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STAMPEDE Portage Central High School
Volume 18 Issue 6
Happy Day of Kindness! You look ravishing today!
Portage, Mich.
April 26, 2013
Raising the stakes on final exams
Proposal would increase testing weights for all students BY RACHEL BATES
rbates@centralstampede.com
News Editor
School officials are considering a proposal to change the current weighting scale for semester exams. The proposal calls for making exams worth more of a student’s semester grade, starting with 15 percent for the freshmen, and going up 5 percent each grade level. Classes with multiple grade levels would have their exams weighted according to the teacher and the department. If the proposal is successful, both Portage Northern and Portage Central will make the same changes. The idea was originally proposed by math teacher Tim Halloran and is in its first steps to becoming a reality, although it may not be fully implemented until the 2014-2015 school year. In order to draft a proposal, the idea must first go to the Curriculum Instruction Council (CIC). This is a group made up of teachers, parents and a few administrators. They would hear the proposal, discuss it and then vote for or against it. The change would make final exams for upperclassmen more in line with how they are in college, where an exam can count as much as 50 percent of a student’s grade. “It would be put into place to prepare a majority of students for college,” Halloran said. “A large population of students don’t take exams seriously because it doesn’t affect them.” Students would have to focus more on preparing and studying for semester exams, as the exams would affect final grades more significantly. “I believe it would have some impact on students,” Principal Eric Alburtus said. “But students are pretty adjustable; they can figure out what to do to be successful.” When Portage Central had trimesters, each trimester exam grade was worth one-seventh, or 14 percent of the total grade. When the school switched to semesters, just as it is presently, this weighting never changed, Alburtus said. “I believe if you set the bar high for students, they will be more likely to strive to meet the re-
Kayla Bean /STAMPEDE
A proposal currently under consideration would weigh final exams in this way.... quirements,” Halloran said. Halloran surveyed some of his students about their opinions of the proposal. Some students liked the idea due to the fact that they think exams are pointless. Others didn’t like it because they thought it would hurt students’ GPAs. Junior Karissa Knapp has a positive outlook on the new
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proposal. “I think it may be a good idea; it would ease the freshmen in,” Knapp said. Along with surveying his students, Halloran has also researched the number of students that would be affected by the new proposal. “The number of students that would be affect-
What’s Inside... page Guess who? page Cleaning Teacher up eating prom habits photos
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ed would be small, and the number that would fail would be even smaller,” Halloran said. The idea has been proposed in past years, yet has never actually been put into place. “I am glad I belong to a place where grades matter,” Alburtus said. “We should be thinking about preparing students for leaving.”
Learn about lacrosse
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news
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April 26, 2013
Time is running out for repairs BY KATIE DREWS
AND MEAGHAN MONES
mmones@centralstampede.com
Photo Editor and Staff Writer
Since the new building opened in 2011, the school has been plagued with problems such as malfunctioning hand dryers, broken door handles, a dented gym floor and chipped tiles along Mustang Way. The two-year warranty for the new school, officially expires in August, and Principal Eric Alburtus says the pressure is on to make sure repairs will be made before then. “I feel like I’m spending too much time arguing on the phone with companies about fixing problems, when I want to be out in classrooms,” Alburtus said. Before August rolls around, Alburtus is trying his best to figure out which company is responsible for which damages and hold them responsible for the repairs. Periodically, he has been meeting with representatives from some companies to work out problems and to understand why these items are breaking so easily. Last month, he met with representatives of Armstrong Flooring to negotiate the problem of weak insulation and chipping tiles. Specifically, one of the employees who laid the flooring in the building may have done lessthan-satisfactory work. According to Alburtus, the worker was often barking at people to hurry along, and this lack of workmanship may have caused some of the issues with the tiled floor. “Some of the problems in that flooring out there are [his] fault, but they’re not all [his] fault,” Alburtus said. Another complication in the building is the constantly broken hand-dryers in the bathrooms. Responsible for this is the architectural building products company S.A. Morman & Co. Alburtus’ goal is to get these companies into the building and have them fix the broken items they initially sold. “For a good year, they dragged their feet and did nothing,” Alburtus said, “but now they’ve been in here probably the last three weeks, a half dozen times.”
Under Pressure: Far left, parts of the carpet are peeling up. Right, water stains are visible on ceiling tiles. Below, the gym floor buckles due to changes in temperature throughout the year.
kdrews@centralstampede.com
ssolomon@centralstampede.com
View Editor
The Portage Central Gardening Club will start a new community garden this spring with money it received from a $3,000 grant. Last winter, English teacher Janet LaVasseur started Gardening Club with the intention of creating a community garden that would connect students with the earth. LaVasseur hopes for it not only to be a club for students, but also for staff members, parents and community members. The garden will be located between the east and fine arts wings. If the club has enough volunteers, it may plant a flower garden near the athletic area as well. The club will be cultivating its garden with $3,000 it received from the Calhoun Conservation District. LaVasseur said she applied for this grant last year but was denied, so she decided to enlist help from fellow English teacher Ann Alburtus. LaVasseur wrote the grant, but Alburtus helped clarify the club’s specific needs. Alburtus loves to garden and her specialty is flowers, whereas Lavasseur specializes in vegeta-
Art contest offers money An art contest will be held for any participating IB Design students, for a chance to win money and have their art displayed in the hallways. IB students’ entries may be a group effort or an individual effort. All submitted projects must represent one of the categories present along Mustang Way: community, commitment, care and diversity. One winning project will be chosen for each category. Students must submit their art by the end of April and winners will be decided at the end of the first week in May. All art that doesn’t win will be displayed in the ‘Taste of PC’. The array of judges and the amount of money awarded has yet to be determined.
