Black & Gold Issue 3 Vol 95 11/25/2015

Magazine pg. 11

Volume 96

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November 25th, 2015

Black Gold

Head to Magazine for a look at fall festivities around Traverse City and Central

Issue 3 Feature pg. 3

2015 MIPA Spartan Award Winner

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Traverse City Central High School 1150 Milliken Drive, Traverse City, Michigan 49686

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Graphic: A. Steibel

Students see strong enforcements for online classes Administration increases rules for online students to keep better attendance Jack Myers

Staff Reporter

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yping on a keyboard, clicking on a mouse, and staring at a screen, hunched over students read text and scroll down a webpage as they work on their online classes. Independently working without face to face instruction, checking in weekly is just another responsibility given to online students.

Recently TCAPS online learning has transitioned to a new educational platform.

The switch has caused a rough start, but is expected to work out well.

“We recently switched from the Edgenuity E2020 platform to this new GradPoint platform and we have been working through some bugs with that.” Learning Specialist Ben Lantz said. “It’s required some patience and some things have come up that we weren’t really able to plan for, so this fall has been a transition and so it requires everybody to work together to get the bugs worked out.”

Also new to students is a weekly check in. Every Wednesday during school,

students hear the constant reminders for online students to do the required form.

“The State of Michigan has recently passed legislation to require students to do a weekly check in,” Lantz said. “They check in at the Academic Assistance Office. It consists of a physical signature and an online progress reporting form.”

The reminders are often numerous, and there are positives and negatives to having so many announcements.

“The weekly announcements do not annoy me. I think it’s a good thing to be checking in with someone. I think that if a student is progressing adequately to a certain point maybe the check ins could be reduced or eliminated basically based on the success of how the student is doing. Other students I think they really do need someone to look over what they are doing and keep them on track so that it is successful for them and it doesn’t end up being a waste of time,” French teacher, Jami Grant, said. “I think the more we can keep our announcements to one time a day the better. Just in general I’m not a big fan of announcements going throughout the day, that is annoying.”

The multiple announcements can be particularly noticed by students, who are working for the most part the whole school day.

“The announcements are really annoying.” Emilie Fleming ‘17 said. “I understand why they do them and I think it’s definitely a good way of keeping people on track, but for someone like me who is on track, I find them pestering almost.”

Despite setbacks, online classes have continued on like other classes.

“They are in transition from the old platform to the new one, and I think a lot of the technical bugs are going to be worked out by the end of fall semester,” Lantz said. “We are going to have a much better idea of what students are going to need in order to ensure their success in their online class and we’ve also found out some more information about these online classes and some bugs that we have in certain courses, so we probably won’t be offering those or if we do we’ll be working with the vendor to make improvements on those.”

One of the large differences between online and regular classes is setting. Online See Online pg. 6 students do not

Graphic: H. Lancashire

GirlTech promotes girls involvement in nontraditional career paths NMC hosts a local program for primarily sophomore girls to introduce them into uncommon technology careers

Abby Harnish Staff Reporter

Photo: E. Simon Students look on as a demonstration takes place at NMC. Isabelle McGuire ‘18 “There were quite a few different career choices our group got to learn about, Isabelle McGuire ‘18 said.” “Now instead of focusing solely on the career choice I was previously set on, I’m looking into others too.”

On November 13th, NMC held the 15th annual GirlTECH conference where many sophomore girls attended from five different counties.

“At girl tech, we walked around and learned about different careers,” Erin Mackie ‘18 said.

“There were also some hands on activities that we got to try.”

GirlTECH is a conference aimed at sophomore girls that promotes different opportunities for young women who aspire to, or are interested in, pursuing a career in non-traditional fields.

“It’s a career conference, so you’re looking forward, looking ahead, and thinking about this as an opportunity to figure out what you want to do as a career,” school counselor Jean Petola said.

“High school should be about investigating about what you want to do when you grow up.

This is a beautiful opportunity to talk to women one-on-one who are in non-traditional careers and find out more about them.”

Students at Traverse City Central lack handson experience with career possibilities. A program like GirlTECH allows for students to experience and evaluate if a career suits them and opens doors to different possibilities.

“I think this is an excellent idea,” Petola said.

“Some kids know that they want to be a firefighter, a doctor, or an attorney. But how do you really know that if you haven’t investigated it. I firmly believe that high school is the time in your life, now, to start looking at career options.”

Central High School offers many different extracurriculars that enable students to expand their knowledge of their options.

“The only way you’ll find that out is if you sample,” Petola said. “As a counselor, I try to always encourage students to take a business class, take an art class, to do the different things that we have right here at school. Then they can be thinking, ‘Oh, I really like that class, what

can I do in that field that will help me with my career in the future?’ So sampling those classes is important.”

Spending the day sampling different things and exploring the endless career possibilities was inspiring to the girls who attended GirlTECH. “The conference really impacted me by getting me more interested in many different possible career choices,” Isabelle McGuire ‘18 said. “For a decent amount of time I had solidly decided that I wanted to go into the engineering field, specifically civil engineering. After attending the conference, the certainty in my decision that I wanted to be a civil engineer was toned down a little bit.”

A few counselors and others have decided that programs such as GirlTECH would be a great addition to the curriculum.

“We’re taking a look at something like this right now,” Petola said. “In the counseling department, we want to do more career awareness, and we want to have more opportunities.

One of our goals for this year is to bring career information into the school for everybody, not just sophomore girls.”

Through such programs, girls would be encouraged to step outside their stereotypical career boundary lines.

“I think if that’s what you’re interested in, then go for it,” Mackie said. “In the past, non-traditional careers were mostly male-dominated, but that’s all changing which is pretty neat.”

Apart from different career options and oneon-one conversation opportunities, GirlTECH offers other lessons for the girls attending.

“One of the most important things I learned from the conference was that determination is an important thing to have,” McGuire said. “Determination is what gets you places, and without it, you probably won’t get to where you want to be. Especially in male dominated fields, like engineering, or automotive. Things have been getting better recently and women are treated better by their fellow workers in ‘nontraditional’ career choices, but it’s not quite all the way there yet.”

Briefs

NCAA signing comes to Central November 11, Central High School held its first National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, division one and two signing this year. This year, Anthony Berry ‘16 signed with University of Michigan for cross country and track and field, while Jackson Schrameyer ‘16 signed with Lake Superior State University for men’s basketball.

“It’s an exciting event because those kids have worked so hard to do what they want to do,” Athletic Director Mark Mattson said. “I think it’s great for our school, and for those kids who are moving on to play and study at the next level to have that recognition.”

During the ceremony, students’ coaches introduce

them, students say a few words and sign, and the media interviews the students and coaches. The whole ceremony is to celebrate, and recognize, the journey the students have been through to earn this opportunity.

“I felt relief,” Berry said.

“Everything that I’ve done has finally paid off, and I’m going to get paid to run which is pretty sweet.”

Signings are not only impor-

Photos: courtesy of M. Mattson

tant for the students, but also meaningful and influential for teammates.

“I think it’s just as important for the underclassmen to strive to be in that chair by the time they’re seniors too,” Mattson said. “It doesn’t matter where they’re going to school to play, to me it’s a motivational thing,and should be a prize all kids should have their eye on and want to sit there someday.”

First Senate blood drive of the year

The first blood drive of the school year at Central High School was conducted through the organization Michigan Blood. Michigan Blood employees pricked arms with needles and drew students blood. Donors blood, taken by the organization will be used for a good cause.

The donated blood goes to patients in Michigan hospitals who are in need of the blood for medical purposes.

“I got my blood drawn because I thought it would be a good idea to be able to help someone else when they need it,” Kaylee Mullens ‘16 said.

Helping others during the drive did involve discomfort for the donors due to the needles that were used during

the process.

“I have a really big fear of needles, so I did shed a couple of tears” Mullens said.

“It was a good experience because I have never done it before and it was something new that I tried.”

Certain requirements to participate did not hold back the 70 participants.

“To participate in a blood drive, you need to be sixteen or older, and if you are sixteen you need parental permission if it is your first time donating,” Brooke Corso ‘17 said.

“There is a weight requirement and the donors must be 115 pounds or heavier along with a healthy amount of iron in their blood.”

Student Senate has

Succeeded in hosting three blood drives a year in the past and wants to continue that tradition at Central.

“We want to continue doing three blood drives a year with Michigan Blood,” Corso said.

2 Opinion

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Modernized bullying takes its toll Bullying remains an issue, but it has taken on a new definition

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arely containing her excitement, a girl in the front of the classroom raises her hand anticipating the teacher will call her name. The teacher peruses the crowd of uninterested teens and stumbles upon a girl, sitting at the edge of her seat, eyes big and bright.

Happily, the teacher motions for the girl to solve the complex math problem on the whiteboard. She bolts out of her chair to begin the problem when she hears distant giggling.

She pauses for a minute still looking at the board, then continues. When finished, she takes a step back to watch her teacher analyze her work, a smile stretched across her face. The teacher erases her work and tells her to sit down while he correctly answers the problem. Disappointment spreads across her face while her shoulders sink and her chest caves in. While she makes her way back to her seat, she notices the entire back row lined with smartphones aimed in her direction.

According to the Oxford Dictionary the definition of bullying is “to use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.” Bullying is a situation that has been talked about for years and throughout those years it has adopted a whole new meaning. It is easy to stereotype it as ‘old school bullying’

where an older student harasses a younger student for their lunch money. But it has progressed to something much more over the generations.

