The Skyline Post Volume 4 | November 2021
Back to School During
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The Skyline Post
Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, As students have returned to school, so has the newspaper geared back up. This year, there have been a few changes. From our humble beginnings as a fledgling club in 2019, we kept meeting during Covid-19, publishing 3 issues and building a website, at a2skylinepost.wixsite.com Now, The Skyline Post is published as part of the curriculum of the new journalism class. We are extremely grateful to Dr. Blais who volunteered to be our official teacher. Due to her leadership, the quality and depth of the writing coming out of the journalism class is dramatically improving. With our new class and our institutional backing from the Skyline administration, our reporting capacity has expanded and we look forward to a bright future, informing and engaging the Skyline community to bridge the gaps among staff, students, and families. As a class we have expanded our investigative reach and look forward to covering the Skyline community with breadth and depth and also serving as an integral part of Skyline’s course offerings. Big thank you to the administration and Dr. Blais. Thank you for reading this year’s first edition of the Skyline Post!
Leyla Williams Leyla Williams
Grace Lee
Elan Kluger
Section Editors News Samantha Towers & Grace Lee Sports Maya Loomis & Onat Ozer & Bella Simonte Lifestyles Waleska Castaneda-Martinez Book Review Olivia Palmbos Tech & College Elan Kluger Arts & Entertainment Gabriel Hill Staff Elsa Weber Collin Michele Miguel Rodriquez Karar Al-Shafey Samantha Towers Drew Dunfee Payton Oleksinski Freya Israelsen Samuel Klein Maya Loomis Patrick Smith Richie Baker Zack Czartoski Bella Simonte Emory Duffy Cody Williams Jane Konigsberg Raven Martin Evan Domanski Gabriel Hill Destiny Smetters Michael Williams Simon Novak Rachel Green Waleska Castaneda Fatma Al-Shafey Laila Nelson Laleh Walker Zak Kratz
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How COVID-19 AfThe Cube Is Empty fects Students at Sky- S a m a n t h a T o w e r s line While the pandemic has Collin Michele
O n e S k y l i n e P o s t j o u rnalist shares his findings from his research on how the return to school in-person from online school has affected the s t u d e n t b o d y.
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affected the whole student body and administration, it has arguably b u r d e n e d t h i s y e a r ’s Seniors the most. At this critical time, while most are getting ready to apply for college, their main resource, the CUBE, has been closed.
Homecoming: “No Worries, it will be Fun” Grace Lee
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic many challenges regarding parties and social events have been brought up. N o w h o w w i l l t h i s y e a r ’s Skyline Homecoming proceed?
Statement of Purpose
Table of Contents
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Getting on trend
Walesk Castaneda-Martinez
Fall is here and so are the trends. With the influence of online school and Covid-19 the fashion industry has seen a rise in the recurrence of trends from the 2000s. Everything ranging from loungew e a r, t h e c o l o r g r e e n , t o denim is in.
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Skyline v.s Huron Homecoming Game Cancellation Bella Simonte
While Homecoming is an essential part of the high school experience, the Homecoming Game also goes hand in hand. This year due to Covid-19 reasons the highly anticipated game was canceled.
The purpose of the Skyline Post is to inform and engage the Skyline community in order to bridge the gaps among staff, studnets, and
News
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Sports
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FA C E B O O K @Skyline Post
Book Reviews
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I N S TA G R A M @skyline_post
Multimedia Features
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Lifestyle
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families
a2skylinepost.wixsite.com
An Eagle Eye On The News
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The Skyline Post
How Covid-19 Affects Students at Skyline Collin Michele A recent Skyline Post survey of 86 current students reveals that a majority of respondents feel Covid-19 has affected their relationships and personal life negatively. The student body faced a difficult time last year and now the return to school brings more challenges. Last year, students were sometimes given no deadlines or easier work, but are coming back to stiff deadlines and harder homework. The Post survey contained questions such as, “Has a year of online school affected your schoolwork coming back?” and “How has not being at school affected your school relationships with teachers and friends? Is it awkward?” Respondents were selected through a convenience sampling method and were collected anonymously. Questions were designed to get a wide variety of answers and produced a lot of interesting information and honest responses. 72.1% of respondents report that schoolwork is difficult but still manageable now that they have returned to in-person school. These reports suggest that the school body is struggling with coming back from online school to normal school but can still handle it. “The schoolwork is overloading and I am having a hard time keeping up with the work,” says one respondent. The survey also collected data about the effect of Covid-19 on students’ personal lives. An anonymous respondent said, “Covid-19 took away the end of my freshman year and all of sophomore
year. I felt like these were essential years in building personal relationships that I, and all others in my grade, lost out on. However, because of sports I was able to supplement some of this. I’m not sure how those without extracurriculars managed.” Other respondents thought that online school was a nice, more relaxed form of school, stating that “Covid really didn’t have an effect on my relationships.” Another respondent noted, “My relationship with my family improved. Covid helped me to celebrate coming back to school more than ever, although the schoolwork load is much more.” The survey included a question, “How has not being at school affected your school relationships with teachers?” Approximately 65% of responses reported that the respondents feel like they don’t know teachers as well last year. One shared, “During virtual school I didn’t really ever meet my teachers.” It is important, another noted, because “[k]nowing [teachers] makes them more approachable.” The survey suggests that students need some time to get used to going back to school and doing homework/tests. Because of the students’ difficult time last year, returning to school has been a bit more of a shock compared to coming back after summer break in past years. AAPS District Superintendent Jeanice Swift acknowledged that this Fall has been “demanding” in her letter to the district about the October 22nd change
to asynchronous learning for Skyline and several other schools. She noted in the letter that one positive of these surprise days away from in-person learning was providing staff and students with “some relief.”
Data from a survey of 86 Skyline students from multiple grade levels Credit Collin Michele
Finding The Truth Behind the Skyline Parking Pass
Samuel Klein Forty dollars. The price of 20 packages of Mariani Premium Yogurt Covered Raisins from Walmart, or one vial of insulin from Canada. When not spending money on life saving medication, or nutritious, life sustaining food, a student driver might spend this money on the annual Skyline parking pass. For the first few weeks of the school year, Skyline students were reminded that they must purchase a parking pass from the financial office in order to park in the student lot. Students like Josh Krukonis, Skyline Senior, started questioning the ethics of parking passes. “It doesn’t make
sense for the price to be so high for a high school student,” said Krokonis. “I don’t even know what the thing is for!” What do parking passes do? Are they really just stickers that limit rear window visibility? Principal Cory McElmeel said, “parking permits [are regulated to] to make sure authorized cars are on campus so that we don’t have cars dumped here and we don’t become a park and ride.” While a few unauthorized cars may seem harmless, allowing unauthorized vehicles into the parking lot can be dangerous. McElmeel stated that “over Covid… I actually had to call the cops
because we had three drift circles going out in our parking lot.” McElmeel explained that for a student to prove that they are “authorized to park on campus” they must pay $40 for a parking pass. A parking pass proves that cars on campus are “authorized.” However, a pass that costs nothing would theoretically do the same job. So, why $40? The parking pass “supports the purchase of various needs for students in poverty, incentives for our PBIS program, campus beautification projects identified by our student body, and other enhancements to the student experience.” McEl-
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meel also said that the pass funds pizza parties and other catered events for school functions even though “food is only a portion of what the funding goes towards.” To determine the price, “we look at the average prices for schools and universities in the region and then we would cut ours by $20 or $40 dollars,” Mr. McElmeel says. “We’re the cheapest parking pass out of any of the Ann Arbor public schools.” According to McElmeel, the school brings in “approximately $10,000” per year from parking passes alone. In order to make sure authorized cars park on campus, parking pass checks must be carried out. Who carries parking pass checks out and how are they conducted? “Community assistants and office professionals do the checks,” McElmeel said. “We do unscheduled, intermittent checks… it’s more like the random lottery of checks, [if we don’t catch you] there, you’re gonna get caught and you’re gonna get reminded and you’re gonna use a pass.” Failure to follow the rules results in punishment: any car without a sticker could get ticketed or towed. When asked
about past incidents of towing or ticketing, Mr. McElmeel said that cars are towed “Pretty infrequently, [but] people comply after they are annoyed.” Skyline students are encouraged to become active in decision-making, especially concerning the allocation or spending of student funding. “I would encourage anyone who has an interest in how that money gets spent to be part of
Grace Lee October 7, 2021 Homecoming: a quintessential high school experience for Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors alike. With the first Homecoming in two years coming up on October 9, the student body has been buzzing with anticipation. However, students are asking many questions on how the event will proceed. Due to restrictions with Covid-19, Skyline students are not allowed to bring guests from other high schools like they normally would. Additionally, this year’s dance will take place outside on the football field. Masks will be recommended but are optional, with a box of masks for those who change their minds. “As we become close to the end of the fall season: a reminder that we are still in a pandemic and the health and safety of our school community are our top priority,” said Delsie Sissoko, Small Learning Community (SLC) Principal for Equality and Academic Innovation at Skyline. “We are asking spectators, including our students, at outdoor venues, to social distance and sit 3 feet apart from one another and encourage everyone to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.”
