Vol 20 issue #6

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STAMPEDE

Volume 20 Issue 6

Portage Central High School

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April 25, 2014

Portage, Mich.

Ambassador program undergoes changes Program strengthens application process in order to seek out first-rate representatives

BY CAITLIN MATTHEWS

cmatthews@centralstampede.com

Staff Writer Transitioning from middle school to high school isn’t easy, which is why the Student Ambassador program was established two years ago. This program hopes to aid new freshmen to overcome common high school struggles and answer questions about upcoming activities, athletic events and academic issues.

The program is at the end of its second year, and has undergone many changes since it was first created.

This year, the application procedure for Student Ambassadors has changed to improve the selection process.

To ensure that the new freshmen are being helped by our school’s best representatives, sophomore and junior applicants must now attend an interview with the Student Ambassador officers. Students must also write an essay, fill out an application and acquire two teacher recommendations.

Student Ambassador Secretary Ian Epkey believes that adding the interview to the application process will be beneficial.

“I think it’s a good thing because we can get a more in-depth analysis of how each person will do as an ambassador,” Epkey said.

According to Epkey, the officers hope to find out more about their personality and their school reputation, as well as predict their connection with the upcoming freshmen.

In order to improve the future Ambassador program, officers hope to meet with the upcoming freshmen before the end of the school year. This will try to improve connections with the new freshmen.

The officers have set a goal this year to make sure all of the ambassadors have better relationships with their freshmen as the year progresses.

There are twenty-three returning ambassadors, including the five officers.

Fifty-six sophomores and juniors applied to be a student ambassador, but not all of them will be accepted.

Sophomore Danny Saba applied to be a student ambassador, hoping to help the new freshmen through their first year of high school. He is eager to answer questions and lead them in the right direction.

“Since the freshmen have this whole new experience of high school, they need a little bit more of, I guess, guidance with all the activities going on and what we do there, and just things that people wouldn’t know if they didn’t go to this school,” Saba said.

The progam is looking beyond itself, seeking to improve school involvement with the upcoming freshmen. The ambassadors are trying to use the program as a pivot in order to launch other pro-

Madison Jaqua/STAMPEDE

Making Decisions: Juniors Hunter Simino and Ian Epkey go over dozens of applications with Advisor Kent White before selecting next year’s ambassadors. The Student Ambassador program is preparing to enter its third year next September. grams foward along with itself.

“We are working with our club leaders so our ambassadors are working with our freshmen and saying ‘you need to get involved,’” Advisor Kent White said.

The Student Ambassador officers announced who became a

part of next year’s program on April 15. Forty-four students made it out of the 56 that applied. When the program was first started three years ago during the spring, there were only eight ambassadors who were dedicated to helping new students transferring into Portage Central during the school year.

What’s Inside...

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Relay for Life preview

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Movies getting worse

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Students proceed without caution Prevalence of accidents heightens in school parking lot

BY RACHEL BATES

rbates@centralstampede.com

Focus Editor

Earlier this year, senior Melanie Ulsh was rearended by another student exiting the school parking lot onto Centre Avenue; fortunately, her car wasn’t seriously damaged. She agrees that students need to pay better attention when entering and exiting the parking lot.

“Stay off your phones in the parking lot and watch where you’re going,” Ulsh said. “Students need to be more careful and pay attention to the road.”

According to the Traffic Crash Reporting System, the number of crashes in the Kalamazoo area totaled at 7,547 in 2012. While not all of these crashes involve teens, new drivers make mistakes, and these mistakes can be extremely hazardous to themselves and other drivers.

School resource officer Andrea Elhert said she had to deal with multiple car accidents in the student parking lot this school year.

“This year we have had 23 private property accidents,” Elhert said. “Pulling into parking spaces and rear-ending other vehicles are a majority of the accidents accounted for.”

Rachel Bates/STAMPEDE

mjaqua@centralstampede.com

News Editor

For as long as junior Vance Siebers can remember, he’s never been in school for his birthday, June 9. But after the amount of the snow days the district had this winter, this year might be the exception.

Right before spring break, Superintendent Mark Bielang released the schedule for the end of this year. Because the district was three snow days over the limit, some changes were necessary.

“The final decision was based on what the state law requires in order for the district to receive the full amount of state funding,” Bielang said. “I also took into account the terms of our collective bargaining agreement with our teachers which speaks to calendar-related issues.”

The year has been extended to at least Friday, June 6 for all schools from the original end date of Wednesday, June 4. But from that, the year differs for certain schools. All schools in the district minus Portage Central High School, Portage Northern High School, Portage West Middle School and

Brief

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Half day scheduled to allow for teacher development Next Friday, May 2, there will be a half day of school. Students will go to their 5th through 7th hours in the morning. Each class will have extra time added on to it. The half day is intended to allow teachers professional development time in the afternoon.

Changes affect final exam week, pushing farther into summer

Rachel Bates/STAMPEDE

Careless Driving: These staged accidents show how car crashes can happen in the school parking lot.

Private property accidents don’t involve a written police report, but they do require drivers to communicate and exchange information.

With an accident on a public road, there is always an at-fault driver, meaning at least one driver involved will receive a traffic citation.

Student drivers become easily distracted and may not be following driving laws, making them more susceptible to be in a crash, according to Elhert.

Working at the Welcome Center, Adam LaRoy tries to help students when an accident happens as best as he can.

“First thing I do is send them to Officer Elhert and she makes a report,” LaRoy said. “They’re reported a couple times a month.”

If asked, LaRoy also helps out by looking through footage from the school cameras, to pinpoint accidents in the parking lot.

“Slow down, pay attention to other drivers

and not the passengers in the car and turn off your mobile devices,” LaRoy said. “Don’t drive until you’re mature enough to do that.”

Junior Mackenzie Cannon has been involved in an accident in the student parking lot and has witnessed a few there also.

“Accidents are frequent because teenagers drive carelessly and quickly, so the whole parking lot filled with them makes accidents prevalent,” Cannon said.

22 of the 23 accidents that occurred in the student parking lot this year involved student drivers.

If you’re in an accident in the student parking lot, the best thing to do is let the front office or Officer Elhert know. They know the proper protocol, and will make sure information is exchanged and a report is written if necessary.

“Remember, driving is a privilege not a right,” LaRoy said.

End-of-year schedule changes due to snow days

BY MADISON JAQUA

April 25, 2014

Moorsbridge Elementary School will end their the high school students being required to come year on Friday, June 6 with a half day. to full days of school before taking those exams.

Moorsbridge and West Middle will have full Bielang however clarified this misconception. days on Friday and then another half day on “Think of it as inserting the make up days just Monday, June 9. These two schools are required prior to the exam days and then resuming the to have this schedule,” Bielang said. extra time beMany students find the excause of an tra day on Monday excessive, additional clobut they do recognize the imsure they had. portance of the exams.

Also, in“I know we need to take stead of taking that exam,” sophomore Emtheir last exily Quertermus said. “But I ams on Friday, think that they should have high school just added time to every day students from instead of making us go extra both Central days.” and NorthSiebers agrees with her. ern will have “I understand that there to come in on are state laws and requireMadison Jaqua/STAMPEDE Monday and ments that take precedence take the final over our wants,” Siebers said. exam. The extra time is needed because of MME “But as a selfish teenager who adores sleep, I’ll testing in March. support any decision that avoids alarm clocks on There are many rumors going around among a Monday morning.”

Exams will start on Wednesday, June 4, and run through Monday, June 9. Students will take two exams a day with their first exam starting at 7:45 a.m. and their second exam starting at 9:55 a.m. After completing both exams, students will be dismissed for the day at 11:55 a.m. On Monday, June 9, students will take their seventh hour exam from 7:45 to 9:45 and then be dismissed after that. After the seventh hour exam, there will be makeup exams.