We at the Black & Gold believe modern-day bullying is technologically based. People are much more willing to hide behind a screen rather than confront their victims face to face. This technologically based bullying makes it harder to expose the bully for the simple reason that the ubiquitous nature of technology today necessitates monitoring that is simply not feasible.

When a person cyberbullies, it gives them the opportunity to not see how the other person is reacting, therefore leaving the bully guilt free. Why wouldn’t people participate in an act that has no consequence?

Continuing on with a lack of punishment only encourages the behavior to continue with frequency, creating habit. In many situations, people are not aware they are being rude. Sending a screenshot of a student such as the young girl above may seem harmless, a custom that has developed amongst teenagers and just a way to get our friends laughing. We assume others will laugh, but we don’t know the victim’s perspective; we do not see the direct impact of our actions, at least not they way we would if we were face to face.

“Olweus was used the best way it could be used because it put the decision in the student’s hands.

I don’t see any physical or mental attacks on people. Its really up to the surrounding students to stop bullying if there is any.”

-Alex Everts ‘16

This form of bullying exists in spite of the ‘If it’s not happening to me, it’s not happening at all’ mentality that our society seems to accept on a fairly regular basis. Influenced by the actions of those around us, we too often give into societal standards, following in their destructive footprints.

As a generation, we lack empathy; we have allowed the cruelty of the technological age to blind us to the reality of our actions.

We at the Black & Gold believe ex-

All Graphics: H. Lancashire

posing the consequences that societies actions have on individuals is the only way to provide insight on the reality of this bullying.

Providing individuals with relatable situations and showcasing the effects of their actions close-up is the best solution for enlightenment and ultimately ending this cyber harassment.

The current anti-bullying agenda we follow, Olweus, is not practical nor is it relatable. Olweus pounds into our heads the same regime we have been told since Kindergarten, none of which can actually be relatable. Rather than capturing the reality of modern bullying, it is stuck teaching scenarios that are no longer the problem. Our school needs awareness of what bullying has become. Too often, students partake in this technological harassment without realization. Therefore, the majority of students don’t even recognize the presence of bullying at this school when in truth it is very alive.

We need to see bullying in a new light from fellow students who are experiencing life with us. As a society, get passed the stereotypes and see what is actually happening to our peers. This brings up consequences once again. We need to be shown that our poor decisions do negatively impact people.

“Honestly, teaching kids to stand up for themselves is harsh, but I think that it is the most effective way to deal with it because you can’t fix every kid who bullies but you can help the kids who have been bullied to cope and to deal with it.” -Erin Huls ‘17

“I believe bullying is a problem in the freshman class but once you get older it becomes less relevant. In middle school, people are still young and carry on their childish mentality, when bullying is much more prominent.”

-Shane Videki ‘18

In 2012, a group of actors came to Central to perform skits based off of real bullying situations that have happened. Situations where a friend posted an embarrassing picture onto social media and it continued to spiral downhill, eventually leading to the person’s suicide. The reality of these skits were almost too much for the crowd to handle, which was the intent.

There should be mandatory skits for students to watch every year beginning freshman year and getting darker and more authentic as each grade passes. Students need to know things can be misconstrued via the internet. A lot of times these harsh instances can lead to death. As morbid as it sounds, these skits leave a mark on people and it doesn’t allow them to forget the reality of it all. We need to open our minds to different possibilities and different outcomes our actions have on people. If we don’t relearn what we already know about bullying, we will be stuck with the ‘old school’ mentality and never improve ourselves.

“Bullying is a problem, but not it the typical ways we learn about. A solution would be people realizing that little things can hugely impact someone’s day, and that somethings are deserved to be unsaid.”

-Alecia Gortsema ‘19

Overstepping family rights Involuntary manslaughter China recently lifted the One Child Policy, giving back people’s rights that were once lost

Carly Hernden

Nicole Rogers

Opinion Editor

Staff Reporter

the Black & Gold

For 35 years, China has followed a policy of allowing only one child per family, which has caused various altercations. Although many modifications were made to the original policy through the years, this is the first time officials are allowing couples to have two children.

In 1979, China was home to one quarter of the world’s population. The Chinese government saw the rising population as a threat to the economy and adopted the famous One Child Policy. According to CNN reporter David McKenzie, China’s population is over 1.36 billion. Meaning, one in five people on Earth is a resident of China. Since the One Child Policy was put in place, the population has been slowly increasing, despite the intention to decrease the population.

According to National Review journalist Alec Torres, China eliminated the One Child Policy because over the past three decades they have experienced an increasing economic growth along with a struggling older generation. Younger generations are hesitant to allow high levels of state involvement in their private lives, USA Today reporter Hannah Gardner states. In order to know whether or not it was a family’s second child, hospital employees would look through older files to determine whether or not they have had a child before. Techniques such as forced abortions, sterilizations, and fines were used to ensure only one child per family.

“I was in so much agony, it felt worse than death,” Yu Rongfeng said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald’s Philip Wen after she had been injected with medicine to kill her unborn baby. “If I didn’t already have another child to look after, I really would have gone and died.”

Since this policy has been in place, there has been a rising gender imbalance. World Outline reporter Gaanashree Wood states that more male babies are being born due to a strong preference for boys because they have the ability to carry on the family name. Boys are looked at as an investment.

Families fear the possibility of having a second child because of significant fines that reach up to $4,400. If a family can’t pay these fines, the child will either be aborted or given to another family.

By setting this policy, China has directly violated the rights of 1.36 billion people. Forcing a woman to get an abortion is down right morbid. The maternal bond a mother and her child can’t be broken, even by death. Mothers will live the rest of their lives mourning children that were never allowed to take their first breath. Family size should not be the choice of the government, rather it is a personal decision made by the citizens.

Having such an invasive policy causes “birth tourism”. Parents who want to escape the cruel rules and guidelines of the One Child Policy, will give birth elsewhere. Hong Kong is notorious for accepting fleeing families, as they are exempt from the policy. Families shouldn’t have to cross borders in order to have a child. Basic rights shouldn’t require evasion of the law.

Limiting certain rights, is not acceptable, particularly when those rights determine life or death And that is exactly what China is doing. This policy should have been removed years ago. The thought of punishing a family for having a child is atrocious. Finally, China is beginning to put aside their immoralities.

Editors-in-Chief Maddi Miller Julia Vannatter

News Editor

Kristin McLintock

Opinion Editor Carly Hernden

Feature Editor Maddi Miller

North Carolina teen was charged with involuntary manslaughter after a dicey car crash

A&E Editor

In Charlotte, North Carolina, 17-year-old Abigail McGaha was charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving after getting in a car crash while speeding. McGaha was able to regain control of the car, but slid through the next lane into a tree taking the life of 16-year-old Alexander Mundt, and injuring another passenger. A hearing was scheduled for November 16. According to reporter David Goguen from Nolo, a publisher in Berkeley, California that produces do-it-yourself legal advice, 11 percent of car accidents are due to involuntary manslaughter.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5.25 million car accidents occur each year. In 2004, there were around 1.2 million car accidents resulting in death.

The NHTSA have conducted studies that have shown that a child dies every three minutes in a car crash. But, involuntary manslaughter occurs with more than just car accidents.

Thomas Reuters from FindLaw.com, a website offering legal help, states involuntary manslaughter

“

In any situation where people are affecting the lives of other people, their focus should be on how to keep everyone safe.

Taylor Weckstein

Julia Vannatter

Sports Editor

Business Managers

Noah Aulicino

Kirsten Berkey Hayley Scollard

Focus Page Editor

Photo Editor

Introspec Editors

Illustration Editor

Bethany Pataky

Maddi Miller Abbie Crick

”

has been committed when a person causes the death of another during a lawful act carried out with a high level of carelessness, or when a person killed another person committing or attempting to commit a miniscule crime. In North Carolina typically the penalty for involuntary manslaughter is between 13-16 months in prison, which is reasonable. Whereas in Michigan, the sentence can be up to 15 years, which is flat out ridiculous.

In October of 2014, Christopher Millen Grice, from Boyne County was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, after his brother William’s death. Grice was sentenced to jail time for no less than 29 months and no more than 180. William Grice was killed due to head trauma after an altercation between the brothers. Charges were dropped after he plead guilty.

McGaha should be sentenced to jail time because the society deserves to know that careless driving has its consequences and doesn’t go unnoticed and Mundt’s family deserves closure. Mundt’s death was an accident, but the whole situation could’ve been prevented altogether. If McGaha had been more cautious, Mundt’s life would never have been taken. Grice shouldn’t have been able to plead guilty. He did cause head trauma to his brother, which resulted in death.

In any situation where people are affecting the lives of other people, their focus should be on how to keep everyone safe. With this mindset, unlawful acts won’t be committed and involuntary manslaughter will no longer be an issue. The careless acts that take the lives of another human being, shouldn’t go without punishment. People should be sentenced to some form of punishment because a life was taken. A person killed someone because of a careless act, therefore, they deserve to face the consequences.

Although involuntary manslaughter is an accident, it should not be taken lightly. There are things in life that don’t need harsh consequences, but taking someone’s life is not one of those things, whether it is an accident or not. If people pay attention to the law and do what they are supposed to be doing, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Emma Simon

Henry Lancashire

Staff Reporters

Andrea Bavikatty Jackson Conlon Abby Harnish Jack Myers Fletcher Reyher Autumn Roberts Nicole Rogers Morgan Sheldon Alex Stern Aiden Stiebel Abigail Vannatter Baille Zipser

Some Corrections: -On page 2, Maggie Dupuie’s name was misspelled in the corrections box.