Moving Homecoming outdoors was a started the intent was to do the event decision made by district leadership. indoors and to have guest forms,” Bezeau “Being outside is a district decision for all said. “I had everything set up but the forthree AAPS high schools, Skyline, Huron, mat changed in response to the Covid-19 and Pioneer,” said Anne Bezeau, head of cases. The time also changed from 8-11pm Student Action Senate to 7-10pm. On tickets it (SAS) and Health and said no refunds or transfers Wellness teacher at Skyline. unless it is canceled due to The reason for no guests Covid-19. If there is weather is that “our student body is related cancelation there a cohort. Only athletes in would also be refunds.” the community who play a “It’s not ideal but it’s a fall sport at Skyline are able good compromise,” Nowak to come as a guest, because responded. “I understand they are around us already. why we want to keep contact All of this is done to deto a minimum. But it’s a crease risk of exposure.” bummer because we want Many students are expressto share experiences with ing their apprehension about friends from other high attending, asking schools, but again it’s underabout the possibility of restandable.”Many students funds, and wondering why aren’t sure what to expect Anne Bezeau organizing the changes were an with Homecoming on the tshirts and materials for nounced after students had football field. This is a Homecoming. already purchased tickets. change for students, adminCredit Grace Lee Skyline’s SAS, in charge of Homecoming, istrators, and staff setting up the event. is juggling the district’s Covid-19 proto“I don’t know what that’s going to be cols with students’ concerns. “Announce- like,” said Nowak. “I wonder if they will ments are as things happen. As school keep the stadium lights on.” In response to
Skyline’s parking lot after a long day of school. Credit Dwight Burdette
the Student Action Senate and give us feedback and input through that,” McEmeel stated. “Our goal is to make sure any kind of funding goes back to where our students would want it.”
Homecoming: “No worries, it will still be fun”
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this question, Sissoko noted that the school has purchased additional lighting, in order to avoid the glare of stadium lights for the dance. “The goal is to try to take what we did inside and make it outside.” said Bezeau, “There will be a DJ, dancing, snacks, tables, and decorations just like how the commons was changed...changing the football field to a party, a festive atmosphere. There will also be surprises. ” Being outside brings a concern of cancellation due to inclement weather. As of now there are no back-up plans. “It’s a district directive: if there’s bad weather, then Homecoming is canceled.” Bezeau said, “There is no plan C.” “Obviously weather isn’t anyone’s fault,” replied Nowak, “But it will be disappointing if we have to cancel because of it.” As of the time of this writing, 3pm on Friday, October 8, the Dark Sky forecast for
NEWS The Skyline Post the evening is partly cloudy with a slight grade level Schoology groups, morning chance of rain. or Skytime announcements, and on Ms. “No worries, it will still be fun,” said Bezeau’s Snapchat, Instagram, and TwitBezeau, “It’s new territory and needs extra ter. And remember: no heels or spikes! consideration. It’s been a hard year and a half for students and staff and we all want normalcy. Even with Covid-19 restraints it will be fun and uplifting.” “The hope is that next year we have a regular dance, and we can invite friends or guests,” said Bezeau, “We might even find some things that we like better this year.” Up to date information on Homecoming and other school events can be found in the Skyline’s drumline marching thorugh the halls to the pep rally. Credit Annie Blais
Being a Staff Kid: What is it Really Like? Payton Oleksinski Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a parent work at your school? Some of the staff kids here will tell you from a bird’s (or rather an Eagle’s eye) view. What is the best thing about being a staff kid? Having a parent in the building is helpful when it comes to knowing the school or being familiar with the curriculum. “It feels nice to have a parent here, especially as a freshman,” Nico Dunbar, Freshman, son of Ross Dunbar, CMPP magnet teacher, explains, “If I have any questions I can ask him.” Wes Lovelace, son of Mike Lovelace, math teacher, says, “He helps me stay organized and on top of things I need to do...He can help me with geometry.”
It also develops strong relationships with a lot of other teachers which is good for communication between staff and students. “I like that I have good relationships with teachers that I don’t have,” explains Emily Greene, daughter of David Greene, math and science teacher. Is there a downside? Students who ride to school with their parent often end up coming to school early and have to stay after school late, often or only for weekly staff meetings on Wednesdays. “I have to get up at 5:30 am every morning. It’s a 40-50 minute drive to school and back home and we have to be at school 20-30 minutes before school starts,” Green explains, “Wednesdays are meetings days so I have to stay longer.” Sometimes, they end up with their parent as their teacher. “[My dad] co-teach-
es my algebra class so it’s strange to have him teaching my class, and everyone in the class knows he’s my dad which is so weird,” says Norah LeCloux, daughter of Michael LeCloux, a teacher, special-education. Do staff kids generally like people to know that their parent works here? “I don’t really care, until sometimes it becomes an issue,” says Ethan McElmeel, son of Principal Cory McElmeel. Occasionally other students try to use their friendship with a staff kid to get additional information about assignments or grades in their parents class. “No, I don’t know your score on the test you took in my Dad’s class,” Greene says. “I can’t help you get a better grade.” Some of the Staff and their kids, who are also students at Skyline, gather on the first day of school for a photo. Credit Meredith Lovelace
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Paper or Tech? Schools Wrestle With Their Resources Andrew Dunfee Now that the online era of school learning has passed, many schools have returned to pencil and paper for educating students. Along with this return, however, many within the district have begun to feel divided about teachers’ use of technology across classes. Now that the district expects A2Exceptional staff to use Schoology, it would seem teachers have transitioned away from paper. However, paper is still in use. This transition creates a debate: paper versus technology, with a slew of differing opinions on which is best. Some students claim paper should be utilized for more “significant” circumstances such as assessments which require complete focus and integrity. On the other hand, others feel that technology should be utilized for assignments and projects. “I believe there’s a place for both of them,” says Collin Michelle, a senior at Skyline High School. “...I fear people will cheat on bigger assessments. But I feel smaller assignments should be technology-based. However, I believe that technology is the better alternative to paper, as it’s less straining on our environment.” Student Samantha Towers, a senior at Skyline High School, notes “there are certain classes I prefer writing notes for. Math, I need paper. For English, I prefer technology.” Technology provides universal access to assignments, however paper seemingly makes it more challenging for
students to cheat on tests. Both of these , an article published school resources harbor very specific by Green GroundsWell, “A paper book, benefits and costs. The consensus amongst magazine, or newspaper is a tangible item students interviewed by The Post seems that you can pick up and hold while you to be a mix of both technology and paper, are reading it. A digital book, magazine, utilized in various forms of learning. or newspaper is an intangible virtual item. “There can be ways to find a balance beThe thing that you touch or hold in your tween paper and technology. Certain ways hand for reading is an electronic device like reusing all of the paper within our like a desktop computer, notebook, tablet, school that has been used once already. e-reader, or smartphone. Unless you read The best thing to balance efficiency and on a uni-tasking e-reader, these devices do eco-friendliness is mixing both.” a lot more than providing reading materi Teachers’ opinions, however, al.” seem to lean more towards paper. Effective ways for learning “I am a big fan of the contincan be debated. Using both tools in the ued use of paper and pencil,” said Ross classroom may be our best bet to provide Dunbar, CMPP magnet teacher. “It works students with the tools they need to learn different parts of your brain, especially on and equip them with new ways of particicreative tasks. I believe it’s a better alterpating in school activities. native to using a digital device due to creative output. Ecologically, I believe most paper is made from sustainable resources.” Technology and paper both have significant impacts on the environment. Both paper and technology have costs on the world’s environment and resources. Lithium is used to produce computers, whilst trees are used to make paper. However, paper and technology are important tools within schools. As Laptop leaning on a stack of homework paper described and detailed by ‘Paper versus Digital Media’Credit Dustin Ramsdell
Students Aren’t Using Their Lockers: Here’s Why Karar Al-Shafey
Do students use lockers? At Skyline, lockers are rarely used by students. “They’re always closed and dark. Left abandoned and alone begging to be opened,” says Freya Israelsen, a Skyline sophomore. Students report they do not know many other students who use lockers. “Most students would rather carry their backpacks than waste time putting them in their lockers,” says Israelsen. Why do students use or not use their lockers?
Picture of the 4th floor fading quietly Credit Karar Al-Shafey
Some athletes put their extra equipment in the lockers to avoid carrying them all day, but many “often don’t have time to go to their lockers because of the short passing time,” says Emory Duffy, a Skyline freshman and football player. Some athletes also
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The Skyline Post
don’t mind carrying their equipment in their backpack. For music equipment, “The school provides extra storage that is often where instruments like: trombones, drums, violins, etc. are left,” says Grace Lee, a Skyline junior. Some students have a hard time opening their lockers because, “the lock is very hard to use, especially if the student has never used a combination lock before,” says Heather Schimmel, 9th grade counselor. “The locks are hard to use at first, then they become easier as students get used to them,” says Israelsen. For the few students who do use their lockers, it is often because students want to avoid carrying heavy bags. “Who’s gonna carry all that stuff on their back?” says Johnnae Foster, a Skyline freshman. Did Covid-19 have an impact on the use of lockers? Covid-19 did have an impact on the use of lockers. With Covid-19 cases rising, people are trying their best to stop the spread. “Students avoid close contact with other students because the lockers are very close to each other. Students also avoid spreading any germs and any viruses through touching the lockers,” says Schimmel.
