Black & Gold Quarterly - November 2016

BGQ

BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY

november 2016//volume ninety-six

From the editors Time and change: two constants in the human experience. Last June, as the 2015-16 school year came to an end, we felt as if our publication, the Black & Gold, had become a bit dated and out of sync with Central High School’s student body. The remaining members of the Black & Gold Staff discussed how to push the newspaper in a new direction. As it turned out, that new direction was pretty drastic. In your hands, you hold the results of that discussion.

2016 marks tremendous change, whether we’re talking about wide-scale changes like the presidential election or more local changes within our school community. Similarly, the first few months of the 2016-17 school year have been full of change. This year marks the first year in TCAPS history, dating back to 1884, that a woman has held the lead principal position. We see this as extremely significant – it marks a long overdue change in the face of leadership of our school system and community at large. Alongside Principal Jessie Houghton, our country may also elect its first-ever female president. Whether we’re talking about a president or a principal, having a woman in such leadership positions is a very encouraging sign for today’s society, as well as the future generation that our student body represents. As the second term of the first African American President comes to a close, it is encouraging that we will be transitioning into a time in which women have more power than ever.

With all of these changes and transitions emerging, we thought this would be an excellent time to release our newest change at Central – the Black & Gold Quarterly, or what we refer to as BGQ. In this hot-off-thepress magazine, you will find everything from election to equestrian coverage. The tables are turning, and we couldn’t be more excited to release this first edition of the BGQ, and say a fond farewell to the Black & Gold newspaper.

We endeavor to make our mark as we watch history unfold in the remaining months of 2016 and get ready

BGQ // November 2016

to dive headlong into 2017. Let us embrace the changes together, open the door to new ideas and new pur-

2

suits, and let life take its course. Long live the BGQ. From the Pub,

BGQ

BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY:NOVEMBER TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

4

“The times, they are a-changin’” 7 An election like no other 8 Republicans and Democrats and gridlock, oh my...

10 The traveling sisterhood 12 Standing strong 14 Beauty and the Beast 18 Goal! Everthing you need to know about FIFA 17 19 Cutting the slack 20 Rally & ride Send information, advertising and other inquiries to: Black & Gold Quarterly Central High School 1150 Milliken Drive Traverse City, MI 49686 Phone: (231) 933-3546 Email: filkinsji@tcaps.net

editors-in-chief julia vannatter andrea bavikatty content editors kirsten berkey abigail harnish kristin mclintock jack myers hayley scollard baille zipser business manager madi partak photography editor olivia wilson photographers abigail vannatter molly tank staff writers sophia boyce logan cook greg haggerty olan lensch tyler moreno olivia rockwood molly tank abigail vannatter cameron wuerfel special thanks sarah gray jordan lamaide pat rutt elena sneed cover photo olivia wilson

“THE TIMES,

THEY ARE

A-CHANGIN’”

According to British philosopher, Alan Watts, “The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” This year, Central High School joins the dance, welcoming the first female head principle in its history along with new administrators, new staff, and new students. The new leadership is transforming the school’s culture, it could even be called a paradigm shift. Moving with these changes has proven difficult, worthwhile, and refreshing to students and staff alike. Here we take a closer look at the adjustments and their role in reshaping life on Central’s campus.

KRISTIN MCLINTOCK

-bob dylan

C

BGQ // November 2016

N

4

ew head principal Jessie Houghton marks Central’s first female Head Principal. The appointment is one that has had far-reaching effects on how the school is run.

“My goal is not only for our school to be a leader in the area, but for us to be the best Central possible,” Houghton said.

As notorious as they may be, the tricks and trades of past alumni are vanishing in the culture created by the new administration. Houghton has taken away many of the loopholes previously used by past students and instead replaced them with initiatives towards safety and security. This outlook is all crafted towards a sharpened student experience, one that will prepare students for their future.

“My goal is that when every kid walks across the stage to graduate, they are prepared to go on to the next stage of their life, whether that be a university or a community college or right into the workforce,” Houghton said. “It’s important that students feel like they have developed the skills to be successful to communicate with people, to have work ethic, to set goals, to be responsible, and that they have been given opportunities to practice that.”

As the year progresses and students see these changes becoming increasingly prevalent in their school days, the student body will become more and more accepting of them. Just like an often misheard and misquoted lyric from the late, great David Bowie’s song “Changes,” in which he intended the word ‘strain’ but was often heard as ‘strange’ or ‘change,’ it is hard to tell what shape change will take or how it will be received. Regardless, it is time for Central to face the change.

HS experienced an increased security presence with the addition of Willie Livingston, a new security guard on campus appointed by Principal Houghton. Despite the sharp increase in security and enforcement of new policies, interacting with students has not proven to be a difficult task for Livingston.

“I thought it would be more difficult to get to know people, but my attitude is just different, so I am able meet people easily.”

Livingston, who previously worked at East Middle School as a student teacher, is enjoying the high school setting, a new element for him.

“I remember faces really well, so when I see them, I feel like I can just talk to people here,” Livingston said. “ I think in middle school, a lot of the kids that I talk to now didn’t talk, so you never knew if they liked you or not. Those students are more mature now, and so I can have more mature conversations because they’ve grown up so much.”

The responsibilities associated with Livingston’s job mean increased interactions with students.

“My interactions with students is the best part, and seeing people that were frowning before I talked to them and have them smile a little bit,” Livingston said. “I think that’s the coolest part because I hate to see people look sad, you know, that bothers me.”

It is clear the new addition to Central’s staff has had a positive aspect on the school.

“My role is to just make sure everybody’s safe,” Livingston said. “That’s it. I want students to be safe and to be comfortable.”

