BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY (BGQ) Nov. 2018

BGQ

BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY

november 2018 // volume ninety-eight

Solarizing Central School Board Shake Up Kayaking into Central Polarization Nation

BGQ

a note from your editors

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As the 2017-2018 school year came to close, many experienced members of the BGQ staff graduated. With those who had guided us many times before now gone, we had a blank slate to work with when preparing for the future of our magazine. As we looked ahead at the incoming staff and the content we wanted to cover in our first issue, we could not help but to feel anxious and excited at the same time. With our mostly young and inexperienced staff, we would need to change our approach this year.

Similarly, change seems to be everywhere in the world around us. Politics in America grow more polarized by the day, as the Republicans shift further to the right and the Democrats shift further to the left. We asked ourselves why this trend continues despite a large political center base in this country. To find answers, we had to dig into the past and uncover when the division began.

In another effort to uncover, we sought to highlight the daily life of a custodian at CHS. Despite being important to the school’s everyday functions and cleanliness, we felt their lives and perspectives were still a mystery to many.

Political polarization and custodians are only two of the seemingly hidden figures we wanted to reveal to readers. In this year’s first issue of BGQ, the audience can unveil new knowledge about new administrators, cell phones and their effects on human health, solar panels and a greener Central.

Change is all around us and we at the BGQ aim to inform our readers about events and adjustments in society at both the local and national level. With a new staff, new truths uncovered, and a new year, we look forward to the year ahead and what it holds for Traverse City and the BGQ. From the pub,

BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY: OCTOBER TWO-THOUSAND EIGHTEEN 4

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Behind the Scenes CHS custodians

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Jack Myers Abigail Vannatter

School board shake up

PHOTOGRAPHY McKenna Bak Abigail Vannatter

Expiring Board of Ed. terms

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Two attorneys vie for judgeship Local midterm elections

Polarization Nation Two views

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Theater class takes the stage An elective comes back strong

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A dramatic twist TC musical showdown

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Kayaking into Central Meet Mr. Kepler

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Solarizing Central SEA Club takes action

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Cell Hell The impact of smartphones

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The gallery A student showcase

Photo: A. Vannatter

GRAPHICS Tori VerVane BUSINESS McKenna Bak STAFF WRITERS Sarah Auger Joie Baldyga Sophie Boyce Paige Conners Lia Cook Julia Demusky Ava Edwards Niklas Fagerman Sydney Flaherty Maria Linck Madison Marshall Autumn McMillan Mia Moeggenberg Richard Mosley Lauren Stallman Elizabeth Teesdale Tori VerVane COVER PHOTO Abigail Vannatter

Behind the scenes

Central High’s Custodians

by Sarah Auger Staff Writer

Who knew being a Central Custodian meant fighting off angry seagulls and toxic bacteria?

It’s 6:00 am on Wednesday morning. Terry Freeman, Central’s lead custodian is already at Central. More formally known as Munson, because before she took her position at Central a few years ago she was a custodian at Munson Hospital and carried her thorough cleaning technics into Central. Every morning she wakes up at 4:30 so she can get to school before 6:00. That is when the staff working the second shift of the night are just finishing up their long night’s work.

While her day may start early in the morning, the majority of her ten custodial staff work one of three night shifts. Munson and the other custodians have what seems like a never ending list of responsibilities around the school everyday. Their work often goes unnoticed by the student body, who generally take for granted how the custodial staff handles the responsibilities of cleaning a large school, or as Munson refers to it, “the hardest, biggest on-going event.” The custodial work extends from the building’s roof4 // BGQ // November 2018

top to the underground tunnels, and every nook and cranny in between.

To kick start their day, Munson and Larry Wertenberger, the only other daytime custodian and Munson’s biggest help in completing her job, do a walk through of the school to get it opened and ready for students and staff when they arrive, all while checking for light bulbs that are out, leaks in the ceiling, vandalism, and anything else that might need attention. Munson believes without Wertenberger’s help she wouldn’t be capable of upholding the school’s daytime custodial needs as well as she does.

When students and teachers begin to pour into the school, the commotion begins. Part of that commotion includes many email messages with work orders and school dudes from either staff asking for repairs, administration notifying her team about upcoming events, or teachers asking for supplies. In the past year, Munson and her crew have completed nearly 7,500 work or-

ders in the school. Munson is often radioed by the administration to complete immediate tasks too, such as cleaning a bathroom after a student gets sick, putting the flag at half mast, or even cleaning the unusual messes, like spilled hot sauce in the atrium.

Much of what Munson accomplishes in the day are tasks that students assume the custodial staff does, however there are some tasks that are not anticipated. Jobs that involve seagulls attacking you from all directions, for instance. Once every so often, Munson has to go up on the roof to destroy the seagull nests or remove the debris out of clogged roof drains. The seagulls that have colonized Central dive bomb Munson and Wertenberger when they go onto the roof and it turns into a battle involving brooms for self protection.

Problems exist underneath the school as well. Leaks occur in the basement, or rather, in the tunnels of Central. Underneath Central are hundreds of feet of pipes that carry

a magnitude of gas, water, and other utilities. When one of these water pipes spring a leak, the tunnels can become flooded.

Flooding in the tunnels and elsewhere in the school arise more often than the students would assume. Early in the school year, sewage backed up into the kitchen and created a flood in the main part of the school. Students were completely oblivious to the situation because the custodial staff worked through the night to clean the mess. Munson clarified, “You do so much more behind the scenes that people don’t know.” Munson also has the crucial job of maintaining the cleanliness of the boilers and cooling systems. This includes testing them for bacteria everyday. Without her sustaining the purity of the systems, toxic bacteria would be put into the air, making everyone in the school sick, as well as damaging the boilers. Through the endless amount of daily custodial work and responsibilities, Munson has made her team to be “very proactive, so if we didn't have them, I think the school would be tired and used,” as Jessie Houghton, Central’s Head Principal, acknowledged.

The daily and nightly process of the custodians becomes repetitive, exhausting, and frustrating, which turns the custodial labor into more than just a physical struggle, but a mental struggle as well. Custodial work is a process in which the staff is cleaning the same building, at the same time every day, and cleaning the same messes with the same methods. Some may think it’s easy to clean the school, but it is often tedious. Regardless, the job must get done. Our custodians do in fact get the job done, and they do it efficiently. Without them, our school,

“would be status quote and mediocre everywhere,” Houghton reasoned.

