INSIDE
PAGE 6 Varsity football team prepares to say goodbye to another season.
COURTESY OF JON JON PERKINS
POINTE
NORTH
GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
EVENTS
NORTH TAILGATE Friday, Oct. 12 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the parking lot FAFSA WORKSHOP Monday, Oct. 15 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. in B-116 PICTURE RETAKES Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the student union
INSIDE “THE ATTITUDE
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Hand-foot-and-mouth disease kicks way through football team
VENGAGE & HANNAH ZALEWSKI
By Hannah Zalewski & Kylie Duke PAGE EDITOR & INTERN Boiling fevers, mouth sores, and blistering skin out of a scary movie — the symptoms of Hand-foot-andmouth disease that varsity quarterback Brendan Cwiklinski and two of his teammates faced, forcing them to skip out on football practice. According to MedlinePlus, Handfoot-and-mouth disease usually presents itself three to seven days after a person has come in contact with the virus in the form of small-blistery rashes on the hands and feet, as well as painful lesions on the inside of the mouth. Other symptoms may include malaise, fever, loss of appetite and headaches. Senior Dominic Hadley, the varsity football linebacker, said he was more concerned about the performance of the team when vital players became sick than he was about catching the contagious virus. “It caused a little scare, some kids I know were scared to practice because obviously they didn't want to get it, like, who would?” Hadley said. “I wore long sleeves and gloves to make sure I didn't get it, but if I got it, I got it. It wasn’t gonna stop me from going to practice — I’ve got to get better.” Also named Coxsackievirus Infection, the disease can be caused by multiple different viruses and currently does not have a vaccine. Furthermore, the disease is often treated on a symptom-relief basis,
meaning there is no specific treatment to cure the sickness. Wide receiver, senior Sean Bly, said that it is up to every individual to make sure they personally do not get the disease and spread it to others.
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I wore long sleeves and gloves to make sure I didn't get it, but if I got it, I got it. It wasn’t gonna stop me from going to practice — I’ve got to get better. Dominic Hadley SENIOR
Bly and Cwiklinski both said the football program has taken precautions to prevent further spread of the disease. So far, the team has sterilized the locker room while trying to clean out the lockers and washing the football gear as often as they can. Senior varsity cheerleader Cicille Charles said she was worried about catching the disease and thinks that it is the school's responsibility to offer methods to prevent its spread further. “(The school) should always make sure that there is hand sanitizer in the dispensers in the hallways and that there is soap in the bathrooms,” Charles said. “Maybe wiping the desks down after students use them (will keep) the classrooms cleaner.” Although the origin of the outbreak is unknown, Hadley said he believes the varsity team obtained the contagious virus through other teams. The junior varsity as well as the freshman football team have both had recent outbreaks of their own. Now that the team is clean, Hadley said he doesn’t think it's impacted the team negatively at all. Rather, he sees the outbreak as being out of sight, out of mind. “I don’t think it's affected the way that anyone really has done anything, because when you're on the field you really forget about it,” Hadley said. “Then you get back to the locker room, like crap, there’s hand-footmouth going around. It's really no big deal.”
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UPCOMING
NORTHPOINTENOW.ORG
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“It’s not good for everybody, but it’s just, I think we should be washing our hands more and taking care of ourselves,” Bly said. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hand-foot-andmouth can be prevented by washing hands, disinfecting common areas, and avoiding close contact with those who have the disease.
Contributing: Julia Magnan
LIKE TO HAVE
Research evaluates effectivness OVER TO MY of suspensions, racial factors HOUSE FRIENDS
By Brooklyn Mcwhorter & Farrah Fasse WEBMASTER & INTERN
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Suspensions have been one of the most utilized forms of punishments in American schools over the past 20 years, but a 2018 study says this form of discipline may not be a step in the right direction. The study was conducted in Philadelphia schools by the University of Pennsylvania. The result of their experiment showed a low rate of standardized test scores in reading and math, which were correlated with the rate of suspensions given that year. The effect of suspensions on students’ test scores varies based on the use of suspensions in each district’s metaphorical “toolbox.” Some districts use it very often, but others use it less frequently and for more serious behaviors. Sophomore Marco Peretti believes that instead of suspensions, extra schoolwork would be more effective as a punishment for poor behavior. “I think they (students) should do extra schoolwork instead of just letting them go home,” Peretti said. “Even though you have to do your schoolwork when you get back, they should do some extra things instead of just sitting at home for three days.” Deputy Superintendent Jon Dean believes that Grosse Pointe Public Schools is one of the latter districts mentioned, having already utilized
@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org
various consequences. “GPPSS already implements alternatives to suspension,” Dean said via email. “Removing a student from school is typically the 'last resort' after a series of other, alternative options.” On page 16 of the Student Code of Conduct, there are 20 other consequences listed rather than suspensions. These include, but are not limited to, lunchtime detentions, referral to a mental health specialist, and required and regular attendance at a smoking, substance abuse, and/or alcohol workshop/clinic, if applicable. Dean believes that suspensions do serve a purpose in schools that benefit both the school and the students themselves. “Suspensions serve a variety of purposes. They certainly can serve to make a school, and the students in that school, safer by removing a student that can negatively impact the safety of others,” Dean said. “Suspensions also can serve as a “cooling off time,” to allow emotions to calm after or during a time of emotional upheaval. They also serve the punitive function of removing a student who has violated the Student Code of Conduct from the privilege of attending and engaging with a school. Suspensions also make it clear to all students and the school community what is acceptable behavior.” However, as far as this form of
VOLUME 51 | ISSUE 2
punishment is concerned, the factor of race must accounted for. According to a 2014 study by the Department of Education, black students in K-12 are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than a white student. While there are statistical differences in the way that students of color are punished, they are most prominent in the South, according to a 2015 University of Pennsylvania study. In 84 school districts in the South, 100 percent of students being suspended were black. 55 percent of black school children being suspended throughout all of America were out of school districts from the South as well. The same study also reported that while 37 percent of children enrolled in Georgia schools are black, 67 percent of kids who are suspended are African American. Dean believes that subconscious racial bias does exist, but that the school district makes sure that discipline is not given based on race, but on behavior. “As a society we are struggling with this issue not just in schools, but also in law enforcement situations and even in the workplace. The nature of subconscious bias is that the person exhibiting it doesn't realize it is occurring,” Dean said. “As a society and as a district, we need to constantly be reviewing our practices and data to ensure that discipline is being assigned not based on bias, but on the basis of student actions.”