-On pages 2&3, Savanah Champion’s name was misspelled.

For suggestions, contact us at TCBlackandGold.opinion@ gmail.com

Feature

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Fall Trends

Ranging from beautiful hikes to popular fall trends and cuisines; students and our community embrace fall

Sara Gibson

Photo: E. Simon

Breathing in the crisp fall air and kicking vibrant leaves with her brown leathered boots is Sarah Gibson ‘17.

“I love wearing boots because they are perfect for every fall activity including haunted houses, corn mazes and apple picking,” Gibson said.

Boots are Gibson’s go-to fall accessory and are perfect for several of her outfits.

“Boots come in nice, neutral colors which allows them to go with multiple outfits,” Gibson said. “I have four pairs of boots and I like changing my boot style to dressy or casual to create different looks for the whole fall season.”

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Locally owned business, Roaming Harvest, is one of the most popular spots in Traverse City for farm fresh, comfort food. “We use a lot of root vegetables and hearty flavors in the fall and winter like brussel sprouts and carrots.” said Roaming Harvest Owner, Simon Joseph. “Our pumpkin soup is one of our best dishes at the moment,” said Joseph.

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Strolling through the state hospital hiking trails, the multi colored leaves part to make room for her step. Mady Basch ‘16 enjoys hiking this fall season.

“Hiking is a time you can spend with friends while getting fresh air,” Basch said. “It’s especially enjoyable in the fall with the beautiful colors.”

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Isaac Battle ‘19 sports his Express Limited Edition black leather boots.

“Boots are perfect for fall and winter, and these black ones are my favorite” says Battle. “My fashion inspiration is James Dean and I definitely try and keep up with the latest trends. Different seasons inspire different colors and trends.”

“I think of my style as classy, flashy, and formal,” said Central student Brendan Baker ‘16. Brendan’s green plaid flannel is perfect for fall and it’s dropping temperature. “My fashion inspiration is myself. I wear what I want and I don’t follow the newest fashion rules,” said Baker. “When you look good, you feel good.”

As the chilly wind sweeps around Kelley Olson ‘16, she wraps herself tighter in warm and comforting vests.

“I love wearing vests because they are very easy to throw on and they always keep me warm,” Olson said.

Vests are Olson’s favorite apparel and they perfectly define the atmosphere during fall.

“I have three vests and I mostly wear them for comfort,” Olson said. “The style is a bonus.”

Photo: E. Simon

Blk Mrkt

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Brendan Baker

Kelley Olsen

Hiking

Harvest

In the lively nightlife of downtown Traverse City, Georgina’s stands apart with it’s electric, social atmosphere and vibrant Asian and Latin cuisine. It is an incredible treat to eat at this wonderfully original restaurant.

“For fall-specials we are adding more Puerto Rican dishes that are Caribbean-based along with other seafood dishes,” Owner and head chef at Georgina’s, Anthony Craig said. “By adding these dishes, I’m exposing my customers to more cultures they might not have experienced before.”

This restaurant has delicious menu options that have authentic flavors and spices that can’t be found in any other restaurant. Georgina’s offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience with generous staff and delicious meals guaranteed to leave customers speechless with awe.

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Decorated by the swirling leaves and light breezes, downtown Traverse City is the place to be in the fall. One artsy upscale coffee shop in particular, Blk Mrkt, has really gotten into the season’s spirit.

Owner, Chuck Korson has added a few special edition items to the menu, including a pumpkin latte.

The classic rich flavor topped with a decorative design of a leaf is simply uncomparable. The smell alone captivates its drinker. “I love to watch customer’s faces light up when they take a sip of the drink,” Korson said. “I hope the flavor reminds them of fall!”

Good Harbor

In the cozy atmosphere of downtown Traverse City, Good Harbor, a coffee and bakery cafe, features delicious fall-inspired desserts and beverages.

Exquisite coffee drinks like the pumpkin pie latte are a popular necessity - perfect for warming up on chilly days. The deep aroma of the latte combined with the distinctive spice of the pumpkin create a latte masterpiece. Whipped cream and cinnamon sugar are placed on top, which completes this little cup of heaven.

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Kyle Barger Draped in cozy sweaters and stylish clothes, Kyle Barger ‘17 exemplifies trendy fall fashion.

“My favorite sweater is my Ralph Lauren Polo,” Barger said.

“I feel like my red sweater represents the weather during fall because the temperature is chilly but not freezing.”

Barger believes in conveying himself through popular clothing.

“Fashion allows people to express themselves in their own way,” Barger said. “You can tell people’s personalities based on how they dress.”

4 Sports

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Fall Sports Round-up Boys Soccer Photo: courtesy of D. De’Tar

Boys Cross Country Training starts months before the actual season begins. This only partly contributed to the Central boys cross country wins at the East Jordan Invitational and TC Central Invite. Head coach, John Lober understands how five months of building relationships with team members can help in ways other than endurance.

“They were 36 individuals when they started. We spent five months together because a majority of the kids ran in the summer,” Lober said.

“They became a team, they became closer together, and when you start working together, running together, pushing each other, as a group, the team gets better and better. I think we grew closer, I think as a result of that we performed better.”

Towards the end of the long season, when the companionship of the team flourished, runners inevitably ran their best times and and placed 2nd at the regionals meet.

“I ran my best time of the year, five of the guys ran their best times, and we beat West, so that was fun,” co-captain of the boys cross country team, Cole Szunko ‘16 said. “The best experience so far was probably regionals. We all got really good times. Coming in we were not too excited, it was really rainy and cold but we ran fast anyways.”

Besides the large quantity of time that goes into preparation for a meet, being mentally ready is also key.

“We pray before every meet and I just think about the meet in my head,” varsity runner, Robbie Morse ‘17 said. “It gets my mind right for racing.”

Without enough mental strategizing before a meet, the race can be more challenging.

“We had a rocky start to the season. We lost to West our first couple of races, which we don’t normally do, usually we beat them pretty bad. I had a pretty rough start too, getting some slower times,” Szunko said. “But as the season picked up we

Varsity soccer is a lot of work. With plenty of off-season training, practices, and frequent games, everyone always hopes that the hard work pays off. The varsity soccer team did well this season, just not as well as everyone had been hoping. Boys varsity did not win at states, but got third in the Big North Conference (BNC).

“For me, the lowpoint of the season is the last day, it’s always sad to see the end of the season,” head coach, Rob Boynton said.

“But it is also the highlight of the season, it was great to see how hard the boys played, how hard they worked in that final game, and how much effort they put into it. I love seeing how much better they got from when they first started to the last day of the season.”

Boynton feels good about how they are going to do next season.

There was a lot of fresh talent out on the field. These freshmen had lots of playing time and outperformed many people’s expectations. Boynton also feels that they have a good chance of winning the BNC next year.

“I hope to win the conference every year that we play it,” Boynton said. “I think we can win districts and regionals, and get in the semi-finals and finals for states. It is definitely possible, and we have some really good young talent, such as Sam Hoover, AJ Samba, Austen Ramsay, Max Fiegel, Andrew Roberts, and Wiley Fraiser. They all played a lot of minutes this season.”

Although West beat Central in the end, Central still played a ter-

Swim and Dive Photo: courtesy of E. Simon

Standings BNC: 3 Districts: 3

Regionals: NA States: NA

Girls Cross Country

Photo: courtesy of J. Lober

Photo: E. Simon

got it together, we just trained harder, got faster, and we did it.”

Despite what the score is for a meet, Lober believes self evaluation is the most important factor; whether it was a win or a loss.

“We had a regional meet where our kids qualified for the state finals, everybody had their best day. That makes you feel real good that everything you’re doing is correct,” Lober said.

“Everytime athletes perform, I don’t care what the score of the meet was, evaluate. Go back and ask, What would I do different next time?”

senior class,” assistant coach Jessica Miller said.

Throughout the season, the girls learned more than just volleyball skills, they learned about responsibility, leadership and dedication. These vital life skills will help the seniors long after they have left Central High School.

“I learned in my season that you have to give 100 percent of yourself all the time, Cara Ferguson ‘16 said. “You can’t look to other people to do your job. You must be accountable for your actions.”

This season marked the 22nd year in a row the Central’s girl’s cross country team placed in the top ten statewide. The preparation of competing for the demanding in-season meets begins in June.

“Preparation begins in June, with off-season running to put some miles on the roads, and to have this be all summer long and consistent. Each week we have up to four or five different types of workouts to develop the body systems used during a 5K,” head girls cross country coach, Lisa Taylor said. “There are aerobic workouts for cardiovascular fitness, workouts for speed, workouts for for sustained hard running, long runs, recovery runs, rest runs, and strategy related workouts.”

Being mentally prepared for a big meet is vital to any sport. A runner must also stay positive while pushing their body to the limit.

“I’ve gotten better at being mentally tough during races,” varsity runner, Gracie Failor ‘17 said. “I could work on improving confidence and knowing that I can start out and not breakdown in three miles.”

One challenge the team has faced this year is young and new runners.

“The team has improved because it is a young team, and we have learned a lot about training and competition that will help us be even more successful next season,” Taylor said.