Despite our custodial staff doing an impeccable job, some days are harder than others to strive to achieve the standards they have established. “People don't stay here very long,” Munson chimed. Custodians rotate in and out because they have this belief that custodial work is effortless, but

“

The seagulls that have colonized Central dive bomb Munson and Wertenberger when they go onto the roof and it turns into a battle involving brooms for self protection.

”

the truth is, it is a tough job. The custodians see the most vulgar side of high school students in our school bathrooms from day to day. They witness how immature some students can be, from the bathrooms being vandalized with human waste to the everyday struggle of students plugging the toilets with random junk. “You feel like you’re in Groundhog Day sometimes,” Munson exclaimed. People can’t handle the frustration

of accomplishing tasks involving the hard labor and then having everything they did disappear the next day.

At the end of the day, around sixth hour, when the lawn has been mowed or the snow has been moved, the spills have been moped, and the many work orders have been completed, Munson goes home. The first shifters of the night arrive just after three to start their night’s work of collecting trash, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, etc. Central’s custodial staff works as a team, around the clock, to preserve the school’s clean appearance and create a vibrant learning space for the students.

“Their job is to work in the background so that everybody can be here and thrive, both students and staff,” Houghton states. “Their a huge part of all of us being successful.”

Munson leads her team to do such an impeccable job, to be proactive, and to always be thinking, “What can I fix?” Munson herself leads by example. She has the mindset of there always being something to improve in her school. Being the first female custodian at Central, “most of what she's doing is manual physical labor, and I’ll tell you what, she not only keeps up with them, but she sets the pace. She is a tough, tough person,” Houghton adds. Most likely, students have never truly considered the magnitude of the dilemmas entrusted to Munson and her team. The reality is they work around the clock to accomplish work orders and go above and beyond to fill our halls with trojan pride by putting a ton of energy and dedication into keeping our school looking good and in working order. //

All Photos: M. Bak

school board shake up

The midterm elections are coming up in November. With that, four seats on the TCAPS Board of Education are left wide open. This brings up the question: what do students really know about the School Board?

by PAIGE CONNERS Staff Writer The midterm elections are only a few weeks away on November 6. In addition to the Senate, House of Representatives, and governor seats that are open, at a local level there are four seats on the TCAPS Board of Education up for election. This could mean big changes for the way our school district is run, as new people with new ideas are thrown into the mix. The people on the board hold a bigger role than TCAPS students may be aware of.

The TCAPS Board of Education is a team of seven people from the community who are dedicated to the district and the education it provides. The average student may not be aware of how big a role these people play. There are a number of different types of people who hold seats on the board, from devoted parents to former teachers and students to simply members of the community who want to see students thrive. Erik Falconer is the current president of the school board, holding the position for the past eight years. He is not seeking re-election to his term, which expires this December. After spending nearly a decade committed to TCAPS, Falconer has learned “how challenging it is to make real change in schools.” According to him, “real change is systemic, sustainable improvement to the effectiveness of the education we provide students.” This change is neces-

6 // BGQ // November 2018

All Photos: A. Vannatter

Lining the roads and neighborhoods of Traverse City are campaign signs for the upcoming TCAPS School Board election. sary because “schools in Michigan and the United States, including TCAPS, have done education the same way for decades and have done an increasing disservice to our children. The current TCAPS Board recognizes we need to change this outdated institution of education and chart a new course for the future.” And the new members might do just that.

The school board holds many important responsibilities, including “setting the curricula and courses taught in the schools, adopting a budget, deciding whether or not to furnish transportation for pupils,” as indicated in the Revised School Code, and those are only a select few of the many

things the school board makes decisions on. A lot goes in to running a district as extensive as TCAPS, comprised of some 10,000 students. “In some ways, the role of the school board is similar to the relationship of parents and their kids: parents set expectations, and the rules and principles for accomplishing that,” Falconer says.

There are a handful of terms up for election this November, four four-years and one two-year term, with ten candidates competing for those spots: Matt Anderson, Pamela Forton, Rhonda Busch, Melissa Hogan, Sue Kelley, Cathy Meyer-Looze, Erica Moon Mohr, Deyar Jamil, and Jeff Leonhardt. Anderson has been a part of the school board since this summer when board trustee Jan Geht retired and left a vacancy on the board. Anderson volunteered to be the interim replacement and “because of the importance of the position and the learning curve involved, [he] decided that, to have any impact, [he] needed to run for a four-year term on the board.” His main focus is that TCAPS will

prepare students for “their next step in life” after graduation, whatever that might be.

Two of the candidates are retired TCAPS teachers of Central who retired this summer. Five of the candidates have formed Team5TCAPS. Although they will appear separately on the ballot, they share a campaign platform and campaign expenses.

All in all, the ten candidates running for school board have ideas that could sway the future direction of the school board. Falconer states that the current

goal of the school board is “improving student achievement... as measured through nationally-normed test scores.”

The potential new members of the school board have similar objectives of bettering the education of TCAPS students, but they plan to go about this in new ways that could change how our schools function.

For example, some candidates are passionate about equitable school funding, which could lead to our district receiving more money per student and therefore

an increased budget for improvements in our schools. Others are adamant about not closing anymore elementary schools.

The real takeaway to this midterm election might just be that ten Traverse City community members are willing to commit considerable time, resources, and passion to campaign for a seat on the TCAPS Board of Education, which, as a reflection of the school district populace, is a very positive sign for all TCAPS students. //

IT TAKES

6 HOURS OF PREP TO MAKE A 30-SECOND SANDWICH FREAK YEAH H

*Disclaimer* By including political photos, the BGQ has no intentions to show bias towards any candidate in the race.

Canidate Melissa Hogan did not campaign with posters and therefore is not included in our photos.