Students get recognition for hard work at award ceremony On Tuesday, underclassmen students will be recognized for academic and community achievements. The underclassmen awards are on April 29 in the auditorium. Freshmen awards are at 8:45 a.m., sophomore awards at 9:45 a.m. and juniors at 10:45 a.m. Students will be awarded on academic achievement with the gold, silver and bronze medals. Also, students with great academic improvement will be recognized. Students will also be awarded for community service with more than 50 hours, and anticipating IB diploma candidates will be acknowledged.

Not too late to sign up for upcoming Grad Bash All seniors graduating this year are welcome to attend the 2014 Grad Bash: a fun and final party for the senior class. The location is a mystery and the cost is $75 to attend, which can be paid on the day or ahead of time. This overnight event is only for seniors graduating this year. After the graduation ceremony, students attending this final goodbye are to meet in the Commons.

From there they will be bussed to a secret location where they will enjoy their graduation night in a safe, alcohol-free environment. More information on what to bring and times will be revealed during senior breakfast or during senior week.

Senior Ride-Out tradition just a few weeks away The Senior Ride-Out to honor graduating seniors is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, May 15 at McCamley Field (weather permitting).

The school will recognize the Class of 2014’s most accomplished seniors with academic awards, cords, medallions and community service recognitions. Bring your sunscreen!

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April 25, 2014

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New policy changes the weight on exams Changes would increase the percent of students’ grades that would be affected by final exams

BY NICO SCHUEN

nschuen@centralstampede.com

Staff Writer

Amidst all the changes coming to Portage Central, a discussion of changing the exam grading policy has been in the works. At the moment, grading consists of three-sevenths weight per marking period along with a one-seventh weight for exams.

However, if these changes do take place, exams may play a bigger role in determining a student’s final grade for the semester.

According to Tim Halloran, a math teacher and major supporter of changing the policy, nothing has been set in stone about changing the exam grading policy.

A survey taken by both Portage Central and Portage Northern teachers yielded results of interest in changing exam weights.

“It looks like there’s enough support for a change,” Halloran said. “Portage Northern is also on the same page as us and agrees with the changes.”

Currently, exam weights sit at about 14 percent of a student’s overall grade for the semester.

In comparison, East Grand Rapids, Forest Hills and Okemos schools all have higher exam weights of 20 to 30 percent, which are also the schools Portage Central compares itself to, according to principal Eric Alburtus.

Since high school is the final step before college, both high schools in the district are trying to prepare its students for the next level.

In college, students normally write three to four papers, then take an exam which plays a major role concerning their grade. However, in high school, each marking period is filled with assignments which tips the balance between assignments and exams.

“We want to get people prepared for them so that they’re ready to sit for exams that have a pretty significant impact,” Alburtus said.

One of the ideas included with this discussion is requiring upperclassmen exams to have a bigger weight than lowerclassmen.

The reason for this is that juniors and seniors have had more experience with taking exams than freshmen and sophomores.

Seniors are also in their last year of high school and will be moving onto college their following year. There has been mixed responses from the student body concerning the changes with exam grading.

Junior Jed Forster agrees with the changes since it would prepare students for college more by making them take exams more seriously.

On the other hand, sophomore Natalie Liou thinks that strengthening it would cause students to stress out more due to increased pressure to

gain a high grade.

“It would be harder to concentrate for exams because there would be more pressure to get a good grade,” Liou said.

One thing students should take into account is that this is only a discussion at the moment. No one is forcing the school to accept any change in exam grading.

A committee is discussing what would be a good weight for students so it doesn’t crush them but it also plays a significant impact on their final grade.

However, if these changes are approved, they will not be happening any time soon.

According to Halloran, the earliest one can expect them is in the next few years, possibly in 2015.

“The next step is to determine the actual policy, hopefully by the end of the school year,” Halloran said.

Community comes together for Day of Kindness Businesses throughout Portage donate various items to contribute to Thursday’s event

BY DAYTON JUDAY

djuday@centralstampede.com

Staff Writer

The Day of Kindness will be on Thursday. It was first started in 2009, and has been an annual event ever since. Day of Kindness is designed to help lighten the mood of everyone by giving students and staff gifts and goodies.

The event is sponsored by the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and the Be the Change school improvement group.

There will be a huge amount of gifts and goodies being handed out ranging anywhere from cookies to stickers. The event will go all day long from the time students walk in to the time they leave at the end of the day.

The Day of Kindness is not entirely focused on the students but also on the staff. Staff will receive flowers that were donated, as well as thank you notes handwritten by students.

There is also a staff luncheon that numerous businesses and parents will be donating food. Donators will include Chicken Coop, Sweetwaters, V and V Quality Meats.

The bus drivers will be given a potted plant as a recognition of all their work. Also the kitchen and janitorial staff will be recognized for their help by having a day off of cleaning up after the messy students.

Students from the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and other groups will be cleaning up the lunch room instead.

The leader of the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, junior Ben Palmer, thinks there are many cool things taking place.

“The coolest part is the compliment corner,” Palmer said. ”It’s a lot of fun.”

The compliment corner is where a group of students will be standing in the corners of the hallways giving out compliments. The purpose of this is to help brighten and cheer people up.

Students will also receive ice cream sandwiches during lunch to make their lunches just a little sweeter. There will be music playing during the day to help brighten the school’s mood and spirit.

Leader of the Be the Change group, Cathy Laurencig, thinks it’s a day to make everyone more happy.

“Day of Kindness is intended to be a day where students and faculty do kind things for others in the school and are making everyone feel happy and welcome,” Laurencig said.

This event is said to be a day to help out everybody’s day and make them feel better. It’s just about random acts of kindness.

Day of Kindness is full of exciting and fun events, according to the advisor of the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, Mary Scott.

Sepcial

day of happiness:

This poster is displayed on Day of Kindess to remind students to spread the joy and boost each other’s self confidences. The day is meant to encourage students to be positive with each other. Clubs within the school, along with teachers and businesses in the community, have worked hard to make this year’s event better than before. Day of Kindess is on Thursday.

Senior ‘detainee’ has a wild spring break experience to share

BY AUSTIN WOLF

awolf@centralstampede.com

Staff Writer

Josh Harrison

Over spring break, senior Josh Harrison encountered a terrifying experience. Harrison lost his green card, a necessity for him to have legal residency within the United States. He also needs it to enter and leave the country, because he is a South African passport holder.

Leaving for Denmark, he encountered no issues concerning his green card. Harrison was accompanied by Chuck Shira along with five other students for an exchange trip for two weeks. During their time they went to an IB school and participated in activities with the kids in Denmark, like exploring the country and experiencing Danish culture.

However, when he tried to re-enter the United States, Harrison discovered the loss of his green card. Harrison was at the airport for about two

and a half hours. Luckily, he did not have to pay the fine of $580. Harrison said the airport security guard was kind enough not to fine him.

The woman who had checked his passport where he had kept his green card, had been looking through it for five minutes, then eventually handed it back to him. Harrison believes that h i s

ca rd fell out in the process.

He regrets not double checking his passport after

he got it back and he will do so in the future.

Harrison had a photocopy of his green card. Security just had to validate his information to make sure he did actually have a green card, so he could come back to the United States.

“There wasn’t really much I could do to get out of it, to be honest. My situation was completely in the hands of the airport officials,” Harrison said.

Harrison said h e will definitely take this as a learning experience and that he never wants to encounter this type of situation again in the future.

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April 25, 2014

ur View Student Ambassadors serve a valuable purpose at PCHS

five Emily Lancaster, 9th

Being a freshman can prove difficult for many teenagers - being in an unfamiliar place with few friends and several strangers can seem scary at first. This is why Student Ambassadors was founded two years ago at our school: to provide positive role models for freshmen to talk to if they ever encounter a problem. The program has had its faults; however, we think it has come a long way since it began.

The changes, like the interviewing process of each ambassador applicant, have been put in place for the benefit of the freshmen. We believe this is a smart addition to the program, to prevent merely any individual from joining. In order to be a role model to anyone, especially to these freshmen, you have to be skilled at interacting with people and at giving them positive guidance. We like that these interviews were face-to-face with ambassador officers because that makes it easier for the officers to conclude if the applicants were a good fit for the program.