T

he new school year marks the start of stronger enforcement of online classes at Central High School. Rules that have been lingering for countless years prior are now in the forefront of faculty and students mindsets. For instance, online students are now faced with the prospect of being dropped from classes if they do not sign in everyday and check in weekly. The much-too-common last minute frenzy of online classes being completed in one or two days before the deadline is, hopefully, a thing of the past.

“You have to be really motivated to put in the time and make the progress that you need to make, and students need to advocate for themselves if they are having trouble,” Kerrey Woughter, head of online classes at Central, said.

The LMC is the new hub for all online classes this year. Other major changes are the stricter consequences if a student falls behind or does not sign in daily. Failure to accomplish both tasks will result in a dropped class and the inability to take online classes in the future. The effects of theses changes go beyond the student body and extend to the staff and even the services offered to all students. “I feel like the library services have been compromised significantly because of the online assignment,” Woughter said. “There’s a lot to consider in terms of where it online program should really fall, who’s in charge of it in the school setting, and whether or not there’s a way to manage it so that the library does not suffer at the expense of the online program flourishing. It’s been a challenge figuring out how to do them both well.”

Despite the hardships, the goal of tightening the reins on online students have proven worthwhile. “I think having a place and a person for the online students to go to is going to make a huge difference,” Woughter said. “Our completion and success rates are going to go through the roof this year.”//

Photos: O. Wilson and A. Vannatter

BGQ // November 2016

S

tudents met change the moment they pulled into the parking lot on the first day of the school year. Parking passes is one policy that have been under scrutiny since the start of the latest school year. Mandatory parking passes proved hard to get used to for a majority of students.

“I find the system extremely frustrating,” Erynn Adle ‘17 said. “After complying with the rules and purchasing a parking pass, I had to wait in line to get into the school parking lot, which often made me late for class. This also happened at lunch when we had to wait in line to get our cars looked at in the hopes they would find underclassman in the back.”

Open campus lunch Cental sent it’s underclassmen running away from the great escape of off campus lunch with daily ID checks at the gates, and scared off the previous non-believers in parking passes through excessive stickering and threat of towing, not to mention the car by car surveillance checks in the morning.

“Underclassmen haven’t earned the right to leave campus yet because they haven’t matured as much, and they’re not as capable of being responsible,” Houghton said. “I know they do still leave sometimes, but ultimately, our goal is to protect those rights for upperclassman and to help ensure that they’re still there when those younger kids get to be upperclassmen.”

5

AN ELECTION like NO OTHER

What sets this election apart from any other in history, and the dawn of heavy impact from social media on voters

SOPHIA BOYCE

E

choose between the two candidates. A few weeks ago, The Washington Post interviewed over 70 millennials, and most said they’re ashamed that Trump and Clinton are the best the US has to offer. They also feel that no matter who wins, neither Clinton or Trump will address their concerns or impact American citizens’ lives. Along with being ashamed came the feeling that this election is a joke.

One interviewee on The Washington Post said, “This is a lesser of twoevils vote. We’ll be a laughingstock if Trump becomes President. With Hillary, we’ll stomach it for four or eight years and live through it.”

The times are changing, and the millennials are the next group to take part in the government. According to whitehouse.gov, the millennials are the most diverse and educated generation in the U.S. population. Their political views are very liberal compared to every age group before them. The majority of people want change in Washington, but the millennials feel that with these candidates, Washington will backtrack instead of moving forward.//

BGQ // November 2016

lection day is near and there are many clashing opinions on who will triumph. Regardless of each voter’s personal viewpoint of the candidates, this election is certainly different from those in the past.

A substantial influence on the 2016 Presidential election has been social media. According to govtech.com, in January, 44 percent of American adults had learned about the election from social media. In addition, 24 percent said they turned to Donald Trump’s or Hillary Clinton’s social media for information on the candidates, and 15 percent said they sought information from their websites or email messages. In comparison, social media was a very small part of the 2012 election. Four years ago, Twitter had 185 million monthly users.

Twitter now has 385 million monthly users, which is more than double the amount from 2012. Similarly, Facebook has 1.6 billion monthly users, which is up 60 percent from 2012.

Both Trump and Clinton have a large following on social media, but Trump’s following is larger. On Twitter, Trump has 12,152,375 followers and has tweeted 33,436 times, while Clinton has 9,405,818 followers and has 8,732 tweets, according to the Wall Street Journal.

If the election had been just based on social media sensation, Trump would win by a landslide.

It’s typical for candidates to give each other bad press, but this year the candidates went further than just talking bad about one another. In Trump’s case, his tweets and sound bites have came back to bite him more than once. During the debates, Trump would say something that is or isn’t true, and news companies would find his older tweets where he said the complete opposite. An example of this would be recently when he denied sexually harassing and assaulting women, but later videos of him admitting it were released.

Social media isn’t just helping the candidates easily post about their campaign, it’s saving them a lot of money. According to opensecrets. org, in 2008 Clinton spent 233.2 million dollars. In 2016, she has only spent 61 million according to NBC news. Trump and Clinton can get their message out for free on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Although they can use social media, it doesn’t stop them from also buying television and paper ads. If Trump relied primarily on purchasing ads instead of using social media, he would be spending $380 million more according to govtech.com.

Candidates social media use isn’t just helping adults learn about their campaign, it’s helping the younger demographic and millennials as well. The millennial and teen age groups aren’t known for watching the news or reading the daily newspaper, they’re known for spending most of their time on their phones. Teens nowadays live in a digitally-run world, so most of their time is spent on social media alone according to cnn.com.

As published on nextgenclimate.org, this year, 55.3 million millennials were registered to vote, which made their vote as significant as the baby boomer vote. The millennial generation will have profound impact this election; their votes are going to make a huge difference.

Trump and Clinton weren’t going to reach them by just by the news, so they needed to get on social media. The candidates may have reached the millennials, although the millenials aren’t too excited to

7

Republicans and Democrat

With the consistent gridlock in Congress, political p as they should be in government. There are current college that prohibit a third party candidate from ev KIRSTEN BERKEY

M

any individuals are extremely dissatisfied with the current political conditions of the government in the United States.