“Who’s gonna carry all that stuff on their back?”
Photo of an empty locker on the third floor Credit Payton Oleksinski Does the school have too many lockers? “There are enough lockers for the student capacity of the school,” says Cory McElmeel, the Skyline principal. “Most students just don’t have time for their lockers. Passing time is barely enough time to go from class to class,” says a Skyline sophomore. Some students are even assigned lockers on a different floor from most of their classes and would just rather not be late to any class. However, if the school were to try to remove them, “It would cost more to remove them than when they were installed,” McElmeel said.
The CUBE is Empty: What’s Next for the College and Career Center? Samantha Towers
Skyline senior Isabel Wroten (‘22) feels “awful, unprepared, like a baby bird being thrown off of a building and being expected to fly.” The stress of college applications hits its peak during the fall of senior year for most students. Currently, seniors are busy researching schools, visiting campuses, writing essays, and filling out scholarship forms. They are inundated with work and missing support from the place in Skyline designed to help seniors with this process: the CUBE. The CUBE, or the College and Career Center, is a space where juniors and seniors can go to get one-on-one help with posthigh school planning. Unlike most years, where the CUBE is usually overrun with students, this year the CUBE, which is located next to the library on the 3rd floor, is, according toWroten, “most often found dark, locked, and lifeless.” From fall 2019 to spring 2021, Meredith McDevitt was the CUBE advisor. After McDevitt informed HR that she would be leaving the position at the end of the 2021 school year, the hiring process began. “We actually hired somebody back in June,” says Casey Elmore, Integrity/Diversity SLC Principal. Things then took a turn when “they didn’t show up the first couple days of professional development” which typically begins the week before school resumes for students. “They had let Human Resources (HR) know that they had resigned and weren’t coming.” The hiring process is typically lengthy, but “once you
get into the school year, it gets a lot more difficult,” says Elmore, as “many of the highest caliber applicants would have Standardized testing prep books can be already found found collecting dust through the dark winjobs at other dows of the CUBE. Credit Payton Oleksinski schools... We didn’t have a ton of applicants after [the job] got posted,” says Elmore. “So we had to leave [the position] posted a bit longer to collect more. Then we held interviews [on September 17th] ...checked references, and all that.” After that process, the hiring team submitted a recommendation for hire to HR and are hopeful that this applicant will pan out and that there will be someone in the CUBE soon. Elmore explains, “At this point, we are just waiting to hear back from HR to see if the person accepts [the position]... In the meantime, students should talk to their counselor if they need help with the [college] application process.” The lack of access to help through the CUBE has resulted
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The CUBE doors are closed and the lights are off during school hours, leaving students with no “home” for college and careerv support Credit Payton Oleksinski
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in a surplus of work for the counselors: they are filling the role of college and career advisor for their respective students on top of their typical counseling duties. Counselors are always responsible for sending students’ official transcripts out to admissions offices as well as writing counselor recommendations for the majority of seniors on their caseload. However, this year counselors are also responsible for answering students’ college-related questions and guiding students individually through their applications. “I have definitely seen students reaching out more,” says counselor Tiffany Kincaid. “It can be hard for counselors to balance everything.” Despite the added work, counselors are always there to support seniors during this stressful period. They are constantly looking for new ways to communicate with and support students. “We recently started hosting drop-in sessions on Wednesdays in the CUBE,” explains Kincaid. “So far we have had sessions for Q+As and essay help with m2paths,” a student-run organization that provides free college essay help. “But if you need help at a different time, you are always welcome to make an appointment with your counselor.” “The counseling team is welcoming feedback,” says Kincaid, and “would love to hear any ideas students have for how to better help them through the application process.” Be sure to contact your counselor for help in the college application process or if you have any suggestions or other feedback.
A student works on their Common Application, a platform that students can use to apply to more than 900 member colleges/universities. Credit Payton Oleksinski
The Writing Center provides a judgement-free space for support in person and online. All types of writing are welcome, including college essays. Visit skylinewritingcenter.org for more information!
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The Skyline Post
Skyline vs Huron Homecoming Game Cancellation Stemmed from Covid-19 Concerns Bella Simonte
Whether you are an avid fan of the homecoming dance, a raging contrarian, or a neutral bystander who just feels comfort in knowing they have the choice to attend, no one can deny that the homecoming football game is a part of Skyline. Especially having been deprived of this tradition in 2020, this year felt particularly important to the seniors: this homecoming game would be their last. Unfortunately, they never got the victory the season had been leading up to because the Skyline vs. Huron varsity football game was cancelled just hours before kick off. What is still unclear for most of the Skyline community is how the decision came to be and how it affected the team. According to official announcements, Covid-19 was the driving factor behind the forfeit. Blame has been placed on both teams by students at both schools. However, both varsity teams had players test positive for Covid-19. Canceling the game “was a difficult decision,” Principal Cory McElmeel says, “but one that was necessary for the safety of the team.” On the Skyline team, positive Covid-19 tests on Friday before the parade led 10 players and coaches to get tested in Athletic Director Robert Wellman’s office. Wellman says, “it took a long time to do contact tracing, but it helped us find out who we needed to quarantine.” All of their tests came back negative, but unvaccinated athletes had to quarantine. The loss of four of their key players required that Skyline forfeit.
Empty football stadium after Friday game cancellation Credit Bella Simonte
Pulling up players from the JV team was not an option, as most of them had played a full game the day prior and MHSAA rules prevent athletes from playing more than 5 quarters in a row within a week. Junior Erik Parrott says though the cancelation stemmed from Covid-19 related issues, it was simply “not hav[ing] enough players” that caused both schools’ coaches and administrators to decide to withdraw from the game. Forfeiting the game was obviously a huge loss for the Skyline team, especially the seniors who hadn’t played Huron since 2019 and would never play them again. When asked to comment on rumors that the team was glad they didn’t have to play Huron, Parrott said, “Both myself and the team as a whole were extremely excited to play Huron.” Skyline Seniors as a whole seemed to feel the weight of the loss. “It was disappointing to have the homecoming game cancelled,” said senior Onat Ozer, “but the health of the players is
what’s most important.” Fortunately, the team has bounced back and “still went out in the parade and had a great time.” They finished the season off with a great attitude and drive for success that will direct the team’s ambitions for next year’s homecoming game. As seniors William Gardner, Nicholi Eliaszewicz, Hunter Schultz, and Yannik Berg graduate, they pass down the torch to upcoming juniors Erik Parrot, Tommy Fry, Carson Mitchell, and Ish Abdulaziz to continue the team’s legacy.
Credit CDC
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Outbreaks, guidelines, and cancelations: Skyline football perseveres through COVID-19 Onat Ozer and Maya Loomis
Credit Jacob Hamilton
As a contact sport, football has arguably been one of the activities most impacted by Covid-19. Despite this, the Skyline football team was able to safely practice during a global pandemic for the entire season. “Not one football player caught [Coronavirus] during the 2020 season,” says Robert Wellman, athletic director of Skyline. Managing to start the football season during the heat of the pandemic required many precautions and regulations. Skyline had to coordinate with the Washtenaw health department, school district, and the MHSAA, according to Skyline principal Cory McElmeel. This led to many strict rules. “Players had to wear masks while practicing and in games,” says Wellman. Players also had to drink from their own water bottles and play their games in empty stands. But their efforts paid off: the Skyline football team was one of the only high school football programs that was able to successfully complete its entire 2020 season without catching a single Covid-19 case. In contrast, there were outbreaks within the Saline and Huron football teams, according to Wellman.
Skylinecoach Andrew Sorgatz and his players stand together in a huddle wearing masks. Credit Jacob Hamilton
Empty stands were the norm throughout the entire 2020 season. Credit Jacob Hamilton
However, these precautions came at a cost. “Practice was much harder because it was very difficult to breathe through a mask. [Also] the games didn’t really feel real without fans, they felt more like a scrimmage,” says junior Tommy Fry. “Adjusting to playing with a mask wasn’t a problem for me, but having to wear masks during the team dinner was weird,” adds senior Marco Geglio. Furthermore, the strict pandemic rules enforced by AAPS caused the Skyline football team to start its 2020 season three weeks later than the other high school programs, giving them less time to prepare for the season. Now that we’re in the 2021 season, vaccinations have risen and Covid -19 cases have dropped from their peak. The Washtenaw health department and the AAPS athletic department have accordingly relaxed their guidelines. For the first time since 2019, our football team was able to play and practice maskless, and attend games with fully packed bleachers. Whether or not the recent team outbreak during Homecoming weekend will change these precautions remains unknown.
