Does Skyline Actually Recycle? Well, Sort Of:
“The manpower just hasn’t been there...”
by Kaiwen Smith and Ian Saucer-Zeoli
Sustainability Club (ESC) has been taking out as many of the building’s recyclables as possible, every day after school. In November of 2024, they found out all their hard work had been in vain. Despite the ESC ensuring that the recyclables made it to Ann Arbor’s Zero Waste Material Recovery Facility (MRF), the recyclables were still ending up in the Arbor Hills Landfill.
“I felt betrayed, I felt hurt, I felt sad, I felt angry. I felt a lot of things that weren’t good,” says ESC member Adam Makki (‘26).
Why is the recycling ending up in the landfill?
In any other school district, having student clubs and parent groups gather schools’ recycling would be redundant. In Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS), it’s a necessity. Despite AAPS’ commitment to recycling, the district doesn’t do it.
The immediate cause for the district’s shortcoming is simple: the custodial staff is not told to bag waste and recyclables separately. Instead, they combine the recycling and waste and put both into the waste dumpsters behind the schools.
Although the failure to recycle is a district-wide issue, current solutions are haphazard and unscalable. Skyline’s answer is the ESC. Without the club, only materials from Skyline’s cafeteria would end up at the MRF.
The Skyline Post received no definitive answers as to why the custodial staff doesn’t recycle, despite reaching out to several district level employees.
A district manager and a subcontractor for American Building Maintenance (ABM) — the company overseeing AAPS’ waste system — were unable to comment, due to contractual restrictions.
AAPS Assistant Superintendent of Capital Programs & Physical Properties, Bernard Rice, did not respond to inquiries, despite multiple email and in-person requests. Amber Strong — the former holder of the position — could not be reached.
In the absence of answers from district officials, several Skyline staff members pointed towards three recycling challenges which the district faces: staffing, contamination, and costs.
The primary obstacle is a lack of staffing, an ongoing issue throughout the district. With low pay and late hours, custodians are hard to come by. The staffing issue is compounded by an extremely high turnover rate.
“The positions are hard to fill, [which] makes it difficult to do ‘extra’ things,” says Skyline Assistant Principal Delsie Sissoko. “They’re going to collect the trash, but to collect the trash and [recycling separately] — that’s extra. The manpower just hasn’t been there.”
Which Magnet is Right for You? What’s Happening in AAPS?
by Kamyrn Lindsey & The Skyline Post Editorial Board
On December 10th, 2024, Skyline teachers gathered outside in freezing weather and snow, in hopes of gaining the attention and support of the public.
One particular teacher’s sign “Ask me about my...
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Compounding this is the issue of contamination.
“My understanding is that the custodians are taught that bins [of recyclables] contaminated with food or drink [are] not supposed to [be] put in the recycling [dumpster],” says AAPS Environmental Education Program Lead Teacher Coert Ambrosino, who creates and promotes programs to learn about environmental issues throughout AAPS.
For recyclables to go into the recycling dumpster, custodians would have to first go through them and remove any non-recyclables or recyclables with food residue. Given limited personnel and time, this isn’t feasible.
Adding to these issues is the monetary cost of recycling. In a district facing financial difficulties, it’s
Skyline’s Lost Salamanders
and
“ The cost of recycling has gone up; there’s no market for recycled materials worldwide.”
“The cost of … recycl[ing] has gone up,” says environmental science teacher Casey Warner. “There’s no market for recycled materials worldwide.”
by Tam Miller by Gray Kryscynski
Growing up, people often get asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Whether you’ve known for years what you want to do, or still aren’t sure, the Skyline Magnet program...
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15
Every year, Skyline’s AP Environmental Science (APES) classes go salamander hunting. The group has heard too much about the school wetlands’ rare, “endangered” salamanders to...
Every year, on the last weekend of winter break, the Skyline robotics team gathers at the machine shop in Forsythe Middle School to kick off six weeks of build season. This year, members of...
by Ashley Han and Olivia Watters
ince September of 2021, Skyline’s Environmental
especially hard to keep up with recycling costs worldwide as they rise due to large-scale contamination, increased transportation costs,
inadequate recycling infrastructure.
ESC Labor Group Leader Kai Jellings (‘26) and Skyline alumnus Ian Schleick (‘24) empty bags of recyclables into the school’s recycling bin. Credit: Ian Saucer-Zeoli
STAFF
ADVISOR
Annie Blais
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ashley Han
LAYOUT DESIGN EDITOR
Eda Kirca
LAYOUT ASSISTANT
Alison Green
AD SALES MANAGERS
Tori Williamson-Cardneau
Robby Shannon
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Kamryn Lindsey
NEWS EDITORS
Sebi Fry
Kamryn Lindsey
Tam Miller
Ian Saucer-Zeoli
Olivia Watters
SPORTS EDITORS
Gabi Arocha
Blake Davidoff
Maeve Kilbride
Adira Maze
Julia Moe
Robby Shannon
A&E EDITORS
Dana Abduljaber
Roman Gattuso
Zach Huber
Nati Murrell
Leif TenBrink
Sarina Thomas
LIFESTYLES EDITORS
Hana Ghani
Maybree Love
Josie Miller
Evi Edlund
Fatema Refiei
What’s Happening in Ann Arbor Public Schools: How Can We Help?
by Kamryn Lindsey and The Skyline Post Editorial Board
On December 10th, 2024, Skyline teachers gathered outside in freezing weather and snow, in hopes of gaining the attention and support of the public. One particular teacher’s sign “Ask me about my second job” sparked new questions. The Skyline Post sent out a survey to find out.
Many Skyline teachers responded with concerns about how difficult it is to live off their teaching salary. Staff cannot afford the recent 2024-25 healthcare increase, AAPS salaries have not kept pace with the rate of inflation or salaries in local areas outside of AAPS, classes are being cut and combined.
Ann Arbor Public Schools staff cannot continue to work here unless compensated fairly for their work.
Teachers all over the district are distraught and many are looking for jobs outside of AAPS. They are fighting to be fairly compensated for the immense amount of work they put into the schools everyday. There have been informational pickets, protests, meetings, and more to get the attention of the public and support of the families in Ann Arbor.
Many Skyline teachers report that they work education-related second jobs. “I tutor online after school and on weekends (SAT, ACT, college essays),” says English teacher Carina Sietz. “I grade AP essays for College Board, and I teach dance over the summer.” Learning Center teacher Alaina Feliks “usually pick[s] up side jobs throughout the year, often working with the National Writing Project on grant-funded programs.”
English teacher Andrea McMurray works a second job here at Skyline. “I work my planning period also running the testing center and I am working with the Michigan Assessment Cadre (through the Michigan Department of Education) writing and piloting competency based performance assessments.”
School librarian Carolyn Hill “resell[s] clothes on Poshmark for a little extra income. The only reason I don’t work an actual, real second or third job is that my husband does the extra jobs and I take care of the kids.”
Others, like math teacher Mike Lovelace, coach. “I have always liked Coaching and so getting extra income doing something I enjoy is a bonus. Coaches do not make much per hour when it is broken down to what we do all year long. It would be much more financially beneficial to do a higher paying second job if more money was the main factor.”
Ceramics teacher Candace Ottaviano notes that “Sadly, many teachers cannot focus energy on our primary jobs....Teaching is not the kind of job you can just walk away from. There is grading, and planning and...when you add on another job, we become ineffective versions of ourselves.”
“ Teaching is not the kind of job you can just walk away from.”
Here is what Skyline can do: Everyone needs to ask AAPS to fix what they broke. Teachers within the district voluntarily took a pay freeze over a decade ago to bail the board out. They are now asking they return the favor and give teachers and staff the compensation they deserve.
Parents, show your support by attending school board meetings. Write letters to the Board expressing concern and showing them that we want to make a difference. Show up to informational pickets and protests. Leave public commentary for the Board to see in support of increased teacher compensation. Put pressure on the Board to help teachers be able to live without taking on second or third jobs.
Students, express gratitude towards your teachers who give so much for so little. The more pressure put on those in charge, the quicker the results will be: write letters to the Board, spread the word, attend school board meetings if you can, speak up at the meetings, or submit public commentary. The student body cannot remain uninvolved and silent. Our teachers are struggling
EDITOR’S NOTE
Creating change can feel monumental—like something reserved for politicians in Washington, DC, making sweeping decisions in grand chambers, or administrators instituting policies from afar.
But more often, change starts with smaller actions, in places closer to home—on picket lines where teachers rally for fair wages, in quiet after school hallways where volunteers diligently recycle, in packed school board meetings where a crowd of people makes their voices heard. This issue hopes to highlight these stories, the ones that remind us that the ability to jumpstart change belongs to all of us, in the choices we make and the causes we stand behind.
To everyone that helped bring this issue to life: thank you so much! Your hard work and passion make every edition special.
Ashley Han (‘26), Editor-in-Chief
against the board; it’s time to be aware and speak up. We need our teachers for support, letters of recommendation, finding our passions, teaching electives, APs, clubs, and so much more.