In a December Wall Street Journal/ NBC News poll, 16 percent of those surveyed indicated that they had a lot of confidence and faith in the

individuals must declare their party stance prior to voting. This decreases voter turnout because the majority of Americans are moderate and there is a rising number of independent voters who don’t specifically identify with one party or another, according to Gallup polls. “The most politically polarized are more actively involved in politics, amplifying the voices that are the least willing to see the parties meet each other halfway,” according to Pew Research Center.

Candidates are being selected in primaries that don’t accurately represent the nation as a whole, and are more extreme to the left or the right.

For example, in September, there was a 76 percent disapproval rating for Congress according to Gallup polls. Congress has also passed the least amount of bills in the last 75 years. This lack of efficiency is a direct result of Congress members’ inability to compromise; individuals are less likely to meet in the middle on issues and satisfy both parties because of their stronger left or right opinions. In addition, parties also have negative connotations of each other as a whole. According to Pew Research Center, 43 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of Democrats have negative connotations with the opposing party. These negative viewpoints on each of the parties demonstrates how political parties are less likely to meet in the middle and be effective congressmen if politicians are dispelling an aura of “teams” in congress that have become incapable of coming to agreements.

“We’ve had a lot of people with very extreme views on either the left or the right being elected into office and not a lot of people with moderate views,” AP Government and Civics teacher Paige Paul said.

“Most Americans are moderate, and they aren’t seeing their views reflected in the government, and

“The U.S. would benefit from more ideas and more compromise.” federal government and institutions.

This number is extremely low, and it appears to be dropping as we move closer to the 2016 Presidential Election.

While examining this dissatisfaction, it could potentially stem back to issues with the current primary system. Iowa and New Hampshire go first in the primaries with little reason behind this. These two states don’t represent the nation as a whole because they have a population that is more white, rural and smaller than other states. These two primaries have impacts on other states’ primaries because voters in later states aren’t offered the same candidates as the early states. California, New Mexico and Indiana all vote fairly late in the primaries. Because of this, their votes are far less important than the votes from individuals in earlier states because the early voting states set the bar for the rest of the election. “Even if the results aren’t necessarily predictive of who ultimately gets the nomination, the two early states have an effect on the race disproportionate to their size or demographic makeup,” according to US News.

Caucuses are another issue facing our primaries today. Many states steer away from secret ballots and take the route of caucuses instead.

In early primary-voting states like Nevada and Iowa, caucuses impact the nomination race by attracting more extreme voters because Photo: courtesy of ibtimes.com

Photo: courtesy of euclidlibrary.org

ts and gridlock, oh my...

parties in the United States aren’t as effective issues within the primary system and electoral ver being a significant voice in Congress

that is a major reason for the dissatising to ushistory.com. One look at the faction in the government because that current political climate in America polarization leads to gridlock.” indicates Washington was correct.

For example, from October 1 to According to Gallup polls, “58 percent 16, 2013, there was a government of U.S. adults feel that a third U.S. shutdown. The House Republicans political party is needed because the had the intent to either defund, halt or Republican and Democratic parties limit Obamacare. On the other hand, ‘do such a poor job’ representing the Senate Democrats were very persistent American people.” The possibility of that Obamacare be funded, according a viable third party is supported by to CNN Politics. These very conflictthe fact that four in ten Americans ing viewpoints caused the legislative view the political parties positively, as process to freeze. The ensuing govpublished by Gallup’s polls. ernmental shutdown cost the federal Unfortunately, although Americans government billions of dollars, denied may feel frustrated at the lack of effeccitizens access to vital governmental tiveness at the current political parties, programs, had negative impacts on with the current electoral system emthe economy, and resulted in 850,000 ployed, it could be difficult to assemble federal employees being furloughed, a majority in states for a third party as stated by whitehouse.gov. across the U.S. The electoral system This gridlock amongst the parties favors a two-party system, so a third has caused individuals to potentially party option is virtually impossible to realign with a different party that fits form a majority in congress or to be their beliefs, or perhaps, cause indielected into the presidential office. viduals to seek alternative candidates “The electoral college is rigged who would not likely be considered against third parties,” Paul said. “This in previous elections. Donald Trump is a travesty for American democracy, is a prime example of this alternative and a third party can’t win the election candidate. He doesn’t embody qualiunder the electoral college system. It ties that most politicians possess. By his would take a major realignment for own campaign rhetoric and the voice enough people to shift to a third party. of many political pundits, Trump has It is a huge problem. Other democast himself as the voice of the people cratic nations that have a multi-party that have long been frustrated with the system do a better job of representing political system. the varied views of their citizenry. The “Trump’s nomination to the RepubU.S. would benefit from more ideas lican party stands for a huge portion and more compromise.” of the population that didn’t feel It would stand to reason that, if like political parties were speaking to enough citizens don’t feel properly them,” Paul said. “As a result of this election, “The electoral college is rigged we could see a party realignment. We have against third parties, which is a people shifting to a dif- travesty for American democracy.” ferent party that speaks more to their issues or going to new represented in the United States, a parties that are taking precedence.” change is imminent. Realignment or The idea of a third party is becomdealignment is on the horizon, and if ing more attractive to some Amerithis dissatisfaction and distaste with cans with the current distaste of the the current political parties grow, the political parties. Since the birth of the United States has the potential to see United States, political parties have some major changes in our primary had bad connotations. Even George process in the near future and the Washington advised against them, possibility for groundbreaking political stating “the baneful effects of the spirit reform.// of party” as inciting American citizens “with ill-founded jealousies,” accordPhoto: courtesy of thestar.com

The traveling sisterhood

This summer, Lena Gerstle ‘18 spent a month on the Appalachian Trail with her two sisters meeting people and making memories BAILLE ZIPSER

W

aking up with the sun rising on her face to sore muscles with the previous day’s adventures still replaying in her mind, Lena Gerstle ‘18 eats breakfast with her sisters and prepares for the day’s hike. “We went on the Appalachian Trail,” Gerstle said. “The three of us did little sections of Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire for a month over the summer.” Gerstle and her sisters wanted to take a trip to reconnect and create new memories, and hiking for a month with no electronics was the perfect solution. “I was a little apprehensive about being out of contact with everyone for so long,” Gerstle admitted.

