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Senior Spotlight
p. 14
Political Tolerance
p. 5
Summer Plans
The Skyline Post
Volume 3 | June 2021
p. 2
skyline post
Editorial
EDITOR IN CHEIF Elan Kluger GRAPHIC DESINGERS Leyla Williams Ethan White Grace Lee Grace Liu STAFF Lucas Caswell Olivia Palmbos Zachary Christiansen Isha Saini Jane Ryu Samantha Towers Sahara Seneviratne Benji Davidoff Christine Kang Vivian Li Michael Mychaliska Grace Liu Halle Woodard Rylan Kahle Amelia Danan Lily Carlson Grace Lee Isha Saini Vivian Li Elena Mychaliska Grace Liu Sophia Neilsen TEACHER ADVISOR Grahm Hannah
Dear Reader, As COVID-19 rounds down and the world returns, I thought I would say a few words on the meaning of the past 15 months. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise, Amory Blaine, the stand-in for Fitzgerald, goes off to fight in World War I, right about halfway through the book. His actual life during those 2 years is covered in a cursory way. This “interlude” is more important for the changes that come afterward. When Blaine comes back from the war he has gone from a rich man, to extremely poor, thanks to poor investment. His girlfriends of the past are soon replaced. It feels like a whole new novel, the only continuity being the main character. COVID-19 had a similar effect. COVID flattened time into one continuous month. The past 15 months have felt like Fitzgerald’s interlude, and all of us will emerge from COVID changed in unforeseen ways. One of the most remarkable features of this time has been the growth of the Skyline Post. Next year, our newspaper will grow even larger with a journalism class. Although this has been a dark time for many, this is a transition period, and as with most transition periods, things can only get better. Thanks for reading! Elan Kluger Editor-in-Chief
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june 2021
TAB L
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Our Plans for the Future Jane Ryu p.5 Senior Spotlight Micheal M. Jane R Halle W
p.7
Geometry Olivia p.13
Political Tolerance
Lucas Caswell p. 14 Spring Sports Wrap Up p.12 Creamy Bacon and Pea Pasta Lucas Caswell p. 13
Hybrid review Olivia p.12
p. 4
skyline post
Passing the Torch
With the addition of a journalism class next year to the Skyline class selection, our leadership is changing hands. The class will provide an opportunity to have more organized and educational jounalism. Upperclassmen are welcome to sign up. We are super excited to add this opportunity to the 2021-2022 curriculum. Note from current Teacher Advisor Grahm Hannah As an educator, I am consistently working to facilitate opportunities for students to collaborate and create authentic products of which they can be proud. Given the virtual environment, this year presented challenges to the collaborative process. Therefore, I am extremely proud of our students and staff who have made this year as enjoyable as possible by engaging with each other and finding joy during difficult times. The Skyline Post’s staff of writers, editors, artists, web designers, and graphic designers have demonstrated great perseverance throughout the year. These students amazed me with their skills and knowledge pertaining to graphic design and technology, creative writing, art, social networking, and collaboration. My gratitude for having the opportunity to work on this project is deep and true. I am certain that our students who take the Journalism course next year with Dr. Blais will have an amazing opportunity to investigate important themes, collaborate, and speak truth to power. I look forward to working with you all in the future! Note from Dr. Blais for next year’s journalists
Dear Skyline 4th Estate, If the last few years have taught us anything, one thing is for sure is how important it is to have a fair and free press. I am thrilled that Skyline’s leadership has thrown its support behind the journalism class and that so many people have signed up for it. I really can’t think of anything more important to teach, right now: how to make sure we cover stories that matter to our community. How to make sure we report not just truth, but do so accurately: how to be sure we always tell the whole story rather than a “single story” (Chimimanda Adichie, 2009) that reduces people’s complexity or robs them of dignity. How to decide what sources are reliable. How to lead collaboratively and effectively. How to think and communicate clearly. How to write with precision and grace. How to make sure your voices are heard. We’re going to work hard and make something new. Get ready. I can’t wait. Yours in veritas, Dr. Blais
june 2021
Our Plans for the Future:
p. 5
Where our underclassmen are going, both this summer and the future Jane Ryu As the restrictions on the pandemic slowly get lifted, many people are beginning to get back to their plans and ordinary lives. Not only in summer right around the corner, but graduation and the end of the year are too. While we say goodbye to our seniors, who are heading to many different places, the Skyline Post also asked underclassmen what their plans for the future were, both this year and in the more distant future.
Question #1: What are your summer plans?
One sophomore Mark Zhu, also a sophodescribes that she more, responds that “I plan on wants be more inshooting some music videos for volved. They write that my upcoming EP, and I plan on work“[they] want to volunteer ing on more music projects. I’m also goand contribute to the commuing to do some SAT preparation and search nity more. Colleges like when for volunteer opportunities regarding tutoring.” students take part in their He writes that “I decided what I wanted to do community so that’s based on my long term goals, considering Sophomore Graham something to do in the steps I need to take to achieve them.” Unsworth will be dong summer”. As advice, he adds to “be grateful and a college soccer camp at the take advantage of the opportuniOne sophomore writes “I’ll University of Northwestern, and ties you have now.” try to spend as much time as I will also be getting a job. He writes can with family and friends since I that it’s “always good to get a job to didn’t get to see that many people this earn a bit of money.” For anyone Current sophpast year. I’m definitely going to do some feeling more indecisive, he also omore Annalise sort of sport but I’m still thinking about gives the advice to “do what Richmond will be what I should do. It might not happen but it you love.” taking an English class, would be nice to be able to volunteer at some place driver’s ed, participating in or get a summer job.”. For advice on others also trying robotics, and hopefully babysitto decide what to do, they add that “I just thought ting. She also adds that “I about what I wanted to do when I have more am also going to spend time during the day and that’s what I came up time with friends and with. I guess my advice would be do what family.” you want (as long as it’s reasonable of course) and don’t let other people decide what you should do.”