School Board, please tell us: what is your plan if the teachers decide they’ve had enough and go elsewhere? The Skyline Post is demanding transparency and accountability. The Board needs to share updates, pay scale comparisons, and more easily accessible information in order for students and families to be aware of what the staff is fighting for, so they can offer support wherever needed. It is not the teachers’ job to communicate to their students what the board’s decisions are; it may be uncomfortable for them to be so vulnerable. Transparency from the Board needs to be the standard, especially when these decisions affect students.
School Board, please understand that teachers are needed in more ways than the teaching expectation. Without teachers there are no doctors, vets, scientists, lawyers, engineers, journalists; there is nothing. Teachers are the vessel to finding passion. With the insufficient pay coming the teachers’ way, AAPS may lose even more experienced and loved teachers to retirement and other districts that pay more.
By losing valued teachers the quality of education will decrease. If the quality of education within AAPS isn’t high, enrollment will likely decline and AAPS will plummet. AAPS has outstanding teachers and educators, the students and families need to be made aware of their situation in order to support where support is needed.
With the recent Tentative Agreement for this school year’s compensation, the new school board has already made an increase in wages. This signifies a hopeful period for our teachers and educators to come.
With negotiations coming up in February and March, there is an opportunity for the new board to make things even better for everyone in AAPS. Fix what was broken, pay teachers enough to keep up with the rising inflation across the nation. Communicate your plans for a better school environment with students and families.
Supportive teachers want to be somewhere they feel supported.
Help our teachers stay.
What Should You Bake for Your Teachers to Show Appreciation?
by Josie Miller
Every year, countless Skyline teachers take time to write college letters of recommendation for our seniors. A wonderful way to show appreciation for them is baking delicious treats!
Especially in the midst of snow days and winter slump, spending time baking is a great winter activity for students, and the perfect way to say thank you to the special teacher who is helping you get into your dream college. Even if you’re not graduating this year, giving thanks through tasty baked goods is never a bad idea.
But do you ever find yourself stuck, not knowing what to make? What baked goods do teachers really like, and why? Look no further: we asked lots of Skyline teachers about their favorite baked goods to receive from students, and here’s what they reported!
1. Cookies. According to French teacher Laura Davis, any kind of cookie is the perfect treat to receive from students, because “who doesn’t like cookies?” Furthering their support, math teacher Mike Lovelace also says cookies are one of the best baked goods, “especially chocolate chip cookies.”
2. Fudge. Fudge is a great dessert for chocolate lovers, and is another treat that Lovelace would love to receive, saying “I like fudge a lot, and I don’t have it a lot during the year.”
3. Oatmeal cookies without raisins. Distinguished from the general category of cookies because of their uniqueness, raisinless oatmeal cookies are the ideal dessert for CMPP and history teacher Ross Dunbar, who reported “I just love oatmeal cookies, but I don’t really like them with raisins.”
4. Sour candy. Teachers like Cate Mcraw who aren’t into sweet and chocolatey goods, would love to receive treats like sour candy, because it’s the only kind of dessert she likes. Making homemade sour candy could be an interesting quest for students.
Teachers are always happy to receive any kind of thank you and a variety of treats. For all students who decide to thank their teachers with something sweet this year, we wish you happy baking!
Side Hustles: How To Make A Quick $20
by Payton Oleksinski
From eight hour days, practice for sports, homework, and getting enough food and sleep on top of that, it’s hard to balance all of that and a part-time job on top of it all.
For those who either don’t have time, a ride, or just aren’t old enough for a part-time job, we gathered some tried-and-true side hustles your classmates do to make quick convenient cash. And by that, we mean the paper money that can be handed to you the same day, or “under-the-table” without taxes or having to wait for a standard two-week pay period.
“My official job is that I’m a swim instructor, but I also pet-sit and do landscaping work,” Kiera Hale (’25)
says, explaining how she earns her money. Pet-sitting and landscaping are some of the many side-hustles that high schoolers have uncovered, along with many other ways to make money.
Finding ways to earn cash can be as simple as selling your old clothes, either through social media (like Snapchat or Instagram stories), or even at one of the popular local thrift stores, like Plato’s Closet, located on W Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arbor.
“The process is really easy,” says Plato’s Closet associate Amira Fritzsch (‘25). “You just bring in your old clothes, leave a phone number and show a picture ID and we’ll send a text to you when they’re ready. It
Does Skyline Actually Recycle? (continued)
What’s happening to Skyline’s recycling?
Although the custodial staff exclusively use the waste dumpster, the recycling dumpster is far from untouched. Since September of 2021, the ESC has been ensuring that at least part of the school’s recyclables reach the Material Recovery Facility.
After school, members of Skyline’s Environmental Sustainability Club split into teams to retrieve recyclables. Going through the bins of hallways and open classrooms, they bag the recyclables ahead of the custodians’ nightly rounds.
“[In the past], we just did it once a week,” says ESC Labor Group Leader Kai Jellings (‘26), “[but] the custodians go through every day to take all the recycling and trash, so now we’re doing it every day.”
typically takes up to an hour, but can be as long as the same day. The pricing depends on how new it is and the current styles and trends. We pay people 20-40% of what we’ll sell it for. We usually sell it for 50-70% of the original price.”
If you are looking for a part-time job, there are resources at Skyline’s CUBE, located on the third floor, to the left of the library. “I have a couple of resources, and local places in the area that are looking to employ teenage candidates,” says Anthony Woodford, College and Career Coach in the CUBE. “What we can do is check your age limits and look at employment opportunities around where you live, and attempt to gain employment within walking distance.”
Before carrying the bags of recyclables to the recycling dumpster, they were tying the bags shut. When they reach the MRF, tied bags pose a difficulty to workers: along with the time and effort required to check them for contamination, not knowing what the bags contain is a safety risk.
During our investigative process, The Skyline Post discovered that it is the policy of the MRF — and thus of Ann Arbor generally — that recyclables should not be put into plastic bags.
“…if the recycling stays in the bag, it will not get recycled at the Material Recovery [Facility],” says Ambrosino. “Any bagged recyclables get pulled off the line and [sent to] the landfill.”
However, getting the recyclables to the recycling dumpster doesn’t guarantee that they will be recycled. While the ESC’s work has ensured that recycling makes it to the correct location — the MRF — one issue has stopped their recycling from staying out of the landfill: the plastic bags.
What’s changing at Skyline?
Since learning about the MRF’s ban on bagged recyclables, the ESC has changed their approach to recycling. In November of 2024, the club began using the recycling bags only to ferry the recyclables from the bins to the dumpster. With this change, recyclables from Skyline make it through the MRF to local businesses that can reuse the materials.
“We want to help the environment,” says ESC member Eda Kirca (‘26). “I don’t want [recyclables] to end up in a landfill.”
Note: The Skyline Post tried repeatedly to contact district officials and received no response. The story will be updated as new information surfaces.
ESC members Eda Kirca (‘26) and Adam Makki (‘26) collect recyclables from an open classroom after school. Credit: Kaiwen Smith
Credit: Josie Miller
Credit: Payton Oleksinski
AAPS’ Homebuilding Program Builds 55th House
by Nathan Smith
For four months, students in the Ann Arbor Homebuilding Program have been racing to complete another fully livable home by the end of the school year. Students from Huron, Pioneer, Skyline, and Community high schools bus in every day to a development in Scio Township and get busy constructing the program’s 55th home.
Homebuilding offers an exciting change-up from the day-to-day boredom of regular classes. “I joined homebuilding because I never enjoyed learning in a classroom and I already had some experience in the trades,” says second year homebuilding student Grace Colone (‘25). “It was a way for me to be outside having fun with my friends instead of taking another three classes.”
Many students don’t feel like the traditional classroom setting is for them, and the homebuilding program offers a different way for students to learn, focusing on hands-on-learning and gaining experience through on-the-job training.
“Homebuilding has definitely helped with a varied and versatile skill set that will be beneficial in my future, everything from carpentry to working with people you don’t get along with, to how to write a resume and even tie a tie,” says Colone.
Homebuilding is able to sustain itself by taking the profits made from the last project and putting it right back into the program for the new class. “When you look at our homebuilding program, we need to look at it as a combination of two separate entities combining to achieve one goal,” says Homebuilding head coach Mark Valchine II. “Those entities are the AAPS school system and the Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program. (AASBIP). The funding from the school is the same as any other CTE [career and technical education] course….This funding covers the teachers, classroom trailer, tools, and bussing etc. The AASBIP has a board
of directors who fund and make decisions for the upcoming builds. The program’s goal is to sell the home and use the profits to purchase sites for new builds.
Homebuilding has been a great resource for students in Washtenaw County for more than half a century, and it doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon. “The partnership has been successful for 55 years and is the perfect partnership between education and the industry,” says Valchine II.
“ [The program] is the perfect partnership between education and the industry.
If you are a junior or senior interested in the Homebuilding program, then all you have to do is fill out their google form linked on the a2schools website and join a number of the board directors and Coach Valchine for a meeting to discuss your eligibility and interest for the program. Your attendance plays a large role in the final decision so make sure to get to all your classes on time.
hour homebuilding students rep new clothes from Wolverine Work Gear.
Head homebuilding coach Mark Valchine II administraters a safety talk on types and uses of nailing gun to team 55.
Homebuilding students guide an end-truss for a garage into place with help of a crane.