“At first it was hard to get used to being without any technology, but I ended up really enjoying not having my phone with me the whole time. I eventually stopped thinking about it and I didn’t realize how often I used my phone until I didn’t have one.”

Aside from the unexpected joys of having no technology for a month, Gerstle was also surprised by how many people were on the trail and how many of them were friendly enough to stop and have a conversation. The trail has spots for hikers to set up camp and stay the night. Many campers are very willing to sit down and have dinner with a new face. This seems to be an essential part of the adventure.

“I really enjoyed meeting all the other hikers,” Gerstle said. “There were a ton of other people hiking on the trail and they were all super interesting. Not the average person that you would talk to in TC. One of the weirdest things that happened was we met a completely naked old man hiking on the trail.”

The sisters hiked all day long every day, carrying backpacks filled with supplies from food to sleeping bags, stopping about once a week to restock for the next week of travel. All of the towns along the trail are hiker friendly so the three had a place to shower and the opportu-

nity to stay in a hostile. “Where we were there were towns every 15, 20 or 50 miles depending on what state we were in,” Gerstle said.

“My sisters and I have been backpacking before, but this was our first time without our parents. We had to make sure we followed our schedule and it was important that we planned ahead and figured out when we would be getting to each town so we didn’t run out of supplies.”

When going on a month long wilderness trip like Gerstle and her sisters, it is important to have the proper supplies and clothing to keep comfortable and healthy. “Everything we brought was essential,” Gerstle said. “We didn’t pack anything that was unnecessary that would add extra weight. The most important thing to have is good hiking boots and a good backpack.”

Gerstle and her sisters often reflect back on their trip and look forward to taking another sister getaway. “The last three days we were hiking on really cool area of the white mountains in New Hampshire,” Gerstle said. “We were on the ridge called Franconia Ridge and you had to climb up to it, but then once we got to the top we were able to walk along the ridge line of mountains. You look down around you and all you saw was mountains. That was the coolest two miles I have ever done and the sight was breathtaking. To anyone who is considering doing a backpacking trip, my advice would be don’t wait for the perfect time and don’t worry about not being in good enough shape because anyone can do it. Be open to meeting new people and new experiences and don’t be afraid of going outside your comfort zone.”//

BGQ // November 2016

Photo: courtesy of L. Gerstle

10

Photos: courtesy of L. Gerstle

BGQ // November 2016

11

BGQ // November 2016

P

12

ercussionists slam their drums in a synchronized rhythm, cheerleaders anticipate their next moves, and the student section is about to explode into pandemonium. As the crisp autumn night surrounds them, the student section prepares to cheer. The students, clad in their black shirts and face paint, inhale with anticipation. The band pauses, the students exhale with a roaring cheer for the football team. As noise fills Thirlby Field, Central High School’s cheerleaders perform their stunts perfectly.

Cheerleading is recognized by some as a sport, while others argue against its athletic validity. Opponents to cheerleading being considered a sport may recognize cheerleaders as athletes, but believe there is no competition between cheer teams. Alyssa Roenigk, writer for ESPNW and former cheerleader, claims that there is not a need for competition with regards to cheerleading. She believes that the lack of focus on competition in cheerleading reaffirms its non-sport status, yet, she recognizes that cheerleading is physically and mentally demanding based on her own experience.

Proponents for the validity of cheerleading as a sport believe it should be valued in the same manner as football or basketball. The Michigan High School Athletic Association does not recognize sideline cheerleading as an official sport. However, Central’s Athletic Director Mark Mattson believes cheerleaders are athletes of a real sport. Regardless, there are differing views surrounding the recognition of cheerleading as a sport. “I think cheerleading is traditionally an ancillary type program, and it is still thought of as a club to support other teams,” Mattson said. “However, I firmly believe cheerleading is a sport because cheerleaders train and practice as hard as anyone else. The cheerleaders can earn varsity letters and they have to follow the same guidelines as other sports at Central. I think that the athletic programs that do not consider cheerleading to be a sport are behind the times.”

Lacking support from an official organization, the cheerleaders put themselves in front of a crowd that harbors various opinions towards the validity of cheerleading.

Some of the cheerleaders believe they face negative judgement when they are cheering.

However, they continue to cheer; cheerleading has become more than a sport to them— it is a family where trust and hard work are necessary. The cheerleaders forge onwards, and their passion is not stopped by others’ judgment. “I do cheerleading because I have always wanted to be on the cheer team, so it is important to me,” Sidra Smith ‘20 said. “I am not a cheerleader to impress other students.”

Despite the feelings of other students on and off of the sideline, the cheerleaders

Standing strong.

Despite facing minimal support from the school and student body, CHS cheerleaders continue to follow their passion and dedicate time and effort into their beloved sport JACK MYERS

Photos: O. Wilson

BGQ // November 2016

are often treated as less important in comparison to other sports teams. Sports that draw large crowds tend to be able to find places to practice when they are in need of a location, whereas cheerleaders are expected to sacrifice their practice time for the other teams. If cheerleading is indeed less valued than other sports, perhaps it is connected to its lack of validity as a sport here at Central. Even at sports games, the tradition of cheerleaders leading cheers has changed. Central’s student section has students that start cheers, instead of the cheerleaders leading. Central High School and other schools around the United States have slowly moved away from the tradition that gave cheerleaders more significance at sports events. With less emphasis on cheerleaders leading cheers, other students or student groups have emerged to set the school spirit and tone at events, which diverts attention away from the cheerleaders. “I think it is important to show appreciation towards cheerleaders because they need to be seen in a positive light,” Mattson said. “I would like to eliminate any negativity towards cheerleading. We do not view our band negatively, so I hope we would view all of our groups at Central positively. We love when the band is there, so we should be loving when the cheerleaders are there.”