™

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1217 E. FRONT ST. 231.929.2999 1294 W. SOUTH AIRPORT RD. 231.935.9355

Two Attorneys

All Photos: A. Vannatter

Local midterm elections leave positions open Just a block from busy Front Street, court is in session at the 86th District Court House. Family and friends sit towards the back of the room, anxiously waiting to hear the fate of their loved ones. Reporters are mixed in between them, writing and taking pictures of the courtroom proceedings. The defense is seated on the left hand side of the courtroom, the prosecution on the right, a perfect picture of opposition. Beside the defense attorney is the defendant, whom he is representing. The case could very well change the course of the defendant’s life. Being convicted of a crime warrants serious punishments such as jail time, fines and a tarnished reputation that could affect this person’s future opportunities. At the front of the courtroom, behind a high podium, Judge Thomas Phillips oversees the proceedings. He is in charge of the court, scheduling trials, deciding what evidence is to be admitted and what questions the attorneys are permitted to ask in testimony. Most importantly, he decides the fate of the accused.

The district court has the power to transform lives and plays an important role in the judicial system in our community. A case will start at this level unless it involves a felony charge, then 8 // BGQ // November 2018

by MIA MOEGGENBERG Staff Writer

it will be heard in the circuit court. A felony is a case that warrants prison time. The district court handles only misdemeanors, charges with a maximum punishment of one year in jail or civil suits involving monetary sums less than $25,000. Judge Phillips works in the 86th District Court, which has jurisdiction over Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Antrim counties.

Adults and children alike are involved in the court. Some of the top charges that teenagers go to court for are alcohol offenses, harassment, assault or battery and possession of marijuana according to globalyouthjustice.org, an organization that supports various volunteer-run juvenile justice diversion programs. Children and teens are often witnesses or victims in court as well. According to the American Association of Pediatrics, over 100,000 children and teenagers appear in courts each year. These cases often involve charges of domestic violence or sexual assault.

After 18 years on the bench, Judge Phillips will be retiring and two candidates are eager to take his place: Robert Cooney, the current Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney, and Paul Jarboe, a defense attorney for the law

office of Jarboe and Pfeil. A new judge in the Traverse City District Court will be a major change. The community will be voting on the two candidates this November 6th. Cooney and Jarboe each have a long list of qualifications, though as Judge Phillips remarked, the qualities and experiences a candidate has outside of their legal profession also greatly contribute to their ability to find a just resolution to any case.

“I think the qualities you have to have [to be district court judge] are common sense, a little wisdom, some life experience [and] patience,” Judge Phillips explained. “I think the key thing in District Court is to like people because we see so many.”

Cooney has been the Prosecuting Attorney in Grand Traverse County since 2012 and an attorney since 1991. Upon reflection of his time in the Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office he asserted, “I have learned that you need to listen to both sides of every story.

You have to treat everyone the same no matter what the circumstance. You are not going to make everybody happy, but hopefully people will understand that you are doing your job and trying to enforce the laws and keep our com-

Vie for Judgeship

munity safe.” Attorneys from the prosecutor’s office are on the district court docket nearly everyday, thus Cooney has had a great deal of experience working in this particular court.

During this time he has learned from Judge Phillips and Judge Michael Haley, a judge that previously worked in the 86th District Court.

Cooney stated, “What really motivates [Judges Haley and Phillips] (...) are the [drug] treatment courts, and how they are trying to make a positive impact on people’s lives.” He now pledges to do the same. The Drug Treatment Court is a program that is part of the 86th District Court. Cooney contributed to launching the program. Though it started only two years ago, it has already made a major impact on treating the opioid crisis in our community. The court has positively affected the addicts that come through the program, in addition to those that work with them. “I think the community sometimes looks down on people who are struggling with addiction. It is important to understand that it is a disease, and we need to help people that are addicted,” Judge Phillips explained.

“I am very proud of the people that are in my drug court, trying to change themselves for the

better. They are trying to cure their disease. It is not easy. It is very difficult. But they are doing it. So I hold them in high esteem, for their motivation to get away from drugs and the hard work they put into doing so.”

Jarboe also works in the drug treatment court by representing those who come into the court on charges of drug use. “I think this is a very supportive and forgiving community. I have learned that people want others to be held accountable for their actions, but they also want to give people opportunities to change their behavior,” Jarboe reflected. “I think that is consistent with what the work of a District Court Judge is: to help people through difficult situations.” Jarboe has been a trial attorney for the past 36 years and, like Cooney, is in the courtroom nearly every day. He regularly works in the counties under the 86th District Court’s jurisdiction.

Judge Phillips leaves the two candidates with words of wisdom, “I think everybody has to realize, or all judges have to realize, that every case, no matter how big or small, it will probably be the biggest case that person has in their life. You have a chance to impact that person’s

life. Just one case at a time, you have a chance to impact the community. I think you have to realize what they are going through on the other side.” Now the community must choose between these two well-qualified candidates.

The midterm election on November 6th will determine which candidate, Jarboe or Cooney, will assume the responsibility for the 86th District Court and the “impact” the court will have on our community. //

Two Views

So what do politics mean to me? They don’t mean as much as they mean to other more political people. Between football, high school classes, working, college applications, and chores at home, I am a busy guy, which means my time for other stuff, including politics, is lacking, and that is fine by me. Researching information on what is happening in the world is simply not a priority. Faced with this story assignment for the BGQ meant I needed to adjust, at least for the moment, those priorities.

As I looked into what has been occurring over the past few months, it looks like very little has changed. Although some would like to call President Trump’s two years into his presidency something of a “mess” due to various scandals and liberal-backed support against his presidency. I choose to blame both the Republicans and the Democrats. Republicans because many have been advocative and supportive towards a racist, misogynistic, and a more controlling-type of government, as well as maintaining an ideology, which has been twisted over the centuries from being about democratic freedom into a traditional white malebased world. On the other side, the Democrats are seen as somewhat closed-minded, abusive of specific topics, wanting a more mainstream constitution, and being towards changing most traditional “American values”. I wanted to research why these things are the way they are, specifically why politicians have become so controversial in their ideals and the general extremism that is underlying politics. After intense research and other information gathering, I discovered the term ‘polarized politics,”and thus I fell into the rabbit hole of political history.

So, what exactly is polarized politics? Polarization, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a “division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.” Politics, as people know, are the “activities associated with the governance of a country or region.” As a conjoined phrase, polarized politics is the radicalization of political ideologies within a political arena. This applies to any governmental institution across the world, and in the United States, this can apply to the two-party system. According to Pew, a nonpartisan organization, a large shift in political standpoints is taking place.

Citizens are more commonly shifting from being moderate Democrats and Republi10 // BGQ // November 2018

cans to radical liberals and conservatives.

