Black & Gold Quarterly (BGQ) - November 2022

BGQ BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY

november 2022 // vol. one hundred and two

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

22

8

24

10

26

12

28

14

30

16

31

From Freedom to Football Derailed: The Other Side of the Tracks

Lasting Literature

The Historical Mitten

Peer-2-Peer Positivity

Meet Mr. Derr

18

Changing Works of Good Works Lab

20

Healing from the Inside Out

Psyched for Psych

A Gentle Spring

Cinematic Consciousness

From Canine to Classroom

Sam Speaks

Quarterly Showcase

32

Poetry and the Art of Living

34

Back to Class

6

14

Photo courtesy of: C. Suttle

20 Photo courtesy of: @tccpeertopeer

31 Photo courtesy of: E. Hermel

MISSION STATEMENT

Photo courtesy of: E. Phillips

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.

BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY

NOVEMBER TWO THOUSAND TWENTY TWO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elizabeth Phillips CONTENT EDITORS Eliana Hermel Kristen May Lucy Poppleton PHOTOGRAPHY Bridget Belden Liam Faunce Eliana Hermel Isaiah Johnston Elizabeth Phillips Trinity Stringer Trinity Whiteford GRAPHICS Eliana Hermel Trinity Whiteford STAFF WRITERS Bridget Belden Sam Elkins Liam Faunce Isaiah Johnston Shelbi Merchant Evelyn Nowicki Daniel Schmidt Connor Sherman Trinity Stringer Theresa Tanner Trinity Whiteford COVER Eliana Hermel ADVISER Susan Roskelley

Editor’s Note Before we start every issue, the BGQ staff has what we call a roundtable discussion. I wheel over a whiteboard and pose the question: “What should we write about?” As I stood in front of the whiteboard early September, gazing at many new staffers and a few returners, hands eagerly began to raise. I scribbled incredible new ideas, excited at the potential of many amazing stories. The trend that began to emerge was stories revolving around mental health. In this issue, we put a spin on mental health the BGQ has never done before through fiction. We also take a look at the Good Works Lab, an organization dedicated to improving issues regarding mental health, especially that of youth.

However, during our roundtable, other possibilities came to life as well. Many amazing CHS staff members are highlighted this issue, including fan favorites Mr. Derr and Holly Jo. Mrs. Harvey, Mr. Lantz, and Amy Ream take a blast to the past discussing their own homecoming and school traditions from when they were in high school. Traverse City is also recognized in this issue, with a patriotic piece on the beloved Patriot Game on pg. 6 and a look at some of TC & the rest of the Mitten’s history on pg. 12. Our staffers’ interests are also conveyed through pieces about model trains, literature, film, and poetry.

My hope for this issue is that you as a reader can find yourself in at least one story. There is a part of every staffer of the BGQ within these pages, and we welcome you with open arms to the first quarter edition of the Black and Gold Quarterly.

From the Pub,

Elizabeth Phillips

Send information, advertising, and other inquiries to: Black & Gold Quarterly Central High School 1150 Milliken Drive Traverse City, MI 49686 Phone: (231) 933-6533 Email: roskellesu@tcaps.net 4 // BGQ // November 2022

Quarterly showcase: e. phillips

Graphic Courtesy of: T. Whiteford

Beyond

The

Rivalry

Celebrating freedom and football on and off the field

by Evie Nowicki staff writer

Graphic Courtesy of: E. Hermel

6 // BGQ // November 2022

On one chilly night in the fall, many members of the Traverse City community show up to watch their favorite high school teams play football. My classmates and I crowd around the gate outside of Thirlby Field, trying to get a spot in the Student Section. Our chilly hands push against the metal fence, waiting to get in, leaving a foul metal smell on our fingers. Everyone makes it to the student section, where we are packed shoulder to shoulder to support my favorite things: watching football and supporting our veterans. My heart overflows with joy as the football teams run out of the locker rooms with the veterans on the field. I actually start to tear up while I take in the beautiful moment. Everything is for such an awesome cause, so it makes me proud to be a part of it.

As for the rivalry, this is a battle between Traverse City Central and Traverse City West. One side of town cheers for West, and the other side cheers for Central. Since 2011, Traverse City Area Public Schools has put on the Patriot game, which is truly a night to remember. This year makes it the eleventh year that these rivals have battled in action. However, the Patriot Game is really not about the rivalry, but it’s for our local veterans and first responders who have put forth their lives to fight for our country. To fight for freedom. To fight to play good high school football! With that being said, this game draws over 10,000 people into our stands to honor and support what they have not only done for us, but for our country as a whole.

This night couldn’t be organized without the support from our wonderful local veterans. Daniel Tkach, a retired Coast Guard veteran, has enjoyed attending the Patriot Game since its inception. “I have been going ever since it started, which I think might be [the] tenth or eleventh year now,” Tkach explains. He has a lot of experience with the game and knows quite a lot about how it is run, plus he enjoys the rivalry between Central and West. “I am a huge football fan and mostly a Central fan. I love watching Central play football,” Tkach claims. “I enjoy the Patriot part of the game, but my favorite part is the game itself.”

Who wouldn’t love to watch a high school rivalry go down, knowing that you were the one who made our country free to let that happen?

Tkach has become so invested over the years that the game has been happening. “I still have all of

the shirts, and I hope there’s one this year too,” Tkach mentions. Across the board, the Patriot game brings back lots of feelings and memories to the Veterans. It is important to have these men and women on our field because they’re the ones who made our country a better place to live in.

Without them, this game couldn’t even happen.

“It’s very important. I realize that more now than I did back then: how important it is. I never was stationed in a war, but still keeping the peace at home, too, is important,” he shares.

