end of the first semester Eric Jasin and his colleague Brian Bigham tool their final walk around the building together.

“I’m more of a traditional teacher. I believe that foundational material is more important,” he said as to the reason he choose to leave at the end of first semester. “My philosophies aren’t melding with the new world of teaching. Also, I hit that magic age. ” Looking toward school life without Jasin, Bigham said, “It’s going to be mysterious here without him. I’m going to have to find a new friend and there will be more coffee available in the morning.”

Even though he pretty much had everything figured out the day he signed his retirement papers, he said “was a little worried. I was worried about how things were going to be. You know it’s a change so you’re not very positive about everything.”

Senior student Gloria Sultani who has begun her mornings in Jasin’s second hour Personal Finance class said that she’s “ going to miss him always messing around with his students. I like how he treats us like friends but also like students.

Just his attitude everyday is going to be missed.”

Senior Noor Albatas who also has Jasin for personal and business finance said, “Mr. Jasin is a perfect teacher. He’s fun and chill. He’s great. I’m gonna miss the quality, energy he brings, and the humorous type of feel/ vibe he brings to the class each and every day.”

Sharing the same fourth hour as Albatas, Shreyas Ramachandran added that it’s Ramachandran’s first year in Bloomfield schools, he said Mr. Jasin made him feel “so welcome. He brings out the vibe that every student craves for.

He’s just an energetic man each and every day.

I’m gonna miss his class. The way he talks to the people is just perfect, ” Ramachandran said.

Recalling back to his own high school experience, Jasin said that he was influenced by his high school chemistry teacher. “I enjoy helping kids learn,” he said “ it’s as simple as that.”

Looking toward the future, Jasin said that he is most looking forward to one main activity.

“Sleep. I’m just looking forward to sleeping after I leave. Having a chance to sleep in and not get up. Especially when it’s winter time and you guys have to get up.”

When the last final exam was graded and his laptop turned in, Jasin and his friend Bigham walked through the halls for one last time as Jasin closed one chapter to begin another.

Pakistani student discusses the U.S. Quratulain Fatima explains her experience as a foreign student Aidan Menchaca Editor-in-Chief

District implements measures to guard student data How Bloomfield Hills Schools protects students’ information Jack Wroldsen Staff Writer As sophomore Srirama Varanasi was talking to his friends at lunch, their conversation took a chilling turn.

“We were originally talking about the novel “1984” by George Orwell, and someone had mentioned that we are basically living in that society,” said Varanasi. “It really freaked me out.

In “1984,” nobody had any privacy; people knew everything about you.

I thought about my information at school on MiStar, where things like my address and my parents’ names are documented. Social media and email accounts don’t ask for that stuff. It would be really bad if someone found out that information about me. Someone could know everyone about me.”

Manager of Student Services for Bloomfield Hills Schools JoAnne Messina explained that the sort of data that could allow people to “know everything about” someone is called personally identifiable data, and is collected by school districts.

“We have things like your address, birth date and location, and contact information. In terms of education, we also have things like your schedule, your attendance, your report card, your transcript, disciplinary and medical records, things like that. It’s all personally identifiable data,” said Messina.

Director of Learning Technology and

Information Services for Bloomfield Hills Schools David Shulkin explained exactly how that personally identifiable data is protected by the school district.

“You build security like an onion, with layers. We could say there are three: the legal pieces, the hard-target protections, and the soft-target protections,” Shulkin described.

“We first have the legal pieces of protection. Two main laws that govern and dictate student information protection practice are the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA),” said Shulkin. “FERPA, in terms of student data, basically states that school districts are obliged to protect the personally identifiable data of students’ educational records. COPPA provides restrictions around apps, systems, and software we use. We have some state policies and procedures for data retention and security as well that specify what we can and can’t keep on record.”

However, Shulkin noted how antiquated these laws are.

“None of these laws keep up with technology. It’s a challenge, we’re always in this weird space of balancing what the law is attempting to provide protection for and there being additional technologies that it doesn’t cover,” he explained.

While the first step to student information protection affects every school district the same way through laws, Shulkin emphasized the individualistic nature of the second layer.

“The next piece of the security is the hardware, or as we call it hard-target.

Every district is different in this, because it’s the technical side to protection, with firewalls, anti-spyware, encryption, and intrusion prevention systems,” said Shulkin. “Normally, we focus on firewalls, which block unauthorized attempted access to a network. Our website alone gets attacked thousands of times a day from all over the world, especially from China, Russia, and Iran. We’ve had some of our internal sites attacked 5,000 times in a day. And the firewall stops those attacks; it gives you warnings if someone is attempting to attack the website.”

Messina concurred, explaining that hardware protection extends beyond the technological components.

“All of the data we have on students is served in the MiStar database that is physically on a server at the Booth Center,” said Messina. “That information is configured with mirror backups and additional hard drives. Physical copies of the data on tapes are taken home by an IT staff member, and we have offsite backup as well, so the information is protected by other compa-

nies and their hardware components.”

However, Shulkin emphasized the third layer of protection, humans themselves, as the most dangerous.

“The third piece is called soft-target, or us. Humans are the biggest problem for security. We’re careless with our data, through weak passwords and sharing them,” he said. “Most data breaches that occur don’t happen because someone broke through the firewall or anything. It’s because of human error.”

Shulkin explained why the layers of protection are so necessary.

“There’s a reason they call this era of history the Information Age; information is valuable. People can learn everything about you with personally identifiable data. There’s no privacy.

And it’s a scary thought. Someone can know more about you than you do.”

That concept, Shulkin notes, is the very reason schools protect their student’s information.

“This should be a safe place. It’s a place where kids are growing up, making mistakes, and learning. Holding information about them against them, be it grades or disciplinary records or anything, in the future is something we want to try to avoid. So we do our very best to protect what you could call the ‘crown jewels’ of information, or the personally identifiable data. It’s so we can protect them in the future.”

How was it like growing up in Pakistan?

It was really good. In my country it’s a really different culture [from the United States]. So when I came here it was a really big cultural shock for me.

Everything was really different. If you talk about food, clothes and education and language, [it is different]…My very first day I was like ‘where am I?’. I couldn’t believe [the difference]. Experiencing a really different culture was really awesome…

What is the main difference between childhood in Pakistan and America? …Everbody in America becomes independent at a really early age, but [in Pakistan] we do not become independent at an early age. If some teenager is doing a job at sixteen, seventeen or eighteen…their parents are not going to support them. Something like that is not considered good. Here you can do jobs and everything you want…

Do you think it’s important for others to experience other cultures to clear up these misconceptions?

Because of giving my presentations [on Pakistan] during the International Education Week, one day the principal came to my presentation because I was the only exchange student in the school who was giving presentations…He talked to me and personally interviewed me and he said ‘tell me about your experience—what made you give presentations?’. Then, I told him the whole story and just because of that, he wrote everything about me on the school website. That’s really cool when I’m sharing my [perspective]. Now, when I’m sharing to my friends back in my country, they’re really proud of me, but those friends, they have misconceptions about the U.S. too. So now I have two responsibilities. I’m not [only] learning about misconceptions [of ] my own country but about the U.S. too because I am experiencing this culture and I know that the people are good. The government is really good and everything is really nice…I still remember when I got my placement, I told my friends that I was going to Michigan. They knew that Detroit [was] really well known for the crime and they were like ‘oh my gosh!

You’re going there. I would never go to that place. But now I know, everything is safe, nothing is happening.

Before coming here I was also afraid…When you experience the culture first hand you learn that there is nothing bad, that it is all stereotypes made up by people.

Catch the Col New stress-relieving Betsy Stubbs Staff Writer

M

arkers in hand, she sits contently, abandon-

I color, I definitely feel calmer afterwards. It just kind of

ing the stress of her day one color at a time.

takes away the stress from whatever I am stressing out about.”

Carefully, filling in the coloring page

According to CNN, coloring books for teens and

with every color of the rainbow, she is

adults are topping Amazon’s best selling book lists and

able to escape from her responsibilities.

are selling out all over the country. Priscilla Frank, Arts

“I took a class last year called Art

Writer for the Huffington Post’s

said that “six of the

Therapy with Andrea [McCoy, a psychology teacher at Model

top twenty books on Amazon are adult coloring books.”

High School]. She introduced me to the idea of coloring and

In November, NBC news reported that Crayola “just

suggested last year for me to buy a coloring book. Over the

introduced its first artist-contributed coloring book for grown-

summer I bought one for $20 and I fell in love with it,” said

ups. They reported that Kim Rompilla, Crayola’s director

senior Hannah Hooton, who is among the many teens and

of marketing said “this classic activity provides an escape

adults who are using coloring books to cope with stress. “When

and we want to show our belief that everyone is creative.”

Try your hand at coloring these Bloom For additional coloring opportunities see page 11

Charlie Hollerith

Rob G

Inspirations

Inspira

title Quotes

Charlie Hollerith Principal

tit Quo

loring Craze trend hits BHHS As coloring books become the current trend to unwind,

enjoyment of choosing colors and that sort of thing- is go-

Theresa Quinn, a registered art therapist, begins to explain why

ing to help with the physiological changes that de-stress you.”

this once-elementary activity is being shared among adults.

Agreeing with Quinn, Senior Kelly Wester said

“The assumptions about how it works is that any activity or

stress

the

motivation

behind

her

coloring

again.

task you might do that requires focus and has a pattern to it,

“There was definitely the nostalgic motivation behind my

a repetition, and is enjoyable,” she said. “There are changes

purchase,” said Wester of this universal activity. “Everyone

in your heart rate and in your brain pattern. There is also a

has colored at some point in their life, and now they can

shift from your latest business as usual way of thinking, the

do it free of judgement as an adult. It sort of allows you to

ways that lead to stress like repetition thinking, obsessing about

go back to your past and remember when your top prior-

things, worrying about the future or the past. Any activity-

ity was staying in the lines, not maintaining a 4.0 GPA.”

that could be coloring books, it could be knitting, anything that has that enjoyable repetitive quality to it but also has the

mfield legends

Glass

tle otes

ations

Scott Sugg title Quotes

Inspirations

Rob Glass Superintendent illustrations by Zheng and Stubbs

OP/ED

8 COLUMN

Embrace your inner creativity

COLUMN PRO

Life is like a box of chocolates Despite its ups and downs, life is worth living Foster Stubbs Managing Editor

Editor discusses the virtues of expressing your most profound thoughts Aidan Menchaca Editor-inChief You are about to fall asleep.

Consciousness fading in and out, you, blessed with an inherent clairvoyance—a subjective gaze—think. You, perplexed one, ponder life beyond the bounds of what you know. You, in rapturous ecstasy, then proceed to fall asleep.

The next morning musings subside to reports, tests and scheduling. Life returns.

We have all had these moments.

In the small times of our lives we think and think about thinking.

We feel the depths of ourselves only to stop short. We get closer and closer to intellectual resurrection only to return, our thoughts lay withering—the soil untilled.

We are afraid. Our thoughts are half-baked things. Often we can only cryptically express our deepest thoughts. They span a magnitude greater than language or they reveal too much. They are too seditious, libelous, scandalous and, dare I say, innovative. They share in an infinity that is at odds with our finite lives. Thus, they rarely see the light of day, but sit like a calm sea, but they only need spark of change to produce a storm.

But say we stir up the sea?

Perhaps we could not handle it. It may be too great a feat; its far easier to not. It may backfire. It may be too scandalous. It may be libelous.

But there’s a chance that we hit the mark—a chance that we bring the sublime down from its mantel and onto earth. There is a chance that we innovate, create and animate.

“Our thoughts are half-baked things. ...They span a magnitude greater than language or they reveal too much. They are too seditious, libelous, scandalous and, dare I say, innovative. They share in an infinity that is at odds with our finite lives.”

There is a chance that we become different ourselves. In fact, is it not so wrong to suppose that in our depthless mind lies a message to ourselves? Or in our discerning reason, we can find a way forward?

So few become creatives in the human race. It requires, ironically, no thought but action.

We must dare to express our thoughts at the risk of becoming stagnant or even misunderstood.

We must do it for ourselves principally but if we are ever to impact the world, this is how we start.

You (yes you!) do not go to sleep-I urge you--and arise to the tune of your own mind, for we have rolled over far too much in life.

It is a little time for some self-assertion and perhaps we can catch a glimpse of day.

Let’s clarify one thing: this is NOT a Pro/Con about being “pro-life.”

This is a Pro/Con about life itself. Not the cereal, not the board game.

Yes, we’re debating life, that strange thing we experience every day or if you want to put it scientifically, “the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.”

The thing that lets you feel the joy of hitting the gamewinning shot or the misery of learning that your dog moved to a farm upstate (which reminds me, I have to have a talk with my parents). For all eternity, humanity has been searching for the meaning of life. Why are we here? What is our purpose? We have become so caught up in finding answers to the big questions that we forget to appreciate life for all of its ups and downs.

But life stinks sometimes, right? There are times where

we feel like life is slapping us across the face. We flunk tests. We finish last in our fantasy football leagues. We get e. coli after eating Chipotle. When nothing goes right, it’s easy to just give up. But why? We are only on this planet for a limited amount of time, why waste it complaining about how bad life has treated us? As Alfred said in Batman Begins, “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” Rather than focus on how we have been wronged, why don’t we focus on how great it is to be alive? Our problems in life are considerably less significant than we may perceive them to be. Confucius once said, “Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.” When we fret and worry over the small things, we only dig ourselves into a hole. Life is full of opportunities waiting to be seized.

