Black & Gold Issue 6 Vol 95 3/18/16

Turn to Feature to get the Volume 96 breakdown on 2015/16 robotics team and their goals for the year

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March 18th, 2016

Black Gold

2015 MIPA Spartan Award Winner

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

New CHS Lock System

Central High School plans to implement new lock system on campus this spring Abby Harnish Staff Reporter

A

t the end of February, Central High School administration met with Student Senate to brainstorm ideas to help improve students’ experience at Central.

During the meeting, Senate brought up a hot-button issue amongst students, the lock system. In recent years, students have been continuously locked outside during the five minute passing time. Students have been stuck outside, relying on the chance of another student or staff member walking by to open the door for them. The current locks system has led too many tardies because students have no other way to get to their destination.

“A lot of the times, the doors are locked when students get back from lunch which creates a lot of frustration among students,” Student Senate member Ranger Trucco ‘18 said. “Because of this, there would be huge groups of people waiting outside in the cold.”

Using the Student Senate members’ personal anecdotes and their knowledge of the majority of the student bodys’ issues with the current locks system, Student Senate and administration came together to form an action plan to help improve the current problem. The plan included the extension of the amount of time the doors were unlocked and the possibility of adding another door that would be unlocked primarily for NMC students.

“The plan came out to keep the doors unlocked five to ten minutes longer in the morning and at the end of lunch when students are coming in,” assistant principal Toby Tisdale said. “We don’t want to have people going all the way around the building. We’re not encouraging tardiness, but we’re saying if someone is going to be tardy, let’s still mark them tardy but get them into class sooner rather than them waiting to figure out how to get in. We’re also investigating

Issue 6

having the door that comes in from the courtyard by Mr. Burn’s office be open as well as the gym doors.”

The problem of the doors being locked is something the students experience first-hand every day, so the administration wanted to get the students involved as much as they could in this plan. There is no easy way to use and implement the ideas and opinions of an entire school, so administration looked to the Student Senate for help. Because the Student Senate is the representation of the student body, they helped express some of the inconveniences the students are experiencing.

“The conversation took us onto the path of what benefit would be to students if we did something about the automatic locking doors,” Tisdale said.

“We need to make sure we are not being unsafe by making an adjustment to when the doors are locked and when they’re open.”

Many safety precautions have to be made for this action plan to take place.

Because of this, there is no set date for when the adjustments to the lock systems will be made. Instead of a set date, students will have to be aware of and then follow two rules: no propping the doors open and not allowing strangers into the building.

“By us doing this, students can no longer prop doors open,” Tisdale said.

“That is a contingency to this whole thing, they will have to do something to get something. No more propping the doors open because of safety and energy reasons. When the door is propped open, all the warm air is getting out. The second thing we need people to do is follow the signs that are posted on all of the doors, and not let anyone in that isn’t a student in our building. Once that communication has gone out, the door schedule will change immediately.”

Through the fulfillment of the precautions, students can expect the result they have desired for years, while the balance between student’s wants and safety

precautions be maintained throughout the process.

“I think that safety precautions are important and good as long as the students are aware of the precautions being made so the students can understand them and work with them,” Student Senate member Brooke Corso ‘17 said. “I don’t think safety precautions are so much a big issue with the students. It’s more that kids are getting stuck outside and then they’re late for class. Everyone is just fed up with the current system, so we have tried to come up with a way to work with the students while maintaining a safe campus.”

Adjusting the locks system is not a new concept to this year. This has been an ongoing issue that administration has tried to solve over the years. After years of the recurring issue, they tried looking at the problem with another set of eyes, the students.

“Over the past couple of years, we have been making adjustments to the locks system because we thought we were thinking in the best frame of mind for everyone,” Tisdale said. “Because again, it is a safety thing. But, there are things we don’t think about as adults.”

Now that administration has included the students in the process of coming up with a fool-proof action plan for this issue, students have been able to insert their wisdom and different perspectives that may solve this issue the administration has previously been stumped with.

This issue has been carefully thought out because of its importance to the administration as well as the students.

“It is important to us, even though safety is number one, that students are able to get into their classes and learn,” Tisdale said. “To be ready to learn, you need to be in a decent frame of mind and if you’re struggling to get into the building, that can be a deterrence. That’s why this is so important.”

All Graphics: H. Lancashire

Photo: A. Stiebel

Turn to Focus page for a look into students favorite spring activities in Traverse City

Galápagos Trip

Local teacher plans educational student trip to Islands Abigail Vannatter Staff Reporter

In the early summer of 2017, students from Central High School will be experiencing the trip of their lifetime traveling to the Galapagos Islands off the coast of South America on a ten day exploration extravaganza.

Central Biology teacher, Kim Fleming, will lead these travelers through many great opportunities such as exploring the culture of South America, snorkeling with exotic animals only found in these islands, and enjoying morning activities on the island of San Cristobal.

“I really enjoy being with kids.

Yes they can be a pain in the neck sometimes but they’re still a lot of fun,” Fleming said. “I like to watch them experience cool things. I can just imagine what they’ll be like when we get near a tide pool or something they’ve never seen before.”

South America differs from North America in many ways, but the Galapagos islands offer incredible features that can not be found anywhere in the world, which is why the islands have been making them a prime destination for adventures.

“I’ve wanted to go to the islands ever since I was little, I think it will be pretty fun,” Dylan Davies ‘19 said, who is interested in going on the trip.

The opportunities for experiencing unique things on the trip are endless. Even outside of the educational aspect, the trip can benefit students socially in a way that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

“I’m looking forward to experiencing different cultures and nature, even the days we are traveling. Also making bonds with people I hardly know or wouldn’t normally choose to hang out with will be cool,” Alecia Gortsema ‘19 said.

Volcano walks, touring pink flamingo habitats, visiting the Charles Darwin research center and hiking the famous Tijeretas Hill are just some of the activities students will be experiencing. There are currently 12 spots reserved but more will be added as needed. A select 220 students received a personal invitation to go on the trip but it is open up to anyone wanting to learn.

“The students who received personal letters came by recommendation. I made sure the ones that came to me that I didn’t know had a good reputation with their teachers,” Fleming said. “Anyone is welcome to go, even families, the thing is, I’ll look at their discipline and if they’re naughty children then it’s

going to be a ‘no’.”

Fundamentally, the tour is meant to enable students to experience first-hand some of the things they have previously been taught throughout their science schooling and open them up to new concepts.

“It’s an awesome thing for high schoolers , especially if you don’t know what direction to go.

If you were to go and do some research or even just experience the culture, I think for some kids that’s going to be a transformation right there.” Fleming said.

The trip introduces students to many different forms of research and examination. The learning aspect of this trip is different than your average spring break trip. Every island offers something different that you will find there only, nowhere else on the planet.

Ms. Fleming might seem crazy for taking so many students out of the country, but she is confident in her ability to keep the trip under control while maintaining an educational experience for everyone involved.

“I am worried a student could do something stupid and get in trouble, but I would not take a student who I thought would not behave themselves,” Fleming said. “At the same time, I have no qualms saying that if they mess up, I’ll put them on an airplane and fly them home.”

Fleming has been encouraging students to consider the trip for a few months now, playing videos in biology class about the animals and studying Darwin’s Evolution Theory. Every student has a different inspiration for wanting to travel on the trip whether it be from examples shown in Biology or for personal reasons.

“I was influenced by my passion for traveling and wanting to see as much of the world as possible. Everything about other countries fascinates me,” Gortsema said. “I think you can learn so much by visiting new places rather than just hearing about them.”

Briefs

Count day crisis effecting Central

New healthy machines at Central

Inclement weather forced the cancellation of TCAPS annual Count Day on Wednesday, February 10.

“It was simply moved back,” registrar Anna Kane said. “It should’ve been Wednesday, we had a snow day. Then it should’ve been Thursday, and we had a snow day, so the count day was on Friday.”

The plan put in place in case of school being closed on a Count Day is to reschedule the Count Day to the next day.

Although they only occur a couple of times a school year, Count Days are very important to ensure the school gets the proper amount of state funding.