Despite the community coming to see our hometown heroes, they also come to watch the two rival high schools play football. “It’s really amazing coming out of the locker room and seeing thousands of people watching you play the sport you love,” describes Reed Seabase ‘23, a Captain on the Central Varsity football team. Seabase loves the feeling of the community coming to support him and his team. One side of Thirlby is filled with Central fans and the other side is with West fans, all decked out in red, white, and blue.

“I’m really looking forward to going for a clean sweep and beat[ing] them 4-0,” Central player Anthony Hicks-Pullings ‘23 states. “The main goal is to mop the floor with them.” Though the rivalry is through the players in the game, it is also through the students and staff. “I think the student body is more engaged because it’s the end of the week. We made it to Friday; we made it to game day,” Seabase observes.

Both teams are looking for a win, but they both believe that football is more important than what is between the lines. “Often it is the West game where we see us helping each other up after a play or giving each other a pat on the helmet, so I feel like we’re pretty close,” mentions HicksPullings. Both teams are striving for greatness on the field, but they are both selfless and believe that the game is about celebrating the men and women who have fought for our freedoms. In the end, I truly believe that this game brings our entire community together to enjoy honoring our veterans and watching an exciting football game.

It is truly a blessing to be a part of a school that puts this rewarding game on. I always look forward to this night, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. //

The Other Side Of the Tracks

by Daniel Schmidt staff writer Checking out the wonderful world of model trains in Traverse City Always wanted to be a train engineer but are too young or too old? Wondering if there is a way to be a train engineer from home? Well there is a hobby for that! This is a look into the hobby of model trains. This is a passion. Studies suggest that having a hobby helps alleviate anxiety and depression and enhance cognitive skills such as concentration, visual-motor skills, and executive functions.

So what are you waiting for? Your hobby could save your life!

Model trains have been around since the late 1800s, and by the early 1950s, model trains were the most common toy for anyone. People can pursue model railroading in ways that suit their natural talents and interests. Learning about history through model railroading can be enjoyable. The creation of the benchwork and track layout also provides enthusiasts with the opportunity to pick up practical carpentry and construction skills. When designing and constructing a model railroad, even creative and electrical abilities are used. Northern Michigan Railroad Club (NMRC) member Paul Delange finds that ”When people came to the depot, we knew how much everybody enjoy[ed] seeing

8 // BGQ // November 2022

[the model trains], and I just like showing...everybody what’s available and talking to people about trains. I think that’s a pretty big thing,” Delange notes. “Plus, I have my own layout I’ve spent a lot of time building but talking with other people about trains is probably the most interesting.

When we get to do the train shows, we know a lot of people come in and see the different gauges and different trains and talk.”

Before making any purchases for your model railroad, you must choose its location. You can either pick a genuine place and period, or invent your own ideal world, but either way, your layout needs to be consistent. After deciding the setting of the period, next is scale, which refers to the size of model engines that you have. Some can be big and others can be smaller, depending on how much space you have. When it comes to scenery and detailing your layout with smaller scales, you can build nicer roads, cities, forests, etc. With bigger scales, you might just focus on the track layout first before focusing on the details. Another thing to consider is how you would like to display your model trains and who you might build them with. The biggest issue with model trains is that it’s an expensive hobby. To keep the cost of your model railroad down, you have to consider what matters most to you in the construction. Do you really need so many train cars? “You can spend up to

Graphic Courtesy of: E. Hermel

$2,000 or $2,500 for just the engine and tender that [has] all the bells and whistles on it. Most of the N gauges and Z gauges are getting more expensive, and if you want to buy a good one, you are looking [at] probably 150 to several hundred dollars more for ones that have the sound system. It’s not a cheap hobby if you do it that way,” Delange adds. However, model trains are a staple to any family and through model trains, generations of the family have something to bond over.

What then prompts this association with model trains? Maybe it’s the level of expertise that goes into it. There is probably something in this pastime that you will enjoy, whether your interests are in strategy games, crafts, electronics, gadgets, history, or technology.

Similar to model railroading, the holidays are a time when bonds are made, happy moments are remembered, and enduring memories are created.

While many of us may find this season to be a little unusual, this year may be ideal for bringing out the attic train set and embarking on a brand-new journey with your family. After all, trains are a crucial part of the Christmas season and may be the ideal method to bring your loved ones together.

You never know. A hobby like this is all about the memories it creates. Your children will never forget the quality time you spent with them building your model railroad together. “When I gave away my original set, I gave it to my godson, who was my nephew, and then he turned around years later and he gave it to my son who was his godchild. So that’s how the trains passed down from one to another,” Lee Ewald, a member of

NMRC, reflects.

There are many clubs in the model railroad community, and Traverse City has the NMRC, which was officially founded in 2003 by Dave Walker. The club meets every 1st Saturday of the month. Each year, during the Christmas holidays, the NMRC has a featured exhibit at the Festival of Trains, which is held at First Christian Church. An additional event is held at the Alden Depot in the village of Alden. This event usually takes place starting the second weekend of August.

Model railroading is still an enjoyable hobby for everyone, and the NMRC hopes that kids will still be involved over time “Maybe [the NMRC will] get someone interested in trains,” concludes Delange. //

Lasting Literatu

re

by Bridget Belden

staff writer Graphics Courtesy of: E. Hermel

Students and librarians talk about what it means for a book to be a classic, and the importance of literature within our society Stories have been a part of human history for thousands of years, with the earliest recorded example of writing dating back to 3200 B.C in Ancient Sumeria. Oral stories, though, have been present in culture for much longer, and today, many of those ancient stories are still told and looked upon as great works. An example of this is the Epic of Gilgamesh that was written on clay tablets between 2700 B.C and 2500 B.C. This is still read today, appearing in history classes and being mentioned in other novels. Other examples include books such as 1984 by George Orwell, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, To Kill A Mockingbird

by Harper Lee, and more. To be a classic, books need to have proven the test of time, and though the books of today may not be classics yet, many are on their way to becoming such. These books, commonly referred to as ‘modern classics,’ are treasured by people of all ages. However, what about them makes them so timeless?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines classic as “judged over a long period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.”