Along with face-to-face interviews, ambassadors asked teachers about their suggestions for potential future ambassadors. Since teachers see how students interact with others during school, they were able to give helpful recommendations to the Student Ambas-

on

Dan Bowditch, 10th

sador officers and Activities Director Kent White, which we think was an effective way to improve the validity of the entire organization.

As far as the future of Student Ambassadors, we think the officers should interview next year’s sophomores (the current freshmen) about their experiences with the program this year. This way, they would gain both positive and negative feedback so that the ambassadors will know which aspects to change and which aspects to keep for following years.

We also suggest that the ambassadors find a way to bond with the freshmen in their groups. They are planning to meet with the incoming freshmen sometime during the summer, but we recommend that they meet more than once over the summer to get to know each other on a more personal level.

Also, to make this both beneficial and enjoyable for the freshmen, we suggest that the sessions incorporate team-building activities to promote a sense of unity.

We feel that the Student Ambassadors program has come a long way since its formation, and we commend them on making changes that benefit the program.

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Hailey Smith, 11th

Noah Spears, 12th

Stampede Staff

Mrs. Tucker, teacher

1. Do you think car accidents are common in the student parking lot? Why? Probably, I mean with the way some students drive...

Yikes.

Not really, but if people let cars in, took turns, and gave a courtesy wave sometimes, there would be none.

Probably! I drive in it.

If it’s not reported, did the crash actually happen?

Yes, because students do not always pay attention to what they are doing.

2. How does technology affect our generation?

I think it’s caused a lot of teenagers to become very isolated and anti-social.

Idk, follow me on Insta though.

#ItControlsUs.

I’ll answer, but first, let me take a selfie.

Some negative, some positive students are using cell phones in my classroom a lot. Some for education, sometimes not.

3. What is the ideal summer job? Why? Celebration Cinema: reduced popcorn and free showings.

Teaching little kids to play basketball, because ball is life, or being a lifeguard because you don’t do anything.

Somewhere with ice cream!

Coaching baseball.

Lifeguard - being outside in the sun and by water!

What job could be better?

4. What is the worst movie you’ve seen on Netflix?

Dark Shadows. End of story. Ping Pong Playa.

Don’t know. I generally keep up with the Kardashians.

Anything that isn’t Blue Mountain State.

No time for Netflix - I have a muffin cart to run.

It’s fierce. It stares into all of our opponents’ souls.

Is it being changed...?

Which one? There are like 17 different logos.

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.

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 Room: 2116

5. What do you think of our current Mustang logo?

It’s nice; I mean, it’s a logo.

Lauren Ammar Scott Solomon Editors-in-Chief Madison Jaqua...........................................News Editor Katie Drews.................................................View Editor Rachel Bates...............................................Focus Editor Devon Wilson...............................................Vibe Editor Jared Lutz..................................................Sports Editor Alex Block ............................................... Online Editor Hattie Foley...............................................Photo Editor Assistant Editors/Staff Writers: Katie Bates, Ethan Dunlop, Lucy Forster, Dayton Juday, Matthew Lightfoot, Dakotah Lilly, Shelby Mannes, Caitlin Matthews, Gabe Pedraza, Nico Schuen, Brian Taggett, Andrew Wolf, Austin Wolf Business Manager: Ryan McNassor Adviser: Cheryl Braford

Awesome!

The Central Stampede

Portage Central High School 8135 South Westnedge Ave. Portage, MI 49002

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April 25, 2014

Does technology help or hurt? MHSAA Social media and editor technology are the -inpower of the chief future Scott Solomon

Technology causes a constant battle of distractions

If I had a dollar for every time I heard an adult complain about how technology is “ruining” kids, I would stop writing this right now because I would be a millionaire and would no longer need to go to high school.

People continually criticize our generation because technology is “ruining” us, they fail to see the mere fact that technology is the future, and we are the generation that will be able to harness its power. As the years go on, technology has and will continue to play a big role in our lives.

Whether it is social media, e-mail, or using simple Microsoft Office products, we have the expertise in all these fields.

It is nearly impossible to find a job where you don’t use e-mail nowadays; the majority of people in our generation have been using e-mail since they were 10 years old.

While many adults struggle to learn simple technological skills, we simply grew up on them.

Many members of our generation will be able to find a job after college because they are computer savvy. A business would much rather hire a prospective employee who knows how to use computers well, opposed to an adult who is far less competent with technology.

Not only will we have an advantage with basic technological functions in the workplace, but we also will have the means to harness the great power we call social media. It is ignorant to dismiss social media as something kids just waste time on.

While many kids nowadays do simply waste time on social media, it also has vast amounts of powerful, positive potential.

The entire Arab Spring, which was initiated by the 2011 revolution in Egypt, was triggered by a political movement on Facebook. Oppressed citizens were able to use Facebook to unite for the greater good of their country. This shows the immense potential power in social media. Without social media, the 2011 Egyptian Revolution may never have occurred. Even in American politics, social media trends play a huge role. Online petitions are becoming more and more common, and the White House even responds to some of these online petitions.

While we may not have a need to overthrow our government, this just shows the pure power of social media.

With the obvious influence of social media, and since our generation has the means and the know-how to harness this power, this will only be yet another advantage our generation sees from technological development.

Even some teachers are starting to use social media to communicate with their students. Although this may seem superfluous, it is extremely helpful to students, and just shows technology like social media are the way of the future.

By simply harnessing the very knowledge and even pastimes we were raised on, our generation will be extremely powerful and successful and should not be overlooked for being too “plugged-in.”

Looking to the future has always been our country’s priority; looking to the next idea, new technology, or the latest solution to a problem. The future has become focused and our faith has been put into cell phones, laptops, tablets, and social media. Granted, this evolution of technology has had massive benefits; people are able to connect, ideas are spread at the touch of a button, and aspects of daily life have become simplified. But it makes me wonder how simplified our country is willing to become before we realize how many negative effects the technological revolution and advancement of social media have on the people, and especially the teens, of this country.

In a classroom it is a constant battle for teachers trying to compete with the temptation students have with phones present, with alerts from Twitter and Instagram. Teachers in some cases simply babysit at certain points of the day and phones become the distraction to keep children quiet.

I say children, because this is what phones truly make us out to be: ignorant and distracted children who must have a “toy” to distract from the hard or uncomfortable aspects of life and from things we do not wish to do.

Students don’t understand the harm of distraction at this point in their lives. Looking to your phone for answers to everything or as an escape from an uncomfortable situation will not always suffice.

People argue the opportunities technology offers us in classrooms.

Then why do we have teachers in the first place? A teacher is meant to do

best times of your life, or it can be one of the worst times of your life.

From your class load to social life, school can be very stressful. Once you find your close-knit group of friends, it becomes much easier. You love spending time with them and enjoying football games and dances together.

When you finally reach the top of the food chain, I’m sure it feels amazing. Being a freshman, I can only dream.

When I’m a senior I want to enjoy every perk of being at the top. To me that would include a dance exclusively for my grade. I would have all my friends there. It would be like having your last big event before graduating.

I know there are lots of opportunities for students to get involved their senior year, but having a big event like prom would be the biggest of them all.

For now, my opinion stands firm;

I want an all senior prom. As high school goes on, my opinion may change. I could make friends who are younger than me and when prom rolls around I might be stoked to have them there with me.

I don’t feel as if many juniors will agree with me on this, but I can hope.

I just feel like spending one last night with your graduating class would be a very special thing that you would remember for the rest of your life. Disclaimer: Prom is for juniors AND seniors. This is a mock poster.

ssolomon@centralstampede.com

photo editor

H at t i e F o l e y

hfoley@centralstampede.com simply that: teach. There is something to human interaction and understanding that technology cannot replace.

What will happen when people are not able to communicate effectively because they have been raised to communicate through screens their entire lives? What will happen when they have used cell phones as distractions, ways to cheat through high school, and aim to go into positions of power?