Academic awards looming Rachel Bates /STAMPEDE Junior Rebecca Youngren believes that, because of the damage the new building has sustanied, the age of the building appears to be greater than it actually is. “It’s making the school seem older than it really is because the workers didn’t install the appliances correctly,” Youngren said. Alburtus sees it as his responsibility to communicate what needs repairing and keep records of when and how he notified the companies. That way, when August nears, if a company or companies refuse to fix their mistakes, Alburtus can pull up the records of when he notified them and have proof of early notice to companies about damages to the building. He has debated taking companies to court if they don’t do what is technically their responsibility, but the money spent on legal costs would be far more than the $30,000 worth of repairs. Students often express dissatisfaction with the condition of the new building. Sophomore Libby
Page wonders why so many upperclassmen recall the old Portage Central with such nostalgia. “I never got to experience the old school, but the amount of upperclassmen who say they loved it so much, makes me wonder if this big school really is any better,” Page said. Alburtus believes that a principal’s job is to interact with students and teachers, not argue with companies about the well-being of the school building. “Frankly, I still don’t feel like I’m doing the job that I perceive I should do, like being in the hallways and being in classrooms,” Alburtus said. “So, that is what kind of frustrates me.” Despite all the confusion and complication of handling the business end of things, Alburtus constantly reminds himself that the new building is a blessing. “We have a great new building, and we’ve got so much more good than ever negative,” Alburtus said.
Grant awarded to Gardening Club BY SCOTT SOLOMON
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bles, herbs and edible plants. mer months, adults around the building will be “For me, this is kind of a new thing because checking on the garden and contacting LaVasseur my specialty is flowers,” Alburtus said. “So, I’m with the garden’s needs. LaVasseur will then looking forward to growing vegetables and edible reach out to members of the club for help. and medicinal plants.” All students are welcome to take part in GarSome of the plants that will be grown in the dening Club, and they can earn both community garden include tomatoes, basil, watermelon and service and CAS hours for the IB Diploma. brussel sprouts. Seniors Hassan Turk and Richard Phillips are two of the more prevalent members of the club. Turk was the president last year, and Phillips has taken on that role this year. “My favorite part is knowing that I’m making a difference in making the world a better place,” Phillips said. “And it’s Scott Solomon /STAMPEDE cool to hang out with LaVasseur.” Digging In: Seniors Hassan Turk and Lauren Stachew pull up weeds in the During the sum- new community garden. The Gardening Club broke ground last Saturday.
Academic award ceremonies for freshmen, sophomores and juniors are scheduled for May 1. The freshman, sophomore and junior ceremonies will take place at 8:45 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. respectively. Students will be presented with academic and community service awards. Senior Rideout is May 15 at 1 p.m. at McCamley Field, where seniors will receive their cords and awards.
NHS hosts dodgeball tourney On Friday, May 17, the National Honor Society will host an after-school dodgeball tournament in Portage Central’s gymnasium. Each team will consist of six players and the participation fee is $5 per player. Students are expected to create their own teams, and sign-up sheets for those teams will be available in the Welcome Center. All teams that sign up for the tournament are guaranteed to play in two games. Sign-up sheets and the participation fee must be turned into the Welcome Center by Tuesday, May 14. All students are eligible to participate.
Days off coming up The end of the school year is approaching quickly. May 3 will be a half-day of school. Senior graduation will take place at Wings Stadium on Friday, May 24. There will be no school May 24 through May 27 due to Memorial Day weekend . Exams for all students, excluding seniors, begin on Friday, May 31, and will continue from June 3 to June 5. The last day of school is June 5, which is the same day as 7th hour and makeup exams.
Student Council voting Monday Student Council elections for next year will take place on Monday in third hour classrooms. Taylor Snyder is running for Parliamentarian, Ian Epkey is running for Secretary, Kevin Zhu is running for Treasurer, Emily Fulling and Audrey Searing are running for Vice President, and Spencer Wesley, Gina Verduzco and Madison Mazer are all running for Student Council President.
news
April 26, 2013
Forensics team qualifies for state Rules to BY GISELLE GARCIA-PRADA
is May 3 and 4 at Oakland University in metro Detroit. According to adviser Theresa Mills, 27 forensics members qualified for state. Those going to compete at the state competition include Sarah Perry, Luke Ostrem, Cameron Gagnon, Alec Olweean, Grant Niven, Noah Pyzik, Tim Walsh,
Cory Jankowiak, Brendon Mills, Jake Godsil, Gabby Oliva, Natalie Duncan, Maria Hart, Tony Alberty, Sara Torres, Anastasia Barna, Courtney Green, Zach Stoner, Tessa Quick, Ben Greaves, Kitu Komya, Kevin Zhu, Simran Singh, Taylor McNeil, LiAnne Jenson, Michael Tarn and Emily Konkel. Mills believes that those who placed will thrive at the state competition. “I’m expecting some great successes at the state competition,” Mills said. Despite high ambition, forensics isn’t just about competitions. The experiences help the teammates meet new people. “A lot of cool people do forensics, so being part of the team is a great way to be with those people,” sophomore Noah Pyzik said. Even though everyone competes against each other for a place in competitions, Pyzik said that the team members are supportive of each other. Mills said that the team has 62 students this year, the largest since she took over the forensics program eight years ago. Not only are they learning the ropes, but students who have been involved with forensics since their freshmen years are also improving. Senior Alec Olweean said this year is different from previous years, because the duo he is in with junior Cameron Gagnon has placed first in three invitationals. “It is a very young team; we have a lot of ninth- and tenth-graders who have never done this before who are learning the ropes,” Mills said. “We have been very successful.”
we had already established Grad Bash a year in advance, and moving that would have been like moving heaven and Earth.” Graduation day is not going to budge. With this inconvenient date, there will certainly be some level of dissatisfaction as traditions of the day are broken. “Senior breakfast was the last day for seniors to see everyone, and now it won’t be,” Alburtus said. “Our seniors will handle it, though.” Most seniors will not only handle the changes with graduation day, but welcome them. “I think the date is kind of strange, but it will hopefully give everyone a chance to come together,” senior Reily Lesman said. “I think it will still be a fun time to spend with all of my friends,” senior Jessica Segraves said. Some will not be affected at all. “I have an AP test on the day of graduation, so I will miss senior breakfast anyway,” senior
Emily Armstead said. “I don’t think that the number of lowerclassmen who go to graduation will change at all; normally it’s only siblings who go.” Overwhelmingly, seniors are ready to graduate, regardless of the day or circumstances. “I am so ready to graduate,” senior Nick Corbit said. “I think graduation will be the happiest moment of my life so far.” Despite any changes in the date, administration does not expect a lower turnout at Wings Stadium than past years. If you are attending, be prepared for a packed arena and a cheering crowd.