The evolution of school spirit at school sporting events is obviously still changing. For now, it looks as though the cheerleaders and the student section have found a balance in the larger picture of school spirit.//

13

beauty

Photos: M. Tank, O. Wilson, and C. Wuerfel

AND THE

BEAST ABIGAIL HARNISH, GREG HAGGERTY, AND OLAN LENSCH

foundation

S

ince the beginning of summer, Musical Director Marilyn Tilley has been hard at work translating the renowned Beauty and the Beast fairy tale from the page to the stage. As director of the musical, Tilley must determine everything from the final set design to stage directions and costume design. The process starts with planning out the actions of the actors before they begin rehearsing. “I know where every single person on the stage is going to be every single minute of the show,” Tilley said. “We spend a lot of time blocking everything out in advance, like where the actors will be and when they cross.”

Like a benevolent puppet master, Tilley designs every on-stage interaction and figures out how they will all fit together. From there, she moves on to meeting with the costume department, choreographers, and set-builders to ensure that everyone is on the same page for when the students arrive on the scene, ready to rehearse, in the fall. “When the kids come in to rehearse, we start working on the largest numbers and musical sequences first,” Tilley said.

“Then, we move on to the small scenes. This way, we are able to practice the hardest parts first before everybody gets too exhausted.”

By working the musical through one piece at a time, the cast learns every scene for each act before running through the script in its entirety.

There is a Herculean amount of memoriza-

Left: Maisy Russell ‘18, Belle for the Black Cast, smiles while running though a scene. “The musical has been an amazing experience because I’m surrounded by incredible people all doing what we love,” Russell said. Above: Directing the cast for the musical, Marilyn Tilley dedicates a huge amount of her time to make sure the show is perfect.

tion involved, so Tilley definitely appreciates that the cast is so hard-working. “We have a fantastic cast. They’re such great kids. They’re really motivated, excited, energetic, and I just love that. I also love the way they throw themselves into it. It’s been a really, really, really, fun process.”

It may be fun, but putting together a musical is no easy task. One of the main challenges for the crew has been the set. “We have come up with an interesting set for the stage, which has been a little problematic,” Tilley said. “It’s a difficult shape to work with, and even though it’s a new auditorium, there are still some problems fitting all of the decorations and set pieces that we wanted to have onstage at once.”

Despite this issue, Tilley and the crew have been thankful for the advantages the new auditorium provides, especially in the lighting department. “The most noticeable change from previous years is that we have a real auditorium and everything’s not falling apart,” Tilley said. “Now, we also have incredible lights. Before, we could only really turn the lights on and off, but now we can do all kinds of things with them, like movements and dimming. Also, it’s not nearly as dangerous as the old set that was nearly falling apart, and that’s made a huge difference.”

With all of the improvements to the newly renovated auditorium, Tilley was able to fur-

ther pursue her vision of a more mature narrative with this musical. The biggest differences between Tilley’s version (adapted from the broadway play) and the familiar animated film are mostly related to how the musical portrays character development. “The characters are more human and there is more drama in our musical, which is partially due to the added musical numbers,” Tilley said. “For example, the Beast is a darker character than he is in the animated version, but of course, transforms and becomes a good person at the end.”

This theme of transformation is emphasized, especially through the added musical numbers in the stage version. “The story is about changing and becoming a better person,” Tilley said.

“The idea that people can do that is consistent with the film, but it’s more emphasized in the musical.”

Every musical requires a great amount work and planning, and a director who stands at the center of it all. In the early stages, Tilley is the only person who knows every aspect of this year’s musical, but through the diligence of the cast, lightning crew, sound crew, pit orchestra, and all the other support personnel, like set builders and costume makers, everything will be ready when the curtain is raised for the first show. Clearly, this could not happen without the dedication and preparation of the director.

BGQ // November 2016

BUILDING A

15

R

ehearsals for the musical began in June. They spent their summers learning their lines and studying their scripts, living and breathing Beauty and the Beast. On the first day of school, they started rehearsing the dance routines and blocking the location of sets and performers. To keep up with the menacing amounts of work that creating a musical demands, the cast members have been living in fast-foward for the last few months.

Practices for Beauty and the Beast often last until seven P.M. on school days, and the days that students do not have school, the cast rehearses lines for eight to nine hours. “Usually you’re here until seven o’clock every day,” said Lumiere for the Gold Cast Abe Stone ‘18. “Starting the week of September 26, we’ve been doing Sunday rehearsals.

Now, I’m here six days a week—a couple hours on Sunday and then four hours every day after school.”

The cast crams memorizing these lines into the the few hours they have to themselves. Saturday is their one day off, and most use it as their script memorization and homework day. Even though participating in the musical can be extremely stressful and overwhelming, the musical is more than hard work and long practices. The cast members can often be seen smiling and laughing at a line said wrong or one of their many inside jokes.

Through the long, tedious process of rehearsing Beauty and the Beast, the cast members have grown closer and closer, which allows for them to feel comfortable and at ease with one another. “I really like the people,” Belle for the Black Cast Maisy Russell ‘18 said. “I like the idea that you get to be friends with anyone in the school. It doesn’t matter whether you are a freshman or a senior because we all are just coming

together to put on a performance.”