These are the people who post ridiculous, inappropriate, or drunken “selfies” and videos of themselves online, not understanding the gravity of the outcome if someone in their life or a future employer were to come across them.

Social media and technology has hurt my generation more than it has helped.

I worry when I look around the halls of what exactly occupies students’ minds all day as they are glued to their phones. All I hear is gossip and the latest thing on Twitter or Instagram. My generation has forgotten what it’s like to go outside, to read (and enjoy) a book. We have forgotten what true human interaction is.

Yes, social media and technology can overthrow corrupted leaders worldwide and connect people globally in ways we have never experienced.

These and many other benefits have been a positive outcome of technology and social media.

However, on a human and emotional level, I fear for when my generation has power placed in their hands and are told to run the show. We will not be ready.

Prom is a senior’s rite of passage staff writer Lucy Forster

lforster@centralstampede.com Prom is a privilege of becoming older, crossing into being an upperclassman. While everyone loves school dances, prom should be just for seniors. Seniors have worked hard their four years of high school and deserve to have one night of their own.

I know that many juniors and seniors are close friends, and the combined prom is no big deal for them. High school can be one of the

should treat all sports equally

sports editor

Jared Lutz

jlutz@centralstampede.com The Michigan High School Athletic Association must set guidelines in order to keep athletes safe in season. Although, there is a fine line between safe and unnecessary caution.

Football is undoubtedly the toughest sport available for high school athletes, although football teams are only eligible for one game a week, which is an unnecessary precautionary measure, especially in comparison to other contact sports.

Hockey is allowed 35 regular season games according to MHSAA and three games a week, where football is only allowed nine regular season games. So, according to MHSAA, football is about four times as physical as hockey. Granted, football is the highest injury-provoking sport that can be played in high school, and high school football also accounts for more recorded injuries than college football, particularly concussions, but are these strict parameters really necessary?

I understand the safety concerns regarding football and the recovery time needed to keep athletes healthy, but why is there such an emphasis on football? Lacrosse, hockey and even soccer, yes soccer, are injury-prone sports as well.

Lacrosse is also allowed 35 games a season as well, so according to MHSAA, 100 miles an hour shots being fired at a goalie, with nothing but a helmet and chest pad on, is also four times less physical than football.

I know there is common misconception regarding the physicality of soccer. No, I don't consider soccer a contact sport, but according to Boston University's study regarding concussions in high school sports, men's soccer finished a close second to the number of annual registered concussions, right behind football.

The restrictions on how many games are allowed per season and per week are too strict for football. Players train for months on end, attend two-a-day practices throughout the summer, all to play merely nine regular season games.

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April 25, 2014

Sharing the school Students and their staff-member parents work together at PC

BY AUSTIN WOLF

Staff Writer

Most high school students say goodbye to their parents before they leave for school each day, but some students are fortunate enough to go to school where their parents work.

There are some benefits of having your mom or dad work at school. For example, junior Ryan Shore will stop by and get cookies from his mother, Joanie Shore, who works in the counseling office. Sophomore Austin Laurencig, son of Biology teacher Catherine Laurencig, likes the fact that he can access information easily from his mom.

Not only is Austin Laurencig a student where his mother works, he also has the privilege of being a student in his mom’s Forensic Science class. Mrs. Laurencig said they sometimes get in little arguments because he likes to joke around.

“It has its ups and downs. It can be pretty embarrassing at times, but other than that it’s a pretty fun class,” said Austin Laurencig.

Mrs. Laurencig purposely came to Portage Central, instead of moving to the Northern District, so she could teach at the same school as her two sons. She thinks it is a good idea because she can look out for them, and help them stay out of trouble.

Despite the benefits of having a parent at school, there also are some disadvantages. Most teenagers don’t want to share their school and social time with their parents. Sophomore Leah Alburtus, who has the distinction of having both parents working at the school, does not like it when other students ask her what it’s like to have her parents work in the same building. Leah’s father is Principal Eric Alburtus, and her mother is an English teacher, Ann Alburtus.

Leah and her senior brother Ben Alburtus, who have been around the high school ever since they were young, both feel comfortable around all the teachers.

promotes going green

BY SHELBY MANNES AND LAUREN AMMAR Staff Writer and Editor-in-Chief

Austin Wolf/STAMPEDE

Like Mother, Like Son: Mother Catherine Laurencig enjoys teaching in the same school as her son Austin.

“It’s convenient; when we’re off of school, they’re off of school.

We have all of the same holidays and we drive together, so we save on gas,” Laurencig said. “If there are issues with teachers I can communicate with them, or if they forget something, I’m right here or if he forgets money, he’ll come up and ask.”

Ryan Shore summed up his feeling best by saying, “She knows too much.”

Summer employment concerns

BY ANDREW WOLF AND GABRIEL PEDRAZA Staff Writers

“It was pretty easy to get the job,” Schniedenbach said. “But nowadays it’s a little bit harder.”

Job positions normally reserved for kids are being filled by adults. This summer, students might have to look to an increasAs the bitter winter and spring wind down and school comes to ingly difficult job market and compete for a single job opening. an end, many high schoolers will be looking for summer employJobs that require a little bit more training can set an applicant ment, but they may find an unpleasant surprise. ahead of the rest and can expedite the hiring process. Some of When being asked if they were seeking employment this sumthese jobs include lifeguarding, and other specialized job fields. mer, some students said they gave up after trying to apply to too Sophomore Alex Beckman was recently hired as a lifeguard, many places. Stores in the mall such as Holbut understands the difficulty of getting a job. lister, Aeropostale, and Teavana, normally “The certification process was quite diffidon’t hire kids under 18 years old. cult, but when the employers knew I had it, it With some people however, finding really sold the deal,” Beckman said. means of summer employment is no laughNow Beckman is a part of the staff at the ing matter. Some teens work at dead-end local Portage YMCA, and is one of the lucky jobs that only make them unhappy, just for few to be accepted in the waves of applicasome quick summer cash. tions.

Corn detasseling is always a popular opBut the future is not that dark for teens, tion for teens during the summer. Due to as Michigan is just coming out of a job recesits huge paydays, it certainly pays off in the sion. According to Michigan Radio, the teen long run. Depending on your age and how unemployment rate has dropped from 35% much you detassel, you could end up with -25%; there is now a steadying increase for upwards of hundreds of dollars at the end teen jobs. of the season. Detasseling comes at a price Gabriel Pedraza/STAMPEDE Sophomore Nikki Mason is one of the though; working long hard hours in the many high schoolers who have just starting horrid summer heat can be very harmful to Local Lifeguard: Sophomore Alex Beckman looking for jobs. some people. “ I have applied to four jobs and have not Michigan’s teen unemployment rate is overcame the rigorous application process been hired yet, but it’s hard just turning 16,” more than double the state’s overall jobless to become a certified YMCA lifeguard.

Mason said. rate.

It is hard for kids just starting off looking According to Michigan Radio, a quarter of teens who are lookfor jobs, but according to state economic analyst Bruce Weaver, ing for a job this summer can’t get one. teens looking for a summer job should be looking now, because One of the few kids who already have jobs and will be working many of those jobs could be filled by Labor Day. this summer is junior John Schniedenbach, who has been employed Some information in this article was obtained from a study 1.5 years as a bagger at Hardings, a local grocery store. conducted by Northeastern University.

In celebration of Earth Day, the annual Green-a-Thon festival is an event that raises environmental awareness and enlightens the Portage community of the many ways to go green. The event promotes sustainable and eco-friendly practices and features local exhibitors and entertainment.

The sixth annual Green-a-Thon will take place tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Celery Flats and is hosted by the Youth Advisory Committee. YAC is a committee of about 30 local high school students who organize events such as the Snow Party at Oakland Park, Teen Movie Night at Celery Flats during the summer and the Green-a-Thon, their biggest event of the year, in the spring. YAC also corresponds with City Council and offers a youth perspective on issues regarding the city and community.

