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Going green You can be eco-friendly with everything from shoes to notebooks
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Hamilton’s comeback Track star Doug Hamilton returns from Ohio and crippling injury to chase dreams
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Herd in the Hallways
“At first, I didn’t understand
what people were laughing at.” -Teacher Chuck Schira explains classroom mishap, p.7
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Q: How many pictures are on the Forensics Wall of Fame? a) 113 b) 162 c) 195 d) 201 For answer see Kudos p. 3
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A memory of yourOwn
Portage Central High School 8135 S. Westnedge Ave. Portage, MI 49002
Vol. 14 Issue 6
Brick project will allow alumni and others a chance to leave a legacy
BY MEGAN SCOTT Staff Writer Once this year`s sophomores walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, all those who follow will be adjusting to a new high school. Wanting to give the graduating classes from the current school something to return to and reflect upon, Class of Track 2011 Principal Eric Alburtus is working with others to find a lin Pa Pete Lindsay way to give something back to the students as well as othPTO Meeting 7 p.m. Tarpley Metzelaars ers. A new plan to offer graduating students, faculty and other Brett Eric Women’s soccer: Foerster Alexander interested persons, especially community members, parents and Shannon Eri other supporters of our school, the opportunity to purchase a c Good luck at States! Bennet Ra brick with their name and message wri�en on it to be placed near yle Class of the front entrance of the new school, scheduled for completion 2004 in fall 2011. Rachel Sk Together, the bricks will form a wall or walkway in Kubinski S yler tone the front of the school`s “green space” as a focal point of Er ic Erica remembrance of past graduating students and other Kent Alburtus donators. For the few who are aware of the idea, many Budge Whit e are enthusiastic to add a personal touch to the new In memory school. Class of of Ami “Knowing that even when we`re gone and 2009 Bousfield graduated, people will still have a way to remember us is awesome,” junior Sabrina Pe�is said. Gordon The Mustang pride and spirit is something Aldrews An burtus wants to continue to keep alive and strong. “It`s a drum that we keep beating with,” Alburtus said. “Just because the building`s changing, doesn`t mean it`s not still their school.” MARAH KLOSE/STAMPEDE Just as the school anthem has carried through many years, Alburtus hopes to keep the unity between the students even through a major structural change. demolition of the old school. Since no specific vendor has been decided upon, the price of these A prevailing form of advertisement includes creating a inscribed bricks has not yet been determined. For a similar project at brochure to give to parents at various school events includGrand Haven High School, boosters offered bricks ranging from $50 ing graduation, sporting events and class reunions, as well as to $300, with the higher-priced bricks more suitable for corporations or submi�ing articles to the Portage Gaze�e and Mustang Minutes. families. Keeping in mind that quality, in this case, may outweigh the Alburtus and Kent White, special projects manager, are curhigh price, it`s difficult to find a balance. rently working with a variety of clubs such as the journalism “We don`t want price to be a barrier for the students,” Alburtus and yearbook students to get a jump-start on the creation of said. the pamphlet. In order to keep the price down for each student, fund-raising is Through the process, administrators hope to quell the fear needed before sales begin. One solution includes advertising. Promotion and concerns among many that the legacies le� behind will be includes word of mouth as well as pamphlets. Alburtus believes that if buried beneath the rubble of the school that once remained. the word gets out about the planning, people will be enthusiastic about As the anticipation of a new school rises, students have finally donating and raising money as the time reaches closer and closer to the found a way to leave a lasting mark.
The unlikely return of Kent White After heading to college, ’08 graduate returns for internship
BY NATHAN RANNS
Staff Writer
here, White works in the guidance office, learning the daily ins and outs of working life at an educational institution. However, special projects with the new building may arise that require White’s expertise. According to Alburtus, the gym at Waylee Elementary will become the new home of the high school band. Changes must be made in the space to accommodate the needs of the band, including hanging of the old curtains from the auditorium to improve acoustics. This is something that White could very well be involved in. With an abundance of possibilities ahead, White has lots to look forward to.
Returning students may recognize a very familiar face roaming the halls this year. Last year’s Student Council President, Kent White, has returned to his alma mater, holding a special interning position. Pursuing a major in secondary education, White has found his perfect fit here. A�er running into Principal Eric Alburtus at a basketball game, White’s dream position became available. “I ran into Kent at a basketball game, and he expressed interest in an unpaid internship position,” Alburtus said. “He was really interested in helping. We just couldn’t turn him down.” While White is only in the building two a�ernoons and one whole day a we e k , t h e i m mense amount of experience he has already gathered is impressive. His title, Special Projects Coordinator, means that in addition to unpaid experience in the school, he has the opportunity to DOIN’ WORK: White performs various tasks to work on special projects involving the new school. “In a school environment, there are people like me and then there are teachers,” Alburtus said. While he is not receiving college credit for “There isn’t really anyone to do odd jobs. his time spent here, the firsthand experiThese are jobs that are going to take bodies. ence he is gaining is unmatchable. “All in all, everything’s good so far,” This means that Kent will be doing some White said. “I’ve go�en some really good manual labor.” White is an official employee of Van experience and learned lots.” While White enjoys his position for the Buren Research and Development. When
most part, there are also a few considerable changes he has noticed from his previous year at Portage Central. Most notably that the transition from student to employee is a significant one. “It’s really odd being back,” White said. “It’s a whole different perspective than being a student. Being a student was more fun and a lot less stressful.” Regardless of where White decides to go throughout his collegiate career, it is certain that his countless good deeds for the school have greatly influenced and benefited both students and staff. His efforts and accomplishments will leave a deep imprint on PC students in years to come, Alburtus and other staff members say. “He really has done so much,” Alburtus said. “I can’t even list the amount of work he’s done. It’s great to have him back!”
AMNA AZAM/STAMPEDE
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April 1, 2009
Crossing over Commuting to Northern opens new classes for Mustangs BY KEENAN CRONYN
Design Editor
Some are forced to make the trek up to twice a day, and others are simply snubbed out of precious class time. For those students who take classes at Portage Northern, there’s o�en two sides to the story. Once a year, counselors are put to the task of trying to schedule over 1200 students. Of those 1200 more approximately, about 20 are forced to commute to and from Northern at least once daily. The problem is not in an overpopulation nor does it have anything to do with class size; instead, the problem is created when students want to take classes not offered here, or more o�en than not students have chosen a certain set of classes that has not allowed room for a class in their schedule. In these rare cases students typically a�end for 1 or 2 hours of class. They are offered buses but most take their own cars, and even with their own hands at the wheel many of them miss class time either way, take junior Ryan Smith for example. “I guess I feel like I lose time in German,” Smith says, “I only get to be there for twenty minutes with all the travel time.” It’s true that students biggest problem isn’t ge�ing to and from class on time, but rather, with time, to take in the full importance of the class.
On the other side of things, teachers also have trouble with the students coming in from Northern. Science teacher Karen Taylor has nearly half of her class come in during the beginning of her third hour. “On a regular basis I feel like some people are maybe behind,” Taylor said. “I always feel like I know they missed something.” That anxiety is shared among students and teachers as the commute from Northern can take away up to fi�een minutes from some students and teachers. J u n i o r Leslie Veltman has found a way around the problem by taking her first and second hour courses at Northern. “I start school there so I get all of first hour,” Veltman said. “But I still do miss some time in bio.” It seems that even with a routine schedule both teachers and students have a hard time BRAD LINDER/STAMPEDE adapting to the change of scenery throughout the day. And regardless of the effort put in to preserve the time within each class it still feels like students are always coming in just a bit late. “It feels like your jumping into moving traffic sometimes,” Smith said. “It’s like your playing frogger.” So for teachers and students alike its obvious that having two home turfs is more work than it seems. Simply out of necessity students are forced to Northern pu�ing stress on themselves and teachers.
News hallways and city streets
Pampering Pooches SPCA works to care for neglected pets BY MARISSA MIARS
Staff Writer
Over 219,560 dogs and cats were abused in Michigan in 2006 alone. These statistics provided the base for the creation of The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Southwest Michigan (SPCA), located in Richland, Michigan . The goal of the SPCA is to provide rescue and care for pets who are victims of animal abuse. The foundation has certainly accomplished this goal, having saved more than 6,000 cats and dogs since its founding in 2002. For those looking to volunteer, there are numerous jobs available. Such include: including walking and caring for dogs in the kennel, caring for cats, planning fundraising events, ad campaigns and coordinating the volunteer program. Vice President of the organization, Alexandra Howells, believes the program gives student volunteers more than just the satisfaction of supporting a good cause. “It gives them a very good view of what to expect working in a professional organization,” Howells said, “as well as the ability to decide on a career path that may be animal-related.” For those interested, a volunteer application is necessary and can be found on their website: www.spcewmich.org, where you can either print off an application form or apply directly online. Elise Fisher, sophomore and former SPCA volunteer, shares her experience walking the rescued dogs this past summer. “I thought about helping the animals because I knew they didn’t have a loving family,” Fisher said, “so I gave them that love in a walk.” The “fostering” program, allows families to take care of a certain animal for a short period of time to see how it behaves in a normal living situation. The SPCA also appreciates any kind of donation. When it comes down to improving the lives of victims of animal cruelty, once is not nearly enough. “Yes I would go back because I enjoyed walking them, seeing their tails wag, and the happiness in their eyes,” Fisher said.
RACE for racial equality MARISSA MIARS/STAMPEDE
Race exhibit opens at local museum to fight inequality BY KRISTINA KRAUTMANIS
Staff Writer
The exhibit, “RACE: Are We So Different?” opens at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum next year. This exhibit will travel to 9 cities in the United States, and Kalamazoo is one of them. The exhibit is just like it sounds. “RACE: Are We So Different?” explores not only the stereotypes that humans create about race, but also the scientific proof that all humans are the same on the inside. The analysis of skin, voice, hair and other body parts that most people would associate with certain races are investigated. Another area that is explored is the everyday approach that humans have to race. The exhibit believes that race can either bring us together, or keep us apart. This exhibit has current photos, graphics, and videos that try to show how race is something that humans create. Yet today, though some wish not to believe it, people separate themselves socially, economically and emotionally. The exhibit will show how different races are treated on the streets, in a bank, at the store, or even in court. Statistics prove what some think is just a myth. Kristina Wirtz, the Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Western Michigan University, brought the exhibit to Kalamazoo. She has seen the exhibit twice already, and believes that it will bring change and encourage discussions.