Taylor stresses the importance of teamwork for the mental aspect of pushing through and learning life lessons.

“Helping girls see how this is one of the most important skills in life, to be able to work as a member of a team. Big meets make us all feel like we’re really a part of something special. We see that we are surrounded by thousands of people just like us who love being a part of this, and we are in the one place where everyone understands why we love this sport so much,” Taylor said. “There is so much excitement and anticipation, and you look around and know that each team has its own special challenges and amazing stories of success and overcoming hardship.”

Team support has led Central’s girls cross country team to have amazing stories of success and overcoming hardship.

“Over the season our team really came together, especially the top seven,” varsity runner, Mady Basch ‘16 said. “We really became like a family and when people are having bad days, other people pick it up and everyone’s always really happy with how everyone does.”

Team members are as proud with the turnout of a meet as Taylor is.

“Each meet is an experience to learn from,” Taylor said. “Each meet we talk about how much effort they gave, what they learned, and how mistakes can make us better when we work to correct them.”

Standings

Standings

Standings BNC: 2 Districts:2

Regionals: 2 States: 16

Girls Volleyball

The aspects of a principled team involves dedication and team support. The outcome of a game isn’t the most important aspect to the Trojan varsity volleyball team. The Trojans focused most of their efforts towards developing a strong team bond.

“My teammates are a huge part of my success, they are the ones that lift me up every time I make a mistake,” Carissa Bartkowiak ‘16 said. “They are my support system out on the court and we rely on each other.”

The varsity team played 44 games compiling a 24-20-3 record over the course of the season. The team supported one another to push through a long, intense season although they faced some difficult defeats.

“I think the highlight of our season was when we played West on their home court for the second time,” Haven Hill ‘16 said. “We played the Titans during our first conference game.

We didn’t have much practice time together and they beat us by a lot.”

The team continued to strengthen their skills as the season progressed. Their drive to excel and better themselves as players helped to build team chemistry.

“I think losing to West was the hardest thing to recover from,” Hill said. “The second time we played them, we had more motivation to beat them. We definitely did better the second time.”

The team prepared themselves and they would hit the ball and work on their improvements that they need.

“I feel like we will have difficulties filling the senior’s shoes, but I feel like we will be really good next year regardless,” Hanna Asiala ‘17 said. “Other teams are losing a lot of other great players, so I feel like we will have a shot at winning the conference.”

The team is very proud of what they accomplished with the assistance of their coaches.

“We were extremely lucky with the talent we had in our

rific game and had a great attitude. This was unlike the first game against Petoskey, when the attitude plummeted.

“Personally, and as a team I think we could have had a better attitude,” varsity player, Elliot Stratton ‘16 said. “The last game, against West was definitely the highlight of the season for me.

That was really fun and it was exciting. The worst thing definitely was the first Petoskey game because that was when everything went downhill. We lost 2-0 and after that everyone’s moral and attitude wasn’t really good.”

Varsity player, Ethan Mason ‘16 believes that they will do better next year. Part of it was bad luck, part bad attitude and discouragement from the rough start to the season. But despite the rough start to the season, they turned it around and finished strong “We all think we should have won and that was just really unfortunate that it went the way it did,” Mason said. “I think the team next year is going to be good and be better than we were this year, especially with all of the new players.”

Photo: courtsey of D. Millar

BNC: 4 Districts: 2 Regionals: NA States: NA Although “Hell Week” doesn’t sound appealing to most people, Central’s swim and dive team has trained their brains to think positively about this strenuous week of preparing bodies to swim their best time of the season. This mental and physical preparation has proven to be effective based on their successful season.

“The hardest experience is always ‘Hell Week’, which is a week where we push to work our hardest. It’s to prepare us for our last meet,” Natalie Wagner ‘17 said. “It’s really important to keep a positive mental outlook during ‘Hell Week.’ I think everything you’re doing will help you get better.”

The positive mental outlook and “Hell Week” certainly have improved times for events.

“We had a lot of time drops, pretty much everybody dropped time in at least one or two events at Zeeland, that’s our really big meet at the end,” head swimming and diving coach, Kelly Smith said. “We had 28 best swims. Having between 10 or 20 would be normal for a meet, but then at Zeeland you tend to have more because you’re shaved and tapered, so you’re rested.”

Being shaved and tapered means having freshly shaven legs and slowing cutting yardage in practice.

“We’re still focusing on getting our body to sprint fast, but we’re not doing as much work as we were during the season,” Smith said. “So swimmers refer to that as you’re shaved and tapered for a meet.”

BNC: 1 Districts: 1 Regionals: 1 States: 9

Unlike past years, Smith said keeping the morale and positivity in check amongst swimmers has been one of the easier aspects.

“With the team we had this year, they were really good at focusing on time drops if we lost and being able to say ‘Okay well we lost, but here’s the things we improved on, here’s the swimmers on the team who got better,’” Smith said. “Because of that I didn’t actually have to do a lot this year to bring morale up afterwards.”

Positivity can be credited for the improved performances because of the close bond the swim team shares before every meet.

“The team gathers in a locker room and we circle up and cross our arms and hold hands and all of the captains each say a little good luck speech,” co-captain of the swim team, Emily Huhman ‘16 said. “Then we do something called pass the squeeze, it’s where we name a girl who we think has been doing a really good job, and we start a squeeze around the circle.”

Standings

BNC: 2 Districts: 1 Regionals: semi-finalists States: NA

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Sports

5

Fall Sports Round-up Rowing

Photo: courtesy of J. Dally

Many would expect that the first year a sport is offered would be really rough. Not many people show up and play, or perhaps the coaches would be disorganized since they had never done something like this before. Or maybe the players just wouldn’t be motivated enough. That was not the fate of the girls rowing team this season.

“Let’s just be honest,” head coach, Erik Zehender said. “In the first season of a new sport you don’t know who you are going to get. There is no culture, no reputation or knowledge. When something is brand new you usually get pioneers and not settlers.

It definitely attracted star athletes, and that’s amazing.”

The coach felt that the girls were all very motivated and ready to row and that they had a terrific season. Many of the rowers also felt that their season was great.

“For me, there were no low points to the season,” B boat rower, Chloe Sandy ‘19 said. “The last regatta was the best part of the season, we beat a lot of other boats, and this was in Lake Leelanau. I think that we did everything really well.”

TCAPS officials suggested that there be only one regatta this season, but, almost all of the rowers wanted more regattas.

“The season was absolutely phenomenal. Honestly, it totally exceeded all expectations that I could have even imagined possible,” coach Erik said. “Not only did they go to the Toledo Regatta, and that was the end of September, but they also did the Michi-

Varsity Football

The Trojan’s legendary 9-1 season was fabricated through several factors; however the most prominent was the mindset the coaches offered to the players.

“Before a game we as a staff really push focus. There’s a mental preparation to football, obviously it’s physical and you get excited and learn about the play,” first time head football coach, Eric Schugars said. “But you want to mentally prepare, because football is a demanding sport, not only physically, but mentally. We ask these guys to process things so quickly, we ask them to know plays and execute them, and do it all sometimes in seconds.”

As far as expectations go, the football staff expects the players to achieve winning plays, in addition to performing to the best of their abilities.

“That’s been the biggest improvement, how our players view each other and the expectations we’ve created as a coaching staff. We’ve set the expectation to win,” Schugars said. “Not just to go out and play and see what happens, it was more of an expectation of needing to go out execute and win versus going out and doing our best and we’ll see. There’s a mindset that we try to get across, I think we did a good job with it.”

Quarterback Reagan Cotton ‘16 feels improvements off the field are what really affected the outcome of the season, despite the loss to Muskegon.

“It was disappointing when we lost to Muskegon, because you work so hard. Four years of high school, especially with the weights program and then working hard offseason . . . but we accomplished something no one thought we could, going 9-0, winning the BNC, and it was a great experience and a lot of fun. And knowing that even though we did lose, we did something so amazing, and it definitely was something to be proud of,” Cotton said.

The football team helps each other out in more ways than one.

Their moral support affects how players perform and the overall outcome of a game.

“Teamwork is everything, if everybody’s head is down it affects everybody,” Wesley Greenman ‘17 said. “If everybody’s head is up we’re golden.”

Cotton agrees with the morals Greenman has.

“Any team could have a star that always does well, but it doesn’t always mean they will win,” Cotton said. “We didn’t always have one guy out there that was making a ton of plays, but I think we won a lot of our games because we had the teamwork and we truly played as a team.”

BNC: 1 Districts: 1 Regionals: Fir States: NA

Equestrian

Photo: courtesey of A. Novarro

Standings BNC: NA Districts: NA

Regionals: NA States: NA

Boys Tennis

Photo: courtesy of E. Schugars

Standings

gan State Regatta, and won their race. Which was the Women’s High School Novice Eight race. They beat every other team in the state, in fact they are at the top of the state in the Michigan rowing world currently. I think that’s attributed to the very high caliber and quality of these ladies, who are very serious about their minds and improving themselves athletically.”

The rowing team was invited to one of the most prestigious races in the state. The Skyline Race, during the spring. Only the top rowing teams in the state are invited and ours was one of them. Also our own regatta here in Lake Leelanau was huge.

There were 193 boats entered in the race, which was as big as the Indianapolis Regatta. Our regatta has been growing at over 20 percent each year.