“Our state funding is based

Central High School recently installed smart vending machines in the lunchroom at the start of the school year. These vending machines offer healthy snacks and meals offering an easyaccess way for students to buy lunch. TCAPS is using Central as a ‘test run’ to find out if the

on the number of students we have in attendance in our enrollment,” Kane said. “Count Days give us two opportunities each year to count our students and count the hours they are in class. This is where our funding comes from and provides everything that we provide our students.”

To ensure every student is accounted for, they must be present. However, if a student is absent on a Count Day, certain steps must be completed.

“If a student is absent and it is unverified, they have to be back in that particular class within ten school days,” Kane said. “When this happens, we can then count them. If they are excused, then they have to

return to class within 30 days and then we can count them.”

Some staff and students question the proficiency of the Count Days and wonder if there could be another way to achieve the same result with more ease.

“It seems as if a student is enrolled that they could just take the enrollment numbers,” French teacher Jami Grant said. “But I understand that there’s lots of different issues with that. Sometimes we have students that are on our rosters and they’ve never shown up.

So I get why that would be an issue for the State. It does seem arbitrary to have a random day and check the attendance from that.”

Photo: A. Stiebel

machines are worth the cost. If so, they will then be installed in other schools throughout TCAPS. Just like the lunch checkout, the machines connect to every student’s individual lunch account. You simply type in your student ID and the purchase will be billed to your account. Some were concerned that these vending machines would be difficult for the students to operate.

“We haven’t had very many students that have had problems with them,” Mary Wixson, Central’s kitchen leader, said. “If they come to us and say that they are having an issue, we go and walk them through it. The majority of the time it is just an operator error.”

So far, the new vending machines have proven to be an asset to Central’s school wide nutritional initiative. If TCAPS continues on the nutritional path they are on, healthy food will become much more readily accessible to all students.

2 Opinion

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Vacancy in the courts

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upreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, passed away February 13th, 2016, striking controversy among the Democrat and Republican parties. Senate leaders discussed the possibility of waiting until Barack Obama’s term is finished to fill the vacant seat.

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”

After said statement, Senate Minority Leader, Harry M. Reid, said “it would be unprecedented in recent history for the Supreme Court to go a year with a vacant seat. Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senate’s most essential Constitutional responsibilities.”

Without Scalia, the court is equally divided between conservative and liberal justices.

“It should be Obama’s call to nominate a new Justice. We are not going to have a new president for another eight months and it would be beneficial to fill the spot before then. This can be one of Obama’s last calls as President of the United States.”

-Hannah Radosevich ‘16 “I say we should get a new justice pronto because with an eight person Supreme Court more times than not the ruling would end up as four to four and nothing would get done. I think the justice should be a right wing but not too extreme.”

-Terrell Solberg ‘17

the Black & Gold

Apple refuses to give the Federal Bureau of Investigation cellphone access after recent terrorist attacks Staff Reporter

“I think it would add even more work to the president’s final months. I would assume this is one of the busiest times for him and this would most likely cause someone at the last minute to be elected and they may not be the best fit. It would be best to keep them unbiased.”-Dylan Kangas ‘19

Editors-in-Chief Maddi Miller Julia Vannatter

News Editor

Kristin McLintock

Opinion Editor Carly Hernden

Feature Editor

America was founded upon the ideas of freedom and unlimited opportunities. Recently, the ideas of American society have been put to the test in a battle between Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked Apple to find a way to access data from iPhones belonging to the deceased assassins of the December 2015 San Bernardino shooting. Apple has refused to assist the FBI claiming that it violates the privacy of their customers along with their civil liberties.

Shooters Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed a total of 14 people and left 21 injured. According to The Huffington Post, it was the largest massacre since Sandy Hook.

Following the San Bernardino shooting, the DOJ was provided with the phones belonging to the assassins. The death of the assassins and the encryption on the phones, has made it impossible for the DOJ to obtain any material on the devices.

The DOJ suspects information on the phones will unlock the case, determining how and why the attacks occurred.

In an interview on ABC World News Tonight, the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, touched on the issue and stated that creating a device to access personal information could allow third parties to gain access to messages, health records, location, financial data, pictures, and a phone’s camera without the owner’s consent or knowledge. Cook further claimed that the government was trying to seek “dangerous power” within the court system and that the government was violating their Constitutional rights.

Forcing Apple to provide access to security on the iPhone could allow access to every iPhone worldwide. This goes against the ideas of America, specifically the freedom of privacy.

Ultimately bringing about the question of whether the San Bernardino shooting should be an exception to this ideological cornerstone in American life. It could be argued that dangerous and violent instances of this nature put the lives of Americans at risk, and therefore, people partaking in similar actions, terrorism for example, forfeit their privacy rights. Leniency in interpreting these laws seems appropriate. We have technology that is for governmental use only, so why is it such a risk to people?

A&E Editor

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

through with his duties.

That being said, Obama should appoint a moderate justice to create a balanced court. Having an equal amount of conservatives and liberals and adding a moderate eliminates the idea of one party taking precedence over the other in such an austere environment.

We at the Black & Gold believe modern day politics have turned into one big argument that accomplishes little to nothing. Politicians spend their time between elections fretting over their campaign and not their job that they were already elected to do. It has become a competition amongst candidates rather than wanting what is best for the citizens.

As Americans, we cannot seem to look past the labels of Republican and Democrat, therefore we can not be fully educated on all viewpoints. We argue who should appoint the next justice instead of allowing the President to do his job that is explicitly stated in the constitution. We need to focus less on the partisanship and more on the duties of the government.

Personal security or invasion of privacy?

Nicole Rogers

“I think one should be selected in order to fulfill the Senate and Country’s duty of providing a 9th.

Without one, the justices could come to deadlock decisions and that would be super disturbing since the initial setup made it so issues such as that couldn’t happen.”

-Julia Bodnar ‘18

Maddi Miller

Leaving the position open until the next president is elected creates the possibility of a deadlocked four-to-four vote. In the case of a deadlocked vote, the lower court’s vote will be upheld and no precedent is set. The Supreme Court would not issue an opinion. A major function of the Supreme Court is to resolve disputes among lower courts and establish legal precedents for the entire country.

Tied votes delay goals and essentially waste the court’s time.

Scalia played a crucial role in the Supreme Court because he was an “outspoken champion for the court’s conservative wing and has many admirers in the Senate,” according to Washington Post. Scalia’s death has deprived conservatives of a key vote and probably will derail some anticipated conservative victories in major Supreme Court cases.

It is more likely for votes to lean in favor of the Obama administration now that a crucial conservative vote is missing.

We at the Black & Gold believe it is the current president’s duty to elect a new justice to replace Scalia. It is outlined in the Constitution that the president is responsible to fill the vacant spot. Regardless of Obama’s time left in office, he is our current President and must follow

All Graphics: H. Lancashire

Scalia’s death causes controversy

Aidan Stiebel

Henry Lancashire

Having Apple create a tool to bypass the security system for iPhones is both alarming and scary. However, having an easier way to get past the phone system is important for the government to access files when necessary in order to maintain a safe environment. Terrorism threats have grown dramatically since the 9/11 attacks, according to CNN, and thus are a prominent concern in today’s society. Different circumstances should allow bending or modifying of the rules. Our government should have access to the information they need to in order to make our country safe. The question is whether the violation of the privacy rights of innocent Americans is warranted or justified. There is potential for our government to access more information on the San Bernardino shooting, if Apple were to unlock the iPhones. This could potentially prevent future harm to American citizens.

Again, the question must be asked: at what cost? If school administrators were able to go through my phone, I know that I would feel violated even though it could potentially make the school a safer environment for everyone.

The trade off, safety for privacy, seems worth it where I sit right now.

There are strict conditions and regulations of when government officials should be able to access certain information. But when people’s lives are in danger, the government should be given the chance to make a change for the safety of all, even at the cost of freedom.

In this age where the fabric of our lives are so intricately intertwined with technology, we are faced with balancing our desire for privacy and our need for access.

Staff Reporters

Andrea Bavikatty Ben Brown Jackson Conlon Abby Harnish Jack Myers Autumn Roberts Nicole Rogers Alex Stern Abigail Vannatter Baille Zipser

Send us an email at tccblackandgold@gmail. com or drop off a letter to the editor in room F-158

Feature

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Inside look at the Raptors Raptors robotics built one robot this season.

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2.