Question #2: Possible College Majors or Other Plans after High School
“My ultimate goal is to become a wellknown artist in the music industry. College, I think, would be a backup plan as of right now.”
“I’ve always wanted to do something art related. In sixth grade, I thought I would be an animator. In seventh grade, I had decided on becoming a fashion designer. In eighth grade, I planned to spend the rest of my Sophomore life doing product or graphic design. CurrentMitchell Westholy I’m interested in majoring in UI/UX ven will be particidesign or any other major that compating in sports, spendbines art and technology. I’m also ing time with friends, and interested in computer science, working a job. He also business, linguistics, and writes to simply “have marketing. “ fun”.
“I would like to pursue some sort of engineering degree because I like finding creative solutions to problems we face in the real world. I have also been part of robotics teams for a long time and have really enjoyed my experience there. However, there are other subjects that I really enjoy, like history, that I would like to incorporate into my college career somehow.”
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skyline post
Feeling Unsure about Where You’re Headed? You’re Not Alone! Students were asked to rate how sure they felt about their futures and their plans on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most unsure and 1 being the most confident. Most people (70%) were exactly in the middle.
Students were asked what things they felt most nervous about in their futures. Most people were nervous about classes and college, but many other people were also nervous about getting a job or not knowing what they wanted to do. Many people were nervous for all four things.
Students were asked what things they were excited about in their future, and most people said they were excited for college and graduating high school.
Question #3: Possible Future Careers, and how Skyline Has Influenced This
I have had the opportunity to be in the health I think and med magnet teachers are which has really helped very supportive I want to be a me acquire lab skills that it helps when singer-songwriter, and other necessary I would love a thinking about I’ve explored graphic designer, web research skills. job where I can plans computer scidesigner, film maker, interact with others to ence and engineerbusiness owner, solve problems and foling, and I’ve realized and/or actor. low multiple steps of the deMy two jobs I combining my art with sign process. I would also like really want would computer science a job that involves business be some sort of fiwould be meaningEither a raaspects because I find nancial advisor or an ful. diologist or fothose topics interagent for athletes. rensic pathologist. esting. You really don’t need people skills and they As the year comes to a close, everyone has drastically different futures to keep in mind. are very good jobs Though we attended the same school and took some of the classes, the places we end for detail oriented up will be anything but similar. Whether your summers are packed, or more relaxed, the people. Skyline Post hopes you have a great one.
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june 2021
Micheal M. Jane R Halle W
Senior Spotlight! from:
Ann Arbor
attended skyline:
4 Years
he/him
Nate Frison
What have been some of your favorite classes, and why? “I really enjoyed my English classes because I love to write, and my theatre classes for obvious reasons.” What grade year was your favorite, and why? Maybe sophomore year. I just learned a lot about myself and I got to do a lot of theatre.” What was your biggest accomplishment during high school? “Playing Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.” What are your plans for the future? “I am studying Musical Theatre at Kent State University. After that I plan to move to a large city and audition for shows for work while teaching private voice lessons.” Do you have a favorite memory from high school? “One of my favorite memories is going to Homecoming every year with my friends. It was just fun to dress up and get together.
How have you changed and grown since your freshman year? I have become someone who is unapologetically myself. I am more sure of myself and who I am.”
4 Years
from:
Ann Arbor
August Decz
he/him
attended skyline:
What have been some of your favorite classes, and why? “Yearbook with Ms. Ray, it’s a great community of journalists and I’m proud to be a part of it.” “All of H&M, I love Ms. Vincent, she is a very smart and understanding teacher, and a wonderful person to talk to; she makes us want to learn about medicine.” What grade year was your favorite, and why? “Sophomore year for sure, that was the year I got the hang of time management and was able to have fun while working hard at the same time.” What was your biggest accomplishment during high school? “Winning a fight and didn’t get suspended”
What are your plans for the future? “Undergrad at Loyola Chicago as a biology major, and med school after to become a pediatrician.” What are you going to miss about Skyline? “All the great people I’ve met throughout high school”
attended skyline:
4 Years
from:
Ypsi
skyline post
she/her
What have been some of your favorite classes, and why? Graphic Design because I was able to get creative and sell some of my pieces, APUSH because I learned a lot and had great table mates, Marketing because I found everything very interesting and loved the culture of BMIT, and Writing Center because we are doing such meaningful work! What grade year was your favorite, and why? Either the end of sophomore year or beginning of junior year because I was able to connect with a lot more students and started branching out with my extracurriculars! Do you have a favorite memory from high school? I would say BMIT as a whole was my favorite memory. I loved being able to create my own business ideas and strengthen my presentation skills. I will definitely miss the BMIT family. What are your plans for the future? I am attending the honors college at Bowling Green State University and majoring in Marketing. I would love to do social media marketing, own a nonprofit, and start a few coffee shops! What are you going to miss about Skyline? I am going to miss a lot of my teachers! I built such great relationships with many of the staff, so I will miss interacting with them everyday.
she/her
attended skyline:
4 Years
from:
Ann Arbor
Evelyn Carroll
Kailee Ransom
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What hobbies/activities did you do throughout high school (were you an athlete, artist, musician, etc.)? * I played tennis at Skyline and participated in many clubs, such as Skywell and Student Action Senate.
What have been some of your favorite classes, and why? My favorite classes have definitely been the Health & Medicine classes because I got incredible lab experience through this coursework. What grade year was your favorite, and why? My favorite grade was sophomore year because I took interesting classes and I had an awesome tennis season with my teammates! What was your biggest accomplishment during high school? My biggest accomplishment in high school was being awarded two varsity letters in community service from the United Way for my extensive volunteer work.