“I would like to improve my time and I personally would like to continue to lead the A boat as the stroke seat,” A boat rower, Lauren Breederland ‘18 said. “I think that next season is going to be really exciting because we are going to do winter training so we are going to be really prepared for the spring season.”

Being a head varsity coach can be intimidating, however, with eight years of past experience as a JV coach and a varsity assistant coach, Shane Dilloway did exceptionally well, winning the Big North Conference (BNC) for the ninth year in a row.

“We were seeded to win Regionals,” coach Dilloway said. “Not only did our guys live up to those seeds, but we actually played beyond that, we were expected to get 26 points and we ended up getting 27 out of a possible 32. Last year we were third place at regionals, so I was really proud of our guys that day. After the awards ceremony, one of the regional directors came up to our team, along with other players and parents and complimented us on our sportsmanship and how we conducted ourselves throughout the day and on the court.”

Dilloway believed that a large part of why they did well this year was because of how prepared they were before the season started. Next year they will have lost seven varsity seniors. Losing that experience means they are going to have to grow a lot more over the course of the season, and work harder to get to where they were this season, especially through off-season training.

“I think regionals were amazing,” varsity player, Andy Colombo ‘17 said. “We did a lot better than we thought we would, and I played above my seed. We had a great season and the team won. However, I think that states went really bad, we got some really bad draws, so we weren’t set up with the right players. Because of this, we aren’t going to end up ranked where we were supposed to be.”

Although regionals went exceptionally for the boys tennis team, states did not go as well, bad luck and possible seeding judge favoritism lead to unfortunate seeds for states.

“I think that we should have been seeded for states even though we weren’t,” Ben Brown ‘16 said. “We should have had at least one seed but we didn’t have any.”

Girls Golf

Before school even begins, the girls golf team is studiously practicing for their fall sport to begin. For the Lady Trojans golf team practice begins in July and the season opens in August when the Trojans host the Lober Classic, an invitational two day tournament attended by the best teams in Michigan.

“We played with 28 teams in two days. It’s incredibly stressful having to play against the best teams in Michigan,” Carly Laird ‘15 said.

Head girls coach Lois McManus sees the stiff competition not as a setback, but as a motivator.

“My goal right now is to keep the girls playing in the best tournaments that they can compete in,” McManus said, “We love the challenge of playing with the best. Tough competition pushes the girls to be best players they can be.”

The obstacles the golf team faces goes beyond the competition, the team also plays a staggering amount of matches in a short period of time.

“We can play up to four tournaments a week. That means up to five hours of travel both ways, staying in hotel rooms, and trying to keep up with homework, all while trying to stay in a calm mental state so that we can play well,” said Maddie Waldie ‘16.

Even before they begin to travel to tournaments, the time commitment of golf is large. Team practices run for several hours after school and many girls spend time with private coaches or practicing on their own.

“I have a private coach that I spend several hours with a week. I also spend time by myself just practicing my short game. I’m dedicated to golf and that means dedicating a lot of time to it too,” Laird says.

Coach McManus wants her team to commit to the sport, as well as be motivated for their meets. The time they spent honing their skills obviously paid off.

“This is the first time in a few years that we have had a

Scarlett Zerafa ‘16 enters the area at state finals alone on her horse.

She’s nervous, her hands are shaking, she’s feeling the pressure to perform at what will be her last time competing for the equestrian team. Looking up at the bleachers she finds reassurance from her team, who all sit cheering her on. Being on the equestrian team is anything but a solo sport. It may not seem like there is very much teamwork that happens within an equestrian team. However, head coach Mike Zerbe believed that teamwork and support was the key to the team’s success this season.

“We practice our patterns and care for our horses on our own time,” Scarlett Zerafa ‘16 said. “We may do a lot of work on our own, but through all of the time we spend together we turned into more of a family than a team.”

The equestrian teams has weekly team practices, spends hours traveling together and bonds over their mutual love of the sport.

“I was spending time with with sophomores, juniors, and seniors so I was kind of nervous about not being able to really grow close to the team,” Elena Sneed ‘19 said. “I’m the only freshman, but it’s awesome because they treat me like I’m one of their own, like I’m part of the family.”

The hours spent working with their horses and teammates earned the girls a qualifying spot at this year’s state finals.

“My best experience this season was the closing ceremony at state finals,” Zerbe said. “We all gathered up as a team and to me,

Photo: courtesy of E. Berden

Despite discouraging results at states, Dilloway is still looking up and believes that they are going to do much better next year.

He hopes to win the BNC for the tenth year in a row, and do as well as they did this year in regionals, he hopes to do better in states, and believes this is entirely possible.

“I am looking forward to next year, we have twelve varsity players and seven of them are leaving,” Dilloway said. “So it is an awesome opportunity for the returning players to show what they have to offer and also for other players to move up and freshmen to come in. It is going to be a time to prove what the team can really do in the off-season.”

Standings

BNC: 2 Districts: 1 Regionals: semi-finalists States: NA Photo: courtesy of L. McManus

conference for the girls golf team and we took second place in the Big North Conference,” coach McManus said. “We have the number one, state ranked girls academic golf team.

Maddie Waldie is planning on playing collegiate golf. Meredith Nelson and Abbie Crick were both academic all state players.

I’m incredibly proud of my team and all that they have accomplished.”

Standings

BNC: 2 Districts: 1 Regionals: semi-finalists States: NA that is huge.”

Coach Zerbe is excited about this team, and can’t wait for next year’s season.

“We ended up third in the state,” Zerbe said. “It’s the best year we have had as a team, and I’m so excited for next year. Going into the season, my goal was to make it to the state finals and finish in the top five and we accomplished that.”

Standings BNC: NA Districts: 1 Regionals: 2 States: 3

A&E

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

6

Euro-Chorale raises funds

Focus: Drawing Emily Andreasson ‘17

Members of Chorale and Choral-Aires work to raise money to embark on a unique trip across Europe “Spending spring break with my friends and singing there will be very exciting.” - Claire Beutler ‘16

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“I’m looking forward to seeing a noticeable change in language and culture.” - Abe Stone ‘18 Photo: E. Simon

Name of Piece: Cut from Cloth Materials used: acrylic paint and pen Techniques: “Focusing on the mark of the paint brush, I made sure that it was very clear. I tried to make it more realistic by adding contrast, and that is very hard to do when you have so many different colors.”

Inspiration of Piece: “The piece is from my concentration, which is ancestry.”

Why did you choose this piece to be published?

“It was my favorite piece of this year . . . you and I were both cut from the same piece of cloth. I worked hard on the face because I wanted it to look as realistic as possible.”

Sam Rojewski ‘17

“There is older culture there. I’m excited to see the architecture and sing in the cathedrals.” - Maddy Ross ‘16

Andrea Bavikatty Staff Reporter

Photo: E. Simon

Name of Piece: Advanced Still Life Materials used: pencils, the gray scale and paper towel Techniques: “I used pencil work and highlight with a lot of ebony pencil. Then, I used a paper towel to smear the picture.”

Inspiration of Piece: “I plug in my headphones and drown out everything around me. The music helps me become more creative.”

Why did you choose this piece to be published?

“This is the piece where I really show all the techniques I used. Composition was the most important. This piece definitely represents all that I have learned this quarter.”

Sophia Saco ‘16

Photo: A. Stiebel

Name of Piece: What Grows Materials used: pencil Techniques: “I used hatching for shading and layers of lines. I then used observertation to draw a lion by looking at it and drawing it exactly how I saw it.”

Inspiration of Piece: “Mrs. Harper said draw something that grows, so I decided to create a piece about personality. Personality grows from your heart, blood and everything you have gone through.”

Why did you choose this piece to be published?

“This piece was chosen to be published in a museum, so I take pride in it.”

“It’s a very historical place, the country is really interesting, and a lot of the sights there sound cool.” - John Reicha ‘17

Busy ensuring that their upcoming fundraiser is organized and running according to plan, Choir Director Tamara Williams and her students are working hard to raise money in order to afford a trip to Europe. As they envision themselves singing in historical cathedrals and huge concert halls, the fundraising becomes worth the effort. The trip was open to Chorale and Choral-Aires members and was organized by Cultural Tours. The students will be visiting Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague from March 24 to April 4.

“The fundraising activities provide a sense of ownership to the students and allows an outlet for their passion in performing,” Williams said. “The trip itself isn’t just musically fulfilling, but also provides a huge sense of cultural awareness.”

Williams believes that by having

each student raise the necessary $3,400 through various methods of fundraising (including Glow-Stick sales and Christmas Grams), a sense of unity and appreciation throughout the group is developed.

“”

Being able to experience

another culture changes people’s lives.

-Tamara Williams

“We have a few situations where a student has had their trip paid for by a family member or friend, but they are still participating in fundraising because it’s a good time to spend with friends,” Williams said. “Even if they have already had their trip paid for, they will want to give to one of their peers who may need help, which I think is very admirable.”

The students will have the opportunity to perform in venues like cathedrals,

concert halls, and churches, as well as attending regular sightseeing activities like touring Neuschwanstein, a castle near Munich, and St. Michael’s Church in Salzburg.

“There is no place in the United States that compares to the spaces in Europe we will be performing in,” Williams said.

“You don’t know how different it is until you experience it. Performing in these amazing spaces enhances every aspect of the music we create.”

Williams believes that this trip not only promotes eye-opening cultural differences, but also can make a huge impact on a student’s life and can even influence their career choice and future.

“An experience like this is a cultural awareness reality check,” Williams said.