Alice Hilner, a library paraprofessional at Central, 10 // BGQ // November 2022

agrees. “A classic is something that is going to be appealing to multi[ple] generations,” claims Hilner. “It’s going to be something relevant in people’s lives, even if it’s not in our time.” Similar to Hilner’s opinion, Kim Wiggins, a reference librarian at the Traverse Area District Library’s (TADL) Woodmere branch, believes that a classic is something that has “a universal message or relatable message that can teach us a lot of lessons.”

For students such as Eleanor Bachert ‘26, the idea of a classic is relatively the same. “Classics are the books that really address issues that are important in our society and can…capture the essence of humanity,” informs Bachert. Nevertheless, one must pose the question as to what those values are and how they differ from book to book.

Together, the mechanics of a classic remain universally the same, and though they’re valuable on a wide scale, classics are also relevant on a smaller level. Yet, the concept of important ideas and opinions have not stayed universally the same, with societal acceptance and cultural norms changing constantly. “As time goes on,” observes Hilner, “some of the things that stu-

dents read in classics…aren’t going to be relatable anymore.” Due to these conflicting opinions of the past, many books have become controversial, and classics of today and the past are being banned due to the sensitive topics they address.

With the controversy of books, society has to consider the allowance of classics to circulate, even if they are outdated or bring up radical opinions. In this case, many people believe that all books should remain unbanned, because no matter the controversy, people have a right to learn about the challenging aspects of past and present societies and how they have changed for better or worse. “[Books are] written for people to see, and trying to hide that from people, or getting rid of it is burying somebody’s opinion and somebody’s story,” Bachert attests.

Wiggins also raised the problematic nature of banning books, and why it happens. “Things like On the Come Up or Gender Queer…are books that are banned or challenged because they are impactful, and if they’re impactful, generally they’re going to be a classic.” She argues that with banning a book, one is holding back impactful topics and ideas from society that could change someone’s perspective. “I see the value in reading something that’s out of date,” remarks Wiggins, recognizing that past fiction can serve as a learning tool for what events and ideas shouldn’t be kept or repeated. With future classics of today, many are banned for bringing up ideas that are currently being put forward, like racial injustice and LGBTQIA+ acceptance.

Literature serves as an outlet for people to ex-

press their opinions on topics, no matter how controversial they are, and also serves as a way to be seen. “Even when you’re reading fiction, you can learn,” states Hilner, “because there’s…always truth to fiction.”

Today, there are thousands of authors working to create the next great book. Hilner brings up books like Educated, All the Light We Cannot See, and The Song of Achilles. Bachert suggested books relating to this generation’s values in acceptance, such as The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Wonder by R.J. Palacio. “[These books have] to do with this idea of being different, which I think is something that in recent years has become more accepted,” Bachert addresses.

It’s important to find value in the commonality of books that can unite everyone. “[Books are] accessible to everyone.…

They’re not something that has to be hung up and just viewed by the few or…in someone’s house,” acknowledges Hilner. Furthermore, Wiggins promotes the value in literature as something to work off of. “[Literature] gives us…a guide or an atlas, but we don’t have to keep it, and we can color it in anytime and just scribble the heck over it or rip pages out or tape our own in,” accredits Wiggins. “[It] lets us [not only] take in the information but also give it back….[Literature is] something to either build on or fight against.” //

“[Literature] gives us…a guide or an atlas, but we don’t have to keep it, and we can color it in anytime and just scribble the heck over it or rip pages out or tape our own in.”

The Historical Mitten A deep dive into the history and treasures of Michigan

by Isaiah Johnston staff writer

Graphic Courtesy of: E. Hermel

In today’s world, people — particularly students — don’t recognize how the events and tragedies of the past have affected the present day.

For example, many don’t realize that the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald wasn’t just the largest ship to go down but also proved that the laws of shipping and company rules had to be adjusted. Because of the incident, safety precautions are now required for companies. Let’s explore Michigan history and the impact it had on our present state.

12 // BGQ // November 2022

Probably the most notable event in Michigan history is the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. A bulk carrier built in 1958 by Great Lakes Engineering Works, the Fitzgerald was 729 feet long. It was the largest ship on the Great Lakes in her time until the thousand footers came along in the late 1960s and early 70s. The Fitzgerald was capable of handling more iron ore than any other ship during that time period and repeatedly broke records for 17 years on largest load carried and fastest delivery until her sinking on Novem-

ber 10th, 1975 on Lake Superior off the coast of Whitefish Point. At the time, the radar and lighthouse were unoperational due to a storm knocking out power. The Fitzgerald was only 17 miles away when it went down with no cry for help.

Due to this incident, safety measures in boats and shipping companies have been improved for the safety of the crew and the ship. With ships built larger and designs being improved, the chance of a ship sinking on the Great Lakes is now extremely low, but still possible.

Michigan also made significant contributions to the United States and their allies in order to win the Second World War. At the outbreak of WWII, people first thought that training American pilots on Lake Michigan would be a bad idea, considering the cost of money and competing companies. But after the Japanese bombings of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. considered the fact that German submarines were now patrolling the Atlantic Ocean, and the Japanese were patrolling the Pacific Ocean. Training American pilots on the Great Lakes suddenly made a lot of sense; however, it took awhile to get this idea off the ground. “The US Navy purchased the ships and outfitted them in 1942,” Amy Barritt, a librarian and historian at Traverse Area District Library, explains. “They didn’t get the program running until 1943. By 1945, the war was over.’’ The Greater Buffalo and the Seeandbee ships were renamed the Wolverine and Sable, and were converted into small carriers. Unlike regular Navy carriers, the Wolverine and Sable had no armament of any kind, whilst other carriers had small main guns and AA cannons. They were also half the size of regular US carriers of that time, but they served their purpose and trained their pilots out on the Great Lakes. Of course, training was still dangerous even though German and Japanese submarines couldn’t touch the carriers. The pilots sometimes crashed in the lakes, crashed-landed on carriers, or skidded across the carrier decks.