Homebuilding students dig a silt fence in preparation for building.
A student on the 2nd floor of a house signals the placement of a truss to the crane ahead. All photos: Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program
A group of homebuilding students in team 55 raise part of a house’s back wall.
Homebuilding instructor Grant Welch teaches students how to secure a cable to top of a truss for crane hoisting.
Freshman Dilemma: Which Magnet is Right for You?
by Tam Miller
Growing up, people often get asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Whether you’ve known for years what you want to do, or still aren’t sure, the Skyline Magnet program can help prepare you for a successful career.
Skyline’s unique program consists of four ‘magnets:’ Communication, Media, and Public Policy (CMPP), Health and Medicine (HM), Business, Marketing, and Informational Technology (BMIT), and Design, Technology, Engineering, and Programming (DTEP). Each program is made up of a menu of elective classes students take in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. Magnet programs allow students to explore opportunities and academics within a field of study and can be a fun way to experiment with topics that interest you or help you pursue a specific career.
CMPP CMPP
Students who choose CMPP “design multimedia videos and products for nonprofits,” says Ross Dunbar, Co-Lead teacher of CMPP. “The thing we love about CMPP is that students are always creating for a larger audience.”
Students in CMPP often go into a variety of careers that use the knowledge and skills gained in the magnet. “We have people that go into film and multimedia production, we have people who go into law, we have grads that have gone into business, we have grads that have gone and worked in DC for various nonprofits, but it can really be applied to any career that a student pursues,” says Dunbar. “If you like to create and you’re a very creative person that definitely is something that CMPP students are.”
“ If you like to create and you’re a very creative person that definitely is something that CMPP students are.”
As they advance through high school, students in CMPP advance their skills and help others through their projects. “[Students create] digital videos and websites for the larger Skyline Community and for CTN cable television in 10th Grade,” Dunbar says. “Junior year they design videos for C-SPAN and for Cinetopia film festival for an audience at Michigan Theater, and ultimately senior year they’re working directly with nonprofits designing videos– some of which are still being used by nonprofits on their websites and for their purposes.”
H&M H&M
The HM magnet works well for people who are interested in science and “enjoy hands-on learning, really like to dig into a problem, and apply problem solving skills,” says Dusti Vincent, Co-Lead teacher of the magnet. “The things that we emphasize are laboratory skills, problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. If you’re willing to challenge yourself and work hard then it’s a great place for you.”
“ The things that we emphasize are laboratory skills, problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration.”
The program helps students explore careers specific to the medical field. “A lot of the work that we do in this magnet would help students prepare for careers like research, pharmacy, or biotechnology,” Vincent says. “One of my goals with this magnet is to help students realize the breadth of different careers in healthcare medicine that aren’t just being a doctor or nurse. There’s a whole growing list of careers students [can] prepare for.”
Students in HM advance their skills in the field through diverse classes that explore different areas of the field. “In their first year [students] take principles of biomedical science, and that introduces them to some of the practices in careers in medicine, [including] forensics, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness,” says Vincent. “As they progress…we start getting into critical care, how we care for patients, coming up with diagnostic plans, a prognosis, and a treatment plan. [In] students last year of the magnet, [we] get more into biotechnology and using some of the tools and techniques of the trade.”
BMIT is for students who “want overall business knowledge,” says Robert Shannon, Co-Lead teacher. BMIT is “a great opportunity for them to learn that. Verbal [communication] is first and foremost, but then solid written communication too. Also, students learn all the aspects of the marketing of a business, the financial end of a business, and the human resources end of the business.”
Students in BMIT often go into business careers, but these skills can be applied to any career. “If they are considering majoring in business, BMIT helps them reach the goal of being knowledgeable going into that major,” Shannon says. “It can lead to marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, or hospitality. Regardless of what your trade is, you’re going to need some business knowledge. Whether it’s accounting, whether it’s helping with sales and marketing– medical billing is a big one– there’s a lot of business in everything that we do.”
“ If they are considering majoring in business, BMIT helps them reach the goal of being knowledgeable going into that major.”
Students who choose BMIT take classes covering many aspects of business, leading up to the “Business Capstone” senior project. “They take two classes sophomore year, business principles and entrepreneurship,” Shannon says. “Junior year they take marketing A and marketing B– the beauty of marketing B is they get to run the school store. Then senior year the students are with me all three trimesters [for] the senior Business Capstone. We work on what’s called ‘Virtual Enterprise,’ where they create and run a virtual business that they trade with students from around the world. They also enter business plan competitions.”
In DTEP, “the main quality [we look for] is curiosity,” says Bill Campbell, Lead Teacher. “If you are inquisitive, curious – you want to work on something, want to tear stuff apart, see how it works and make it better. If you are thinking about designing anything at all –whether it’s furniture or equipment, cars or rockets, if that’s what interests you, that’s what we’re here for.”
“ The main quality we look for is curiosity.”
The DTEP magnet can be very beneficial for student career prep. “DTEP is specifically set up to help if you want to go into engineering,” Campbell says. “Structural, electrical, hydraulics, mechanical, computer science, engineering, manufacturing. [Students will learn] design and 3D printing using Fusion or On-shape, and we have a couple of laser cutters, so they learn how to cut materials on a laser and build stuff. We [also] do a little bit of electronics, some soldering, some welding.”
Students in DTEP can choose from two different “paths,” which will affect the trajectory of what material the classes focus on. “We have a computer science path, and we have an engineering path,” Campbell says. “The engineering path starts with the “Intro to Engineering” design class, then an optional manufacturing class. “Principles of Engineering–” which is usually a junior class– is an engineering 101 course from college. The senior class is a Capstone course. You find a problem in the world, and you invent a solution for that problem. The computer science pathway starts with “Computer science Principles,” then an advanced class, Cybersecurity, and then they still end up with the Capstone course. Instead of physically building something, they might come up with a software solution that they can take for a patent at the US patent office.”
Credit: Thea Miller
Johnnae Foster (‘25)
by Carsyn Pickering
“When I was in middle school, I started getting waxing services and over time I grew a passion for the world of aesthetics. I’ve been studying waxing for 3 going on 4 years now and I’m currently in cosmetology school for my cosmetology license that is expected in 2025. After state boards, I plan on going to college for cyber security.”
David Powell (‘28)
by Sage O’lor
“I wanted to try something new... I already had some friends on the team. I started playing football this year, and I currently play as a D-line center. My favorite part of the game is the food before them. In the photo I am the one holding the ball, and waiting for the QB to yell.”
Zoie Reichert
by Faith Palmbos
(‘26)
“I love flying because I’ve always loved to travel and be on airplanes and I think it’s a really cool and interesting thing to learn about. I also think it’s really cool because there aren’t many women pilots out there. I think it could be really inspiring to others to become a pilot.”
Jen Niner
by Nola Cobos
“I started at Pioneer, so it’s kind of been nice because the kids here have been amazing... They have welcomed me, which I know is not always easy when you’re replacing another teacher. The staff has been great too. Anytime I have questions they’ve been here to help me, and even the principals have been really helpful here. [When it comes to] teaching, ASL is my first language. It’s my whole culture, it’s my whole life, it’s my whole being. I’m a CODA, meaning child of deaf adult. Both of my parents are deaf, so there are days I go to work, and it doesn’t even feel like I’m working because I’m teaching something I love so much.”
Tonya Whitehorn
by Payton Ferguson
“I honestly really love teaching. I love working with young people. I love having a positive impact and really guiding students to realize their own power, especially, you know, power of voice and power of writing. I think that’s important to me as a job. Hopefully, most educators... empowered you to go out and do, you know, great things and pursue your dreams.”
Huck Amick (‘25)
by Nathan Smith
“The gloves made me look like some kind of fur trapper... the blade doesn’t get rusty ’cause it’s a deal prop sword use for stage combat and if the oil from your hands is on there and it doesn’t get wiped off properly it can lead to deterioration of the blade, so we had to wear those whenever handling the equipment like that. It was honestly kind of good ’cause we would have probably have some hand pain after our fighting sequences if we didn’t have those..... It was a tech week, so I was probably thinking about what I was going to eat and when, ‘cause it gets pretty long and grueling on those days. I played two different characters in that show on different nights so I had that in my head to balance and I had to constantly brush up on it to keep it fresh for the show.”
David Powell (’28) playing Center for Skyline during the 24-25 football season. Credit: Joe Green Credit: Carsyn Pickering
Mrs. Niner signing “I love you” in ASL. Credit: Nola Cobos
Zoie Reichert (’26) flying a plane over Ann Arbor. Credit: Griffin Weiss
Credit: Sharyl Burau
Ms. Whitehorn, the English Chair, writes and grades papers in her classroom. Credit: Payton Ferguson
2000’s Fashion is Making a Comeback
by Alexis Wheeler
Miss the nostalgia of the early 2000’s fashion world? Fear not! It’s been making a comeback since 2020. Early 2000’s fashion is thought to be very iconic and also unique: a mix of vintage styles boho, grunge and indie. The aesthetic also includes popular items from the 70’s.