3

All graphics: H. Lancashire

The team has about 40 people.

Build season is six weeks.

Photo: courtesy of The Raptors

Approximately 40-48 teams compete at regionals.

Photo: courtesy of The Raptors

4.

3.

Approximately 600 teams compete at worlds.

The teams robot must shoot balls through tower windows to capture the tower and gain points.

To be on varsity you must spend at least 120 hours working on the robot.

Photo: courtesy of The Raptors

This year’s robot’s name is Eris, the Goddess of Strife and Discord.

This year’s robot contains a lot of plastic and metal.

Photo: courtesy of The Raptors

1. Tightening the mount for a shooter motor, Noah Kachadurian ‘17 works steadily to finish his task. “I am most nervous for the electrical part of the competition,” Kachadurian said. “I want our team to do as well as possible and I want our robot to function.”

2. The team poses for a photo with their robot bagged. “A few minutes before we had to bag the robot it shorted,” Sidney Gadzinski ‘18 said. “We don’t know why or where it happened, so when we use our six hours to work on the robot before competition we have to fix that.”

3. Trevor Sears ‘18 guides the newly bagged robot to its resting place until competition. “This year I designed the manipulator,” Sears said. “The last objective of the game is to lift the entire robot up with a bar and I worked on the design for the manipulator.”

4. Focused on her computer, Abigail Fox ‘18, works on the robot’s design. “We built a short robot that is capable of crossing seven of the nine defenses in the game and shooting foam balls through a high and low goal,” Fox said.

Business Manager Curious gazes from the locals follow Ally Brown ‘18 as she wanders through the streets of Cambodia. The market’s electric energy invigorates her as she passes unique art and textile stands and the intense aroma of stew envelops her. Brown reflects on how experiencing marketplaces like this in Cambodia expose her to different cultures that help fuel her desire to give back to the community.

“My parents take my brother and I on trips with them all around the world,” Brown said. “I have visited around 48 countries and it is a very interesting experience to travel and it’s nice to get out of Traverse City. It is an eye opening experience to see how different people are. Cambodia was so authentic and untouched by the Western World. Everywhere you went in Cambodia you would see an old temple or something that was 5,000 years old. It was not overrun by tourists when I went there, and the culture was amazing. It had so much history there. It felt magicial.”

Brown has visited five different continents throughout her many years of traveling.

Originally, Brown and her brother only traveled to Hawaii with their parents. She began traveling with her parents to more rural locations as Brown and her older brother became more cultured and exposed to different ethnicities.

“The majority of the areas I visited were in Asia and Southeast Asia,” Brown said.

“We have not been too much in Europe because it is not as culturally diverse as South

America or Africa and my family enjoys traveling to more culturally diverse places.”

She has attended numerous countries that have societies and customs that differ greatly from Traverse City.

“Traverse City is a gorgeous place,” Brown said. “The more places I go it makes me appreciate the beauty of all the lakes and sand dunes. Deeper than visually, Traverse City

“

I love meeting new people from different cultures and being in a new part of the world.

-Ally Brown ‘18

can not go to without being kidnapped and killed. There are some places we just have to avoid.”

Regardless of the threats she faces while attending different countries, Brown is not reluctant or hesitant to visit new areas. The potential consequences of being in a third world country that is not as safe as the United States does not scare Brown because of her passion to travel.

“I love meeting new people and being in a new part of the world,” Brown said. “It really opens up my eyes to show me a different perspective and allows me to get a new feel of the world. It makes you think of how small you are and how huge the world is.

Traveling shows me how many people there are and how different they all are. People don’t understand how horrible it gets for the rest of the world. Traveling has allowed me to recognize this in society and to appreciate where I come from.”

Traveling has left lasting impacts on the person that Brown has become. She has taken back some of the lessons and values she learned on her trips to incorporate them into her everyday life.

“Traveling has inspired me to volunteer more,” Brown said. “I haven’t done much in Traverse City, but everytime we go to a different country, I often try to visit a school or hospital and leave a donation to help out in some way.”

Brown always tries to leave the countries she visits better off than when she initially arrived.

“Every little bit helps people,” Brown said.

“There are so many different ways to help people around the world, and I do whatever I can, no matter how small the actions are.”

”

is not that great. Traverse City is culturally closed and it is little white America.”

The majority of Brown’s trips are not common tourist destinations. Because of her family’s sense of adventure, she has been put into some dangerous situations on some of her trips that have really allowed her to be fully exposed to different parts of society.

“I was once in Peru when a riot broke out,” Brown said. “The current leader just got out of jail and there was huge commotion about it. We were pushed off the street and people were throwing hand grenades.”

In situations like these, Brown’s family has to be careful about the places they are visiting to ensure their safety.

“At some of the places we’ve been, the locals have not been very welcome to foreigners, especially Westerners and Americans,” Brown said. “There are certain parts of countries that white American Westerners

Italy

Kirsten Berkey

India Greece

Ally Brown ‘18 travels the world, learning about unique cultures and being exposed to people that help change her outlook on life

Bhutan

New adventures, new perspectives World Hotspots

4 HOTC

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Faculty

In our spin off of Humans of New York, the Black & Gold went out into the Grand Traverse Community searching for inspiration and originiality. Our mission - to share stories, to inspire and to encourage self-expression. From one of our own teachers who taught in a jungle, to Larry who owns a local antique shop and spends his days gushing about his grandchildren, we were able to find one main comminality - passion. Stories like their’s are what make us believe in journalism and the positive impacts that comes from sharing each other’s stories. People are art and when combined with their stories and the right colors and pictures, we feel we are doing those stories justice. In a single quote, members of the community have conveyed their own self-definitions and made us all feel inpsired. This is what journalism is to us - finding stories that matter and sharing them.

Q: How long have you been working on getting your doctorate?

A: I started in 2009, and it was a two year program to get the educational specialist degree, and it was a ladder program so the educational specialist led straight into the EDD, a doctorate of education, and I defended the proposal for my dissertation in August of 2014 so I’ve been working on it about a year and a half.

Q: What motivated you to go back to school and start working towards your Doctorate?

A: Because we have to have six credits every five years for our teaching certificate and there’s nothing up here for me to do that relates to language. I already have a master in Spanish, I suppose I could get one in French too. I needed to start working toward something that leads to a result.

-Senora Lynch

I like the inner action with the kids I have. I like cooking and coming up with ideas for meals for the kids.

I think working with all of the kids is one of the most fun parts to the job. Knowing that I’m coming here, really makes me happy. I typically get up at quarter to four in the morning to come here by six, and it’s quiet to start with. Once the students arrive at seven o’clock and breakfast begins, it starts to get busier, and it just kind of flows, quickly and rapidly. I also have two other jobs, I work at Crystal Mountain at the front desk, so I get to meet lots of people. Then I am also the clerk and the water clerk for the village of Thompsonville, and I have done that for the last sixteen years. But I enjoy coming to Central the most where I enjoy working with the kids, and my peers and the staff.

-Mary Wixen

It’s funny because I look back, you know this is my last year here, I’m going to retire after this year. That doesn’t mean that I’m not going to do anything, I’m going to do other things, but when I look back now and I think how did I end up in this career, well, part of it has to do with my dad, my father. When I was pretty young, my dad “some day you’ll be a great teacher”. I laugh and I think “Wow, what if he said someday you’ll be a great rocket scientist”, but he said that to me and I think that was the initial seed which is very important because what we tell young children plants that seed.

-Mrs. Peltola

Students Q: What is the most valuable quality to you in life?

A: I think pursuing the things that make you happy is important, so that is kind of growing and expanding upon what you already do, but really having a focus on that. So I guess I value happiness above all. You can always go back to the environment, which matters a lot to me, which might not be the most popular thing for everyone, like “ooh, he’s kinda like a hippy or something”, so even though that might not be quite as cool, it still is what makes me happy.

-Elliot Smith ‘18

Q: Since you are a bio teacher, and you know everything about the whole process of pregnancy that you’re going through, do you think you know too much and you’re psyching yourself out?

Or is good that you know as much as you do?