What are your plans for the future? I am attending the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Honors Program. I plan to major in biochemistry with a minor in French. I hope to go to med school and become a doctor in the future!
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june 2021 from:
4 Years
he/him
What have been some of your favorite classes, and why? Spanish with Ms. Daneen was awesome because she was a cool teacher, but she was diligent and made sure assignments were complete. Either world history with Mr. Bondroff or US history with Mr. Bickle, both classes were always awesome and engaging. All the DTEP classes I have taken were also really fun and motivated me to study and work hard at something I enjoy. All band classes were fun. What are your plans for the future? I plan on attending WCC with a focus in mechanical engineering What grade year was your favorite, and why? Freshman year was my favorite year. Not only did I excel in school, I also improved my speed in the pool significantly. Also many different events happened that just made the year awesome. Do you have a favorite memory from high school? The day school was cut short because of the big snow storms. How have you changed and grown since your freshman year? I have definitely procrastinated more over the years, but I learned what my study strengths and weaknesses are.
she/her
attended skyline:
3 Years
from:
Ypsi
Jenna Peterman
Aidan Majorprice
Ann Arbor
attended skyline:
What hobbies/activities did you do throughout high school (were you an athlete, artist, musician, etc.)? * Competitive dancer What have been some of your favorite classes, and why? My all time favorite class i’ve taken at skyline was ceramics, i loved being able to have creative freedom and just decompress during the day! What grade year was your favorite, and why? Junior year was my favorite because i found a good group of friends and had a lot of fun. What was your biggest accomplishment during high school? Branching out and meeting new people. also taking initiative of my education and making the most out of my high school experience! What are your plans for the future? I plan on going to Michigan State University to study Psychology. Do you have a favorite memory from high school? One of my favorite memories from high school was going to the homecoming game my junior year. even though it was pouring rain and we lost, i had so much fun with my friends and it was overall a really good time!
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skyline post
she/her
attended skyline:
4 Years
from:
Ann Arbor
What have been some of your favorite classes, and why? Art and APES, my two biggest passions What grade year was your favorite, and why? Sophomore year tennis season was so fun What was your biggest accomplishment during high school? Making my art portfolio that got me into art school What are your plans for the future? Study art and env sci, pick a job, and travel lots! What are you going to miss about Skyline? “All the great people I’ve met throughout high school”
Natalie Keating
attended skyline:
Abigail Babila
4 Years
from:
Ann Arbor
she/her
What was your biggest accomplishment during high school? I feel like my biggest accomplishment of high school was being comfortable being myself. After some time, I realized that it’s impossible to please everyone and that everyone judges you regardless. It’s also very difficult and draining to be someone you’re not 24/7. I learned to appreciate who I am and to not worry about other else’s opinions in the process. Because of that, I was able to have more fun and enjoy life.
What grade year was your favorite, and why? Junior year because I felt like I was able to have more freedom and responsibility in my life. By the time you reach junior year, you’ve already made your friend group and are nearing the end of high school. All of the worries about fitting in high school have gone away by then. Because of that, I felt like I was more comfortable and more myself. I was able to have more fun and make a lot of memories that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Do you have a favorite memory from high school? I really liked meme day during spirit week for homecoming because I remember having a lot of fun that day with just goofing off with my friends. I dressed up as the “she doesn’t even go here” meme from Mean Girls. What are your plans for the future? I’m going to University of Washington in the fall and majoring in design or informatics. I plan on becoming a UI/UX designer who helps develop products through the user interaction perspective.
june 2021