For women, some of the popular trends from the early 2000’s included ultra low rise jeans and tank tops, velour tracksuits, uggs or a chunky shoe, leg warmers, skirts/dresses over pants, and ballet flats. For men, it was baggy/ oversized leather jackets, dress shirts with a tie and also chunky shoes. The fashion was very fun and I’m glad it’s coming back.
I also really like the return of mini shoulder purses, oversized leather jackets, baggy and boot cut jeans with high heels, and skirts with pants
underneath – they add extra flair to an outfit and make it fun and unique. People often added jewelry like long necklaces, chunky bracelets, studded belts and waist chains. I have a lot of fun with over-accessorizing. These objects make an outfit seem less boring, so I love to see this trend return. The more accessories, the better!
Even though people made some amazing outfit choices back in the 2000’s, not all of them were great, like mixing patterns like zebra and leopard print together, or floral designs with stripes/polka dots. Seeing too many patterns being together makes an outfit too busy looking.The overall effect can be like a 6 year old picking out their own outfit.
Another trend that I don’t like is extreme pointy tip shoes, but I think some that have a little bit of a pointy tip are fine with a pair of trousers for a classy look. However, the ones with big points are just simply not it; they’re ugly and hard to style to a point that makes them look decent.
I’m also seeing people having fun with mixing the styles of different decades, mostly from the 70’s and their unique prints and styles being paired with 2000s clothing pieces, the most popular being denim, vests, and bell bottoms. The 70’s clothing also often had fun prints and bright colors which was also seen in many clothes from the 2000’s. I love to see that there’s different things coming back from different decades. It would be boring and no fun seeing everyone dress the same way so it’s a relief seeing people get creative with their outfits everyday.
Why You Should Take an Online Class
by Olivia Szczepanski
“Don’t be afraid of taking [online classes],” says Audra Ambrozaitis (‘27). “It’s a lot easier because I can pace myself. I can get ahead.”
Taking an online class has many benefits for students. These can include access to classes they normally would not be able to take and increased flexibility in their schedule.
“I think there are a lot of courses, especially through Michigan Virtual and A2V itself, that most buildings don’t offer,” said Bret Trocchio, an Ann Arbor Virtual (A2V) teacher and mentor. “There’s oceanography, there’s mythology, there’s piano — there’s just such a wide variety of classes.”
There are several reasons why high schoolers may be inclined to take an online class, other than the class they are interested in is not available in person. Many students learn better online or don’t want to go in person; some simply prefer the platform over traditional classes.
“I’m taking Physics 1 and Earth Science,” said Sophia Zheng (‘27). “I like working at my own pace and just having free hours to do whatever work I have. I think my [online] classes are easier and more manageable.”
While there are several advantages to online learning, there are also some difficult aspects. Many students who have previously taken an online class agree that the biggest thing to watch out for is falling behind.
“You have to be very self motivated. It’s easy to fall behind and be lazy,” said Miles Drake (‘25). “You just need to make sure that you’re gonna be able to get the work done without anyone asking you to do it.”
Most online classes include a pacing chart, but staying on top of their course work is the student’s responsibility.
“I’ve taken a lot of online classes in the past,” said Drake, “and I think it’s nice to be able to work at your own pace. I usually finish my online class very early, and then I don’t have to worry about it, and I have a free period. It’s nice to have that flexibility.”
If you are interested in learning more about the online classes available for Skyline students, look at the High School Course Catalog and talk to your counselor.
70’s and early 2000’s inspired fashion. Credit: Alexis Wheeler
Janna Motan (‘26) and Rayan Motan (‘28) work in the library. Credit: Ashley Han
Skyline’s Lost Salamanders: Our Forgotten
by Ashley Han and Olivia Watters
very year, Skyline’s AP Environmental Science (APES) classes go salamander hunting. The group has heard too much about the school wetlands’ rare, “endangered” salamanders to not investigate for themselves.
The students, scattered in groups, are armed with nothing more than a phone camera, sketching tool, and a sharp eye. They loop around the school’s woods and wetlands, eyes scouring the ground, dodging poison ivy, and flipping over rotten logs in hopes of a glimpse of the rare creatures.
Their assignment is straightforward enough: create a nature journal, observe the environment, record biotic and abiotic factors. Yet, there is an unofficial goal: find the elusive salamanders. Spotting one would be the crown jewel among any other observations.
Nature journals quickly fill up with hasty notes, sketches, and photos—food webs, grasshoppers, limestone, Black-Eyed Susans, Coneflowers, deer prints pressed into mud—but rarely a salamander. “We were told by our APES teachers that there might be salamanders out there because of the fact that Skyline was built where the salamanders used to live. But my groups were never able to vfind [any],” said Elsa Wenzlaff (‘26), past APES student. “We looked on logs and in the forest near Skyline. And we looked for long periods of time, but mostly just found tiny little bugs.”
The annual search raises more questions than it answers.
“Weren’t these salamanders like an integral part of our community at one point?” Mona Spiteri (‘26), a past APES student, wondered aloud. “What happened?”
The Discovery
When construction for Skyline High School broke ground in 2004, it revealed a rare population of LJJ unisexual hybrid salamanders (first incorrectly thought to be “Silvery Salamanders”). Reports do not indicate who discovered them. The habitat supported the only confirmed location for the unisexual hybrids within the state of Michigan during this time.
The salamander finding raised concerns of local families and organizations about the impact of the building on the local salamander population and the health of wetlands. “The opening of Skyline was actually delayed by a year in part because they found a salamander on the property that they thought might be an endangered species,” said Casey Warner, Skyline APES teacher.
But it was soon discovered that due to the salamanders’ unique genetic makeup, they weren’t actually classified as a species and therefore not protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Even though they weren’t an endangered species, their rarity in Michigan prompted a wave of conservation efforts.
Early Restoration Efforts
In 2005, following a comprehensive report conducted by Natural Area Preservation (NAP) on the area, an intensive amphibian and reptile rescue was launched. NAP created mitigation wetlands to replace the original one destroyed by construction, intended to provide a new habitat for the approximately 3,000 relocated amphibians (200 of them salamanders).
The effort led to the collection and relocation of over 5,000 individuals, representing 14 species in all life stages. After the restoration work was completed, NAP received five years of funding to study all species on
the Skyline wetlands. NAP’s head herpetologist, David Misfud, put together yearly herpetological/wetland survey reports from 2003 to 2008, with a focus on the salamanders. The surveys included monitoring species to assess the construction’s impact, regular walks along the fence during the first rainfall of spring to collect and relocate salamanders to the new wetland, and evaluating how suitable the habitat was for its new residents.
Funding for restoration efforts expired in 2008, and Misfud also left the project around this time. Since then, there’s been very limited monitoring.
Current State of Skyline’s Natural Areas Skyline’s natural areas have seen their fair share of neglect in the last few years.
The black fence installed around the property, meant to protect salamanders from traffic, has seen better days. When trees fall on it, occasionally APES students or other volunteers will move the debris, but there’s no money available for proper repairs or maintenance. Many students now simply hop over the crumpled fence to enter the area.
In addition, there is a broken pump that was used to pump water into a pond that maintained water levels for salamanders. After a tree fell on the pipe connecting it to the well around 2010, the pump has been inactive and no efforts have been made to repair it.
“At this point, it’s possible that the groundwater where the well taps into is contaminated from the dioxane plume,” said George Hammond, NAP Field Biologist and Herpetologist. “I’m keen to get that fixed.” But due to the lack of monitoring and attention, the pump remains broken and the contamination status remains unknown.
The 2006 herpetological survey report identified continued monitoring of the Skyline wetlands as “imperative to measure the success of the site” and essential to species survival. The report recommended that “every possible effort should be made to maximize the education aspects of this site while concurrently being the best stewards of this area. A detailed and comprehensive management plan for this site should be developed, including placement of trails, habitat restoration, environmental education and stewardship opportunities, and long-term monitoring.”
Invasive Issue
The lack of continued monitoring has caused Skyline to face a major invasive species problem. Invasive, non-native species pose significant threats to ecosystems and biodiversity. The later 2008 herpetology report noted that “treatment is highly recommended to control these [invasive] species when concentrations are low and control is quite feasible. Management is most critical during the first three to five years of mitigation wetland development, as native plants become established and increase their coverage within the wetlands.”
The invasives that were detected in their early stages and only beginning to grow in 2008 have spun out of control due to a lack of proper management. Now, non-native plants like honeysuckle, Japanese barberry, olive trees have run rampant at Skyline. Control has gone from feasible to difficult.
Managing invasive species requires significant resources and ongoing efforts. Advocates like Warner have pushed for AAPS to conduct a controlled burn of the area, but efforts have been slow moving due to funding. “Anything [we] could do would be better than nothing,” said Warner. “I just went in over the summer with a hacksaw, and just chopped away at a few [invasives] around the edges, but one person just going in there whenever she has time isn’t gonna [do that much], so we really need a burn.”
Warner contacted Mike Appel, local environmental restoration contractor and owner of Appel Environmental Design to get an estimate for a controlled burn that could mitigate the invasive species problem. “Prescribed burns are often challenges to give a price for, as there are many variables,” said Appel. “The interior of the [Skyline] woods in many places is quite nice with few invasive species, while many of the edges show significant encroachment by invasive plants, especially shrubs. Any of the wood’s three edges could also be burned as a smaller section for as low as $1200.”