Brief
“[RACE] is an extremely important and timely issue. Everyone will learn something,” Wirtz said. The exhibit is not just for viewing, but also a place to provide discussions. Wirtz mentions that people really want to engage in dialogue; this provides an opportunity to do that. Not only can people discuss what they learn, but they can do it in a safe environment. This exhibit is meant for all ages. High school students can a�end a monthly youth group meets at the Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative on 1903 Portage Rd. When this exhibit opens, there will also be other events held at the same time. Book and panel discussions, showings and theatre events are all planned to be in the exhibit. Wirtz hopes to recruit Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College students to be guides in the exhibit. One video that Wirtz definitely recommends that students see is a video called, “A girl like me”. This seven minute video is made by a 17year-old girl in St. Paul. She interviews peers about their take on race and why it affects our daily lives. Even a professionl in the field found the exhibit worthwhile. “I learned something, and I’m an anthropologist,” Wirtz said.
CREDIT TO RACE EXHIBIT WEBSITE
ARE WE SO DIFFERENT?: According to the website, the above sketch depicts the exhibits “Education Area” where visitors can discuss and learn from each other, as well as featured exhibit reading or viewing material.
The Portage Youth Advisory Council, a commi�ee of area highschool students who offer a youth perspective on the goings-on of Portage, will be hosting a special Earth Day walk on Saturday, Apr. 25 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. This free 5K walk/run, beginning at Celery Flats’ Garden Lane historical area, is sponsored by several local businesses who are working hard to “go green” and be planetfriendly. Students are invited to bring their friends and families to enjoy the beautiful Bicentennial Trail.
“Run for love” works to help family
run for love
Portage Public Schools have joined the social network Twi�er, otherwise known as twi�er.com. Twi�er is a message site allowing members to update their “followers” with purposefully short quips about their current status or plans. Seeing as the network is usually used for more casual updates, the district intends to use it for more “informal and fun” messages, informs the Kalamazoo Gaze�e. Vicksburg Community Schools plan to start using Twi�er soon in Portage’s wake.
High-school students put on earth day walk
earth day walk
Portage public schools join twitter
National Honors Society is hosting the “Run for Love” fundraiser on Saturday, May 16th. Tickets are 5 dollars will be held on Portage Northern’s practice track from 10am to 8pm. Running, music and other activities will also be offered. The money goes to help Sarah Rants, who has recently developed Parkinson’s disease, and her family of 12 adopted and severely impaired children. For volunteer hours or more information about other opportunities email runforlove2009@gmail.com or by join the Facebook group “runforlove2009”.
prom ticket sales
In
Prom ticket sales begin for April`s spring dance Prom is just around the corner and its time to buy tickets and ask your date. Prom will be held on April 25, 2009 at the State Theatre from 8:00 P.M. - midnight. The theme will be Under the Sea. Tickets will be sold in the 100 hallway, on the way to the senior parking lot.
-Briefs compiled by staff
News
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page three
hallways and city streets
April 1, 2009
Hands-on
1
experience
Students dissect to learn about human bodies BY SARAH MANIS
Staff Writer
Dissections. Are they awesome, awful or advantageous? For students interested in the medical professions, dissections are an essential experience. Learning by doing; by seeing, feeling, touching and manipulating can o�en make remembering easier than listening, writing and studying classroom notes and texts. Several students feel dissections are an important part of the learning process in biology. “I have to practice on something real,” junior Chelsea Kirby said. Having a 3-D model with structures in proportion to each other gives students another perspective of the information given to them. Students use visual, tactile and muscle cues to help understand and remember relationships within the body “It gives us a hands on activity,” Kirby said. However, some students believe that biology dissections are absolutely wrong and they have no purpose in high schools. “[Dissections] are morally wrong. Just because something is there doesn’t mean we need to cut it up,” sophomore Anna Gerechka said. Many students including Gerechka don’t think dissections are even necessary in high school. These students feel this way because dissections require the killing of innocent animals. As long as dissections are part of the curriculum in high schools, some students feel there should be alternatives for those not willing to
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ANDREW KRIETZ/STAMPEDE
TEAMWORK:(Above) Beth Chodl and Kelsey Buckstaff examine the heart of the cat. (Left) Stephanie Johnson, Mrs. Laurencig and Jessie Kimbrel review the anatomy of the cat. participate. Biology teacher Cathy Laurencig has her own opinion. “There should be an alternative in required classes, but as an elective, then no, they should
be required,” Laurencig said. One alternative to dissections is computer programming.
Scientists have come up with computer techniques to allow students to explore human as well as animal anatomy. These programs provide detailed graphics, interactive features and videos. This alternative allows students to learn the information needed without harming animals. If a student plans on a career in a medical profession, dissections are relevant experiences needed before dealing with live, responsive, flesh and blood human beings. Dissections in high schools allow these students to correlate their text book knowledge with real life opportunities.
Stepping it up Science Olympiad to compete in the state finals
AH SE/
KLO E PED
M STA
“Any student at risk with continuing issues stays on our radar,” Baker said. “We try to work with the student and their family and I think this is where we can get be�er.” She believes that the school needs to put more work into helping kids with abuse problems outside of school, saying that the policies for ge�ing caught with illegal substances is fine as is. “What system do we have in place for the kids that don’t get caught?” Baker said. Baker thinks the students need a more personal touch. To remedy this, magnetic charts from the BY JAMES KETELAAR Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and Substance Staff Writer Abuse Services will be handed out to teachers sometime in the near future. The charts feature information One challenge that presents itself in schools across the to help teachers and other students figure out when country is the ongoing problem of someone has a problem, and who they can call substance abuse among students. In the and talk in order to get the problem worked Portage Public Schools district, school out. administrators are beginning to A new campaign for suicide step up their actions to prevent prevention has already been instituted such problems. this spring. The campaign, hosted by As they currently stand, Gatekeeper, has been targeted towards seniors, the school’s policies on finding featuring a sort of pre-test and post-test on a student with illegal substances suicide prevention information. have not and will not be changed “We targeted it towards seniors because they anywhere in the immediate future. have a lot more going on at that point in their lives,” Just as before, the first offense leads Baker said. to a negotiable 10-day suspension Hopefully, the program will have an impact with the second offense leading to on students. Baker worries that many students need an automatic 10-day suspension the program if they are to be the ones helping out and recommended expulsion. friends. According to Sarah Baker, “How can we be prepared to fully confront Instructional Services Coordinator, someone we care about?” Baker said. there are no plans to enhance or For the sake of the school, let’s hope all of Baker’s efforts JAMES KETELAAR/STAMPEDE reduce these policies. What is don’t go to waste. This issue effects every person in the school, going to change is how the school handles students with and it would be a shame if no one took it seriously. an addiction or more obvious problem.
MAR
Administrators are doing everything they can to keep students safe
Congratulations to the Science Olympiad team on a strong showing in Saturday’s (Mar. 14) Regional competition. They achieved 10 first place, 6 second place, 3 third place and 1 fourth place award in 23 individual events. The PC team narrowly edged second place to Hastings. The Olympiad team has been invited to compete in the state final May 2 in East Lansing. Congratulations to the Science Olympians and their nine coaches
Central alumni wins film award in Paris, France Please join us in congratulating former student JP Sniadecki for earning the prestigious Joris Ivens Award at the Cinéma du Réel International Film Festival in Paris, France this past weekend. The International Judging Commi�ee loved his most recent documentary: Chaiqian (Demolition). JP is now back at Harvard completing his PHD candidate work.
PC Pop Quiz answer: c) 195
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Stampede “Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech,or of the press.” First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
page four
View opinions and editorials
Our View Crippled economy affects your student newspaper, too With the worsening economy has come what appears to be the demise of the American newspaper. Several major national papers have folded or been forced to reduce circulation in order to survive as consumers turn to free online news sources to save money. Locally, the Kalamazoo Gaze�e has cut back on color printing and reduced its weekday size to two sections. Just last week, the Gaze�e announced that it will likely be moving many of its production duties to the Grand Rapids Press.
EIGHT’S
April 1, 2009
a crowd
The Stampede’s financial strength is equally tenuous, as we work to balance quality scholastic journalism with a $752 pricetag for every 14page newspaper. As the economy has worsened, so have advertisers tightened their pursestrings.
Group dates provide variety
Couple dates are more convenient
focus editor
editor-inchief
When making plans for prom, one must always ask the question, “Do I want to go with a date or with a group of friends?” While having a date can be nice for slow dances, going with a group is the way to go in all other ways. If one has a date, the entire night is spent worrying and overall is much more stressful. Students have to think about what their date is wearing, who’s paying for dinner, and what to talk about, o�en being embarrassed by a number of different things. If one goes with a group of friends, the night is spent le�ing loose and enjoying prom instead of worrying about the date. Students pay for their own meals, dance crazily with friends, worry only about themselves and their own clothes, and if one does something embarrassing, the friends will laugh and no one will be mortified. Prom is something that happens only a couple of times in life, and having an enjoyable, fun night will make the memory a good one. Let’s be honest, telling friends the night was crazy and fun is much be�er than telling them what a disaster it was, and how stressful the entire night was. If going with a group of friends, students can either go out or stay in for dinner and have a fun time, joking with friends and not worrying if there is food in the teeth or if the food is unhealthy. Pictures will be all around a good time; instead of awkward poses with dates students can do fun poses such as the “Charlie’s Angels” pose. Once at the dance, students can dance with friends: the window washer and the Q-tip are popular ones. Students can walk around, talk and take pictures with peers and never have to worry about leaving their dates behind. Having a date is just an old-fashioned image we all have in our minds from watching too many movies. Students don’t need a date to have a good time at prom. In fact, many will probably have a much be�er time with all their close friends. This prom season, more students should step away from the stereotypes in so many of our minds, and instead of coming with a date come with a group of friends. The pictures will be be�er. The memories will be be�er. The night in general will be be�er.