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Mitchell Abrama, Efe Akinci, Nigel Akio, Sasha Akuezue, Murtatha Alobudi, Vimal Alokam, Karla Alvarado Del Real, Rasheed Alwan,Pavani Anand, Olivia Andrew-Vaughan, Katherine Andrews, Ashay Arora, Robin Austerberry, Abigail Anne Babila, Amanda Bacon, Seoyeon Bae, Beau Bale, Hayg Balis, Alanah Banks, Jean-Marc Baoh, Maoz Bareket, Blessing Batalonga, Georgia Bates, Lucy Bauer, Samuel Begosso, Aaron Belman-Wells, Naiomi Benea, Victor Bian, Rachel Bobiney, Willem Bolz, Thomas Bouma-Quinn, Kira Brehob, Delaney Breiner, Melissa Breiner, Jackson Brintnall, Ella Brisbois, Kyla Brooks, Jamison Brown, Thailyn Brown, Elias Brush, Kian Bukowski, Helen Bunker-Uzelac, Asia Burris, Eva Campbell, Shanyla Campbell, David Carlier-Fornoff, Jacob Carlson, Evelyn Carroll, Laylah Carrubba, Sophia Caruso, Richard Cavanaugh, Christopher Cayton, Hailey Chaconas, Manbir Chadha, Jaden Champion, Carolina Chapman, Anusheh Chaudry, Madelyn Christman, Peter Christoff, Timothy Clatterbuck, Marvin Cleveland, Owen Connell, Rebecca Cooke, Audrey Corriere, Lauren Courtright, Lydia Crane, Thomas Crwford, Graham Curtis, Miles Dahl, Ashya Daniels, Madison Davenport, Claire Davis, Jermaine Davis, George Decker, August Decz, Antonio Delgado, Denali DeLoach, Mackenzie Dempsey, Helena Digue, Minh-Anh Do, Nishant Domala, Adam Dooley, Jocelyn Dooley, Mara Downes, Ava Draayer, Edwin Drake, Blaine Drews, Chloe Durkee, Elizabeth Earl, Rachel Eglinton, Evan Eisman, Annaliese Eftman, Willam Eliason, Tamara Emerson, Ella Enrique Shakespear, Rober Esau, John Evangelista, Alexander Evans, Amelia Exum, Min Exum, Tessa Falan, Gabrielle Faro, Luke Farrehi, Jameson Fitzsimmons, Rossa Flores, Paul Fontana, Langston Freeman, Markey Freudenburg-Puricelli, Nathanael Frison, James Fry, Ella Gagliardi, Alivia Galvan, Ryan Garrett, Peter Garrett Pecoits, Mia Garrison, Sean Genewick, Alexander Gerdenich, Meredith Gilbert, Logan Gillies, Evelina Glaves, Luis Glaves, Kikka Go, Jayden Gottlieb, Lily Gray-Wright, Leonardo Graco, Gracie Greenberg, Alejandra Guevara, Aly Guevara, Nikhil Gunaratnam, Allison Guo, Sarah Guyor, Forrest Hadley, Ameliai Haig, Jelani Hamilton, Olivia Hansen, Chloe Harper, Annalise Harrison, Matthias Hartmann, Alvin Haskins, Morgan Hasselkus, Amelia Hatcher-Kay, Eli Hendericks, Nathaniel Hennessy, Grace Hescheles, Anna Hess, Kieran Heung, George Hewens, Erin Hill, Dominic Hines, Tealon Hogan, Keon Holeman, Anna Hoover, Kate Hoover, Payton Horning, Chala House, Zhiling Huang, Kumyatta Hudson, maria Hunter-Shannon, Rukaiyah Hussain, Alexander Iekel-Johnson, Amanda Illuminati, Patricio Illuminati, Ayah Imran, Jeremiah Israel, Thai Jackson, Jadyn James, Amy Jiao, Sying Jimenez, Keshav Jogaratnam, Natalie Johnson, Silas Johnson, Tyler Jones, Aidan Judge-Nichols, Carly Judit, Lauren Jules, Hibiku Kameyama, Evan Kattapong-Graber, isaiah Keahey, Natalie Keating, Gabriel Kellman, Yoav Kiselstein, Cameron Kish, London Kloehn, Jeremy Klooster, Robert Knight, Ethan Kocheril, Temidun Kolawrole, Catrin Koselka, Daniel Koselka, Ellen Koselka, Olivia Kosnik, Matti Kruse, Zachary Kubisiak, Atticus Kurkjian, Nana-Kwame Kwakye, Caden Lakin, Brady LaRoe, Sarah Larson, Lisa Katharina Marei Laudenberg, Althea Lawson, Jacob Lee, Nathan Lee, Anthony Lewis, Selina Lin, Naomi Linderman, Matthew Lint, John Long, Sierra Lubetkin, Henry Lukela, Payton Lumeng, Brennan Lydick, Carolyn Lynch, Gabriella Mack, Sara Mahmood, Aidan Majorprice, Alison Marshall, Aliciya Martin, Josette Martin, Madison Masek, Vivian Matusko, Kather Maugh, Katherine Maugh, Kathleen Mayer, Jalen McCoy, Luke McGinnis, Matthew McMorrough, Bryce McPherson, Cynthia Meah, Quincy Menz, Kalinda Milkie, Ava Milunchick, Jamar Moore, Qasim Motan, Elie Munongo, Grant Murphy, Evan Mustapha-Bonem, Sarangi Nair, Sei Nakamura, Rani Nathwani, Area Nelson, James Newton, Telecia Newton, Kevin Nguyen, Angela Noble, Rajada Noblin, Laura O’Brien, John Oginsky, Jaeda Olive, Zachary Pachera, Erin Page, Kajal Patel, Radhika Patel, Shane Paulk, Peter Pecoits, Silvia Peppin, Simone Perry, Jada Peterman, Jenna Peterman, Emma Pettigrew, Isabella Pilon, Jacob Pinkley DeMichele, Veronika Poliakova, Shoshana Pollens-Dempsey, Elvin Poskovic Elvin, Conor Pyle, Kailee Ransom, Colin Ratkowski, Yann Reichbart, Alyssa Reynolds, Sophie Reznick, Benjamin Rich, Aidan Richards, Skye Ridha, Gage Robinson, Isa Robinson, Alexis Robles, Kyle Rodriguez, Samantha Rothstein, Ioannis Roumanis-Govatsos, Alexander Rowse, Katie Runstorm, Katherine Runstrom, Sesha Rush, Cordelia Rutter, Bryan Sabolich Yi, Clare Salata, Caleb Sauers, David Sayah, Joseph Schembri, Grayson Schultz, Keelyn Schumann, Meera Seshadri, Devon Shaffer, Marcus Shaw, Lillian Shehan, Kira Sheibar, Willem Siersma, Aidan Simonson, Julian Singleton, Joel Sitzler-Coussement, Lauren Sloan, Elizabeth Smith, Stephanie Smith, Ella Solomon, Felicity Sorenson, Julian Spence, Yohance Spiller-Huffman, Noah Spranger, Dayton Stamper, Eric Steele, Ian Steele, Charlotte Steglitz, Lilly Steven, Taylor Stites, Aidan Stout, Tyler Straight, Coole Streeter, Chandler Struble, Dominic Stuart, Bilal Sultan, Vinamra Swaroop, Valeria Takacs, Diego Tambriz, Denisha Tate-Moore, Addison Taylor-Coquillard, anna Thames, Noah Thompson, Emily Thouless, Alexandra Tistle, Paul Tistle, Gabriella Toth, Mahamad Toure, Hilppa Tuomainen, Colin Turner, Eleanor Unsworth, Jocelyn Valenzuela, Ellenore Vaughn, Reese Veilleux, Zachary Vitek, Meredith Vohland, Kelsey Walworth, Ethan Ward, Parker Ward, Tyler Christopher Warren, Ella Wasielewski, Paul Wason, Molly Watza, James Webster, Francesca Weller, Antonio Whitney, Jack Williams, McKinna Williams, Jordan Wilson, Kevon Wilson, Daniel Windham, Roman Wing, Judah Wise, Witten Eliana, Toby Wright
Congrats to all of our amazing seniors!! We all wish you the best of luck in your lives ahead of you!