BY MADISON JAQUA
progress. By the fall 2012 travel season, Mazer was at full strength again. Now with the spring season here, Mazer can’t wait to get back out there with her high school team. “I really like the Portage Central team, and I think we’ll be good this year,” Mazer said. In the season, Mazer has high expectations for her teammates. She sees potential in them and thinks they can make it to the state competition. While Mazer expects a competitive high school season, she said
ggarcia-prada@centralstampede.com
Staff Writer
Portage Central forensics is at the end of their competitions, regionals is nearing and with regionals comes state competition qualifications. Forensics is competitive speaking. It consists of two categories, one being public address and the other being interpretive events. The public address side of forensics includes categories such as sales speaking, informative, oratory and limited prep categories. Limited prep categories consist of impromptu, extemporaneous speaking and broadcasting. The interpretive side includes storytelling, poetry, dramatic interpretation, duo and multiple. The forensics team competes at invitationals every Saturday through March. So far, they have traveled to Grand Rapids Christian, Holland, Portage Northern and Mattawan. As a group, the forensics team placed second overall in Grand Rapids and Portage Northern, while placing third in Holland and Mattawan. Every day, students involved with forensics practice their story or speech, working hard to reach perfection. The students practice and work with each other after school. They also sign up at slotted times to get one-on-one help from coaches. The team’s invitational was March 23 in Mattawan, and they competed in regionals on April 13 here at Portage Central. The state competition
Hattie Foley /STAMPEDE
Break
a Leg: In between rounds, forensics members are wished good luck.
Graduation approaches, seniors prepare BY GRACE BEVERAGE
gbeverage@centralstampede.com
Staff Writer
This year’s graduation, the biggest day of every senior’s high school career, is falling askew on the Friday before the busy Memorial Day weekend. Every year, Portage Community High School graduates on Wednesday, and Portage Central and Northern alternate between Thursday and Friday. Last year PCHS took Thursday, meaning graduation this year is on Friday. However, unrelated contract negotiations gave us a four-day weekend for Memorial Day. While most students will kick off the Memorial Day weekend Thursday after school, seniors will be required to come in Friday morning for senior breakfast. Principal Eric Alburtus said administration tried to move the date. “When we were first notified, the PTA and I tried to move the date,” Alburtus said. “But
mjaqua@centralstampede.com
Staff Writer
Madison Mazer
Jan. 26, 2012. 7:34 p.m. Junior Madison Mazer, soccer superstar and avid coffee drinker, will forever remember this moment. It was the exact time she tore her ACL. “I pivoted really hard on my knee and it made this crunching noise,” Mazer said. The devastating injury cost Mazer the rest of her indoor soccer season and her sophomore school season. Sitting on the bench for nine months was rough for Mazer, but she didn’t let it slow her down. To help aid the slow recovery process, Mazer started weight training and working to strengthen her knee. Before long, she was back on the field, easing into it and slowly building on her
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change for second floor benches
BY JARED LUTZ
jlutz@centralstampede.com
Staff Writer
After seminar students made a habit of congregating at the second floor benches, the bench policy has been altered, dictated by supervision issues. Students are expected to be in their respective classes during class periods. Teachers are responsible for their students during class and there is no one to supervise students at the benches. There is supervision in the media center so seminar students are still allowed to use the media center as a resource, but the benches are not an extension to the media center. No rules were set to the benches because administrators wanted to see how the benches were going to be used. Assistant principal Kim Lummis makes this analogy: “You have to get to know your child before you set boundaries to them. This is what we did with the benches.” Also, students involved in ATYP (Academically Talented Youth Program) will now be required to enroll in a class when they are not attending their respective ATYP buildings, due to a request issued by the state auditor. A couple more dollars in the pocket of the district is incentive enough to alter the schedule of certain students. ATYP students will experience change in the upcoming years for the period of time in which they are not attending ATYP. Every student is a dollar value to the state, and the more students enroll in classes at Portage Central, according to prinicpal Eric Alburtus, the more money they school gets. Since ATYP is typically only once a week, students can enroll in a class such as seminar for the remaining four days. ATYP students used to congregate at the second floor benches during the days they were not attending ATYP, but were asked to move to the Commons. “There are only like six of us,” freshman Ankit Mehra said. “We used to hang out by the benches, but now we go to the Commons because they told us we couldn’t be there anymore.” The second floor benches are still open before and after school, but not during lunch or class time unless instructed by a teacher as a class. what excites her most is just being in the company of her teammates. “Favorite part? Being around all those fun girls and trying to make a party out of it,” Mazer said. But there’s more to Mazer than her soccer skills and a knee scar. She says she spends a lot of her time on YouTube and that she likes to drink tons of coffee. Her favorite coffee joint is Starbucks; she’s a frequent visitor. “I go there so often, the baristas know my order,” Mazer said. “And I have my gold card. It’s pretty impressive; it has my name on it.”
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April 26, 2013
ur View
New exam system could prove beneficial
A proposal under consideration by a district committee could change the percentages that exams are worth in the future. Freshmen exams would be worth 15 percent of students’ grades, and each year the value of exams would go up by 5 percent, making senior exams worth 30 percent of a student’s semester grade. This is a common
five Austin Wolf, 9th
sense approach to making exams more rigorous. For some students, this change might cause some difficulty. It’s not a secret that, because exams currently only account for one-seventh of a student’s grade, students don’t study for them. Under the new system, there would be added stress to the end of semesters for students. It also may prevent some seniors from graduating if they fail their final exams. Despite those drawbacks, there are a variety of positive effects that would come from this change. Across the country, schools have been trying to make their curriculum more rigorous
on
Claire Abdo, 10th
when preparing students for life, and this exam proposal does that. Another positive is that it would prepare students for college. There, grades are heavily dependent upon midterms and final exams. Under the current system, students are not prepared for college exams because they tend to blow off high school exams. Even though there are some negative repercussions that would come with a change in the exam percentages, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and we commend Portage educators for addressing it.
Stampede Staff
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Vic Ledbetter, 11th
Cassie Cook, 12th
Jessica Heimonen Hira Asghar Editors-in-Chief
Mr. Schira
1. What in this school building needs to be fixed? I don’t see John Becklar enough. Not okay.
The temperature. It’s always freezing, and I have to dress like an Eskimo.