The production of the musical has allowed for students to express themselves in a creative way while having fun with their friends. “Even though your character can be a certain role, you can interpret it differently than what you would typically look at the part,” Stone said. “It allows for the opportunity to say and do things you normally wouldn’t. It allows you to shed your shell by not being who you are. When you are on-stage playing a part, you forget who you are and leave it all behind.

Everyone has their own interpretation, and it is very special to them.

Everyone on the musical interprets their parts differently.”

For the majority of people, getting up in front of an audience can be intimidating.

Not knowing what the audience is thinking and the potential for embarrassment can be anxiety-inducing for some high school performers. However, the cast tackles this obstacle together by creating an environment that encourages students to put themselves out there and show off all the talent they have to share with the audience. “I think the biggest thing is saying scripted lines at first.

It’s awkward,” Stone said. “You feel weird doing it and you think others are looking at you differently.

Especially if you’re playing a part that is not the typical acting role, it can seem kind of outrageous and weird at first. You don’t want to get embarrassed by sounding weird or

doing something stupid or acting awkward on stage.”

This year’s musical is different than any musical ever done at CHS. Beauty and the Beast includes much more interesting set displays and platforms which allows the show to become even more immersive for the audience than previous years. Instead of watching a simple school musical, the auditorium transforms into scenes like the village Belle resides in and the Beast’s castle. “This year we have a lot of giant platforms,” Russell said.

“Some of the platforms have two scenes for them. One side is a castle and the other side could be a house in the village.

There are lot of movable sets.”

Last year, the cast was not able to rehearse in the auditorium because it was still being renovated.

This year, however, the auditorium was available for the cast to use throughout the entirety of the musical pre-production, allowing for the cast to become even more immersed in the show and their character. “I love the auditorium so much,” Russell said. “When you don’t have a set or costume to rehearse with, you are just practicing on a basic level. But once you get all of those elements together, you forget about everything else and you’re fully in character.”

Being “in-character” is more than being able to recite some lines while wearing a costume. To be “in-character” means to entirely become the

“I want to do this for the rest of my life.”

character. Making connections to their character is one way students put themselves in the mindset of whichever character they are portraying. “Belle is a character that is called out for being the odd one in the town and not like everybody else, but she finds her own what she really wants to do with her life,” Russell said. “She’s a little bit more into books than I am, but she’s also a really sweet, strong girl, so I really relate to that.”

These students separate themselves from their lives, every homework assignment they have due the next day, every big test they have to study for, and put every gut emotion and feeling into their acting, and in doing so, they become their character.

As time-consuming as the musical can be, it has a special place in the cast members’ hearts. Every line they read, every dance they perfect, and every song they sing has an impact. For some of the cast, it has sparked different interests in the spectrum of fine arts and opened their eyes to the different options after high school. Many of the cast members would have never been exposed to these opportunities prior to participating in Beauty and the Beast.

“It’s something I have found incredible joy in and never expected to,” Stone said. “When I realized ‘Oh my god, this is so fun and I want to do this for the rest of my life,’ it made me wonder, ‘how can I do this for the rest of my life?’ I want to perform and to write a big musical one day that gets featured on Broadway. The musical here at Central has allowed me to exercise my dream and narrow down my choices. It’s created something I absolutely love to do.”

piecing it TOGETHER Left: Going over a dance number, Nick Hains ‘18, Joey Giovannangeli ‘19, Sophie Brown ‘19, and Sarah Gibson ‘17 rehearse for the musical after school. “You get to dance with people you may not necessarily have known before,” Hains said. “When it’s complete and everyone is in sync, it looks and feels really good, and you get to dance with girls way out of your league.”

Left: The cast of Beauty and the Beast tirelessly practice a dance number in the auditorium. Right: Pressing buttons and flipping switches, Dylan Kangas ‘19 operates the sound board. “When the musical gets into these really techincal electronics, it gives me a challenge, especially with so many ins and outs on this huge board,” Kangas said. “It’s been a cool experience to learn all of that technical information in high school.”

W

PRESENTING A MASTERPIECE

hile the cast and director are responsible for much of the early production, the onset of dress rehearsals cues the start of work for a vital, but perhaps underappreciated, crew.

The sound and lighting crew begins the preparation of the lighting cues and the sound board. Sound Board Operator Dylan Kangas ‘19 and Lighting Technician Logan Mayfield ‘18 are in charge of the behind the scenes aspects of the show, including special effects. Kangas, Mayfield, and their partners are the only ones working on the sound and light production for the musical until the start of full dress rehearsals. Due to their limited numbers and the impending deadline of production, there is a great deal of work to be done. “We have to get all the microphones to work,” Kangas said. “Then we have to do the lights. You want to make sure you have all the cues ready. So you talk to all the directors, make sure every light is where they want it to be. Every cue has to have exactly what the director has in mind.”

All of this work can be overwhelming at times for the crew. To make sure everything is done by opening night, Mayfield and Kangas dedicate a lot of their time to the light and sound production. “Right now, we go into the auditorium during class and set things up,” Mayfield said. “Once we get really into production and full dress rehearsals, we will be needed almost every night of the week.”

All of these nights spent working with the sound boards, adjusting lights, and checking the microphones have translated into talent and skill.

This special talent and these developed skills allow for mind-blowing and jaw-dropping light and sound effects. Instead of the usual spotlights and and color changing lights, Mayfield and Kangas have something exciting in store for the audience.

“When the Beast is changing, we’re going to have strobes, smoke machines, and red lights flashing, so it’s going to be crazy,” Kangas said. “It’s almost like he just vanishes into the smoke.”

Along with the improvements on lights, the sound crew is experimenting with new sound effects; they are focusing on how to improve on them for an enhanced stage experience.

“I’ve been pushing for more practical sound effects. For example, if they want me to do a gunshot sound, I suggest to drop a book instead because it

sounds better.”