Deputy City Clerk and YAC advisor Adam Herringa said about 675 people attended the Green-a-Thon last year, and he hopes the turnout this year will be higher. There will be up to 30 different vendors, including ChocolaTea, Kalamazoo Metro Transit, the Portage District Library, the Portage Park Board and our Gardening Club, to help inform citizens and provide opportunities to become more ecologically friendly.

“

We want to convert people to a greener lifestyle.

Senior Jill Syrotchen YAC Member

“

awolf@centralstampede.com

Senior Jill Syrotchen, a member of the YAC, Gardening Club and Environmental Club, hopes the Green-a-Thon will change the way people treat themselves and the planet.

“We want to convert people to a greener lifestyle,” Syrotchen said.

Live music is a new component to the event, and the committee hopes to attract more people with the entertainment. There will also be exhibits, games and a giveaway of tree seedlings such as white pine and eastern redbud.

“One of the most attractive aspects of the event is the seedling giveaway, with over 30 trees being handed out to event attendees annually,” Herringa said.

Last year’s event, with the largest turnout so far, was a success partly due to the weather cooperating. In the past, rainy, cold weather conditions resulted in lower turnouts, but according to Herringa, last year was a “beautiful spring day.”

“The event last year was the most successful yet,” Herringa said. “We had some new exhibitors that provided interactive exhibits. For example, Kalamazoo Metro Transit brought a hybrid bus and the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society brought solar telescopes.”

Similar exhibits, as well as some new ones, are planned for this year’s event. Since the weather has been so unpredictable this year, there are concerns. Despite the concerns, the YAC has high expectations for the event, and the committee hopes to reach their goal of raising awareness of environmental issues that affect the citizens of Portage while also inspiring citizens to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

focus

April 25, 2014

Portage parks: from paths to plants

7

Local parks offer numerous outdoor opportunities along with beautiful views

With some of the best city parks in the state, Portage is full of pure nature in the form of forests, lakes, hills, streams, bogs and native plant and animal species. As the weather gets warmer and the flowers bloom, people throughout the community visit local parks to enjoy the fresh air and natural beauty of the earth. Whether you like to hike through a forest, run on a trail, or kayak on a lake or creek, there are plenty of opportunities in Portage to enjoy the fresh air. There are a total of 17 parks in Portage; here is a sample of a few worth exploring.

Schrier Park - A serene, stunning forest, Schrier Park is the perfect

place to go for a hike, run, or just to clear your mind. In the summer, abundant green leaves and plant life welcomes visitors. In the fall, gold and red trees create a dazzling display. In the winter, frost-covered trees provide a lovely view while snowshoeing. In the spring, flowers and birds bring the forest back to life. A number of events are hosted in Schrier Park, from the Apple Festival to the Haunted Forest. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, these events have been temporarily terminated, but there is always the possibility that they will return. In the mean time, appreciate Schrier Park for what it is: the beautiful woods of an Lauren Ammar/STAMPEDE ancient Michigan.

Portage Creek Bicentennial Park - The most widely used

of all of the Portage parks, Portage Creek Bicentennial Park (with the popular Bicentennial trail, which stretches from Celery Flats to Kilgore road) spans over 200 acres with eight miles of hiking and biking trails. All throughout the park are scenic views of the Portage Creek. The Bicentennial trail is very popular for running and biking, and students take advantage of the well-maintained trail for outdoor workouts year-round. “I like the trail because it is flat and shady, and when I run there in the winter, the wind is Courtesy of Eye on Michigan blocked from the trees,” freshman Jonathan Koning said. “It’s nice and calm without any traffic or cars, and there are a lot of other nice and friendly people there.” Nearby at the trailhead is Celery Flats, the city’s epicenter for events, hosting events ranging from Recycled Art in the Park to the Green-a-Thon Earth Day festival.

Eliason Nature Preserve - With 123 acres of untouched

land, Eliason Nature Preserve is the newest of the Portage parks, the land having just been donated. A grant for a new trail has just been approved, and the new trail, extending from Osterhout Avenue to Industrial Park Drive (off of West Melody Avenue), will be coming next year. The park is a combination of forest-covered uplands along with wetlands, and it is currently open on a limited basis, with a partially paved trail and unpaved footpath a couple of miles long to be enjoyed while the new trail is being built. Eliason Nature Preserve is full of wildlife, from large animals like whitetailed deer to several species of native birds. Eliason Nature Preserve offers the perfect opportunity to catch a wildlife sighting or a glimpse of one of numerous wildflower meadows, and it is also perfect for just strolling among the tree-covered hills.

West Lake Nature Preserve

- A 110-acre wetland

bog with 1,400 feet of frontage along West Lake, this beautiful and fragile ecosystem also includes a shaded lowland forest and excellent views of West Lake. “I love West Lake Nature Preserve,” senior Layla Marvin said. “I went blueberry picking there in the summer, and since you can go out near the water, it’s really serene. In the bog facing Westnedge, you get the prettiest panoramic view. The nature in its woods is plenty, and the leaves on the trees are groovy.”

West Lake Nature Preserve conLauren Ammar/STAMPEDE nects to Bishop’s Bog, the largest remaining bog of this type found in Michigan’s lower peninsula. The unspoiled landscape of the preserve is lovely to behold, perfect for finding peace of mind and tranquility while admiring the unique ecosystem.

Lauren Ammar/STAMPEDE

Ramona Park - With a picturesque beach on Long

Lake, grassy fields and a fun playground, Ramona Park is a great place to visit, especially in the summertime. Equipped with tennis courts, basketball courts, ballfields, soccer fields, volleyball courts, picnic tables and three pavilions, there Lucy Forster/STAMPEDE is no shortage of things to do at Ramona Park. Fishing and kayaking on the lake are also available. The sandy beach and sparkling lake, sound of laughter and fresh breeze rustling through the grass and trees make Ramona Park a lovely place to spend time at.

BY LAUREN AMMAR

Portage comes together to fight cancer McCamley Field hosts a 24-hour Relay For Life to support victims of cancer

BY KATIE DREWS

kdrews@centralstampede.com

View Editor

To take a stand against cancer, to work toward a cure so that no human being will ever be stripped of another birthday again, to make a stride towards a cancer-free world - this is the mission of the the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay For Life.

After volunteers from Relay For Life visited multiple IB Theory of Knowledge classes, some students felt very moved by the presentation and were curious about how they could take it to the next level. Senior LiAnne Jenson has taken the initiative to involve PC in the action.

“Relay For Life is walking for cancer to raise money for awareness and research to help support cancer victims,” Jenson said. “This year at Portage Central it’s on May 31 to June 1 for 24 hours to symbolize that cancer is 24/7.”

Jenson encourages all students at PC and anyone in the city of Portage to participate for this

good cause. Any survivors of cancer or supporters of cancer research are welcome to take part in the relay. Since the event takes place from 10 a.m. on May 31 to 10 a.m. on June 1, the walk is divided into three portions to devote to different people affected by cancer.

The first lap around the track is the Survivors Lap, where cancer survivors celebrate their victory over the disease while being cheered on by supporters who line the sides of the track. During the night, the Luminaria Ceremony takes place; this is where candles are lit inside of white paper bags and placed around the track to honor those who have been lost to cancer,

those who have fought it and those whose fight continues today. These glowing monuments can be decorated in any way, serving as memorials or an act of honor to those whom you support.

The last portion of the walk is the “Fight Back Ceremony,” where participants are encouraged to take the next step. Whether it be simply supporting a cancer victim or making donations to the cause on a regular basis, Relay For Life makes it clear that everyone can do something to help out.

According to event advisor Chuck Schira, he is moved to take part in the cause because students at PC have been involved for

years and many students and staff have had their lives affected by cancer over the years. Besides Jenson, other students like Megan Hayward have decided to engage in the event. Hayward has put together her own team and is looking forward to supporting the cause.