I can only speak from my experiences, but when everyone and their mother (literally) shows up to a pre-prom group dinner, the traffic jam is incredible. I’m not so closed-minded as to cite that as my sole reason for advocating couple dates, but it certainly adds to the collection of evidence in my mind. When a�ending any dance and one is lucky enough to have a date, the natural next step in the preparation process is deciding to go with or without other couples. Both possibilities have advantages and disadvantages tied to them and it truly differs person to person what they’re most comfortable with. Based on personal experience, I have to say that group dates can sometimes be more trouble than they’re worth. Where groups require advanced notice and an incredible amount of coordination and planning, couple dates are much more manageable. Last-minute reservations to restaurants are more easily accepted when it’s only two people si�ing at the table rather than 10. Additionally, one has only to compare schedules of the two involved parties rather than to create a spreadsheet to map out a time that works for everyone. This point brings up the topic of flexibility in numbers: an oxymoron if I ever heard one. The idea of last-minute changes of plan for a group of 10 or more is laughable, and, especially if it’s a major detail like location change, someone will likely wind up highly embarrassed either because of a forgo�en or missed call. Flexibility applies to the comings and goings of students at the dance, as well. Some people wish to make an entrance well a�er the party has been started whereas others arrive on the scene early so as to start the party. The same goes for leaving the party, whether it’s in full swing or one wishes to hold out for the last song before parting, couple dates have no outside pressure to decide, it’s entirely up to the pair. Possibly the most significant and obvious reason for a date in the first place is the ‘alone time’ (for lack of a be�er term) that one uses to get to know his or her date be�er, usually at dinner or in the car in transit to and from the dance. This time is valuable and should be treated as such. I will concede that the atmosphere on a couple date is dramatically different from large group dates, and perhaps is not the best for everyone. Hopefully this difference is obvious, as it is so extreme, but it is nonetheless a rewarding experience to venture beyond the social buffer zone provided by a large group of people.
However, we have worked hard to maintain affordable advertising rates and also believe that charging 50 cents for a great product is not too much to ask. The Stampede has been a staple of this school in various forms since the 1950s, and in the past eight years, it has grown from a dedicated staff of seven students to a 39-member, nationally-recognized newspaper. The Stampede receives no school funding. It relies heavily on subscribers, both in-school and out-of-state, and equally as much on the students and school staff who purchase the paper on sell days, and we are thankful for their support. Additionally, we are so grateful for the sponsorship and loyalty from area businesses that advertise in our pages and appreciate their help in keeping this paper running. Keeping that in mind, it should be noted that without dependable buyers, the Stampede runs the risk of losing the funds we need to produce and print the paper. But we have made an effort to keep the paper at its very low price of 50 cents, and we’re glad you rely on us as a school news source. We are certain that our effort to keep this newspaper affordable will continue to pay off, as you, our readers, have demonstrated to us time and time again.
Stampede Staff Andrew Krietz and Marah Klose Editors-in-Chief Nicole Chrusciel.............................................News Editor Christianna Gluys...........................................View Editor Jenny Kilduff..................................................Focus Editor Alaina Dely........................................................Vibe Editor Nate Frisbie...................................................Sports Editor Amna Azam.....................................................Photo Editor Keenan Cronyn.............................................Design Editor Assistant Editors/Staff Writers....................Zach Anderson ................................... Laurel Bowersock, Morgan Clothier, ..........................................Sarah Erdman, James Ketelaar, .............................. Kristina Krautmanis, Rachael LeFevre, .........................Amber Lester, Sarah Manis, Kevin Martin, ....................Alex McCarthy, Marissa Miars, Lauren Moon, ..........................................Carly Nagengast, Omo Ogbomo, ........................Emma Page, Jordan Peters, James Phillips, ..................Nathan Ranns, Megan Scott, Hannah Seelman, ..................................................Tucker Webb, Sarah Wilsey, Artists.....Bryant Girsch, Bradley Linder, Sarah Thompson Business Manager..............................................Regis Partee Adviser...........................................................Cheryl Braford The Central Stampede publishes approximately one publication a month, primarily by the Journalism II class at Portage Central High School, 8135 S. Westnedge, Portage, MI 49002. It also uses work from Journalism I students. Office: (269) 323-5218 Fax: (269) 323-5290 Room 306 The Central Stampede is a member of the Great Lakes Interscholastic Press Association (GLIPA) and the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA). The purpose of the Central Stampede is to act as an open forum for students of Portage Central. The staff will achieve a bal-
JENNY KILDUFF
Jenny Kilduff is the Focus Editor for the Central Stampede.
MARAH KLOSE
Marah Klose is Editor-in-Chief for the Central Stampede.
Students
Speak Out
Which do you prefer, couple or group dates for dances?
ance between informing and entertaining our readers. Editorials Staff editorials are unsigned and represent consensus of the staff. The opinion of the staff is represented in the “Our View” column. The opinions of the editors, staff writers and guest writers will have bylines and will carry their own views. Letters As an open forum, the Stampede welcomes all members of the Portage community. However, the staff reserves the right to edit letters based on length and content.
“I like to go in groups because it’s fun to dance with your friends.” LINDSEY FILLER Freshman
“If other people don’t have dates then they feel left out so going as a group is good.” JAYNE SEUFERT Sophomore
“It should be a date because when you look back later you would want to have memories of past relationships.” TAYLOR ROHLFS Junior
“Couple dates because it’s more private and personal, you get to have more fun with one person.” DEWEY SINCLAIR Senior
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opinions and editorials
April 1, 2009
Bumper-to-Bumper
Backpack-to-Backpack
BRYANT GIRSCH/STAMPEDE
OUTTA MY WAY: The hallways crowded with students are nearly impossible to navigate during passing time.
news editor NICKI CHRUSCIEL This is a plea to all Portage Central students: keep moving! The lingering, the abrupt halting, the excessive PDA and the obnoxious behavior cannot continue any longer unaddressed. The school is big; some people are in a hurry while some people are not. Five minutes may seem like plenty of time for some, but may evaporate quickly for others. In any case, please, let’s be courteous. Though I, regre�ably, will not see the glorious new school and the extravagant fairytale-esque hallways and classrooms, I do have a few ideas to help future lingering Mustangs. I have a dream that one day a high school will set up a hallway system that runs smoothly without the hassles that annoy and disrupt but with plenty of room for all. My vision—a hallway set up like a highway.
When one thinks about a typical high school hallway, a distinctive parallel can be drawn to a highway. Traffic jams, collisions, merging, yielding, stop and go… it’s all the same. So, I propose to the creating team of the new school, why not treat the hallways just like a highway? It’s a simple way of thinking: driving on a four-lane highway is significantly easier than in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It seems reasonable, with this logic, to assume a hallway with designated lanes, much like a highway, would yield more productive passing time. The le� lane, with the floor painted green, would be the fast lane specifically for the speed walkers and those in a hurry. Of course, because the traffic flows in both directions, a median may be necessary to prevent catastrophes. The middle lane, with the floor painted yellow, would represent the cruising lane for those who enjoy their time walking slowly. The right lane, painted red, is the stopping lane, much like a shoulder on a highway. The lockers being on the right side of the hallway also adds
Recruit me not staff writer
TUCKER WEBB
When one speaks to a military recruiter, they tell you that joining would be a great learning experience and would help you later in life. Though it could indeed be a learning experience, does it have a place in school? I believe that they do not. Though the military could be a good place to learn, it shouldn’t be allowed here in this learning environment. The fact is, most of the students who would sign up for the Armed Forces don’t know what they want to do yet in life, and it is unfair to prey on this. What if that student signs up because he or she thinks, “Oh, might as well, I don’t have any plans anyways,” but then a while later decide, they have something they really would like to pursue? They can’t pursue that until they get out. However, the military guarantees a government paid scholarship. This could help someone who signed up and found out what they wanted to do while serving. This does not take into account “stop loss,” a government policy which allows the military to call back any individual who signed up for the military at any time the government would like. There have been over 58,000 cases of this happening in the past six years of the Iraq war. But even with this in mind, what happens when the person who got out with their college money in hand uses that money to go to college, but then gets called back from his or her studies to fight for their country once more? That person may have to retake classes and he or she does not recieve any more money from the military to go to school a second time. Also, I don’t think military recruiters should be allowed in school is the way they go about trying to entice kids to join. Recently, the military came out with a video game in an a�empt to reach out to the youth. I find this despicable. In reality, this game is propaganda. The military is telling the youth that the horrors of war are not bad: they’re fun! This would not be true in real life. And the kids who actually believe shooting a gun and blowing things up in a game is like real life are going to be in for quite an unpleasant term of service. The government desperately trying to acquire new troops established a link between the schools and the military, and I believe that this link needs to be removed. The government needs to change this law, and the recruiters need to leave.
Tucker Webb is a staff writer for the Central Stampede.
to this convenience. Those who wish to stop and chat should move to this lane—the lane for those who choose to lag and are no longer in motion. Aside from the flow, I believe another big problem with the current hallways is the time-telling mechanisms. Clocks are helpful, but to be honest, sometimes I struggle to see how many seconds are le� while I’m whizzing by. I propose giant, count-down clocks are placed in every hallway, so everyone can see exactly how much time is le� in the five minute passing time. Though it seems a hallway such as I described would take place in a futuristic or corny “High School Musical”-type movie, it is a nice idea to have. Sometimes seeing the extreme of what something could be helps to make something be�er in what it is. But please, for my sake, get out of my way.