Despite hundreds of aircraft falling into the freshwater seas, only eight men died during training on the Wolverine and Sable. One famous pilot that qualified from the Sable and Wolverine was

future president George H.W. Bush. Other pilots helped sink the world’s largest battleship: the IJN Yamato of the imperial Japanese navy. Pilots being trained in Michigan impacted not just the state, but the entire country and the Allied powers throughout WWII. This was critical in not just winning the largest, deadliest war, but also in the defense of our nation and our allies.

Many people have crossed the Mackinac Bridge to head to the U.P., but it wasn’t always like this. “Back then, before the Mackinac Bridge, they would have to ferry cars across the straits.

And it took a long, long, long time to ferry cars across,” says Ben Ludka, a history teacher at Central. “And I think when they did that, for the time period, it was a huge feat because they didn’t have all the technology that we have to build bridges now. It opened up so much for both our state and [the] Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula,” not to mention all the work and effort from the 3,500 workers who built the country’s largest bridge. It took up to 48 months to complete the bridge, but with it came with the unfortunate cost of the lives of five men. The bridge today is not only still active but also stands as a reminder of our country and our state’s industrial might.

And now for something closer to home: Traverse City, which has been around since 1847, but not many people know about Traverse City’s origin story at all. ”Hannah and Lay Lumber Company from Chicago actually came over and were the first people to settle in what is now Traverse City,” Ludka explains. “The land was surveyed by a guy named Boardman, and that’s where we get the Boardman river from.’’ Michigan also used to be full of white pines, which is why lumber companies were such a big thing for Michigan in that time, especially up north like Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and places in the U.P. like Marquette and Wexford County.

If we as people forget our own history, we would always be wondering where we came from, never knowing how. It’s important to know who we are and learn from the mistakes of our past, even in Michigan. //

Peer-to-peer positivity

by Connor Sherman & Samuel Elkins staff writers

Central’s own Peer to Peer program helps all students craft connections

In the fall of 1975, President Gerald Ford officially signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. In doing so, the act provided education for children with a disability and allowed them into public schooling. The bill also stated that each public school needed programs or classes to meet the needs of each individual student, regardless of disability or handicap. Just 47 years later, a program titled “Peer to Peer” was specifically designed to provide support for students with special needs.

According to the Autism Alliance of Michigan, Peer to Peer is defined as a “volunteer program linking general education students with students who have disabilities in order to support them throughout the school day.” Peer to Peer has many different underlying forms, such as “Lunch Buddies,” “Peer Tutoring” and “TIES,” which are all different variants with the same concept. Peer to Peer was created in 2015 by a non-profit organization called Bringchange2mind, created in 2010 by activist Glen Close, a co-founder. She co-founded the organization after her sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. While these programs were taking off, Central’s own Peer to Peer program was also finding its start.

Special Education teacher Renee Leiter came to Central in 2012 and started the program in 2014. “This started out of Grand Valley State [University]; it’s their project. So the official term is the ‘Link’ program, linking general ed students up to students who have disabilities and providing a mentorship to help them academically and socially,” Leiter states. “The main goal is just to provide people [with a way] to be a friend. In the beginning, I had different goals, but I’ve narrowed it down to peers and mentors being friends and building a school community.”

There have been many setbacks over the past few years with the Peer to Peer program, but they have come back stronger at the start 14 // BGQ // November 2022

of the new school year. “During Covid and during lockdowns, the program had a tough time continuing, but now we are back and things are normal again. We are going to [focus on] making sure students with disabilities are included in the school community and making them feel like they belong here. That’s my ultimate goal,” Leiter says. On a regular school day, the mentors are all brought together and assigned peers. “They’re paired up with someone to work with and walk and talk throughout the building,” Leiter explains.

After getting acquainted, peers and mentors work on academics, but after work comes free choice activities like games or anything fun. Every Friday, they go to one of the gyms when it’s not in use and play games like dodgeball or basketball.

Ella Kirkwood ‘24, a mentor in the Peer to Peer program, enjoys getting to know students she’s never met before. “I was really interested in being able to be a friend to some of the students in our school that maybe I don’t really interact with in my classes, but I just really think it’s great that Peer to Peer can [help us] be friends with our peers,” she comments.

Leiter hopes that what students learn in Peer to Peer will help them later in life, not just at Central. “I think my favorite thing about the program is watching the mentors develop over the years and seeing them go into something like a helping profession [such as] teaching, sociology, or social work where they are in a helping role or seeing those friendships beyond the classroom,” Leiter concludes. “What I’m hoping is that when they’re walking down the hallway or they’re in your PE or art class that they’re not afraid to feel like they’re just another classmate [and] feel like they belong at Central. Hopefully they can feel like they can go to a dance or go to a basketball game and see people that they know and feel included.” //

Photos courtesy of: @tccpeertopeer

New Teacher Boatload

Our newest teacher, Brett Derr, gives Central an insight into his life beyond teaching

by Theresa Tanner & Kristen May staff writer & content editor

Before he started teaching at Central, Brett Derr was a boat captain. “I was in charge of hiring and training the crew,” he explains. Being a captain is a lot similar to being a teacher because you are telling your crew what to do and how to do it. You have to make sure everyone is doing their job correctly and efficiently and then help them where it’s needed if they don’t know how to do a certain task. Working on a boat comes with many responsibilities. There’s always a chance of getting hurt if you aren’t constantly aware of your surroundings. “You have to learn as much as you possibly can…not only to get a better job but also to be safe.…Everything’s safety sensitive on a big boat like that,” Derr states. There’s also many different types of challenges you have to overcome when working on a boat. Derr acknowledges that “You start as a [part of] deck crew. You don’t start as a captain. No matter what you do, you never start as a captain. They call that…working your way up the chain, working your way up the ladder.” While there are lots of dangerous and nervewracking experiences one has to deal with while working in a boat, Derr has found that it’s also extremely rewarding. “It’s just beautiful, open, crystal-clear, gorgeous water,” Derr reflects.