The musical creates opportunities for students like Mayfield and Kangas to gather experience and a set of skills that they can use for future career pathways. The sound and light production students keep a resumé composed of collected posters from the shows and musicals that they have participated in. No doubt, these experiences will impress future schools and employers, and increase the chances that an amazing opportunity will find its way to these talented students. “I definitely want to go into show production or something with sound or lights as a future career,” Mayfield said. “Everything I’m learning is really helping to benefit my future.”

These students are a huge part of the backbone that make the musical run smoothly, as well as making the experience much more immersive for the audience. Without these hard-working students, Beauty and the Beast would not be the amazing, breathtaking musical that it is. On November 11, when the Beast disappears in a cloud of smoke, or the lights dim to set the eerie mood, look up into the sound booth and direct the applause towards Mayfield, Kangas, and their light and sound production crew.//

Evertything you need to know about FIFA 17

TYLER MORENO

W

ith over 34 titles in the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) series, FIFA 17 is by far the most personalizable addition to the Electronic Arts (EA) Sports franchise thus far, and in some respects, my favorite. Some of the additions this year include Squad Building Challenges, FUT Champions, The Journey, the Frostbite engine and customizable kits.

In the Ultimate Team mode, Squad Building Challenges allow the users to find a form of value in a not-so-valuable soccer player in the game [1].The user does this by creating a squad that fits chemistry requisites and exchanging it for a reward, such as a Rare Gold Pack [2]. This was a great addition to the game because the rewards given from the challenges give a better trade out than quick selling players from packs. With the coins received from the challenges and matches, users can create a skillful team and participate with limited attempts in a new form of daily/weekly tournament called FUT Champions [3]. Rewards for winning the weekend tournaments are definitely worth it, but I only suggest attempting this if you are confident that you can win. I’ve tried it at least five times and lost immediately each time.

The Journey is the most interesting game mode thus far. This is the first narrative career mode in FIFA history thanks to the Frostbite engine. Users follow the life of a young lad named Alex Hunter and his best friend Gareth Walker as they are both introduced to professional soccer. In this mode, users have to make decisions and play matches as Hunter. The storyline will vary depending on the decisions and performance of the player. Additionally, winning matches awards skill points that can be used to upgrade specific stats on Hunter such as speed and strength [4]. Thanks to its story and style, The Journey is probably my favorite addition to the FIFA series.

The Frostbite engine carries the capability of bringing more movement to matches such as realistic audiences and goal celebrations.

In the Pro Clubs game mode, users create their own avatars and join a team with other players and inch their way up the leaderboards. This mode makes playing FIFA with friends exciting and puts users team to the challenge. Instead of using real team badges and kits, Pro Club teams now have the opportunity to create their own team.

These updates have brought more life to the game, allowing for players to better customize and use their creativity whether it’s competing in tournaments, building their own team badges, or creating Hunter’s soccer career.

FIFA 17 earns a TReno Thumbs Up for its creativity and quality. The retail price for FIFA 17 is $59.99 and can be found where digital games are sold.//

1

2

3

BGQ // November 2016

4

10

BGQ // November 2016

GOAL!

Photos: courtesy of info.ea.com

19

Photo: A. Vannatter

Two new CHS administraters have set higher school standards than previous years and fully intend on

I

t’s the first day of sophomore year. Expecting to continue last year’s traditions, underclassmen make lunch plans with an upperclassman to sneak off campus for the hour. The lunch bell rings, students meet at the gym doors and all stealthily approach the parking lot. As quick as possible, kids cram into the car. “We made it,” they think. They’re rolling out of the parking lot, just seconds away from the freedom of being off campus, when they come face to face with James Brumfield, Central High School’s campus security. “ID’s please,” he tells them.

Central High School has undergone some major changes this year as a result of administrative policies instituted by new lead principal Jessie Houghton. A new principal often means substantial change in a school in terms of procedures, rules, and daily operation. For instance, although student accountability was present in previous years, it seems to be a much greater focus under Houghton. The new administration is working hard to enforce policies that have not been fully enforced in the past. This has left many students mystified, some even to the point that they believe there are new rules. With a dose of irony, this is not actually the case.

These policies are the same. What is new are the expectations of administrators. While policies such as closed campus for underclassmen and parking passes have existed for years, some say past administrators had a rather lenient approach when enforcing these policies. “There aren’t any major changes going to be made this year,” Houghton said. “I have people come up to me and say, ‘Oh this is a new policy.’ I tell them that it’s not a new policy, it was just never followed before.”

Adjusting to these new expectations may be tricky. In previous years, students who have broken minor rule infractions did not always receive full disciplinary consequences. Students then became accustomed to this idea of impunity with regard to several rules and procedures. These new higher expectations have resulted in culture shock for some students this year. “We’re not used to it,” Alecia Gortsema ‘19 said. “We’re frustrated because we don’t understand it, but after we adjust, we’ll see that the increased security does make our school safer and teaches

us responsibility.”

One of the policies that was not strictly enforced last year was open campus for upperclassmen or more accurately, closed campus for underclassmen. This is a hot topic of discussion amongst underclassmen in particular, and is certainly on the school board’s radar. In past years, underclassmen had almost no issue sneaking off campus with older siblings and friends. This school year, administrators have been checking the IDs of each individual student trying to leave for lunch, ensuring that the open campus privilege is strictly reserved for upperclassmen.

A major concern is underclassmen leaving campus and exhibiting questionable behavior or acting in a manner that imperils their safety or the safety of others. “Open campus is one thing the school board is always looking at,” Houghton said. “We are one of the few high schools in Michigan that does have an open campus, which is scary. I know that it’s an important right for juniors and seniors, so we want to protect that right. Ninety-nine percent of the kids can handle it, we don’t want that one percent to ruin it for everybody else.”

Another school-wide rule currently being discussed is the tardy policy. Last year, students received three warning tardies and the fourth one called for a trip to the Responsible Thinking Classroom (RTC), followed by negotiation with the teacher to let the student back into class.