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skyline post
Spring Sports Wrap Up
The following is the record of Skyline teams during the Winter season: Boys Varsity Baseball: 8-9 Boys JV Baseball: 11-13 Boys Varsity Lacrosse: 10-3 Girls Varsity Lacrosse: 8-5 Boys Varsity Golf: 13-0 Girls Varsity Soccer: 14-2-1 Girls Varsity Softball: 8-21-1 Both the boys and girls crew came second overall at the Midwest Rowing Championships, won 5 championships, and qualified 4 boats for nationals. Men’s Varsity track took 5th at the SEC championships, and the Women’s Varsity came 6th. The Men’s and Women’s teams took 6th and 9th respectively in the MHSAA LP Region 04-1 event.
Geometry
Olivia Palmbos
Author’s Note: I wrote this piece while I was feeling angry at how society indirectly imprints unrealistic body image expectations upon girls at such a young age through the media. Through this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of innocence being lost to normalized ideals that society promotes, and to expose how disgusting these ideals are when we actually examine them closely. This flash fiction is meant to be a satirical interpretation of this societal problem, and is meant to shed light on the issue of body dysmorphia. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
Today, my girlfriends took me aside and taught me Geometry. It wasn’t the type that you learn in school, but the lesson was interesting nonetheless. Apparently, ovals are better than circles. Thin is better than thick. Skinny is better than fat. I didn’t know that. Did you know that? My girlfriends filled me in; they pointed out which shapes were superior, and which were inferior as people walked past us. Bad, they said in response to a round silhouette. Good, they said about a woman with long, slender legs. They gave me a lesson in English, too; they taught me that ‘starvation’ is just a synonym for ‘beauty’, and that ‘beauty’ is just a synonym for ‘valuable’. It doesn’t say that in the Thesaurus, (I looked it up), but I guess they must know what they’re talking about. “Only girls who are the right shape can wear these shorts. If you aren’t the right shape, you should start skipping dinner. If you’re not the right shape, then you’re worthless.” Huh. Strange. Before today, I didn’t even think about some shapes being better than others; before today, shapes were just shapes.
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june 2021
3
StockInDeSIgn: the LAB of InDeSIgn tempLAteS
Creamy Bacon and Pea Pasta Written by Lucas Caswell, edited by Grahm Hannah
Ingredients: 1 LB fettuccine, spaghetti, or similar pasta 8 strips bacon, cut into 1 by ¼ in. strips 1 to 2 cups frozen peas 2 TBS butter ½ cup milk 3 TBS cream cheese ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions: Bring a generously salted pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat and put the pasta in the boiling water. Cook the pasta al dente, 4-7 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the water. Set aside the cooked pasta and ½ cup of pasta water. In a large, nonstick pan, cook bacon over medium heat to desired doneness. As the bacon nears doneness, add the peas and butter. Once the peas are cooked, add milk, cream cheese, and reserved pasta water to the pan. Allow the cream cheese to dissolve. Add the pasta to the pan and stir well. Add the parmesan cheese to the pan and stir well. Let stand for several minutes to allow the “sauce” to thicken then serve.
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How Politically Tolerant is Skyline?
Hear what students and the administration have to say Written by Lucas Caswell, edited by Benji Davidoff, Grahm Hannah
Straight ticket voting, as the name suggests, allows a voter to select all a political party’s candidates for partisan offices by checking a single box on their ballot. In Washtenaw County, the county where nearly all of Skyline’s students and staff reside, election data shows that nearly 73% of all straight-ticket voting was for the Democratic party. Additionally, in almost all races, voters overwhelmingly voted for Democrats (in most cases, over 70%). This clearly shows that the community Skyline is in is a majority Democratic-leaning community. A parent’s political views often heavily influence their child’s views. Most diversion from a parent’s political views takes place during college years. In an article from Insider, political scientist Elias Dinas states: “Families who talk about politics together tend to share similar views, at least while they’re living under the same roof.” In recent years, politics has become divisive in America. With all of this in mind, I began my quest to learn more about politics at Skyline. In talks with self-identified right-leaning, conservative, and/or Republican students, many voiced concerns about the Skyline community’s supposed left-leaning bias and an atmosphere that was not accepting of their beliefs. One student said that during the most recent election, old classmates started posting hate towards their opposing side. A member of the Skyline Republican Club told me “we are being told that if we don’t agree [about politics], we can’t be friends.” He went on to say, “I feel like all the time I’m being told my opinions are wrong and I’m a bad person for it.”