The jank dryers in the bathroom.
The students.
I love the new building! The only problem is that some of the classroom door handles need to be fixed.
2. Cats or dogs? Why? I prefer dolphins personally, but I guess dogs.
Dogs. Cats want to take over the world anyway.
Dogs! They’re a man’s best friend.
Dogs. Cats are mean and ugly.
Dogs! Man’s best friend.
Mr. Leroy’s.
Mr. Lait’s and Señora Mazei’s
Mrs. Johnson’s. I heard she was a model back in the day.
Mr. Leroy’s.
4. Do you own any Empure or Wolf Apparel? I’m going to buy an Empure shirt. Empure crew or die.
No, but I’d probably buy some if I knew how.
No.
Yeah, don’t they sell it at Hot Topic?
None. But if someone gave me one for free I would wear it.
5. What do you know about lacrosse? I have started to dabble in lacrosse. Nick Ford is the best goalie.
Nothing, besides Michael Kuchenbach plays it, and he’s really hot.
You gotta be a bro to play.
I’ve played it for four years, so basically everything.
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. The Central Stampede is a member of 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 balance between informing and entertaining our readers.
3. Which teacher’s prom picture would you like to see? Señor Garson and Mr. Humiston’s.
Rachel Bates.....................................News Editor Scott Solomon..................................View Editor Taylor Fleck......................................Focus Editor Megan Conway..................................Vibe Editor Brett Kaufman................................Sports Editor Lauren Ammar ............................. Online Editor Katie Drews.....................................Photo Editor Assistant Editors/Staff Writers: Salma Abdul-Muhmin, Kayla Bean, Grace Beverage, Hattie Foley, Giselle GarciaPrada, Will Jacobson, Madison Jaqua, Ryan Krietz, Jared Lutz, Shelby Mannes, Julia Meeker, Meaghan Mones, Mandy Quiňones, Gauri Rangrass Business Manager: Tyler Harper Adviser: Cheryl Braford
Isn’t it like hockey on grass?
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. Phone: (269) 323-5218 Fax: (269) 323-5290
The Central Stampede
Portage Central High School 8135 South Westnedge Ave. Portage, MI 49002
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view
The pet debate
April 26, 2013
Cats are vibe Dogs are the editorin-chief fluffy, loving editor greatest Megan animals alive J e s s i c a H e i m o n e n and funny jheimonen@centralstampede.com
Dogs are the greatest animals on the planet. Domesticating dogs was the best decision mankind ever made. A dog is a man’s best friend, a loyal companion and a protector. It’s official, dogs are better than cats. Let’s start with the most obvious reason why dogs are better than cats: friendliness. Almost every dog in the world gives off a friendly persona, and they are happy to see everyone. Although I’ll admit there are some friendly cats, it’s really rare for a cat to be friendly with everyone. Also, dogs are clearly more prevalent in society than cats. According to U.S. pet ownership statistics from the Humane Society, approximately 39 percent of households in the U.S. own at least one dog, while only 33 percent of households in the U.S. own one cat. When you see a dog, the first thing that comes to your mind is the breed. People probably think, What a cute yorkie, or Wow, that black lab is adorable, or That pug is really overweight. But when people see cats, they just think cat, cat,
cat, cat, cat, cat. The real argument-ender is that dogs have careers. Yeah, that’s right, dogs have such a keen sense of smell they are used in conjunction with the police force for hundreds of tasks. Some dogs are more modest and help blind or handicapped people live a more comfortable life. I doubt that a seeing-eye cat will ever exist, and that’s because cats simply aren’t as obedient as dogs. When it comes to Hollywood, dogs are clearly favored over cats. Whether it’s “Marley & Me,” “My Dog Skip,” “Lassie,” “Air Bud,” or “101 Dalmatians,” dogs are depicted as smart, beautiful and innocent animals. But cats? They’re a different story. Just look at “Aristocats” and “Garfield,” movies that show cats as arrogant or lazy, perfectly illustrating cat characteristics. Dogs are better than cats in every imaginable way. Dogs purely provide love to their masters. Cats just stare at you with creepy eyes, plotting ways to murder you.
As told by Hira Asghar
C o n way
mconway@centralstampede.com
Cats are among the most unappreciated domestic animals. Too many people direct their love and attention to “man’s best friend.” However, it is clear the minute you hold a bundle of kittens, cats are the most magnificent creatures to grace this earth. Dogs have been trained to lead the blind and perform a variety of tasks to aid the human race, but in no way are they better than our feline friends. Cats’ first triumph over dogs is their always refreshing and sassy personality. Of course, dogs are loyal and relatively easy to train, but cats add spunk to any situation. The everyday feline will not fall into a boring routine like most dogs do. Cats wake when they please, eat when they feel like and it and will play when they want, regardless of their owners plans for the day. With such an unpredictable schedule, another delightful plus to gracing your home with a kitten is the virtually
no effort it takes to care for a cat. Cats are trained to relieve themselves in a handy box and are much smaller than dogs, therefore eating significantly less food and saving money. With no need for long walks or monthly trips to the groomer, cats require nothing more than some attention, food, and if you’re really nice, a scratch post. Even the Internet loves cats. People with cat profile pictures are known as the coolest kids in town, and those who don’t have cats are eternally jealous. The most important aspect of living with a cat is the perfect and love-filled companions these creatures are. Cats have an ultimate sixth sense that allows them to act as feline therapists. They can sense a human’s emotions and cater to the needs of their owners. The wolf-like creatures we have domesticated also known as dogs are incomparable to our soft and cuddly feline friends.
In the last issue of the Stampede, I asked you all to submit hate mail, telling us exactly how horrrible we are as a staff. As promised, below is the best of the hate we received this past issue. (For the record, choosing which comments to feature was an extremely difficult task. My heart melted with joy when I saw all the loving words of hate from our readers. With excellent feedback such as “I hate you” and “Quit writing dumb things,” I wish I could address everyone. Alas, that is not possible. Enjoy the abhorrence from your fellow peers!)