Think about it, where would you be without life? You wouldn’t exist. It sounds cliche but life is a gift that we only receive once. Unlike that Blockbuster gift card your aunt gave you for Christmas 10 years ago, use it before it’s gone.

Pro/Con: Living Life

CON

When the going gets tough, it’s tough to get going Sometimes “live, laugh, love” isn’t that easy Mallory Weiner Feature Editor

*read to the tune of I’m Just a Kid by Simple Plan* I never asked to be born. If I knew how cruel the world would be to me, I would have stayed in my mother’s womb forever.

The world is full of hatred, inequality, poverty, bullying, non-fat frozen yogurt, and loss.

Where does it end?

It’s these little things that really get me thinking, what’s the point?

As I unwillingly do the dishes I’m assaulted by the explosion of water that comes from sticking a spoon under the stream. Two seconds later I touch a piece of soggy food.

At that moment, I am done. I slink back to my room and contemplate my place on this earth.

I watch videos of soldiers surprising their loved ones after returning from war. How great for them that they made it home safely. But for many others that isn’t the case. Everyday people put themselves on the line in order to keep their loved ones safe; they sit wondering when they will finally be reunited with those they love. The world is a cruel place.

People leave it way too soon. I’m not going off to war but the thought of people leaving their families for months on end puts me in a state of depression.

Turning on the news when I am around is not an option.

In five minutes the news anchor tells me that there were three murders, two robberies, and seven kidnappings in the Metro Detroit area in the past 12 hours.

I’m never getting out of bed again. I am bound to end up dead in a ditch if I leave the comforts of my room.

I know there are moments where life is worth living.

Making a new friend, getting into college, not tripping up the stairs in front of a room full of people, seeing Ashley Tisdale at a coffee bar in Detroit.

However, those moments don’t take away from the fact that I wake up every morning having lost family members, having failed a test I thought I did well on, or having spilled my coffee on my white shirt.

It’s simple: sometimes it’s hard to just be.

An open letter to Frank Ocean Editor waits for singer’s overdue return Ally Jaksen Managing Editor Dear Frank, Hello.

It’s me.

I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to sing.

I’m quoting Adele because even she’s worried about you, as mentioned in an interview with Jimmy Fallon in December of 2015 discussing the release of her own second studio album, 24. Speaking of second studio albums, where is yours? You made an announcement that you started progress on rumoured Boys Don’t Cry in February of 2013, and even that it was nearly finished in April, 2014 but since then, all we’ve heard is crickets.

Now, it’s 2016 and still, nothing. It’s been four years since you dropped Channel Orange: an album that changed the music industry and the humble life of a thirteen-year-old brace-face me forever. Where are you now that I need you? Come back. I miss the silky sound of your lovely voice in my headphones. I need a song to get me through college acceptance season just like “Pyramids” got me through freshman year.

Typically, I don’t get attached to artists. A good song is a good song, no matter who or where it comes from. I don’t particularly care for Omi (and frankly, have no idea who he is), but I probably listened to “Cheerleader” about a thousand times over the summer. Kanye West is an arrogant narcissist but “Golddigger” never fails to get me shamelessly dancing and rapping along.

But Frank, you are the exception. Everything about you makes sense to me. Your persona is so present and so beautifully conveyed throughout your entire discography. Your quiet and humble demeanor makes your lyrics and melodies all the more meaningful and true. All your songs have spoken to me on some sort of level like no other artist’s have.

And all of this has made your absence all the more painful.

“Your persona is so present and so beautifully conveyed throughout your entire discography. Your quiet and humble demeanor makes your lyrics and melodies all the more meaningful and true. “ For a long time I was angry. I was resentful that you disappeared without a word, leaving me hanging on every word of conspiracy theories about where you had gone and what you were doing. But at this point I’m not mad. I’m just concerned. I need to know you’re alright. I need to know you’re not at the bottom of a ditch in The Valley or being held hostage by some psychopathic fan. I need to know you’re alive and well, and that music is at least sort of in the works.

So please make some music. Give me a sign you’re still here and still capable of doing what you do best.

Don’t be a stranger. Hello?

Love, Ally

VISIT OUR WEBSITE, thehawkeyenews.com, FOR OTHER OP/ED STORIES

OP/ED Discussing the Shine-Inside Theory Why comparison is the thief of joy, and how we can prevent it Jack Wroldsen Staff Writer On May 26, 2013, singer Kelly Rowland cried on stage.

Four Grammy Awards, 27 million records sold, and a judge on the X Factor: Rowland is one of the most respected female singers of R&B. Her accomplishments and successes look good, that is, until you compare her to former bandmate Beyoncé 20 Grammy Award winner, worth $450 million, Billboard’s Artist of the Millennium Beyoncé. And Rowland says she’s been comparing herself to Beyonce for quite some time.

Her 2013 single ‘Dirty Laundry’ revealed envy and indignation felt towards Beyoncé’s success following the disbandment of Destiny’s Child.

Luckily, few have their achievements or failures, or their life, measured against Beyoncé’s. But most of us can relate to feeling resentment at the achievements of another.

When we know of people who are “better,” be it smarter, more talented, or more athletic, it’s easy to hate them.

It means we are less; they’ll do better than us and be more successful. Why not me? Why are they “better” than me? We become envious, resentful, and spiteful. We “hate, hate, double hate, loathe entirely,” as the Grinch said, everyone that seems better than us, and eventually, ourselves.

How can we stop this instinct?

Well, removing comparison as a whole is impossible, as it is an innate human trait, and saying the comparison doesn’t motivate us is naïve. As a result, we need to learn to work with it and use it to our advantage. There are two ways to do this.

The first is called the “Shine Theory.”

Coined by journalist and feminist Ann Friedman, the Shine Theory states that women should befriend successful people on the principle that “I don’t shine if you don’t shine,” but the concept makes sense for all genders.

People know you by the company you keep; if you hang out with felons, people will think you are a felon too.

And besides, don’t you want the best people on your side, rooting for you, cheering you to the finish line? By hanging around with successful, accomplished people, you will become successful and accomplished as well.

But let’s take the Shine Theory one step further. It doesn’t matter how many people are on your side. If you can’t get on your own side, you can’t get past “go.” This brings us to the second method; I call it “The Inside Theory.” Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to yourself. Have you pursued your interests? Have you improved your life? Have you made yourself happy? That’s what really matters.

Hence - “The Shine-Inside Theory”, centered around the idea that we can only control ourselves, not others. Instead of comparing yourself to someone, befriend them. Instead of measuring yourself against someone, compare yourself to yourself.

We create a ranking system that makes us unhappy. Another’s success becomes your insecurity. But does it really matter? No. All that matters is ourselves. Michelangelo once said, “every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing with their stone. The statue within reflects themselves, not you. Focus on your own statue. That’s what you can control.

Removing this internal ranking system and focusing on being my best self was a revelation for me. It seems as though it was one for Kelly Rowland too. Beyoncé listened to ‘Dirty Laundry’ and, Rowland said, “she heard how real I was and was like ‘I’m so proud of you!’” Rowland realized that she can only control herself, not others, and that comparing herself to Beyoncé gave her nothing but unhappiness. If she can do it, why can’t we?

the

9

PLAGIARISM: A moral issue that hurts more than just the person who cheats.

Editor examines her readiness to begin college and complete her high school career Sadnha Ramanathan Op/Ed Editor

As the freshman freak out, the sophomores seem permanently confused, and the juniors meltdown, I, a senior, am left feeling only one thing in regards to high school; this year needs to end now.

Junior year ended on a stressful note as thoughts surrounding college took over my mind.

After a tumultuous summer filled with crying over the Common Application, arguments with my family about where to apply, and an unsuccessful attempt at a vacation, I started losing my drive to do anything pertaining to school.

As I write this, I can’t help but realize just how stupid it sounds, but it’s true.

I have given my education so much attention since kindergarten.

School over everything else has been a motto that I have drilled into my head. Yet the compilation of allnighters, caffeine that didn’t do it’s job, and the never-ending set of as-

Cartoon by Betsy Stubbs

“I am consumed by lethargy, irritation, and the general attitude of a sloth. I know that this needs to stop, but I have dug myself a grave that seems inescapable.”

“Thou shall not plagiarize”

A

s high school students we are witness to it everyday.

The kid next to you pulls out his phone to sneak a glance at a professional essay in English, while students are copying each other’s homework in math. They do it with so much ease and innocence you’d only think its normal.

You wouldn’t really be wrong.

That’s the problem.

A recent 2010 study cited by The Guardian sampled 80 international undergraduate and found that, in four years, the incidence of essay plagiarism went up 50%. With the proliferation of websites like Scribd, Yahoo Answers and essay-writing software, students have a wealth of opportunity to plagiarism. While the access is generally good--the diffusion of information is always positive--the negative externalities are rampant.

Yet, it is not just the technology that has propelled the problem. College enrollment has increased nearly 15% over the last three decades, reports the U.S. News, and schools like Columbia University have had radical drops in acceptances (65% to 6% since 1988). This has caused students to scramble for another competitive edge in a society that prides success, explains Harvard Professor Howard Gardner in a New York Times article. One of these consequences is plagiarism.

Progress has been made in some fields to stem the tide, but it has largely been ineffective. The widespread use of Turnitin in this school helps teachers find plagiarism and crack down on cheating, but as The Guardian continues, stud-

Hawkeye 2015-16 Staff

Living with Senioritis

EDITORIAL

ies at California State University show that these programs do not actually work as a true deterrent.

We need more substantive measures than this.

Principally, students need to rethink what it is they’re doing. When we plagiarize we are stealing other’s ideas and just because the use of the internet takes the directness out of our actions, it does not change our morality.

Schools should also take steps to rewrite their role in the problem. A clever idea in this vein has been English teacher Amanda Zang’s mandate that student papers be handwritten. With this we can encourage more original thought and ensure that the temptation to plagiarize is at least unable to be exercised. We must also emphasise that plagiarism is often an issue of work ethic--in many ways it’s a substitute for completing work in situations of apathy or stress. In realizing this, we can take measures to work with counselors so that students are both adequately challenged and caring atmospheres are emphasised; this is how we will curb it for good.

Finally, we must reform what we think is acceptable as a society. The success-at-all-costs mindset ought never to trump our obligations to each other and to our conscience. When we cheat it hurts those who forgo the activity and the author and it fosters a certain type of narcissism.

A common sin in an evil world, plagiarism may seem to be inconsequential, but even in ridding ourselves of this we make incremental progress towards the future. When we divorce ourselves from it our world becomes a bit more just.

Perhaps that is the point.

Advisor Christina Hammitt

Photo Editor Andie McKendrick

Editor-in-Chief Aidan Menchaca

Multimedia Editor Greg Margosian

Managing Editors Merrick Weingarten Foster Stubbs Ally Jaksen

Advertising Julia Eisenshtadt

Design Editor Jack Silberman

Public Relations CJ Drogosch

Section Editors Uzair Bandagi (Sports) Sadnha Ramanathan (Op/Ed) Mallory Weiner and Hannah Stein (Feature) Jason Moonka (News) Distribution Manager Shibi Sanjeev Cartoonist Betsy Stubbs

Illustrator Kevin Zheng Staff Writers Amanda Howard Kyrstin Schmidt Brandon Kowalski Jack Wroldsen Christine Mackenzie Emelia Irmscher John Ballouz Grace Beltowski Gillian Issacson Nuha Raziuddin

signments, has landed the analytical and logical side of my brain in a rut that I cannot seem to get out of.

The second week of school, I fell asleep in the hallway, and missed Physics. The fourth week of school, I fell asleep in the locker room benches after Cardio and Core, only to find that I missed lunch, and that Calculus was halfway done. When I decide to be productive which usually happens in advisory, I wind up watching The Office and wasting time.

Even interacting with other people becomes a hassle. When someone greets me with a “How are you? I haven’t seen you in forever,” I answer with a grunt and a half-nod, and trudge away.

I feel like warm yogurt.

I am consumed by lethargy, irritation, and the general attitude of a sloth. I know that this needs to stop, but I have dug myself a grave that seems inescapable. After working hard for over four years, my ambition has run out for a while, leaving me with a note that says “be back in time for freshman year of college.”

No matter what I do, I can’t seem to escape this mysterious case of senioritis- a serious affliction. It’s a struggle to try and not look like a thumb each school day. I spend my nights trying to sleep, and my days attempting (and failing) to stay awake.

If anyone knows a cure to senioritis aside from a swift kick to the rear, please let me know. Until then, I guess I’ll just keep sleeping.

Morgan Montgomery Shahada Altaii Raya Nashef Lia Forman

Letters+AD

10

Letters to the Editor: Dear Editors,

Dear Editors,

Dear Editor,

Hi, I’m Freshman, Sadie Kirschner, and I just wanted to say that I loved the opinion piece on page 10 of the school newspaper about Starbucks written by Raya Nashef. First off, the title totally drags you in to wanting to read more to find out what this story is all about. The picture also does the article justice.

After reading all of the descriptive adjectives that Raya used to describe the cup of hot chocolate, I looked at the picture and I could tell exactly what she was saying. Obviously I couldn’t take it but the vocabulary she used and that picture really made me want to try it.

She used lots of great descriptive word choices and I think that it was very well written. I also like how she told be the price of the drink and, you could tell by her writing how much she loved it.