“It’s just a good cause,” Hayward said. “It’s not personal to me, but I have known a few people with cancer.”

According to Jenson, in order to sign up with a team, go to www.relayforlife.org and search for relays in your area. Click the relay located in Portage, across from PCHS, held at McCamley Field.

“I don’t think [there’s a deadline], but it would be beneficial to sign up sooner than later,” Jenson said.

So far, 48 teams have signed up to participate in Relay For Life at McCamley Field, and altogether nearly $18,000 has been raised. Jenson looks forward to the event, hoping to reach the original goal of 58 registered teams, all working together to fund cancer research, in hopes of finding a cure one day.

8

vibe Have you

herd?

Reviews from the central stampede

April 25, 2014

With new app, read any book in under a day

BY DAKOTAH LILLY

Mystical romance takes a new turn

dlilly@centralstampede.com

Braden is a teenage boy struggling to find his place in the world, typical, except that he has a remarkably rare gift known as witch eyes. These are multi-colored eyes that allow him to see the world through the veil that masks the truth from humans and most witches. Braden’s witch eyes show him memories left from the past, spells, and traces of darkness that leave marks on certain places and people. When Braden believes he has seen a vision of eminent danger, he leaves to protect his uncle, and travels to the mysterious town of Belle Dam. Shortly after arriving, Braden learns that Belle Dam is divided between two feuding powerful witch families. With his sudden arrival viewed suspiciously by the heads of the two rival families, Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe, Braden’s extraordinary powers have put his life at risk. With his feelings for a boy named Trey growing stronger and everyone pushing him to pick sides in a feud he wants no part in, Braden feels more and more trapped. Especially when he discovers that Trey is the son of a potential enemy, and that it might be his destiny to kill him. It’s up to Braden to discover the truth behind Belle Dam, and to determine who the real enemies are before he loses everyone he loves. Scott Tracey's novel Witch Eyes puts a refreshing new spin on a plot line involving wolves, witches, and all things supernatural. The book came out around the time of the teen werewolf and vampire craze, where it was sidelined and nearly forgotten about. However, its excellent reviews and intriguing storyline allowed the book’s popularity to make a comeback in recent years.

-Reviewed by Katie Bates

kbates@centralstampede.com

Todd Terje brings disco back from the dead Norwegian DJ and producer Todd Terje released his debut album entitled “It’s Album Time,” and the result is an hour of fantastic electronic disco. Although disco was said to have died out years ago, Terje is living proof that it can still survive. The album cover is a retro-style drawing of a man and his keyboard and it gives perfect insight into what to expect from the album.

Everything on the album sounds and feels like it belongs in a futuristic sci-fi film made in the ‘80s. While “groovy” may be a cliche term to describe a disco album, there is just no way around it. The bass grooves are funky in a way that makes it impossible to listen to without slight toe tapping and an overwhelming urge to dance. On top of those are layers of synthesizers and drum machines that would make any electronic music aficionado smile. While disco was never a diverse genre, “It’s Album Time” does a phenomenal job of mixing up the music. With bossa novas and synth pop ballads, the album is much more than the term “disco” defines. With Terje’s debut album being a pleasant surprise, the DJ’s unrelenting love and talent in a genre that was deemed dead years ago is a promising hint at the endless possibilities of music in the present and future.

Staff Writer

It’s been theorized that a society will move as fast as it can communicate via technology, however the most popular form of communication is through text. The problem with that, is that most people can only read at around 200 words per minute (WPM). Spritzing plans to change all that, and bring us up to anywhere from 400-1,000 WPM. When you read any kind of text, like this article for example, your eyes move to a specific part of a word called the “Optimal Recognition Point” or ORP, then start to process what the word is. Spritzing removes that part of the equation by having each word’s ORP be in the same spot, while the words go by on your screen. All the reader has to do is focus on the red letter in the middle, and they can both read and comprehend at blazing speeds.

Using this method, many people have seen vast increases in reading speed for Spritzed content, including 600 WPM, to over 1,000. At those speeds, you would have read this entire article in around a minute. The group behind Spritz is hoping to have its method adopted and widespread as fast as possible, bringing in a new era of news.

The group behind Spritz has developed tools to help developers create apps and websites that support Spritzing, including APIs for iOS and Android, as well as Javascript. There’s also a somewhat clunky, but usable Javascript bookmark applet that you can use to Spritz through content on the internet, called OpenSpritz.

While it has some kinks, like not splitting syllables properly, and usually requiring you to highlight the content you want to, Spritz still works for those who want to use it now and burn through articles and novels in mere minutes and hours as opposed to days.

Part of the goal of Spritz is to facilitate extremely fast communication and media consumption, as well as have 15% of all text content be consumed in this fashion. Not only is it extremely

possible that this may happen, but it would mean that articles and novels could be consumed in a manageable fashion for every person. Even reading the Bible could be done in less than 24 hours at around 650 WPM, something that’s easily achievable for anyone who’s tried Spritz.

While Spritz is still in debatably early stages, the implications are exciting: the idea that you no longer have to devote weeks of your time to simply moving your eyes back and forth. That you can burn through your backlog of books in less than a quarter of the time it would take otherwise.

Considering the massive benefits of being able to read at that speed, it’s not hard to see Spritzing catching on like wildfire.

However, Spritz has a competitor in the reading app market: Velocity. An iOS exclusive that aims to do the same thing Spritz is attempting, to buff the nation’s reading speed to absurd amounts above 200. Including the amounts that Spritz has been achieving, like 600 and 1,000 WPM. However, Velocity has a pretty big pitfall holding it back: it costs money to download. Compare that to Spritz, which is free, and it’s no surprise Spritz is leading the race. That being said, Spritz definitely has its own issue, as it doesn’t have any sort of full-application implementation yet.

Just a java applet that you can bookmark, and it’s currently buggy. All the rest of the differences between the two, namely in terms of visual design and platform choice, is up to personal preference more than anything.

Bottom line is, if you’re looking into ways to read faster, there are some choices out there that’ll get you to ridiculous levels, and they’re hoping to be fully integrated into a massive amount of textbased content.

-Reviewed by Devon Wilson dwilson@centralstampede.com

Be sure to check in at The Grand Budapest Hotel

-Reviewed by Devon Wilson

dwilson@centralstampede.com

Parents of 2014 Seniors!

Honor your graduate with a senior ad in the

STAMPEDE

central

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is the name of acclaimed director Wes Anderson’s newest masterpiece. The movie is Anderson’s most adventurous and large-scale film yet, following the exciting, and sometimes ridiculous, shenanigans of a lobby boy and his manager/personal tutor.

The film seems less serious than some of Anderson’s previous work and feels more like an imaginative story he created when he was young. The tale is large and clearly fictional, giving it a fun and light feel. Compared to his older work, such as “Rushmore,” Anderson finally has his ideal budget, allowing him to make the same stunning and original movies the way he has always wanted them, with all of the small details that add complex beauty. As expected, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is filled with perfectly symmetrical shots, absolutely gorgeous cinematography, and, of course, color coordinated rooms, costumes and everything in between.

Taking place in a gorgeous fictional hotel and the snowy mountains of the European alpines in the 1930’s, this proves to be one of the most visually appealing movies to come out in quite awhile. The acting is nearly flawless and the cast features just about everyone who has ever starred in one of Anderson’s film at one point or another, from Bill Murray to Jason Schwartzman. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is one of the most entertaining and beautiful movies to come out this year and is sure to please nearly anyone who sees it.

email cbraford@portageps.org for info

Rachel...

We are so proud of you!

GO BRONCOS!

Love, Mom, Dad, Katie, and Marlana

vibe

April 25, 2014

Number of bad fi lms on Netfl ix increases

9

vibe editor Devon Wilson dwilson@centralstampede.com Netflix has become one of the most widely popular sources of modern entertainment and has, in some cases, started to replace traditional cable television. With hundreds of movies and TV shows available to stream with no commercials for only $7.99, Netflix may seem like the smartest choice for watching TV and movies.