AAPS’s involvement
In 2023, Warner applied for and received a mini-grant ($400) from AAPS and the City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations to buy a wheelbarrow, gloves, and mulch to help prevent tree trunks from being damaged from the lawn mowers that mow around Skyline.
The next year, AAPS also removed a diseased oak tree infected with “oak wilt” from the Skyline woods to prevent the spread of fungus to other trees and the death of more oak trees in the area.
Besides these instances, there is no current ongoing research or maintenance related to the wetlands funded by AAPS. AAPS Communications Director, Andrew Cluley confirmed that “the district does not have any projects scheduled that are anticipated to impact this
An aerial view of the Skyline woods. Credit: Arthur Zheng
The floor of Skyline’s woods. Credit: Ashley Han
The broken pump, previously used to pump water into a pond that maintained water levels for the salamanders. Credit: Ashley Han
Invasive Japanese Barberry growing in Skyline’s woods. Credit: 2008 Wetland Monitoring Report
‘Silvery Salamander,’ Spotted Salamander, and Red-spotted Newt under a log in a Skyline wetland. Credit: 2006 NAP Herpetology Report
Forgotten Wetlands and The Fight for Restoration
area around Skyline” but “remains committed to the environment including the woodlands and wetlands on the grounds around Skyline High School that are home to salamanders.”
Outside involvement
Limited involvement from AAPS doesn’t mean others haven’t attempted to maintain the wetlands and to collect data. Since 2010, NAP has conducted volunteer species surveys at Skyline. However, these surveys are not quantitative and don’t allow for direct comparison of data from different years, as they rely mostly on the skill of individual volunteers.
“We just send volunteers out and say, ‘go look for salamanders; here’s where to look and here’s a little basic idea of how to look,’” said Hammond. “But we don’t control the amount of effort that they do. So, if we get a really good salamander finder one year, we might get a much higher number than the year before and the year before that because that person just finds more salamanders. And before that we had slack salamander scouts who found like two. Maybe there were 30, maybe there were two. We don’t know.”
their involvement with school-owned properties. The health of our wetlands and the safety of the animals that live within are at risk.
The Skyline wetland is more than a patch of muddy land: it is a living classroom, a habitat for rare wildlife, and a significant part of Skyline history. Yet, without adequate funding and regular monitoring, important resources risk becoming dangerous by potentially harboring unmitigated toxins, overgrown with invasive species, weakened by damaged infrastructure, and ultimately forgotten.
If you care about Skyline’s natural areas, there are ways to make a difference. Get involved with groups like NAP, volunteer with your local community science efforts, and advocate for increased funding for environmental preservation efforts. By working together, we can restore these lands and make sure that this habitat remains a valuable resource for students, wildlife, and our community.
Can two animals look the same, act the same, be born from the same mother, and yet be two different species?
You can find an answer in a very particular kind of salamander which resides in the Skyline High School wetlands: the LJJ unisexual hybrid salamanders.
These salamanders are akin to legend in Skyline’s halls: ask around, and you’ll get a dozen variations of answers to what these creatures are, why they matter, and where they’ve gone.
Another complication, according to Hammond, is that NAP is funded through a particular tax that can only go towards improving and maintaining the city’s parks and natural areas. Because school district property is not part of the city’s parks system and is an independent, non-city owned environmental area, NAP is limited in how much it can directly intervene. “We have to be careful about how much we do for off-city problems.”
Call to Action AAPS’s District Sustainability Policy, adopted in 2022, includes a goal to “maintain and enhance outdoor environments on AAPS campuses” in order to provide outdoor learning opportunities.
This goal can only be truly realized if Skyline’s natural areas receive the attention and care they need. While educational efforts are undoubtedly very important, so is the preservation of land AAPS owns, especially as organizations like NAP must limit
When these salamanders were discovered early on during Skyline’s construction, herpetologists originally thought that they were hybrids. However, they never were a species to begin with.
The key point which sets these salamanders apart is their unique genetic makeup.
Why are they called LJJ unisexual hybrid salamanders?
The term most people know the salamanders by is “Silvery Salamander.” Herpetology reports and local online newsletters produced around the time of Skyline’s construction record the animals under that name.
Today, herpetologists (biologists who study amphibians and reptiles) consider this name to be inaccurate.
“It’s an obsolete name and bad science,” says George Hammond, an Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation (NAP) herpetologist. The label has “not [been] used by scientists for many years.”
Using the name “Silvery Salamander” implies that these groups of salamanders are a species when, in actuality, they are not. The correct name is LJJ unisexual hybrid salamanders, due to the Abstomya species that contribute to the hybrids’ genetic makeup. The Ambystoma salamanders (or mole salamanders) are a group of salamanders found in North America.
The process of unisexual salamander reproduction, where the female collects sperm/DNA from male salamanders. Credit: The Unisexuals: A Story of Salamanders and Sex, Katie Garretta
The LLJ label refers to:
• “L” for one set of chromosomes from Ambystoma Laterale (Blue-spotted salamanders)
• “J” for two sets of chromosomes from Ambystoma Jeffersonianum (Jefferson salamanders)
How are they able to reproduce?
The method of reproduction between these organisms is very complex. The process begins after the first spring rainfall. Just like sea turtles, who return to the beach they hatched from to mate and lay eggs, the salamanders migrate back to the wetland they were born to reproduce.
To do this, the unisexual females steal sperm from sperm packets that male species of Abstomya salamanders leave on the ground. After collecting this sperm, females are able to fertilize their eggs. This stimulates the development of the embryo.
Sperm holds DNA, but the males’ DNA isn’t always incorporated into the female’s embryo. When this occurs, the only DNA the offspring has is that of the mother. This process is how clones of the female salamander are produced, because they are made solely with the DNA of the female.
Occasionally, the male’s DNA is incorporated in the embryo, resulting in many different combinations of genomes. This process is called kleptogenesis.
Why aren’t LJJ unisexual hybrid salamanders considered a species?
Because of their varying, complex genetic composition, these salamanders don’t neatly fit into the definition of a “species.” Their internal makeup depends heavily on contributions from other Ambystoma species, since they use sperm donors and don’t reproduce completely independently.
“The unisexuals were first thought to be hybrids; in other words, that a blue-spotted and Jefferson salamander could reproduce and create a unisexual,” says Katy Greenwald, a professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Eastern Michigan University. “We now know this is never the case — none of the sexual species breed with each other in the wild. The unisexuals are a unique 5-million-year-old lineage. They are, in fact, a ‘species complex’ and not a species.”
Species complexes are a group of closely related organisms that look the same, act the same, and are genetically tied, but cannot be grouped under one name because of each one’s different genetic material.
Since the sperm’s genetic material may or may not be incorporated into the developing embryo, it creates a wide variety of salamanders. This is why herpetologists no longer group all these salamanders under the name “Silvery Salamander.” In fact, they are a combination of so many different species in the Abstomya group.
“The Skyline population is important from a conservation standpoint because usually LJJ unisexuals exist with Jefferson salamander males and females,” said Greenwald. “Jefferson salamanders are not known from other sites in Michigan, so this would be a rare and unique finding.”
by Roman Gattuso
If you haven’t played Fortnite, you haven’t played one of the best video games of 2017. It’s a battle royale game where the goal is to be the last one standing, though it does have other game modes, including Lego Fortnite and Rocket Racing. Now, the game is returning to how it felt and played in 2017, but with new mechanics from the present-day game in the new OG Fortnite mode.
In 2023, Epic Games released OG Fortnite as a custom game mode, but it was removed a month after it began. However, on December 6, 2024, Epic Games returned the OG Fortnite game mode. This time, the OG game mode, starting in the first season, “will be here to stay,” according to Epic Games. Not only does this revived game mode bring back old weapons, mechanics, and icons, it also has new mechanics, new movement, and updated user interfaces.
Though it has these benefits, some drawbacks make the OG game mode not worth playing yet. One drawback is the lack of movement options. In the very early seasons of Fortnite, there were very few ways to get across the map besides walking. To combat this issue, Fortnite added the ability to sprint or
slide to the OG game mode, so you have the option to walk, sprint, or slide, if you have enough stamina. There are some options for ease of movement, like bounce pads, giving you temporary air-time, but they are hard to come by.
If you cannot find these, you are stuck running and sliding around the map, and when your stamina is low, you are left walking around the map. When I’m playing the OG mode, it feels like just a constant running, walking, running, walking, cycle; in the newer versions of the game, I can enjoy driving and flying, allowing faster travel covering more distance. Then, if needed, I can travel to a different area, which makes the gameplay feel a lot faster-paced.
In later seasons, golf carts, shopping carts, ballers, grapplers, planes, rifts, and more were added to the game for ease of movement and/or rotation around the map. However, little to no transportation will not always be the case in OG Fortnite. For the most part, every update with each season brings back old transportation or brings new ones, which I love. For example, the cars and helicopters were very fun to use when revamped/brought back during Chapter 5. You could jump, boost, go fast, hit people with cars, and fly across the map, very easily. Epic Games plans to change the season of the OG game mode every few weeks, with season two beginning on
January 31, 2025. This means movement will get easier, and the map will change, adding different landscapes, locations, and items.