One of the conservative students said he feels a teacher emailed him telling him to get rid of his “conservative” profile picture simply because the teacher did not agree with conservatives. Another student told me about a debate with another about politics escalated and the other student got up in his face: “the teacher said nothing, and they [the student] were getting up in my face and threatening me physically and nothing ever happened.” “you would think at that point, the teacher would say something, but they never did because they disagreed with what I said.” One of the Republican students said he enjoys political discourse between students “but when [students] do talk about politics, the teachers get carried away and then start saying their views.” Another said that “teachers are letting their political views into the classroom.” Later, one of them said he wanted the teachers to keep their opinions out of the classroom and provide facts with which the students can talk with each other about politics. I was able to speak with Eli Hendricks, a senior and president of the Skyline Republican Club. He said, “I do my best to be respectful and so I end up being targeted less than other Republicans I know.” Hendricks went on to say, “I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to speak opinions without being reprimanded for them” when talking about a time he was sent to the principal’s office for “voicing intolerance” when he expressed his views during a debate on abortion. Hendricks said “[t]hey [the administration] have respected freedom of speech. It has been more English teachers or other teachers that I haven’t necessar-
ily agreed with, that have found subtle ways to potentially reduce points or kind of silence views that don’t agree with their own.” Hendricks told me he feels, when it comes to teaching, there are times where teachers try to be objective and times where they are not. In general, all of the conservative and Republican students voiced concerns that the curriculums in courses like English and Skytime were supporting a liberal world view instead of giving more objective interpretations and allowing students to draw their conclusions. “I think they [the administration] really should have more input,” said Hendricks “especially from conservative students, on what happens in Skytime and English lessons.” “The point of school is to prepare someone for life and a big part of life is being prepared for political participation,” he said, “which means they need to teach us about the issues not just as how they related to history but as how they are relating now.” Hendricks went on to say how it is important to give a multi-sided view and that discussion is encouraged. In closing, Hendricks talked about how it is important to encourage discussion to prepare students for the real world. The Ann Arbor Public Schools Equity Plan says that equity is “the moral responsibility of each member of our learning community” and that deliberate measures are necessary to make a school “free of barriers, biases, and disproportionality” for all, no matter their “personal characteristics and social circumstances.” One of the goals outlined in the plan is to eliminate inequities so that AAPS can create a “learning and work
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environment that is safe, welcoming, and free of barriers, biases, and disproportionality”. Simply based on what the conservative students have told me, AAPS is not fulfilling all the goals laid out in this document. Because conservative students alleged inequities, I thought it would be a good idea to reach out to the Student Equity Team. I spoke to two of its members, juniors Sydney Cunningham and Eva Witowski. Witowski and Cunningham both identified themselves as left-leaning. “Unless somebody is like just [sic] doesn’t really do anything political, like most people at least lean somewhat to the left,” said Witowski. When I asked them whether they thought that their teacher kept their political bias out of the classroom. Witowski responded, “it definitely shows a little bit.” She went on to talk about how, in some of her soft science and humanities courses, she can “just kind of tell what they [the teacher] are trying to imply but they aren’t being super outward with it.” Adding on to what was just said, Cunningham said “you can kind of just tell but for the most part they try to keep that out of it” “and they do a pretty good job of that most of the time”. I went on to ask them what role schools should have in political education. “I think it’s important to teach us current events and what’s going on so we can like [sic] have our own opinions instead of just like going with the crowd or things like that” added Cunningham. “There are some people who are just so deep, so far to the left
to the point where they can’t even listen to other people’s opinions,” said Witowski I made several attempts to gain interviews with members of the Ann Arbor High School Democrats, but they failed to respond to my requests. Because of this, I reached out to several clubs that encourage discourse on issues that face us today. One such organization is Model United Nations. Anshi Pacha is the head of Model UN and is “distinctively left-leaning”.
My meeting with Ms. Pacha (credit: Lucas Caswell)
“It’s pretty hard for our teachers not to go political and given that most of them are left-leaning, I think that there is a moderate amount of bias but not enough to be concerning,” said Pacha. She went on to say that she believes that most teachers give an effort to keep their politics out of the classroom but that “in some cases, it is unavoidable” especially in social studies classes because of the incorporation of current events and politics into classes. “[I]t’s not the school’s responsibility to polarize the students and the school should remain as unbiased as physically possible,” responded Pacha in response to a question on whether it is the job of the school to educate students about politics. She later said, “I don’t think that they [AAPS] are pushing an agenda purposefully though I do think that they are unconsciously steering the students being left-leaning.” I asked Ms. Pacha whether
students at Skyline were tolerant of political views other than their own. She bluntly responded, “[n] ot exceptionally, no.” “I think that the administration, in matters concerning their students’ beliefs and what their students do, has never been particularly effective and it is doubtful that they ever will be.” She went on to tell me that in the liberal bubble that is Ann Arbor “it’s hard if you’re a conservative not to feel targeted and it’s hard if you’re a moderate liberal to not become more politically polarized.” In closing, Ms. Pacha said that the basis of being Republican or being right-leaning is not xenophobia “and people need to recognize that Republican is not synonymous with racist. And political beliefs need to be respected a little more than they are right now.” After having the chance to speak with a diverse group of students, I reached out to Mr. McElmeel, principal of Skyline, for an interview. He and Mrs. Elmore were able to join me for an interview. Before becoming an administrator, Mr. McElmeel held a variety of jobs in diverse fields before moving into teaching. For the past decade, Mr. McElmeel has been working in school administration. Mrs. Elmore supervises special education, counseling, the English department, student support services, builds the master schedule, and oversees integrity and diversity SLCs. Along with these numerous roles, she serves on the District Curriculum Senate Committee and manages professional development. “As a school, we try to stay out of political leanings in
p. 16 any way, shape, or form and we work on thinking about core democratic values and the standard we work to teach: citizenship, equality, innovation, the things we talk about quite a bit at Skyline. I think