News Life
Wednesday, OCT. 10, 2018
KNOTS host Breakfast for new members
By Sofia Ketels & Victoria Wittenberg WED-EDIOTOR-IN-CHIEF & INTERN Although Friday, Oct. 5 marked the third official Kids Need Opportunities To Socialize breakfast, junior Zoe Graves experienced the event as a member for the first time. As a new addition, she looked forward to meeting her fellow KNOTS members, along with finding out who she would be working with. During first hour on October 5, the KNOTS team members all met in the cafeteria for an opportunity to get to know each other, ask/answer questions and start building personal connections for this year. In addition to a morning snack, members were given their yearly assignments. They will also be expected to meet with their team and work out the details of their new projects. “This is a huge effort,” Kuhl said via email. “Every staff member signs up to pick food up and do a job at the breakfast. We work hard behind the scenes, so that it all comes together and hopefully appears seamless to all of our participants.” According to Kuhl, the breakfast is more than an ordinary KNOTS meeting. Rather, it is a way for members to get to know everyone, as well as getting vital new information about the club while laying out the whole year for both new and returning members alike. “It sets the tone for our whole year in KNOTS,” Kuhl said via email. “It allows our students to begin making connections with their peers.” KNOTS participants take part in a Peer-2-Peer type program throughout the year, being friends with and helping out other students in special needs classes. This can be accomplished by KNOTS members through their lunch hour, a tutorial, an independent study, in addition to their other extracurricular events that take place over the course of the school year. Along with the breakfast, the club holds an annual barbeque. This year, KNOTS also will be hosting game lunches every quarter, where members will host a game lunch in the student union to bond with their peers. Over the three years that KNOTS has hosted the breakfast, the club has since grown to over 100 members, according to Kuhl. One of those new additions was Graves, who heard about the club, and decided to join after remembering her positive experience with the Peer-2-Peer program at Monteith, her former elementary school. Though she has only been to one event so far after going to the breakfast, Graves already has a positive feeling about the program. "First impressions are really important. So (the breakfast) gives you that first impression,” Graves said. “It's a way to make a good one, since it's pretty laid back.” Kuhl emphasizes the importance placed on the meeting, saying it sets the tone for the whole year, and that it is one of the only whole-group mandatory meetings, so it was vital to have everything set up smoothly. Graves believes that it was, and that the meeting was a great precursor to the work KNOTS members will continue doing throughout the rest of the school year with their peers. “(It) just gives you a chance to interact with the students and make better connections with them outside of the classroom,” Graves said. “I think it's important that you make those connections.”
1 Editorial 3 Reviews 5 2 Indepth 4 Sports 6
By Hannah Zalewski & Kylie Duke
LIFE
North Pointe – Wednesday, Oct. 10 2018 – 2
Filler words: what they are and how to prevent them
Freshman Jack McConaghy started playing video games at a very young age. What started with playing “Star Wars: the Complete Saga,” with his cousins in their basement has now become a much more involved hobby. While playing “Titanfall 2,” McConaughey enters the world of society in the distant future, and becomes one with the characters he plays as. McConaughey enjoys playing these games and more on his Xbox whenever he can, or at least when his little brother has gotten off the console for for awhile. When he’s not playing his other games, he plays “Half Life 2” as Gordon Freeman, a scientist who works for a top secret government agency and pushes past the bounds of what he should be testing. Part of why he has such a thorough interest in online game councils is the fact that they provide the opportunity of being something different then the average. In each of his fictional worlds, McConaughey saves the universe from the brink of demise and becomes the hero the citizens of Earth need. “In the distant future space is the final frontier,” he said. “...You experiment with something you shouldn’t have.”
India
Spates
For senior India Spates, college is just a year away. In anticipation for her college career ahead, applications, admissions and school visits are things she has looked forward to throughout her high school career. Since her freshman year, Spates has been interested in pursuing a career in corporate law, to fulfil her love of communicating with other people. Spates has already turned in her college applications, the University of Florida, Michigan State, and the University of Michigan being her top choices, as they each offer law programs that she is interested in. While at first she believed she would to go into the field of medicine, Spates was inspired by her best friend’s dad to look into the corporate law field, soon deciding that her love of reading and socializing made a perfect match with her new dream career. “It takes a lot of reading over paperwork and interacting with people,” Spate said. “My (best) friend’s dad is a lawyer and he talks about it all the time, it just sounds really interesting.”