Eventually, Derr decided to make teaching his full time job, but it wasn’t easy. He subbed for TCAPS for about seven years, and he taught all grade levels from kindergarten to high school.

Many students even remember him from when they were in elementary school. “There are students that come up to me [that I remember from elementary school]…that are students currently in my classes now,” Derr remarks. “It’s pretty fun to see that transformation. They’ll be like, ‘Hey, 16 // BGQ // November 2022

Mr. Derr, do you remember me from this class?’

I’m like, ‘I do remember you!’” Derr loves what he does because he likes to see students excel in other subjects they are passionate about. “You see the same student, but in different areas, and really getting to see where those students shine, where their passions lie is really fun because that’s not something you get to see every day,” Derr explains.

When he’s not teaching, he likes to go hiking and spend time with his family. “I have a two year old son. My wife and my son, Hudson, and I, we have a dog [and] we hike a lot. We’re outdoors all the time,” Derr shares. Hiking isn’t the only hobby Derr enjoys. He’s also very passionate about his music, too. “I’ve always taken a guitar with me whenever I travel, and that guitar that I played was my second guitar, and I bought that in seventh grade,” he recalls. “That’s been a fun, fun skill to have.” He’s been playing guitar since sixth grade and started playing in a band in seventh grade. However, his musical career didn’t end in school. He’s continued to play guitar into adulthood and has even performed at Central. When asked if he had any hidden talents, Derr became quite secretive. “Nope. Nope. Maybe there is, but maybe there isn’t. [Lisa] Johnson, as soon as she finds out, she’s gonna make me do them,” Derr laughs. “So maybe there [are]. I’m not going to say that there isn’t, but we’re not gonna tell anybody about it.”

Derr shows Central that there are many different sides to being a teacher that students might not know about. One can only wonder what other kinds of secrets the teachers at Central are hiding... //

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Photos Courtesy of: J. Williams

Changing Works of Good works lab

by Kristen May content editor

18 // BGQ // November 2022

The Good Works Lab’s staff is changing lives with their new program

Mental health has been a struggle for many years. It’s painful to watch someone you love struggle, and it’s a horrible experience when you find yourself having to face the monster head on.

However, there is one group in Traverse City that is determined to defeat this mighty beast. The Good Works Lab is involved in many different projects all around Traverse City. They strive to make Traverse City a safer and healthier place by establishing programs the public can become involved in and putting on presentations to spread awareness about certain issues. “The Good Works Lab is an experiment [that’s] trying to help those complex community problems in Northern Michigan,” Ty Schmidt, the founder, describes. Their mission is to “impart positive change in our community in a science based and community based way,” as stated

by Jessie Williams, a member of the leadership team for We Fight and the Public Relations specialist for the Good Works Lab. Even though the Good Works Lab is a new organization, they are working hard every day to fulfill their goals.

There are many different aspects of the Good Works Lab, but one is their involvement in youth mental health. Schmidt remarks that, “[The Good Works Lab] formed a self organizing method called “We Fight”, a network of people with one agenda, and that’s to help youth mental health.”

The Good Works Lab is focused on creating a more safe and open environment where people can feel comfortable talking about mental health, and it isn’t such a scary and foreign concept.

Schmidt also has big goals for the Good Works Lab. “In ten years, I hope that we have learned much and then use that learning to do better and have that mindset that anything is possible,” Schmidt comments.

Have you ever struggled with anxiety? Ever been up late, studying, and felt that familiar feeling sinking in? Well, the Good Works Lab is trying to change that by creating the We Fight network.

According to the Good Works Lab website, the purpose of the We Fight program is “to better protect our Northern Michigan kids’ mental health,

together.” In order to improve mental health, everyone in Traverse City needs to work together.

Becoming aware of the challenges of mental health can make it easier to talk to others, whether you’re someone who’s struggling or someone who is concerned for a family member or friend. Williams has found that “We Fight really increased people’s comfort level about talking about mental health issues in the community….I think for myself, I have a lot easier time having conversations about mental health.” Mental health is a very common issue. Whether someone suffers from depression or anxiety or both, they still need to talk to someone and figure out a plan for how to proceed. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “mental illnesses are common in the United States.

Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness.” The Good Works Lab is working to reduce that number and increase the happiness levels of the public.

Schmidt wishes to expand the Good Works Lab and connect it more with other aspects of Traverse City. Part of his plan involves TCAPS and how the program is going to be connected to the schools.

The Good Works Lab is already working with several schools to promote mental health issues and spread awareness. One of their events is showing a documentary called Do It For Daniel. Williams explains that “it’s [a] screening...about a family coping with the loss of their son Daniel, who was an amazing young man who died by suicide.” The Good Works Lab has shown this at several schools already and their goal is “to reduce the stigma about mental health,” Williams continues.