“In the information that we are looking at, it does appear that our teachers are, for the most part, handling these discussions [about politics] in meaningful and supportive ways, balancing opinions and perspectives, and supporting students and evaluating different perspectives,” said McElmeel. I asked them about the process of My meeting with Mr. McElmeel and Mrs. Elmore (credit: Lucas Caswell) handling a we are aware that our students situation where a student feels a have all different types of political teacher graded them unfairly for ideations, beliefs, and leanings,” an opinion they hold. Elmore went said McElmeel. He went on to say into detail, saying that dialogue “I also believe that when you are between student and teacher is working with youth, it is importkey. In addition, the student can ant to understand that a lot of that receive help from a counselor to [political ideation] is still develhelp facilitate one of these diaopmental.” Adding on, Elmore logues. If necessary, additional said, “[w]e just continue to try and staff including administrators create a space where everyone can and department heads could respect each other’s opinions and assist students as well. Adding respectfully disagree with each on, McElmeel said that he wants other if necessary, in a place where to make sure that the process is everybody feels comforted and comfortable so if going directly to supported while at Skyline.” She the teacher isn’t comfortable, the went on to reiterate that students student can go to other staff like are still developing and that high counselors or use anti-discriminaschool is a new time where stution resources. dents are free to explore opinions I went on to ask them in a comfortable space. what skyline was doing to create “We have a lot of conversations an environment where views are and professional developmental respected and accepted. McElmeel work around equity, bias, percepsaid, “[a]s a high school, we have tion, and also how do that impact new kids come in and other kids instruction, curriculum, and feed- go out so that’s gonna be conback,” said McElmeel in response stant work that we’re gonna have to a question about how teachers to do. We do feel that it’s a little keep bias out of their teaching. bit further along in many ways Continuing on, he said, “[s]o at Skyline, and we were able to typically, we are going to work on resolve some of those issues that research-based best practices that arise. We find we sometimes have we’ve seen work across schools fewer issues than I hear about which we find leads to some great from my colleagues in our county outcomes for our students.” and in our other buildings but we
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will still have them and we expect to have some of those issues where people interact and don’t always see eye to eye and that’s why we put things like restorative practice, our peer connections, our counseling program, our advisory programs, and our social-emotional work. We put that in ahead of time in order to make sure that we are addressing those and being thoughtful about them arising.” Elmore added on saying that during high school many students are learning how to respectfully disagree with each other. She went on to espouse the benefits of the restorative practice program and how it helps show students how to work through disagreements respectfully. Now, as this piece comes to a close, I am reflecting on all the time I’ve spent. This piece took the better part of 3 months and I have heard many things that have changed my mind. With each interview, I was gaining more of a complete picture of Skyline’s Political environment. Unshockingly, it seems that most of the students at Skyline lean left of center. It also seems that oftentimes the right of center students feel that they have to keep their head down lest they will face a confrontation with some of the passionate left of center students. When I got to talk with Mr. McElmeel, he seemed sincerely concerned about creating an environment where students can have respectful conversations and can voice their opinions without fear. I think that although Skyline will never be perfect, we are taking the steps in the right direction.
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Hybrid Program Student Reviews
Olivia Palmbos
There is no doubt that this school year has been a whirl-wind from start to finish; between zoom meetings, online homework, and Schoology, students everywhere have been learning to navigate the chaotic world of remote schooling. Most recently, the newest twist in our journey has been the new hybrid schedule, which allows a combination of online and in person learning opportunities. Regardless of whether students choose to stay virtual or go in person for the rest of this year, the new schedule has impacted everyone, in negative ways, and positive ones. As with any new change, the hybrid schedule has brought about some challenges, for teachers and students alike. One common challenge that most students could agree on, whether in person or virtual, are the new class start times. "I like being back in person, but I don't like the schedule times," An anonymous, in-person freshman confessed. "I can't keep track of my class times, I have to go to school for longer now, and it's much harder to stay motivated when constantly switching classes," Another anonymous virtual Senior said. The common consensus amongst the students is that having two, divided class periods - one in the morning, one in the afternoon - is challenging for a variety of reasons. For some, the new class times are confusing and easy to forget. "I have a hard time remembering when my next class starts, so I end up being a little late, or too early," an anonymous freshman reported. For others, the new schedule makes for a disrupted and disjointed school day. "[The hybrid schedule] leaves me more busy because the classes are separated when before I could have all my work being done in order without any disruptions." A virtual freshman wrote. Other challenges that students described included tech issues, like getting
“ZOOM CALL WITH COFFEE”, CHRIS MONTGOMERY ON UNSPLASH
kicked off of Zoom or Schoology, inability to hear the teachers or students properly through zoom, and lack of productivity when it came to the afternoon zooms. However, while the hybrid schedule has brought about lots of challenges, it has also brought about a lot of successes! One highlight for many students concerning the hybrid program is the ability to interact more with friends. "I like seeing more people and just being in person." Rori Deyers, a freshman who is attending Skyline in person, commented. This sentiment is shared with many other students who are also attending Skyline high school, and even some virtual students. "[I've enjoyed] that people are enjoying seeing each other." Patel Avik, a virtual freshman, said. She also commented that she liked, "That teachers are going easier on us and being nice and supportive." This year has also brought about several other positive changes that students have appreciated. For instance, many students enjoyed the addition of asynchronous Wednesdays, and the later school start times. "I love the later start time. I have actually [had] more sleep this school year. I like the asynchronous Wednesday so I can get help from my teacher," an anonymous, in person junior said. Additionally, many students have been pushing to keep some of this years schedule changes for next year, petitioning to "Keep the Asynchronous Wednesdays!" and to "Please keep the later start time next year!" Regardless of your opinion of the hybrid model, it is important that we finish this year strong, whether you are virtual or in person! With exams right around the corner, it is important to focus on avoiding academic burnout, and to go out with a bang at the end of this strange, unconventional year!