I recently read the December Hawk Eye newspaper and I decided to write a letter to the editor Jack Silberman. I really enjoyed the opinion piece he did on Adele’s new album it was one of my favorite things in there..

There was some pros but also some cons. First for the pros, I loved the format of the music section. The columns of writing made it look very formal in my opinion. I also liked how when you began to describe the 6 songs in the album that you did not care for you became very powerful with it and used a simile to compare it to last minute homework assignments. However one thing you could improve on is next time maybe choose a different album or song that is less popular so people don’t already know lots about it an you could introduce something new to us. Overall nice job on the newspaper though you guys!

I am writing this because I was very intrigued by page 7 of the Opinion Section.

The title, Keep your tweets to yourself, reminded me of a common saying about keeping your hands to yourself. My teachers would constantly remind us of this rule in elementary school. By 5th grade, teachers didn’t remind us of this rule thinking we were mature enough to not break this simple rule. But years later, with social media, this rule not only applies to physical hands, but your social remarks. Who is to say hurting someone in real life is worse that online. The rule that our teachers had strongly been teaching has finally come into place in the real world. This article is well written because it touches the surface of the issue and makes the reader think about what they did wrong and what they can do to fix it.

-Sadie Kirschner

-Carolyn Reilly

-Ben Moss

Want your voice heard?

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Email the hawkeye at: bloomfieldhawkeye@gmail.com

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The earning potential of Lawrence Tech grads is among the highest in America.

If you believe that everything is possible, and that possible is everything, we want you at LTU. Watch LTU students share their college experiences at ltu.edu/StudentStories.

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Southfield, Michigan 800.225.5588 admissions@ltu.edu www.ltu.edu Architecture and Design | Arts and Sciences Engineering | Management

ENTERTAINMENT

11

Humans of Bloomfield:

“

How are you feeling during the show?”

“I feel great. There haven’t been any pregnancy horror stories. I’m falling asleep at about 8 o’clock every night but other than that it’s been pretty easy.”

“

What would be something a Jet would say?”

“This is our turf, buddy-boy, and if you’re messing with the wrong people, you best skedaddle.”

Jeremy Taigman,

“

Is it hard to remain friends offstage when you’re enemies onstage?”

“

“Who said we were friends off stage?”

Lily Ochs, Erin Behe, Michael Kunz, 12

12

Jessica Riley

What is your role?”

“Bernardo, the head of the Sharks, brother of Maria.”

“

“What is your favorite part about being Bernardo?”

“Definitely all of the fighting and dying on stage.”

Daniel Banooni, 12

Choir Director

comics

by Betsy Stubbs Cut and color

West Side Story Edition

What is your role?”

“I’m Anybody.”

“Who’s Anybody?”

“She’s a tomboy who wants to be a Jet. It’s really different playing her because I’m not a tomboy at all.

I’m more of a girly girl.”

Mia Morelli, 10

We love it and hate it.

The World’s Hottest Peppers Red Viper UK 1,349,000 SHU

Carolina Reaper USA 2,200,000 SHU

Can Spiciness Kill You? Yes and no.

Theoretically eating 3 lbs. of chillies in powder form could kill you, but you would stop eating before you’d finish Spiciness is just an irritant!

7 Pot Douglah Caribbean 1,853,596 SHU

Ghost Pepper India 1,041,127 SHU

Trinidad Scorpion Trinidad 2,009,000 SHU

Butch T Australia 1,463,700 SHU

SCOVILLE PEPPER SCALE CAROLINA REAPER

2,200,000

MAKE YOU CRY

GHOST PEPPER

1,041,127

invented the Scoville Scale

HABANERO

Spicy Spray

100,000-225,000

BIRDS EYE

50,000-100,000

THAI

Pepper spray uses chili pepper extracts! Imagine rubbing ghost chilli peppers into your eyes!

150,000-385,000

SPICY

Wilbur Scoville

HOT

MEDIUM

MILD

30,000-50,000

CAYENNE

5000-8000

CHIPOTLE

2500-8000

TOBASCO JALAPENO

1000-2000

POBLANO

500-2500

ANAHEIM

0

BELL PEPPER

WHY YOU SHOULD EAT SPICY FOOD

Pepper spray for law enforcement is estimated at 1 million SHU, but the actual strength is diluted in water.

SPICY FLAVOR PROFILES SPICY & SWEET BALANCE EACH OTHER

SPICY

SPICINESS ENHANCES BITTERNESS

BURNS FAT ANTI-CANCER HEART-HEALTHY

HELPS LOWER CHOLESTEROL

RELIEVES PAIN

RAISES METABOLISM

SWEET

BITTER

CHILIS ARE HIGH IN VITAMIN C AND CALCIUM REDUCES EXCESS STOMACH ACID

GUILT-FREE SUPERFOOD http://www.cooksmarts.com/ http://www.pepper-spray-store.com/pages/whatis http://www.chowhound.com http://www.chilliworld.com/FactFile/Scoville_Scale.asp http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/ http://articles.mercola.com/ https://www.google.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin

SOUR BALANCES SPICINESS

SALTY GENERALLY, SPICY CAN GO WITH ANYTHING

SOUR

Lifestyle Joining the Bandwagon

Page 18 Photo Credits: Susan Adams Photgraphy

HOM EL ESS

in Bloomfield

Editor questions the negative perception of joining bandwagons through the Star Wars series

Student overcomes homelessness and aims to inspire others to help fight the problem

Jack Silberman Design Editor

S

trong with the force, I was not.

This force, of course, was my 16 year streak of never watching any of the Star Wars movies. Recently, that streak was snapped.

I caved.

I thought the entire franchise was ridiculous, and that it was all hype.

I would like to go on the record and say that I have never been so horribly wrong in my entire life.

I sat down, and twenty hours later, I had turned to the dark side.

I was the chosen one, the one who supposed to resist watching this series of movies that I thought to be so absurd. Similarly to Anakin Skywalker, though, I was persuaded by Emperor Palpatine and before long, it was too late.

Now, I feel as if I am a seasoned Star Wars veteran. I saw episode VII three times. That is a cumulative 6 hours and 48 minutes of episode VII. And I can honestly say that I would see it again if given the chance.

F

or two years she had a secret. “I think people don’t think it happens in Bloomfield Hills because it’s known as a very wealthy city,” said senior Alexa Maritas, who due to her father losing his job was one of 12 BHSD students recognized as homeless. “They look at homelessness more as hobos and people begging and asking for money. Rather than people actually losing their homes and families. “I faced a lot of discrimination. People believed that because I didn’t have all the newest and greatest products and

“I think people don’t think it happens in Bloomfield Hills because it’s known as a very wealthy city” didn’t live in a massive home I was below them. I was never ashamed of who I was, I just felt left out.”

According to School social worker and district Mckinney-Vento Liaison Cassandra Jones, the definition of what defines a person as being homeless isn’t always understood. Adhering to the MckinneyVento Act, which clearly provides school districts and personal with a clear definition, Jones explained any child or youth who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of

“I thought the entire franchise was ridiculous, and that it was all hype.

I would like to go on the record and say that I have never been so horribly wrong in my entire life.”

If you’re anything like my former self, refusing to see this movies because you think they are silly, you’re wrong. The benefits I have received from watching them cannot be understated. Now that I have seen the movies, I have been unexcommunicated from my friend group. It feels great, despite the rumblings of me being excommunicated again because my favorite character is Jar Jar Binks. But as Jar Jar would say, “Me’s a don’t care”.

Seriously though, you can’t truly be in the loop (especially right now with Episode VII smashing every movie record ever) unless you’ve seen them.

As someone who has never watched Breaking Bad, Grey’s Anatomy, or whatever it is that people watch, it feels fantastic to actually understand what everyone is talking about for once.

I cannot believe it took me 16 years to watch Star Wars. I was definitely wrong when I said that I would hate it. As Yoda would say, “watch these movies, you must.”

Emelia Irmscher Staff Writer

see more page 22

Community members discuss MIPs

the facts

Consequences and perspectives of MIPs explained by Bloomfield Hills community Christine Mackenzie Staff Writer

H

er wish is that no one would ever get them.

“I think some kids don’t think it is a such a big deal when it happens. Kids don’t realize when you mess around with the legal system, you lose control of the choices you have in your life,” high school counselor Laura Hollyer-Madis said of receiving a Minor in Possession (MIP). “An MIP makes life more challenging to function outside of school and with social activities because it could catch up to you and cause you more harm.

Kids don’t realize when you mess around with the legal system, you lose control of the choices you have in your life.”

Although most students define an MIP as simply a minor caught in possession of illegal substances, Bloomfield Hills Schools Police Liaison Jason Murphy explains that the offense and its consequences are much broader and serious than one would expect.

“Some people think if you are not actually in possession of alcohol, you cannot be given an MIP, which is false. People think, ‘Oh, I don’t have any alcohol on me. I’m not carrying it, so I don’t get an MIP.’ That’s false. Even if it’s in your body, you can still be given an MIP,” he said.

“Another thing underage people think is that they can just refuse to blow in a

breathalyzer and get away with it, but you can’t. You can still be given an MIP.” While some students choose to involve themselves with drugs and alcohol, other students are cognizant of the law and choose not to.

“The consequences are totally fair, but I don’t feel bad for people who get MIPs. It’s the law,” tenth grade student Alex Dufour said. “I personally would not be interested in that kind of thing [drugs and alcohol], and I think that people should abide by the rules.”

Because of the school’s relationship with the police, information regarding MIPs is immediately communicated to the counselors and other staff.

Murphy believes that students who get MIPs “put themselves in situations they shouldn’t be in. More times than not, they are being irresponsible when they drink, and their acts are unbecoming of who they are, as a person, and brings attention to themselves.”

By working with the school, Murphy hopes that students will learn from their mistakes and understand the severity of their infractions, which is why notified counselors take the time to have a discussion with the individual.

“It raises red flags about characters, values, and morals. You have to earn people’s trust back when things like that

happen. I definitely think it can impact how the adults in their world view them as an individual and an athlete,” said Hollyer-Madis, who has had thirteen years of experience as a drug counselor prior to her becoming a school counselor. “While students may understand that receiving an MIP is a violation of the school’s code of conduct, students may not be aware of its impact on their reputations. When you receive an MIP, you are at risk for another one happening, since there is clearly a problem going on, so when you get an MIP, the courts will give you consequences. These are some of the things we talk about.”

Examining the consequences of MIPs, law teacher Robert Hurdle said that if students are “lucky they’ll receive probation which would entail a significant amount of orders from the court, such as going to impact panels, possibly attending AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] meetings, you’re looking at community service and a number of months of regularly doing these things, as well as regularly blowing, to make sure that

see more page 21

The months with the highest instances of Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP)s are May and June, as a result of proms and grauations for high school seniors Two Minor in Possession of alcohol offenses can result in a criminal conviction and jail time A Minor in Possession is a Misdemeanor

According to KC Prevention. org and Umich.edu

sPORTS

14 Concussion film impacts all kinds of athletes Editor praises new practices in concussion management Merrick Weingarten Managing Editor We need to take notice.

I saw him go down. He had taken a huge blow to the head. Coaches and trainers rushed onto the ice to make sure he was conscious. When he went into the locker room, my teammates and I understood why. But, I don’t think he did.

Last month when Peter Landesman’s drama Concussion was released, it suddenly sparked the debate about the one sport injury that can slowly take your life away from you.

According to Sanford Health, 1.6 to 3.8 million athletes are diagnosed each year and 40 percent return to the field of play sooner than the current guidelines suggest. 40 percent. That is approximately 880,000 individuals who are risking their ability to think, their short-term memory, and the chance at a life after sports.

While the concussion test has been altered over the past five years, the mentality has not.

And this is the biggest problem with one of the most prominent injuries in sports. We need to focus less on the game and more on the value of our lives. We need to think about not just the present, but our future.

And this problem kicks off when we decide not to take the injury seriously. Five years ago, if any high school player took a shot to the head, he would receive the ‘are you ok?’ test.

The player would hobble back to the bench, and maybe receive a thumbs up for a trainer wondering if he was feeling alright. That

“Players, teammates, coaches, and trainers need to worry less about winning the game and more about our lives.”

Merrick Weingarten Managing Editor thumbs up or thumbs down would serve as the indicator of passing or failing a concussion test.

I have played travel hockey and high school hockey for the last 10 years of my life, and I never felt comfortable giving a thumbs down to any of my coaches or trainers. It was a reflection of poor character, a lack of desire to play, and a showcase of weakness. Whether my head was aching or not, if I went to the bench for the rest of the game, there were no benefits. It was only an opportunity for someone else to replace my spot.

Odds are most of us aren’t going to the NHL, NFL, or any professional sports league.

So, is playing an extra period of hockey really worth not being able to think straight the rest of your life? Or remember what happened yesterday? What’s more important: being able to remember the names of your children or finishing a game experiencing a lack of coordination, a headache, nausea, and many other excruciatingly painful symptoms?

Players, teammates, coaches, and trainers need to worry less about winning the game and more about our lives. A thorough concussion test can go a long mile in saving someone’s future. Collisions and fights should no longer should be celebrated. They should give us chills. They should make us angry. They should make us realize that the fight we are celebrating, may lead to permanent brain injury for one of the victims.

Concussion hopefully reopens the eyes of individuals involved in the world of sports. And it makes us realize, that we have a life after our athletic career.

Suddenly, the player who took the shot to the head finally understands.