AAPS October/Homecoming Month COVID-19 Statistics as seen on the A2Schools website. Credit AAPS
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The Skyline Post
The Booming Voice of Skyline Athletics: Nick Nowatkze Patrick Smith
The voice of Nick Nowatzke, Skyline’s very own sportscaster, is one of the most recognizable in the Skyline community. His commentary never fails to put a smile on spectators’ faces, home or away fans alike. Nowatzke’s zeal and passion for announcing are evident in his words. However, many fans don’t know the man inside the press box. What got you into announcing, especially for Skyline? In 2014, Nowatzke graduated from The University of Toledo with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. In 2017, he received his Certification for Public Address Announcing. After graduating, he reached out to local high schools for opportunities to announce. Skyline gave him that opportunity and Nowatzke feels “beyond blessed.” Besides Skyline, he also covers games at Oakland Community College, Olivet College, and Cleary University, the Detroit Dodgers (a Semi-Pro Women’s Basketball team), and the Detroit Hooligans (a Semi-Pro Men’s Box Lacrosse team). How did not having fans at last season’s games affect your announcing? In 2020, fans were not allowed at a majority of games during the season. Nowatzke missed the cheering of the fans at games while announcing. However, he was happy to be able to get back out there. He notes “The show must go on!” What is your favorite sport to cover and why? “I love announcing all sports,” Nowatzke says. However, he has a soft spot for football. He grew up in a football family, with his brothers, uncle, cousins, and dad all playing at some point in time. His dad, Tom Nowatzke, even played professional- Nick Nowatkze wearing his Skyline gear ly in the NFL, for the Detroit Lions from 1965-1970, and the then Credit Nick Nowatkze Baltimore Colts from 1970-1973. He was the 11th Overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft, out of Indiana University. In Super Bowl V, he scored the game-tying touchdown, propelling his team to Is there anything else Skyline students should know about victory over the Dallas Cowboys. you? Always in an energetic and happy mood, Nowatzke’s What was your favorite announcing moment? “heart and soul” are with Skyline Athletics. Having attended high During the 2021 soccer season, Nowatzke’s favorite school in Saline, these games are always a blast to cover for him moment was on September 21st, when JV and Varsity soccer due to the intense rivalry between the two schools. Aside from both got big wins over Monroe during a torrential downpour of sports, Nick is passionate about his family and friends. He loves rain. He also loves announcing games on Senior Night and home them very dearly, and is very considerate of all people around playoff games. The atmosphere of these games is always awehim. some, and he loves hearing the home fans cheering “loud and proud.” Sending off our Seniors is always a bittersweet moment for Nowatzke.
What do you do to pass the time? Any hobbies? Nowatzke keeps himself busy by working out, spending time with family and friends, and watching sports on TV. He also loves outdoor activities, especially fishing and tubing. Nowatzke notes he enjoys vacationing, “especially Florida.” While there, he loves to be on the beach and in the pool.
November 2021
SPORTS
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Coach B’s Retirement From Full Time Lifting Coach Yields New Adaptations For Skyline Sports Bella Simonte
Skyline Crew team doing medicine ball throws during Thursday practice Though many athletes will miss his “painfully effective” workouts, lifting coach Brandon Bedinger or “Coach B” made the decision this year to move on to pursue his career as a firefighter and spend more time with family. Outside school, Coach B spends most of his time “at the firehouse or with [his daughter] Simone.” Simone just started ballet and hip hop classes and will have a very busy schedule this year. His “powerful presence” in the weight room “will be missed,” says one Skyline athlete. Here’s how Skyline sports teams are adapting without him. BASKETBALL Mike Lovelace, 9th grade geometry teacher and coach to the men’s basketball team, has been leading the Skyline team since the school first opened in 2008. He’s worked with Coach B for almost the entirety of his time with the team and says he knows Coach B’s “gotta do what he’s gotta do,” but it doesn’t change the fact he and the rest of the team still “miss him tremendously.” Their season doesn’t start until November 15th, but they “had not been able to get into the gym/weight room for over a year” and need the extra training. Lovelace noted that before Coach B was ever an entity at this school, the athletes would “often get injured” and be unable to play. Since Bendinger has been in the picture, he’s worked with the team on coordination and muscle building which has decreased injuries on the team significantly. Having the seniors and juniors work with Coach B on technique in previous years has allowed them to coach the underclassmen and continue pre-season lifting. Though it’s been nice for Lovelace to be able to rely on the upperclassmen, he knows things will change during the season; he hopes Skyline will hire a third party athletic trainer to come in on Wednesdays and Saturdays for extra lifting and recovery stretching. The season is fast approaching and Lovelace knows the team still has a lot of practicing to do, but is “optimistic about the work the athletes have been putting in.”
CREW Unlike other sports, the Crew Team practices year round and lifts in both fall and winter. They relied heavily on Coach B for practices twice a week for two thirds of the year, so it was important they find an alternative method quickly. Luckily, two of their assistant coaches, Cinta De Almeida and Ronnie Cantrell, both have a background in weight training and were able to step in. Information as to what the team will do come winter is unknown. Senior Lillian Losinski is “grateful that [they] have coaches who can lead lifting so that [they] can continue.” As one of the people who has spent the most amount of time on the team with Coach B, Losinski says “it definitely feels different...since [he’s] always had a lot of hype energy.” To go from seeing Coach B twice a week to only seeing him around the halls, was a “big adjustment for the team to make.” But the Crew Team continue, to make progress and strides in the weight room, as shown by their win of overall points at their recent Head of The North regatta. SWIM Practicing twice a day, 5 days a week, the most out of any Skyline sport, the swim and dive team can rest easy knowing that they have a strong coaching staff for support. The team’s current plans are reliant on intermittent support from Coach B and lifting a couple days a week with their assistant coach Lindsey Balazar, a schedule which junior Erika Sauld says “will probably stay the same.” It’s unclear if Coach B’s current role as volunteer trainer for the swim team will become permanent, but for the near future he’s serving as an aide. When asked which of the two coaches’ workouts were harder, Sauld thinks both are relatively “the same difficulty. Though, [they] definitely do more cardio and less weight driven things without Coach B.” Coach B’s motivation in the weight room stands as Skyline’s expectations for grit and perseverance. No coach or trainer could ever be a replacement, but it’s an encouraging sign that teams are finding successful alternatives in his absence.
Credit Bella Simonte
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SPORTS
The Skyline Post
Player Spotlight: Skyline Senior Sam Alpern
Richie Baker “I’ve always looked forward to playing Skyline soccer and after 4 years it’s been everything I’ve dreamed of and then some,” said Sam Alpern, a senior on the Skyline Eagles Varsity boys soccer team as well as the Varsity Hockey team. Sam gets the Eagle of Excellence spotlight for his character and poise on and off the field and ice. When he’s not competing in a sport Sam participates in clubs, volunteers in the community, and spends time with friends and family. Recently, Sam founded and now leads the Skyline Athletes Mental Health Awarness Club. Sam is known for his determination especially on the soccer pitch. He plays with a gritty style that shows off his hockey background. Sam and the Eagles are currently taking on districts and hoping to keep their season going. Despite being off to a great start this year, senior year is just a small piece of Sam’s Skyline journey. In 2018, his freshman year, Sam burst onto the high school scene becoming one of the two select freshmen to make the JV squad. “It was scary at first because it was my first season at Skyline and I only knew one kid on the team,” Alpern said, “but all of the upperclassmen were welcoming so the transition to high school soccer was pretty smooth.” Heading into his sophomore season, Alpern kept grinding and showed no quit, fighting for playing time on a star studded Varsity team that became Skyline’s first ever team to go undefeated and win the state title. “My favorite memory is having an undefeated season for my sophomore year. It was a great experience and I learned a lot from it” said Alpern. Junior year, Sam along with others had many questions and concerns surrounding how Photo credit Terry Jacob sports would be played during Covid-19 or if they would play at all. The Eagles ended up taking the pitch in 2020, albeit masked up. “We had to be in better condition than ever because the masks made it difficult to breathe when playing,” said Alpern. Junior year was also important to Sam because it’s when he realized the impact Skyline Soccer has truly had on his life.” Skyline has not only trained me in soccer but they have also taught me to be a good person and other important life lessons. Skyline is different from other programs because we’re all so close.” Said Alpern. Even though the season ended with a 2-1 loss to Saline in the district final, Sam still has fond memories of his junior season as a way to escape in a year of containment. Coming back to this season Alpern and the Eagles are currently 13-3-4. “We are trying to reach states this year. Most of our team is seniors, so it’s everyone’s goal, not just mine,” said Alpern. There is no doubt Sam and other seniors on the team remember the glory from their state title run just two years ago. Skyline is a favorite to make it out of the district although they will have to go through Ann Arbor Pioneer, a cross town rival who tied the Eagles twice in their last two meetings. Alpern says he is 100% focused on finishing the season on a high note. When asked about plans after his senior year, Alpern said, “I’m not really looking to play soccer after high school unless an offer comes up that’s impossible to turn down.” Though his Skyline career ends with the conclusion of the season there is no doubt he will walk away with countless lessons and memories that will stay with him forever.
Photo credit Izzy Wroten
EAGLES OF EXCELLENCE Students who we think deserve a shout out! DM us on Intagram @skyline_post to be featured!