“Being able to experience another culture changes people’s lives and I’ve seen it happen. I have one student who decided to go into cultural relations after going to Europe. This trip helps some students find their niche.”

Photograpy passion opens new doors With high hopes for the future, Liz Wiitanen ‘16 turns her lifelong photography hobby into a well-developed business

Julia Vannatter

Editor-in-Chief and A&E Editor Sitting on the edge of a dock and staring into the distance, Liz Wiitanen ‘16 watches as the sky starts manifesting into a masterpiece of color and rays of sunlight. Pulling out her Nikon D7000 DSR, she perfectly captures the striking display. At seventeen years old, Wiitanen has found her passion, photography, and has nurtured it into a reality of opening her own company: Elizabeth Wiitanen Photography.

“Finishing a shoot makes me feel really good,” Wiitanen said.

“All of the hard work I’ve put into each shoot shows when it turns out the way I wanted. It’s nice being able to make my own schedule and have control over everything.”

Whether she is capturing landscape or working with people, Wiitanen is always learning how to improve and promote her business.

“I have business cards and a Facebook page,” Wiitanen said. “I think the Facebook page is successful because a lot more people see it than just business cards at a store. I also talk to people who have a business and ask if they think I should do anything differently.”

Although she has only been running her photography business officially for one summer now, Wiitanen spent two summers shooting alongside professional photographer Adam Renault.

This experience helped her gain tremendous knowledge on how to shoot on her own.

“I was very scared,” Wiitanen said. “I felt like I was going to be completely lost and have a camera malfunction, but it actually turned out well. It boosted my confidence and I realized it was a good path for me to take.”

In the summer, Wiitanen does shoots as often as she can, depending on the schedule of her other job. In the school year, she isn’t able to do as many shoots because of schoolwork. The growth of her business has allowed Wiitanen to offer two different pricing packages: first, Wiitanen will provide a flash drive with 30 photos for $250 dollars, or the second option, $75 dollars for the shoot, and $15 dollars per photo. However, Wiitanen admits that she can be generous about her pricing.

“If someone wants only 15 or 20 photos from a shoot, I’m not going to make them pay $15 dollars per photo,” Wiitanen said. “I’m also not going to make them pay $250 for a shoot for half of what they would get from a package.”

While Wiitanen is shooting, she always tries to make the environment fun and relaxed, a technique she has received much positive feedback for.

“People say that they like my style and that it is fun shooting with me,” Wiitanen said. “Positive feedback makes me feel confident about my work.”

Successfully completing a photoshoot and knowing that her customers are happy has benefitted Wiitanen in many ways.

“It’s taught me how to be independent and how to reach for what I want,” Wiitanen said. “I decided to get business cards on my own and make my Facebook page on my own.”

In the future, Wiitanen plans to major in business and minor in photography. Although she is not yet sure whether she wants to own her own business or work for a larger photography company, she still hopes to be taking photos regardless.

“I plan to go to business school so I can learn more on how to run my own business and make sure that I’m doing it properly,” Wiitanen said.

Although for now, Wiitanen feels that she is doing a good job and her business keeps her well-occupied.

“Photography is another getaway for me,” Wiitanen said.

“I started it at a young age and it’s always helped me through rougher times. It gives me an escape.”

Photo: courtesy of L. Wiitanen

Photo: courtesy of L. Wiitanen

Liz Wiitanen ‘16 enjoys taking photos of things other than people, like Pyramid Point and the Lamborghini above. “Posing people can be hard,” Wiitanen said. “You need creativity to shoot landscape. I like getting to explore new places; the photo either turns out good or bad.”

Focus

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

7

Page credit: B. Pataky, A. Roberts, A. Vannatter, and B. Zipser

Brand new electronics from around the world Take a closer look at new high-tech gadgets and applications Autumn Roberts

Pokémon GO

Staff Reporter

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The Logitech Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard is designed for use with up to three devices, even if the platforms do not match. According to Logitech, people can now work on a report from their computer, and by activating the EasySwitch dial, they can respond to a message from their smartphone or their tablet all at the same time. This new device will save all busy multitaskers by making numerous functions into one.

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In the words of http://www.itbusinessedge.com, the Livescribe Echo Smartpen allows one to record up to 800 hours of audio, then play them back later. .

This could be extremely helpful to students, since they could record a lecture on top of taking notes for a better studying experience. One has the ability to save and share through a micro-USB connector that also allows you to recharge your pen.

This scanner gives its users the opportunity to save photos directly to an iPad while also docking and charging the device. The scanner makes it simple to save and share photos and documents as digital files, all controlled by a free app. According to Hammacher Schlemmer, a photo can be converted to a color JPEG image, then saved to the iPad’s camera roll while being displayed on the screen.

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Pokémon GO, is a version of Pokémon for smartphones that will allow players to travel from the virtual world to the real world. Pokémon GO will use locations around the world as the setting such as New York City or Paris. Players will be able to interact with other trainers and capture wild Pokémon by going out in public. In order to use this game, players need an app that can be used for Apple and Android devices. Along with the app for handheld devices, a separate gadget that resembles a watch called Pokémon GO Plus, will be allow players to be notified of events in the games such as wild Pokémon to catch and other trainers to battle by a vibration and LED light when these things are near.

Pokémon GO is expected to launch in 2016.

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Self monitors

Cell phone usage has become a more prominent issue over the past couple of years. Older generations seem to stereotype teenagers as being connected to their mobile devices 24/7. Whether eating dinner, spending time with family or hanging out with friends, almost every teenager automatically comes with a cell phone. Contradicting the stereotype, Mary Pupel ‘19 limits the amount of time she uses her phone.

“Depending on who I’m with, the amount of time I’m on my phone changes,” Pupel said. “If it’s a close friend and I know they don’t care, I’m not gonna be as worried about it.”

There are still teenagers who understand the real world and still make an effort to engage themselves in the moment.

“I try not to be on my phone the entire time I’m with people because I think it’s pretty rude.” Pupel said.

Constantly checking a phone during a conversation can send the wrong message. This may not be intentional, nonetheless some people do find it rude.

“If you’re with a group of people, you should be respectful to them and not be on your phone,” Pupel said. “Obviously there are important things that you would need your phone for, but in general you should try to stay off your phone and concentrate on the people you’re with.”

Aside from just hanging out with friends, it’s common for teens to use their cell phones while having a conversation with a peer or adult.

“If you’re having a conversation with someone sitting on their phone, it is rude because they’re not focused on what you’re saying,” Jack Olson ‘19 said.

The range of Americans who use cell phones and social media has widened from just teens to people of all ages: children, adults, and even the elderly.

“It’s really hypocritical for adult figures to say teens are obsessed with cellular devices or any new form of technology. They think we use it too much, but it’s just something easy for us to do,” Pupel said. “It’s really becoming a part of everyone’s lives.”

Though cell phones are useful, they easily take away the respect we owe the people around us.

“I don’t sit on my phone a lot when I’m with friends,” Olson said. “I try to be polite.”

Your teenage years are your experimental years. These are the times we live for with our friends, but these memories, sometimes need to be limited to just your friends—not your social media accounts.

There’s a fine line between what’s appropriate to post and what is not, and often teens tend to cross that line. Savannah Stepke ‘18 regularly uses social media, but she is conscious of what she is doing.

She only posts statuses that she would be comfortable with others seeing on all platforms of social media.

“The line varies depending on the person,” Stepke said. “Pictures of illegal substances should not be flaunted on social media.”

Monitoring what is posted on social media by the individual may be necessary, just incase these posts get in the hands of the wrong person. Although Stepke believes that pictures of social gatherings are okay to post, she strongly disagrees with posting anything that has a potential to cause trouble.

“If you’re at the gym, beach, or with a group of friends at a pool party, those pictures are acceptable,” Stepke said. “The photos of girls in their underwear hanging out in their bedroom is a whole different story.”

Even though most people are aware that what they post on the internet can always be found later on, it doesn’t seem to stop them from posting these particular types of photos. What are people trying to get out of posting these scandalous pictures all over social media?

“I think a lot of these posts are attention seeking or trying to fit in with the crowd,” Stepke said.

“You should be conscious of what you post because future employers, colleges, and teachers will see it. If you wouldn’t show them personally, why post it?”

The real life filter of what can be tolerable on social media seems to be slowly vanishing because of the incapability to determine what’s appropriate and what’s not.

“If I had the chance to say something to the people that are posting these things I would say, ‘just remember what goes on the Internet is permanent,’” Stepke said. “There is always a way to find the post even if it gets deleted. Have enough self respect to keep things classy and not post images that could backfire on you later on.”

Social media is an easy cover, a chance to be someone you’re not. Your life can look as if it is very exciting and unique, when, in reality, your life may not be much more exciting than any other persons. You can make yourself ‘perfect’ and blemish-free with photo editing apps, but in real life your flaws are no different than anyone else’s because no one is truly perfect.

“I think a lot of people actually embellish their information and kind of disguise themselves on social media,” Megan Yagle ‘16 said. “People are trying to make themselves seem like the perfect person.”

By changing your personality on social media, your true self hides from the real world behind your screen, and your made-up personality can thrive in the digital world. People can now be whomever or whatever they want to be without the influence of an unmasked character getting in the way. Aubrey Goodwin ‘18, agrees that social media is an easy way to mask your true self and be someone you’re not.