By Emily Widgren PAGE EDITOR For junior Cairington Stahl, using filler words in her everyday speech is customary. It is something that she does often and unknowingly, much like her peers. “So many people say, “and, you know, just like, whatever...” It’s such a common thing where it’s normal,” Stahl said. “And I don’t really know anyone who doesn’t say ‘like’, ‘um’, ‘so’ or “stuff like that.” Filler words are used in speech to fill space, or gaps in between phrases. They are words that are added for no purpose, such as “like,” “um,” “so”and “literally.” While it is common for everyone to use filler words, most people do not realize how often they use them unless they can be considered hyper-aware or it or someone else points it out. According to speech pathologist Kristen DeVooght, people use filler words for three major reasons. First, is when people are thinking about what to say next. For example, when asked a question in class, students tend to use filler words while thinking of an answer. In this case, the main purpose is to fill the
silence, as an absence of noise can cause some to feel uncomfortable and awkward. Secondly, people will use these words to sugarcoat or emphasize opinions satirically. For instance, if
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break up the information. Backing up DeVooght’s reasons for using filler words, Stahl says she finds herself using them so she has the opportunity to think over what she wants to say, which she thinks
I feel like people say those words just because we don’t have the social skills that older generations have, because we have the disadvantage of technology. Cairington Stahl JUNIOR
someone asks you if you like their shirt, it is likely you might just use the words as a way to imply that you are not particularly fond of it. Lastly, people use filler words to describe something in a less complex way. If you are an expert in a subject and someone asks a question about a field of your expertise, to make information easier to comprehend, most people would use filler words to
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Jack McConaghy
negatively affects her in her social life. “I feel like our generation in general, just because we’re so on social media and we are so focused on our phones, instead of one-on-one conversation, I feel like we are used to having a (slow) conversation because when you’re texting, you can think about what you want to say,” Stahl said. “(A oneon-one conversation is) not like a text, where you can
Amanda Nguyen
Junior Amanda Nguyen has always had a love for children. While working at her church, she discovered she had both a skill and a desire to work with kids, and is even considering making it her career. Becoming a pediatrician has been something Nguyen has considered since her experience at the church, working with second graders. After graduation, Nguyen hopes to attend an in-state college or university to continue working towards her goal of being a pediatrician, or at least working with children in some capacity. “I’ve loved working with kids since a young age,” Nguyen said. “Medicine, or just science in general, has been really cool. And so pediatrics is what I think I want to go into. I just know for sure my job has to revolve around kids.”
wait 10 minutes and then respond. In a conversation, you have to speak as soon as you’re spoken to. I feel like people say those words just because we don’t have the social skills that older generations have, because we have the disadvantage of technology.” Similar to Stahl, junior Autumn Peck says people of younger generations are probably looked at as less intelligent because of their use of filler words. Peck says she thinks, compared to older generations, younger people use them more, making them appear less competent. Everyone uses filler words. According to DeVooght, filler words are no mark of how smart you are. Both geniuses and average people employ filler words in their day-today conversations. However, there are ways to minimize the use of filler words. According to DeVooght, there are two main ways to help. First, is to be hyperaware. Whenever you are talking, listening and taking a mental note of every time you say “like,” “um,” “so” or anything similar, tell yourself that you used a filler word. This consciousness of behavior soon sets in as a habit, and the rate of using filler words begins to decrease. Secondly, being prepared for a speech or presentation can help you limit your usage. “Another reason why people use filler words is because there is a lack of confidence in what they’re talking about. Think about when you have a speech to do at school, or a report to give at school, an oral report, even in front of your class, when do you think you would probably stumble and use more filler words? Probably when you’re not prepared. If I have little notes that I can go off of, then I don’t use as many,” DeVooght said. “And I just naturally don’t feel this need for filler words, because I don’t need that lead time to come up with an eloquent statement (anymore).”
By Kylie Duke and Julia Magnan MICHAEL HARTT
English teacher Kareem Hakim By Julia Magnan INTERN
KAREEM HAKIM
Middle to Upper | English teacher Kareem Hakim recently joined North’s staff after working as a teacher at Parcells Middle School. Hakim is enjoying his transition and is thrilled to be teaching at North. Hakim said the most important thing after teaching for him, is advocating for social justice problems. “But aside from that a lot of my life and my time, my thinking revolves around like social justice issues,” Hakim said.
In room B-333, students will find walls covered in posters representing different social justice issues. English teacher Kareem Hakim and has made it a point to bring some of those issues into the classroom. One problem that specifically stood out to him was the Muslim representation at the University of Michigan. Hakim, during his college years, worked closely with that group, and did his best to make sure they were not poorly represented. “If you were to talk to me more, you would know that a lot of my think ing time revolves around that and issues of equity for marginalized groups,” Hak im said. College was a turning point in Hakim’s life, as it opened up many windows of opportunity for him. During that time in his life, Hakim realized how important of a goal graduating was for him. “For one, I mean, that’s just a big
step for me, to graduate from college, and to know that the next step is into adulthood, but also because I knew that time period was really vital for me. I really changed over that time,” Hak im said. “And so to see that end of it was a really impor tant moment.” In his free time, Hakim enjoys spending time in the North community. “So I typically play basketball a nd just stick a round Nor th (on Saturdays),” Ha k im sa id. “I go to most of the football ga mes, gi rls volleyball, I like to just be a round the school a nd be a round the com mun ity.” One of the main things he enjoys about teaching is observing the growth his students go through. Originally, Hakim considered going to psychology, but realized that seeing the progression of his students was really important to him. “I really enjoy seeing the process of students grow. And if I can help in any way, that’d be really awesome. So I’m really happy in the environment … (that) would still revolve around students or kids.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? The color green, not because of M.S.U, but because it’s really natural. Also in Muslim tradition, the color green is a sacred color that you see a lot in the tradition, and I look good in green.
WHO IS YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH?