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November 2021
Average GPA and test scores recommended for admission for colleges and universities in Michigan sources collegeadmissionscores.com and prepscholar.com
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BOOK REVIEWS
The Skyline Post
On January 20, 2021 the United States, Kamala H youngest inaugural poet tha Even prior to the inaugurati Youth Poet Laureate of the U and racial equality and the f underserved youth. In 2021, she was sel Climb.” Proudly taking the podium, that Amanda Gorm “The Hill We Climb trials our country has experi using rich imagery and clev phors, and description that G the years of 2020-2021. It’s no secret that 20 regarding mask mandates an by a police officer in Minne aiming to stop the electoral of our country’s past, presen tug on any current-day Ame “We’ve seen a force cy,” Gorman recites, in rega “We’ve learned that quiet is recent confrontation of syste Being able to see Am desperately need: validation notes our nation’s journey a However, what I find man notes the division with our future that isn’t gloomy, will rise from the gold-limn “We will rise from the wind We will rise from the lake-r baked South!” Gorman believes tha stronger than ever. She lets possibly prevail over catastr over us?” Whether you are a w seeking to appreciate clever a short, manageable read - t time but still manages to co are looking for, “The Hill W
Review: “The Hill We Climb” Gorman’s Love Letter to the Wordsy an Olivia Palmbos
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November 2021
1, the nation sat glued to their television, watching history unfold: Joe Biden was inaugurated as 46th President of Harris was inaugurated as the first female Vice President, and twenty-two-year-old Amanda Gorman became the at the nation has ever seen. ion, Gorman was a highly accomplished poet. The Harvard graduate of the class of 2020 became the first National US in 2017; before that, she was the youth poet laureate for Los Angeles. Gorman is also an activist for gender founder and executive director of One Pen, One Page, an organization that provides free writing programs for
lected to recite at President Biden’s inauguration, where she awed the country with her poem, “The Hill We podium, Gorman recited her piece with a ringing confidence, voice exuberant and smooth. It was there, on that man brought the nation her visions, hopes, and dreams. b” is a short read, but the book’s impact is still profound. In just a few pages, Gorman manages to illustrate the ienced over the past years and points the reader toward a picture of hope for the future. It is beautifully written, ver wordplay that makes the writing flow. But what really makes this poetry great is not the alliteration, metaGorman utilizes: it’s how Gorman has created not only a work of art, but also a piece of history that immortalizes
020 and 2021 were eventful. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, tensions around the country were high, particularly nd shut-downs. Tensions increased when George Floyd, an African-American, was murdered on May 25, 2020 eapolis, sparking protests nationwide. Two weeks before the inauguration, the Capitol was raided by angry rioters college vote. All of these events and more are alluded to in Gorman’s poem. “The Hill We Climb” is a narrative nt, and future, and, because of this, I found I could connect with it personally; it’s a relatable read that is sure to erican’s heartstrings. e that would shatter our nation rather than share it / would destroy our country if it meant delaying democraards to the Capitol Riots on January 6. Later, she acknowledges our country’s historic year again by saying that sn’t always peace / and the norms and notions of what ‘just is’ / isn’t always justice,” referencing US citizens’ emic racism in our country. merica’s struggles in Gorman’s poetry gives citizens something they n. Gorman sees our country’s struggles and acknowledges them. She and lets us know that our story will not go untold. d to be the most impactful portion of this poem is its ending. Gorhin our country but still manages to see hope; she offers a vision for y, and, through her poetry, she makes her vision America’s, too. “We ned hills of the West!” Gorman proclaims to the people of the US. dswept Northeast, where our forefathers first realized revolution! / rimmed cities of the Midwestern states! / We will rise from the sun-
at America can recover; that we can come back from these tragedies the country know this: “So while once we asked: How could we rophe? / Now we assert: How could catastrophe possibly prevail
worrier looking hope in this dark time, or an aspiring poet who is r wordplay, I would highly recommend “The Hill We Climb.” It’s the perfect length and material for a busy student with limited free onvey a deeper message. No matter what sort of reading material you We Climb” is for you.
nd the Worrier
Amanda Gorman, inaugural poet and author of “The Hill We Climb.” Credit Penguin Random House
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BOOK REVIEWS
The Skyline Post
Prisoner B-3087: Boy Stripped Of His Freedoms, Forc Rachel Green
Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz is a novel based on the true story of Yannek Gruener, a little boy who is taken fro Poland in 1939 when it gets invaded by Nazis. It’s his story of how he becomes a man while imprisoned in 10 different c years. No one was meant to survive the death camps, but Yannek decides that he must survive and has to do whatever is pen. As unimaginably harsh, grueling days pass by, it gets closer to the end- closer to liberation. Will Yannek see the day die a prisoner? I personally loved this book. Though it’s sad, there are happy times. It’s well-written, descriptive, and it allows y It keeps you on your toes, making you always wonder what he’s going to do next to survive, or if he will get caught. The even though anyone who didn’t experience this couldn’t possibly know what it was like to be persecuted for being a Jew of what Jews went through during this time. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the H more about it or someone who wants a closer look at what really happened in the camps. So many obstacles for a young boy to maneuver around - death marches, roll call, starvation, work assignments, in the wrong spot at the wrong time, you were dead. If a guard’s eyes landed on you, you were beaten or killed for no rea you were a Jew. “If I had known what the next six years of my life were going to be like, I would have eaten more. I wou brushing my teeth, or taking a bath, or going to bed at eight o’clock every night. I would have played more. Laughed mo parents and told them I loved them. But I was ten years old, and I had no idea of the nightmare that was to come. None o I like this book because it’s so personal. You see Yannek grow up and go through many trials. His attitude, his ou tion. You can learn so much from this boy. “It was easy to think the worst of humanity when all I saw was brutality and s showed me there was still good in the world, even if I rarely saw it.” It’s evident that what didn’t kill Yannek made him s eryone around him collapsed within the sharp grasp of death. Everyone he ever knows and loves gets murdered for being Even in times when Yannek is close to giving up, he plods on - a quality I greatly admire. His character, thoughts, and m ence is what makes this book worth reading. “I told myself I would not fall down the hole. I would climb out again. The and I was going to be there to welcome them when they got here.” Yannek was constantly surrounded by demise; he watched his friends and family get ripped away from his life an black pool of death. “I started to cry, the first tears I had shed since Moshe died. Why had I worked so hard to survive if like this? If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered. I would have let them kill me back in the ghetto. It would have been had done was for nothing.” Yannek had to be stronger, he had to keep fighting. “’We are alive,’ I told him. ‘We are alive, We cannot let them tear us from the pages of the world.’” Yannek has to take risks and do whatever it takes to make it ou the same. But he has to learn how to be a nobody, how to look older than what he is, how to make it appear that he is stro hard without being noticed, and how to keep going and not give up.
“But we have only one purpose now: survive. Survive at all costs, Yanek. We cannot let these monsters tear us from the pages of the world.”
I recommend this for a g ested in the Holocaust and wants fictional, Yannek’s thoughts and story follows Yannek the whole Yannek had to do to survive this look on the Holocaust. The auth Yannek and kept note of the thou had throughout the Holocaust. T deep. I also found the style of w Gratz has a way with describing the horrors vividly. His style of w sonal, it was like I knew Yannek nitely recommend Prisoner B-30 to learn more, and read of a pers Holocaust.
Boy photo by Michae photonica/getty im
November 2021
ced To Become A Prisoner In A Death Camp
om his home in Krakow, concentration camps over 6 necessary to make that hapy when he is free? Or will he
you to connect with Yannek. e story was engaging and w, it lets you see little pieces Holocaust and wants to learn
sickness, guards. If you were ason other than the fact that uldn’t have complained about ore. I would have hugged my of us did.” utlook on life, his determinaselfishness, and these people stronger. He trudged on. Evg a Jew, yet he keeps going. mindset through this experie Allies were getting closer,
nd thrown into the greedy it was always going to end n easier that way. All that I , and that is all that matters. ut and possibly help others do ong and healthy, how to work
good read, to anyone inters to learn more. Though it is d experiences are real. This way; it shows you what s experience. It’s not a general hor, Alan Gratz interviewed ughts and feelings Yannek The story is very specific and writing wonderful to read. g the scenes, the people, and writing is so specific and perk, and we were friends. I defi087 to someone who wants sonal experience through the
el Frost Wall Photo C Jonathan Kantor/ mages cover design by Natalie C. Sousa
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BOOK REVIEWS
The Skyline Post
Why Historian Arthur Schlesinger Still Elan Kluger
A prepa NBC Tel
“Lauren Bacall hailed me excitedly at one point and beckoned me over. I went. She said, her voice quivering wit you read Walter Lippmann’s column this morning?’” One would expect Lauren Bacall, the famed actress, to only discuss politics with fellow movie stars. But the Arth over to, the Arthur she would call a friend, was Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a Harvard professor of history, and later assistant Schlesinger, a unique figure, thrived in the world of politics. But he also thrived in the world of academia, writing numer shape his field: American intellectual history. “It seems to me that right from the time that he was an undergraduate at Harvard, he was thinking about what is t somebody who was an intellectual, and somebody who is to some degree engaged with the exercise of power,” notes Ric Schlesinger: The Imperial Historian. “And he recognized that those two things were not the same. And he was fascinated between the two.” On its face, Schlesinger’s second book The Age of Jackson, published at age 28, had little to do with practical po On the first few pages and last page Schlesinger quotes Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speeches. Drawing a positive portra Schlesinger also sought to tie their legacy to Roosevelt’s, by aligning Jackson’s class struggle with Roosevelt’s New Dea it is both an ideological and historical study. The book is a specific and brilliant study of the Jacksonian era, its thesis a reinterpretation of the Jacksonian mov in the election of Andrew Jackson as President in 1828. To Schlesinger, the Jacksonian movement was about class struggle. Since the founding of the country, the Federa had sought to maintain its economic control through various institutions, most notably in Jackson’s mind, the national ba his followers were representative of a successful attack on those who held economic control of the US. While Jackson is more on his movements’ intellectual, literary, and economic antecedents and effects. Schlesinger’s book won the Pulitze It reshaped the study of antebellum America, and remains pertinent to . Just as Schlesinger sought to draw a strai increasing income inequality, a Jacksonian movement appears more desirable. The book is also a thrill to read. It is written with a rare verve and an eye for narrative. While still sticking to hist page, he describes President John Quincy Adams: “As his pen began to scratch across the paper, the lamp, its oil low, fla they sat in darkness.”