“STUDENTS IN A LABORATORY SESSION”, MIRA KIREEVA ON UNSPLASH
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Physical Vs. Digital Music Mediums
Zach Christiansen
In a small poll I conducted back in September of last year, I asked one simple question to a group of Skyline students: Do you prefer listening to music on digital or physical mediums? It turned out that about one fourth of the people surveyed preferred physical music mediums over digital. I was somewhat surprised by this. I had previously assumed that almost everyone in our modern age listened to music on streaming services or downloaded it to their personal devices. Contrary to my previous hypothesis, according to RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), sales of CDs, vinyl, and cassettes have been steadily growing in the past five to ten years. While digital music is more accessible, portable, and affordable than physical music mediums, physical music collection has resurfaced in recent years. This phenomena could be attributed to a multitude of reasons: some people prefer the sound of physical music over digital, enjoy collecting physical music, or simply like the aesthetic of vinyl records and cassette tapes. According to an article published by the popular music equipment review website, The Sound Guys, since vinyl, CDs, and cassettes all require “physical objects to store the music”, the sound quality of these physical music sources “degrade over time”. And while this degradation problem could lead newcomers to shy away from physical music collection, many veteran collectors embrace this so-called “issue” as an advantage of physical music, stating that the crackles, hisses, and pops that can be heard as a record degrades actually add to its unique sound and create a rawer feel for the music. In the same article, two principle differences between digital and physical sound are discussed: loudness and compression. While digital music generally
makes softer sounds louder in the final mixes of songs, using a technique known as compression, physical recordings normally do not contain any loudness enhancements. These differences in mixing techniques resulted in physical music mediums being much quieter than digital. And even though physical music tends to be on the quieter side, drums and other loud instruments often have more impact in physical music because of the lack of compression applied to the tracks. Another large part of the physical music collection community is the collecting aspect. Humanity’s love of collecting is thought to have originated thousands of years ago, with ancient collectors bearing a striking resemblance to collectors of the modern age. While ancient collectors would hoard resources such as food and water out of necessity, modern collectors collect more frivolous items as a fun pastime. Many people who collect music in its physical form enjoy accumulating extensive libraries of vinyls, cassettes, and CDs, a process that is much more satisfying than collecting digital files. One of the last big reasons why physical music remains appealing to younger generations is its appearance. Vinyls, CDs, and cassettes all have a certain materialistic component that just can’t be replicated by .mp3 and .wav files. Physically selecting a record, lifting the needle of a record player, and powering on the rotating table provides a satisfying mechanical aspect to the listening experience that many physical music collectors greatly enjoy. In addition, record players, tape decks, and CD players almost act as a sort of furniture, reflecting the personality of the owner and serving as interesting decorations. Overall, physical music has both advantages and dis-
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june 2021 advantages over digital music. These advantages are key contributors to the rise of physical music collection in recent years while the disadvantages are readily overlooked by avid collectors. And while digital is definitely more mainstream and accessible, physical
music collection still remains a popular hobby and, if this recent surge is reflective of an ongoing trend, will continue to grow for years to come.
Summer 2021 COVID-19 When will it end? As the number of COVID-19 cases dwindle, most schools reopen, and the reopening process reaches finality in many states, many simply wonder, when will it end? Can I travel during the summer? Can I go to summer camp? Do I have to wear a mask? All these are difficult questions requiring some time spent looking into federal and interstate regulations. Of course, to simplify things it is clear that the most loose regulations apply to fully vaccinated individuals. At the time of writing, those aged 12 and above can get vaccinated. The new and widely publicized Center for Disease Control (hereafter CDC) guidelines say that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks, except in a few areas (jails, hospitals et cetera). Yet given the difficulty in quickly discerning between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, the new guideline has led to what one New York Times columnist called “the great unmasking.” Some vaccinated individuals still wear masks, understanding that it is hard for others to know whether they are vaccinated. Travel is another concern. Some countries, such as Canada, that have a large amount of COVID-19 cases, are making access to their country extremely difficult, requiring lengthy quarantine requirements. The New York Times has a useful list of countries where US citizens traveled titled “I’m a U.S. Citizen. Where in the World Can I Go?” Most of the countries require recent negative COVID-19 tests. Travel
Elan Kluger
in 2021 is much easier than 2020. In terms of summer camp, those with fully vaccinated attendees do not need social distancing or masks, according to the CDC. Yet, many summer camps have mostly much younger individuals and need much more drastic COVID regulations. While it depends widely per camp, the American Camp Association, the main accreditation organ, has regularly updated and in depth guides to how camps should manage COVID-19. Many camps ran successfully in 2020, and with greater vaccination rates, 2021 should look much better. But when will it end? That is the most difficult question. Forecasting is notoriously difficult. While models can predict the spread of diseases assuming certain human behavior, all human behavior is anything but certain. In the spring of 2020, the CDC recommended not wearing masks, as many argued masks would make people stop social distancing, as they would assume they only needed to do one thing, either wear masks or social distance. Then, as masks became required, they became a sign of political affiliation, and to a significant minority of the American population, a sign of tyranny. Safety guidelines became political demarcation lines. Some say the COVID-19 pandemic will finish before the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. Given the unlimited fallibility of humankind, there is no way of knowing until then.
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You made it to the end! Thanks so much for reading through our very last publication of the 2020-2021 school year! We’re so grateful for your continued support throughout these past few months! It’s been such a pleasure to share the many publications of SKYPost with you. Did anybody see any new and exciting classes when you submitted your course selections? If you missed it, we are offering a Journalism class, which works directly in correspondence with the Skyline Post! If you’ve ever thought of joining the paper, then this is the perfect class for you! Reach out to your counselor to make the change today! Taught by the amazing Dr. Blaise! As our year wraps up, we reflect on the memories made, and the hopes we have for the upcoming year! We are beyond excited to be back in the building full time next year, and we hope you are too! Keep your eyes peeled for bigger and better publications, as we get to work together IRL! We cannot wait to see your smiling faces back in our hallways, Eagles! We will miss our dear seniors so much! Fly high Skyline seniors! As always, we are all over social media, and would love a follow! Follow us on Instagram @skyline_post, and on Facebook @skylinepost to keep up with all of our updates! And watch for the possibility of a new and revamped WEBSITE next year! How exciting!! See you in the fall, Skyline. Have a fun filled summer, stay safe, and keep soaring for new heights!
Special Publication shout out: Thank you to Halle Woodard, Jane Ryu, Lucas Casewell, Grace Lee, Grace Liu and Leyla Williams for making this possible!