The school board came to the conclusion that this process was not effective, and in fact, only makes students miss even more class. Now, after a fourth tardy, students will no longer go to RTC, and instead head straight to after school detention or even Saturday school. Administration is looking to improve attendance patterns which will in turn increase student success, which is the main goal.

Tardies have always been a red flag. Studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Education show that students who are frequently tardy tend to have a lower GPA, perform below average on standardized tests, and are less likely to graduate. Central administrators are aiming to decrease tardies for this very reason. “When kids leave here, they go on to important things like college and work,” Assistant Principal Bryan Burns said. “When you look at good habits such

as being on time and functionality, it’s all really important.”

Security is a matter that is of great concern in schools across the nation. This school year, Central has stepped up their game by bringing in a second campus security guard, William Livingston. Administrators want to ensure that the students safety is not at risk during school hours whether they are on or off campus.

Because Central is located right in town, there is a higher concern for making sure no one is entering or leaving the school that shouldn’t be.

“Our campus security is not necessarily here to be catching kids doing something they shouldn’t be,” Burns said. “It’s all an effort to keep our school safe, so the security of the building and the kids is a big focus for us this year.”

Essentially, the ambition behind these enforcements is to better students and their futures.

High school sets up the foundation to a student’s life, meaning every lesson and habit acquired in these four years is crucial. The administration is doing their best to work with the students of Central to make sure every student is set up for a proficient future. “Ultimately, the goal is to increase graduation rates and educational opportunities for kids,” Houghton said. “If a kid doesn’t graduate with a diploma, the options for the rest of their life are shaky.”

The transformation Central High School is undergoing is dynamic. Administrators are striving to create nothing but a well-rounded high school in several different aspects. “I want students to have a high level of pride in their school,” Houghton said. “I want them to be proud when they’re telling somebody, ‘Hey, I went to Central.’ In order for the kids understand that worth, they have to do their part. It’s as simple as achieving, showing up to class on time, picking up trash on campus, or going to sporting events and cheering for our teams. Students need to show their pride and understand that this is a phenomenal school.”

Change is inevitable. With that being said, students will have to continue to adjust to the advanced procedures in order to get the full benefit. Central is off to a great year and will only continue to flourish.//

BGQ // November 2016

ABIGAIL VANNATTER

CUTTING the slack

19

Rally & Ride

Photo: courtesy of Claire Bladek Photography

B

eing a member of the five-person Equestrian team at Central requires commitment to the team and the horses that earned them a spot at the state competition

BGQ // November 2016

BAILLE ZIPSER Her frozen fingers grasp the halter and snow flies on her face as Ellie Novarro ‘17 catches her horse, Charlie, in the pasture. “A few times a week all winter I went out to the barn to get Charlie,” Novarro said. “My coach trailered the team to an indoor arena to practice because we don’t have an indoor arena in Traverse City, but we can’t afford to take the whole winter off. The horses have to stay in shape just like us.” Spending cold winter days riding, falling behind on sleep, taking care of a horse, which entails grooming, feeding, mucking out stalls, and riding until she falls out of the saddle, Novarro is one of a rare breed in athletics. She is an Equestrian, and she pays for the pleasure.

The Central High School Varsity Equestrian team, of which Novarro has been a member for six years, is completely funded by the team members. They have to fundraise all year to make enough money to pay for all of their shows.

Not many people are aware of the riding team at Central. Those who are assume it is just a club for people who like horses, although that is not the case. Like any other sport, riders have to know how to play to participate.

Equestrian team is the same way, team members have to know how to ride to be participate in meets. The Equestrian team competes at Michigan Interscholastic Horsemanship Association (MIHA) meets. They prepare constantly for their district meet in the hopes of qualifying for regionals and states. With the team consisting of only five riders, every point counts. The team spends all summer together practicing and showing to prepare.

“I rode my coaches horse, Charlie, this year,” Novarro said. “He has so much personality and is a super sweet horse so I love riding him.

Equestrian team is unlike any other school sport. Instead of just practicing two hours after school in season, we practice all year round with our horses.”

The team has to find time to balance their horses, school work and social lives. Unlike other sports, there are two parts to the puzzle: the rider and the horse. “I got my horse Prince a little over a year ago,” rider Emily Round ‘18 said. “When I got him he had lots of bad vices that are really hard to correct, but with consistent training and coaching, we have come a long way in the last year.”

The equestrian community in Traverse City is a tightly knit group. Everyone knows each other, and the team has all shown together for years, even before high school, so they are a family as much as they are a team.

“Our time and energy showed this season,”

22

Novarro said. “This year we beat Elk Rapids at regionals and made it to states. That was an exciting moment because we are all friends and they have a very good all-around team.”

Their riding skills and horses were put to the test for the four day state competition. 40 teams competed and Central’s team is now ranked eighth in their division. “Overall, I was very surprised and happy with Prince and how we worked together at States,” Round said. “We placed in a few classes so I was happy but had some mistakes that killed our chances at placing.”

Making it to a state level competition is only one of the many opportunities that riding with a equestrian team has to offer. For those who want to continue riding after high school there are many options. Some colleges even have Equestrian teams sanctioned by the NCAA sports, but scoring a spot on a team is more than just proving you know how to ride a horse. You have to show dedication and commitment to yourself, your horse and your team. The teams have rig-

Photo: courtesy of M.K. Photography

orous year round schedules that include early morning workouts and long practices. The goal is winning a national title, which few ever achieve. To do this, it is essential to prepare for competitions against schools all over the country.

“Riding is not something you decide to do for a few months out of the year, it requires a year round commitment and most people don’t understand that,” Round said. “Riding is my passion and I want to pursue it my whole life.”//

Photo: courtesy of Claire Bladek Photography