“You don’t have to be in a face-to-face conversation with someone,” Goodwin said. “Nobody can prove what you’re saying and there aren’t any physical cues that people use to show that you’re lying.

You just hide.”

Do people feel the need to change because of the low self-esteem that they have or is it simply just because they want to? Yagle believes that social media does consume people’s lives. Perhaps, it is the positive reinforcement that captivates them.

“I think it’s intentional,” Yagle said. “I think posting things and getting likes boosts one’s self confidence.”

There are an infinite number of reasons out there that make people so insecure and unsure of themselves that they believe an approval over the internet from their online friends is necessary in their lives to be accepted.

“If you have a good photo that you have edited and you look good in it, and so many people comment on it, it definitely does boost your confidence,” Yagle said. “So why wouldn’t you want to sit there and put on filters and take all of your blemishes away if you’re getting these compliments from others?”

Recently, college’s admission officials have been looking at applicant’s social media accounts before accepting a student, prompting some prospective students to wipe their accounts free of anything that could negatively influence the college’s decision. Amanda Eshelman ‘17 believes this is a good idea.

“I think they definitely should look at applicants social media,” Eshelman said. “It’s important for them to know what kind of person the student is, especially if they want high achieving students.”

Nowadays, social media could impact a student’s college acceptance. What you post on social media is easily accessible for anyone who wants to view it, meaning colleges have no difficulty accessing it. Although colleges do want high achieving students, is raises the question of whether or not decisions made by admission officers should based, even in part, on the content of an applicant’s’ social media accounts. A student’s achievement reflects the college as a whole, which is why it is important that the university knows who they are accepting and whether or not they will succeed academically at the college level. However, Hannah Radosevich ‘16 disagrees.

“My Twitter account isn’t relevant to academics whatsoever,” Radosevich said. “If I tweet a picture of me participating in illegal activities, that should have nothing to do with if I pass my classes and do well academically.”

Some argue that those pictures and tweets can say a lot about a student’s character. Others argue that what you post on social media does not give an accurate reflection of who you are or how you will behave or perform in certain situations.

“If a student has a 4.0 and they’ve been working hard their entire high school career to get into an Ivy League school, and then that school sees an inappropriate picture and they get denied, it’s completely unfair and has no reflection on them as a student,” Radosevich said.

Amanda Eshelman ‘17 thinks that people should always be cautious what they post to make sure that it doesn’t have a larger impact on their future.

“If you’re doing something illegal and you don’t want colleges to see, don’t post it,” Eshelman said.

“It’s that simple. If a post you made messes your chances up, then it’s on you for posting it in the first place.”

Embellished

College

Focus

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Twitter

Emily Round ‘18

I post regularly on Twitter. My favorite part is reading about what people are feeling rather than what they are doing like what people post on Instagram. Once, my older sister posted screenshots of text messages I sent her on Twitter. I texted her some embarrassing things and lots of her friends and my friends texted me about it.

Hanna Asiala ‘17 Twitter is one of my favorite social media accounts, I interact with the most people on it. I got Twitter just to see if I would like it, and I did. I follow my dad on Twitter. I hate it when people argue and start fights online.

Sometimes I have to go on and delete my tweets because they have typos in them that I did not see before I posted it. I hate looking stupid.

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Carley Laird ‘17 I have had a Twitter account for a long time, but I only started using it a few years ago. My favorite part about Twitter is being able to see what is going on in people’s life that I don’t always see, except I don’t like when people that I don’t know start to follow me. I like when I know the people who are seeing what I post. In the past, my friends have posted stuff on my account and I didn’t realize it right away. I was kind of annoyed at first, but then it was funny.

Lexie Peckens ‘16 I use Twitter to say the things that I can’t seem to say outloud. One time I was stalking a girl’s account and I accidentally liked something from 56 weeks ago.

The most embarrassing thing that has happened to me on Twitter was when my long-time best friend once posted a picture of me. It was during a super awkward stage in my life and 50 people retweeted it.

I was so humiliated.

Alex King ‘17

Zachary Armstrong ‘18

I have one Instagram account for my photography.

My favorite part about Instagram is showing my life so my friends and family can see. I don’t like it when people constantly post about their problems. My mom posts photos of me a lot and tags me in them.

She often comments on my photos as well, but it doesn’t bug me because I know she cares about me.

I recently joined Instagram this year. My mom was on it so I decided to get one too. I thought it would be interesting, but my mom has tagged me in some embarrassing pictures from when I was a baby, and anyone can see pictures I was tagged in. I like to see what is out there and comment on other people’s pictures that I know.

Lily McManus ‘18

Leigha Brown ‘16 I got an Instagram three years ago because my friends wanted me to, now I post about once a week.

I like Instagram to keep up with people and see what they are doing or if they are on a cool vacation. One of my cousins is on Instagram and always comments on my photos and goes on my profile. Sometimes it’s funny, but it gets kind of annoying always being spammed by them. It is bad because I check it a lot like when I’m doing homework.

Snapchat

Keegan Chiappini ‘19

I joined Snapchat when I got an iPhone about two years ago.

My favorite account is Snapchat because it is fun and easy to use. I like to see what people post on their stories during summer or fun trips, but I don’t like how people can post mean or embarrassing stuff about others. I do regret that when I was younger, I did say some mean things online, but when I thought about it and learned how wrong it was, I immediately stopped.

Michael Fink ‘16 Someone told me freshman year that Snapchat was really cool, so I made an account. I use it very often. My longest snapstreak is 16 days. I like to see all the classic pictures people post on their stories. At hockey practice I always post an embarrassing picture of Jack Boyce’s face zoomed in.

Grant Dulude ‘16

I have had an Instagram account for a long time. My favorite part is seeing what everyone is doing all the time. I really dislike it when people make mean comments on each other’s posts.

The most annoying thing that has happened to me on Instagram was when my friends took my phone and posted all these horrible pictures of me from seventh grade on my feed. I was so embarrassed!

Instagram

I got Snapchat my freshman year. I like the reverse feature on Snapchat, but I don’t like that people can screenshot and replay pictures of me, even though they only get one replay a day. My friends have zoomed in on my face and put it on their story before.

Karlee Corwin ‘16 I’ve had Snapchat for probably a year and a half.

Snapchat allows me to send my friends silly things and then see their reaction. My best friend and I send dance battles. We send videos of ourselves doing funny dance moves to the same song. One time, I sent a funny dancing video to the wrong person by accident, I was really embarrassed. It’s annoying when the person I’m talking to forgets that they had previously set their timer down to a few seconds, and then they try to send a long snap and I can’t read the whole thing because the photo disappears.

Ellie Novarro ‘17

Hannah Campbell ‘19

I joined Facebook four years ago to stay in touch with my friends that didn’t live in Traverse City. I post a few times a week and I share a lot of things. In the past, I have posted pictures that at the time I thought were cute, but now I know they were gross or stupid.

My whole family follows me on Facebook, even my grandma is on Facebook. She always tags me in things that remind her of me. It’s sweet but sometimes I wonder why she sent it to me.

I have lots of family as my Facebook friends. In the past, my mom has accidentally posted stuff on my account before. She said she forgot to log me out first. I like that I can see what is going on in the world. My aunt has a bunch of really weird nicknames for me and one time she commented on my photo with a nickname. It was cute, but it is kind of embarrassing.

Jalynn Brumfield ‘18 I have had Facebook for about four years now. I made an account because that was the cool thing to have back then. One time, my brother and his friend spammed me and they liked and commented on all of my posts, it was really annoying. My parents are on Facebook, so I post things that I won’t regret posting because I know what I post will be seen, and that reflects on the person I am.

McKenna Sanford ‘18 I got Facebook a long time ago because it seemed like all of my friends had one. I rarely post on Facebook now because I have other social media accounts I enjoy more. I like to see what people are up to, and I also like to see pictures of important events in my family or friends lives. I hate seeing people be mean to each other on social media. My family has posted pictures of me that I thought were gross or embarrassing.

Facebook

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Online Continued from pg. 1 need to meet in a classroom at a certain time every school day for their online course. Another difference that can be problematic is the lack of face to face conversations. Grades can drop which is very problematic when grade point averages are very important for a student’s future.

“I’m not a fan of online classes in high school for the majority of students. They don’t get a lot of feedback from the supposed online instructor and the curriculum doesn’t match the school curriculum,” Grant said.

The communication portion of a foreign language is less present in an online course when compared to the normal classroom setting.

“When they come to ask me questions their questions do not match what we are doing. When they come back into French after online French, they really struggle because they haven’t really learned the communication skill, they basically clicked their way through, so I’m not a fan of that class,” Grant said.

“In general I think that learning is best done in a classroom at the highschool level.”

Some of these problems may lead to reform in the online program to improve the system for students and increase online success. Similarly online students have ideas of what they would like to see change in the program.

“I would want to make it so there is an instructor behind the online classes,” Dylan Schwalm ‘17 said. “Instead of just some virtual website.”

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Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

Magazine

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All Photos: E. Simon

12 IntroSpec

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Nov. 25, 2015

The Medical Industry “Checking up” on the medical industry: how the American medical field is changing and what needs “treatment”

All graphics: H. Lancashire

Abbie Crick

Taylor Weckstein Coming from a family whose ideals are based in empiricism and logic, I’ve submitted myself to science the same way others submit themselves to faith. My family is passionate about science; it therefore makes sense that many of my family members pursued healthcare related professions. Both of my grandfathers, two of my uncles, two of my aunts, and my dad are doctors. My mom is a clinical director of a brain injury rehabilitation center, and my brother Ethan is in medical school right now. I’ve undergone two 50 hour medical internships. One might assume, then, that I—of all people—would be modern medicine’s biggest supporter. But I’m not. Like most institutions, I believe modern medicine has it’s perks and downfalls. One downfall, in particular, is very concerning.