The Good Works Lab has already contributed so much to the health and well being of Traverse City in the short time the program has been around, and hopefully they will accomplish much as the program continues to grow. No one should be afraid to speak up if they’re struggling with mental health issues, and everyone should have access to resources, like the Good Works Lab, that can help them overcome their struggles. It’s a necessity. //

Healing from the Inside Out

by Eliana Hermel feature editor

Everyone has a unique mind that comes with their own individual experiences. Different therapists from around TC give insight as to how various treatments can benefit one’s healing process

During the mid to late 1800s, the idea of women talking about their abuse began to gain traction. Women would gather together and talk about their mental health and the way they were being treated by their husbands. This was monumental, due to the fact that women weren’t really supposed to talk about anything negative whatsoever. “As soon as that started happening, researchers and doctors started to take notice.

Then you started to see diagnoses of hysteria,” expresses Allison Wilson, a therapist who works for Roots Counseling & Consultation. “[Everything] was mostly focused on women,” Wilson mentions. “Men, for the most part, [were] not socialized to talk about their feelings or emotions other than anger.” As our society continues to advocate for everyone’s mental health and the treatment of trauma, we are also trying to normalize the idea of therapy. And no, it isn’t just laying on a psychiatrist’s couch like they do in the movies.

Elizabeth Carrillo is a Clinical Director at the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC). Before overseeing other therapists, she was once a therapist herself. While being in the psychological field, she has learned of a few different ways that a person can be treated. If a patient has gone through trauma, the healing process can look dif-

20 // BGQ // November 2022

ferent for everyone. These varying options allow the patient to work through their obstacles. Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is described by Carrillo as “bilateral stimulation.”

It could be something as simple as the patient watching their therapist’s finger move back and forth, or having the therapist tap their legs. Essentially, EMDR needs a constant rhythm to allow the patient to reach deep into their memory. “It is based on a principle that when you work purposefully to connect the left and right sides of the brain, they communicate more easily and you end up processing things that might have been stuck,” Carrillo explains. Along with the additional help of processing trauma, EMDR can also help a person to regain control of their fear and PTSD. “Let’s say you’re chased by a bear in the woods.

Every time you see an animal move, all you can see is a bear, even if [it] really isn’t,” Wilson illustrates. “EMDR has a way of helping you [through that]. [It helps you realize that], ‘a bear chased me in the woods, but I’m okay now. I’m still going to go into the woods and I’m still going to be safe.’”

Therapists use this method because it easily molds the brain into a state of peace. It allows people with trauma to accept their past and heal.

A lesser-known way of therapy has increas-

Photo Courtesy of: E. Hermel

ingly become popular over the previous years.

This form of treatment is called Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). EAP involves a horse and a human bonding together in an open pasture.

Jan Stump is a Clinical Director at Peace Ranch, an organization that provides this form of psychotherapy. “Sometimes [people] come here as a last resort,” Stump points out. “They’re looking for something where they’re going to be able to experience a change [or to] implement a change.”

Typical therapy works, but it doesn’t for everyone.

No matter the reason, EAP has been found to be best for introverts, people who don’t want to talk, people who want change in their lives, or it could be for people who just like being outside. “[It’s] a very sensory-rich environment for people,” Stump affirms. “It typically has a calming effect on the nervous system. We also move a lot, and rhythmic movement is very good for healing.” Along with the beautiful backdrop, the ranch itself is a very open area. The horses are not kept in barns, but are allowed to roam freely in enclosed pastures. “We don’t want them to be performing in any way. We want that really unique relationship between that particular human and that particular horse,” Stump admits. “We want that authentic response.” The therapy also goes two ways. When

a client first arrives at the ranch, they will begin to bond with a particular horse. This connection will build up over time, which helps both the human and the horse with future relationships. “Then they translate [these skills] to their real lives,” Wilson remarks. With the help of this kind-hearted animal, many people have been able to change their lives for the better.

These are not the only forms of therapy, of course. There are various ways of finding help.

Sometimes the same therapist is licensed in different methods of treatment. Other times, a person will need to go to a unique place, like Peace Ranch. No matter where you find yourself seeking help, it is important that you do if you deem it necessary. Everyone goes through life and its trials. Everyone deserves to feel free and happy again. Everyone deserves a good life. //

by Trinity Whiteford staff writer

Psyched For Psych

School brings a lot of stress and eventually takes a toll on the brain, leaving some students with mental health problems. Therapy and medication are both tried and true ways to help with these issues, but what about preventatives? And, as high schoolers, there are not many ways you can learn about them without doing your own research. Fortunately, at Central, we now offer Intro to Psychology and AP Psychology classes, taught

by Kristina Brunink. Although it may be a hefty amount of work, both of the classes go into great detail about the history of psychology as well as the brain — Brunink’s favorite topic. “Everyone’s curious about themselves, but I love teaching about the brain and have students gradually get closer to understanding what their brain is made of and how it works,” Brunink shares. “Then [they can] understand how they can explain and then control some of their own thoughts and behaviors.” It can get a little boring when it comes to the historical aspect of the class, however. “Some of the historical stuff is a little less fun to teach because it’s super weird and freudian, but I think it’s important to still understand where other generations’ explanations of human behavior come from,” she notes.

Students tend to gravitate towards classes like

Intro to Psych and AP Psych with hopes of learning more about the brain and how it functions because of personal connections, and others take the AP course for the college credit. Although Scout Russell 23’ didn’t have background on psychology or the brain beforehand, she still believes that you don’t need a background on psych to pick up the class. “I found that I’ve learned everything that I need to know so far in the class. There’s not a whole lot of pre-work required or anything,” Russell acknowledges.

That being said, Russell’s mom happens to be a therapist, so conversations about mental health and stress are totally normal in their dynamic. Her reasoning for taking the class to learn more about mental health has become a bonding experience between her and her mom. “It was sort of a natural course of action, just so I can talk to my mom more about it.