One more period of playing time isn’t worth sacrificing a life filled with joy, laughter, and memories that will last forever.

UPPER LEFT: Senior Otis Ferguson lines up a shot, UPPER RIGHT: Junior Robert Ferguson commands the Black Hawk offense, LOWER: Senior Jacob Hecker (LEFT) and Sophomore Joe Hecker (RIGHT) step to the free throw line (photo credit: Susan Adams Photography)

Family runs deep on varsity basketball team The Black Hawks attribute their team chemisty to playing with their family members CJ Drogosch Public Relations Manager Robert can’t find anyone to inbound the ball to. The defense is intently in his face. With only one second left until a violation, Robert bounces a no-look pass into the corner knowing someone would be there; his cousin Otis.

“It’s like being out there with yourself. I know what (my cousin) is thinking and I know where he’s going.” says junior on the varsity basketball team Robert Ferguson, cousin of senior varsity basketball player Otis Ferguson. “We just know where each other is going to be at all times. It’s like being in two places at once.”

According to Assistant Coach for the varsity basketball team Vanessa Thompson, “The family bond between the Ferguson cousins has been strengthened through the game of basketball.”

“Team Ferg” as Otis called it, has become a known commodity throughout the basketball community since they’ve been playing together since the first grade. “We used to do kids camps together and we’d always do best when we were on the same team. Team Ferg has stuck. We know how to get things done. We push each other to get better. He knows when I’m not working hard and I know when I need to get him going. Without him, I wouldn’t work as hard as I do.

Over the summer, I didn’t really want to get up and go shoot at Lahser but Robert kept me going. You have to put the work in when nobody is watching. ” Analyzing Team Ferg Assistant Coach Vanessa Thompson believes that their work ethic is what makes them special. “They both play the same position as guards, which make them push each other even harder,” she said. “On and off the court, their

relationship has improved tremendously. They are both mature for their age and are extremely stable leaders. They are classy and know how to win.”

According to Thompson, The Ferguson cousins are not the only family on the team together as 4-year Varsity senior Jacob Hecker welcomes his brother Joe to the team. Similar to the Ferguson cousins, they also show a special connection.

“It sounds cheesy but it’s actually true, said Jacob

“They bring a fire and ice complex to the team. They go just as hard at each other as they would anyone else.”

Vanessa Thompson Assistant Coach “It definitely shows on the court. We know when the other team is making their move and how to rotate around each other. Our spacing and timing with each other is really there. After each game, we talk about what we both did well and could’ve done better on. It’s made the gap between sophomore and senior a lot less. We share a common activity and we have become closer in the social realm of high school. I try to be a mentor for him.”

Joe also thinks it’s special he gets to play Varsity basketball with his brother. hinks it’s pretty special, as well, that he’s playing varsity basketball with his brother. “A lot of people think it might be kind of weird, but it’s quite the opposite. It’s just gives us something we can relate to because we both play a similar style of basketball. Whenever the other team goes into a zone, we pick it apart with our passing and ball movement.”

Coach Thompson is able to see the connection between the Hecker brothers. “I think that it’s really awesome to see two brothers that work together like Steph and Seth Curry of the NBA,” she says.

“There’s no sibling rivalry on the court. They always focus even more when they are put on the court together and it raises the intensity level. They bring a fire and ice complex to the team. They go just as hard at each other as they would anyone else.”

It’ll definitely be different for Joe when Jacob graduates this year. The two will obviously not be around each other as much. “I won’t have someone who I can constantly talk to,” Joe goes on to say. “He’s always been there when there’s been problems. Currently when there’s issue with the team, Jacob is that leader who steps up.”

Coach Thompson explains how both families have made the team better. “Two sets of families within our team really sets the foundation of what a true family looks like. We learn from them how to truly work together and take the brotherhood to the next level.”

Perseverance and passion leads to job with Pistons Freshman lands job with the Pistons Academy Basketball League Ben Moss Guest Writer

Concussion Movie

He’s doing the job he has waited so long to be doing.

“I’ve always liked the idea of myself making money and I love the game of basketball, so it’s just a great opportunity for me to make money, be around the game of basketball and help kids enjoy the game as well,” said freshman Max Wittenberg.

Ever since 7th grade, Wittenberg has been interning for the Pistons Academy Basketball League, and when he turned 14, he was finally able to call it his part-time job.

“I played in this league since I was in the 2nd grade, and when I got old enough, I just wanted to work for it. Getting the job was hard,” said Wittenberg. “You had to have community service hours, intern, and work with kids before. I had babysat before and worked at other camps. There was an interview to get my position in which there was cuts made, but luckily I didn’t.”

The process involved prior to getting the position began at the Palace of Auburn Hills where all of the candidates interested had take a test before they were trained. According to Wittenberg, there were cuts right after the training.

“It a very organized league. The coaches watch the tryouts, and write down who they want,” he said.

After the tryouts, there is a draft where those who made the cut received practice times and game times.

“I also do work at the Palace when they need help.

It’s all with the kids and it’s all for Pistons Academy.

I will ref games at half time for the kids sometimes. ” Aaron Smith, a Supervisor for Pistons Academy, said he is impressed with Max’s dedication and work throughout the year.

“Max is a very reliable worker. He always tries his best, even if he can’t do it, he tries anyways. Max is very enthusiastic and that is what separates him with from everyone else. We invited him to work early for us because we knew him from playing in the league and we trusted him to do his best. He is also a good role model for the young kid he works with, the 2nd and 3rd graders, and elementary age students.”

Throughout the experience, Wittenberg said he has learned a lot of working with younger athletes.

“While coaching, you have to help all the

kids and you need to understand the age of the kids. You can’t scream, ‘get back’ or say, ‘do this really fast’, you have to help them through it. If someone needs help with something, you obviously gotta walk them through it.”

Alex Ross, an 11th grader at BHHS remembers a time when Max whelped him with his game.

“It was my first year and he really helped show me the ropes and helped me coach. He was my buddy this summer. He’s a very hard worker and has very good knowledge of the game. He’s better with the younger kids because he connects with them. They all look up to him, kind of like a big brother.”

Max knows how lucky he is to not only work in his dream job but work with a professional basketball league, ”It’s nice to have a job at this age especially when you’re around something you love.

I love the game of basketball and it’s cool that I get to work at the Palace, and get free tickets to some games. It’s just a good thing. It’s pretty awesome.”

SPORTS

15 Freshman suffers from Sever’s Disease Josh Hurwitz shares how his condition has affected his baseball career Neil Wagner Guest Writer He thought that he had plantar fasciitis but, then he realized he had something entirely else.

“It’s tough because I have missed out on a few seasons of baseball because I haven’t been able to cope with the pain or I will be playing at 60% and not 100%.” said freshman Josh Hurwitz, who was diagnosed with Sever’s disease. “From September on I have been getting better and I have been trying to meet my goal of being able to play for the baseball team, or at least try out for the team.”

Hurwitz was diagnosed with Sever’s Disease at the age of 11 and still plays baseball and exercises regularly even though the disease causes severe pain in the lower heel.

Although Hurwitz is taking steps towards improving his condition, Dr. Bradley Saban, who specializes in internal medicine, states that the journey will be long and tiresome.

“Sever’s Disease is when a child’s heel bone grows faster than the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When the muscles and tendons can’t grow fast enough to keep up they are stretched too tight which causes pain in the heel,” said Saban.

“It is treated by rest and ice on affected area. You can also use anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen.”

Hurwitz explains the pain and severity of his condition.

He said, “Sometimes it hurts worse than other times. Especially after workouts and

Senior finds acceptance in the winterguard community Toni Simoni feels like she has finally found a place where she belongs John Ballouz Staff Writer For years Toni Simoni did not feel comfortable in her body, but according to winterguard coach Kaitlyn Hinman, her team is helping helping Toni fit in.

“I was a little bit worried about Toni being accepted at first because it took me by surprise knowing her as Anthony and now as Toni, but it has been totally smooth,” Hinman said of her first transgender athlete. “All the kids on the team have latched onto it really quickly. It hasn’t been an issue at all.”

At the beginning of the 2015-2016 school, Simoni said instead of just coming out to her group of friends, coming out publicly was important to her identity as it was becoming a big enough part of her life. Although she says she’d preferred to be addressed as a she, transgender is generally a label that has to be put up for a certain amount of time at least before everyone is adjusted.

“I haven’t had any blatant opposition like ‘that’s gross get out’, but I haven’t had all yes’ from everyone either. There wasn’t really any opposition but it was just a matter of some people choosing not to conform to a different pronoun for me.

There was a little bit of resistance to conform, to my needs,” she said of the reaction from her school community; however, telling her teammates of a year wasn’t the same experience. “The biggest part of it was just coming out to the entire team, that was the most complicated. Basically everyone started addressing me with the correct pronoun. As a boy to a transgender person, it has has honestly been to the same level. There has been a boy on winter guard every year and people usually just gloss over it and it was kind of the same with me.”

Senior Doni Graham adds that when she heard about her teammate coming out about being transgender she thought it important for Toni to feel comfortable in the community that accepted her when she was as a boy on the team.

“Toni’s transition in the team has been very smooth because we all already knew each other so well and had that established trust in the team that made it far more comfortable for Toni to come into,” she said. “It has been like a family. I thought it was great for Toni to express

herself and to feel comfortable to come out.”

Looking at this year’s season, Simoni said that the “environment in winter guard has been exactly like it was last year when I was closeted with the exception of uniforms but I never went to uniforms last year because I had a concussion so I quit halfway through the season.”

In regards to the uniforms or any other issues for this season, Hinman said they’ll discuss just they do every season when issues occur. Right now she is happy Toni is part of the team again.

“Toni is awesome, I love her to pieces. It has been nice having her back because she wasn’t able to finish the season last year because she was out with a head injury. She’s super dedicated and a great team member. She’s always helping everyone else out.

She’s just a great kid to have on the team.”

Looking at her decision, Simoni said she is, “definitely very proud of myself considering the situation I am in. I think if you don’t have a sense of pride all the way through it, you’re not going to make it.”

Junior recovers from extensive surgery BHHS bowler Matthew Artemenko takes time off from bowling to receive surgery to cure his headaches Kyrstin Schmidt Staff Writer BHHS bowler junior Matthew Artemenko received Suboccipital Craniotomy and Suboccipital Decompression C1 Laminectomy surgery on December 29, 2015 after having constant headaches.

“Without the surgery, there could have been bad and unrepairable effects later in his life,” Matthew’s father John Artemenko Sr. said. “He would have experienced increased symptoms from numbness in his face, arms, and legs because of the pressure and lack of cerebrospinal fluid circulating in his spine. Due to this he would not be able to bowl as well as he did or even at all if the condition went untreated. I am so grateful that we caught this in time so that we could get all the help he needed to live a full and good life.”

Matthew had been constantly terrified of the thought of getting a critical surgery. He talked about how he needed to take a break from bowling this year so he could get the surgery.

“I had to take a break from bowling for the school this season due to the surgery I received,” said Matthew, who has been on the bowling team for 2 years.

“I have had constant headaches in the past in addition to nausea and was terrified that if I would not get the surgery, I wouldn’t be able to bowl. After the surgery, I was confident that I could return to bowling because the doctor said that after I recover I could play again.”

He had to receive treatment after he found out about his unfortunate diagnosis when he had visited his doctor about his constant migraines. As a

result, he was forced take some time off from bowling until he was fully recovered. His mother described what exactly the condition was.

“Matthew has Chiari I malformation, an undetected birth defect, with a large resulting Syrinx (cerebral spinal fluid filled cyst) spanning C2, C3, and

“I was confident that I could return to bowling because the doctor said that after I recover I could play again.”

Matthew Artemenko Junior the top of C4,” said his mother Laura Artemenko.

“Cerebellum tissue had grown outside Matt’s skull and was dangerously pressing against his spinal cord.

I was terrified that this was happening to my son, and am so grateful that everything went smoothly.”

This birth defect is quite common in young teens, said sister Lauren Artemenko. She talked about how she was fearful about the surgery and that she may never see him again.

“I was really worried that he might die during

the surgery. Every day after, he vomited due to the medications that were given to him,” said Lauren. “I felt very upset to see him in this pain because I could not do anything to help him.”

Matthew’s mother talked about his expected career as a bowler, and what he will be able to do after he recovers.

“Regarding his sports career, Matthew is not much of a contact sport guy but for his bowling career, the doctor put a softer exterior on the outside area of his skull to aid his ability to continue playing,” said Laura. “If Matthew had not received surgery, there would have been severe long term affects on his body.” His mother said that without the surgery, he would not be able to move as much and would be a lot weaker. The surgery had to be done because it could have been unrepairable if it were to stay untreated for any longer.

Matthew is confident to return back to bowling, and will rejoin the team next year. He talked about what he will be able to after he recovers.

“I can’t lift anything for a while, let alone my books for school,” said Matthew. “If everything is okay after a while, I can return to my normal activities and go back to bowling with my friends in a few weeks. I am not sure if I will be able to play the same as I did, but we’ll see.”

“It’s tough because I have missed out on a few seasons of baseball because I haven’t been able to cope with the pain or I will be playing at 60% and not 100%.”

Josh Hurwitz Freshman right before my workouts. Those two times are the worst because even though it does stretch it out it also does put a lot of strain on it as well. Sever’s Disease basically to paint a picture it’s like when you haven’t stretched or exercises for it for a few hours then it hurts for every step I take. It is similar to a heel spur.”