A: Yes, I think being a biology teacher has made me incredibly freaked out about all the possibilities that could go wrong and in my first trimester I’d say that really impacted me. As time progresses and I get more ultrasounds and I talk to my doctor more I feel a little bit better but just knowing so much about genetic diseases and the likelihood of getting genetic diseases is scary. You just want the best for your children and yeah, absolutely, it’s something that’s probably more present in somebody that’s science minded than others, so yes.

-Mrs. Johnson

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Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Community

Everyday we walk the hallways of Traverse City Central high school. Everyday we pass people whose apparel, facial expressions and accessories stand out and make us want to know all about their thoughts and lives. And so, this issue, we wanted to expand our coverage to include students who inspired us and who made us wish for a glimpse into their minds, from directly within TCAPS, as well as TCAPS faculty. We then went once again out into the Grand Traverse County community and were not let down.

Q: Who are your guys’ soulmates?

Both: Each other.

Q: Why are you guys soulmates?

C: I am Courtney Shank and Maddy is my soulmate because she’s been there for me all the time through a lot of stuff and she doesn’t judge me.

M: I am Maddy Cozart and Courtney is my soulmate because we just understand each other and we’re always there for each other and we have each other’s backs.

C: And we can be stupid in front of each other and we just don’t care.

Q: Courtney, what is your favorite quality in Maddy?

C: I like that, she, no matter how much people push her around and stuff she just pushes it aside you know and really just doesn’t care what people think and she is always just herself and I think that’s really a good quality in a person.

Q: Maddy, what is your favorite quality in Courtney?

M: My favorite quality in Courtney is that she’s not afraid of judgement, she’s very free spirited and she does what she feels like doing but in a way that doesn’t hurt herself or other people. - Courtney Shank and Maddy Cozart, TC locals

How did you get your internship at the fire station? started off as an internship with Mrs. Rutt’s class after I requested ewhere exciting and I told her I was interested in military so she put nto a fire station and then one of the captains mentioned a program d the Explorers program and it’s kind of like a little intro for people are 14 - 21 to get them involved in the fire department. One of the onsibilities as an explorer, is to go in and ride with them and go on ame calls and train with them, basically get experience. Right now, I moved out of the explorers program and into actual firefighter idacy because I got to the age of 18, and they enrolled me within epartment.

What’s the training like?

Well right now I’m in school to be a firefighter so right now it’s anyand everything. We’ve done everything from hazardous materials pes and knots, so we learn what can kill you and save you and how ve your partner, or your brother, sister. We go on ladders 90 feet in ir and basically learn how to survive a fire. s firefighting something you’d think you wanna do? ight now I’m looking for a profession that incorporates law enement and fire. I would like to be more active in our community and that with law enforcement. I’m sure if I went somewhere bigger New York, LA, Miami, I would be very active, but I’m not really a boy I’d rather stay somewhere like this (TC).

Do you enjoy being with the fire department? ove it. I love the comradery about it and the brotherhood that you me the role of. I love the situations that I’m put in and how to deal them because it really tells a lot about people like how they act r stress and yeah, I would do it over again. -Jordan Query ‘16

I have a family member that means a lot to me, actually two, my twin brother who is currently battling multiple myeloma and the strength that he has right now is something that I treasure, and my sister who seems to emulate everything that I do, every disease that I have, she has. But she lives in Canada, so I usually only visit her twice a year. As I get older my greatest fear is the inability to think clearly, and the inability to get around.

-Mary Davidson

Q: What is the most valuable quality to you in life?

A. Growth, I think in any aspect of your life that you want to be successful, you need to start somewhere and you need to improve, so whether you want to be happy or you want to be more successful, you can’t get there without having growth in between. So I think having the confidence and the motivation to go after your dreams and your ambitions is what will allow you to grow the most.

-Tess Mello ‘18

HOTC

All photos: J. Conlon & A. Stiebel

5

All Graphics: H. Lancashire

I have worked here at Cali’s for so long, I love clothes, I love people who can feel beautiful in there clothes, and I just love to talk to people and to find out about them. So I feel like this job combines my two passions, I love to talk to people, and what they like, and what they do, and who they are. But I also like for them to look good and it’s so funny, because what I think they look good in isn’t necessarily what they think they look good in but I like to help them if I can. One of my favorite things is to help someone find something that they can wear at their wedding. Something that they just feel so beautiful in, like a bride, who is ready for that big moment, or if somebody has lost a ton of weight, and they have to have a brand new wardrobe. That’s really cool, to help them find, because a lot of people, after they lose weight, they don’t realize it, and it’s a huge mental thing for them, and that’s pretty cool for me too. - Becky Travis, works at Cali’s downtown Q: May I ask why you are here today at Horizon books?

A: I had a doctors appointment and I wanted to pick out a book that I found interesting and so I chose The Garbage Bag Suitcase, which is about children who have been placed in the foster care system and I was adopted myself. I was placed in an orphanage and I’m trying to do things now to assist kids, and that’s why I’m here.

Q: In what ways has being an orphan impacted you?

A: I think positively I was fortunate enough to have been adopted by two wonderful people, my father in particular had always been my best friend growing up and I think it always built an awareness in me as far as how important it is to care about your children and your family.

Q: Do you value your family values based on the fact that you were adopted?

A: I think it was just how I was raised and also through the knowledge that there are a lot of kids out there in our country where they’re in foster care and they’re struggling but America has a whole looks at kids overseas and they don’t spend enough time on the kids here. - Lisa Hayworth

6 Sports

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Ultimate catches on CHS Students join the Traverse City Ultimate Club to kick off a great season Hayley Scollard Business Manager

Flying under the radar, Ultimate Frisbee attracts sports enthusiasts who value sportsmanship and teamwork over individual performance. Perhaps, this is what makes Ultimate Frisbee an enjoyable and interesting pastime. There is less player tension because it’s a non-contact sport that encourages an esprit de corps. The fact that it’s a non-contact sport attracts athletic people who hope to avoid sports related injuries.

President of The Traverse City Ultimate Club, Chris Courtright, began playing Ultimate because of his history with sports-related injuries.

“I used to play sports when I was younger. I seperated my shoulder once playing football, it took about six months to heal,” Courtright said.

“I was more the football-running type person and Ultimate satisfied that. And the rest is history.”

Courtright sees himself as a mere “figurehead” within the board of members. The other members all come up with creative ideas and are essential to the organization of the league. Courtright feels he couldn’t have made the Ultimate Frisbee League possible without the the frisbee community either.

“They spread around the work. Everybody takes a task instead of one person having all the tasks they generally come up with great ideas.

We’ve got a lot of really creative people that work together and it’s been fantastic,” Courtright said. “The community and the people that are involved are my favorite aspects. It’s a great sport and it takes a lot of energy to run it, and the community itself is extremely welcoming and a lot of really fun people play Ultimate.“ Chris Clements is among many of the people who help fuel Ultimate. As a board member, he mostly helps out with summer league, especially with the tournament Great Lakes Greatest in July. There are 10-12 teams that come as far as Canada and Chicago to play in the tournament.

The season begins once the snow has melted, and Ultimate players meet up every Tuesday to play, which gives players plenty of time to practice.

“We usually play pick up on Fridays also. I get together with a lot of people on the side and work on throwing and catching, which is three times a week,” Clements said.

The Traverse City Ultimate is mostly an adult league, however they are always looking to target high schoolers to get involved. The league has been promoted through advertising like articles in the Record Eagle, posts on Traverse City Ticker, and this coming summer they will also be featured on 7&4 News.

“We’re definitely looking to get more high schoolers involved. It’s inexpensive and it’s fun,” Clements said. “They’re are usually the ones that

Photos: courtesy of J. Bullington

New coach Central welcomes new leadership Noah Aulicino Sports Editor

After a successful start, the Trojan girls’ basketball team were looking at a very successful season. Many considered it to be their best season in years, until the unexpected resignation of Head Coach Heather Simpson.

“We came to practice on a Thursday and Coach Heather wasn’t there. They told us she was having health issues and that she was taking the rest of the week off,” Captain Emily Jenkins ‘16 said. “The next day Dr. Vandermolen and Mr. Mattson had a meeting, they told us she had resigned and Mr. Farmer was taking over. I think she resigned because our team was in so much conflict all the time.”