Emma Watson. She’s smart and super talented. She advocates for others, which I really admire. And she’s beautiful. And I love British accents.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK? 1000 Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? Ice cream, cookies and cream ice cream, specifically.
EDITORIAL POINTE The Stigma of Harper Woods
North Pointe – Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 – 3
NORTH
MY TURN JORDAN CRAIGHEAD
In kinder“Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers garten, I was are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom one of the only of expression and freedom of the press for all students, black kids in regardless of whether the ideas expressed may be my class. All of the kids I played with were considered unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless or white, but slowly over time that changed. offensive.” As I progressed through Poupard, most of BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY the white kids migrated to Mason, or Ferry. By fifth grade, there were about three white Syeda Rizvi Arzoo Chhaya Emily Widgren kids in my class. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PAGE EDITOR PAGE EDITOR When I reached sixth grade, I realized I Michael Hartt Hannah Zalewski was suppose to be ashamed of coming from PAGE EDITOR PAGE EDITOR Sofia Ketels the “black elementary school.” By October WEB-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF of the same year, I found myself constantly Abi Murray Amelia Nowiki WEB EDITOR WEB EDITOR wishing that my mom had chosen to move Maggie Carron Adam Schwartz just a few more blocks over, so I could say PAGE EDITOR PAGE EDITOR I’d gone to Mason. Just a few more blocks over and I could’ve been accepted into the Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above. Members “Grosse Pointe Community.” I went throughout middle school with who have a conflict of interest with an editorial topic do not that mentality. I felt like I was a poser, partake in that meeting or vote. like I didn’t belong. I felt ashamed to live in Harper Woods, I didn’t want to admit it to anyone. I didn’t like to have friends over to my house because it wasn’t a big, “Grosse Pointe house” all my other friends had. And it wasn’t all in my head. In my social studies class last year, our teacher mentioned that she use to live in Harper Woods and our class was in an uproar. Kids made jokes and laughed at her. Between fits of laughter, the teacher stammered out that Harper Woods is actually an okay place to live in. This tainted idea of Harper Woods is constantly being portrayed in the eyes of North stuSOFIA KETELS dents. People automatically think those living in Harper Woods are economically disadvantaged,
that those from Harper Woods are poor and have less than the average Grosse Pointer. Students from Harper Woods are also forced to disappear in casual, everyday situations. For example, the administration speaks of a “one GP” idea constantly. Well, where do students from Harper Woods fit in? They’re always seen as a second thought, something that isn’t as important, or valid as the Grosse Pointes. So are we really living in a “one GP” type of community? Once I saw an administrator out on a weekend with her kids. I recall she spoke about how Grosse Pointe had such “small closets” and how “I would know about that.” The idea that my family might not have a Grosse Pointe house without “small closets” never crossed her mind. To me, it represents the absent-minded way people address Harper Woods. It's not a thought to them, everyone at North is just a “Grosse Pointer.” The solution to this problem is for people to start being more thoughtful about the world around them. These students deserve to be represented in a positive way and to feel like they belong with everyone else, and everyday students have the opportunity to do that. Students need to learn to value Harper Woods, understanding that it’s just as worthy of a place, and that just because a student may live there, it doesn’t make them less than anyone else. In the future, Grosse Pointer’s could do a lot more to erase the stigma of Harper Woods and all the negative feelings that go with them. Everyday acts make all the difference in closing the gap between the two places.
OUR EDITORIAL
Suspending a form of punishment When suspension is brought up in conversation between students, whether it be across the school or state, it is often criticized for its inherent inability to provide real and tangible consequences to students who receive it. For most high school students, suspension is the main way of receiving serious punishment. You are not allowed to go to school for a specific amount of days, and you are not allowed to make up the work. Which in turn, sets students up for failure in the future. While a suspension will look poor on a permanent record, most people who are given them will, in the moment, think of it as a fun day off where they can sleep in and not have to do homework or deal with the dayto-day stress of school. If so many students treat their suspension days like a vacation, what is the punishment? Every year, school situations cover every end of the spectrum. There are small situations that do not have an affect on a large group of people and there are larger, more problematic situations, that could potentially affect the entire school. Yet, both of these receive the same punishment. While the length of the disciplinary action will be different, they still carry the same idea. The school is punishing you by making you skip school. There are hardly any differences in the punishment methods for the small and large issues. In a study done by the University of Chicago, researchers found that reducing out-of-school suspensions not only increased test scores by a slight amount, but also made students overall more likely to come to school in Chicago Public Schools. That same study even found that students felt safer in their school environment when the drastic option of suspension was eliminated. Suspensions could also start a trend of bad grades for the rest of the school year. Not being able to make up the homework will hurt the student’s grade, and not being able to be in the class to learn only prepares them for failure on the test and possibly midterm depending the amount of school the student misses. Similarly, students don’t really have a reason to stop repeating their negative actions because it allows them to be given school-sanctioned days off. The school is allowing you to skip school and not worry about homework, lectures or notes. So how is this supposed to be teaching them a lesson? In addition, suspensions themselves do not accomplish anything productive for students serving them or the school itself. While they do give punished students an opportunity to reflect on their behavior, it also gives them a freebie from school and the responsibility it entails. Even if lowering the amount of suspensions is impossible, there is another way. A 2005 report from the Virginia Department of Education shared their experience with providing suspended and even expelled students with community service hours to complete while they were away from school serving their punishment. We need to focus less on suspension-based punishment, and more on community service or school service-based resolutions. Students cannot afford to miss school, and doing so only sets them up for failure, a less successful semester or year. They will also be doing something that benefits everyone in the community, such as a clean-up project or set up for a school sanctioned event. This will force students to become more involved in their community and school, instead of sleeping in and going out to eat.