“Josh is affected by this condition in his physical life as well as his social life,” said Adam Fuller, Josh’s good friend.

“It affects my physical health like for a while I couldn’t exercise as much because of my heel and I got behind but now I’m back on track and I’ve been going to Lifetime and stuff ” said Hurwitz. ”Also sometimes social aspects like these shoes I’m wearing are just for my heels even though they are ugly,” Josh has no plans to slow down and will not stop reaching for his goal of making the baseball team.

“I will stay on track and never quit.

This disease won’t stop me” says Hurwitz.

the stats - The scientific name of Sever’s Disease is calcaneal apophysitis - It is a bone disease that causes the inflammation of the growth plate in a person’s heel - Sever’s Disease most often occurs during growth spurts - For boys the age range when Sever’s Disease develops is 10-15 and for girls the range is 8-13 - Sever’s Disease is not truly a disease, it is just a cause of severe pain

Sports

16 Thank you Calvin Editor looks back on Calvin Johnson’s illustrious career Jack Silberman Design Editor I don’t know what it’s like to my team in the Super Bowl.

I don’t know what it’s like to have my team win a playoff game.

I do know one thing, though, and it’s that over the past nine years, I’ve had the privilege of watching the best wide receiver in football take the field every Sunday during football season.

Calvin Johnson was not just any player. He was the player. He was great both on and off the field. He was the most humble guy out there-despite having the most talent by far.

Watching the Lions won’t be the same without Calvin. Who else can catch a fiftyyard touchdown while being triple-covered?

Calvin got the entire city of Detroit excited to watch the game-no matter what the score was. No matter what the scenario, Calvin Johnson conducted himself like a true professional, and made an entire city proud.

When the news broke that he had retired, it didn’t register with me for a few minutes. I couldn’t imagine the Lions without Calvin Johnson. It’s going to be strange next season, that’s for sure.

It truly is a shame that a player with such an amazing attitude and skillset never got to experience playing in a Super Bowl. No one would have deserved it more than Calvin Johnson.

Please, try to name one other player in the NFL who could possibly keep his cool after watching a ball be illegally batted out of the back of the end zone, only to see the play go without a flag. Name another player who could act like a true professional after the infamous Calvin Johnson Rule incomplete touchdown. Calvin was truly special, and was an incredible role model for people everywhere.

Calvin Johnson never got the treatment he have

“I do know one thing, though, and it’s that over the past nine years, I’ve had the privilege of watching the best wide receiver in football take the field every Sunday during football season.” deserved from NFL fans outside of Detroit.

It’s because he wasn’t flashy or loud. It’s because he didn’t have the same fiery appeal as Dez Bryant or Rob Gronkowski. Johnson’s quiet personality caused him to be overlooked. It’s hard to fathom someone who broke Jerry Rice’s single-season receiving record could be overlooked, but in a way, he was.

Now that he has retired, we can look back upon his legacy. And I don’t think he should be remembered for the Lions’ record. He should be remembered for his sheer athletic talent, and most of all for his team-first mentality.

Thank you, Megatron. WeLions fans will never forget you.

What’s up next Page 21: Ezra Schwarzbaum discusses his acceptance to Columbia University

Page 18: Stone Zhang comments about the wrestling team.

Merrick Bank and his father are interviewed by Fox 12 News for his record

Junior attends 129 straight U of M games Merrick Bank talks about his dedication to Michigan Max Wittenberg Guest Writer The Banks have created a streak that will be remembered.

“We have attended every home game, away game, neutral game and bowl game since 2006,” said junior Merrick Bank. “We prefer to drive to all the games. The longest ride for sure was Penn State. It was about eight and a half hours.”

Merrick Bank has attended every Michigan Football game since he was six years old. Traveling across the country, he currently holds a streak of 129 straight games.

Bank and his family have kept their streak going, no matter what sacrifices that needed to make.

“In 2009, I got my appendix removed on a Wednesday, and still attended the game on that Saturday. In 2012, I had knee surgery on a Monday and attended the next game,” said Bank. “I have had to miss some best best friends Bar Mitzvahs along with some extra time for studying and homework,” said Bank.

The Bank’s have met a variety of fans on their journeys from stadium to stadium.

“Most Big Ten teams have very nice fans, but Ohio State and Michigan State fans are the most vocal,” said Merrick. “They are the most willing to get in

our faces and ‘talk smack’ and treat us poorly.”

Merrick’s friend, Max Levine, sees the Bank’s family dedication to football.

“In 2009, I got my appendix removed on a Wednesday, and still attended the game on that Saturday. In 2012, I had knee surgery on a Monday and attended the next game.”

Merrick Bank Junior “I have gone to a bunch of home and away games with Merrick. At the home games, him and his

dad always get there four to five hours before game time. They have a tailgate at the same spot every game with a bunch of people and food. Then, they always go into the game an hour before kickoff.”

Even with the streak standing now at 129 games, Merrick and his dad both plan on continuing the streak even after Merrick is in college.

“Once Merrick is in college, I plan on keeping mine and Merrick’s streak alive. It may even be easier because if he attends Michigan, he’ll already go to all the home games,” said Mark Bank, Merrick’s father.

Merrick, who has been featured on the Detroit News for his streak, is dealing with a more and more obstacles as he looks to keep his streak alive.

“Now that I am a junior in highschool, I am getting ready for big tests that can help get myself into the best college. In order to attend all the games, I need to balance time efficiently so I can keep the streak alive and succeed in school.”

Student overcomes struggles with Diabetes Sophomore Nick Albaran Explains what it is like as an Athlete with Type 1 Diabetes Sabrina Garascia Guest Writer He knew that he would never be the same person again. ways do his best. “Being an athlete with diabetes “I remember feeling a bit of discouragement behas its challenges, but as long as you monitor it, cause I knew I wouldn’t ever be the same again,” said it’s not something that should hold you back.” sophomore Nick Albaran who after he was diagnosed Nick’s triplet sisters support him when he runs with type 1 Diabetes has to wear an insulin pump to and in every day in general, but they have to check his blood sugar. “It’s a small medical device that help him out sometimes because of his diabetes, I keep on my belt every day, that monitors my blood but most of the time, he can manage it himself. sugar levels and gives me insulin to keep my blood His sister, Emily Albaran, explains how he can sugar in my target range, but I take care of his diabetes do not wear it during meets.” “Being an athlete with diahimself. She said “I someNick’s mom, Christine Alba- betes has its challenges, but times have to help when ran adds that “ these sophistiNick is sick because of his cated pumps, it’s much easier for as long as you monitor it, it’s diabetes, I have to do more Nick to live normally. He has no not something that should things around the house,” limitations as to what he can eat, hold you back.” even though she helps him as long as he inputs the number around the house, she said of carbs he is eating,” she said. he can still take care of Nick is a triplet who runs track Nick Albaran himself. most of the time. for BHHS and explains that as an Sophomore His other triplet sisathlete, he is affected by diabetes, ter, Natalie Albaran, but is still just like everyone else. said the same thing Nick does need to be careful and monias Emily about helping Nick with chores, tor his blood sugar, especially during track. but she also said that she looked out for his His track coach, Mr. Alfano said “people with diahealth as well. She said “I’ve had to look out betes definitely have to know their body and pay atfor him, like keeping him hydrated,” she also tention to symptoms related to low blood sugar. They said that Nick can take care of himself. “Overshould monitor regularly before and after practices all, I haven’t had to help him with anything suor meets, and prepare themselves properly to control per important. He usually does it himself.” their blood sugar,” but he said that Nick has done a His whole family is proud of him as he congood job of taking care of himself and he should altinues to go through life with diabetes.

His triplet sisters describe how they feel about how Nick goes through life with diabetes. Emily explains how she is proud of Nick. “I am very proud of Nick and how he deals with his diabetes. He never really complains about it, and he never lets it get in his way.” Natalie also tells how she’s proud of him. “ I am proud that he’s dealing with it so well.

Nick has many friends on the track team who are also supportive of him.

One of Nick’s close friends on the team, Nick DiVito tells that Nick is a great runner.“Nick has improved a ton since I first knew him which was last year. He is a much better runner than me,” He also mentioned that he thinks it is inspirational that diabetes has not stopped nick from doing what he wants.

Nick has a few things that he wants people to take away from his story.

Albaran said “Having diabetes is a life changing experience, not because I’m totally different from everyone else, because I’m not, I just have to pay special attention to things that other people don’t have to pay attention to,” along with what he said about not being different than other people, he mentions that he can do everything that a normal person can do as well. “I just want people to know that just because someone has diabetes, doesn’t mean that they can’t do anything that other people can do”.

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SPORTS

18

Winter Sports Updates an update on this season’s varsity teams

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Photo Credits: Timmi Neff

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The cheerleading team has had an eventful season.The captains, Kayla Jarrells, Jazmyne Miree, and Khaia Gracey have welcomed new coaches and members to the team. “We started off the season pretty rough, with new coaches and new girls, so we didn’t place the way we expected, but in our most recent competition we scored 3rd place which is an a lot better than what we had previously been scoring,” said senior Jazmyne Miree. “We’ve made a lot of dramatic changes as far as coaches leaving and such. We have had a very close team to where our coaches may quit but our girls do not. We stick together. Of course there are a lot of downfalls, but we’re pushing together and we’re trying to do the best we can,” said senior Kayla Jarrells. The team is currently preparing for districts.

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The Skiing team looks forward to an exciting and successful upcoming season of skiing. Head coach Rob Brown, with assistants Paul Richardson and Kelsey Griffin lead the team with over 40 skiers. The team began dryland training in November, in preparation for racing when snow begins to fall. Having only the girls varsity team qualify for states last year, it is clear that a goal this year will be to have both varsity teams continue their season as far as possible. Captains for the team this year will be Ryan Stewart, Colton Cornwell, Talia Greenberg, and Sarah Holmes.

Led by Captains Jon Hart, Matt Fealk, and Spencer Haisha, the JV and Varsity Wrestling teams are having a strong season. Head Coach Tony Scigliano has coached the team to a record of 11-10 overall and 3-3 in Leagues. The wrestling team has many important meets coming up including Leagues on February 5th, Team Districts on January 10th at home, and Individual Districts on February 13th.

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The girls poms team is in the full swing of their winter season.

Similar to the fall season, the team prepares dances at practices after school and performs them. During the winter season, the girls will perform during halftime at home games for the boys basketball team instead of at football and soccer games. The girls’ season will conclude at the end of the boys basketball season. All of the dances are choreographed by members of the team and head coach, Rachel Matz.

Coached by Head Coach Jeff Rubin, the Varsity Women’s Basketball team is off to an excellent start. The team has a perfect record of 6-0 on the road and 10-2 overall. As well as doing great as a team, many individual players have been having excellent games including Amanda Sape, Victorie Franklin, and Katherine Prina. The team is now tied for first place in the league.

The Bloomfield Hills Black Hawks Boys Varsity Hockey team has been very successful so far this season. The team is under strong leadership with 12 seniors on its roster, and is continuing to improve day by day. “We are continuing to work hard, and are determined the be strong contenders in the playoffs this year. This is definitely the strongest team we have had in a few years, and personally, this is the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey in my life because of the great group of guys we have on our team,” said senior Ari Sternberg.

The men’s swim team is off to a slow start after losing the majority of their upperclassmen (10 of the expected 14) while the remaining members try to reach goal times and qualify more swimmers for the state team. Compared to other schools in the league, the Black Hawks lack the number of swimmers to compete. Senior swimmer Ezra Schwarzbaum feels the team is not in an optimal state but hopes that after the team’s loss to Clarkston the mentality of all swimmers on the team is to improve and swim faster, not just the seniors. Although they lost some swimmers over the course of the season, the team has gained a new pool which is much larger and accommodating for the team. According to Senior Captain Max Threlkeld the new pool feels fast with flush decks and news adjustable blocks but also believes the locker rooms aren’t up to par with the pool. At this point of the year, Max Threlkeld is the team’s only state qualifier while fellow Black Hawks narrow in on their own cuts.

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The Bloomfield Hills Black Hawks are striking out with their 2015-16 Varsity Bowling team. The team of fourteen are happy about their improvement and excited to conquer their next tournament. With seven girls and seven boys on the varsity team, the team will be competing with a complete roster in their season opener. Sabrina Y, Hunter K, and Alex W received ninth place and Austin T, Kaitlin B, and Derek T placed in sixth. They have counties this weekend and are very thrilled to compete in the following competition.

The Girls Varsity Hockey team has reached its mid season point, with a total of 6 points and three wins and four losses. Although it is not exactly what they were hoping for, they remain determined to work hard and win the state championship. Throughout the three months this team has been a team, everyone has given their all and heart to the game. “I think that the physicality of our team is stronger than last year, but in order to be as successful as-if not more than-last year’s team, we need to work harder and take Varsity Hockey seriously,” said assistant captain Justine Abbo.

In Coach Maryanski’s first year as the team’s head coach, the Bloomfield Black Hawks boys basketball team is off to a 7-3 start. The team is 3-0 in league play, as of January 25. Key players Jacob Hecker, Josh Jones, and Kiewuan Graham have led the team. The Black Hawks play a variety of players and distribute the scoring very well.

The Black Hawks will look to continue their winning ways.