Despite Coach Heather’s intention to mitigate conflict, much of the team was shaken by the head coach turnover. Initially, many Photo: O. Wilson

Traverse City outdoor enthusiasts enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee at various places such as Hickory Hills and the Northwestern Michigan College campus.

are super into it.”

High schoolers find the sport particularly catchy because it’s a combination of enjoyable sports and it’s simple to learn. Each team usually has seven players and is played on a field that is 70 by 40 yards. As explained on USA Ultimate. org, there are two zones 25 yards deep at the ends of the field. Each point begins with both teams lined at their end zone. The defense will throw the disc to the offense, often called a “pull.” When the offense scores a point in the defensive player’s end zone, they score a point.

Players may not run with the disc, the player who has the disc (thrower) can only hold onto it for ten seconds. The player defending the thrower is called the marker. If the pass of disc is not completed, the defense becomes the offense and now has possession of the disc. During any time outs, substitutions may come in for players. Any physical contact is illegal and results in a foul.

If any players disagree with the foul, the play is redone. The players are responsible for their own calls and disputes. Lastly, ultimate encourages competition but never when disrupting the joy of the game.

“My favorite thing about it is the rules of ultimate are written in a way that it really fosters team play and fair sportsmanship. If you read the rules of ultimate, the number one rule is basically to be as good of a sportsman as possible, and that is the spirit of the game. There’s no refs, it’s all self officiated. Even at the much higher levels, it’s very self-officiated so it fosters more of the team atmosphere and sportsmanship than any other sport.”

This distinctive sport has spread all over the country since its invention in 1968. It attracts those who enjoy camaraderie and a change of pace that’s quite different from the norm of high school sports.

Graphic: H. Lancashire

Trojans conquer Titans CHS continues tradition of crushing their long-time, cross-town rivalry in athletics Alex Stern

Staff Reporter Trojan pride erupts from the student section as the clock counts down, finally reaching zero. The Trojans have beat the Titans in yet another game, boosting the Trojan moral by adding another win to the record.

Totalling up the winter season victories, the Trojans won their games with the crosstown rivals in both boy’s and girl’s basketball, hockey, alpine skiing, and bowling, only leaving two close losses in wrestling. Unfortunately, the dominance of the regular season did not continue in district games against West. Both the boys and girls varsity teams saw their seasons come to early end at the hand of the Titans who advanced by defeating our Trojans in Class A district play.

Having beaten the rivals so many times in the regular season, a false sense of invincibility might have contributed to the end of the Trojan victories over the Titans this season. The lessons learned this season could help the future of Trojan athletics.

“Sure, we’ve had success against West this year, but we cannot rest on this year alone,” Traverse City Central Athletic Director Mark Mattson said.

“The test of how our programs are, or will be strengthened, will be evident over the course of the next few years. Just this successful year shouldn’t be

our measuring stick.”

Winning every winter match except wrestling against West attributes to team connectedness and a willingness to learn and improve.

“The area the girls have improved most on is playing together on offense,” Varsity Coach Greg Farmer said. “They did a better job passing the ball and moving, creating better shot opportunities. Our greatest asset has been our diversity,” he said. “We had some tall athletic girls, and some athletic more skilled players, allowing us to play a variety of offenses and defenses.”

As the Trojan sports program is physically and mentally built up, the effort put into playing, practicing, and coaching is also strengthened by the wins.

“There is, and always will be, work to be done through tremendous effort, discipline, and commitment to continuous improvement by all stakeholders,” Mattson said.

Along with upholding the Trojan name and continuing the discipline that it takes to make a team successful, there is also a commitment to acquiring a solid education.

“I just hope that our success this season is a sign of great things to come for these, and all Trojan sports, in the time ahead,” Mattson said. “All this Trojan sport success is in addition to the important focus that we all need to place on our students obtaining an outstanding education and becoming productive and respectful citizens within our school and society.”

The Lady Trojans confer with new coach while they wait for the game to resume.

Photo: O. Wilson

of the players considered not finishing the season. Some are still considering not playing next year. In addition to the recent change in coaches, a head coach has not been named for next season.

“Mr. Farmer was very helpful. He wanted to still help us be good at basketball, but he also understood that we were very upset. I’m very glad he took over,” Jenkins said. “He would come up to us at practice and check on us and see how we were doing. He would say he really appreciated us still working so hard and coming to practice. Coach Heather and him were good friends, he has even said he hoped his daughter could play for Heather in high school. I think he was glad to help, but also really sad to see her leave.”

While many of the players were inevitably disappointed to see Coach Heather go, others were not so afflicted. Some players felt the resignation was prompted by disagreements with their own teammates and families.

“There was a very clear divide between the people who supported her, and the ones who didn’t. It was just awkward,” a teammate said. “For most of us, basketball, even working hard at practice, has always been super fun, but it just got to a point where it almost wasn’t fun anymore.”

Not only did turmoil within the team reflect poorly in the morale of the players, it also presented itself in the rigor the team took in training. It was expected of all the girls to put the team obligation first under Coach Heather. Players said, attendance declined, with practices starting later, and teammates leaving for other appointments or not even showing up at all. With lowered moral and a more lax training regiment, high preformance was difficult to maintain.

“To get through the season, instead of thinking about the people we were upset with, we just had to get through it by working harder,” Jenkins said. “It’s a really great group of kids. We play much better as a team, when everyone gets along.”

Photo: O. Wilson

Jenn Rose ‘16 goes for the point against Benzie’s girls basketball team.

Sports

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Conference: 1st Districts: NA Regionals: NA States: NA

7

Hockey

Record: 13-12-1 Photo: coutesy of M. Drilling

Wrestling

Conference: NA Regionals: NA Districts: NA States: NA

Back: Coach Donald Funk, D. Mattenson ‘16, O. Doud ‘18, E. Calvert ‘17, L. McArthur ‘16 J. Steelman ‘16, A. Peterson ‘18. Middle: C. Hooper ‘19, C. Myers ‘19, J. Simmons ‘19, N. Tripp ‘16, J. Westenbarger ‘16, A. Schaub ‘16, Assistant Coach William Irish. Front: C. Case ‘16, G. Gray ‘18, B. Soloman ‘17, D. Perry, ‘18, J. Matteson ‘18, C. Hooper ‘17, K. peckstein ‘17.

“Wrestling can be such a mental sport, because you have to go a full six minutes one on one with someone else and there’s really no one else to save you except yourself, so you have to be confident in yourself.”- Lee McArthur

Conference: 3rd Districts: 1st Regionals: 9th

“What I like the most about hockey is probably the road trips, they are really fun and just being with your friends while playing a sport that you like.” - Grant Lesoski ‘17

Basketball

Bowling

Conference: 1st Districts: NA Regionals: NA States: NA Record: 13-8

States: NA

Photo: J. Bourdages

“I like bowling I’m pretty good at it and because my whole family has done it for quite a long time.”- Lindsey Mosley 17’

Back: Dr. Michael Peters, M. Ferraro ‘18, K. Knowles ‘18, S. Klavon ‘17, J. Michno ‘18, Assistant Coach Scott Harvey, Assistant Coach Bob Fernandez. Middle: Coach Ben Berger, O. Porter ‘17, J. Blesh ‘18, M. Blackhurst ‘17, G. Lesoski ‘17, A. Froese ‘16, P. Hebden ‘16, J. Olsen ‘19, N. Davies ‘17, Head Coach Chris Givens. Front: J. Boyce ‘17, S. Brons-Piche ‘18, N. Kendra ‘18, M. Fink ‘16, J. Stevenson ‘16, W. Beattie ‘17, J. Bonifacio ‘17, J. Tolfree ‘17.

Back: Coach Sharon Vreeland, M. Hanbury ‘18, J. Bourdages ‘16, N. Aulicino ‘16, A. Shultz ‘19, G. Rathjens ‘18, H. Eschelmen ‘16, Coach Mike Hanbury, Coach Jim Orr. Middle: Coach Debby Eschelmen, A. Caldwell ‘18, W. Streadwick ‘16, M. Barber ‘17, K. Weber ‘12, T. Moreno ‘17, E. Holmes ‘16.

Front: R. Justin ‘19, A. Lesarge ‘17, B. Davis ‘16, A. Eckhoff ‘17, L. Mosley ‘17, B. Corso ‘17.

