Volume 50, Edition 1 Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Ce l ebrat i n g
50 Y EARS
Mona Shores High School 1121 Seminole Road Muskegon, Michigan 49441
School year begins with new theme
Over
By Michelle Robinson Co-Editor-in-Chief
Something to celebrate. Warren Kent III begins his 15th year as adviser of The Sailors’ Log, the school’s newspaper, and his 13th as adviser of Compass Points, Points, the school’s yearbook, as both publipubli cations celebrate their 50th years. (Cole Myhre)
Publications celebrate 50th editions By Michelle Robinson
How you can help celebrate 50 years
Co-Editor-in-Chief Fifty years may seem “over the hill,” but the staffs of the school newspaper and yearbook, which are both celebrating their 50th year of existence, know the climb has only improved their work. “Some people think we just throw stuff on a page,” said Warren Kent III, who begins his 15th year as adviser of The Sailors’ Log, Log, the school’s newsnews paper, and his 13th as adviser of Compass Points, Points the school’s yearbook. “It is not a blow-off class. We work our hard to make a book that can stand the test of time and a paper that is inforinfor mative.” That hard work has includinclud ed many improvements. The yearbook has gone from an all black-and-white picture book to
Welcome Back Sailors
We would like to highlight those who have gone on to be successful after leaving Shores and to contact business owners in the area who are alumni to purchase ad space in the yearbook. Any other ideas you may have so we can make sure to cover this milestone birthday completely would be welcomed also. Please contact adviser Warren Kent III at kentw@monashores.net. a publication that is 100 percent color and has a theme that is followed each year. The newsnews paper has gone through similar changes and now includes four pages of color and an on-line edition. “A lot of the yearbooks prior to 1998 had a water theme,” Kent said. “Now, the themes have more to do with the curcur rent school year. The newspanewspa per, in my opinion, was a better publication (than the yearbook) when I got here in 1997-98. So, all I had to do was keep propro gressing.”
page 2 The new editors-inchief, seniors Michelle Robinson and Jonah Stone, discuss what they hope to accomplish this school year. Both are thirdyear staff members.
The yearbook’s 2012 theme is “Then, Now & Later,” which will explore Shores’ past, prespres ent, and future. Senior co-editor-in-chief Trinda Noren said, “When (se(se nior co-editor-in-chief) TayTay lor Smith, Kent, and I met in the summer, we discussed this theme, and Taylor and I really like it. We hope to increase our ad sales and marketing this year so we get more book sales.” Newspaper also has big ideas for its 50th anniversary. These include a story tied to the 50th year in each addition and
Orchestra director Samer Jeroudi replaces Tim Staudacher, who retired at the end of the 2011 school year.
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a “through the past 50 years” booklet that will be published over the summer and can be purchased next fall. “Kent, (senior co-editor-inchief) Michelle Robinson, and I discussed over the summer that we wanted to incorporate this big milestone in each paper,” senior co-editor-in-chief Jonah Stone said. “We also hope for more chances for the public to read our paper.” Kent said he hopes to see the yearbook and newspaper move up the hill with continued hard work and dedication for years to come. “The student body needs to realize that a lot of planning and work goes into each pubpub lication,” Kent said. “These two classes are two of a handhand ful of classes at Shores where student’s work is out there for everyone to see. Most students would not dare to do this.”
page 7 While students were riding their bikes and drinking slushies this summer, some students, like senior Kiron O’Brien, traveled to different countries like South Africa.
The start of a school year means new goals, and the administration plans to see this carried out with the theme, “Together we make a difference.” “We have 36 clubs, and every single one of them was student initiated,” principal Jennifer Bustard said. “These clubs were started because students came up to me and said, ‘I want to start a Math Club’ or ‘I want to start Amnesty International.’ Then, it dawned on me that these clubs and this school work together to make a difference.” Bustard said clubs like Amnesty International, which raised $8,000 for a school in Cambodia last year, inspired her to create the school theme. “It’s not just our school that we make a difference in,” Bustard said. “It’s worldly. Amnesty, for example, made a difference, and that’s what this theme represents, making the best environment and supporting each other in it.” Making a better environment includes the administration’s goal to minimize the school drop-out rate with the Voyager Program (see page 7). “The student drop-out rate is always front and center of the press,“ Bustard said. “What the press does not cover, though, is all the good things about this school like our new program. We are doing everything we can to make school worth coming to so students can walk down the aisle on graduation day and receive their diploma.” Bustard said she hopes the administrators can work together and continue to improve the student drop-out rate in upcoming years. “I ask the seniors every year ‘What legacy do you want to leave behind?’” Bustard said. “We challenge students with this questions so they’ll make the most of the year and strive to make this school and world better together.”
Athletic trainer Heather Harrison is recovering from colon cancer.
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