Getting ready for their February 18th competition at the Macomb Ice Arena, the BHHS Figure Skating Team feels optimistic. “The Figure Skating team is doing absolutely extraordinary this year,” said senior captain Jaclyn Berger. “We’re working hard, we’re excited, and we hope everyone comes out and watches us perform.” According to Berger, the team is having its best season yet with two of its three teams, A and C, currently holding the number one spots in the district after their latest competition, which took place on January 7th at the Detroit Skating Club. The team, which consists of 25 skaters, competed against Marian, Cranbrook, Detroit Country Day, Royal Oak, Lake Orion, and Rochester, a difficult pool of teams because of the private school competitors, says senior captain Shayna Greenley.

According to Greenley, if the team finishes among the top two in the district after their next competition, which will be against the same competitors, they will advance to the state championships in March.

FEATURE Projecting Creativity

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With the adjudication for the MYP Personal Projects coming up this March, five students have been selected to shed light on the process of creating their projects.

Sabrina Garascia Sabrina Garascia is in the process of finishing a soccer handbook for those who are interested in playing soccer for BHHS who do not have much information.

She is including how to play soccer, including the rules, positions, penalties, tips, tactics, etc. Garascia is also including information about tryouts, so players know what to expect.

She generated the idea of making a soccer handbook shortly after this school year started due to her interest and experience in the sport. She knew that she had wanted to make something that has to do with soccer because of her experience with the sport.

“I remember when I first started to play soccer because I was very nervous to try out for my middle school team,” said Garascia. “I wasn’t familiar with the sport and didn’t really know how to play. I wanted to help others who feel this way so that it is easier for them to try out.”

Her soccer handbook has affected her because it refreshed her memory of how to play soccer with strategy and skill, and she also learned a few new things that I didn’t know before about soccer. Her personal project will help me in the long run because she now knows how to create a sophisticated, organized project, and knows how to present it properly to an audience all by herself. She also said that she will most likely need to know these skills when she gets older and has a profession. Although Garascia felt stressed and pressured during the process of her project, she said that she is still proud and enjoyed her MYP Project.

Brittnay Koch

Brendan Simoni Brendan Simoni’s personal project is to learn more complicated ways to solve a rubik’s cube as well as faster ways to solve it.

“The purpose of my personal project is to improve my skills in cubing and allow me to do more than I can now,” said Simoni. “I want to learn how to do different things, such as solve bigger cubes in short amounts of time.”

He chose his topic due to his interest in cubing, as it is “a way for my to relieve stress and it has also made me many friends, therefore I would like to continue to learn.”

His process has been stressful because he must memorize up to 78 different algorithms, possibly even more than that. This project has helped Brendan for it has really made him more focused on what he enjoys doing, and this has also given him the opportunity to interact with friends on solving the cube. In the long run, his project will allow him to get faster times than he does now, and will help him learn more off of what he learns now.

Brittany Koch’s MYP project consists of using hockey sticks to build a bench to see if people would use a furniture made out of used material. She came up with the idea of creating a hockey stick bench because of her interest in the sport. She thought that since there are so many materials that players use quickly and throw away, it would be cool to turn those materials into something useful.

“This project has affected me because it is showing me that I can do anything to change something old into something more helpful to the community,” said Koch. “This project will ultimately aid me in the future because it is helping my skills in different areas grow and become strong so that if a job I have is find ways to make the community better I can find ways to help because this project has opened my eyes up and shown me that anything old can be turned into something new and that you just need to have creativity to do it!”

Although it was challenging at times, she still remains confident and proud of her creation.

“I feel really good about this project, even though it will be difficult to put it together, I think that it would be a good and fun challenge for me,” said Koch. I’m almost done, I just have a few pieces to put together and then it’s smooth sailing from there.”

Leo Sabin Zach Piper Zack Piper is creating a stop motion video for his project.

He had originally chosen this topic because it fascinated and interested him, and he was not really good at photography so he wanted to improve his skills.

He is nearing his final product, he just has to work on it some more. Prior to this project, Piper created several smaller stop motion videos, and so this project gave him the idea of making one large video to present. He enjoys the process of filming and editing his videos, and thought the personal project was a great and fun opportunity.

“I was hoping to improve my skill of patience during this project as well,” said Piper.

“Longer stop motion videos take a lot of time and patience.”

He hopes that his video will be entertaining and it will also help him with his career later in life involving creating videos.

Leo Sabin made a recipe book online designed for people with certain allergies. His website consists of the instructions, ingredients, and pictures with the final product for the recipes.

Nearing the end of the MYP Personal Project process, Sabin has completed his website and is ready to present his final product. He chose the topic due to his own allergies, since it is very restricting on what he can and cannot eat. There were not a lot of resources online for recipes for people with various allergies, so he decided that it would be very beneficial not only to himself, but for others who are also in the same situation as him.

“I feel good about doing the project because it’s something that I am interested in and relevant to me,” said Sabin. “This project will also be a resource that I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

Overall, he believes that this project has and will continue to help him cope with his restricting allergies, and he feels confident that it will help others greatly as well.

FEATURE

20

Mother explains acceptance Charmaine Kunz shares lessons learned during son’s transition Amanda Howard Staff Writer A mother tells her story of strength, love and compassion throughout her son’s transition.

Our journey was sort of an organic thing. It went over a very long period of time. In the beginning, we didn’t even known the term transgender.

Ryan wore boy’s clothes as a little kid.

He told me at three years old, we were in a little clothing store for kids and he pointed out to me and said, “Mom, I’m more like these clothes than these clothes.”

[Pointing out] the little boys suit for the holidays and not the little girls dresses.

And it was like no problem. Ryan was allowed to wear little boys suits and have his hair short and it was no big deal.

So, at 9 years old, he came to me, we were in my bedroom and he said, “I want to be a boy.” And I knew when he said it, that it wasn’t, “I want to be a tomboy”. I knew it was something more significant.

But I didn’t know anything about transgender; to be honest, I didn’t want that to define my child; growing up knowing that you have to be a boy or a girl. I was very comfortable with the fluidity.

We have five children in our family, so I didn’t need to have like one boy, one girl— like I know sometimes that might be difficult [for other parents]. You know it wasn’t as if this was my only daughter, and she was male. This was never an obstacle we had to overcome. And I just told Ryan at that time, “Don’t worry about this, because I’m going to help you be whatever you’re going to be.”

Then in middle school, from 6th grade to 8th grade—there were major changes as far as what Ryan needed.

We sought counseling, and that was the best decision ever. I would recommend parents to seek counseling, because you know in this field, I’m not an expert. I’m the loving part of this equation, I’m not the expert.

So Ryan went through counseling, and then we had an opportunity for him to go to a camp on the east coast. It was the first transgender camp for children. It was through Dr. Antonia Caretto, who’s in the area.

Anyone that has anything to do with this, I would recommend this woman to. She’s perfect. Then there’s a community around here too. So once your child gets counseling and help, there’s other parents and people [ready to support you, the parents].

Ryan’s at Michigan State right now and he’s rooming with two of his friends, that are both transgender, they met through Dr. Caretto. It’s really important to get the help and expertise, that I didn’t have. So I could just be the loving component. So I could get him to this camp and have a week on his own, as a boy, with male pronouns.

Then after that, there was no turning back.

“Our journey was sort of an organic thing. It went over a very long period of time. In the beginning, we didn’t even known the term transgender.”

Charmaine Kunz Parent He was Ryan. In our home and everything, we did Ryan. Close friends and family knew it was Ryan, and ‘he’ pronouns.

He decided, and I would totally argue for this: let the child lead. So if the child needs to come out during High School, or however they need to do it, do it. But don’t feel like you have to lead the way—let them lead the way.

His decision was not to go on male hormones or anything, and he stayed as Angelica throughout High School. He played girls sports, and he enjoyed it very much. I would say I was happy for him, because he slowly became a young man.

He slowly became a young man. It wasn’t anything that happened overnight, or anything like that. That’s been our progression; which I’d say is fairly uncommon. Ryan was very patient. It was Ryan.

Of course the other kids, the siblings, had to adjust to this situation. Of course, we understood Ryan was always dressing as a male, so it wasn’t a surprise. But I think it made my family more accepting of each other. I think the kids really liked knowing that this is a person who is who they are, and that allows them to be more who they are too. By being around people who are authentically who they are, it gives you the courage to do it yourself. And it doesn’t mean you have to be transgender—it just is in anything— you just get to be the person you are.

Community discusses gender identity The BHHS Transgender community speaks out Amanda Howard Staff Writer From a young age, he was constantly told that, what he felt and how he identified, was just a phase.

“It all started when I was really little, like for a lot of people it does, for a lot of transgender people. For others, it doesn’t start until they’re older; but, for me I was very adamant to my mom that I was a guy, I wanted to be a guy.” said junior Ace Houston, who identifies as a transgender male. “[My mom] would always be like, ‘This is just a phase, you’re just a tomboy. You can have the best of both worlds.’ And for a while I kind of accepted that, I just thought, ‘Alright, that’s fine.’” said Houston. “And then when I was about eleven or twelve, I finally came upon the terms transgender, genderqueer and nonbinary; it was just an eye opening experience. I was obsessively researching it, finding everything out about it [transgender].”

Houston described the term ‘transgender’ as, “...identifying as a gender different than the one you were identified with when you were born. The best way I can describe it to cis-gender [a person who is not transgender] people is where somebody calls you he or she and you’re like, ‘That’s me. I am a girl, or I am a boy.’ If somebody were to call you the wrong gender, you’d be like, ‘Wait, that’s not right, that’s not me.’ That’s what it feels like everyday for transgender people.”

Junior Toni Simoni, who identifies as a transgender female, further simplified, “Transgender is not being comfortable in the body you were born in, and still on the binary spectrum.”

Counselor Laura Hollyer-Madis, commented on the increased visibility of the transgender community, “I would say [the number of transgender youth coming out] has exploded. I don’t know why-- I think adolescence is a time when kids are really trying to figure out who they are, and so maybe there’s a more [comfortable environment now] because it’s been out in the news; the

[social construct] towards it has really changed, and that has really helped.”

She continued, “I think that where our society is today; we’re a lot more accepting, we’re more open to things.

I do applaud the fact that, people are coming out with who they are, be it transgender, be it gay; even with how kids dress, they’re being who they are,” said Hollyer-Madis.

“I think [being yourself ] can be really hard in High School and I think that in this school, since we are such a diverse community, that there is more acceptance here, than there is in some other communities.”

Houston agreed with HollyerMadis, “I think [the transgender community] has become a lot more visible recently,” said Houston “I think it’s great because people are starting to learn about it.”

Of course, when talking about how visible the community has become, the recent transition of Caitlyn Jenner might come to mind. Houston said, “I generally don’t agree with a lot of her opinions, she represents a lot of the older trans community, where they’re a lot more conservative in their views. She has a lot of internalized homophobia. I’m going to support her and her transition, but I can’t support some of her ideals.”

When looking at role models, Houston finds many good examples within the Detroit community. “Angel Haze.

I rant about Angel Haze a lot. They’re a Detroit rapper, they’re A-gender and I love them,” said Houston “They’re known a bit for their LGBTQ+ activism, but I love them just because they’re doing music and doing what they love, while still being queer. It’s not a huge part of their image and I love that. They’re just my fave.”

In terms of looking at what our own district has done for the transgender community, Hollyer-Madis said, “I think [being yourself ] can be really hard in High School and I think that in this school, since we are such a di-

verse community, that there is more acceptance here, than there is in some other communities. The bathrooms are something we’re looking at, [as well as] the colors of the cap and gown.”

She continued, “As a district, I think we’re very open minded with making sure that everyone feels equal, which I think is really important when you come into school, because I think that High School is a tough place to be as an adolescent and if you don’t feel like it’s a home, because you’re here a good chunk of your day, that it can be a miserable place. I think that our administration both in our building, as well as the district administrators, are really thoughtful about trying to include everyone when decisions are made; big decisions are made around here.”

As conscious and thoughtful as everyone tries to be though, there’s still much work to be done. For Ace,Toni and other teenagers who identify as transgender, pronoun use is a huge struggle that they constantly have to deal with. “If you wouldn’t ask someone else about their genitals, like from right off the bat, then what gives you the right to ask transgender people about their lives, like that.” said Houston.

He continued, “It’s their body, just respect their choices. Also, pronouns are a huge thing. It may not seem like a big deal to you, it might just be like, ‘Oh, I’ve known them all their life as this, like I’m stuck with [the pronoun].’ You don’t know what’s going through our heads, I know that every time I’m called ‘she’, I just think, ‘No. Stop.’ That’s just not me.”

Simoni adds, “There’s no excuse [for not using the right pronoun]. You need to adapt.”

Houston also commented on the ignorance still surrounding the community, “When I came out, there was this one girl, I’ve talked to her maybe twice in my life, and she comes up to me, and then after a

minute of normal conversation, she looks at me and goes, ‘So, like, do you want a penis?’ I just looked at her and thought, ‘Alright then. This is where the conversation headed’.”

There’s also some clarification needed among the terms that can be associated with the transgender community. Houston explained, while also elaborating on the resources available to those that might feel similarly, “I think confused and curious are two different things. If you think you might actually be genderqueer, I would say the Internet is going to be your best possible resource.

It’s out there, everyone has access, and you can be completely anonymous, if you’re not sure you can be safe talking about it with friends and family or other people you know.”