We will gladly get rid of Jessica! If you are able to find a suitable replacement who can write, edit, do layout and lead as well as she does, we will not hesitate to kick Jessica off staff.
I disagree. Every month, the Stampede staff is harassed and ridiculed by those who could never do what we do on a daily basis. Nevertheless, we appreciate your input! Think you can do better? Join the Stampede staff next year! You’ll last three days and then quit.
In case you were previously unaware, the Stampede has five sections. One of those fives sections is the View section, the section you are currently reading. The beauty of the View section is that it allows a writer to express his or her opinion freely, with few limitations. That being said, if something in the View section offends you, I suggest you flip to the News section, as you clearly can’t handle opinions. (By the way, “inoffensively” is not a word.)
Jessica Heimonen and Megan Conway /STAMPEDE
Hira Asghar is Editor-in-Chief for the Central Stampede. hasghar@centralstampede.com
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focus
April 26, 2013
Guess who? Ever wonder what your teachers looked like when they were your age? With the junior class and the senior class preparing for their own prom tomorrow, the Stampede took this opportunity to explore how a few staff members may have looked back when they went to prom. Between the big hair and the top hats, some attire is questionable....really questionable.
Trends shift and modify themselves over time, but we’ll let you be the judge as to who has or hasn’t maintained their appearance. Try and see if you can identify your staff members from their high school prom photos below. Some are a little easier than others, but don’t peek. (The answers are below.)
C
D
A Compiled by Salma Abdul-Muhmin
B
E
G
F
A - Assitant Principal Mr. Frink B - Assitant Principal Mrs. Lummis C - Math teacher Mrs. Kirschman D - Media Specialist Mrs. Brown E - English teacher Mrs. Alburtus F - Principal Mr. Alburtus G - Media Specialist Mrs. Heinrich
Another fighter among us Answers:
Junior Trevor Hoffman stays positive in his battle with cancer BY JULIA MEEKER
jmeeker@centralstampede.com
Staff Writer
Junior Trevor Hoffman is the most recent PCHS student who is battling cancer. During a routine sports physical a year and half ago, it was discovered that Hoffman had a heart murmur, which is generally a harmless condition. As a follow up, he had an electrocardiogram, or EKG, which showed that he had a bad valve in his heart. Everything was stable until this November 2012, when the valve was inflamed. Then he had an MRI to look at it closer, and doctors found a cyst on his thymus gland. He had surgery to remove the cyst, and it was found to be cancerous. Hoffman was diagnosed on January 23, 2013 with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. “My diagnosis was shocking and very scary” he said. His friends and family have been very sup-
portive. “One of my greatest fears about having cancer was that people would treat me differently,” he said. “However, once my friends found out, they reacted totally opposite.” The community has reached out and sent dinners and desserts to his house. In addition, an organization raised money for his family to help with medical expenses. His friends at Wolf Apparel and Empure have been really cool about it too and Wolf Apparel is going to release a “Save Trev” shirt soon. Hoffman’s teachers have been really helpful and supportive by giving him extra time for all tests and assignments. The school has been cooperative with Hoffman’s diagnosis. He is not being penalized for missing too many days of school, and was given an elevator pass. As an added bonus, he got extra time to take his ACT, and is hoping to receive good scores. “Being out of school so much is a pain because I have to make up all the work, since I still plan on getting the IB Diploma,” he said.
“Most kids my age would’ve been pretty pumped to miss school, but the biggest thing I was worried about was if I could still get the IB Diploma, and keep my dreams of going to the University of Michigan alive.” A lifelong Michigan fan, Hoffman is interested in the engineering program there. Not surprisingly, throughout the ordeal, Hoffman is still on track to get an IB Diploma. IB even moved back his work due dates when it was possible. Graduating with the Diploma is important to him because in-state schools look at it for admission, and he knows he can do it, even with his condition. Hoffman says that after chemo, there shouldn’t be any problems that keep him from graduating. Hoffman will need four rounds of chemotherapy, each four weeks long. his treatments on the first two Mondays of each cycle. “During the chemo weeks, I feel awful, very nauseous, exhausted, achy and crabby,” he said. “It really sucks because I begin to feel fine and
Hats Off To Trevor: Hoffman is allowed to wear a hat in school due to his hair loss. normal but then it starts all over again.” As of now, Hoffman is past the halfway point of his treatments and if all goes as planned, he’ll be done in time to enjoy his summer, and his lifeguarding gig at summer camp.
focus
April 26, 2013
‘Am I allowed to pray in school?’ Separation clause does not inhibit students from expressing their spirituality BY GAURI RANGRASS
grangrass@centralstampede.com
Staff Writer
In the hallways at Portage Central, some students express their religious identity by wearing hijabs or pagris, while others choose to tattoo crosses on their body. However, seldom are these indications of spirituality an open topic of discussion among students; they seem to be taboo. Though Portage Central is a public school, the separation of church and state clause does not go so far as to ban the expression of personal beliefs. Because students are not given explicit notification of religious rights in the premise, below are some frequently asked questions about religious freedom in public schools.
To what extent am I allowed to pray in school? During school hours, students have the right to pray individually or in groups, though they must not disrupt school activities. However, the line is crossed when they coerce other students to join or listen to them. Guilia Avelar, a senior who is actively involved in Christian groups, said, “It doesn’t have to be very public. They can pray to themselves; nothing is stopping them. The United States is a free country. I don’t think there needs to be a ritual praying time for everyone. I feel like if you need to go pray, you can go pray.”
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Do I have to participate in in-class readings of religious texts? Because of the “one nation, under God” clause, the Pledge of Allegiance has had a long history as a topic of speculation and debate. Students are not required to recite the pledge, but at the least they must sit quietly and respectfully during that time. Recently, there has been controversy over a new state law requiring all public schools to set aside a few minutes in the school day for the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance starting next fall. Senior Dennis Miller voiced his aversion to this by stating, “It’s a waste of time. It really doesn’t do much for the school and the whole point of the school is to teach students, to educate them. You’re wasting five minutes of every day just to recite some silly sayings that don’t do anything for your education, which is the purpose of school.”