This recent shift has been occurring since 1994, and every presidential and congressional election since has widened this gap, in not only political ideology:, but also moral, ethical and economic ideological stances as well. In terms of political landscape, this gapshift has created a Congress that resembles a low valley of moderates surrounded by two large mountains of increasingly radicalized and polarized politicians.

The divisive political atmosphere has resulted in political turmoil throughout both of President Obama’s terms and seemingly increased in the first two years of the Trump administration, in which it has seemingly increased. Recently confirmed US Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, clearly illustrates the current state of our nation’s capital and American politics in general. These recent investigations, which have been further analyzed by the FBI, have exacerbated the division of the US Senate along party lines. Kavanaugh has been known to be supportive of conservative values and have conservative tendencies, and his nomination and confirmation as Supreme Court Justice is damaging to the Democratic party, which fears a Supreme Court ruled under a conservative majority. To find out more information on this topic, I went to Joe Forlenza, teacher of AP European and World History, to talk about historical political polarization, and much to be expected, this isn’t the first time political polarization has occurred in the nation’s history.

As Forlenza explained, during the late 1960’s, the successful presidential cam-

o i t a z

paign for Richard Nixon proved fruitful for the Republican party, mainly because the Democratic Party h a d

Polari

by Ricky Mosley Staff Writer

been seen as initiating and later escalating the Vietnam War. A large majority of the population across the United States were becoming increasing anti-war, and this was furthered by the ever splintering

Democratic party. The previous President, Lyndon Johnson, had become disliked by the media and by the Democrats, who saw his policies in the war as being detrimental to the party’s image. Additionally, the race riots occurring as part of the the Civil Rights

on

movements and other major events, would ultimately polarize Congress, and soon enough the enactment of laws become infeasible as a stalemate in Congress followed for the next few years.

Another particularly interesting era of political polarization would occur following the Civil War of 1861-65. A faction of Northern Republicans would form a small political group within the Republican Party, known as the Radical Republicans. The radicals, supportive of the complete abolition of slavery and having large political presence during the Reconstruction Era post-civil war, would succeed in holding a large majority in Congress by 1866. Their hold on Congress during this time would allow them to continuously overturn any bills vetoed by the president at the time, Andrew Johnson, who saw them as a political enemy.

Out of the 21 bills passed through Congress under the Radical Republicans, all of them were vetoed

by President Jackson, with only 15 being overturned

by Congress. In 1868, Congress had attempted to impeach President Johnson under the violation of the Tenure of Office Act, after dismissing the former Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Johnson would only be saved from impeachment by one vote in the Senate, however, his executive power was reduced heavily.

These instances of political polarization in the past showcase how history is essentially repeating itself under differential circumstances. But what does this all mean? It means that politicians are refusing to compromise, defeating the purpose of change and proper reform to the everso crippling state of politics in the United States. The Democrats and Republicans, equally polarized to such extremes, will end up changing the political landscape of the United States world if their ideals continue

n

o i t a N movement during that time continued to put pressure on the State’s societies, as the shift from segregation to equality began to become more apparent.

The war, accompanied by the civil rights

to be played out.

It has become clear to me how important politics are for this generation. Although “we the people” are not the same people that founded the nation, lived during a period of internal divide, nor participated in a global conflict, we remain the masters of what we want ourselves and our future descendents to be. We are the ones that choose whether these political problems will continue to persist in the upcoming future, and I hope we choose to end it for the betterment of our nation and the world. //

by Sophie Boyce Staff Writer Over the recent years, the United States’ government has become fractured with the Republicans on one side of the schism, the Democrats on the other, and the majority of the American public tossed in the chasm between as the two parties squabble over who’s right and who’s wrong. Politicians have resorted to playing the blame game, pointing fingers at each other with neither backing down. The Pew Research Center reported on polarization stating that almost half of both the Democratic and Republican members of Congress fear each other. While Congress is very polarized the majority of Americans have moderate views. In a poll taken in September of 2018 only 26% of the American population identifies as a Republican, 27% Democratic, and 44% independent according to Gallup.com. Instead of turning more people towards one of the two parties, polarization has actually pushed people away. Michigan congressional candidate, Matt Morgan says, “Think of it in terms of families: if the parents are attacking each other, it’s harder for the kids to get along.”

September 22nd, there was a debate between Michigan Congressman Jack Bergman and candidate Matt Morgan held at Northwestern Michigan College. During Morgan’s closing statements he explained that the biggest difference between Bergman and himself, is that Bergman takes advantage of big money. To which Bergman said something along of the lines of, because he was a lieutenant general in the army, a few thousand dollars couldn’t buy him off. He continued by stating that he didn’t know if the same could be said of a Marines Corps Officer. Bergman justified the accusation directed at Morgan by saying, “He’s trying to get voters to ‘look over here,’ he’s trying to take people’s attention

off all the good things that the 115th Congress has done.” Politics has changed from addressing serious issues, to a back and forth, tit for tat, he said she said, charade of slander. It has turned into a good old western duel; Republicans against Democrats.

Which brings us to mid September 2018: Supreme court nomination hearings part two for the Republicans. Brett Kavanaugh, Yale graduate, a US circuit judge since 2006.The day before his confirmation vote was set to take place, Democratic Con12 // BGQ // November 2018

gresswoman Diane Feinstein brought to light a letter from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, recounting a sexual misconduct allegation concerning Kavanaugh. On September 27th both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh testified in front of the Congressional Judiciary Committee. Because Feinstein did not bring up the letter prior to the initial hearings, or ask Kavanaugh about the allegation when they met in August, many people assumed the allegation was a hoax created by the Democrats to thwart the placement of a partisan judge.

According to the Washington Post, both Kavanaugh and Congressman Lindsey Graham had passionate claims against the hearing. To quote Graham, “This whole two week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueld with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election. Revenge on behalf of the Clintons,” he even asserted. “I’d never do to them what you’ve done to this guy. This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics.” While Graham might not accuse a man of rape, he was a congressmen back in 2016 when Republicans refused to hold any proceedings on Merrick Garland,

Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nominee.