When an interviewer asked whether I did not consider Nixon a tragic figure, I added, probably unfortunately, ‘I don’t think there is anything very tragic about him. He is a very lucky man living out his days in luxury when he ought to be in the federal penitentiary.’ - Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
The Age of Harvard. After som cessful presidential as ambiguous as it s nedy administration even in the incredib back to the White H pressions and thing everyone drifts awa there? He is shown Published in is brilliant and hum representatively abo consider Nixon a tra man living out his d The historia Journals remain fre His writing the archives either i flawless first drafts 14 years afte history, his work re It is fair to s Schlesinger Jr., the
November 2021
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Matters
young Arthur Schlesinger Jr., aring for a television program. levision: Wikimedia Commons
th feeling, ‘Arthur, did
hur that she was calling to John F. Kennedy. rous volumes that would
the relationship between chard Aldous, author of d with the intersection
olitics and the real world. ayal of the Jacksonians, al programs. In that sense
vement which culminated
alist party and their heirs ank. Andrew Jackson and s in the title, the focus is er Prize. ight line between Jackson and Roosevelts’ economic battles, so does the current reader understand that in an age of
torical facts, he draws a novelistic portrait of an age that can often be hard to relate to. For instance, on the opening ared for a moment, then flickered out. Mr. Adams sat in the gray light. It was no year for righteous men: everywhere
Jackson made Schlesinger famous. It sold extremely well and Schlesinger was offered a tenure-track professorship at me years at Harvard, Schlesinger made his way intogovernment, writing speeches for both of Adlai Stevenson’s unsucruns. Schlesinger served in the John F. Kennedy administration as the “special assistant to the president,” which was sounds with no defined set of roles. Aldous argues that Schlesinger was there to make sure that the history of the Kenn would be written favorably. Schlesinger was not writing a book during his time in government. “It’s very striking that ble agony of those hours after the assassination in Dallas, that a number of people talk about Kennedy’s body coming House and Schlesinger walking around and having his little note cards and kind of jotting down his thoughts and his imgs that people, people had said.” Aldous told me. “So he was already thinking about the book that he would write. Then ay from the White House and his friend Dick Goodwin goes to Schlesinger’s home and what does he find when he gets into the study and Schlesinger is already at his typewriter.” Schlesinger was always thinking about the next book. n the year of his death, Journals: 1952-2000 serves as an excellent complement to Aldous’s biography. The writing itself morous. He writes with insight on personal relations, telling the story of his times meeting Marilyn Monroe. He writes out Richard Nixon moving into the house across from him in the ‘80s: “When an interviewer asked whether I did not agic figure, I added, probably unfortunately, ‘I don’t think there is anything very tragic about him. He is a very lucky days in luxury when he ought to be in the federal penitentiary.’” ans who work on the Jacksonian era have moved on from The Age of Jackson but the writing remains readable. The esh. skill was extraordinary, Aldous says: “His first drafts very often appear flawless to the casual reader but…if you go to in the John F. Kennedy library or his personal papers in the New York public library, you can see that actually these then go through 5, 6, 7, 8, sometimes 9 new drafts. ” er his death, 104 after his birth, Schlesinger still engages. His writing glows, his narratives engross. And like all good eminds us of the present day, and allows for a greater understanding of our own world. say that from generation to generation, books do not last, unless something extraordinary was written. With Arthur extraordinary happened.
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MULTIMEDIA FEATURES
The Skyline Post
Radiohead’s “If You Say The Word”: Track Review Evan Domanski
Radiohead’s incredibly influential album KID A celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Their album Amnesiac also turned 20 on June 5, 2021. With these albums’ similarities and both anniversaries arriving so close together, fans were eager to see if Radiohead would do anything for the occasion. In September, an answer finally arrived. On September 7, 2021, Radiohead announced on Twitter that they would be releasing a collection on November 5 containing Kid A and Amnesiac as well as a new album: Kid Amnesiae. Kid Amnesiae was “a memory palace of half-remembered, half-forgotten sessions & unreleased material,” they said. Also on September 7, Radiohead released a teaser track from Kid Amnesiae on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services, called “If You Say The Word.” Listening to the song, it’s clear it is in a different style than most of the songs off of KID A or Amnesiac. It’s much more acoustically focused than anything on those albums, with a jazzy, swung drum groove and high-pitched guitar line. It’s clear why this song was never released on KID A or Amnesiac. The use of panning on this track is notable. Radiohead doesn’t typically use panning to such a magnitude. However, on this track the guitar is panned all the way to the left channel. This helps the guitar really stand out among the deeply layered rhythm section, and distinctly sets this song apart in their discography. This is a very interesting song, even for Radio head’s standards. When the song finally swells into the chorus, Radiohead’s signature harmony becomes immediately apparent, as the bassline harmonizes with the lead singer Thom Yorke’s voice and reveals a dramatic, bluesy, chord progression only Radiohead could have used to such great effect. The chorus is climatic, powerful, and beautiful all at once. After the chorus, a signature of the KID A era emerges: a whispered, high pitched, reverberating synthesizer. The synth is slightly panned to the right channel, contrasting the guitar, and echoing the chord progression established in the chorus, providing a bit of closure.
Overall, the song is very solid. At the same time, it sounds like a song from Amnesiac, and yet it is distinctly diff erent from every other song they’ve released. If any other song was comparable, it would be their song “Kinetic ‘’ off of the Pyramid Song EP, released prior to Amnesiac. The only real similarity is the rhythm section, which was sampled from Miles Davis’ Miles Runs The Voodoo Down. “If You Say The Word ‘’ is a fantastic taste of what’s to come for this collection of unreleased songs. I anticipate that Kid Amnesiae will consist of more acoustically focused songs that wouldn’t fit in on KID A or Amnesiac. Fans of the electronic style of those albums, should not be worried. There will likely be many songs off of the new album that fit that style. The songs are from the KID A era, after all.
Overall Score:
November 2021
MULTIMEDIA FEATURES
23
quinn (p4rkr) From Making Music In To Being Heard Her Bedroom Around The World Drive-By Lullabies Album Review Raven Marin
“Without a doubt, quinn’s new album is one of the most important albums of this year,” tweeted artist Harmful Logic on Twitter. This one tweet itself summarizes the strong influence of quinn’s newest album, “Drive-By Lullabies.”