Another drawback is the weapons and loot pool in the early game. I dislike how slow some of the weapons are, how common some of the weapons are, and how rare it is to find the select few weapons that are actually good. For example, while playing, right after landing I grabbed a common weapon, which did not help when someone landed on me with a better, legendary weapon, and eliminated me.
However, there are some more benefits of this game mode. It is here to stay, permanently, according to Epic Games. Also, it is free to play and through every update, it will shape into something better. Eventually, this game will have gone through some of the best seasons in Fortnite history.
If you want to experience the modest and original Fortnite, I would try the OG game mode during the early seasons. If you want to play the best and more action-packed seasons of Fortnite, I strongly recommend playing this game mode in a few months, when the faster paced, later seasons of Chapter One are released.
A player aims to see an enemy behind a fence. Credit: Epic Games
A player glides down into “Pleasant Park.” Credit: Epic Games
A player opens a loot chest. Credit: Epic Games
16 Years of Minecraft: Let’s Take A Trip Down Memory Lane
by Reese Bergey
Minecraft is approaching its sweet 16th birthday. It’s come a long way since its original indie title release in 2009. In celebration, let’s take a trip down memory lane by reviewing some defining moments in the game’s lifetime.
If you haven’t heard of it, Minecraft is a sandbox game where the world is made of blocks that can be shaped to your whim. Developed and published by Swedish game developer Mojang Studios, Minecraft has had continuous free content updates and support since release. Its open development cycle and accessibility have led it to become the #1 bestselling game of all time. Minecraft’s early success was greatly due to its rising presence on YouTube in the early 2010s. Let’s-plays — someone recording themselves playing through a game — were a major piece of that growing popularity, though the format is less popular today than it was a decade ago. Channels like Sethbling, Ethoslab, Stampylonghead, and the Yogscast pioneered early Minecraft on YouTube and introduced millions of people to it for the first time.
Ever since the game’s beginnings, mapmaking has stayed as a longstanding tradition in the Minecraft community. Players can share their builds, make puzzles and adventures for each other, and even craft entire storylines by sharing them through a Minecraft map. But one map series in particular stole the spotlight in Minecraft’s early days: Super Hostile.
Made by user Vechs around 13 years ago, Super Hostile was a series of some of the first complete-the-monument maps, or CTMs for short. Usually, you got dropped into a custom world filled with all sorts of specially-designed themed environments and hazards to trek through.
Then you’d be tasked with finding a collection of items, typically 16 colored wool blocks and bringing them to a victory monument structure to win. As you played through the map, you’d have this almost Herculean-Greek hero-idiot rivalry with the mapmaker as they try and predict your choices and you attempt to outsmart their traps.
Super Hostile was one of the first times external programs like MCEdit were used casually in a Minecraft map. The series got its hardcore difficulty reputation from how common it was to find normally impossible items and monsters, like signs enchanted with unnaturally high levels of knockback and spiders that were perpetually invisible and on fire.
CTMs like Super Hostile are still made today, and are a blast to play through. I recently have been working my way through one titled Ragecraft IV: Underworld by users heliceo and suso. It’s quite lengthy, and you can imagine from the title, very difficult. If CTMs aren’t your thing, I highly recommend sifting through other old Minecraft maps to play through. They’re a lot of fun.
If you ever played Minecraft on an Xbox, Playstation, or other console back in the day, you were playing a copy of Legacy Console Edition: a term used to describe the various versions of the game designed for consoles and mobile phones.
Legacy Console Edition introduced in-game tutorials, split screen multiplayer, simplified inventory and crafting recipes, a brighter game screen, and a couple of built-in handcrafted tutorial worlds which came to be famous in the community.
Many of these features eventually made their way into the main game with the release of the 2017 Better Together Update. It merged all the slightly different console versions into one singular, standardized, multi-platform version of the game, which came to be known as Bedrock Edition, and it was freely distributed to anyone who owned a copy of the original legacy console versions.
Mojang debuted the update in September of 2017 with a short trailer featuring the Togetherness Machine, a large build animated with command blocks
What Games are Coming Out in 2025?
by Karl Sippola
The 2024 game awards came along with many exciting game announcements; there was the long awaited Grand Theft Auto VI, Assassin Creed Shadows, the unexpected Elden Ring: Nightreign, and many more.
Elden Ring: Nightreign
Elden Ring: Nightreign, a stand alone souls game separate from the first Elden Ring, is a multiplayer battle royale. FromSoftware has hired the creator of an Elden Ring mod called Seamless co-op to help develop the multiplayer aspect of Nightreign.
While Nightreign is recommended for three player co-op, it will also support single player playthroughs.
Unlike the previous games, you will be playing with pre-designed classes, where it is suggested that you will not be able to level up; the only way to change your build will be to collect the weapons scattered around the map.
Nightreign will also be reusing some of the movements from previous FromSoftware Souls games, such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, with a grappling hook attack being shown in the trailer. FromSoftware will also be bringing back some of the more popular bosses and NPCS from their older games, Such as the Nameless
King, Lady Mira, and The Fire Keeper. Elden Ring: Nightreign is set to release in the later half of 2025.
Grand Theft Auto VI
Grand Theft Auto VI, which was originally announced in December of 2023, was one of the many games that have felt like it was never going to be released, along with Sliksong, Elden Ring Two, and more. At the 2024 Game awards, however, not only was the aforementioned Elden Ring sequel announced, but GTA VI was also announced alongside it.
GTA VI’s main story is set to follow a female protagonist named Lucia with an unnamed male partner in crime. Like the other games in the GTA franchise, GTA VI will have an open world with a main quest, with undoubtedly many side quests. Very little else is currently known about GTA VI. If you have enjoyed the previous games or you enjoy open world games, you may want to keep an eye out for GTA VI.
Assassin Creed: Shadows
Unlike the previous Assassin Creed games where you could choose your character’s sex, in Assassin Creed: Shadows you don’t have that option, but
to physically pull pieces of the map to the center to visualize all the console editions becoming one.
Legacy console versions of Minecraft had extra downloadable content in the form of mashup-packs: premade adventure maps made by Mojang that were paired with their own custom textures and a pack of player skins.
During 2017’s transition from legacy console to the then-new Bedrock Edition, textures and skins from mashup packs became available for purchase on the Minecraft Marketplace, but many of the tutorial worlds did not and no longer exist on official Mojang services.
But that doesn’t mean they’re lost media, as player-made archives are pretty easy to find on the internet.
Minecraft feels like it has an entire library’s worth of history to it. After 16 years, the game is still being constantly updated and the community is larger than ever.
instead you are able to play as two completely different characters. Naoe, a female assassin whose gameplay focuses around speed and agility, uses Kunai and Smoke bombs to distract guards.
Yasuke, a male warrior who focuses on power and brute force over speed, uses a Yumi Bow and Naginata to defeat his enemies.
There is also a large emphasis put on the exploring aspect of the game, with this game taking place during Feudal Japan. There is also a large focus on the combat of each character with there being heavy and light attack, parries, dodges, and a stance mechanic.
The patented Togetherness Machine in preparation for its meticulously engineered merging of console editions.
Credit: Mojang Studios, Xbox
Wicked: Despite Imperfections, Worth the Hype
by Sydney Harwick
After almost two decades of Broadway success, Wicked has taken the yellow brick road to the big screen. Much anticipation has come with the news of this film adaptation of the musical. But can the movie really be worth all the excitement, or should Wicked have stayed on stage?
To understand the pivotal role Wicked had in the musical universe, having some knowledge about its connection to The Wizard of Oz will help. Wicked is an imagined prequel to The Wizard of Oz, exploring the backstories of the two witches, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch), focusing on the choices that shaped who they became, their complicated friendship, and the dilemmas they faced in the land of Oz. The original Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, while Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) by Gregory Maguire reimagines the witches’ backstories. Wicked premiered as a Broadway musical on October 30, 2003.
Diehard fans of the Broadway musical question if the movie will capture the same magic in set design, characters, and music. Spoiler alert: It does! From start to finish, viewers are transported to a magical world that is as visually breathtaking as it is emotionally chilling. And of course, the stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performed like no other.
Wicked is a visual masterpiece starting in the dreamlike world of Oz, bringing iconic sets to life in a way stage productions could never achieve. Every frame looks like a piece of art, making it hard to focus on the story because of the fantastical world surrounding it. The
performances by Erivo as Elphaba and Grande as Glinda will leave you craving more. Erivo’s strong and powerful voice brings Elphaba’s misunderstood character to life, allowing the Wicked Witch to have depth and show vulnerability. This assumed ‘wicked’ character manages to balance Elphaba’s fierceness with moments of sensitivity, making her more complex than the villain we know from The Wizard of Oz and instead a role to look up to.
Grande, who has wanted the role of Glinda ever since she saw the play, brings to screens an unexpected yet perfect touch to the forever loved character. With experience in acting at a young age, Grande carries her award winning vocal capabilities into her role, with hilarious comedic timing, winning over fans who weren’t quite sure of the casting choice. The chemistry between these two is electric, especially in their renditions of iconic songs like
“Defying Gravity” and “For Good”. These performances don’t just live up to the stage musical, they elevate it.