Unfortunately, in many ways, modern medicine is a business.

We don’t live in a Utopia, money will always be involved.

Because it is often the easiest, most profitable option, many physicians prescribe drugs as a cure all.

Kristina Brunink, Central’s AP Psychology, Intro to Psychology, and Economics teacher, further explains.

“We have become focused on treatment rather than preventative care as a society,” Bruinink said.

“There are a number of reasons why. It’s a combination of pharmaceutical companies that have a lot of control...and patient expectation. We like quick fixes. If a doctor were to give a slower but possibly more effective treatment, patients may not think doctors are doing their job.”

Although these generalizations are not true of all doctors, society is promoting the overprescription of medication. Westerners tend to dismiss treatments that fall outside the conventional realm of medicine as unmerited mumbo-jumbo. I, too, fell into this ethnocentric trap. Until, that is, my brother shattered all of my previously held conceptions.

When he was thirteen, my brother Devin developed a complex neurological disorder from a minor injury. He had chronic pain and was unable to attend school, walk, or function in normal daily life. My parents traveled with Devin around the country in search of the best treatment available. He took a plethora of pain meds, none of which alleviated discomfort (and many also had debilitating side effects). At one point, Devin was infused with intravenous Ketamine - a potent hallucinogen - for a week straight. Because of this he developed a second disorder just as bad as the first. Long after Devin was unhooked from the IV the effects of Ketamine remained in his system. Seven years after the infusion, Devin is still plagued with hallucinations. The modern medical system had failed us, ironically, a family of doctors. This does not mean any individual physicians are at fault. Many of the doctors Devin encountered were incredible individuals, trying to treat a complicated disorder to the best of their abilities. But still, conventional treatment only made the problem worse.

To relieve stress, Devin started running. As he began going upwards of ten miles, he entered meditative like trances and his hallucinations subsided. To further explore this concept, he delved into yoga and meditation.Through yoga, running, and meditation alone, the hallucinations decreased drastically. He learned to read again, and is now taking a full course load at a four year university in hopes of obtaining a graduate degree. Devin’s transformation has been astounding. All because of his determination and openness to principles of Eastern philosophy. As a scientifically-oriented thinker, it took a lot to change my mind. But after living alongside Devin through his hardship, I can’t deny the value of holistic care and alternative medicine. The modern medical industry needs to schedule a “checkup,” and soon. If more people like me can become open to alternative, unorthodox principles, Western medicine could undergo a paradigm shift fundamentally increasing the quality of patient care for everyone.

Dr. Roger Gerstle

Each issue we test students knowlege on current events, represented by an ostrich burried in varying degrees of sand

Abbie Crick & Taylor Weckstein IntroSpec Editors

IntroSpec Editor

IntroSpec Editor

Comspec

Current Events

According to the Healthline Organization 60% of adults experience acid reflux in their lives. In the Netherlands citizens buy a drug called Nexium, sold there at $23 a box, to treat acid reflux. In the United States a citizen pays $215 for the same box of Nexium, in the same dosage. Why the massive difference? The pharmaceutical industry seems to think it’s just good business.

The average American spends approximately $1,000 annually on prescription drugs. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, that’s double the average of other developed countries.

Worse, prices of pharmaceuticals are continuing to skyrocket in the United States. To explain the price disparity, pharmaceutical companies reason that the U.S. is the leader in pharmaceutical research because of their ability to fund research and development, as stated by multiple companies in articles from publications like The New York TImes and The Week.

Their funding ability comes from higher profits they glean from their American-bought products.

High profit margins come from astronomically high prices.

The pharmaceutical company Valeant has repeatedly made this argument. Further research into their company showed that Valeant only spends 3% of its revenue on research and development.

Puzzling, considering their drug prices have risen over 800% since their launches. Or maybe there isn’t much of a puzzle at all. Their CEO was paid over 10 million dollars last year, which pales in comparison to the chairman of Valeant’s board, who raked in over 50 million.

Obviously this is one company of many but the trend of low research and development budgets is common in pharmaceuticals, which has one of the highest profit margins of any industry in the U.S. Maybe high prices wouldn’t be a problem for a Valeant chairman, but for the average American, who according to the Census Bureau earns a median household income of $50,500, the cost of treatment for serious medical problems is daunting. Leaving countless Americans the choice between financial ruin and decent health care.

That ultimatum doesn’t seem to concern many industry leaders. Turing Pharmaceutical’s CEO, Martin Shkreli, recently made the decision to increase the price of his company’s drug, Daraprim, by 5,500%. The drug treats the infection toxoplasmosis, a life-threatening infection seen mostly in patients with cancer or other diseases that attack the immune system.

These patients are dying and, due to an overnight decision by a pharmaceutical company, are forced to pay $750 a pill for a medication that previously was sold at $13.50 and costs less than a single dollar to produce, as reported

by CNN. This massive price increase means that patients who are already economically vulnerable are forced to pay upwards of $634,500 a year for the treatment of a single infection. Suddenly the cost of life-saving treatment becomes impossibly large, an ultimatum indeed.

But fear not! Turing Pharmaceuticals assures us that the price is worth it if they can further fund research and development.

Valeant, Daparim and Shkreli are only a few examples in a industry of many. The egregious price increases of American pharmaceuticals is out of control. Patients in dire need of treatment should not have to fund research and development. The idea that someone would be refused treatment because they don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars is morally repulsive. The ultimatum of massive medical debt and life should not exist. It does not take a medical expert to see the absurdity of the tremendous price of life saving medication, in fact pharmaceutical experts can’t see it all, it’s the average American that is burdened with the life-or-death realization.

The pharmaceutical industry has most certainly failed their check-up.

The idea behind Introspec is to combine current events and opinion. Every issue we pick a topic, and Taylor and Abbie write about it from an inner perspective as students Introspec. Dr. Roger Gerstle, writes on behalf of the community - Com-spec.

And finally we choose two countires and cover how they view and deal with the issue - Glob-spec.

Doctor Roger Gerstle MD is a family practice doctor affiliated with munson medical center. Here he gives his view on the medical industry, questioning certain aspects and providing his thoughts.

Guest Writer

Health care in the United States has a long way to go. By many measures, we are behind a lot of other countries. This is particularly disappointing because we spend more per capita on health care than any other country, by a long shot.

We also have many people without health insurance. This is unacceptable, at least if you consider health care to be a right and not a privilege.

Before the Affordable Care Act (sometimes called Obama Care), we had 50 million uninsured. Now we have 29 million uninsured. Unless we try a different approach, this number is not expected to drop much further.

What happens to the health of those without insurance? It eventually and inevitably declines, and besides the suffering these individuals and families face, the cost of addressing the resultant illnesses is more than it would have cost to prevent these illnesses in the first place.

Why not just give everyone health insurance? The federal government provides the insurance, and private hospitals and clinics provide the services. This is called a Single Payer system, and works very well in Canada and many other countries. Frequently misconstrued as “socialist health care,” this approach achieves superior health care outcomes, at a cheaper price. And, no one faces the indignity of not being able to afford to go to the doctor.

Lithium

None of the students recently polled by the Black and Gold knew which element on the periodic table could be used to treat bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorder is classified by drastic fluctuations between mania and depression. Doctors often prescribe synthetic drugs to treat bipolar disorder.

However, the National Alliance on Mental Illness states that regular intake of lithium supplements can dramatically decrease the risk of suicide and stabilize mood. This would be like a doctor prescribing oxygen supplements that majorly decreased the risk of stroke, or carbon tablets that mitigate the effects of epilepsy. Sometimes, the most complicated of problems have the simplest of solutions.

What element on the periodic treats bipolar disorder?

Lithium

Students did not know that Lithium could treat Bipolar Disorder. Body in the ground.

ISIS Students were some-what aware of what ISIS stood for. Specifically knew it was the Islamic State.

Head out of the ground.

ISIS Everyone has heard the acronym ISIS. It is synonymous with fear and destruction. The terrorist group is wreaking havoc on the Middle East and now Europe. ISIS is technically a Wahhabi and Salafi jihadist-extremist militant group and selfproclaimed Islamic State. We use the acronym ISIS freely but only one student polled by the Black and Gold could tell us the correct full title, which is The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

What does the acronym ISIS stand for?

Globspec We chose Canada and India to show global variations and their different approaches to medicine

Canada Canada has a publicly funded healthcare system, meaning that almost all treatments are free. The federal government ensures standards and almost all amenities are available that the private sector could otherwise offer. Problems with this system include a possible wait time of upwards of 90 days for treatment and limited coverage for mental health, dental and vision care that results in Canadian medical tourism to the U.S. for more readily available treatment.

India

India has a universal healthcare system. However, since the government service is highly decentralized, each Indian State uses a different method of implementation. This means rural, impoverished states have inadequate access to healthcare. In these areas there is a lack of certified physicians, and other resources are scarce. Comparatively, rich, urban states often have a higher quality of hospitals, better trained doctors, and more treatment options. The private sector is also a more competitive, higher quality option for those who can afford it.