BIOGRAPHY quinn is a transgender artist, vocalist, producer, guitarist, DJ, photographer, and filmmaker from Baltimore, Maryland. She started her career in 2018 making music under the alias “yungxst”. Part of the collective “Access Denied” which includes underground legends such as LXXIV, citrate, Kashimotu, XATASHI, she primarily made trap metal, a fusion genre between heavy metal and rap. The vocalists usually screams over trap beats that are infused with guitars and other elements from traditional metal. Over time this genre has started to fade in popularity which has led many of the artists to shift their careers in new directions. In 2019 she shifted to making hyperpop/digicore under the alias “p4rkr”. Her producing talent really started to take shape with the release of several hits: “jealousy is a bitch. i hate her,” “i don’t want that many friends in the first place,” “mbn,” and “serialkilled”. She also started DJing under the alias “l4ries” (now “rifleman”), posting music compilations, flips, and other types of song edits to this side SoundCloud page. These name changes point towards quinn’s ever-evolving music career. During the summer of 2020, her music started gaining more traction, along with this the genre of hyperpop was growing as a whole. After coming out, she changed her name from “p4rkr” to “osquinn” to represent the change of her legal name. She joined the collective Helix Tears, founded by fellow hyperpop artist blackwinterwells. Fast forward to 2021, quinn made the decision to start two more side projects under the names of “girl22” and “user-574126634”. girl22 would later be changed to “trench.” Both aliases focus more on quinn’s production skills, taking elements from lofi, vaporwave, EDM, and other underground genres to compose intricate and groundbreaking pieces. “girl22” is composed solely of instrumental tracks while “user-574126634” has mostly vocals. Earlier this year,
quinn working on her song “it molds where it doesn’t dry correctly”
quinn announced that she would be retiring the “osquinn” alias and moving on to her new project “cat mother”. This new project would combine elements of all her previous projects. She deleted all previous osquinn/p4rkr songs on SoundCloud and released several albums under her new name. On August 14th quinn announced that she was releasing a new album with a promotional video, around this time she also changed the name of her “cat mother” project to just “quinn”. The album was finally released on September 17 and was received very positively by her fans and music critics. Restarting her career from scratch opened a pandora’s box of possibilities for how the album could sound. “Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect,” said phixel, a vocalist and producer who has worked with quinn before. “I had known quinn wanted to get into the experimental territory and abandon the hyperpop stuff. But I didn’t know exactly what to expect.” The album cover gives clues: quinn is seen holding what looks to be a DJ controller over her face while standing in her room. The low lighting combined with lack of fancy effects and eye-popping colors seen on many album covers today signals to the listener that this album was primarily selfmade and alternative. ALBUM REVIEW The intro track, titled “The World Is Ending Soon”, the beginning of the track almost sounds like a low growing sound combined with robotic squeaks, followed by quinn singing about relationship problems with an unnamed person: “I’ll be your nothing, something or your forever nothing.” The next two songs that stand out are “can you really blame me for how i react” and “coping mechanism.” Both perfectly represent the direction quinn has been taking with
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MULTIMEDIA FEATURES
her music: simple yet emotion-filled instrumentals. The bit crushed vocals remind me of other artists such as “wubz” and “dante red” (a side project by fellow hyperpop artist “ericdoa”). “coping mechanism” was the only song released before the album and was featured with an indie style music video. The song “birthday girl” stands out more than any other song, beginning with a distorted drum sound effect and transitioning into soft piano accompanied by chirping birds. In the distance you can hear a couple arguing about their marriage, a sample taken from a video titled “Parents Arguing” uploaded by YouTube user “Kyandii” in April 2018. You can also hear the sound of pages turning, a pencil scratching a piece of paper, and a car rushing by. This song paints the picture for the listener of a young child sitting alone in their room on their birthday, listening to their parents arguing. The song concludes with a man describing the risk of suicide when someone is depressed. Possibly the sounds of a pencil scratching on a piece of paper is the “birthday girl” writing her suicide note. 12/25/18 has to be one of my favorite songs on this entire project. The sample is taken from a Lissie song titled “Pursuit Of Happiness.” quinn recorded the freestyle at a friend’s house in November of 2018. The sample with hard-hitting instrumentals and pitched-down vocals reminds me of early era SoundCloud music. This style was especially popular with rappers such as $uicideBoy$, Night Lovell, Black Kray (Sickboyrari), and many others. The final two songs to highlight are “it molds where it doesn’t dry correctly” and “school days.” In the first song, quinn combines guitar instrumentals with a steady drum kick. Accompanying these instrumentals is an electronic drone sound that follows the pitch and rhythm of quinn’s
The Skyline Post
singing. quinn sings about a partner that has since changed their perspective on quinn. “school days” without a doubt is my favorite song not only on this entire album but also out of quinn’s entire discography. It begins with quinn softly playing the guitar with the background foley of cars rushing by. After the sound of the cars fades into the distance, quinn tells the story of a failed relationship, blaming herself for being the cause of its decline. She tries to tell herself that she was a great person, but she deep down that she was the one in the wrong. CONCLUSION The direction that quinn chose to take with “driveby lullabies” is drastically different from the sound that she is most known for. With the introduction of her new side alias and overall direction, I’m very excited to experience what work she has planned. Asked whether quinn should continue with this new sound, journalist Noah Simon, writer for the Sparky blog and creator of the documentary “Hyperpop Origins,” said, “I think it would be sweet! I’d also like to see her push her sound even further. Given how much music she listens to I expect her to incorporate new influences into her work and evolve her style to new places.” I would give this album an 8.5 out of 10. Some of the songs were not exactly something I’m enthusiastic about listening to on their own. But as a cohesive composition, each song does each other service.
Overall Score:
How Was the Yearbook Crea
Freya Isralsen
“drive-by lullabies” album cover
The Skyline yearbook staff’s experience last school year years. The quarantine situation “forced [us] to be creative and ada says Brittany Ray, teacher in charge of the Yearbook class. “They it was a weird year.” The Skyline Yearbook, a three-trimester long class, create every year. The students in the class work on a little bit of everyth tionsfor people who are more experienced or passionate about a c tography or editing. However, each member of the class still help down ideas to create a cohesive product. Ray said that last school year was unusual, due to the fac completely online. The most difficult part of making the yearbook a small number of students sent them in. It was easy to get photo sports players had photographers at the games, but for students in lenging. The staff also struggled to cover more than the same kids
November 2021
MULTIMEDIA FEAURES
Gas Station Simulator: Playing a Poorly Made Game
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Simon Novak
The gas station store (Screenshot taken by Simon Novak)
When I saw “Gas Station Simulator” on the “New and Trending” page of the game store where its listed, Steam, it looked like it was just another boring Unity asset flip: a game that uses stock assets (models used in a game that came with the software used to make the game) just to make some quick money cheaply. This turned out to be completely true. The main premise of Gas Station Simulator is working to earn money. To do this you can pump gas, operate the store, and repair cars in the garage. There are also some side activities that can give you some money such as playing an arcade game and driving a remote controlled car through a small race track. To keep generating income you need to keep your property tidy. Cus-
A car breaching the atmosphere (Screenshot by Simon Novak)
tomers will track sand into your store and litter everywhere and a Non-Player Character(NPC) will draw vulgar graffiti on the walls of the buildings. You need to throw objects at him to drive him away. Gas Station Simulator initiates with a poorly animated cutscene which shows the protagonist driving to the gas station, giving the player a view of the various structures in the area such as the junkyard and the house. The game runs poorly on maximum visual settings, even on a high-end PC. It runs fine on medium settings, although the graphics don’t matter much because of the bad models and ugly lighting effects used in the game. There are, of course, some good aspects to the game. I had a ton of fun playing the game while a few of my
friends watched and made comments on what was happening. The countless bugs and glitches such as cars flying into the air when touched with a broom, while not intentional, were entertaining. Gas Station Simulator uses Unity, one of the most popular and “basic” game engine (the framework that allows the game to run). Unity isn’t a bad game engine when used correctly. Sadly, this game is a case of Unity being used incorrectly, or at least used by people who don’t understand how physics work, resulting in glitches such as cars being launched into space and getting stuck on the environment frequently. Overall, this was not a good game. The gameplay is repetitive and boring, and the game has very few redeeming qualities and I can’t recommend anyone to buy it.
The Skyline Yearbook was finished within the deadline(May 31), but it was “incredated Last Year? ibly difficult,” says Ray, “Because of how the year was, it was hard to form unity and cohe-
was very different from other apt to their circumstances,” y made sure to recognize that
es the yearbook from scratch hing, with leadership posicertain subject, such as phops to brainstorm and narrow-
ct that school was almost k was collecting photos. Only os of kids in sports, because n other activities, it was chals over and over.
sion.” Virtual learning forced them to get creative with their pages because they couldn’t rely on school pictures. Some students sent more unique ones, for example using snapchat filters. The yearbook included a variety of unique pages such as mask fashion, quarantine hobbies, and music students listened to during quarantine. They made sure to recognize that it was a very out-of-the-ordinary school year within the yearbook. Leadership was also a challenge, as there were no juniors last year in the yearbook class because there was much tighter scheduling due to the change to semester scheduling. Many juniors’ and seniors’ schedules were filled with credits they needed for graduation. It was also a challenge to ensure a diversity of student interests within the staff. They usually try to get students with different areas of expertise. “For example, we want theater kids working on theater pages, and athletes working on athlete pages,” Ray says, “We don’t want all athletes, or all theater kids.” 4 Thanks to Ray and the students in the Yearbook class, the challenges in the 2020-2021 Skyline Yearbook were overcome and it was completed on time.