The movie Wicked captures every captivating note, however the Broadway version of the score became so widespread, it became hard for fans to imagine a new version on screen. Famous songs like “Popular,” “Defying Gravity,” and “For Good” come to life in the film, achieving the same effect as they did on stage, regardless of how familiar you are with the Oz universe. The music is both uplifting and emotional, capturing the complexity of the characters’ journeys and the world they inhabit. The emotions of each character are vividly expressed through their singing, which helps explain why Wicked became one of the most iconic and beloved musicals of all time.
Is Wicked the most significant movie released in 2024? Maybe… There are instances where the pacing drags, which could be confusing for viewers who aren’t already familiar with the storyline. Nevertheless, the film is magnificently shot and a rewatch. Some parts of the plot can be difficult to follow, particularly if you haven’t read the book or seen the stage production, but purposeful scenes might not come across. But these minor moments are nothing compared to the overall experience of magic and production. Wicked definitely deserves its place on the big screen as a visual and musical triumph with outstanding special effects, indescribable performances, and songs that will make you want to come back for part two. Whether you’re a Wicked aficionado or don’t know anything about the land of Oz, this film will leave you feeling emotionally moved and invested. Yes, every musical and magical moment is worth the hype.
What’s So Amazing About The Amazing Digital Circus?
by Dana Abduljaber
Welcome to The Amazing Digital Circus—a mind-bending realm where the boundaries of reality glitch, twist, and distort. Trapped inside a whimsical yet surreal digital theme park, this cast of eccentric characters must navigate bizarre attractions, solve absurd puzzles, and face the madness of their virtual prison. But behind this pixelated fun lies a haunting mystery: who created this circus, and is escaping it even possible?
The Amazing Digital Circus (on Youtube and Netflix) is a show about a woman, called Pomni, who got trapped in a crazy virtual world along with five other humans, which are now subject to the whims of this circus. Pomni is desperately trying to look for an escape but Caine, an AI who portrays himself as the ringmaster of the circus, maintains the simulation and keeps them there alongside his loyal assistant, Bubble.
The animation’s quality is really professional and the characters’ movements are fluid. Glitch Productions, the creators of this show, is a professional post-production company with a dedicated following of over 20 million engaged fans.
The show is really fun to watch if you’re a fan of adventurous cartoons with dark humour. In each adventure Caine sets up, it explains one of the character’s traumas; mainly in a humorous way. But there are moments where the scenes intend to be more emotional, hinting about their fears and the mental illnesses they have and are still suffering from.
The characters are well written and have cool representative designs. The main characters’ designs are all based on old childhood toys, mainly the ones around
the 70s to 90s. Since the setting of the show is in a circus, it’s really amazing how their designs look like that. Overall, I think that The Amazing Digital Circus is worth a watch. I also think that it’s interesting how many people are coming out with their own convincing theories, especially since the series hasn’t yet fully released its episodes on Youtube and Netflix. I would definitely recommend this series to others.
Credit: Glitch Productions, Wikipedia
Credit: Sky Studios Elstree
The Episode 1 pilot cover of The Amazing Digital Circus. Credit: Glitch Productions
A comparison between an Annabelle doll and Ragatha from The Amazing Digital Circus. Credit: Wikipedia, Glitch Productions
The Truth About Uglies Isn’t Very Pretty
by Bom Kim
What if it was possible to make yourself become absolutely perfect? What if all it took to achieve that was one little surgery? What would you do?
This is what Netflix’s teen dystopian movie Uglies (based on the book by Scott Westerfeld) sets out to discuss. As with every book-to-movie adaptation, there are bound to be some creative changes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But in this case, the producers failed to properly translate some of the most vital elements of the book onto the screen, and the end result is a shockingly basic movie with shallow messages, a boring protagonist, and an inaccurate portrayal of the dystopian world as a whole.
Uglies is about a society where all people are given a dramatic cosmetic surgery at 16. This surgery turns them into a breathtakingly beautiful “Pretty.” The protagonist is Tally Youngblood (Joey King), who has waited all her life to become a Pretty. One day, her friend, Shay (Brianne Tju), runs away to avoid getting the surgery, and the authorities want Tally to bring her back. Tally’s dangerous journey to reach her friend leads to a shocking truth about the world she lives in.
There are a lot of things wrong with this movie. First of all, the Pretties in the movie aren’t… well, pretty. I know how that sounds, but hear me out. In the book, Pretties are supposed to be so impossibly beautiful that they make today’s celebrities appear hideous by comparison. The book’s messages are so impactful because it shows readers a heavily caricatured portrait of the modern beauty industry.
In the movie, though, the Pretties look exactly as they did when they were Uglies. A character named Peris (Chase Stokes) goes through the Pretty surgery, and afterward, he ends up looking the exact same. The only noticeable changes are his eye color and hairstyle. This subtle change from Ugly to Pretty makes the story’s commentary on unattainable beauty have little to no impact. Without a good caricature to startle people, it’s hard to get a message to really stick.
Another thing the movie gets wrong is the protagonist, Tally. Something that makes Tally’s character so interesting in the book is her support of the status quo. Throughout the story, she berates Shay for her stance against the surgery, silently scolds the rebels’ way of living, and constantly acts under the selfish desire to become Pretty. Though Tally could be frustrating at times, her conformist view is what made the book so captivating for me.
In the movie, however, it’s a different case. She is presented as a character whose faith in the surgery is not firmly rooted. In the one very brief argument Tally and Shay have, Tally’s argument for Pretty society sounds extremely halfhearted, as if she herself is unsure of her own beliefs. The beliefs that are supposed to shape Tally’s entire character aren’t present in the movie, making Tally a largely uninteresting protagonist; a typical dystopian heroine who is quick to change her opinions about the status quo.
The movie also portrays the dystopian world all wrong. What the book did well is make the dystopia seem more utopian. In the book, it is explained that the high-tech city that Tally lives in uses efficient energy and sources things responsibly, and that the Pretty operation was created to prevent inequality and discrimination. The book successfully blurs the line between utopia and dystopia, allowing the story to be much more nuanced.
The movie, on the other hand, makes it painfully clear that the world of Uglies is dystopian. The Pretty surgery is intentionally made to look horrifying with metal drills, blades, and claws. The city is known to get all of its power from a destructive and invasive species. The overwhelming portrayal of rebellion throughout the movie urges the viewer to view the society badly as well. There are brief mentions of the good intentions behind the surgery, but they are never elaborated on. The movie displays a stale, surface-level message along the lines of, “Don’t trust the status quo! It’s evil!”
Unless you like terrible book-to-movie translations, I recommend you don’t watch Uglies — just read the book instead.
Moana 2: A Good Continuation or Cash Grab?
by Shiloh Merges
I had the costume and everything. Not just a cheap one with faux straws cut of fabric, but a handmade two-piece dress and skirt because of her, because of Moana. To see someone on the big screen doing what I’ve always wanted to do: running amok in water and being one with the sea.
I’ve aged, and I want to know one thing: has Moana aged too?
In the first movie, we follow Moana as she goes off on a journey after her island begins to decay. Moana answers a call from the sea, which pushes her to voyage into danger beyond the reef in order to restore the goddess Te Feti, the goddess of nature’s heart after the heart was stolen by the demi-god Mauito. After finding him on his island where he was trapped and separated from his magic fishhook, she convinces him to help her restore Te Fiti.
The movie Moana 2 reuses the same plot points and character arcs as the first movie but does not add anything to her character. It is more of a thoughtful grab at the nostalgia the first movie imprinted on viewers. If you haven’t seen the first movie, you’d think the sequel expands on Moana’s character with the general message that when at first things don’t succeed, try again. But if you have seen the first one, you would know this is the same theme as the original.
The plot is also largely the same. She goes on a journey with some doubt about her success, whether it came from her or her family. The journey goes well and she gets optimistic until something fails and she’s forced to face a minor loss. Afterward, she becomes more motivated, goes after the problem, and succeeds.
The same lazy writing could also explain why the stakes don’t feel as high. In the first movie, her people could lose their harvester, which would cause them to lose their livestock and lead to famine. In the second movie, if she cannot reconnect with the people of the other islands, they would just…die? Maybe? Or as the movie puts it, “Your story will end.”
In the first movie, the coconut people (the Kakamora) serve as adversaries in Moana’s journey to restore Te Fiti’s heart, but in the second movie, they are given the same copy-paste sad, tragic, backstory to add something to make you feel sympathetic towards the villain. In Moana 2, they had lost their island and were now drifters lost at sea. The character’s lovable little faces are catered to the young children in the audience so they can fall in love with them and be sold as plushies to them.
Additionally, the mid-credit scene after the second film shows the true purpose of the movie is to set up a third movie, where she will have to fight all her enemies at once. This may explain the lack of an actual character arc for Moana: this film is just a vehicle to get us to the next one.
If you like recycled character arcs and plot points with a new suit on you will definitely enjoy this movie. Otherwise, just wait until it’s out for streaming, or you can watch it in 100 parts on YouTube’s shorts.
Moana 2 trailer.