Nicki Chrusciel is News Editor for the Central Stampede.
staff writer
HANNAH SEELMAN
Turn on the T.V. and I guarantee that most, if not all, cleaning and cooking commercials contain beautiful women using the products in the commercials with a fake creepy smile on their face. The fact that these commercials even exist is sad, but what is worse is that sexism is everywhere, even in our own school. Throughout the school year, homecoming games are always the mostlooked-forward to sporting event. During fall homecoming, the homecoming game is always football—a sport that is only available for men. Then typically men’s basketball plays for the winter homecoming. Everyone loves watching these games, but what they don’t realize is, while fans swarm the stands for the men’s homecoming games, the women’s teams do not have nearly as much support from their school. Don’t get me wrong- these games are fun to watch- but would it hurt to switch it up a bit and allow the women’s basketball team to play the homecoming game? For authorities to only allow the men’s team to play for homecoming, implies to me that they think the women’s teams are not “worthy” enough to play in such a big game. This disgusts me because all teams in this school are hardworking and talented, so it should not ma�er what gender happens to be playing in a homecoming game. School dances are also a most anticipated event. Students walk on the dance floor with the music blaring, start dancing and basically having a good time. Most likely because it has a good beat, rap music is the most played genre at the school dances. Sure, this kind of music is easy to a�empt to dance to, but has anyone actually listened to the words? In some rap songs, the words are extremely degrading towards women. Listen and decode the many double meanings in the songs and students will realize that, to these “ganstas,” women are nothing more than pre�y, brainless objects that they can use in anyway they please. Now, I’m not saying all rap songs are like this; in fact, I have a lot of rap music on my iPod that is not, but many inappropriate songs are out there and are being played during school dances. By playing these dirty songs, our school is indirectly saying that they think it is acceptable for women to be treated in such a manner. Some listen to this music and, because the school is playing it, think it is okay to treat women like they do in the songs. Rap music is a fun type of music, but some songs are completely uncalled for. Whether or not students decide to listen to these songs on their own is completely up to them, but these incredibly dirty and discriminating songs do not belong at school dances. In school, sexism unfortunately does not only target women but men as well. Students constantly subconsciously stereotype male students, and assume that men have to be extremely strong and unemotional to be normal which is completely untrue. But everyone in school is unique, and we need to stop deciding what our interests, likes and dislikes are solely on our gender, but on who we are. Our full potential cannot be fulfilled until we can break away from tradition to try new things. At the end of the day, sexism is here and it needs to be accounted for. I, for one, am tired of all the sexism in the world, and especially in school. School is one of the most “politically correct” places in the United States, so if sexism can be found here, imagine how much exists in the rest of the world.
Hannah Seelman is a staff writer for the Central Stampede.
Hard work pay$ off staff writer
RACHAEL LEFEVRE
A teen leaves a stack of homework and several unfinished projects on his desk. Concern for upcoming due dates slips his mind as he shoots out of the garage in his brand-new, fully paid-off car. Flash forward 10 years. That same teen, now grown, sits at a desk in a large business firm as tasks pile up around him and coworkers reprimand him in the background. Teens today are increasingly unmotivated to accomplish tasks. Our generation has been deemed “lazy,” and in many cases, this accusation holds true. Some students consistently leave homework unfinished or sloppily throw projects together at the last minute. At home, some teens receive “necessities” such as cell phones or cars from their parents without gaining the experience of hard work to obtain these items. When teens don’t work to achieve school success or to buy themselves products, they lose the important principle of work ethic. Without this trait instilled at a young age, today’s teens may grow into unproductive and unaccomplished adults. Teens used to slacking off in high school will get a big slap in the face when they enter the real world. At colleges, professors will not closely monitor the progress of their students. Students must take it upon themselves to obtain the help they need. In workplaces, employers don’t
BRYANT GIRSCH/STAMPEDE
tolerate lazy behavior and unfinished projects. It is important that teens participate in experiences of hard work that will prepare them for the future. Parents should be an instrumental part of encouraging these experiences. Parents who do not encourage their children to succeed in their schoolwork detract from the motivation of teens. On the contrary, parents who care too much bestow o�en unnecessary items onto their children. Since these teens don’t have to earn these objects, they lose the experience of hard work and are given the impression that people will always give them what they need. Instead of resorting to these practices, parents should use other methods to inspire hard work in their children. My parents have worked relentlessly to instill a strong work ethic in my siblings and me. As an
owner of a prepaid cell phone, I have to pay for all my minutes. I’ve learned – sometimes the hard way – the importance of budgeting my money so I can afford to purchase my cell minutes. Rather than relying on my parents to pay all my phone pills, this experience has taught me the benefits of hard work. In the end, it is teens who must step up to the challenges of life. We must put our best efforts forth and strive to achieve our goals. Otherwise, without the principle of work ethic, our futures may only consist of dissatisfied bosses and unaccomplished dreams.
Rachael LeFevre is a staff writer for the Central Stampede.
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Stampede
page six April 1, 2009
View opinions and editorials
The weight of the world
Students considering IB Diploma should think deeply before committing to program staff writer
N AT H A N R A N N S
Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I gaze at the clock, hoping that what it reads is a lie. The pile of textbooks catches my eye and disappointment washes over me. It’s going to be a long night, an occurrence that I’ve become quite familiar with. I’ve come to know and embrace the immense darkness of the night, the morbid silence that envelopes me. It’s as if the entire world is safely tucked in their warm beds, and here I am, slouching over my desk, searching for the perfect combination of words to complete my World Literature paper. My eyes droop and an immense yawn escapes my lips as I wonder why I’m willingly handing my life over to a program controlled by people halfway around the world. This is IB Diploma. This is my life. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. At times, of course, this process can be the absolute bane of my existence. However, current sophomores need to be aware that the IB Diploma program is heavily based on time management. Students participating need to learn how to juggle their personal lives with the rigorous workload, the vast amount
of community service hours and the indepth extended essay. The aforementioned activities constitute countless hours of your time. It may be hard now, but it will greatly benefit you in your collegiate and professional careers. An absolute must for potential Diploma candidates is effort and tenacity. I’m not going to sugarcoat the facts and serve them on a gleaming pla�er. The classes are hard, the work is bountiful and the worries are neverending. Very quickly, one becomes aware of the tightly packed schedule full of speeches, assessments and various due dates. Late work is unacceptable and anything other than a best effort is merely a disservice to yourself. The point of the program is to make the difficult transition from high school to college smoother. Slacking your way through assignments and projects is not going to complete that purpose. You are most certainly going to be required to exert yourself to your mental capacity. However, don’t feel discouraged yet. For every negative, there are multiple positives. The IB Diploma is an extremely beneficial program, providing participants with impertinent skills and study habits and turning them into exemplary students. I’ve learned more in less than a year of IB classes than I have throughout my first two years of high school. Being a junior, I am well on my way to earning the Diploma, and the sheer amount of information, though sometimes overwhelming, is truly unmatched by any other program of study offered.
BRADLEY LINDER/STAMPEDE
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the program, aside from the success and superior knowledge, are the numerous positive relationships built along the way. Students have the unique opportunity to work one-onone with teachers through the extended essay in a field of study they particularly enjoy, choosing their own topics and answering their own questions. Throughout the two year course, they meet with advisors and discuss their topics in immense depth. It is rewarding to not only make progress with your work, but also to form a bond with a teacher and allow him or her to see your progress. With 150 hours of community service required, it is easy to meet new and interesting people that share similar interests as you through volunteering opportunities. This program allows students to grow both socially and academically.
Past the work ethic, sleepless nights and daunting tasks stands the most crucial aspect of the entire program – you. This program is all about the student, and you take from it what you put in. Therefore, your heart truly needs to be commi�ed. Don’t join the program to impress your peers and don’t join the program to please your parents. This decision needs to be solely from you. If your heart isn’t in it, then you will undoubtedly resent the next two years of your life. The IB Diploma is an amazing program, but it’s not for everyone. Choose wisely. Make the decision for your education, make the decision for your future and, most importantly, make the decision for yourself.
Nathan Ranns is a staff writer for the Central Stampede.
KEVIN KEY/STAMPEDE
Writer should get facts straight before publishing opinion column
JAMES KETELAAR/STAMPEDE
Sunshine anytime
Taking classroom learning outdoors
staff writer
AMBER LESTER
By the end of the year, most students are suffering from claustrophobic symptoms. They are tired of being cooped up in school and crave the tiniest bit of fresh air. If only teachers could teach outside when the weather is at its best, then students might not become so antsy and actually enjoy school a li�le more. I personally feel that if teachers had a designated spot to teach outside when the weather is pleasant, that the school atmosphere would altogether improve. When summer begins to get closer, all I want to do is rush out of school so I can get into that warm summer air. However, if I could access that air during the school day, I would be more encouraged to focus and retain information.
I do understand that it would be hard to teach certain subjects such as math and some sciences outside. It would be very hard to demonstrate without whiteboards or test tubes, but everyone can use a bit of fresh air now and then. I also understand, as Mr. Hoopingarner said, there might be “escapees,” but not if students were given the chance to go outdoors regularly. School doesn’t have to be all work; it can be fun, too. Students should be able to enjoy the outdoors on a sunny, humid day, and teachers should be able to take a breather from classroom etique�e and enjoy the delightful spring weather. With moving school outdoors every once in awhile students and teachers would be in an overall happier and eager mood. In an informal survey I conducted around the school, most teachers agreed that having a place outside to teach would be wonderful, and only a couple said it would be a hassle. Students aren’t the only ones who crave freedom; it comes from teachers as well. There being no dead-set rule against teachers taking their students outside, it seems logical that more and more would find an excuse to have class in the open air. School needs to have balance, and with students being kept indoors all year long anticipation builds up. Sometimes all we need is a glimmer of fresh air to keep us going through the spring months.
Amber Lester is a staff writer for the Central Stampede.
Dear Editor, As a two-year member of Student Council, I can say we have never looked to single out individuals for any money issues or misfortune due to the slumping economy. That being said, I took a great offense to the article (“Another Dance?” dated Jan. 30) regarding a Student Council-promoted dance. When first bringing up the idea of a Sadie Hawkins dance, it was an idea brought up by you, the students. Student Council took on this event because we believed that we had enough support and respect from our student body to provide administration with a good enough reason to allow the dance. This reason much was on tradition. To be fair, Sadie Hawkins is just as must of a tradition, as a Semi-Formal. The tradition has been a part of some parents lives, and some of our grandparent’s lives as well. Just because it is not tradition at this school, doesn’t mean it should be discouraged by a student journalist. Student Council has never and will never single anyone out for their money issues. We are responsible for a benevolent fund. This provides students who are in dire need of financial help, to participate in certain school events, such as school field trips, with 100-percent confidentiality. Referring to our event as “just another excuse to…put down students that are not able to afford an over-the-top costume,” is an inconsiderate and disrespectful way of showing absolutely no regard for a group of fellow students trying to raise money for their school. Sadie Hawkins was meant to stimulate a cheaper, fun-filled mixture of a game-day dance and the Semi-Formal. It is cheaper than the formal, and opens up options to be creative, rather than a boy dressing in a regular dress pants and shirt. The article also said that “Semi-Formal is always memorable for one reason or another. The girls enjoy a night out in a fancy dress they will never wear again.” Sounds to me like “wearing a fancy dress that you’ll never wear again” could be a tad more expensive and unnecessary than a costume that you could easily wear again for Halloween. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the full potential of open-minds a�ending the dance as I thought I would see there. I mean, the newspaper did come out just one day before the dance. Just one day before all of our time and effort pu�ing up signs, organizing dates, and pu�ing up decorations would finally pay off. As for the “unavoidable drama” which was referenced in the story, school dances are provided to create memories for one’s stay at high school. What one decides to do during these times is up to them. While drama may be occurring during most the school dances, I assure you it isn’t because of the school dance itself. Some people feel the need to express themselves in a vulnerable environment to gain a�ention; these are the stories you hear about. Other participants actually do make the best of their time at the dances and have fun. “We already have plenty of social activities at school.” Yes, we do have many school activities around school. There’s still a large population at this school who have yet to truly connect themselves to a school event, sport, or even a club, and those are the types of individuals Student Council strives to engage every day. One of our main goals is to involve the most students possible. Sadie Hawkins was a new way to try and explore that goal a li�le further. All in all, Sadie Hawkins was a great success, raising over $800 in a single night. I hope that the writer and all readers had a chance to a�end. I also hope that they based their opinions on the dance itself, rather than the idea.