And so I know a lot more about mental health,” she adds. Russell mentions how society has begun to adapt to the changes of mental health, and awareness is more prevalent than ever. “I think there’s just been sort of a societal push to be more aware of mental health, and I think that’s a great thing,” Russell remarks. “I think that that’s bringing about a lot of positive change…so that people can bring about

“Everyone’s curious about themselves, but I love teaching about the brain and have students gradually get closer to understanding what their brain is made of and how it works,”

22 // BGQ // November 2022

Clearing the stigma around psychology

Photo Courtesy of: T. Whiteford

attention and get the care that they need.”

Lahalia Syrocki ‘24 ended up taking the Intro to Psych class by accident. “[When] you get to choose your classes, I needed one for my fifth hour or 6th hour. I [didn’t] want to do any other classes...I just wasn’t interested [in],” Syrocki admits. “Then I saw Intro to Psychology, and I texted my friends, and I [asked], ‘what do you think?

Should I do this?’ And they were all like, ‘yeah.’”

Syrocki expresses that she feels like she knows her brain better from even just being in the class for a few weeks. “I’ve learned a lot about why my brain works the way it does. It’s just interesting to know that this is why my brain does this, and this is why I don’t do this,” she shares. “It helped me understand and feel…less alone.” She herself has struggled with mental health in the past and believes that the psych class has helped a lot with finding different ways to cope with it. “Over the summer, I struggled a lot, but I think my understanding that it’s normal and that…what I was experiencing was super common [has increased],” Syrocki reveals. “So many other people struggle with it. It’s helped me kind of push that to the past and focus on myself and growing.”

Even though psychology classes tend to revolve around things like note taking and trying to retain as much information as possible, all of that

is well worth it if it means students get to learn about how the brain functions as a whole and how to deal with their emotions better. As a society, mental health has obviously taken a toll on people, especially high school students. Brunink has the same end goal for both of her Psychology classes, regardless of one being a college level class. “What I tell students [is that] whether it’s AP or intro, [it] doesn’t matter,” Brunink argues.

“My goal always is for you to feel like you have control of this brain,…like you have an impact on the direction that it’s going to take you, and that it can help you, or it can hinder you and to harness the knowledge and expertise to help it help you. I think it is empowering.” //

A Gentle Spring

by Shelbi Merchant staff writer Looking at mental health through metaphor In those long wintertime days, when I was just a child, my soul would call for the beauty of summer meadows. The passing of winter had always come with the promise of a gentle spring, as the younger version of me had once believed. He was younger then, though, naive.

He had found comfort within the clouds, dreaming of what his future may hold. He had been a boy of sugar and honey.

Now, I was something else.

Someone else.

It was coldness that reached into my bones, as if my very own heart were a door left wide open to ice-filled winds. It had spoken to me, to my childish heart, turning me into a boy in which my peers could not recognize.

No longer did the promise of a gentle spring appease me.

I had been stranded for what seemed like years. Scolding winds shattered against my skin, and the only way I could keep myself warm was to cross my arms and pray my own mind would be enough to set my flesh ablaze. Bare trees hung down from the horizon, heaps of snow piled onto their arms with ease.

The woods were thick, filled to the brim with

unknown hazards praying to feast upon my brain.

The sun was invisible, hidden by fields of white and low-hanging branches that threatened to scar my flesh for years to come. The worst part, however, wasn’t that snowfall had begun to cling to my skin like an unwanted guest, or that I had somehow managed to find myself stranded with no way of returning home. It was the fact that no matter what happened, whatever tragedies I endeavored on my journey, there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t protect myself from the intensity of Mother Nature’s algid touch, or the possibility of an animal attack looming just beyond the ‘great’ unknown.

In all honesty, the context of my current predicament remained unknown. One second I had been rolling in the grass, worshiping the summer leaves, and the next I was trapped in what felt like an eternal winter, burdened by what could never be again. It was odd, becoming an entirely new person within the blink of an eye. This wintertime, the one that made a home beneath my skin, was both physical and metaphorical, settling deep within my bones as I drifted farther and farther

Maybe someone had put up missing posters in my name, but they wouldn’t have been for mE; they would be for the boy I used to be.

24 // BGQ // November 2022

Graphic Courtesy of: E. Hermel

into snow-infested grounds.

Maybe someone had put up missing posters in my name, but they wouldn’t have been for me; they would be for the boy I used to be. Maybe his face was on local milk cartons, gathering the worry of all those who I had once considered to be his friends. Maybe he was lost too, stranded in a set of woods oh so similar to this. Or maybe he wasn’t lost at all, just hiding so the coldness wouldn’t reach him like it had me.

The days turned into weeks, and months into what felt like years. Time is irrelevant now, I suppose, especially when all the days are the same.

I would wake up, fight tooth and nail just to keep myself alive, and would then return to the shack I had built on day three. It was a repetitive cycle, all my actions blending into one eternal loop. A loop at which I could not escape. No matter how hard I tried, it was never enough.

And then, by some miracle, everything had changed. It was a cold night, the moons eyes glaring down at me from above. The winter trees shivered against the bitter wind, naked branches adorned by snow. In the cooling of a dim sky, frosty whispers reached my ears with ease. The voice spoke to me, words I would not dare share with anyone else. Words that caused a whirlwind of emotions, words that were uttered with such intensity that they rose alongside wintry clouds.

From ice petals that had blossomed with such coldness came the promise of a gentle spring,

my heart conjured a soul-beckoning wind. The intensity of it all finally subsided. Instead of snow, there were puddles of dirt infested waters. They gathered at varying hills, dripping heavily from the trees as the sun washed all my former worries away. The world was sparkling, as though someone was taking a sponge and washed away the grime. Beneath the snowy front, which had long since disappeared, lay hues of green. The colors of a coarse underfoot were marvelous, varying forms of flowers peeking from below the surface.