Am I required to recite the Pledge of Alleganiance if my class is asked to? The Establishment Clause prohibits schoolsponsored prayer and religious indoctrination. Therefore, if students feel pressured into reciting or believing a religious text, they may excuse themselves. However, if for example, the Bible is being studied objectively as a subject of literary comparison, there is no reason for nonparticipation and the student may disengage in the classroom activity at the expense of his or her own grade. In the case of objective Bible readings, Avelar agreed, adding, “I think it’s not that big of a deal to just hear things that are in the Bible. I think people make a bigger deal out of it than they need to.”
Is it okay for non-curriculum related, religious student clubs to promote themselves during the school day? While the school itself is prohibited from advocating a religious club, self-promotion by involved students is permitted. Faculty must also remain secular and refrain from promoting these groups during the day to ensure the separation of church and state; however, staff may advise a religious club before
or after school hours. An annual fall event called “See You at the Pole” involves students of all religious beliefs in a large before-school prayer session. As religion is a large part of many students’ lives, activities like “See You at the Pole” are great opportunities for them to comfortably express their views and get to know one another on a deeper level. Though opinions and beliefs among people of different religions will always clash, these events help to encourage open-mindedness among the student body. This year’s “See You at the Pole” will be held on Sept. 25.
Taste of PC helps charities BY MANDY QUINONES
mquinones@centralstampede.com
Staff Writer
Photographer’s Ad 2x5
Saturday, May 11th brings not only flowers, but a first-ever event, called The Taste of PC, that features student talent. The Taste of PC takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is an event where students are able to showcase talents they have. From fashion design, to painting, to music and even food, this will be an event where all clubs and students can come together and display their talents to the community. Several students are excited for this event such as Junior Anna Jursanic. She is making Macaroons-an english dessert- for the event. She will be baking these with Junior Taylor Boyer. “I’m excited to see the whole school come together for one event,” Jursanic said. Money from this event will be donated to a charity named Build A City. This charity helps build clean homes for families in Cambodia and provides them with basic necessities. “This year will be kind of a trial run, we’re not entirely sure what to expect since we’ve never done anything like this before,” senior student council member Cassie Cook said. The main purpose of the event is to get the Portage community involved along with students here. If things go well this year, Student Council members say there is a strong possibility
The low down
What: Taste of PC When: Saturday May 11th, from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. Where: Portage Central High School Cost: $5 admission it will return. Cook says, “We’re hoping it will eventually become large enough to combine with Northern to make a super-show.” President Zack Stoner says the ambience of this event will be a mix of “a carnival and a fashion show,” and this will be “the starting of a new new tradition.” The inspiration of this actually came from a random student who wished to raise money for the Build A City foundation. Off of this Zack Stoner and the rest of Student Council came together with the culminating event of The Taste of PC. “I am excited to see all of the awesome work our students do in one place,” Activities Director Kent White said. It helps our kids and a great cause but also gives our community a sense of all the incredible things you all do every day. “
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vibe
Have you
herd?
Reviews from the central stampede
‘Wolf’ continues positive career path for Tyler the Creator Tyler the Creator’s third album, “Wolf,” released earlier this month, is a great addition to his already successful first two records. As an avid hip-hop listener, I personally never paid attention to Tyler the Creator or OFWG (Odd Future Wolf Gang) in general, but “Wolf’s” plot and general idea surprised me in a variety of ways. The album’s themes range from something as basic as his first bike, to problems as heavy as his poor relationship with his father. If you are able to look past the repetitive beats and constant cursing circulating throughout the album, you’ll find that “Wolf” encompasses a genuinely creative idea and is an effective addition to his first two albums.
WHAT’S TRENDY @ TWITTER
Tyler Zhang @nottylerzhang Prom Idea: Pee on her, so all the other males know that she’s yours.
Sam Ettwein @sam_ettwein Prom Idea: Go to law school, become a senator, run for president, win the election and ask her to prom during the State of the Union address. Cassie Cook @cassiecook14 Is there a website or something that I can use to buy a prom date?
-Reviewed by Will Jacobson
wjacobson@centralstampede.com
‘42’ a triumphant story Inspiring and deeply personal, “42” tells the heroic story of how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball after being drafted to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. While the beginning of the movie takes some liberties to build characters, it becomes ever more factual and suspenseful with every passing scene, ending with the audience wanting more. Robinson is likeable yet admirably stoic in the face of racial hatred. Yet it is the cast behind him, led by the Dodger’s team executive Branch Rickey played by Harrison Ford, that makes the audience fully appreciate the story and struggles of the only man to retire a number from all of baseball.
-Reviewed by Grace Beverage
gbeverage@centralstampede.com
New Cold War Kids album falls flat Yet again, Cold War Kids delivers a disappointing album. Not since their 2006 release ‘Robbers and Cowards’ have we heard anything close to entertaining. On their most recent record, “Dear Miss Lonely Hearts,” all of the tracks resemble themselves with nothing more than a variation in drum beats and guitar riffs. After the release of four LPs, one would think the band could get it right. However, they continue to struggle for a diverse sounding record and leave the listener bored from the start.
-Reviewed by Megan Conway
Mconway@centralstampede.com
April 26, 2013
Who To See
THIS
Summer
Nothing says summer like a concert, whether you like indie or comedy the upcoming summer of 2013 will not disappoint. Here are some highlights of tours coming to the area:
Vampire Weekend (May 17) The xx and Grizzly Bear (June 12) The Filmore in Detroit
Alabama Shakes (June 19) Animal Collective (July 15) The Royal Oak Music Theatre
MGMT
(May 6) Fine Arts Center At Calvin College in Grand Rapids
Daniel Tosh (June 7)
Devos Hall in Grand Rapids
Centre Street Subway
1256 E. Centre St. — 324-7827 — fax 324-7870 Wal-Mart Location - 8350 Shaver Road
Buy one 6” sub get one free!