Patrick Drabik Junior
Focus
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Stampede
page seven
features and lifestyles
April 1, 2009
Inspiration sensation Posters meant to inspire are really just for looks
Sarah Erdman’s
Quit Facebook
DELY/S TAMPE DE
A�er school, in between homework, or anywhere on the road; Facebook has taken over the world. It is an easy way to stay in touch with anyone at any time, but has become a major time commitment for many. Many students spend hours on Facebook and end up ge�ing three hours of sleep. Qui�ing is not necessary, but being able to function without Facebook for several days is important. The following points provide steps to breaking the addiction to this online phenomenon.
ALAINA
An average day without Facebook will give anyone’s schedule some extra space. Therefore, having an extra activity to do helps cope with the mass of free time. If there is already a time crunch, this extra time can be utilized to catch up on sleep.
BY ALAINA DELY
Vibe Editor
The decorative inspirational posters that cover PCs classroom walls have an underlying message that students rarely take the time to read. These magical reinforcements which encourage students, as well as faculty, to follow simple rules of life are known as “inspirational posters.” Some posters may not have a blatantly obvious meaning. They may be fun and colorful, but underneath the artwork is an all together different message. These “tricky” posters are what some teachers aim to have. The interesting pa�erns of art will a�ract the viewer’s eye, then encouraging them to read its meaning. “I read one once that had to do with comics, I think it had the joker on it,” senior Brent Sherlock said. “I liked the art on it, it really caught my eye.” Other opinions may vary. Though these wonderfully optimistic
posters are spread across almost every classroom, they have yet to inspire students and even some of the culprit teachers. “I don’t like just ugly bare walls. I put them up because they make me happy and if kids read them then great,” English teacher Theresa Mills said. “For the most part it adds color and spice and I think it makes it homier, since we spend so many hours here.” These seemingly appealing posters are decorative, but they have sadly become a simple waste of encouragement. Throughout elementary school and middle school almost every student had to follow class rules, which were usually found in poster format. But with all the other distractions that come along with high school, these positive upbeat messages could take a backseat to all the teenage angst and drama. “Some [students] may look at them and see something that they might want to change about themselves,” Sherlock said. “[But to me] it’s a cheesy way of ge�ing kids to learn.”
Ensuring that a method of communication still exists is crucial to qui�ing. This isn’t cheating, it’s a necessity. In today’s society, the internet is one of the most frequently used and convenient ways to reach any acquaintance or friend. Email or AIM are helpful in this aspect, as they provide an opportunity to contact others, but don’t require the time commitment that notes, photos or other applications of Facebook use. For anyone whose main use of Facebook is for the applications, there are replacements for them all over the internet, especially games. The popular application “picnik” has its own website on which basic membership is free, and most other applications have their own websites as well.
The qui�ing process will prove to be difficult, but it will be worth it in the end.
‘Nutty professor’ makes class interesting BY ANDREW KRIETZ
Editor-in-Chief
Sometimes it’s important to just stop and smell the roses; life is too precious to just let it go by without realizing what one has heard and experienced throughout the day. Just ask Chuck Schira, Theory of Knowledge (TOK) teacher and IB Coordinator, whose students admire him for his winning personality and over-the-top storytelling. “You know, I think you would have a lot of funny stories if you just thought about your own life,” Schira said. “Stuff just happens.” From northern Michigan bear sightings (or lack of) to having his back window of his car shot out, Schira’s students in TOK, are bound to hear a few stories. Rather, these “pieces of life” are taught to his students, whether or not they fit the particular lesson plan of the day. “Mr. Schira always makes class fun and interactive,” senior Danielle Fox said. “He always comes up with different activities that apply to what we are doing so that we are
‘STUFF JUST HAPPENS’: Chuck
Schira’s students benefit from the veteran teacher’s interesting life ANDREW KRIETZ/STAMPEDE stories. learning in a new and interesting way.” Schira says that while every class is different; each day brings a whole new set of experiences. Not to mention a few embarrassing
moments as a new teacher. A few years back, Schira remembers teaching a class about the western United States. While drawing the San Francisco Bay Area on the whiteboard, the
shape of the terrain turned out to be an obscene formation. “At first, I didn’t understand what a few people were laughing at,” Schira said. “A special education teacher was in the room with me and I asked, ‘It’s not bad, is it?’ She was like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s real bad.” As a history major just graduating from Michigan State University, Schira quickly found himself in a job that he was assured of ge�ing since teachers were not needed - school psychology. “I realized that I liked working with kids,” Schira said. “A lot of [the school psychology program] would test kids [on different behaviors].” Since then, Schira’s 15th year here has allowed him to teach the open-ended TOK as well as the psychology course. He believes it is good to have a bit of variety in the day. “Each class has its own personality. You know, some discussions work well while others do not,” Schira said. “The stories I tell just come up; [they’re] never planned.”
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page eight
features and lifestyles
April 1, 2009
Teacher Trivia
Hoopingarner Meyers
How much do you really know about your teachers?
Kaylor
We see them every day. There they stand for hours a day as we watch them work. But how much do we really know about them? Did you know that Lancaster has a ta�oo or Oudman has a facial piercing? Were you aware that Mandrick a�ended four different colleges or that Sutherland studied in Germany? Here’s a quick quiz on fact you should know, or at least learn, about some of our favorite teachers here at Portage Central.
[Red] Married for more than five years / Married for
2.
[Orange] Two children / No children. (Hint: Check Hoopingarner’s desktop.)
Staff Writer
Heading out of town for Spring Break requires strategy and planning beyond the average trip; students’ ideas of what they “need” and what they want to bring can be completely different from person to person. “Four weeks, two days, and five hours until I’ll be in Florida squishing my toes in the sand, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face, and smelling the ocean breeze,” junior Andrea Hoffman said. Many students
3.
Braford
Mandrick
less than five years / Not married. (Hint: Steenbergen’s ring finger is bare.)
Steenbergen
Key:
[Green] Lives in an apartment. (Hint: This category has only one teacher.)
4.
[Blue] A�ended more than one college/university.
5.
[Purple] Obtained bachelor’s degree and in process
(Hint: See the beginning of the article!)
of Master’s Degree. (Hint: This category accounts for exactly half the teachers listed.)
SARAH WILSEY/STAMPEDE
Pack Attack!
BY SARAH WILSEY
1.
Staff Writer
Lancaster
Sutherland
Directions: Circle in the appropriate color the names of the teachers to fall into each category without crossing the line of a circle of the same color.
BY CARLY NAGENGAST
Focus
PACK IT UP: Senior Katie Martin prepares for Spring Break by stuffing her suitcase to its limit. are eagerly anticipating spring break just as Hoffman. Generally, when girls decide to pull out their suitcase to begin packing, they shuffle out the biggest one. This suitcase must be able to hold all the necessities: swim suits, matching flip-flops, day clothes, nightclothes, pajamas,
jewelry, headbands, hair dryers, curlers and straighteners, shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, various purses and of course their whole collection of makeup. Boys on the other hand, usually only need a bathing suit, and some shorts and t-shirts. They don’t bother with shampoo, conditioner or soap because the resorts provide them, and everything else is unnecessary. Senior Katie Martin is going on one of the senior Spring Break trips to Puerto Vallarta. Martin is planning on taking as much as she possibly can. “I am going to bring a different bathing suit for every day and three outfits for each day, one for breakfast, one for lunch and one for dinner. I am even bringing seven pairs of shoes and definitely heels,” she said. In order to bring all of this, Martin plans on using half of her li�le brother, Michael Martin’s, suitcase. In contrast, senior Eric Moorman, who is going to the Dominican Republic, is taking
a lighter load. “For Spring Break, I’ll pack a couple swimsuits, some shorts and probably some t-shirts, just the essentials,” Moorman said. Boys, like Moorman, may be be�er off once arriving to the airport because of their light packing. Each suitcase can only weigh a maximum of 50 pounds or else travelers are faced with an overweight charge of $25. To avoid this unnecessary cost, vacationers, mainly female, should consider what they actually “need,” or just do as Katie Martin does and take over your li�le brother’s bag. Vacations all must come to an end, and everything packed must be brought back home. It’s amazing how clothes seem to grow and suitcase space seems to shrink. If you can barely zip shut your suitcase when you pack it at home, don’t plan on closing it without a fight when your trip comes to an end. Remember to save a spot for souvenirs.
just watch me find the right track Join Us on Campus Saturday, April 18 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Chicago Campus - 430 S. Michigan Ave. For more information: 1-877-APPLY RU www.roosevelt.edu/visitdays applyRU@roosevelt.edu
Spend a day on our downtown Chicago campus and learn about the Roosevelt community including information about admission, student housing, and financial aid!