Back: M. Dupuie ‘17, A. Green ‘16, S. Herbers ‘17, A. Bohn ‘18, H. Hill ‘16, S. Fraser ‘16, C. Burns ‘1. Middle: M. Woughter ‘18, J. Rose ‘16, E. Jenkins ‘16. Front: J. Brumfield ‘18, J. Mckenzie ‘17, S. Mahon ‘17, G. Simon ‘18, M. Drake ‘17.

Cross Country Skiing

Conference: NA Districts: NA Regionals: NA Boys : States: 3rd Girls: States: 1st

Back: A. Stiebel ‘16, M. Fouch ‘18, K. Mortensen-Chown ‘18, W. Chown ‘16, E. Smith’18, I. Coulter ‘18, K. Peregrine ‘16, J. Cooney ‘16, C. Myers ‘17, Coach John Kostrzewa. Middle: B. Payette ‘18, A. Jean ‘19, M. Lyon ‘18, D. Pflughoeft ‘17, M. Lance ‘16, N. Napolitano ‘19. Front: J. Myers ‘19, L. Gerstle ‘18, N. Roxbury ‘16, A. Simpson ‘18, M. Campbell ‘18.

Downhill Skiing

“The team has a lot of great people on it so there’s always someone to talk to and it’s also really nice to have people you can talk with about classes.

It’s nice because whenever you’re stressed out, there’s always someone who is stressedout too so you can just share that time” -Jack Cooney ‘16

Photo: A. Stiebel Photo: O. Wilson

‘There were a lot of ups and downs to our season but overall I am really proud of how our team worked together to win a BNC title.” -Jenn Rose ‘16 Photo: A. Stiebel

Girls: Conference: 2nd Boys: Districts: NA Conference: 2nd Regionals: 2nd

Regionals: 2nd Districts: NA States: 2nd States: 3rd

Back: L. Davis ‘19, M. Fiegel ‘18, C. Wright ‘19, J. Socks ‘18. Middle: Coach Nick Stanek, J. Rossan ‘19, W. Kunz ‘18, M. Ranger ‘18, J. Ritzer ‘19, J. Aulicino ‘18, E. Green ‘19, W. Fraser ‘18, Coach Sue Miller. Front: T. Tompkins ‘19, L. Hornburg ‘16, P. Galante ‘16, L. Smith ‘17, B. Wells ‘16, T. Sepanik ‘17.

“I really like the ski team because for one, it is a sport that I have done since I like was three and it’s also a fun environment.

We have a good team push each other to be better and to just have a good time.”-Brendan Wells 16’

Photo: courtesy of B. Collins

Conference: 2nd Districts: NA Regionals: NA States: NA Record: 13-5

Back: H. Klein ‘16, B. Collins ‘17. Middle: Coach Sue Miller, B. Versluis ‘17, H. Kempf ‘19, K. Fenton ‘18, M. Dutmers ‘17, E. Hall ‘17, Coach Nick Stanek.

Front: K. Polk ‘19, E. Dutmers ‘19, T. Seward ‘19, M. Zimmerman ‘17.

Coach Tyler Schell, Coach Jeff Turner, D. Walker ‘17, J. Ruckle ‘17, N. Norton ‘17, T. Schwannecke ‘19, A. Ricardo ‘17, S. Carlson ‘17, J. Schrameyer ‘16, J. Brumfield ‘17, T. Solberg ‘17, A. Javed ‘16, Z. Turner ‘18, M. Houstonn ‘16, Coach Tom Cooper, Coach Dan McGee, Z. Armstrong ‘18.

Photo: O. Wilson

We have a team meal every home game and an end of year banquet. It gives us a family setting and brings us closer as brothers.” -Jackson Schrameyer ‘16

8 Ads

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Ads

9

A&E 10 Expressing themselves through painting Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Students share the inspiration and motivation behind their work

“Painting has helped shape me as a person and kept me out of trouble. There are other things I could be doing that are much worse, so painting is a good outlet for my emotions that will help my life, not hurt it.”

“My dad was a painter and I want to make him proud. Another thing that inspires me is being able to create something that causes a reaction in people, no matter if the reaction is good or bad.”

Margo Hoagg ‘16 Rainbow Flow

Lucas LaBonte ‘18 Table

“I like to paint because I enjoy experimenting with things as I go along and having to challenge myself when they don’t go as planned. My mom was an art teacher, and we’ve talked about illustrating a children’s book together soon.”

“I enjoy painting because you can make art by mixing colors instead of just drawing on a piece of paper, and it is a good way to release energy. My grandfather used to paint portraits of my grandma, which influenced me to take up painting myself.”

ics: H. Lan All Graph

l

d A. Stiebe

Banding together for the win

Conlon an

cashire

Katie Wozniak ‘17 Electric Pandas

Photos: J.

Emir Rahman ‘16 Fire and Water

Photo: courtesy of D. Hester

For the first time, Central’s Black Jazz Band wins second place for Top Overall Group at Central Michigan University’s Jazz Festival Among the thousand students seated in the auditorium at Central Michigan University, the Staff Reporter CHS Black Jazz Band members wait with bated breath, eyes fixated on the stage in front of them.

As award after award is called, generating waves of explosive applause, the anticipation builds for the Black Jazz Band members. Finally, their division is called, and disbelief washes over the group as the band places second for Top Overall Group.

“Winning something gives the members a lot more pride,” Band Director David Hester said. “You are more willing to be proud of what you do, and you hold your head a little higher when you can say you are a part of that group.”

Hester and Black Jazz Band members attended the Jazz Festival at Central Michigan University on March 5, which involves both

Andrea Bavikatty

Photo: courtesy of D. Hester

The CHS Black Jazz Band’s Second Place Overall Group trophy shortly after the award ceremony. “Awards are fun because the CMU Jazz Band plays, and that’s always cool,” Black Jazz Band Member Michael Robens ‘16 said. “There’s also a guest musician that comes in and plays with the group. The bass player is a lot of fun because he moves around the audience a lot.”

preparing pieces to play for judges as well as a sight reading section. Based on their performance, the bands are scored and compared against others in categories such as best soloist, section, and overall group. Although the Jazz Band at CHS has won some of these smaller awards, placing for best overall group was a first.

“Knowing our ensemble is one of the top in the state feels weird because you get used to how your ensemble plays and you think of it as the norm,” Black Jazz Band Member Michael Robens ‘16 said. “You always expect there to be a lot of other bands that are better, so you take your band’s skill for granted.”

The Black Jazz Band’s increase in strength and caliber is due to the division of the Jazz Band’s program into two parts, the Black and Gold Jazz bands. Similar to the idea of junior varsity and varsity sports teams, students start out in the Gold Jazz band, allowing them to refine and develop their skills before they advance to the Black Jazz Band. This system ensures that the Black Jazz Band members will have already developed the stylistic techniques and abilities necessary for a high-level group capable of producing the best music possible.

“Any group at these competitions can play all the notes and rhythms,” Hester said. “What separates us from an average band is our attention to detail. We’re the group that executes their music at a higher level, paying attention to the smallest details that are articulating every note, as well as listening to everybody in the group.”

Hester credits this year’s success in competition to the increased camaraderie of the band and their focus on more artistic elements and closer attention to detail in the music.

“We’ve always had fantastic musicians, but this year’s group has clicked well as a team,” Hester said. “The big picture has always been there, now it’s refining and being really astute to all of those minute things. For us, no detail is too small to pay attention to, which helped us score as high as we did.”

An accolade as prestigious as this second place award will bring not only pride and increased attention and awareness to the band department, but also the victory may have the potential to result in increased funding and support from the TCAPS Board.

“I believe that placing at an event like this helps out with fund-

The band poses before their performance at CMU’s Jazz Festival.

“We usually go every year, and it’s like playing the lottery: we don’t really expect to win,” Band Director David Hester said. “However, we have a very strong band program this year, and this is actually the strongest our jazz band has ever been. Having been recognized for that achievement is pretty awesome.”

ing and helps the administration to look at the music program at the same level that they do with sports,” Robens said. “You can learn the same things in music as you could learn with sports, like responsibility and teamwork.”

Following the victory, Hester has received emails and Facebook messages from parents and CHS Alumni congratulating the group, and has also been recognized at events by other band directors.