However, sometimes it is very important to remember quality over quantity. While it is true that Netflix has an enormous number of movies and TV shows available, the ratio of bad to good movies is practically 10 to one.

Anyone who has used Netflix Instant can more than likely attest to how easy it is to waste hours of your time browsing through the collection of movies looking for something worth watching.

Each genre or category has a huge range of selections to choose from, but the majority of these choices are random picks no one has heard of.

However, it is not the fact that no one has heard of these movies that makes them bad. The majority of them are low-budget sequels that never should have happened or sometimes just truly terrible ideas that someone spent money making.

The acting is subpar at best, and the filming techniques are usually not far from the average homemade videos found crammed in an attic corner to be forgotten.

Where Netflix manages to find these films is truly a mystery. I’m curious about those who purchased the rights to films like “Frogs,” the 1970s horror movie about killer frogs seeking their revenge, or “Hansel & Gretel Get Baked,”

which is exactly what the title implies (is the more likely answer that someone in Netflix happened to stumble upon these gems while searching for movies which ownership rights cost the absolute lowest amount of money?) Regardless, someone made the decision to throw whatever movies they could find on Netflix and call it good.

The executives at Netflix use the logic that one or two decent movies every once in a while

makes up for the dozens of bad movies on Netflix. But they also ensure finding those few decent movies is as hard as possible. By separating everything into categories mixed with significantly more obscure and bad movies than good, they are able to ensure everyone has to spend as much time as possible scrolling through the endless list of worthless films for the great one that could be at the end of the list, but probably isn’t.

The reality TV craze

Tweeting new tunes

BY LUCY FORSTER

BY DEVON WILSON

lforster@centralstampede.com

Staff Writer

From housewives to duck hunters, reality television seems to be taking over. With TV networks dedicated to reality shows, the question remains: why do people love it so much?

“Every episode is different and interesting,” freshman Zach Franks said.

“They’re (reality TV stars) ridiculous,” sophomore Kelly Imanse said.

“Nobody acts like that.”

The question has been answered. Reality stars are crazy. No matter how hard people try, no one will amount to the selfish, spoiled attitude of a Kardashian, or the be able to live the valley girl lifestyle of Whitney Port.

“This is going to be bad,” Imanse said about listing her favorite reality shows. “I watch reruns of The Hills, that’s how much I love reality TV.” Reality TV does not just reach out to one culture.

Spin-offs of shows such as American Idol, The Voice, and Jersey Shore are created around the world.

“I watch Arab Idol and the Arabic version of

The Voice,” freshman Hibba Shammas said.

Reality TV is a world phenomenon. Yet, there is still doubt as to if reality TV is actually reality.

While some people completely believe the shenanigans, others have yet to give into the facade.

“The shows and people are fake,” Imanse said.

“I still love it though.”

Besides the possible scripting and somewhat unrealistic scenarios, one thing is still for sure the Kardashians are reality royalty.

“Oh yeah, I love the Kardashians,” Franks said.

From their stupidity, lack of doing anything to be actually famous, and showing off their money, everyone finds something to love about the over-hyped family.

Scripting is a huge possibility within reality TV, but that doesn’t mean that people will ever stop watching. Reality shows are able to change and evolve.

By adding new cast members to spice up the drama, or by completely switching out the cast to give the show a new spin, reality TV will always be popular.

dwilson@centralstampede.com

Vibe Editor

For many years, social media has been a major aspect of the way news and information travels.

It has also made sharing and discovering music significantly easier than it used to be.

From posting a cover of a song on Facebook for your close friends and relatives to hear, to reblogging someone else’s original music on Tumblr, social media has been there to help any and all musicians get their work out there and heard.

After growing up surrounded by technology, it now seems practically impossible to do anything without it. It has forever changed our world and will only change further and continue making our lives easier. Even websites like Twitter have played major roles in world events. Social media websites have also become a major output for aspiring musicians and have impacted the lives of musicians forever.

Musicians have been constantly struggling to share their music with the world and be heard.

While it may be apparent that technology has revolutionized the world, music included, social media itself does not get enough credit for the massive impact it has made. Sharing everything has become as simple as clicking a button. This applies to the endless hours and hard work put into music. Musicians have finally found an efficient way to put out the new music they have worked so hard on.

Additionally, social media provides an easy

way to interact with fans and people worldwide.

This simple form of interaction takes little to no effort, but is a simple way to build up a fan base and provide fans with a feeling of personal connection to the band, which tends to add to a fan’s appreciation and connection to an artist and their work. It also provides a way to get out statements and information that need to be publically shared, such as tour updates or information regarding the progress they are making in terms of new and upcoming releases in music.

Finding what makes you and your music different and interesting is the key in this day and age, where hundreds of thousands of songs of all types of genres are constantly being written and eventually released. With social media, it becomes easier to find a distinct voice that will help you stand out from the crowd.

With advances in music and technology happening constantly, it becomes easy to find yourself lost with no ideas of where to head, but thanks to social media, musicians will always have somewhere to try and start.

10

sports

April 25, 2014

Students take advantage of travel ball PEDs enhance Various players spend the off-season building hoops skills

BY MATT LIGHTFOOT

staff writer

mlightfoot@centralstampede.com

Staff Writer

Some students enjoy playing baseball come spring time; other students enjoy doing track and field, but for sophomore Dan Bowditch, junior Marcus Moore and senior Rodney Turner, it’s basketball all year-round. These athletes participate in both high school basketball and travel basketball during their high school off-season.

Whether they are playing in front of the Portage Central fans or in front of college coaches from all over the Midwest, they enjoy shooting hoops and playing against much higher talent.

For as much fun as playing travel basketball is, the commitment level is very high. Bowditch, a guard for Mishawaka Basketball Association (MBA), practices twice a week in Mishawaka, Indiana, which is an hour drive from Portage.

The sophomore spends about 10 hours on travel basketball every week.

According to Turner, travel basketball offers players great exposure and helps them tremendously by getting their names out to college scouts and allowing them to be invited to participate in exposure camps such as Elite 80. Also, after a scout watches a player in travel basketball, they usually attend some of their high school games for further recruitment.

Turner enjoys playing travel because the competition is much better, he is able to play against the best players at every tournament and it opens up his recruiting option more than high school does.

Bowditch agrees about the higher prevalence of recruiting in American Athletic Union (AAU) travel basketball.

“AAU in my opinion probably recruits better than high school ball, because more talent is in AAU,” Bowditch said. “Kids that like basketball and really pursue basketball as opposed to kids who just play for fun for the school.”

Moore, who plays for the southwest Michigan based Elite Skills, also agrees.

“A lot of coaches get the opportunity to watch you play at the tournaments, so it definitely

B r i a n T a g g e tt

btaggett@centralstampede.com

Hattie Foley/STAMPEDE

Time

to Hoop: Senior Rodney Turner, junior Marcus Moore and sophomore Dan Bowditch put on their game faces for the upcoming AAU basketball season.

exposes you more than high school ball,” Moore said.

Although all three enjoy playing the whole year with help from travel basketball, they also enjoy playing for the high school team because of the great bond they create with their teammates that is unattainable through travel basketball.

“Through school ball, you can make a really good bond with the guys that are here because you see them at school and at basketball,” Bowditch said.

Although these three play on fairly local teams, travel tournaments are played all over the Midwest, ranging from Chicago to Indianapo-

reGiSter

now. www.kvcc.edu/register

ac tc od e Bryce w. General StudieS

the game

lis and even Louisville, KY. During the travel basketball season, the teams play tournaments every weekend, starting on Saturday and going until Sunday evening, depending on their team’s success.

Bowditch’s team has been invited to play at a national tournament in Orlando, FL, but due to some predicaments his team plans to attend smaller tournaments that are closer in proximity.

Travel basketball may open up recruiting and expose players more, but in the end, these guys play travel because it’s a way to be able to play all year, it helps them greatly improve their game and they quite simply love the game.