Focus
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Stampede
page nine
features and lifestyles
April 1, 2009
Ensuring a healthier Earth
MARAH KLOSE/STAMPEDE
Students buy eco-friendly products to help the planet
BY LAUREL BOWERSOCK
Staff Writer
Global warming and pollution are words associated with a growing concern in our world. Our environment’s pollution is drastically changing the atmosphere around us. Knowing every li�le bit counts, and many people are doing what they can to help save the Earth. It certainly is an important issue to address, and it is not very hard to contribute without drastically changing one’s lifestyle: even high school kids can easily lend a hand. There are plenty of products that students would normally buy which have an eco-friendly substitute of equal quality. For just a li�le more than the generic merchandise, students can do their part to help save the earth. For example, every student needs items like paper, notebooks and binders. There are various products, sold by companies like New Leaf, which are be�er for the
environment. New Leaf Products even shows its customers how buying that product has helped the health of the environment. New Leaf papers are acid-free, have the highest recycled content, post-consumer waste content, and are processed chloride free (chloride can be unhealthy for the environment.) Their products will also show you how many trees or how much water you have saved by buying that notebook or binder. There are many trendy products such as Burt’s Bees, a natural personal care product company, and Birkenstocks, a stylish shoe company, which are good for the environment as well. For those looking for something a li�le bit more upscale, there are products such as Do-ni, a planet-friendly high fashion shoe designer. This March, EcoStile�o.com will be giving away four Do-ni ballet flats, originally priced at $150. Just by subscribing to EcoStile�o’s weekly online newsle�er, consumers can win them for free. Some students, like senior Nicky Neff, consistently buy
makeup, binders, purses, shampoo and even bed comforters from the website Drugstore.com. The website features a specific section focused solely on planet-friendly products. “I think if we didn’t have this eco-friendly stuff, our landfills would be larger and more dangerous,” Neff said. Buying all earth-friendly products isn’t necessary to reduce one’s carbon footprint. Junior Sara Sherman makes an effort to buy organic food or planet-friendly bags and purses whenever she can. “If you see it and it’s good for the earth, it’s probably the be�er choice,” Sherman said. “I think it’s really important to do what you can to help the earth because it’s a bad time right now [with all the pollution], and you should do what you can to turn it around,” Sherman said. Whether it’s buying every last eco-friendly product on the market, or just doing what you can when you can, working together is very important to reducing our negative impact on the environment.
10
Vibe
Stampede
page ten
Color Classroom entertainment and events
in the
April 1, 2009
BY LAUREN MOON Staff Writer
with
Christianna Gluys
Boy in Static: Candy Cigare�e (Mar. 10, Circle Into Square Records) By their third album, this San Francisco-based duo is gaining the recognition they deserve with their revolutionary blending of musical eras and instruments. This is a great album to put on and dance around the house to on a “stay-cation”—it has a happy, young, childish feel as electronic beats are accented heavily with music-box-like tinkering and lyrics that induce a strong desire to go play pretend outdoors with neighborhood friends. Download now: Toy Baby Grand Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz! (Mar. 10, Interscope) Taking a decidedly so�er feel this time, this staple indie rock band has also inserted some mechanical influences, and the resulting album is a contrastpacked series of tracks. Lead singer Karen O has steadfastly kept her vocals strong and interesting in a sea of wispy-voiced sound-alikes, and as always, the lyrics are laced with confidence-inspiring quotes to scribble on the backs of spiral notebooks. Download now: Dragon Queen Lisa Hannigan: Sea Sew (Feb. 3, Barp/ATO Records) Though her album was released early last month, this singer-songwriter only recently appeared on The Colbert Report, and the famed “Colbert Bump” is skyrocketing her first studio album toward the top of the charts and the tip of everyone’s tongues. Her sweet, delicate voice is pierced by a distinctive Irish accent, and the combination of guitar, accordion, trumpet, hi-hat, violin and several more instruments has a sophisticated-yet-rustic aesthetic. Download now: Sea Song
Gershow sends powerful message to all readers BY MORGAN CLOTHIER
Staff Writer
Miriam Gershow’s first novel, “The Local News”, focuses on a young girl named Lydia Pasternack. Her older brother Danny mysteriously disappears when Lydia is 15 years old. The book includes many of her high school memories and how Danny’s disappearance impacts her relationships. In high school, Lydia is teased for being a social outcast while her brother was popular and athletic. Everything changes once Danny vanished. His friends began looking out for her and other students befriend her. Throughout the book, Lydia does some of her own investigating to shed new light on her brother’s case. Gershow conveys the family’s sorrow and forces the reader to become very involved in the story. The author’s insight provides an intriguing perspective on how loss affects relationships and the people involved in them. This novel is targeted at a vast audience, allowing many students to relate. Mustang Rating: 4 out of 5 Horseshoes
The dull, pale, boring and gloomy wall colors have disappeared in classrooms across the school. Painting over the cinder block white is allowing for a more creative and exciting classroom. It seems like all of the building’s walls are made from cinder blocks and painted a pale white that is now more of a yellow from age. And then there are other classrooms that have such a bright shade of white, you need sunglasses just to take notes. However, some teachers, such as Janet LaVasseur, Deb Ross and Kelli Palsrok, have painted their classrooms to be more inviting and a be�er learning atmosphere. “Yellow is supposed to LAUREN MOON/STAMPEDE be the best color for learning,” LaVasseur said. LEARNING SPECTRUM: Mrs. LaVasseur (above left) and Ms. Kubinski (above right) choose exciting colors Her classroom has been while Mrs. Ross (bottom left) and Mrs. Hazen (bottom right) aim for more subtle, muted tones. painted in “colonial cream” and “sun-blessed poppy.” Orange is middle schools. Light pinks and rose create The colored classrooms seem to be a stimulating color LaVasseur says, to keep a soothing atmosphere well suited for high a success among students as well. Junior her students alert and a�entive and the Kaylee O’Strander likes the painted walls, activity rooms. brightness of her room gives an exhilarating Greens spark the creative side of a but sometimes the color is just too much to feel and excites many who enter her class. student’s brain, which make it an excellent handle. “I am happy,” LaVasseur said, “I don’t choice for art rooms, drama classes or “Some bright colors can be distracting,” know about [the students], but I am happy creative writing rooms. Blue is the color of O’Strander said, “They just have to be [about the color].” academics; it is most beneficial in math and pre�y.” The most recommended colors for the science rooms. If the color is bright without too much classroom are pales yellows and almond Health and Family Science teacher of a distraction, they can be helpful to the colors, light pink and rose, green and Kelli Palsrok has a more almond, orange learning environment. various shades of blue. tone class. “It is easier to learn in a room that Pale yellows and almond colors are is brighter,” junior Alex Bernal said, “the “I picked this color because it is bright non-irritant colors to the eye. These colors environment is livelier.” and cheerful,” Palsrok said. “It is cheerful, are recommended for high schools and but not too bold.”
Technicolor shoes a sign of the times BY NICOLE CHRUSCIEL News Editor
Many students are choosing to liven up their feet with bright colors and unique style as a way of expression. “It’s a way for someone to express Mr. Roy G. Biv has been personality—a way to show my creative side,” popping up all over the school lately, senior Sarah Brennan said. “They spice up an brightening up the unusually dull outfit.” hallways an adding a bit of style and Senior Tyler Champion shares a pizzazz to mundane days. Haven’t seen similar belief, claiming he him? Look to the floor. wears his bright shoes Shoes are an essential factor in because he’s “not fashion, and some students have been boring.” taking this factor quite seriously. Bright “They make me feel colored and unique feet accessories cool ‘cause I know they’re seem to be a new trend sweeping cool,” Champion said. through the school. “People tell me they’re S o p h o m o r e Erin cool, so they’re definitely Atkinson is such cool.” an example. Champion sports a blue, “Bright yellow and purple colors make colored pair of “Ice the world Cream”’s by M ARAH happy,” KLOSE Pharrel. / S T A M Atkinson said. PEDE “They Atkinson look like flaunts a pair ice cream,” of neon pink Champion said. Demonia shoes “They’re delicious. which she proudly wears You got blue moon, you got some every week.—but only on Mondays as poison berry or something, and then you got to not get them unnecessarily dirty. lemon. Throw them on a cone and they look “It’s more fun to wear bright edible. Mmmmm.” colors,” Atkinson said, “’cause then Junior Brandon Sullivan, commonly you feel like a rainbow. known as “Sully,” flaunts a very unique,
original pair of shoes which he explains by equating his excitement to mathematics. “These shoes are so awesome; they blow equations out of the atmosphere.” Sullivan said. “Pi times the radius of the sun equals how sick these shoes are.” Sullivan’s shoes are a one-of-a-kind Pocket Heart pair. Pocket Heart shoes are hand designed and dyed by senior Bryant Girsch for the price of $30 to cover the expenses of dye, the shoes and vigorous hard labor. “I think that his shoe business is really creative and artistic… everyone needs a pair of Pocket Heart’s,” Sullivan said. “People always look at my feet which makes me self conscious now.” For those who choose to express through their feet, they believe ordinary shoes just don’t make the cut. “[Ordinary] shoes are okay if you’re going to walk in mud and puddles,” Atkinson said. “But if you’re not going to be walking in mud, then you should wear pre�y shoes.” “Why wear a tie when you can wear a bowtie?” Champion said. “They’re like a bowtie for your feet.”
Vibe
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lues B Bring sunshine to a rainy day entertainment and events
April 1, 2009
Wash away the BY MORGAN CLOTHIER
Staff Writer
It’s the beginning of spring, temperatures are up and students are eager to get outside. However, to acquire those May flowers, April is comprised mostly of rainy days. So what’s there to do on a dull, rainy April day? There’s the standard movie day where you curl up with loved ones in a heap of blankets and microwave a bag of popcorn. But aside from lounging around students are finding some rather fascinating alternatives to wash away those rainy day woes. Rather than si�ing around, a few students are mixing
it up and pu�ing their energy towards art-related activities, playing their instruments and exercising. Freshman Brian Kish not only likes spending his rainy days playing guitar but he also likes playing mad scientist in the kitchen. “One time [on a rainy day] I wanted to see if I could make a grilled cheese with an iron…it worked,” Kish said. Kish isn’t the only student making their rainy days more exciting. Senior Su�on Wilson recommends doing activities such as working out, especially if you’re busy
More than warm
and can’t get to the gym on a regular basis. Then again, for those looking for an activity that can support the ‘couch-potato’ lifestyle, there are many art activities that challenge your creativity and art skills. Why not finger paint? If you’re still struggling to find something entertaining, there is always the possibility of dancing in the rain. “I change into my suit, run outside and embrace the tears that the good world gives us,” junior Chase Maser said. SARAH THOMPSON/STAMPEDE
nique fashion Scarves as unique BY OMO OGBOMO
skulls and crossbones in varying colors. The same can be said for someone who encourages peace, or just likes the way Not everyone can say that their peace signs look on them. “I really like generational fashion fad still looks scarves because of they always match my good in the 21st century (just ask anyone outfits,” junior Dan Keister said. who’s seen a pair of parachute pants). It’s one Nevertheless, the of the most ever classy scarf versatile is continuing its accessories as long time legacy well, not only today. can a scarf or From bandana be its humble used to cover beginnings as the neck, but mere winter it can also wear, to the serve as a ‘60s and ‘70s in makeshi� belt, colorful ways and a knapsack, a finally landing in AMNA AZAM/STAMPEDE head covering modern; the scarf FASHION PHENOMENON: Senior Brian Dimmick and an has transformed accessory to a sports the improved look. into hundreds of bag. forms. Short, long, square and pa�erned, “I have a pink Dora the Explorer the possibilities are endless. bandana that I tie on my bag sometimes; “I think that we’ve kind of gone it’s really ni�y,” sophomore Ali Noggle through all revolving trends and scarves said. have come back as well,” employee of Since scarves can be used in so Forever 21 Cecilia Root said. They can many ways, there are also many ways to only serve as a fashion accessory of tie them, such as simple knots and loops individuality. or fancier styles. There’s really no wrong For example a pirate lover is now way to wear them. “I see a lot of people able to go any Hot Topic or Forever 21 buying them from us but they don’t and find the perfect scarf that features know how to wear them,” Root said.