“It’s really nice to be recognized for our achievements, and it’s also cool that there’s still a little bit of buzz out about it in the band world right now,” Hester said. “Everyone knows that most schools have a band program, but when you do well at a competitions like this, the word spreads, and that’s pretty neat.”

Every new school year brings a new dynamic, and many hours of practicing Monday, Wednesday, and every other Friday before school. Combined, the long hours of practice along with a strong natural camaraderie pays off during competitions.

“At the beginning of the year, everybody doesn’t communicate musically, but when people have a goal like Jazz Festival, it makes them focus more,” Robens said. “ This year, it was really fun to be in the ensemble. Every person was committed, so we got a really good sound while performing.”

Focus

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

11

Spring into Spring!

Page credit: B. Pataky, J. Myers

Central students share their favorite spring spots

Graphic: courtesy of H. Lancashire

Graphic: H. Lancashire

123 4 5

Darling Botanicals

TART Trail

Hammocking

Skate Park

Pelizzari Hiking

“When I walk into Darling Botanicals, I see green everywhere. It smells like a walk in the woods in the springtime, after all the snow has melted. I can’t have a garden at home, so it’s nice to be able to design and make my own terrarium that I can keep in my house.

They have seasonal flower options, and the spring ones are best because they are so fresh smelling. They have gems, beads, herbs and moss everywhere to put in your terrarium. I love the earthy feel of the place, especially in the spring when everything smells so good.”

“I live in the woods out by Acme and if I want to go downtown I have to ride my bike. I use the TART trail to get into town from my house, because I don’t have a car. To get downtown I have to go down Bunker Hill, and that part is really hilly, with woods all around it. Once I am at the bottom of Bunker Hill it is pretty much flat the whole way. After Bunker Hill, you cross the train tracks and come into town, and buildings start popping up once in awhile. I’m not that fast and I don’t participate in races, I like to just ride my bike for fun.”

-Isaac Coulter ‘18

“Hammocking is when someone goes and sets up a hammock, usually an Eno hammock, between two trees.

These hammocks fold up so you can take them anywhere really easily and they are really easy to set up. Nothing needs to be nailed into a tree. I first got into hammocking two summers ago. I noticed people getting Eno hammocks and I bought one. They’re good for being outside, but being lazy at the same time. My favorite place to hammock is in the woods at a secret place on the peninsula, but I also go to places like Clinch Park.”

“I really like going to the skate park to scooter with all of my friends. It is more fun to hangout with a large group of people there. The skate park is a big concrete bowl with different rails and jumps. I first started going to the skate park when I was eight years old, and I have been going there ever since. It’s like a habit to go there.

I really feel happy when I am there because scootering is something I love to do. While I don’t have any favorite memories from there, I have gotten hurt there. It was a bloody mess. Regardless, I still continue to go there.”

“I remember going to the Pelizzari a few times when I was a kid. We would bring our homemade telescope to try to see the moon. It wasn’t very fancy, and it was pretty bulky. It is really close to my house and I can walk to it. I definitely enjoy being outside and in the woods, and I know that it is close by and easy to get to. It is a nice resource to have. Nothing by my house is near as big as the hiking trails at the Pelizzari. Some hiking trails around town are dirty but the ones on the peninsula are less travelled, so they are cleaner and nicer.”

-Tiffany Menchaca ‘16

-Emily Ligget ‘17

-Alex Canute ‘19

-Zander Lensch ‘17

The Leprechaun Run CHS spring Fashion

Gracie Failor ‘17 finishes the Leprechaun Run with friend Stephanie Huff ‘17, while holding hands. “The Leprechaun Run was fun,” Gracie said. “We decided to run this race because it was our last race before Track season. It was so fun.”

“Spring is great because I like not having snow. I don’t like being insanely hot, so in the spring, I wear more shorts and t-shirts.

I would describe my fashion in the spring as looking kind of like a skater because that is what I spend most of my time doing. I really like my maroon Converse that I got at a Converse store in San Francisco.”

-Brady Schuh ‘19

“I like when the weather starts to warm up because I love the smell of blossoming trees and flowers. In the spring, I tend to wear more colors and a lot more white. Of course I also break out my Birkenstocks. I have a pair with black straps. They are my favorite shoes. They are so comfortable and I can wear them with almost anything.”

Graphic: H. Lancashire

The three friends have kept up running during the winter months. Though the cross country season is over, the group trains and stays in shape. These winter exercises help them to be prepared for track and field season, which began March 14.

“We haven’t really been training for this race, but we have been running to prepare for cross country and track season,” Keyser said. “I felt ready and prepared for the Leprechaun Run.” The three friends enjoy running, but in their own unique ways. Sometimes running can be painful or just a great way to calm down. Running in this 5k was a more relaxed and enjoyable race than what they’re used to.

“We kept a pretty even pace throughout the whole race. It was just for fun, I wasn’t breathing heavy because it was our last race before track starts,” McAuliffe said. “We wanted to have fun and not race it.”

Keyser and McAuliffe started running in elementary school, although Truszkowski did not.

She started running more recently.

“I first got into running my freshmen year, I did winter training with the girls because I was still doing volleyball, so I couldn’t run cross country or anything,” Truszkowski said. “I ended up really liking running, so my sophomore year I joined cross country and track.”

Photo: A. Steibel This Leprechaun Run will not be last for the group. This year’s race had 922 runners, but they would like to see more people from school get involved.

“We have done the race for the past two years, and will do it next year,” Keyser said. “Though there were a lot more people last year, it was still fun to do.”

Next year, the three plan to do more with the race and have fun in terms of dressing up for the race.

“We want to get green tutus next year, and get buckets of green glitter and throw it in the air and at other people,” Truszkowski said. “Next year we are going to go at it harder in terms of Photo: A. Steibel costumes.”

Graphic: B. Pataky

Saturday March 12, people gathered downtown for the annual Leapin’ Leprechaun Run. Some competitors were more serious about the race and planned to run their best, while others planned to have fun with the event. Standing on the line, runners Shaylee McAuliffe, Brooke Truszkowski, and Grace Keyser all ‘17, began to get ready for their race.

“Some people were warming up and others were goofing around, getting their green gear on,” McAuliffe said. “Everyone seemed pretty excited to be there.”

The girls painted themselves green for the event, almost causing complications before the start of the run.

“We got there kind of late because we spent too much time painting ourselves,” Keyser said. “We only had the chance to jog a little before the race as a warm up.”

Changing spring wardrobes

-Stevie Herbers ‘17

Graphic: B. Pataky

Runners battle for pot of gold

“I like spring because it’s not too hot and it’s not too cold, it is just about perfect. In the morning, when I decide what to wear, I think about what I’m doing that day and how the weather is going to be throughout the day. I really like to wear my plain black t-shirt, especially in the spring. It’s really comfortable and I can wear it with anything.”

-Lexi Akey ‘18

12 IntroSpec

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 18, 2016

Migrant Workers

All graphics: H. Lancashire

Introspec editors explain the role of migrant workers, both documented and undocumented, in the farming community throughout Northern Michigan and the country Taylor Weckstein

IntroSpec Editor

After hours of meandering through the maze of fruit bushes, my friends and I decided it was time to pay for the contents of our brimming buckets. We had eaten a few too many “samples” and ingested more pesticides than anyone should, but all in all it had been a wonderful, carefree, summer day. Until, I struck up a conversation with the owner, and my U-pick fruit outing turned suddenly into something much more consequential.

During my chat the owner explained to me that with no one to regulate the working conditions of undocumented migrants, they can be paid far below minimum wage. For this reason, he continued, undocumented migrant workers are an important asset to his frugally operated farm. After a few derogatory comments and some hearty chuckling, I had had enough.

The thing is, it’s not the fact that the workers were paid below minimum wage that really got to me. I certainly believe a hard day’s work should be compensated with enough money to put food on the table. However, given the fact that minimum wage in Mexico is $4.19 per hour according to Reuters News, the seemingly dismal wages provided in Northern Michigan are likely higher than wages for comparable work across the border. So yes, I do think wages should be higher, but my primary concern was the owner’s general attitude of superiority over the migrant workers.