According to NPR, Mitch McConnell stated, “It’s a president’s constitutional right to nominate a Supreme Court Justice, and it is the Senate’s constitutional right to act as a check on the president and withhold its consent.” The Republican dominated Congress, withheld consent on a nominee who was moderate and had in the past been praised by multiple influential Republican senators. But the minute sexual allegations came out about Kavanaugh, who would seem to be partisan based on the political nature of his comments during the hearing, the Republicans were quite vocal in denouncing the hearing as the ‘biggest political sham.’ McConnell even declared in 2016, “One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.’” If it was the Senate’s constitutional right to withhold consent on a nominee back in 2016, why is it a political sham in 2018? After his outburst during the hearing Graham said to Kavanaugh, “if you’re looking for a fair process, you came to the wrong town at the wrong time, my friend.” So by partisan logic, the process is fair when the one party makes the rules, and not when the other does. Both sides are playing games with each other, it’s a tennis match and for a while the ball was in no one’s court, that is until Saturday, October 6th 2018, when Congress voted to confirm Kavanaugh by a 50:48 margin. The last time a vote on a Supreme Court Justice came this close was back in 1991 for Clarence Thomas, with a vote of 52:48. Similarly, Thomas was accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill, who at the time was under Thomas at the Department of Education, and Thomas, like Kavanaugh was confirmed despite the allegations. A huge swing vote for Kavanaugh came from Republican Senator Susan Collins. Collins had multiple women come and share their stories of sexal assult to try and persuade her to vote no on Kavanaugh. According to Time Magazine, one of those women, Amanda O’Brien explained, “It was such a slap in the face. To have a woman senator who said to my face, ‘I understand why women don’t report all the time.’ She’s just going to disregard that and put a potential rapist on the highest court in the land.” Catherine Perreault, another women who spoke to Collins, explained how she was shocked yet, also not surprised. “It’s the constant contradictory message of, ‘Why don’t you speak up?”

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unstable in a high pressure situation and be deemed Supreme Court appropriate, yet women are mocked and ridiculed. It’s infuriating to watch someone who clearly can’t contain their emotions get appointed to a job, where that is a main qualification. But it’s even more ridiculous knowing that he gets a pass, while a woman wouldn’t have even been able to begin her opening statements without being scorned. To further that, Kavanaugh is allowed to be indignant towards the process without a blink, yet people expressing refusal towards his confirmation must be paid actors, and are told they should ‘grow up’- to quote our President. It’s disheartening to be told over and over again that you don’t matter. I would love to hear of one occasion where a

Al l

But even when you do speak up it doesn’t matter.”

The polarization present in recent events has demonstrated the abandonment and twisting of morals as well as ethical behavior happening in Congress. Partisan views are controlling individuals. Our Congress proved last week that having a conservative leaning Supreme Court is more important than respect and safety of women everywhere. Maybe you don’t believe Dr Ford, but there are other allegations. Let’s say you don’t believe any of the women, or you don’t care, either way the Supreme Court is supposed to be a nonpartisan court. According to Forbes, more than 2,400 law professors signed a petition stating that “Judge Kavanaugh’s behavior displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court.”

The petition identifies that as a legal fact.

Kavanaugh took a very aggressive and confrontational stance, which according to societal norms, if he was a women would have instantly deemed him ‘too emotional and unfit.’ Kavanaugh even went as far as to say, “what goes around comes around,” while addressing the Judiciary Committee. But none of that mattered to our Republican controlled Congress. They wanted an, “ardent Republican who could tip the balance of the court for perhaps a generation,” and that’s exactly what they got. But now they have also questioned the character and perhaps authenticity of the Supreme Court. The Senate, in theory, has damaged its reputation. In reality though, just like Kavanaugh the Senate will be fine.

It isn’t about the allegations, the problem is with the hypocrisy that is present between the majority and the minorities in America. Our President, who said on video tape, “grab em’ by the pussy” claims that it is a dangerous time for men, and that Kavanaugh’s life is ruined. Can being accused of sexual assault, then being appointed to the highest court of law, really be equated to one’s life being ruined? On top of that, there’s the issue of Kavanaugh’s approach to his hearing. The hearing was simply that, a hearing - there were no legal consequences to anything he did or didn’t do. Yet, he came in swinging. The judiciary committee was simply asking questions and his response was to be outraged and blame Democrats. After Kavanaugh’s emotional outburst at the hearing, President Trump tweeted, “Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him.”

So men are allowed to be emotionally

white male was told they or their opinions didn’t matter. So you can dismiss me as an emotional female, but then you’d have to hold Kavanaugh accountable for his emotions as well, or maybe you don’t, and there lies the rub. //

Theater Class Takes the Stage With a new instructor, theater class has returned to Central.

by Lauren Stallman Staff Writer After disappearing last year, Theater is back and gaining in popularity as an elective choice at Central High School. The class hasn’t been a real solid elective choice in the recent past and last year it wasn’t an option at all. This year, however, there are two sections, Introduction to Theater 1st semester and Play Production 2nd semester. With 32 students enrolled in the class this semester, the decision to bring it back would appear to be appropriate.

With the return of theater class comes instructor Kathryn Polus, a new CHS staff member. Polus is very excited to see students have lots of fun in the class and express themselves, “each day I want the students to leave the class with a feeling of comfort . . . knowing that they can speak their minds, express themselves.

Kind of get into a character and not be judged for that; be able to explore new ideas and new empathy for others based on those characters.”

Madison Wables ’22 likes Polus’ approach to the class, “I feel like it is really fun and open.

14 // BGQ // November 2018

You can basically just be who you want to be.

It is a really good time and you can just express yourself.”

Wables, as well as others who share a passion for acting, see the class as a stepping stone for the future. This opens up a whole new set of options for a lot of students as they decide what direction to go after high school. Wables isn’t the only one who has been looking forward to this class. Jeremy Alspaugh ’19 has also been excited about it. He believes that it adds to the environment at Central and hopes that it is here to stay, “It adds more of a community. There’s the football people, they have their own community. Choir has their own community. But now we have a theatre community, and they can clash with choir and we can do something very special with that.” Alspaugh, who participates in both theater class and school musicals, is hoping to study musical performance in college.

He thought theatre would fall into that category and is happy to see it around. Students with a

joy for acting could use this class as a platform possibly to start a career.

Although our school does not have a fully developed theater program yet, with so many enjoying the class, it could evolve quickly.

Students, staff and parents will soon be able to enjoy more than the musical, with the promise of theater events in the near future. Polus also mentioned that the class may put on some sort of talent show in the fall and a play this spring.