“I think in school suspension would be a more reasonable punishment because kids can't do whatever they want like they can when suspended.” Isabella Stephanoff FRESHMAN
“No I really do not because when you're suspended you don't really get a lot of work done as you would in school.” J’Len Clark-Beal FRESHMAN
”I think that it depends what your being suspended for. I feel that in school suspension would be better because a lot of kids think that getting suspended is just a break.”
Meg Pangborn JUNIOR
YOUR TURN: Do you think suspension is a reasonable punishment? By Maggie Carron
“I believe suspensions are important and reasonable because they show discipline for your actions.”
"Administrators work really hard to build up before a suspension comes into play. But if it comes to that last action, then suspension is
appropriate.” everyone.”
Joshua Scott SENIOR
“It would depend on the offence, but if separation from school would help to correct the situation and the scenario warrants it I would be in agreement with suspension”
Devin Cox
Tamara Shepard
MATH
SPANISH
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Syeda Rizvi WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sofia Ketels BUSINESS MANAGER: Jordan Craighead WEBMASTER: Brooklyn McWhorter PAGE EDITORS: Maggie Carron, Arzoo Chhaya, Michael Hartt, Adam Schwartz, Emily Widgren, Hannah Zalewski WEB EDITORS: Abi Murray, Amelia Nowicki
the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at northpointenow.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper. CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Email: gpnnorthpointe@gmail.com Phone: 313.432.3248 Twitter: @TheNorthPointe Website: northpointenow.org FACULTY ADVISER: Allison Dunn
INTERNS: Giacobi Bush, Niklas David, Kylie Duke, Farrah Fasse, Madison Graham, Ray Hamilton, Julia Magnan, Leo Peck, Victoria Whittenberg The North Pointe is edited and produced by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect
EDITOR'S DESK SYEDA RIZVI
Redefining Education
Education. “The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.” That is the dictionary definition. We often ignore the side of humanity that education brings, the fact that it is really supposed to change us as a society. If the dictionary definition is what first came to your mind when you read the word “education,” there is a serious problem. If your only purpose of being in school is to get a diploma, if what drives you to get a 4.0 GPA is that it looks good on a resume and if you’re trying to take the most challenging academic classes because it’s what universities are looking for, there is a serious problem. That being said, if you believe that there is no critical issue with sticking to the `dictionary definition of “education,” I don’t blame you. We go to school for decades — years of the same routine, the same mindset. Go to school. Study. Graduate. Get a job. Get married. Earn some money. Retire. We spend our entire lives in the pursuit of learning how to stand on our own two feet. What we don’t remember is that education is supposed to be a catalyst of change. Education is supposed to make you a better person; its sole purpose is not to slap on a college resume. Now I’m not saying that memorizing the quadratic formula is supposed to inspire you to make the world a better place, but the attitude you bring into school is just as important as the content you learn. What we learn in school is interconnected. World History teaches you about how we got to where we are today. But you can only consider yourself educated when you derive life lessons from events that happened centuries ago. History is more than just a list of dates and wars to memorize off a piece of paper. For instance, in class you learn that the Holocaust killed millions from 1933-1945. However, learning about the Holocaust taught us that just because something is legal, doesn’t mean it’s moral, and just because something is moral doesn’t mean it’s legal. English is more than just a thesis, three body paragraphs and a conclusion, it’s about learning how to communicate with others in the most effective manner. Education shouldn’t be rigid, it shouldn’t be about formulas or set-in-stone methods. Rather, it should focus on how you can apply what you learn in class to your own life, how you can make yourself a better person. The attitude you bring in the classroom is extremely important and gives a purpose to live by. It’s one thing to say that you want to go to school, get a degree to become a doctor and get rich. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but you can also say you want to become a doctor so you can help people on the verge of losing either themselves or their loved ones. We need to focus on the humanity education brings, how it should humble us and how learning about the struggles of others should be enough motivation to work hard. There is no point to an education that can’t teach you how to be a better person. With this attitude, school doesn’t seem like a burden, your textbook doesn’t feel like it’s putting too much weight on your back and waking up in the morning begins to turn a lot easier each day. Education is more than just a list of facts to memorize. It’s something that should make us better people, more humble, thankful and helpful. If it’s not — then we need to change its definition.
IN-DEPTH
North Pointe – Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 – 5
Crime in Grosse Pointe COMPARING THE 5 GP COMMUNITIES
GOOGLE MAPS
MAPPING GP AREAS | The areas highlighted in red are the different Grosse Pointe communities being compared. The Detroit News’ newly released research program shows people the crime rates of many cities in Michigan. Grosse Pointe Woods, Shores, Park, Farms and City are all in the program. You can see the amount of crime in different categories, including burglaries, violent crimes and motor vehicle thefts.