Staff Writer
Dinner and a
MOVIE With Alaina Dely
For those who plan to venture to the ocean front over spring break: beware. All the hype around those sunny, glamorous, coastal beaches won’t seem as fabulous a�er watching the unforge�able blockbuster “Jaws.” The perfect summer beach resort of Amity Island lies on the coast of New England. Late one summer evening, a couple decides to take dip in the ocean. The next day a distorted body appears on shore near the resort, leading the Police Chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider) to believe there had been a shark a�ack. Li�le is done about this suspected a�ack until another there is another. This a�ack brings in shark expert Ma�
Work and then play{lists} Mr. Lancaster 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
I’m Still a Guy - Brad Paisley The D.O.C - The D.O.C All Along the Watchtower - the Dave Ma�hews Band Would You Go with Me - Josh Turner Nuthin But a “G” Thang - Dr. Dre and Snoop
What do teachers listen to? BY KRISTINA KRAUTMANIS Never mind teacher recommendations for classes. Consider having a teacher recommend music for you. Who ever would have thought that
Ms. Grosser 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Single Ladies - Be yoncé White Trash Wed ding - the Dixie Chicks Air Force Ones Nelly Mrs. Jackson - Ou tkast Tricky - Run D.M .C.
Staff Writer a teacher’s playlist could even remotely resemble a student’s? Now, for your viewing pleasure: teacher playlists, some of which aren’t far from our own.
Ms. Kubinski 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
I Want You to Be My Love - Over the Rhine Fire and Rain - James Taylor Amazing Grace - Chris Tomlin Meant to Live - Switchfoot Broken - Lifehouse
Ms. Johnson ked Soundtrack For Good -Wic ent -Jeckyll and om This is the M ck Hyde Soundtra Soundtrack ss he -C m he 3. Ant onty Python -M il ra G 4. The Holy Soundtrack -Secret Garden 5. Lily’s Eyes ck Soundtra
1. 2.
Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) as well as a shark assassin named Quint. A�er the a�acks, the mayor of the town is finally convinced that there is a dangerous predator in the water, leading to a dangerous hunt for the vicious great white shark. Very li�le violence is actually shown throughout the film, though it does suggest it with that unforge�able “dun-dun...dun-dun…” music. “Jaws” may be one of those campy films everyone has seen, but before going on vacation this movie may give you second thoughts and taking a swim in the big blue. A favorite recipe from the Central Stampede
Strawberry Smoothie
1. Combine 2 ice cub, 1cup milk, 1/3cup cottage chee, 2/3cup frozen strawberri, 1tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract into a blender 2. Blend in blender for about 60 sonds 3. Enjoy
Mrs. H
eil
b rm - Bo the Sto m o r f elter the 1. Sh n ts and Dyla r - Too e d n o rfect W 2. Pe tals May eatles 2 - the B U e v e o n L 3. O Need is aces ll You F 4. A a - the h La L h O 5. Mrs. Kaakani 1. No Llores - Gl oria Estefan 2. Frío Frío - Juan Luis Guerra 3. Sabes a Chocola te - Kumbia Kings 4. Baila Esta Cu mbia - Selena 5. Granada- Andr és Segovia
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Sports sports and leisure
April 1, 2009
Softball team sets sights higher BY NATE FRISBIE
Sports Editor
The Roberts family has had a long tradition of excellence in the Mustang sporting world with Chris Roberts winning a State Championship in 1977 for football, his son, Lance, winning a State Championship in 2002 for baseball and then the ladies are representing, as well. The Mustang so�ball team last won a state title in 1977 when Deb Roberts was a junior pitcher for Head Coach Tom Monroe. 32 years later, Roberts’s daughter, Kenzie, is a senior second baseman under Monroe’s successor, Dana Grosser. “It would be really important to keep a tradition for family and to show what you can make of yourself,” Kenzie Roberts said. Kenzie, along with the rest of the so�ball team, feels this is the year the state championship banner will come back to Portage Central. “We’ve got a pre�y good shot,” Kenzie Roberts said. “Last year, we had absolutely no seniors and we only lost nine games. We just
SLING SHOT: Senior Kayla Zelnock slings
a softball across the diamond.
have to work really hard.” Members of the team, like senior first baseman Kayla Zelenock, says that because the team lost nobody from last year’s team, they are poised to make a state title run. “I think we can pull it off because since we have practically the same team; we should be able to build from last year,” Zelenock said. In only one year, Grosser led the squad to the first Greater-Kalamazoo Championship with no seniors. However, this year she returns with four seniors and high hopes for the upcoming season. “Essentially our entire team is returning, so I have very high expectations,” Grosser said. “I’m very excited to see what the seniors can do. They’ve worked really hard the past four years to develop the program and they take a lot of ownership in all the work they’ve put in and I think they see this as their program.” For senior catcher Kathryn Christopher, her role as a leader starts during the preseason when the field is empty and no games are being played. “In the spring, we always start tryouts indoors and a�er the third or forth week of indoor practice, keeping people focused and doing their job 100 percent of the time will help us out when the actual games come outside,” Christopher said. “We have to stay focused while we’re inside.” With everyone returning, team chemistry won’t be something the team will have to improve on. “We’re very supportive of each other,” Christopher said. “No ma�er what’s going on we’re still going to work hard 100 percent of the time. That makes us be�er than half the competition already.” The 12-man team will be a test for Grosser because of the limited number of subs and backup players off the bench. “We kept a very small team, so the kids will have to be versatile,” Grosser said. “They’re going to have to play multiple positions. We have the kids that can do that, we just need to make sure we keep everyone healthy.” Could another G-K Championship be in the making? “I don’t like making predictions,” Zelenock said. “That kind of thing can only get me in trouble.”
ALL PHOTOS BY
NATE FRISBIE/STAMPEDE
LAYING ONE DOWN: Senior Kenzie Roberts perfects her bunting technique during early spring outdoor practice.
Balance beams and high bars can’t slow Zerbel BY AMNA AZAM
PUSH UP OR SHUT UP:
Senior Dan Zerbel trains vigorously in order to compete at a high level in gymnastics competitions.
Photo Editor
Like a mathematician’s affection for numbers or a hunter’s concentration on his target, senior Dan Zerbel possesses all the qualities of a dedicated person striving to achieve his best. Zerbel, who is renowned throughout the city of Portage for his work in the world of gymnastics, is currently ranked second in the state of Michigan and 48th in the country. Inspired at a young age, 3-year-old Zerbel was intrigued by a field trip his preschool took to a gymnastics center. Watching the other gymnasts, Zerbel was quickly captivated by the other athletes and soon took a large interest in competing. In his 13th year of competing at the student level, Zerbel has earned the title of Academic All-American Athlete, as well as All-American Junior Olympian. Along with a plethora of other awards, Zerbel has also traveled all over the United States to compete in gymnastics at the amateur level. Although Zerbel has a number of accolades a�ached to his name, the awards themselves required stamina, dedication and of course, hard work. Zerbel, who competes with the Greater Kalamazoo World of Gymnastics, goes to grueling four-hour-a-day practices and trains approximately 16 hours a week for his floor routines, along with a number of other events. “It’s definitely a lot of hard work, but if you dedicated yourself to something; it pays off in the end,” Zerbel said. Zerbel’s practices are monitored by his coaches; Jeff Kra� and George Krenk, who perhaps have the strongest influence on his career as a gymnast. Along with his coaches, one of Zerbel’s strongest motivators inside of school is weight li�ing teacher and football coach Bre� Foerster “He’s extremely hard working and dedicated; the kid has a lot of
PHOTOS BY AMNA AZAM/STAMPEDE
natural genetic ability,” Foerster said Although Zerbel is planning on going to the University of Illinois at Chicago next fall, his passion for gymnastics will be more prominent than ever. Zerbel plans to compete on the men’s gymnastics team and eventually try out for the London Olympic Games in 2012. “I’m going to try college for now and if I don’t make it to 2012, then I’ll just try again for 2016,” Zerbel said. With a cool and concentrated a�itude on the mat and off, Zerbel is sure to leave an everlasting impression in the world of gymnastics.