This would create awareness of the class and in turn, bring more people to the class. It could really showcase the creativity of Central students in a way that has not been seen for awhile. The BGQ hopes there will be many future curtain calls for the renewed theater program at Central High School. //

Graphic: T. VerVane All Photos: M. Bak

A Dramatic Twist Two of Traverse City’s high school rivals go head to head in this years musical

by Madison Marshall Staff Writer The Central vs West rivalry has never been so dramatic. This year Central High School and West High School will both be performing the musical Newsies.The drama started last year during Central’s musical season performing Les Misérables. West was in the midst of performing Legally Blonde. When the directors for both Central and West heard about Newsies, a musical about a publisher who sets new rules making it harder for young newspaper salesmen to make a living, they rushed to purchase the rights. Tamara Williams, Central’s Choir Director, and Erich Wangeman, West’s Music Director, had to go through a lengthy process to purchase this musical. Musicals are not cheap according to Williams, “We go through a company called Musical Theater Interactional (MIT) and I have an account so I go to that account and I purchase the royalty. I fill out a huge contract and every year it costs about $10,000 to purchase the royalties to do the

show.”

There seems to be a lot more at stake with this musical. Both schools have high expectations, and both hope to do better than their rival.

Which school will perform the better musical or which school has an advantage, these are questions being posed on both sides of town.

Maggi Kernan claims that Central is a “force to be reckoned with” and that Central’s students are pressured to meet the standards that other people set for them. “We need to keep meeting up to the standards that people put on us because last year everyone loved Les Misérables.”

Kernan is apart of the CHS Newsies cast. She plays one of the main newsies, Jojo.

Both casts, Central and West, want to put on a good show. With that in mind, what really matters is the show, not the rivalry. “Personally I am excited to do the same show,” claims WSH student Bella Willis ‘21. “It’s gives the performers an extra push to do their best and

work hard because each school wants to have the better show.” Minda Nyquist, West’s Theater Director, stated that, “I know many students at Central, and have worked with Mrs. Williams in the past, and I know how much she and her students care about putting on the best show and being the best they can be. We have that in common!”

Both schools are taking different approaches, including purchasing and performing the musical. With this said each musical will have its own unique cast and overall execution. The fact that both schools are doing the same musical may put pressure on everyone but in the end it all comes down to having fun and putting on a good show! //

Quarterly Showcase Photographer: Abigail Vannatter 16 // BGQ // November 2018

Kayaking into Central Meet the new assistant principal; skills include kayaking and fending off spider monkeys

by LIA COOK Staff Writer

18 // BGQ // November 2018

The start of a new school year would not be complete without changes, especially with the implementation of the new cell phone policy and major additions to the administrative staff.

Mr. Stevenson will be joining the Central High School community as the new Athletic Director and Assistant Principal on October 29. He has over twenty-two years of experience as a teacher and administrator, being the former Director of Athletics for Lakeview School District in Battle Creek.

Another person who has stepped into a leadership position is Mr. Nathanael Kepler, who is now the Assistant Principal in F-Building. He taught science at Grand Haven Public Schools and has been at several different schools in Brooklyn, New York and Bellingham, Washington. Mr. Kepler is very excited to be working with both the administrative staff and the students. What follows is an interview with Kepler, in which he shares his experiences and elements about his life.

Photo: courtesy of N. Kepler

Mr. Kepler with his wife, Kat and children Ella, 2 and Finn, 4.

LC: Why did you accept the position as Assistant Principal at Central?

NK: I’ve been teaching for ten years and... before Grand Haven, I was teaching out west in Washington State. When I was out west I really started to gain a passion of really trying to support students beyond my classroom, so I started to do some admin roles at that school, specifically looking at behavior and really helping kids and understand what it’s like to be a part of a society or community and the school and the culture, and really try to create the most positive experience for them.

LC: What is one major goal that you hope to accomplish during this school year?

NK: Being a new administrator to this school and new to this area, one of my biggest goals is to try and see where my strengths can fit in the best. So my goal this year is to do the best I can to continue what they’ve already started and give that one-on-one attention to kids- not just for negative but positive behavior.

LC: What are some of your hobbies?

NK: Anything outside. I was a kayak guide for years. I was a kayak guide in Costa Rica and out west in the San Juan Islands. I worked in Aspen as a ski lift operator. I’ve done a little mountaineering, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, biking, mountain biking, running, paddle boarding. My first degree, my bachelor’s degree, was in environmental education, so that’s what I do for passion.

LC: What is one fun or interesting fact about yourself?

NK: I was a kayak guide, a sea kayak guide.

So we would take people out for like six or seven days and put everything in our boats and just have adventures out west in the San Juan islands and see all kinds of wildlife and orcas. In Costa Rica we ran that same company’s branch. One thing that students usually get excited about is when I was a kayak guide in Costa Rica and I was attacked by a spider monkey. We were on this one little tiny island. There was a nature reserve nearby and they were trying to bring back the population of spider monkeys. So we would land there for lunch and bring out all the guest and these spider monkeys surrounded us. My wife got all the guests out and I was trying to lead the monkeys away.

LC: How did you get involved with being a kayak guide?

NK: My initial involvement with guiding was driven by a passion to work outside doing something I thought I would love. I had no prior experience, but I went to my interview and they saw potential. I loved every minute of it and got the opportunity to run their Costa Rica branch. That also turned into a paid internship and counted for college credit..

LC: Do you have any children?

NK: I have two kids. My daughter is two and my son is four and a half. We had a half birthday because his birthday is in January so in the summer we got together all of his friends and had a half birthday, which was super cute. My son’s name is Finn and my daughter’s name is Ella.

LC: What was your experience moving from Grand Haven to Traverse City? Was it difficult?

NK: My experience moving to Traverse from Grand Haven was quick and I am still in the process of moving. It was less stressful than it could have been due to the amazing support from my old school district and from the support of the wonderful CHS team. My family and I are extremely excited to live in the Traverse area. Myself and my family thrive on outdoor activities and are excited to dive into all that Traverse has to offer. I have lived in many different places and Traverse City is where I am choosing to raise my family.

The outdoor recreation possibilities and the warmth of the people make us excited to call Traverse City home.

LC: Have you done a lot of traveling either within the U.S. or outside of the U.S.?