According to recent crime statistics published the FBI, crime in the five Grosse Pointes not coherent, but varies from city to city. Even when the crime in each of the Grosse Pointes has been averaged over the course of the past five years and divided by how many citizens each Grosse Pointe has, some communities have alarmingly more crime than others. The order of communities from the least to the most crime is: Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe City, and Grosse Pointe Park. The difference in crime between the lowest crime community, Grosse Pointe Shores, and the highest crime community, Grosse Pointe Park, is almost 400 percent, even when accounting for the size of the city. Social studies teacher Dan Gilleran attempted to explain the difference in crime by looking at the average income of each community, since he said there is a strong correlation between income level and crime. In the 2000 Census, Grosse Pointe Park had an average income of $80,485 per household, while Grosse Pointe Shores had an average of $222,882 per household. Grosse Pointe Shores is also the second highest income city in Michigan and the seventieth highest income city in all of the United States. Gilleran also mentioned that since each of the cities is so small, a nu mb e r of c r i m i n a l s c ou ld a lt e r t h e st a t ist ics w it h i n t h e c om mu n it y. “Within such a small community, there could also be a spike from just a few criminals performing a string of crimes and that could skew the numbers,” Gilleran said. Although crime varies within each community, it is not a problem when comparing Grosse Pointe to other cities in the area. Detroit, for example, has nearly 400 percent more
by in
crime than Grosse Pointe Park and nearly 1200 percent more crime than Grosse Pointe Shores. However, Detroit’s crime has fallen significantly in recent years and the current crime rates are lower than they have been in decades.
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I think people don’t go in to law enforcement with a bad attitude, I think they go into it because they want to do their best to protect citizens. Dan Gilleran SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER
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By Michael Hartt PAGE EDITOR
The comparison of crime between the Grosse Pointes and other communities with similar income levels is not at expected levels. Bloomfield Township, which has an average income WWof $103,897 per household, had half of the crime as Grosse Pointe Park and less crime than Grosse Pointe City and Grosse Pointe Woods.
Change in crime rates from the last five years by city
Even though certain communities within Grosse Pointe have more crime than others, sophomore Amelia Schock said Grosse Pointe does not have a crime issue overall. She attributed the low crime rates to a variety of resources in the community. “I think that the low crime rates in Grosse Pointe stem from the availability of home security systems, the large presence of police within the community, the confusing layout of the streets and the strong presence of neighbors watching other neighbors homes,” Schock said. “When someone is of a lower socioeconomic status, they, unfortunately, do not have access to some of these resources and that is why they most likely experience more crime, and Grosse Pointe, which of a higher socioeconomic status, does not (experience much crime).” Schock said she speaks from personal experience and has never felt unsafe in Grosse Pointe. “I have always felt safe in Grosse Pointe, even when I am walking home alone at night,” Schock said “Even if something were to happen, I know that there would be 12 police cars at the scene within five minutes.” Sophomore Ava Taylor said that she also believes this community is reliable enough to constantly feel safe and secure. She says she has “never felt unsafe in Grosse Pointe,” despite the fact that she has been living in Grosse Pointe for a long time. Gilleran agrees, saying that the police in Grosse Pointe seem to be very sincere and care about their job. “I think the police do a great job of keeping Grosse Pointe safe,” Gilleran said. “I think people don’t go in to law enforcement with a bad attitude, I think they go into it because they want to do their best to protect citizens.”
Five year crime averages divided by the amount of people in each city
MICHAEL HARTT
MICHAEL HARTT
REVIEWS
4– Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 – North Pointe
"Manifest:" with mysterious twist and turns
By Adam Schwartz PAGE EDITOR
By Adam Schwartz PAGE EDITOR
Mysterious and non-stop turns in the NBC series “Manifest” leaves you hanging after each minute. This show leaves the audience puzzled from the very beginning. Flight 828 does what the crew thinks is a normal landing with 191 passengers on board except they’ve all been missing for 5 and half years and none of them have aged a day since. “Pilot,” the first episode, leaves you with a sense of abnormality as everyone who was on Flight 828 (which took off in 2013) now has to deal with going back to their normal routine (in 2018). Siblings Ben and Michaela Stone, along with Ben’s son, Cal, were some of the people that boarded Flight 828, and now have to deal with the problem of getting used to their lives five years later. Ben is trying to play catch up with his daughter who wasn’t aboard,
Olive, and attempts to help his son with his terminal health problems and treatment programs. With much time having passed by, new developments have come into action that could assist Cal. This leaves puzzling thoughts left in the minds of everyone all around. Then there is Cal, who realizes that since nobody on the aircraft aged a day, he and his twin sister aren’t equal in age anymore. Olive has lived the past five and half years with ups and downs while Cal hasn’t lost any of that time. As if trying to fill in a five year gap wasn’t hard enough, Michaela is also struggling with severe regrets in her life. She can no longer talk to her former lover Jared, having given up on Michaela after some time passed, and has mixed emotions with her return since he is now married. This is only the beginning of hardships
that arise with the mysterious return of Flight 828. In addition, the passengers feel as if their inner thoughts are beginning to play tricks on them. For some strange reason, only the people on Flight 828 have the ability to solve dangerous situations that arise in the city. This drama-packed first episode leaves the audience with more questions than answers. The passengers feel as if they are going crazy, while in reality, they are just experiencing the exact same thing other “normal” individuals are as well. The fact that it isn’t easy to resume life after so much time has past and the issue of how all of the passengers returned isn’t solved yet leaves you feeling as if you are a part of Flight 828 yourself. The passengers are still catching up to speed with reality as the second episode picks up. All of the characters
are unraveling their life in new and mysterious ways. Secrets are also being revealed with relationships that were all solid before the mysterious circumstances of Flight 828. They make the passengers realize that the time they lost can’t comeback. It’s a mysterious mystery and begs the question of “what has happened to them?” The first two episodes of this television series leave you feeling incredibly pulled in, to put it mildly. You think everyone is at peace, but with families a mess and the government trying to figure out if there’s a breach in national security at hand, it leaves you anxious. For the passengers of Flight 828 their life just got a whole got more complicated and watchful. The only question left is what will happen to them next?