Credit: BLT Communications
Track Team Prepares for Spring Season
by Maeve Kilbride
As the spring season comes around, our Skyline’s track team works hard with lots of diverse workouts and conditioning to get ready for their upcoming season.
Most track athletes run cross country in the fall and indoor track in the winter. “To prepare for spring track, most of our track athletes who don’t do other winter sports run the indoor season through our club, The Very Nice Track Club,” said Head Coach Serena Kessler. “They [can] compete in indoor meets throughout the winter.”
Irie Scrase (‘27), Becca Vanlent (‘27), and Nick Yuan (‘27) all run cross country in the fall and indoor track in the winter. “I do lots of conditioning and train just like I would in the spring, maybe even harder,” said Scrase. “I run indoor invitational meets and try out different events as well.” Vanlent runs optional races on the weekends. “[This can] help me practice racing strategies and handling race day nerves,” said Vanlent.
“With indoor track season, [it] helps us get in shape and get some racing experience,” said Yuan.
In track, there are long distance runners and sprinters who are split up and do different workouts based on their event. “Both groups prioritize building strength and technique for injury prevention,” said Vanlent. “Sprinter workouts focus more on sprinting form power, while distance workouts are usually longer distance threshold repeats. Consistently showing up and running in the winter will build a stronger base of fitness so you can do higher volume and intensity workouts in the spring.”
Not only are track athletes constantly running, they are also trying to build up strength. “[We do] hill sprints [and] track repeat workouts,” said Scrase. “We also have lifts multiple times a week as well.”
One of Two Seniors on Varsity Wrestling: Who is Connor Gillilland?
by Max Adox
After just two full years of wrestling, Connor Gillilland (‘25) rose from newcomer to team captain, exemplifying belief and perseverance.
“He has what every coach would dream of having in a wrestler,” says Head Wrestling Coach Jim Mason. “He’s a believer. He’s an example of what we can do with a kid who buys into what we are teaching.”
Prior to his Sophomore year, Gillilland had never wrestled before. But despite his inexperience, he made the Varsity team. Though he faced challenges in his first season, struggling at meets and losing several matches, he persevered.
“I had a hard time doing well at meets,” Gillilland said. “I lost so many matches and I would always give my all but I never had a lot of success. But that ended up benefiting me because I learned from my mistakes.”
His struggles didn’t last long, however. He ended his second season with a record of 32 wins and 14 losses, securing third-place finish at districts and qualifying him for regionals. “I had to change how I lived,” said Gillilland. “I had to be more disciplined and I had to get used to the physical stress on my body.”
The development of Gillilland’s overall discipline and dedication can be summed up by telling the story of one specific day of each wrestling season: Thanksgiving. Every year on Thanksgiving morning, the wrestling team practices at 7am. “Connor, his first year, wouldn’t go,” says Mason. “His second year, he did go and he wanted to go. This year he ABSOLUTELY wanted to go.”
However, being a strong, dedicated wrestler is not the only reason Gillilland was made a captain of the team. He has built a reputation as someone who leads by example. “Leaders are contagious and they convince others to follow [them],” says Mason “He leads by example and brings others with him.”
Gillilland is also well loved by teammates. “I look at Connor more as a family member than I do a teammate,” says Jayden Shaw (‘25) “he’s a very good person and always inspiring others.”
After a great three-year experience wrestling for Skyline, Gillilland says that he does not plan to wrestle competitively after high school. However, he is still seeking a strong finish to his senior-year campaign. He will undoubtedly leave behind an example of how much growth can be achieved through commitment and dedication.
Girls Varsity Basketball Freshmen Excel
by Ej Landefeld
It is very unusual to have freshmen on varsity — but this year’s Girls Basketball team doesn’t have one freshman but four.
Jane Jordan, number 3, has 59 rebounds and 98 points across 11 games.
Josie Lovelace, number 11, has 2 blocks and 10 assists across 8 games.
Lucia Llanes, number 12, has 8 deflections and 8 steals across 5 games.
Sadie Jordan, number 21, has on average 9.4 points per game scoring a total of 108 points across 11 games.
“Our freshmen on varsity have had a lot of experience on high competing teams,” says Head Coach Michael Lovelace. “They have shown they can compete at this level. It is impressive because it is hard to play against juniors and seniors.”
As the Fall pre-season was slipping by, the freshmen were staying in shape to not just be ready for the season but are ready to excel.
“I was on the swim team, so that helped my conditions,” says Sadie Jordan. “Since I wasn’t doing basketball I was doing [drills] at home like ball handling and shooting.”
Instead of swimming, Lovelace played soccer for her Michigan Tigers club team and did “extra workouts and shooting practice.”
Everyone is trying to be the best and practices aren’t easy but the team environment is all working towards a common goal: to win.
“It is definitely more intense than what I’m used to,” says Jane Jordan.
Sadie Jordan adds, “I think everyone wants to get better and everyone is working towards a common purpose.”
As the freshmen are playing against hard teams and hard competition they are doing really well. “I mean [they] are very young,” says Coach Lovelace. “They have shown in the past that they can play against very good competition, and this is a different type of competition but they are doing really well… and as they play more they will get the speed of play down and be very successful.”
The team is noticing value in the freshmen – not just recognizing it but supporting their unique skills.
“They are very important to the team,” says Gabriela Arocha (‘26), “They bring important skills [and] a new style of play that other teams and players couldn’t.”
Irie Scrase (‘27) running at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia. Credit: Charles Scrase
Connor Gillilland (‘25) takes down an opponent during a wrestling match. Credit: Merrit Gillilland
Josie Lovelace (’28) about to pass the ball. Credit: Arthur Zheng
Skyline Robotics Team Kicks Off Competition Season
by Gray Kryscynski
Every year, on the last weekend of winter break, the Skyline robotics team gathers at the machine shop in Forsythe Middle School to kick off six weeks of build season. This year, members of the robotics team have to strategize, design, and develop their skills to build the best robot possible for the 2025 season game: REEFSCAPE.
Reefscape will require the team design robots to place PVC pipes called Coral on metal branches called the Reef while removing large kickballs called Algae from the field. Last year, teams had to shoot foam rings into a goal called the speaker.
Kickoff starts with an animated video to explain the game and all of its tasks. This is many members’ favorite part of kickoff. “Your mind just kind of spins and goes as fast as it can trying to figure out ways that you can do whatever task that you need to do,” said Callie Crawford (‘28).
After watching the video, the team switches gears into rule reading, strategizing, and prototyping. Each year’s game has its own set of unique rules, and unique objects that need to be picked up and scored. Students split into groups
to work on prototypes for different parts of the game. “So far, I’ve learned a lot about prototyping, how we’re using the materials that we have around the shop for some simple to access materials, to build ideas out and test them,” said Joowon Lee (‘28). “We prototyped an intake prototype which didn’t work out, we prototyped [an] indexer which worked out, and we’re going to improve on the design to make it a little bit better,” Lee said.
Students also have to build large wooden field elements to replicate the metal field they will be competing on. “Once we have the main season kick off, we’ll start prototyping,” said fabrication lead Corinne Sczomak (‘27). “Start like, building stuff for the field so we can test things.”
In order to build a robot every season, students on the team have to develop skills from teaching to project management to CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining. The team has a whole shop full of tools that members learn how to use.
“We have a band saw, drilling mill, CNC. We have a bunch of hand tools, like wrenches, drills, screwdrivers,
stuff like that. And we have a machine that bends metal,” said Suriya Ailawadi (‘27).
Robotics provides a space to gain experience for careers after high school or college. Depending on what part of the team they are on, members can gain experience with computer aided design software, mechanical engineering, electrical and wiring, programming, business and more.
“I want to go into a career involving mechanical engineering, so robotics has given me many of the necessary skills for this as well as … experience with machines that I might use in the future and didn’t have previous experience with,” said Ailawadi. “I’ve learned many important skills … including how to write sponsorship letters, leadership skills, collaborative and communication skills, and problem solving.”
If you are interested in seeing the Skyline robotics team play this year, you could visit their competition at 1300 Campus Pkwy in Saline on March 22nd and 23rd. If you are interested in joining the team, all students are welcome to join at the beginning of next year.
Wires run all over the bot to deliver power and control signals to the motors, including on the mechanisms that go outside the bot. “The wires to power our arm need to be protected from damage by a black sheathing,” said team captain and electrical member Emmie Pokryfke (‘25). “I am zip-tying the sheathing in place.”
The fully assembled robot, given the name Tipsy, is quite complex with an elevator, shoulder joint, and wrist joint. “The team really set the bar high this year, so it's going to be spectacular!” says lead mentor John Duquette. “Either in a really good way or a bad way, so we'll learn a lot this year.”
Members of the Skyline Robotics design team research and discuss how the robot will climb up a cage. Credit: Theadora Yocum
Members need to learn how to assemble bearing blocks for this year’s robot, which help the elevator on the robot slide smoothly. “I’m showing another member how the elevator’s bearing blocks are assembled and also getting Loctite on my shirt,” says design lead Graham Knight (‘25). Knight and others were able to assemble several bearing blocks and attach them to the elevator.
All photos: Gray Kryscynski