NK: I have traveled some outside of the U.S., but have spent most of my time traveling and living in many different parts of the North America. I did seasonal work for a number of years working in places like Yellowstone National Park and Aspen, Colorado. I have taken several multimonth long trips around the U.S. and having wonderful experiences like hiking the southern rim of the Grand Canyon to summiting mountain peaks in the Cascades and Rockies. //

identityin Mr. McGurn

traverse city “I would consider my students to be the most inspirational impact for me. They inspire me to continually push myself and improve what I do. They inspire each other either positively or negatively, and I think there’s something extremely powerful about the teenage mind, how they’re looking at the world, them trying to make sense of things, and trying to find out their place is all very inspirational.”

Ms. Polus

Mrs. Howe

All Photos: M. Bak

“Although I can seem kind of strict at times my main goal, as a teacher, is to be able to make good connections with students and to make sure that everybody’s comfortable and happy. I’m there 100% for everybody that comes into my room.”

20 // BGQ // November 2018

“In school I’m happiest with my students when they’re engaged and wanting to be successful or when students and I have ‘ah ha’ moments either in our personal relationship or in the classroom content, those are the happiest moments in school for me.”

SEA what’s going on What are these foreign objects near the cafeteria, you ask? What do they have to do with SEA Club?

by AVA EDWARDS Staff Writer Since its initial celebration in electricity.” Simply put, the sun 1970, Earth Day has been celputs out light (photons), and ebrated by millions of people. the photovoltaic cells in the Today it is celebrated in 135 solar panels catch that energy. countries. It is fair to say that, Reed simplified, “They catch in 2018, people worldwide are sunlight that would be hitting more environmentally aware the ground otherwise.” than ever before. However, Solar panels are environmenprior to the 1970s, while people tally helpful because they do cared deeply about the envinot create pollution the way Photo: A. Vannatter ronment, there were no govother forms of energy do. For Solar pannels in Central’s courtyard. ernment aids or laws enacted example, fossil fuels (natural to help the Earth. Now, forty-eight years later, we have legislation gas, oil, coal) are composed of dead animals and plants. They consuch as the Clean Air Act, people are recycling, and thousands of tain fossilized carbon dioxide and, when burned, release a lot of it environmental advocacy groups have formed in the United States into the air. Carbon dioxide is the world’s leading contributor to and across the globe. With people becoming increasingly aware of global warming. It is considered a greenhouse gas, which means global warming and its effects on the environment, more and more they trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, thus increasing global of them are starting to use progressingly environmentally friendly warming. Since solar panels do not let off any emissions, they can sources of energy. Energy from solar, geothermal or wind sources: lessen the amount of pollution that would be made otherwise. renewable energy sources that do not pollute the environment as The point of the solar panels is to create energy for the school. much as non-renewable resources like coal. Thanks to the efforts CHS uses a lot of energy, with all the lights, computers and heatof the Students Environmental Advocacy (SEA) Club, CHS has ing and cooling. However, the solar panels themselves do not make joined this green energy trend with the installation of large solar enough energy to keep up with the school’s consumption. Durpanels on campus. ing the winter, the amount of sunlight we have decreases and the Depending on their agenda, SEA Club meets every Thursday amount of clouds increase, which brings into question the effecmorning before school in Mrs. Paul’s classroom, C-183. To join, tiveness of the solar panels, particularly here in Northern Michiall you need to do is show up. The concept of having solar panels gan. When the panels are covered with snow, their performance is at CHS has been a goal of SEA Club for a while. Since the concep- compromised. “The solar panels will be helping the school primartion of this idea, they have been meeting with the school board and ily through presenting an education opportunity,” Reed said. SEA talking with various school administrators and officials, including Club hopes that the solar panels will inspire the school to be more CHS Principal Jessie Houghton, about how they were going to have environmentally aware of itself. them built. Aidan Reed ‘19, one of the club leaders, said, “We were The 50th anniversary of Earth Day will be celebrated in 191 counable to meet with her, and she helped us out. She showed us what tries this year. When comparing the environmental efforts of today hoops we needed to jump through. She helped set everything up to those of the past, it is obvious that more people are aware of so we could talk to the board.” Houghton is a big supporter of SEA impact they have on the environment. There are now entire counClub and their conservation efforts in the school. In total, the solar tries trying their best to decrease their ecological footprint to prepanels cost about $75,000 for delivery and maintenance money. To serve the Earth as long as possible. SEA Club is doing their part to pay for them, SEA Club had help from the school’s annual budget, make Central more environmentally aware and improve the envibut most of the money came from private donors and fundraisers ronment for future generations. Perhaps the best thing about SEA sponsored by the club.

Club is that it is only getting started. Keep a look out for upcoming The process solar panels go through to create energy is actu- battery and recycling drives this year. // ally very simple. Katia Childs ‘19, who also plays a leadership role in the club, described the process, “Solar panels work by allowing photons to knock electrons out of atoms, generating a stream of

Cell Hell Phones are everywhere and they are here to stay, but are they impacting people’s health and habits in negative ways?

by MARIA LINCK Staff Writer

Graphic: T. Vervane

What is a healthy use of phones? This is the question that needs to be asked when dealing with the phenomenon of this technology across America and the rest of the world. According to a 2015 study by the nonprofit organization Common Sense, 67% of teenagers in America have their own smartphones. While this isn’t a problem in and of itself, the way many teenagers use their smartphones does pose a problem. Many teens

22 // BGQ // November 2018

are overusing their phones and there is no clear border between healthy and unhealthy use.

The study found that when excluding phone use for homework, American teens spend an average of six hours and forty minutes daily on their phone. This shows that teens are choosing to use a substantial amount of their free time towards these devices.

“I use my phone probably for about four hours

a day, before and after school and in between classes,” said Ster ling Goodwin ‘21. Goodwin explained that he mostly uses his phone for music, social media, Netflix, and YouTube. Goodwin’s use of his phone is similar to what Common Sense found as the primary use of phones by teens. The study established that music and TV are the most common daily media activities performed by teens, with social media use rising about 35 percent from the tween years ages 8-12. These facts and statistics are a statement to what teens really use their phones for, and how this changes with the years.