IMDB.COM
"Manifest" (2018) Televsion series
DOCUMENTARY
APP
RESTURANT
MOVIE
THE MIND OF JAKE PAUL
SHINE
GRUBHOUSE
NIGHT SCHOOL
Following the pattern of an oddball media influencer is no easy task, but YouTube star Shane Dawson is diving deep into actor Jake Paul’s life in his new 9-part TUBEFILTER.COM documentary, “The Mind of Jake Paul.” The series follows Dawson’s in-depth investigation, showing how Paul’s erratic personality came to be. This follows up on Paul’s tendency to pull brutal pranks and experiments on victims, taking them too far too often. In episode one, the ice is broken during an interview with a YouTube drama channel called iNabber. Both Dawson and iNabber begin to ask the questions that will lead the investigation, as well as cover all of the details involving Paul’s relationships. This eventually leads to the discussion of Paul’s supposed sociopathic tendencies in episode two. In part two, Dawson sits down with therapist Kati Morton to discuss the symptoms of a sociopath and determine whether or not Paul exhibits these signs. Episode three then analyzes Paul’s family life in order to figure out if his past is what shaped Paul into who he is today. Already, viewers are exposed to new information. As they follow the series, they gain more knowledge about Paul and his history, leading them to draw conclusions of their own. During Dawson’s sit-down with Morton, the audience also may begin to apply noteworthy conversation pieces into events from their own lives. Although Dawson has received criticism for this series, and has been accused of giving Paul a “redemption story,” he says his research is to figure out the reason why Paul is unstable, and that he needs to come face-to-face with what he’s done. The series isn't redemption for Paul, it's for the people who he's wronged. No stranger to controversy, the risks that Dawson is taking with this series are incredible. Regardless of the fans threatening to unsubscribe and teetering over the line of what’s considered “too far,” each episode has been uploaded on schedule. So far, the series is fascinating. Each episode has capitalized on different contributing factors to Paul’s habits, including his family history, a sociopathic behavioral analysis and his media group, Team 10. Based on Dawson’s other recent series, it’s evident there’s much more to come from the documentary, and fans are stoked to see what’s next.
24/7, “Shine” is working to help relax, motivate, and add a new outlook to your day with motivational talks, meditation and daily APPLE.INC affirmation texts. Each morning, this app sends a positive affirmation text, including an empowering quote, a link to an article related to the topic and tips on actions you can take all day to improve your mindset. The website, shinetext.com, is another option for users who find utilizing a computer more convenient. The app organizes motivational speeches in sections such as quick hitters, pep talks, meditations, relationships, focus, rest, “seize the awkward,” balance, and stories. Each of these categories include a picture of the person giving the talk, their title and a little sentence description of the topic of the speech. The duration of these talks vary depending on what the subject is, but can go from under 4 minutes to 11 minutes at most. A nice feature is that this app has background sound support so other apps can be used while using “Shine.” The app also includes nine 7-day challenges if you have special self-care needs. The challenges touch on the subjects of productivity, self care, finding the good in situations, anxiety, and confidence. Although the app has a lot of features, in order to have access to the majority of them, you must have “Shine” premium. The features that do not cost money include the “Shine” texts, quick hitters, a few motivational talks, and the ability to archive quotes. The payment for premium is either a monthly or yearly subscription. The monthly payment is $7.99 per month and if you want to purchase a yearly subscription, the cost would be $3.99 per month, totalling $47.99 billed for the year. Subscriptions automatically will renew. Shine is available on the app store for free with in-app purchases available.
The Grubhouse restaurant is an uncomfor table mixture of a Big Boy and a National Coney Island. The decor tried too hard to be trendy and GRUBHOUSE.COM relevant, having the eatery end up being a stereotypical greasy diner, disappointingly so. For the low prices, I was getting what I was paying for. Despite the unimpressive food, the menu was shockingly vast, with dishes ranging from fettuccine alfredo to chocolate chip pancakes. I entered the building and was greeted by a near empty restaurant and unclean tables. The windows were covered in plastic ghosts and black and orange garlands. The friendly waitress told me to seat myself and I read the menu that was already on the table. I ordered a tuna melt and some macaroni and cheese wedges as an appetizer. The cheese wedges came out of the kitchen in less than five minutes and were nice and warm, but sitting on a bed of wilted brown lettuce. I didn’t know what to expect when ordering, but I was sure it wasn’t going to be what I got. I bit into my first wedge, and I received a flood of what seemed like molten Kraft macaroni and cheese. I didn’t end up finishing the food. Soon after, my tuna melt arrived. It was paired with a surprisingly rubbery pickle. I never knew before that moment that pickles could be comparable to a winter tire. While bread of the sandwich was very crispy, the tuna tasted canned. Like clockwork, the salad came right after the sandwich. It also came with a Greek salad full of wilted lettuce — the texture was unfamiliar. The Greek dressing was creamy and oddly pink with a complete absence of any flavor. What threw me off the most was the cheese in the salad. It was not feta, as in a traditional Greek salad, but clumpy mozzarella. Despite the issues with the food, what I was expecting when I walked in was a cheap, one-off hometown diner, and that’s exactly what I got, so I did not leave disappointed.