Baseball is a dying sport. The popularity of America’s pastime has been replaced by widespread enthusiasm for fast-paced sports like football, hockey and basketball. But why blame the naysayers of the nine inning game?

Three hours of a game that may end in 1-0 score? No thank you. Widely anticipated games?

Those are now match-ups between star pitchers like Justin Verlander and David Price that end with a handful of players succeeding in reaching the first base 90-feet away from home plate.

Baseball’s last popularity spike occurred about a decade and a half ago. Why? Drugs.

It is not that big of a deal. Popeye used spinach, the Looney Tunes juiced up on “Michael’s Special Stuff” during halftime in Space Jam, so why can’t David Ortiz use human-growth-hormones to gain an advantage?

Fans love watching players pumped with artificial testosterone jack homeruns over 400 feet, but since these drugs were eliminated, baseball has evolved into a sport that receives minimal attention. If anything, performanceenhancing drugs should be forced into player’s bloodsteams.

Yes, there are health repercussions and damage to the integrity of the sport, but how sweet is a home run that is launched off the bat at over 120 mph? Ticket sales, television deals and overall revenue would all increase. Mundane games, fines and suspensions would all decrease.

Baseball players that could be mistaken for pro-wrestlers would improve America’s pastime an unfathomable amount. Besides, how else could the Chicago Cubs win the World Series?

sports

April 25, 2014

11

Mustang logo evolution since 1922

BY JARED LUTZ

jlutz@centralstampede.com

Sports Editor

The crisp, clean Mustang logo that has come to symbolize Portage Central has been decades in the making.

Portage Agricultural High School was established in 1922 without a mascot. The first mascot came around the early 1950s, according to swim coach Jim Schafer.

“No one knows when we became the Mustangs,” Schafer said.

Principal Eric Alburtus said, “Clearly one of our colors was established by then, blue, but we were not the Mustangs yet.” Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the only distinction about Portage Central was the color blue. The best working theory for when Portage became the Mustangs was in the early 1950s. In the 1950s, a new superintendent was hired, who proposed the idea of a school mascot for Portage high school.

A majority of the teachers teaching at Portage High school were in training, to eventually move on to teach at Western Michigan University, so Portage High School had strong ties with WMU. In the 1930s WMU changed their mascot to the Bronco and with Portage’s strong ties to WMU, Portage then became the Mustangs by popular vote, according to Schafer.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, there was

a Wild West vibe to the Mustang, with cowboys and wagons scattered throughout the school halls and yearbooks. Later, in the 1970s, the Wild West theme began to deteriorate and evolved into a more powerful mustang.

One of the first mustangs to show the evolution of the Mustang was the bucking mustang painted on the gym wall in the 1970s.

Also during the 1970s, Portage Central adopted a horseshoe to coordinate with the new Mustang. Arguments arose after the adoption of the horseshoe, as mustangs do not wear horseshoes, they are wild. These arguments are still ongoing today because some sports programs still use the horseshoe along with the Mustang.

It took until the mid-1960s for the Mustang to actually catch on with athletics. Jerseys and signs only showed "PC" as opposed to the Mustang logo. The gym floor in the old building was initially created with a "PC" logo in the center.

When Northern and Central split in 1964, Northern did not want to keep the Mustang mascot, and that was logical as Portage Central stayed in the same building.

Northern preferred a mascot with a northern orientation, which is why they became the "Huskies."

Until 12 years ago, there was never an official mustang logo associated with Portage Central.

Coaches of sports teams used what mustang logo was available to the printing company or what they saw best fit for their team.

Athletic Director Jim Murray adopted a stallion biting a hockey stick, which was taken from a previous Canadian hockey team. Volleyball coach Dawn Jaqua still uses the prancing Mustang for her volleyball program (which is the Mustang she graduated from Portage Central with) and Schafer primarily still uses the Mustang the volleyball program uses because that is the Mustang he has grown accustomed to throughout his time coaching at Portage Central.

Western Michigan University and the Denver Broncos football team both updated their logo 12 years ago. As a result, Alburtus also wanted one official logo for Portage Central, so 12 years ago, when Kalamazoo College changed its logo to the

current logo they use today, Alburtus contacted the dean of K-College to find out who created the logo. The dean put Alburtus in touch with Paul Sizer, a well-known comic book and graphic design artist native to Kalamazoo.

He is also responsible for the current Loy Norrix logo.

Alburtus opened the idea to students, who submitted sketches of mustangs as brainstorming ideas for Sizer and Alburtus to create the mustang. Ultimately, Alburtus wanted a perception of speed in the logo which is how Sizer and Alburtus chose to place a lightning bolt down the mustang, according to Alburtus.

The logo is trademarked because Alburtus feels the student body should receive proceeds for any sales of the Mustang logo. Meijer and Wal-Mart both sell Portage Central apparel, and with the trademarked logo, a cut of proceeds from the merchandise should go back to the school. Meijer has a deal with Portage Central, which accounts for $200-$300 annually, and is used for graduation costs. Wal-Mart has been less cooperative and began using a blue and gold Denver Bronco logo to avoid giving proceeds back to the school, according to Alburtus.

PC softball stacked with talent, but lacks depth With only 23 players in the program, the team relies on the three college-bound seniors for success this year

BY BRIAN TAGGETT

btaggett@centralstampede.com

Staff Writer It ended with a home run. A walkoff home run over Portage Northern’s center field fence in the district title game against Mattawan ended the Mustang’s softball season last spring. Mattawan continued to succeed in the playoffs, and in turn won the state championship.

This season, Mattawan is still the biggest competition in the state.

The Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association ranked the team located a few minutes from exit 66 on I-94 as number one in the state.

However, the ninth-ranked Mustang softball team is prepared to battle Mattawan this spring.

On May 1, the Mustangs will face the Wildcats in a much anticipated rematch at Mattawan.

“Our team respects Mattawan as a team, but we are definitely very competitive once it is game time,” junior Brooke Wyman said.

“Mattawan has always been one our biggest competitors,” sophomore Kim Verduzco said.

“They have a lot of solid players and a very good coach.”

Until then, the Mustangs will try to remain a dominant program in Southwest Michigan with help from new coaches Tom Hamilton and Tom Monroe.

Bernie Christopher, the former varsity coach, resigned following the 2013 season with a career record of 88-17-2.

Hamilton serves as the head coach and Monroe is an assistant. Both coached in the Portage Central program prior to Christopher’s tenure as

Upcoming Home Games

April 29 vs. Kalamazoo Central @ 4 p.m.

May 8 vs. Vicksburg @ 4 p.m.

May 13 vs. Portage Northern @ 4 p.m.

May 22 vs. Coloma @ 4 p.m. head varsity coach and return with impressive résumés.

Hamilton, a graduate of Portage Central, was the Mustang’s head coach in 2010 and had won four state championships with Portage Northern earlier in his career.

Monroe, a member of the Portage Central athletic Hall of Fame, coached from 1972 until 2007 and led the Mustangs to a 1977 state cham-

pionship.

With 782 wins, Monroe finished his career in the top 15 in the nation for career wins.

“They’re very experienced in the game and have seen just about everything, so everyone respects them, ” Wyman said. “With their experience, we should go far.”

Winning with different leadership has not been a problem for the team.

So far this season, the Mustangs are 8-1 under Hamilton.

The winning record can be credited to the large number of skilled players.

With seniors committed to play for Grand Valley State University, University of MichiganDearborn and Michigan State University, talent is not the issue for the team. However, depth is.

There are only 23 players between junior varsity and varsity.

Only two freshman joined the program this season and due to the meek amount of players, no cuts were made during tryouts.

“It puts us in a jam if someone gets hurt or sick,” junior Brittany Brown said. “We have 23 good players so we’ll have a good season.”

Wyman agrees. “It’ll be difficult for our program because we have to make sure everyone stays healthy,” Wyman said. “Hopefully next year we’ll have a better turnout, because we have a very talented program and would like to continue to grow throughout the years.”

12

stampede

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