Unfortunately, after speaking with Gladys Muñoz, a leader of the Justice and Peace Advocacy Center- a nonprofit that assists peaceful undocumented immigrants in Northern Michigan, I realized this situation was not isolated to a single farm. Although this phenomenon certainly does not occur everywhere, it is a major problem in our community. Northern Michigan, an area that heavily depends on farming for economic well being, also depends on migrant workers who are often functioning under inadequate working conditions.

Have you ever seen that bumper sticker that says no farms, no food? Well, it appears to me the sticker could easily be changed to no migrant workers, no farms.

Yes, the immigration system is likely broken and needs to be reformed. If it weren’t, undocumented immigrants would not be able to enter the US in large masses; but more importantly, if it weren’t broken the path to citizenship would be more accessible to those from all economic and ethnic backgrounds. Undocumented migrant workers are rarely “bad people” trying to “cheat the system,” and the jobs they are working aren’t very desirable anyway: working on a farm is a strenuous, backbreaking task that provides little stability as its seasonal. More often than not, migrant workers are just trying their best to provide opportunities for their families. And what constitutes the “American Dream” more than that? Political reform is arduous, messy, and could take years.

All human beings deserve respect and dignity, including migrant workers - documented or otherwise. Besides acting as an economic backbone to the Northern Michigan farming industry, migrant workers also enhance the vibrancy of our community. Xenophobic sentiment accomplishes nothing but fueling a cycle of hate. Migrant workers are here, and and by most indicators won’t be leaving anytime soon. So rather than ostracizing let’s accommodate, rather than casting out let’s accept. We can be proud patriots while also being proud citizens of the world. As Pope Francis eloquently stated, we must build “bridges” not “walls.” For there is nothing more inspiring than the power of tolerance to foster harmony in the world.

Comspec Wayne Dziekan Guest Writer

You have heard it many times referring to undocumented persons, “Let them pay a fine and get to the end of the line!”

The truth is, there is no line. For the vast majority of persons in the U.S. without proper documents, there is no legal path open to them to get papers. If there were, most would be willing to do whatever it would take, within reason.

The U.S. Immigration System is completely broken. Laws that were created decades ago to address specific economic/historical needs are still haphazardly on the books. Immigration quotas for each foreign country are way out of whack with current population numbers and with the economic realities of globalization.

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

Abbie Crick

IntroSpec Editor

Current Events

The work that migrant workers do is pretty rough stuff. It isn’t glamorous, it isn’t always well paying and there is a total lack of stability in seasonal work.

Jobs for migrant workers traditionally include grounds keeping and landscaping, agricultural work and, especially in Northern Michigan, catering to tourists industries. Those jobs can entail waking up at two in the morning to hand roll the grass on putting greens or hauling mulch, working till ten at night to harvest food products and cleaning hotel bathrooms, among other unfavorable job descriptions. Which begs the question: why does there seem to be such local uproar about migrants working in Traverse City and the surrounding areas?

Local outcry about migrant workers can be placed in two categories: outcry about migrant workers “stealing” jobs and, on the opposite side of the spectrum, outcry that migrant workers aren’t treated fairly by farmers that employ them.

Last summer many locals protested the arrival of migrant workers in Northern Michigan, claiming they were stealing community jobs. Lack of local interest in the jobs migrant workers fill makes them a necessity. In an interview with the Glen Arbor Sun, local farmer Don Gregory commented, “We run ads in the paper for seasonal work, but we don’t get any help.

That’s why we need migrant labor.”

Turtle Creek Casino and the Grand Traverse Resort had similar community outcry when they brought in teams of migrant workers to help with the summer tourism boom, despite having already offered the jobs to the community and having received little interest.

As local, multi-generational farmer Heather Johnson-Reamer says, “Most migrant workers return season after season and have become part of our community, part of our families.”

Johnson-Reamer recalls growing up with many of the migrant workers that still work her family farm today, “Our foreman has been with my family for 30 years. I grew up with him and now my children have grown up with his.”

Which leads to the second source of outcry, fear that migrant workers are treated unfairly by local farmers. It is important to make a distinction between legal migrant workers and illegal immigrants working in migratory patterns. Migrant workers and their living conditions are heavily regulated by the government. The U.S. Department of Labor has several stipulations about migrant work, many states require farms to provide housing (which is regularly checked and regulated) and workers must be paid minimum wage, meaning local migrant workers are paid at least $8.5o an hour.

“Beyond the regulations, which are rigorous and these workers being a part of our family, we have to provide good housing, pay and overall experience to get dependable, good workers. If we have bad housing, if we pay badly, we get bad workers. There is definitely incentive to treat these workers well,” comments Johnson-Reamer. “We cannot farm without labor, whether migrant or local. Of course we are going to treat them well, we need them.”

Illegal immigrants do not have these protection and can be much more easily mistreated. Unfortunately there is no way for the government to protect these immigrants and they can be taken advantage of, but it is important to make a distinction between these workers and ones who are legally employed doing seasonal migratory work.

Migrant workers are necessary to Traverse City industry. They are the only viable way for farmers to get the necessary labor and for a small town to support a massive tourist boom. So instead of chastising workers who make our economy viable, let’s embrace them for the good they bring to our community.

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. Wayne Dziekan, writes on behalf of the community - Comspec.

And finally we choose two countires and cover how they view and deal with the issue - Globspec Rev. Wayne Dziekan is a Catholic priest, the Director of the Secretariat for Justice and Peace for the Diocese of Gaylord, MI, and a co-founder of the Justice and Peace Advocacy Center (JPAC), a Traverse City 501c3. His work largely focuses on the immigrant population of Northern Michigan

Current laws grossly favor the wealthy and the educated, commonly ignoring any poor (like the majority of the people of Mexico) making it impossible for them to enter the U.S. legally.

For those who do have a legal path open, the process can take as long as 30 years with many bumps and endangering/expensive complications along the way. All of this flies in the face of what it says on the base of the Statue of Liberty!

“The Problem” is economic, social, and global in scope. “The Solution” is not a wall, nor mass deportations, nor imprisonment, but Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Such reform would need to address so-called Free Trade Treaties, the illegal drug market in the

U.S., global economic realities, the right of persons to migrate, the security of nations, the integrity of the Family, the Rights and Dignity of the Human person, and more.

Can it be done? Yes! We have come close more than once. But it requires politicians and voters dedicated to the Common Good rather than to political ideologies. Clearly we have to keep hoping/praying/working to make it happen! Below is a link to one summary of what Comprehensive Immigration Reform would ideally include: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/bishopscall.shtml

Zika Virus

47% of polled TCCHS students knew about the Zika Virus outbreak that affected countless people in predominantly South and Latin American regions. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common symptoms of Zika include a fever, a rash, joint pain and red eyes.

The virus is commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito.

Women who become infected with the virus are at risk having children with birth defects, including Microcephaly- a disease in which the brain does not fully develop.

Zika

Students were relatively uninformed about the Zika virus.

Head in the ground.

Bernie

Students were relatively informed about the democratic candidate who won the Michigan primary.

Head above ground.

Feeling the Bern Of polled TCCHS students, 83% knew which democrat won the primary race in Michigan.

Bernie Sanders won 67 delegates with 49.8% of the vote, while Hillary Clinton came in a close second, with 60 delegates and 48.3% of the vote.

Globspec

We chose Greece and Mexico to show global variations in migration policy

Greece Due to violence and turmoil pervasive throughout Syria many have fled in search of refuge, often illegally. For many migrants the first stop on their quest for a better, safer existence is Greece. According to BBC World news, thousands of refugees are stuck in Greece as an increasing number of countries in the European Union restrict the number of migrants they allow into their country.

Athens is struggling under the pressure of holding countless asylum seekers, and migrants have begun to peacefully protest their inhumane living conditions and inability to move elsewhere.

Mexico

Mexico is an interesting country to observe migration trends in, since more people migrate away from Mexico than immigrate every year. According to the Migration Policy Institute, Mexico has -1.64 migrants per 1,000 people. That means that for every 1,000 Mexican citizens the number of people who leave the country will outnumber the people who immigrate to Mexico. Meaning for every 1,000 citizens, the number that leave is nearly two more than those who come. That’s pretty significant when you take into account Mexico has nearly 122.3 million citizens, so Mexico loses on average 244,600 citizens to other countries every year.