comedy, ‘Night School.’ The plot centers around Teddy Walker (Hart), a high school dropout who appears to have gotten everything he dreamed of: an expensive car, a spacious apartment and a beautiful fiance, Lisa (Megalyn Echikunwoke)-all without his GED. Even though Walker lives paycheck- to- paycheck on this expensive lifestyle, after accidentally setting fire to the barbeque patio he works at, he is determined to keep up the ruse in order to impress Lisa, forcing him to earn his GED if he wants to maintain his lifestyle and keep Lisa from finding out he never graduated high school. Upon returning to his old school to enroll in night classes, Walker discovers his old nemesis, a former “nerd” who mercilessly taunted Walker for his lack of smarts, has become the school’s tyrannical principle, rocketing him back to his teenage insecurities. This character felt like the biggest downfall in the movie’s plot. Principal Stewart not only perpetuates the stereotype that students who choose to focus on academics are forever losers and virgins who feel vengeful towards “popular” students like Walker, but Stewart is also criticized for using a stereotyped “black voice” in front of actors of color, even after being called out. Despite this, Haddish’s character, Carrie, finds her way to shine through as the dedicated and brutally honest teacher, determined to make a difference for her most challenged students in her tough-love classroom environment. The group is made up of a variety of students that fall under predictable and tired character arcs. However, even Carrie falls victim to the annoying trope that the only possible case where a women wouldn’t be attracted to a man were if she identified as gay. With this interesting mix, funny moments were unavoidable. However, often jokes missed their landing, or felt so outlandish and forced that they only resulted in uncomfortable laughter, making this film a disappointing addition for Hart.
"The Mind of Jake Paul"; 2018; Youtube
"Shine"; 2018; Available to download for free
"Grubhouse"; 2018; Found at 22230 Greater Mack Ave, St.Clair Shores, MI 48080
"Night School"; 2018; Availabe on Netflix
By Amelia Nowicki
By Maggie Carron
By Brooklyn McWhorter
By Abi Murray
IMBD.COM
With an impressive cast led by Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, one would expect a laughter filled hour and fifty minute movie. However, this was not the case with their new
SPORTS
6 – Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 – North Pointe
UPCOMING GAMES GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. vs Marysville High School
CROSS COUNTRY Gabriel Richard Invite on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1:45 p.m. at Hudson Mills Metropark
BOYS VARSITY SOCCER MHSAA Districts at Dearborn High School against University of Jesuit on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m.
JONJON PERKINS
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT| The football team is currently preparing for the big North vs South game on Friday, Oct.12 at 7 p.m.
That’s a wrap! By Arzoo Chhaya and Ray Hamilton PAGE EDITOR & INTERN
Taking a look back at this year’s varsity football season under the training of North’s new coach: Joe Drouin.
BOYS VARSITY FOOTBALL Away against Anchor Bay High School on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.
GIRLS VARSITY SWIMMING Away meet against Grosse Pointe South on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. ALL PICTURES COURTESY OF JAKOBY BUSH
GAME TIME | Senior Zach Hogrebe and Coach Drouin go over game plays at a home game. “(I) try to work harder and work on the techniques that coach has taught me.” said Douglas when asked what he does to be more successful as a football player.
GAME TIME | According to senior Kevin Douglas, North’s team has seen a lot of growth under Drouin’s coaching. “On the offensive side of the field we have to hold our blocks, on defensive side we have to not give up on plays and go hundred percent on each play.” said senior Kevin Douglas.
QUICK HITS Varsity Swimming with Mariah Loper
Junior Mariah Loper is optimistic that the swim team is going be full of both surprises and amusement this year. She believes that even though the team has a fewer number of members than usual this year, they can pull through. “We don’t really have that many girls,” Loper said. “But the girls we do have are working
really hard.” Loper has been swimming since her freshman year, so she has seen the team go through a lot of changes. “This year, there is only two juniors, so we are really trying recruit new people.” She is also excited to see how the team will succeed this year. She believes the girls team will really pull
through and do as well, just as they have in the past. “Everyone is really dedicated to the team,” Loper said. “They want it to work as hard as they can.”
RUN FOR IT | Senior Nik David lead blocks for Junior Keshawn Cooper as he takes the handoff and runs the ball. “On defence we all just have to fly to the ball, all eleven of us. On offense we have to run our routes better.” said senior Walter Walker.
Three sports, with three players in three columns
Girls Golf with Emme Simpson
Junior Emme Simpson has been playing girl’s golf for the past three years. She said she enjoys it because of both the bonds and friendships she has made on the team, but also their overall improvement over the seasons. Simpson feels that she and the rest of her teammates have good chemistry, saying that they always enjoy themselves whenever they play together. She
hopes to stay involved in golf throughout the remainder of her time at North. “We have a really tight-knit team every year,” Simpson said. “It’s really great (to be on the team) because you form a good bond with all the other girls.” Simpson also believes the team is doing the best they have in recent years, citing a strong lineup and new personal
scores among the girls’ overall as reasons for their success. According to Simpson, the golf team has won two matches and tied one, and she feels optimistic about the rest of their matches this season. “(The amount of wins) are good for our team,” Simpson said. “We’re genuinely just doing a good job keeping pace this year.”
By: Jordan Craighead and Nik David BUSINESS MANAGER AND INTERN
Freshman Volleyball with Mary Andreoli
According to freshman Mary Andreoli, even though the volleyball team is not off to a great start this season, there is still some hope left. The team has lost the majority of their games up to this point, but Andreoli said she is proud that even though her team is off to a rocky start, they are still dedicated to continue their hard work through her first
volleyball season at North. “We have good spirits,” Andreoli said. “We try to make the best of the game, even if we lose.” According to Andreoli, part of the reason why she enjoys playing volleyball is that she has made many friends on the team. “There are definitely friend groups,” Andreoli said. “But we’re all
friends with each other too.” Andreoli is confident that she can progress through the different levels of volleyball offered at North, and continue playing for at least the next year. She is hopeful that next year will be even better. “It’s fun and I’ve even made some new friends,” Andreoli said. “I can definitely see myself playing again next year.”