He continued, “The internet is the way to look at it completely without anyone really knowing. Going beyond that, I would say talk to the transgender and queer community, that you know of. You can talk to me in the halls. Talk to people. The [Bloomfield Hills Township] Library has some great resources too, some great books about the history of the LGBTQ+ community as well. I would say if you’re curious to know what it’s like to be transgender, talk to people who are actually transgender. Don’t make presumptions based off of articles you read, actually learn from their [transgender people’s] experiences.”

According to Houston, if you are curious about the LGBTQ+ and want to research it, it is important to remember one thing.

“While they may not be comfortable in their own body, they know that it’s theirs. As much as they may dislike it, they don’t really want to change certain parts.

That’s how being transgender is; it’s like, you at your base core, feel like something different than what society has told you that you are.”

Student finds inspiration in others Staff member explains her thought process while writing about the LGBTQ+ community Amanda Howard Staff Writer There had never been a more challenging article to write than the piece I was assigned on January 5th.

Okay, there possibly may have been- but it definitely ranked pretty high up there. The article was a piece on the transgender youth at our school; how they feel about certain things, how they identify, how their family’s reacted, etc. I initially was so happy that the LGBTQ+ community was finally being talked about, then immediately felt a wave of anxiety at the fact that I was to be the one to write it.

I’ve always been an avid supported of the LGBTQ+ community, but with this article, I felt as if I was talking to the world.

It was silly, I know it was, to feel this article looming above me; daunting and scary. It’s just that these people were real, and honest, and

opening themselves up to me-- giving me information and quotes and facts, knowing that they trusted me to create something beautiful.

To form coherent thoughts and lines and phrases, that culminated together in something that moved someone.

In the article I wanted to portray the strength I think these individuals posses, I wanted to express how brave and courageous and accepting these people are. Honestly, all I had to do was take quotes and add congruent transitions.

But, I live in awe of these humans, so I wanted to do my small job well.

I’ve met some of the most brilliant individuals through working on these articles. I’ve talked to a mother who speaks of such love and compassion, it nearly brought me to tears. A counselor who only wants the best for

the students she’s worked so closely with. She sees great things evolving and changing the way we’re not

“It’s just that these people were real, and honest, and opening themselves up to me-giving me information and quotes and facts, knowing that they trusted me to create something beautiful.” only viewed in our district, but the way our district is viewed around the world. I spoke to young adults who

fight for their rights to be respected and accepted everyday, whether that be through correct pronoun use, or calling them by the name that they’ve chosen.

Through them and their stories I’ve learned more about the world around me; it’s big and beautiful and full of so many more colors than I could’ve imagined. I hope others read about their journeys and feel the same.

I can’t claim to understand what they’re going through, but it’s crucial to comprehend that their thoughts, feelings and individual journeys are valid.

All anyone can ever do is accept one another for who they truly are. After all, can’t we all understand the basic human instinct of longing to belong?

FEATURE

21 migranes

insomnia

proven to help those who struggle with the sleeping disorder- no pills necessary

relieves pain from tension and sinus headaches

asthma

ongoing acupunture benefits the 25 million Americans suffering from the breathing disorder

heart

not only used for pain control; it can also help those with heart disease

digestive issues

helpful to those with IBS, nausea, or an overactive GI tract

rheumatoid arthritis

new studies show acupunture can be more beneficial than some

low back pain

80% of people experience this, & acupunture can relieve pain within an hour

ACUPUNTURE & ITS BENEFITS

The flow of the Qi.

knee pain

can help to relieve pain from Osteoarthritis

Credit to Hannah Stein. Source: WebMD

Freshman points to the holistic medicine of acupuncture Freshman Rachel Beltowski and local acupuncturist explain the benefits and idea behind acupunture.

Hannah Stein Feature Editor She was laying on the table with needles covering her whole body, but from the look on her face something didn’t add upshe remained completely still and relaxed.

“I was kind of scared because acupuncture to me was just people putting needles in my skin, so I was a little nervous about it. But when I got there, it was very soothing,” said freshman Rachel Beltowski, who first experienced acupuncture at 12 years old.

“They played soothing music from the minute I walked in to the minute I left. I met the acupuncturist who was going to be doing my treatment. She told me a little bit about where she got her degree from and where she studied in China.

She started by doing [acupuncture on] my feet and my arms, and then moved on to my face during that time. It did not hurt very much at all.”

7,000 years and millions of needles later, something our ancestors have been practicing since ancient times remains to be a method of relaxation still used today. Ranging from about 80 to 100 dollars a session, the technique has become a method of relaxation used by adults and teens like Beltowski.

According to Thomas Burgoon, president of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, “There’s lots of research to support the ef-

fectiveness of acupuncture for a wide variety of conditions. It is a must-try for anyone with migraines, chronic or tension-type headaches.”

Due to the severity of her youngest daughter’s headache, Rachel’s mother Sharon said, “we were so desperate for anything to help. I read a little bit online about why they are doing it, where it came from, how ancient it is and how it is supposed to help.I wasn’t thinking it was going to be this miraculous cure. But I knew there was science behind it and it existed for thousands of years, and that it might do something for her. I read that it can be helpful for all different types of things like headaches and back pain.

With acupuncture it is all about the flow of the Qi.” Owner and acupuncturist at Acupuncture in Michigan of 16 years, Julie Silver, described this idea of Qi energy.

“Acupuncture is based on the theory that our body has its own ability to heal, to strengthen. It is an energy medicine based on the theory that we have an energy in our body called Qi,” said Silver. “It is kind of like our foundation- it allows our body to function. So, acupuncture helps to balance Qi energy.”

Silver explained the process she takes each patient through during their first visit.

“We spend about 45 minutes reviewing the reason they came and their health history and we edu-

cate them about acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

There is always the acupuncture session in the first visit,” she said. “We come up with a plan for how many sessions they may need, when they should come back, what type of diet they should have, and if there are any vitamins or supplements they should take.”

Acupuncture can be beneficial specifically to teens, as Silver noted.

“We love working with teens. We work with many high school kids and find that teenagers respond really well and quickly with acupuncture. Teens tend to bounce back from health issues quicker than somebody who is older,” said Silver. “We see a lot of teens that have digestive issues; I think a lot of them carry their stress in their stomach. Teens are under a lot more stress, so there’s a lot more reason to come get acupuncture.”

Rachel echoed her sentiment.

“We all go through middle school and high school and those can be stressful periods because you have all these different teachers and all these different types of assignments you’re not used [to]; so, acupuncture is a very soothing and relaxing experience when going through this,” said Rachel. “As a teen, receiving acupuncture can actually help lower your anxiety and it is a very good stress-reliever.”

Continued from page 13 you are not continuing use of alcohol.”

In addition to the aforementioned consequences, Murphy elaborated that offenders are required to pay hefty fines. For each offense, the fine increases from one hundred to two hundred to five hundred dollars, not to mention paying for substance abuse programs. Minors may be required to do community service, and may be sentenced to jail time, depending on the circumstances.

“It hits you financially initially, based on the cost of going to court, hiring an attorney, and any mandated fines that they would give you. So you have an immediate impact financially, if in fact you are proven to have an MIP,” said Hurdle. “Down the road, it could impair your ability to get a job or to get into some schools.

Not all schools do criminal background checks, but it

“When you mess around with the legal system, you lose control of the choices you have in life.”

Laura Hollyer-Madis School Counselor could potentially impact you financially in the future.”

One area which many students are concerned with is the effect an MIP has with their college application process. Holler-Madias said that colleges don’t necessarily find out if a student received an MIP but “if a college knew, it would be a concern, because they do not want people coming onto their campuses with those kinds of behaviors, because when you start school, you are underage to even be able drink. So if you are coming in with that kind of behavior and attitude, they know that it could be potentially a downfall in their education. They look at things like that and take that into consideration should they find out about it.”

To summarize, Murphy added that, “receiving an MIP affects you long-term. It can follow you for the rest of your life. You have to answer to every application you put down that if you have ever been arrested, you have to put ‘yes,’ because it’s a misdemeanor offense.

It’s a crime. A lot of students don’t think that way.”

“I would just say that if a student ends up with an MIP, the best thing for the student is to follow exactly what the legal system asks them to do, and to keep themselves from those kinds of situations so that it doesn’t create them more problems in the future,” Hollyer-Madis said. “It’s not the end of the world, but if a young person doesn’t learn from the lesson, there are much bigger consequences that could occur, such as being locked up. Being young and being an adolescent is all about figuring things out and hopefully it is about learning lessons in life, and taking those lessons seriously and doing something with it.”

“I would say that if a student received an MIP, they need to take it very seriously, and do everything they can to make changes in their life, to get support from school, counselor, parents,” Hollyer-Madis continued, “if they are struggling with changing their lifestyle from that, because it can only get bigger and cause more problems in their life, and ultimately, it impacts their education here. If you don’t take it seriously, the consequences will get bigger.”

Seniors are accepted into prestigious Ivy League Schools Margo Williams and Ezra Schwarzbaum discuss getting into the schools of their dreams.

Uzair Bandagi Sports Editor He tried to carry out a normal day but the entire time there was only one thing running through his anxious mind- when the long awaited decision would finally arrive.

“I knew that decisions were being released at the start of my swim meet that day. I had to decide between holding off on finding out and feel anxiety the whole meet, or I could check, be disappointed, and swim awfully. There was also the possibility that I could check and find out that I got in and swim really well,” said BHHS Senior Ezra Schwarzbaum.

“So, after I finished my last event I ran over and grabbed my phone and saw that I got in. I was very pumped and ecstatic, but I had to contain it because the meet was still going on. Later in the locker room I told everyone and it was just all high fives.”

BHHS Guidance Counselor Melanie Brooks explains what makes the Ivy League schools distinct.

“The Ivy League schools are among the highest ranked in the nation. They hold a certain prestige. Some of the most successful people in the world are alums of those schools and that draws a lot of students towards them. The Ivy League schools have great resources and are a strong foundation for students who want to be very successful,” said Brooks. “The schools require very tough rigor just to be accepted. Students who get accepted into Ivy League schools typically have 3.9-4.0 GPAs and great test scores usually around 32-36 for the ACT. They also want students who show leadership in their school community.”

Seniors Ezra Schwarzbaum and Margo Williams applied early decision to Ivy League schools and were accepted to Columbia University and Yale University, respectively.

Schwarzbaum did his research before applying and was very dedicated to his goal of being ac-

cepted into Columbia University in New York City.

“I applied Early Decision so I had to get signatures from my counselor and my dad for them to agree to me doing it. The Columbia decision is binding, so I held off on applying to other schools until I found out on Columbia,” said Schwarzbaum. “I

Senior Ezra Shwarzenbaum proudly holds up his Columbia acceptance letter while decked out in CU attire. spent much more time on my application for Columbia than other schools. Every essay I wrote must have gone through at least five rounds of revision until I thought it was perfect. I didn’t expect to get in, but I thought I had a decent chance. I think the extra curriculars I was involved in really helped me to stay on top of things and stay focused towards my goals. I couldn’t afford to not manage my time well.”

According to their family and friends, both

Schwarzbaum and Williams are outstanding students who prioritize their schoolwork and extracurriculars.

“Ezra is definitely very principled and on top of all of his studies. I admire his ability to set boundaries for himself,” said Dalia Schwarzbaum, sister of Ezra Schwarzbaum. “It shows a lot of self-control and faithfulness to his goals.”

Williams also had a great amount of support from her family.

“I grew up hearing about my mom’s time at Yale, so from a pretty young age it was at the back of my mind,” she said. “When I started looking at colleges seriously last year, it was clear that Yale offered me the chance to study everything I wanted at the highest possible level, while also encouraging a supportive community of people where other schools had students that were more competitive. The community thing was what most drew me to Yale, along with the sweet gothic architecture.”

“In high school my main focus has been challenging myself by taking hard classes, especially with the IB program,” said Williams. “I’d say there’s definitely a lot of procrastination in my work ethic, but I put a lot of value on getting stuff done and trying to do everything as well as I can.”

She explains what made her application stand out.

“My extracurriculars mostly have to do with violin and church stuff. I’ve played violin since I was about 5, and I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time in orchestras and private lessons. I think it helped me a ton by filling out my activities section of the common app with various orchestras and competitions and volunteer experiences, and also because I was able to send Yale recordings of myself that helped my application,” said Williams. “As far as church goes, it connected me to more volunteer experiences, particularly with planning and running youth retreats several times a

year, which is always a lot of fun and really fulfilling.”

Schwarzbaum was also very involved in extracurricular activities and attributes his success to being well rounded.

“I’ve been in band since fifth grade. Now that I’m in highschool I am also in marching band, jazz band, and symphony orchestra. I started in Model UN last year. I took the class with Mr. MacLeod junior year and I found it really interesting so I ended up getting really involved in that, and this year I even helped organize a whole conference,” He said. “After my experiences in Model UN, I wanted to find a good college for studying international relations just because I liked it so much. This is my fourth year swimming in high school and seventh overall counting middle school. I did two years of cross country. I plan doing a fourth year of track. I’m glad I had all these experiences because they shaped my high school career and what I want to do in college.”

Williams’s decision as to what she wants to study in college was also influenced by her experiences in high school.

“Yale really pushes students to study a little of everything, so I’m pretty open to learning in as many subjects as possible. Pre-med is the plan right now - in high school I’ve really loved studying anything biology-related,” She said. “Yale also has really awesome research opportunities that I plan on taking advantage of, and I’m planning on minoring in violin performance and being in the orchestra.”

Williams advises younger students to stay focused in order to stand out to their dream school.