2nd sub of equal or lesser value (with this ad)
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vibe
April 26, 2013
Hungry like a Wolf BY LAUREN AMMAR
lammar@centralstampede.com
Online Editor
From beanies to crewnecks, two clothing brands have emerged from the minds of Portage Central students to become a reality: Real Wolf Apparel and Empure Apparel. Wolf Apparel, founded by juniors Rachel Weber and Alyssa Cisneros, along with Portage Northern junior Grace Dveweke, is a clothing line launched in November 2012 that is hoping “to bring positivity to our customers.” Empure Apparel, founded this year by senior Mitch Jump and junior Noah Koffend, is a street-wear brand “about pursuing happiness regardless of what that may be.” The origins of the names of the brands stemmed from creativity, symbolism, and on one account, pure accident. “I came up with the name ‘Empure’ while I was typing my I.B. internal assessment and kept misspelling ‘empire.’ The name was catchy and thought-provoking, so it stuck. Empure means ‘live without limits.’ The other choice was PILLage, but Empure is perfect,” Jump said. Wolf Apparel, on the other hand, symbolizes the unity and fearless attitude of the founders and their customers. “The wolf pack is a well-known idea. This is what we believe Wolf Apparel is. We are a pack amongst our customers and the three of us. Wolves are warriors and so are we,” Weber said. Cisneros agrees, noting that the three designers have a strong connection, just as wolves in a pack do. “Wolves are known for travelling in packs and we are so united. We, as friends, are very close knit, so it just fits,” Cisneros said. While those of Wolf Apparel were already great friends before starting their clothing line, Jump and Koffend of Empure Apparel had known each other for a long time, but had never been that close until last year. “We met in a seminar last year and started to hang out a lot because we’re neighbors,” Koffend said.
“We had almost the exact same interests. I produce [music] and he makes videos, so it worked out great,” Jump said. Not only are the names and the friendships meaningful, but the process that goes into making the apparel is as well. “All of our beanies, scarves, and headbands are handmade. We aim to stay local in all of our products,” Weber said. “Right now we have two T-shirt designs and one crew-neck design. We’re working on a tank for the summer and some other shirts. Mitch does a series of drawings, about three to five, and then we pick our favorite,” Koffend said. Music and the desire for memorable material are cited as some of the designers’ inspiration. “I listen to a lot of music and I draw inspiration from that,” Jump said. “I also look for something that provokes curiosity and is catchy. The best inspiring shirt we have is the ‘Local Kids Global Dreams’ shirt. Everyone can relate to wanting to be big in the future.” As for Wolf Apparel, most of their inspiration comes from experimenting and brainstorming. “For our beanies, we have just experimented with what we can do, such as knitting hearts into the beanies, dying them (tie-dye and dip dye) and trying different ways of knitting the hats. For our crew neck design, we wanted to keep it simple and go with a wolf,” Weber said. The success of the clothing of both brands is undeniable. The popularity of items has spread from our school to other schools, and even across states and countries, and the profits are impressive. Wolf Apparel, for example, has shipped beanies and crewnecks nationwide, and they have Twitter and Instagram followers from Canada and the U.K. “We’ve had more than 100 sales in beanies alone,” Cisneros said. The popularity is local, too, and the apparel has generated a positive response. “We have gotten extremely positive feedback from students, and even teachers!” Weber said.
Wolf Gang: Above are the Wolf Apparel founders, who have shipped their designs nationwide. “Even if students don’t have money to purchase our products, they follow our Twitter and compliment us. Many students around the school support us and represent our products. Students from other schools, like Portage Northern, Mattawan, Plainwell, Wayland, Holland, Grand Rapids, St. Joe and Otsego also wear our products.” As for Empure Apparel, reactions started off on a shaky note, but were quickly transformed after viewing all of the designs. “We got some understandable heat for our ‘Always Present’ T-shirt with its ‘illuminati’ resemblance, but after people saw our other shirts, that changed. Everyone likes our items, as far as I’m told. We have a lot of local customers and friends who are part of the ‘Empure Crew’,” Jump said. “We’ve sold close to 70 shirts and have made a healthy profit.” The items from both brands are relatively inexpensive: Empure sells their T-shirts for $10-15 and crewnecks for $20, and Wolf Apparel sells beanies ranging from $10-17 and crewnecks for $23. To get the word out about their apparel, both brands use social media and personal communication as tools. “We have ‘Empursday,’ which is a day where we all wear stuff from the brand. It started from hanging out at my house the day we got our shirts. [Junior] Skyler Oakley came up with
‘Empursday’ and it stuck,” Koffend said. The Empure team is also starting to create Youtube content, and according to Jump, his video-making passion will assist him in spreading the word about Empure clothing. Wolf Apparel also promotes their products online and in person. “We primarily advertise via social medias like Twitter and Instagram. Using these sources, we can connect with our target market: young people. Another promotion is just wearing the items, and then if someone compliments or asks where we got it, we give them the website link and some background information. This keeps things personal with the customers,” Weber said. “We definitely stand by the quality of our service. Communicating with our customers is our main focus. Nothing promotes us better than giving someone their hat and them loving it,” Cisneros said. If students are interested in purchasing items from either brand, they can visit @EmpureApparel on Twitter, youtube.com/EmpureMedia and EmpureMedia@gmail.com for Empure Apparel, and for Wolf Apparel, realwolfapparel.com, @RealWolfApparel on Twitter, and realwolfapparel@ gmail.com. Or they can just talk to the founders themselves: according to Jump, “it’s easier just meeting us.”
Healthy eating gains popularity AND HATTIE FOLEY
hfoley@centralstampede.com
Staff Writers
Consumers were appalled when they recently learned that Taco Bell’s beef contains only 36 percent actual meat and a variety of chemicals. With this and other news, students are keeping a watchful eye on what they are putting into their bodies, and are becoming more aware of the negative health effects. Most products are processed, filled with chemicals and doused with pesticides. A new fad called “clean eating” focuses on re-
moving unhealthy, processed food from our everyday diets and replacing it with healthier, more natural options. The idea behind clean eating is to cut processed food out of your diet completely, and focus on eating from the ground up, meaning fresh vegetables and organic products. It also involves meals from natural sources rather than eating processed and refined foods that have gone through bleaching and other chemical treatments. Sophomore Malak Ghazal used this fad long before it was popular. “I’ve eaten like this for a long time and you feel better,” Ghazal said. “You have more energy and better workouts and performances.”
With processed foods’ secrets out in the open, now more than ever, students are giving up processed food and are getting educated on what they are eating. Being aware of what you eat is one of the first steps on the road to being healthy. With so many local options available for organic and fresh food, there is no worry about where your food comes from. Senior Allie Wass finds this aspect especially important. “It's nice to know the diet the cow is fed, and where they lived, and how they were treated,” she said. “You can really taste the difference between grass-fed organic beef and grocery store meat.” Fresh food markets are open year-round.