Like what you see? the next issue of the
Central Stampede
co m
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ut on
May 1, 2009
Sports
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sports and leisure
April 1, 2009
Feel The BURN Student athletes prepare for a new spring season
BY EMMA PAGE
Staff Writer
It’s a one-on-one situation; forward vs. goal keeper, a�ack vs. goalie, the last few seconds to make a move and GOAL! PC’s soccer team is now on their way to districts. Lucky for them, their conditioning techniques have helped them get in shape for their season. Conditioning types have varied year to year but this years’ spring sports teams seem to know what they’re doing. Along with indoor soccer games and running sprints, the soccer team provides a $30 kickboxing class to help them condition for the hard work ahead of them. Every week until two weeks before try-outs the soccer teams meets in the middle school cafeteria to start working out. “It got me the body I’m looking for,” Senior Courtney Havens said. “It’s hard work but it’s fun. It strengthens the muscles I use to kick and it increases my endurance with all of the repetitions.” Although kickboxing doesn’t have anything to do with the actual sport, it has allowed their conditionings to stop within the first few weeks of the season in order to focus on the skills and mental game involved, Havens said. The seniors ran conditioning and decided whether kickboxing should be included. “None of the conditionings are mandatory but you can tell who has put in the effort and who hasn’t. It really reflects their season as an individual,” Senior Shannon Benne� said. Kickboxing is an interesting way to start off the season and really makes the soccer conditionings unique from the others. Even though all of the spring sports have conditionings, the different ways the seniors
choose to run them varies. The most difficult week for the men’s lacrosse team is the week, known as “Hell Week”, includes a variety of running activities. The week’s highlights include a plethora of running activities such as suicides and sprints and it is typically the week before try outs. “It’s about as fun as a poke in the eye, even maybe two pokes,” Senior Tyler Sams said. “But, it gets us prepared for the season and last year we were in be�er shape than the other teams.” “Hell Week” also improves the players’ endurance and speed. The week doesn’t cost the players anything except their time, Monday through Thursday for two hours. While kickboxing is a fun way to condition without running sprints and Hell Week is the complete opposite, they both let the players interact and get physically prepared for their game. Other spring sports include baseball, so�ball and women’s water polo which has weeks of conditions prior to the season. The baseball team goes for runs together and the so�ball team has a�er school weight li�ing while the water polo team wakes up early for morning practice. But no ma�er what technique the team uses, the importance is ge�ing physically prepared for the season. “This is my first year playing [water polo] and yet I already feel comfortable in the pool. The seniors are very helpful and the morning practices, although they are really early, have helped me train to get be�er,” Junior Taylor Luginbill said. This years’ spring sports conditionings have increased in intensity but the fun has just begun. Though many people dread going to conditionings, they will only be more prepared when their first game rolls around.
BREAKING A SWEAT:
Senior Courtney Havens (left) prepares for a rigorous spring season through intense workouts. Sophomore Charlie Socia (right) also participates in spring conditioning. These sessions prepare athletes for physical challenges for the upcoming season. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHANNON BENNETT
Revered runner ready to hit the track BY ALEX MCCARTHY
Staff Writer
Last summer, millions around the world watched with excitement as track runners like Usain Bolt sha�ered records and sprinted their way into people’s memories forever. Senior track standout Doug Hamilton, who’s preparing to do the same thing for Portage Central fans, has officially returned to the track team a�er a semester in Ohio. Prior to this school year, Hamilton shipped off to a high school in Ohio where his grandfather was coaching football. Since their program was brand new, Hamilton felt that he wanted to be involved. He also made the move in order to draw the a�ention of college scouts. Since big-time scouts were more likely to visit a school in that area, he figured his best shot was to play there. Unfortunately, he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the fi�h game and was done for the season. However, as one door closes, another always opens. “I’m not even really thinking about football now,” Hamilton said. “From here [on] it’s all about track.” With upwards of 50 colleges showing interest in Hamilton’s track ability, he moved back to Mustang Country to show collegiate scouts what he can do on the track. Hamilton’s specialties include the 400 meter and 300 meter sprints and long jump. This year, coaches want to prepare him to delve into many different events and help as much as possible with points. “He’ll kind of be a jack of all trades this year,” teacher Mike Meyer said, who coaches sprinters and hurdlers. Both his long jumps and sprints have the tendency to draw a�ention; in past years, Hamilton has shown both
opposing runners and his teammates how fast he can move. “He has more speed than anyone could ever have,” senior track runner Dewey Sinclair said. Hamilton’s excitement peaks when he performs his favorite (and best) event: the long jump. This year, he will a�empt to break his personal record and set a school record that will never be broken. One thing stands between Hamilton and greatness on the track this season. It isn’t stiff opposition; it’s the knee that he injured in Ohio. While he claims the knee is at 92-95%, it’s still a bit of a quagmire. While he isn’t worried about the jumping part of the long jump, the landing offers the greater risk. To be safe, Hamilton plans to start jumping during the third meet. “I’m curious to see how Doug does with his knee,” Meyer said. “Doug with a 100 percent knee is as tough as anyone on this side of the state.” Hamilton plans to outwork this issue. Between seasons, he worked hard during rehab, and isn’t planning to slow up his pace when the season starts. “It’ll take dedication,” Hamilton said. “I’m going to go my hardest every meet and every single practice.” Another focus of this upcoming season for Hamilton is stepping up as a leader and se�ing an example for the team. Alongside fellow seniors Sinclair and Ryan Ferris, Hamilton plans to take the reins of the Mustang runners this spring. Sinclair believes that the team’s success depends not just upon leadership, but the will of the other runners to listen. His mind still can’t exactly grasp the reality that this is his senior year. “It’s really weird being the senior on the team,” Hamilton said, “because I was always thought of as the underclassman
who brought something to the table.” Now that he has the success of his first three years of track and the humbling injury in Ohio, Hamilton feels prepared to lead by example and help take this young team to a higher level. Whatever he has brought to the table in past years, not even a torn ACL can stop him from bringing more to that table this season.
BORN TO RUN: Senior Doug Hamilton takes a quick sprint around the track.
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Sports athletics and leisure
April 1, 2009
Throwing heat for
n a g i h ic
ALL PHOTOS BY
NATE FRISBIE/STAMPEDE
Highly recruited senior commits to Ann Arbor BY ZACK ANDERSON
Staff Writer
From Mustang to Wolverine, Senior Kyle Clark is pitching his way into college baseball’s twenty-eighth ranked baseball team. With an array of pitches zipping past ba�ers hi�ing speeds as high as 90 mph, Clark has got the goods to be a very talented player on the college scene. Kyle Clark is going to be going to the University of Michigan on an athletic scholarship that was anything but a cakewalk to receive. Hours of vigorous training and conditioning have given Clark the opportunity to play college baseball at one of the best universities in the country. Having played in many high-pressure games, and as many as 80 scouts watching, Clark has learned to embrace a�ention. “I love when the scouts are watching. It adds more competitiveness and intensity to the game,” Clark said. “I feel like I play a lot be�er when there is the opportunity to show the scouts what you’re made of.” Clark began playing baseball around five years old, and was taught by his parents , who have been supportive of him the entire time. “My dad has coached me my entire life and has taught me about ‘the game’ and the way that it should be played,” Clark said. “My mom’s induction into the hall of fame at Western Michigan University has been a big inspiration to me.”
To stay fresh during the off season Clark joins a travel baseball team that travels all throughout the U.S and competes against some of the best young talent around. Clark pitches along side of players from U of M, Tennessee and Wake Forest, most of whom can throw in the 90 mph range as well. Clark has even had the opportunity to play on Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs. “It was kind of funny because some kids would try to steal some of the vines off of the back wall, and the security guards would freak out. It was hilarious.” Clark said. Excited about the opportunity to travel all over the nation and play against be�er competition, Clark can’t wait. “Freshman year we’re playing against North Carolina, sophomore year is in California against Stanford, and my junior year is against LSU,” Clark said. “I am so excited to get to go and play against such big schools.” Clark, a former Ohio State Buckeye fan, the arch rivals of the Michigan Wolverines, is sure that his father will become a Wolverine before too long. “I’m sure that once I actually start to go there he’ll become a fan of them,” Clark said. “But he really doesn’t care, he’s just happy for me and the opportunity that I have.” Clark’s dream to someday play professional ball in the majors is looking more and more obtainable by the day. From high school to college and beyond, he is always going to be a Mustang at heart.
Wearing Blue and Gold one last time Sports Editor
N AT E F R I S B I E
It’s one of those days that every senior, and every athlete for that ma�er, experiences someday. That day is a gutwrenching, heart-breaking time in an athlete’s career. It’s that moment, that second, when reality sinks in that you’ll never put on that jersey again. When that clock hit 0:00 and my team was on the losing end of close game in district tournament play, an empty feeling overwhelmed me. I’ll admit I cried in the locker room a�er the game because a dream was over. As I sat in the locker room, looking back on my high school career, I thought of both the highs and lows throughout the years. While thinking back, for the most part, games started to blur and specific wins and losses became foggy. To be honest, I don’t remember how many points I scored in most games (although my memory sucks anyways). However, that might be a good thing. I would rather remember the experiences, both positive and negative, that I’ve been through to get me here today. I thank God for the ability to play basketball
and those opportunities I’ve had during the past four years. Basketball became a way of life that defines who I am. Every athlete that loves their sport more than anything in the world is who they are because of their sport. There were many games that we were in or I felt we were in, and something unfortunate happened or we were just beaten by pure talent late in a game. But winning and losing became a li�le clearer when I realized that sometimes a win can evolve from a loss. I’m not saying you can win in a loss, because a loss is a loss. However, because of how a team or person plays, teams or individuals can build upon losses. Thus, when that final hour comes in an athlete’s career, win or lose, they can look back and smile because of what they accomplished. Victory is accomplished by ge�ing be�er every day. . NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi, once said, “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of ba�le—victoriously.” Now that my career is over, I firmly believe that any athlete’s most difficult hour is that moment when he has worked as hard as he can, and loses. But for some there is another day and to those select individuals, good luck. Blood, sweat and tears went into
each game hoping, wanting and thinking we were going to win. Things didn’t turn out the way I had desired, but one thing Coach McNeal said that stands out in my mind was, “Gaining experience for the future, is ge�ing the results you didn’t want to get.” I see how true that is now that I will never wear that Portage Central jersey and the yellow and blue le�ering across my chest again. All I want is one more practice, one more game and one more turn-aroundfade-away jumper. I guess every athlete wants that. Maybe I’m being too much of a child in not wanting to let go. But they say that all good things must come to an end and that when one door closes, another one opens. I can’t wait for that door to open and I’m optimistic about the future, but I was hoping it wouldn’t end; no athlete wants it to end. But that’s another lesson that athletics teach us; that sometimes there’s no tomorrow. This could be the last chance to do what you love. Enjoy every minute of it because a season, a career or something that became life could end at any moment.
Nate Frisbie is the Sports Editor for the Central Stampede.
THROUGH
IT ALL TOGETHER: Nate Frisbie shares a hug with Coach Cory McNeal after being pulled out for the final time in his career against Northern.
ALEX MCCARTHY/STAMPEDE