LIFESTYLE
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Getting On Trend
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As if! The 1995 movie Clueless is about a young teen that lives the American dream in Beverly Hills and faces struggles of a high schooler along with her friends. The movie influenced the iconic yellow plaid set that inspires everything from preppy versatile school vibes to urban fashion. The elegance of recreating these pieces from the movie can bring out ways to style plaid fabrics, puffy sleeves, blazers, or even button 13 down shirts to match with the bottom wear. (Seventeen July, 2021)
Going Out In Glamour Singer Dua Lipa has shaped the fashion industry for teens, inspiring many to go out in public and express themselves with creativity as the world is starting to go back to normal. When visiting her newborn niece on October 24th, she wore lace up Miu Miu boots with a knitted cardigan top with accerisores of a white butterfly and rings. Dua Lipa is the expert on heels, sparkles, and styling for the night. By adding diamonds, pearls, and sequins as statement pieces in blazers, shirts, or even dresses sets the mood to start the party back up. (Elle, October 2021) 14
1, 8 Violet Russel @till.dilly 2, 13 Diarra Seye @earth2jar 3 Autumn Gorman @autumn_gorman 4 McKenzie Browning @thereal.kenzie_ 5 Maya Loomis @maya_loomis 6, 9, 10 Robin Louisa @robinlouisaa
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Film Inspired “Bridgerton,” an inspiring period drama, has led many teens to mix the designs of ruffles, lace patterns or glamorous corsets with modern day style staples. The Regency Era brings out enchanted corsets paired with flowy dresses that the new generations spin as cottage core fashion. This aesthetic is a style that inspires the rural interpretations of rustic creations that many celebrities such as Kendal Jenner have inspired. On an Instagram post where she wore the “Daisy Dress’’ from Rodarte Collection as well as the famous singer Selena Gomez wore in her music video “De Una Vez.” This fashion trend ignores reality and escapes into a somewhere-far-away world, emphasizes the simplicity and the soft peacefulness of pastoral life. (Graziadaily, April 2021)
The Puffers Over the years, big puffy jackets have been around for many occasions like going on a hike or featured at a runway show in New York Fashion Week. Puffers, also known as quilted jackets, have changed the style game as the weather is getting colder. Oversized puffers are a strong presence in the fashion industry with monochrome colors and patterns that add a pop to the outfit. A perfect example is at the “Moncler 2 1952” show, with elevated patterns like black and white polka dots, bright colors such as the bloodshot red or fiery orange, hints of brown paired with the color black outlines the aesthetic of the cozy outdoors. (Vogue, September 7, 2021) 7 Sophie Singleton @sophieas 11 Chloe Hyatt @chloehyatt 12 Sky Roberts @sky_jade_roberts 14 Riya Saini @riyainsaini
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LIFESTYLE
The Skyline Post
The leaves are changing. Pumpkin spice lattes a screaming Fall is here.
While the trends in 2021 have been different than past seasons, the virtual world allowed students to take initiativ to wear more loungewear clothing. As the world opens bac up, the fashion industry mixes this variety of comfort and casual wear in order to embrace the best trends. Trends come and go but as the industry contin forward it makes room for new ideas. For instance, in the Fendi show for Fall 2022, their silhouettes included long jackets made out of fabrics that resemble wool or even faux fur. This jacket look ties into th “relaxed feel” in everyday wear. Certain pieces, such as blazers, evolve ov time and yet remain in our wardrobes as staple pieces that last forever. Designers across the world such as Donna Karen and Marc Jacobs ha shaped spirited pieces that encourage comfort and glamour. Quarantine ha led many teens to make outfits feel and look good by mixing comfort wea and many different styles. The variety of options allows teens to express themselves when a new collection is on the shelves for the season. With these 10 trendy clothing items, new add-ons can refresh your season’s war robe for the Fall of 2021.
Its My Grandpa’s Vintage Swea
2000s Baby Many celebrities such as Brinity Spears, Lil Kim, or Spice Girls have worn low rise jeans, styled with layers of juicy couture velvet jackets, teeny tiny tops with cut outs, and accessories like the Von Dutch hats to match the outfits. Gen-Z embraces these 2000s inspirations from movies such as Freaky Friday or Bring It On. This generation developed a message of what it meant to be a Y2K baby by redesigning fashion trends into a modern look. Bella Hadid, a 25 year old model, embodies this fashion trend. As she celebrated her sister’s birthday, her outfit consisted of orange corduroy pants, cutouts on the shoulder corset top, accessories like beaded bracelets, and to finish this Y2K look: wide nude boots. (W Magazine April, 2021)
The “relaxed feel” has mixed with fashionable taste to become the new norm The Paria Farzaneh show highlighted their collection with bright colors and neon body-warmers. The usage of patterns such as gold and black accents makes the sweater stand out. Strategic techniques that the designer created add ways to complement the colors for new ways on how to dress the sweater. Designers like Loewe and Botega Venta created sweaters such as the Intarsia crewneck or the cutout cotton-blend minidress that mix bright color blocks to become the statement of the outfit. The retro collars, sweater vests, and knitted tops introduce funky ways to match the odd combinations that can be matched with your grandpa. ( Vogue, May and September, 2021)
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It’s The Green For Me Green reflects the deep tone of nature and its glory to represent peace, growth, and balance in clothing wear. The Miu Miu Fashion show for the Fall of 2021, presented a dress with detailed ruffles along the satin lime green dress around it. This bold color highlights a statement: how this color can be controversial. However, designers have found forms to make different options of clothing wear that can be styled. Miu Miu also used green as kinited items such as the scarf and leggings that can create the neutral colors in outerwear that stand out against the bold color of greens. (Wmagazine, July 2021)
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Blazing Into Blazers The famous Coco Chanel empowered the evolution of women’s wear with designs such as trimmed jackets paired with skirts in 1914. Her talent as a designer, opened the door for women to break the stigma of menswear. During the Louis Vuitton show of 2021, “Around the World,” demonstrates how blazers became popular fashion trends among women for the freedom of movement and self expression. The rolled-up sleeves, mixture of different fabrics, and the variety of short and long lengths can be matched with over the knee boots, skirts, and pants. These edgy blazers bring out the unique patterns and colors, to present design for all genders in mind as a freedom of expression. (Vogue, March 10, 2021) 11
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In The Matrix Thierry Mugler creates this futuristic fashion show for the Fall of 2021with many varieties of black leather wear that are unisex for a staple of edgy styles. In the collection there are jeans which are made up of wrapped leather to show the differences of fabrics being used, asymmetric jackets, capes dripped down for a powerful look of the leather, and the below the knee boots. This protective and long lasting quality adds spunk to outfits for Fall that can appeal to the viewers. The mysterious look can give confidence that transforms you into an undiscovered spy. (Vogue, October 2021)
Denim Everything Let’s revisit Justin and Britney’s iconic moment at the red carpet in the 2000s: the all-denim look at the American Music Awards where Britney Spears wore a denim gown paired with a denim bag and a rhinestone choker. Justin matched Britney with a light-washed Canadian tuxedo and a cowboy hat, bringing denim on denim back in style. In the Marques’ Almeida show for the Fall of 2021, the denim look of the jumper suit popped with pearls complementing the outfit and a matching denim purse. Saying goodbye to skinny jeans and bringing back the bell bottoms, baggy, and boyfriends jeans gives students more inspiration to choose comfort wear in everyday outfits. (Vogue, April 2021)
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LIFESTYLE
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Stanford University study finds that taking a walk in nature can lead Laleh Walker
to a lower risk of depression
Have you ever struggled to have positive thoughts because of the mountain of negative thoughts weighing on your mind? Just one negative thought can bring thousands more and affect every aspect of your life. According to multiple studies, negative thinking plays a role in mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. Thankfully there’s a solution to curb those thoughts. What solution is that you ask? Going on a hike. An article in The State Of Mental Health in America (2021) notes that 9.7% of youth in the U.S. have severe major depression. This rate was highest amongst youth who identify as more than one race, at 12.4%. 24% of adults with a mental illness report an unmet need for treatment. That number has not declined since 2011. People’s mental health is suffering and going untreated. A study by researchers at Stanford University (Opezzo and Schwartz, 2014) suggests that taking a walk in nature can lead to a lower risk of depression. In the study, two groups of participants walked for 90 minutes, one in a grassland area scattered with oak trees and shrubs, the other along a traffic-heavy fourlane roadway. Before and after, researchers measured heart and respiration rates and performed brain scans. Participants filled out questionnaires.
Researchers found little difference in physiological conditions but marked changes in the brain. The neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex (a brain region active during rumination/repetitive thoughts focused upon negative emotions) decreased among participants who walked in nature, compared to participants who walked in an urban environment. This study echoes the experience of many hikers. “Hiking allows me to step out of my normal environment and see things from a different perspective,” says a local business manager. It “allows me to work through any problems. It is also really calming and rejuvenating. I just feel better afterwards. I think it’s the combination of physical exercise and being in a beautiful space that helps bring you into a better space.” Hiking will not work for you or work automatically as a cure for all mental health issues, but it definitely is worth taking time out of your day to try. “I guess I’m happier after going for hikes,” says Elan Kluger, Skyline senior. “When on a hike, I don’t think about school. I don’t think about anything I don’t have to.” Skyline counselor Tiffany Kincaid agrees, “It’s good to get moving. I love seeing things I wouldn’t see otherwise.”
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D e a r R e a d e r, This year back to school has been a wild ride for students, teachers, administrators, and p a r e n t s a l i k e . We a r e a l l g r a t e f u l t h a t w e h a d the opportunity to be able to document this j o u r n e y. T h i s y e a r h a s b r o u g h t a l o t o f n e w experiences for us all, including our new roles as section editors. As this new class and team continues to grow we will be stepping into our n e w r o l e s a s w e l l . We w o u l d l i k e t o t h a n k y o u , the reader, for taking the time to look at the final result of our hard work.
-Section Editors
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