“Everyone around you except yourself is so engaged in something that’s not happening with them,” Julia Flynn ‘22 observed. This is not an uncommon observation; foreign language teacher Bryn Lynch at CHS remembers, “...last year on the first day of school I walked into the atrium in F building and there were ten kids, none of them were talking to each other, they were all on their phones and texting other people.”

These situations go to show just how much many people rely on their phones, even when there are people around them they could be talking to. This reliance on phones is sometimes referred to as “nomophobia.” According to the online dictionary, Merriam Webster, nomophobia is the “fear of being without access to a working cell phone.” Advancing the study of nomophobia in teens, YouGov.com, an organization working to provide accurate information about the world and what people really think, conducted a survey about teens and their phones. The survey found that 38% of teens say they couldn’t last a day without their phones, and 71% say that they couldn’t last without their phones for a week. These statistics show that almost one third of American teens are very reliant on their phones, and probably have some form of nomophobia.

In spite of the fact that many teens are very reliant on their phones, it should be understood that smartphones are a desirable way to talk with others, plan and coordinate events, and keep in touch with family and friends. “I think that most kids if their parents are divorced and the kids are in extracurricular activities then they need to coordinate driving and everything with their parents if they don’t have a driver’s license,” stated Flynn. She thinks that phones are a good idea if they are used responsibly, and they are convenient for staying in touch with people.

“I think if we all kept track [of the amount of time] we would be amazed at how much we all use our phones,” said Lynch. Some of the “use” she refers to is people using their phones for planning or keeping in touch. There are many other functions that phones can be used for though,

and not everyone seems to have set a limit on how much time they spend looking at the screen. Lynch thinks that we all overuse our phones, but that 14-15 year olds use them the most. These accumulative hours of daily smartphone usage can impact teens’ sleep cycle, which plays a substantial role in their productivity for the following day.

According to Sleep.org and the National Sleep Foundation, “about 72 percent of children ages six to seventeen sleep with at least one electronic device in their bedroom…” This means that many teenagers choose to sleep with devices such as phones, tablets, or TVs, in their rooms, which can disrupt and negatively impact their sleep for the night. Sleep.org also states that sleeping with an electronic device in your bedroom is a problem because the devices keep people’s brains alert. The blue light from the screens decrease the production of melatonin, which controls your sleep cycle, causing it to be harder to get a good night’s sleep. “I think my phone does interfere with my sleep,” claimed Goodwin, “I’ll be on it way late at night and then I don’t get enough sleep.” Not getting enough sleep doesn’t only impact people’s mornings, making it harder to wake up; it can also have an impact throughout the day at school and extracurricular activities such as sports.

Although phones and technology do negatively impact the sleep cycle of many teens, they can be used positively to track and plan both daily activities and events through calendar apps, and to track fitness through health apps.

Some teenagers do take advantage of these helpful features, but others still choose to buy and use other devices such as a Fitbit or a paper planner. “I use my watch mostly for running,” said Flynn. Goodwin doesn’t use his phone for exercise either, but he does choose to use it for organization. “I use a calendar app on my phone to plan my day out and my week,” explained Goodwin.

Even though there are people that use their phones responsibly and in a healthy way, Lynch thinks America is still on the negative side of the spectrum. “I think we’re all addicted to our phones at this point.” Even though many people are addicted to their phones, they are a critical part of day to day life, and that most likely won’t change. What can change however is how often they’re used and how much they impact everyday life.

As individuals, we carry the control to make a change.

I know that I want to change how much I use my phone, but these devices seem to be everywhere, and it is hard to ignore them. Finding your limits between healthy and unhealthy use is a challenge to take on but it is possible. //

Coming Full Circle Whether they be extracurricular or social, we all are apart of certain circles. At Central, we are all connected by their intertwinings and share a common culture. For this issue, we at the BGQ wanted to highlight the place we all can call a home, the roof we learn and laugh under: the building of Central High School.

Photo: courtesy of Jill K. Sill

24 // BGQ // November 2018

Title: Untitled Artist: McKenna Sandford

the

Gallery

Title: Untitled Artist: Madison Sheldon

a student showcase

Title: Untitled Artist: Sophie Swanker

Title: Metallic Penguin Artist: Katherine Weatherholt

Title: Monotone Motorcycle Artist: Gavin Hanna

Title: Copper and Stone Artist: Anna Ritzer

Title: Untitled Artist: Georgia Walker

Title: Sunflower Still Life Artist: Shya Thayer

Peanut Butter Balls This is one of those “mama’s best” recipes

ingredients 2 cups peanut butter 1 cup powered sugar 1 cup powdered milk *1

In a large bowl, combine all three ingredients (four if you chose to mix in chocolate chips) and mix well with your hands. If mixture is too sticky to handle, add a small ammount of additional powdered milk until a shape holding consistency is reached. Knead for a minute and form into bite size balls. Roll in powdered sugar, coco powder, shaved coconut etc. or drizzle with melted chocolate. Mmmmm.

28 // BGQ // November 2018

cup mini chocolate chips (for mixing in) *chocolate chips (for melting) *shaved coconut *coco powder *optional

FLUFFINESS you need to feel to BELIEVE! SHERPA HAS ARRIVED

Visit gliks.com to find your nearest location

Want to see your work in the BGQ? Send your art, photography, and writing to bgq@tcapsstudent.net

GLIKS.COM

@GLIKSOFFICIAL

MISSION STATEMENT: The Black and Gold Quarterly (BGQ) is Traverse City Central High School’s student-run magazine. Since its conception in 1886, our publication has evolved with the times, frequently changing in style, format, and even name. However, one factor has remained constant—our staff’s desire to capture the story of our community, to challenge the accepted, and to open our minds to perspectives that we hadn’t previously considered through investigation, research, and inquiry.

We are constantly striving to improve our content and artistic elements; after all, the BGQ is a school publication, so educating both ourselves as well as our readers remains one of our primary goals.

MEET Jack Myers

Abigail Vanatter

Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Auger

Sophie Boyce 30 // BGQ // November 2018

the

Editor-in-Chief

McKenna Bak

Joie Baldyga

Paige Conners

Lia Cook

STAFF Ava Edwards

Niklas Fagerman

Sydney Flaherty

Maria Linck

Madison Marshall

Autumn McMillan

Mia Moeggenberg

Richard Mosley

Lauren Stallman

Elizabeth Teesdale

Tori VerVane

All graphics: Tori VerVane

Julia Demusky