“My advice would be to find what you really love to do, whether it’s academic or non-academic, and just really pursue it and stick with it. I think it really makes a difference in applying anywhere, as well as helping you enjoy yourself in and out of school,” she said.

FEATURE

22

Anxiety takes over Editor recounts her experiences living with anxiety Mallory Weiner Feature Editor I’m a teenager in high school. Stress is inevitable. I feel it everyday. From the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep.

I have anxiety. And I don’t mean that I get anxious when the going gets tough. I have severe anxiety and have anxiety attacks about twice a week.

It feels like the world is crumbling down around me. I shut down. Everything in the world seems impossible. I am completely alone in that moment. I cry. I complain. And then suddenly it ends. I am fine again. The tears stop. I have the will to get all my work done.

This doesn’t happen everyday. It happens on days when stress is extremely high. It happens on days when I have four tests coming up, a forensics tournament that weekend, three hours of tutoring, and can’t see the floor in my room due to the mountain of clothes I have let build up.

On those days, I cannot handle all the things

“It feels like the world is crumbling down around me.

I shut down. Everything in the world seems impossible.

I am completely alone in that moment. I cry. I complain. And then suddenly it ends. I am fine again.” that the world has thrown at me. My response is to cry and shut down. It’s not that I want to completely lose it. It’s not that I want to waste three hours when I have more hours of work to do than I have in the day. It’s involuntary.

It’s embarrassing to say out loud. I don’t like admitting that I have this flaw. But I know I am not the only one. There are people all around me who suffer from anxiety. They may suffer from it differently than I do, but it is anxiety all the same.

I’m sitting here writing this the week before finals - a time when I have a million other things on my mind. It’s giving me anxiety just thinking about it. I fight the urge to crawl into a ball and run away from the world.

But like everyone else, I manage. I do my homework. I study for my tests. I memorize my forensics speech. I wake up early for Model United Nations. It might take me a little longer to get my work done. I might stress more than others. But I manage.

I spend a lot of time managing my anxiety. I have tried anxiety medication, relaxation techniques, and eight different forms of working out to see which one makes me feel like the best version of myself. Some days it feels like all I do is manage my anxiety. There are days when I don’t even leave my bedroom because I know leaving the comfort of my room will cause my world to explode. There is too much responsibility outside these four walls. I sit and I think about what I can do to manage this anxiety.

Recently I have learned that struggling through my anxiety alone is not the answer.

I have teachers, I have siblings, I have parents, I have friends. All of these people are here to help me when the stress is piling up and days start to seem shorter and shorter.

My anxiety may make me feel weak at times, but it is only making me stronger.

A student participates in art therapy, a topic discussed further on pages 6 and 7

Community discusses the benefits of therapy for teenagers Many teens use therapy to deal with the stress of school and life Ally Jaksen Managing Editor She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and her mind.

“There are a lot of things going on in my head and going to therapy has made it possible to talk to somebody who knows what’s going on in my head even when I don’t,” said senior Tess Garcia who has been going to therapy once a week since she was in fourth grade.

According to practicing clinical psychologist Ronna Craig, going to therapy is being seen more and more in teenagers and for high school students like Garcia, therapy can prove to be highly beneficial. helping teens cope with school, relationships with family and friends, and one’s own mental health.

“In general, I think all people have issues and I truly believe that anybody can benefit from therapy,” said Craig. “Particularly for teenagers, kids are going through things that they don’t necessarily want to talk to their parents about. But when you’re talking to a professional, they can give [the teenager] some guidance and a different perspective and it doesn’t have to be a parent who they might want to be pulling away from. Another benefit if that, of course, you get to talk to someone with training and expertise.

We have certain things that we do and certain things that we know that many people don’t understand and aren’t trained in. A professional can help with specific problems that you have that your friend or peer or parent or hair stylist can’t help you with.”

Agreeing with Craig, Garcia adds that “it’s a beautiful thing to be able to talk to somebody who you can trust and who has no bias based on prior knowledge of the things in your life that are troubling you,” said Garcia. “[In therapy], I talk about anything from the new pair of shoes I’m excited about to my deepest, darkest thoughts that I never thought

I had the capacity to say aloud. I’ve built up a really strong relationship with my therapist. I’ve been able to mention things to her that I may not feel comfortable mentioning to my friends because they may want to understand, but may not be able to.”

Practicing psychotherapist Gigi Colombini also comments on the current attitudes of high schoolers regarding therapy. Colombini says that she has seen more of an increase in the awareness and of the practice among teenagers, and how the topic is becoming less and less taboo.

“I’ve been specializing in [teen therapy] for a long time and what I see is that we’re talking about our feelings more and we understand that it’s okay to get help,” said Colombini. “I will also see kids reach out more and that we have more awareness from schools and parents. There’s been an increase in awareness of acceptability of therapy.”

“The benefit is having a neutral person talk to them,” said Laura Hollyer-Madis, a guidance counselor at BHHS, Hollyer-Madis on the advantages of therapy. “It’s meant to help young people figure out what to do with someone who is not truly invested in their life. It gives them an unbiased person to help them sort out what to do.”

Some may wonder why students would go outside of school to therapy when there are professional counselors available within their building. As a former therapist herself, practicing for twenty years, HollyerMadis notes that therapy and counseling share similar characteristics, but differ in purpose and intensity.

“In high school we are here to help kids get through the school day. We are qualified to help kids but we’re not going to dig as deep [as therapists] because in school we don’t want to open

up a lot of issues [when students] have to go back to class.,” she said. “When you’re doing that in therapy, you can go home and do certain things that give you the downtime that you need.”

“The analogy I use is this: if somebody has a runny nose or sore throat or a temperature and a couple weeks goes by and they’re not better, they go to see a doctor if they can’t seem to get better on their own. With therapy, it’s the same thing.

So if someone has been sad for too long or worried for too long or have fears that keep them from functioning at a normal level, then it might be good to see a therapist,” said Colombini.

Though she believes therapy is no different from other kinds of medical attention, Colombini recognizes that not everyone views it in the same light saying that “collectively in our culture and society that there is still the thought that there’s something wrong with you if you need therapy.”

Craig also notes that sometimes going to therapy is met with judgement and a negative stigma. However, while others believe that therapy holds a negative connotation, Craig notes that it is becoming less of a taboo and more of something to take pride in.

“There are a lot of teens that like having a therapist,” said Craig. “They really embrace it and think of it as a good thing and aren’t afraid to let people know that it’s a good thing.”

“Therapy has made me realize that being vulnerable and choosing to go somebody for your problems and issues does not make you weak,” Garcia said. “I used to think that people who go to therapy must be crazy but now, I’m here, and I’m not looking back.”

HOMELESS IN BLOOMFIELD FROM 13 alternative accommodations or are living in emergency or transitional shelters or are awaiting foster care placement fall into the category of being homeless.

Maritas said she fell into the definition of being homeless after her family of four were evicted from their Bloomfield Hills apartment.

Maritas said that her family had to make some hard decisions. The first being where everyone was going to stay. Because her parents had a place to stay in New York, they took her younger brother and lived there. “Having lived my whole life here, I felt as though staying in Bloomfield Hills was the best decision for me. I also wanted to continue my education here,” she said. “I was lucky enough to have friends I could confide in, and who would provide me with emotional support and a place to stay.”

Throughout the next two years, Maritas lived with a few of her friends as well as homes designed to aid the homeless. “Initially I was living with a friend for a few months but that wasn’t working out for either of us, so then I moved in with my close friend at the time, senior Jazmyne Miree,” Maritas said.

“Originally we thought that it would be fun living with each other, getting to live with our best friend and having a grand old time. We would soon find out that this was as far from the truth as possible,” said Miree. “Although I was helping a friend, it was a massive challenge. My family isn’t rich or poor, but makes just enough to support our family. Adding another member made

for me. The school assumes everyone has techeverything very hard. We would often have to split nology available to them 24/7 but not everyone things or cut spending. As a result, our friendship has a device or internet access, and I didn’t know changed a lot, and we went through a year after how to do any of it so even though I was making Alexa moved where we argued quite a bit. We progress in some areas I would then fall behind in enjoyed our space but soon after we missed each things. Many students are handed technology, etc. other. Now I am thankful for the experience I had, But my parents weren’t able to provide everything but there was a time where it was in no way fun.” for me that I may have wantEven though the stress of “My situation pushed me to ed or needed at the time.” her situation affected her Several months after livfriendships, Maritas said work harder in everything ing in New York, the Miree that looking back the ex- I did. I received the best family welcomed Maritas’ perience had a positive efgrades I had ever gotten in mother for a few days until fect on her academics. she was able to move into an“My situation pushed me high school.... I knew just other location. According to to work harder in every- how hard I would have to thing I did. I received the work and the obstacles I had Maritas, her brother, mother, nine other people and herself best grades I had ever gotshared a tight space that was ten in high school going to overcome.” not an ideal living situation. through all of this stuff. I Maritas said the neighborknew just how hard I would Alexa Maritas hood was unsafe and her have to work and the ob- Senior room was practically a walk stacles I had to overcome.” in closet. As all three of them Even though she did see her slept in a twin size bed, Maritas said she often grades rise. There were times when Alexa says she felt went to bed hoping the next day would be better. discouraged because she knew that when the “My mom soon applied for Lighthouse, which is a bell rang at 2:30 p.m. her day wasn’t done. foundation that provides services to families in cri“Certain things here and there like technology sis. We were eventually accepted into the program and knowing what I had been going through and and lived there until they we had been able to save seeing all these other fortunate kids discouraged up enough money to move into the apartment in me. Being a BYOD school was another challenge

Auburn Hills which we now reside,” said Maritas.

Looking back, Maritas said that she missed having her family together especially her parents because she realized how much she depended on them emotionally. “I continuously wished I had my previous lifestyle back. You never realize how much you truly need those closest to you, until you lose them. My mom is now back on her feet and I am currently living with her, while my father is still out in New York because for the time being this was the best option for his work,” she said.

With her situation better, Maritas said she hopes her story not only educates the community on the definition of homeless but when groups collect money for families during the holidays or other times throughout the year, sharing her story will encourage those who can give to hopefully give more. She said that a few years ago, she was a member of one of those families in need and the help was appreciated more than she can ever put into words.

“Bloomfield Hills is not just about money,” Miree added. “There are people in this school that actually go through stuff. Not every kid has all the technology that they need or has an equal place to go home to. A lot of people actually don’t have money in this school and we need to be aware and cautious of that fact.”

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your guide to the...

2016

Texas Senator

Ted Cruz

Former Vermont Senator

Marco Rubio

Donald Trump Former Florida Governor

Neurosurgeon

New Jersey Governor

Son of George H.W. Bush and brother of George W. Bush

Author

Ben Carson

Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives

Former reality TV star

Former member of the House of Representatives Former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Florida Senator

Businessman

Former Solicitor General of Texas

Former New York Senator

Bernie Sanders

June 14 - DC (D) June 7 - CA, MT, NJ, NM, ND (D), SD June 5 - Puerto Rico (D) June 4 - Virgin Islands (D) May 24 - WA (R) May 17 - KY (D), OR May 10 - NB (R), WV May 7 - Guam (D) May 3 - IN

April 26 - CT, DE, MD, PA, RI

April 19 - NY

April 9 - WY (D)

Republicans

Former Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton

April 5 - WI

March 26 - AK (D), HA (D), WA (D)

March 22 - American Samoa (R), AZ, ID (D), UT

March 19 - Virgin Islands (R)

March 12 - Guam (R), Northern Marianas (D), DC (R)

March 8 - HA (R), Idaho (R), MI, MS, Democrats Abroad

March 6 - MN (D), PR (R)

March 5 - KA, KY (R), LA, MN (R), NE (D)

March 1 (Super Tuesday) - AL, AK (R), American Samoa (D), AR, CO, GA, MA, MN, ND (R), OK, TN, TX, VT, VA, WY (R)

Feb 27 - SC Feb 23 - NV (R) Feb 20 - NV (D), SC (R) Feb 9 - NH

Feb 1 - IA

?

DEMOCRATS Former First Lady of the United States

primary election

Jeb Bush

Chris Christie

Former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey

*Gold represents the winners of the Iowa Caucuses, silver represents second, and bronze third.

What is a primary?

What is a caucus?

What are the primaries?

A primary is one way states nominate a candidate to the presidential election. It’s a statewide election, where citizens simply cast their secret ballots for which candidate they like most.

A caucus is when voting is conducted at local political party meetings. Citizens say why they like some candidates more than others, and vote by physically breaking into groups. Normally, low population states and territories use caucuses.

The electoral process used to nominate a candidate from a political party to the American presidential election is called “the primaries.” However, there are two ways the nomination is accomplished.

These are primaries and caucuses.

U.S. Territories canparticipate in primary elections and caucuses, but cannot vote in the general election. works cited: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz, 801556188.png, 801556201,.png, 801556189.png, 801556186.png, 801556211.png, 801556202.png, 801556206.png, 801556210.png, 801556209.png, crowd1.png, RNC-logo.gif, 12967-democrat-donkey-color-sticker.png, new-hampshire-no-lines.png, south_carolina.gif, NEVADA.gif, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_primary , http://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2016-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/, https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/United_States_presidential_primary, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election, http://www.wagmtv.com/content/news/What-is-a-Caucus-367504271.html

Democratic National Convention

JULY 25-28

Republican National Convention

JULY 18-21