Bean
kbean@centralstampede.com
Kayla
BY KAYLA BEAN
/STAM PEDE
Students begin considering nutrition
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sports
April 26, 2013
Lacrosse for Dummies X
A beginner’s guide to the fastest growing men’s sport
X
Faceoff
Goalkeeper
X
END LINE
The only player allowed in the crease, the keeper uses a stick with a larger head to better block the ball.
X X
This takes place at the start of quarters, goals, and some dead balls. Two players on opposing teams go to midfield, hold their sticks flat on the ground, and clamp on the ball when signaled.
Defenders
Positioned in the defending goal area, their job is to check attacking players to prevent them from having shots on goal.
X
A Month Women’s Water Polo senior Natalie Carothers
What’s it like moving to a new school and playing for a new team?
A
With water polo it was hard at first because it’s a team where you really have to be close with the girls. I have become closer with them through hanging out, but it was definitely hard at first.
Q A
What’s your favorite part about water polo? Just being in the water and playing, I just love the sport in general.
Q
Who will play key leadership roles for the team to do well?
A
A lot of the players on the team are juniors, I feel like, right now they have a big role in being captains.
Positions
Cross Checking
Holding
Warding
Seeking redemption
Head Shaft
Compiled by Taylor Fleck
The softball team hopes to use their youth as an advantage BY WILL JACBOSON
Staff Writer
Q
X
Two teams of 10 players each are on the field at one time, usually consisting of a goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three attack players. During play, both teams must always have three players in their attacking half and four players on their defending half of the field at all times.
Slashing
X X Mesh
X
wjacobson@centralstampede.com
Katie Drews/STAMPEDE
X
Covering the entire length of the field, their job is to bring the ball up to the attacks and help defend whenever needed.
Illegal Body Check
thlete of the
Attack
Generally positioned in the opposing goal area, attackers must have good stick handgling skills. They are the main goal scorers.
Midfielder
The Basics Being the fastest growing men’s sport in the country, lacrosse is a game in which players use sticks to carry, pass and shoot a ball in order to score a goal. The game is divided into four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes long.
Referee Signals
Crease
The 2013 Portage Central Softball team looks to improve upon a stellar, yet somewhat disappointing 2012 campaign. Although they finished last season with only six losses and they were ranked #1 in the state for some of the year, they were eliminated by an unranked Loy Norrix squad in the district final. Senior Aimee Hoffman said this year’s team is working hard during their preseason preparation. “We mainly focused on speed and agility exercises, along with many defensive aspects of the game” Hoffman said. “We have a lot of quick girls on our team, which puts us at an advantage in the higher competition games” An obstacle the Mustangs will have to overcome this year is the amount of youth on their roster. “We lost some talent with the older girls who graduated, so we have a lot of younger girls who need to step up and improve throughout the season” senior Caitlyn Martin said. Martin is one of only three seniors on the
roster, which consists of two freshmen, three sophomores and five juniors; one of those three seniors is Katy Wyman. “We do have a lot of younger girls this year” Wyman said. “But I believe if everyone works hard and together to improve a little bit every day, we have a good chance to achieve our ulti-
Senior Aimee Hoffman Third Base
mate goal.” That goal of course being district and regional winners, en route to becoming state champions. Due to this spring’s unusual weather resulting in many cancellations, softball has played only three series to date. The team is next scheduled for the Gull Lake Tournament this Saturday.
Senior Katy Wyman Second Base
sports
April 26, 2013
Leaving a legacy
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Coach Schneider steps down after 17 years BY BRETT KAUFMAN
bkaufman@centralstampede.com
Sports Editor
Mustangs baseball will lose a storied coach at the end of this season as Paul Schneider will step down as head coach after 17 years within the program. Schneider spent five years with the junior varsity team before taking over the varsity squad in 2002, the same year the Mustangs won a state championship. He said he’s grateful for the opportunity and time spent leading Portage Central baseball. “I feel fortunate to be the Portage Central baseball coach for all these years,” Schneider said. “Portage Central was already a good program, so I feel fortunate I’ve had the opportunity to continue with its success.” Schneider played at Mount Morris High School and later moved up to collegiate baseball at Western Michigan University. He signed with the Chicago White Sox organization and competed seven years in the minor league professional system before returning to WMU to become pitching coach. Schneider says he uses some of his playing experiences and lessons to help coach his players today. “I’ve had the chance to learn the game from really good baseball coaches, and I’ve tried to take those experiences to be able to teach PC baseball, along with my own,” Schneider said. After this season, Schneider hopes the extra time will allow him to watch his sons, Derek and Nate, compete for WMU’s baseball team. Derek graduated last year and currently pitches for the Broncos, and Nate plans to join his brother next year.
Nate Schneider gives a lot of credit to his father for developing Derek and himself to the talented ballplayers they are today. He believes with his father coaching here, it has allowed PC baseball to become an integral part of his family’s life. “We’ve been really intense about Portage Central baseball our whole life,” Nate Schneider said. “It’s been cool because we’ve been around here our whole life and I’ve been at the field since I was a little kid and he was coaching.” While head coach, Schneider helped guide the Mustangs to many accomplishments including six conference championships, seven district championships, four regional championships and three state semifinals appearances, in addition to the state title in 2002. “Winning the state championship in 2002 was memorable, however, throughout the many years there have been many great moments with lots of great kids,” Schneider said. Nate Schneider said he hopes he can finish his high school career with an unforgettable season and to send his father and himself out on a high note. “Hopefully, we win a state championship as a team, and hopefully we can finish our career on a right note because he’s been coaching me for a real long time,” he said. The Mustangs travel today to Gull Lake for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
Leading Off: Coach Paul Schneider walks to the dugout after the Mustangs finished batting in the inning. Portage Central defeated Kalamazoo Central 5-3 and 8-2 in their first two games this season.
NOW I KNOW… www.kvcc.edu/register Watch the videos!
AC TC OD E LIZZIE R. GENERAL STUDIES
Courtesy of Portage Central Baseball
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