The air was warm, the smell of a long spring passing through, following the wind’s melody with ease. And finally, painted across emerald wonders, was a dirt path.

I followed it, the drifting sensation that salvation was near. As I walked, the flowers continued blossoming, the wind grew weaker, and the skies smiled at me with grace and dignity. The path was long and bumpy, small rocks threatening to throw my journey astray, but alas, I had finally made it. I was home.

In those long wintertime days, when I was just a child, my soul would call for the beauty of summer meadows. The passing of winter has always come with the promise of a gentle spring, as I’ve noticed. I was young, naive. That was okay. I had finally found comfort within the clouds, dreaming of what my future may hold. I am a boy born of sugar and honey.

I am me again. //

How a daily habit of watching television can be a highly significant matter on our minds-and possibly our lives…

Graphics Courtesy of: E. Hermel

If you think about it, entertainment has a mind and heart of its own - it has soul. Each film creates a different emotion. From crying after watching Titanic, screaming during The Exorcist, or laughing watching The Big Lebowski, they each had a reason to make us feel this way. Different scenes and different dialogue keeps us entertained. But there may be an even broader reason why we enjoy and absorb what we watch.

John Clary ‘24 hopes to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He believes that film can “[...] be a way for people to escape and distract themselves from their current lives. They can just sort of feel themselves through these characters and kind of vent 26 // BGQ // November 2022

their emotions through TV,” Clary states. The characters’ experiences and personalities can be relatable, especially when it comes to terms of their mental status, which will often draw viewers in. If you find the perfect plot and characters, you will be absorbed into a world that feels like yours, from the first scene to the credits. Kellie Little, an English and drama teacher at Kingsley Schools ,finds it easy to feel empathetic to a character. “Especially a well developed character.

You’re going to react and respond to them. That’s why you enjoy watching those things,” Little explains. “You can feel what those characters are feeling. You connect with them.” Clary especially relates to the character Forrest Gump. “He doesn’t really recognize what’s

going on around him, but that’s why he’s successful, and as I watched [the film], I kind of related to that in a way that if I blocked out the world, I could be happy with myself,” Clary conveys.

While plot and character is something that we can feel connected and related to, genre is something that just makes us flow with the mood. Bored or want to be frightened? Watch horror. Want to laugh or be cheered up? Watch comedy. Want to feel a bit of a deeper connection to the plot and characters? Watch drama. These all make us emotional either way. And also, genre can actually be self-defining. People with a love of horror tend to seek higher sensations. People with a love of comedy seem to be more open. And people with a love for drama tend to be creative. As Little describes it,”I think there are a variety of choices for people who have different interests. And [genre] provides a variety to meet our interests and to entertain us to what we like.” And sometimes, people’s interests shift in terms of genre. As Christine Marie Brown, a theater instructor from Interlochen schools, explains, “...there are other people I’ve known who had [bad] experiences when they were younger kids with scary movies who then grew up in love with horror.”

Some forms of entertainment may also have a blend of genres to make us feel many different emotions, too. Genre benders are one of those forms of entertainment in which a story has more than one genre. One example of this is Stranger Things; a drama sci fi horror series. “...It’s executed really well… [and] everything about it is just impactful,” Clary thinks.

It’s undeniable that its views have skyrocketed these past few seasons, with a whopping 1.5 billion hours viewed in its latest season. 10 Things I Hate About You is another example for its punky teen angst and its bittersweet romance. Let’s not forget The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, especially for its tough and sad elements on mental health, and yet its humorous triumph in teenage years. All three of these movies and television series have been cult classics to follow. And these types of entertainment are often relished be-

cause feeling many other emotions from these genres can draw a sense of euphoria or dopamine. Entertainment can make us feel so overwhelmed with emotions that we can’t stop watching it and it’s because picking the right genre will impact you by the scenes and the characters actions based on the breed of story.

Another way film and entertainment can affect our mentality is by the topics and level of maturity shown on screen. “There are things that I saw at young ages that I wish I had never seen. When I was in third grade, I was…at a sleepover and the parents thought it would be fun for a bunch of nine year old girls to watch a movie called The Omen,” Brown recalls. “[It] was actually a really great film. But I wish I had not seen it as a child. After watching it, I couldn’t sleep for two weeks. I remember my mom was very mad.

And then I did watch it later when I was in college, and that’s when I was like, ‘Oh, this is actually a really good movie.’ But to this day, I can’t do horror movies.” So kids in the present may be having nightmares from horror movies just like in the past, but it can be quite surprising what content some kids are equipped to handle. “Obviously, there’s content that’s super intense, emotionally with violence or sexuality. If I was parenting someone of a teen age, I would [want to] at least discuss things with them. But again, your generation and the one just above you, you’ve had such access to things on the internet and with your phones.

I’m sure it’s hard for parents,” Brown reconsiders. “And what’s interesting about you all is you might have your own ethics and your own rules, but then you might hang out with friends and then things just happen, or somebody shows you something that you weren’t expecting or that you didn’t ask to see… It’s just about whatever’s around us and what we can get our hands on and access, and I think that’s what has changed,” Brown explains.

Though watching television and film is such a common habit, it can really be significant to expanding your emotions. Entertainment can go beyond just binge-watching for fun; it also can help us connect with each other. //

From canine To Classroom

by Samuel Elkins staff writer

Photos Courtesy of: I. McGurn

Service dogs are becoming more and more popular throughout high schools everywhere. We talked to Central staff about our own therapy dog, Holly Jo When you first walk into Ian McGurn’s classroom, you might see an assortment of items that really grab your eye: the minifridge with “Iceman” from Top Gun plastered on it, models of the human body’s organs, veins with a top hat, and other cool funny things. But then you see it: a small, yellow blob moving at your feet. Taking a second glance, you realize it’s a big, yellow Labrador. When you finally come to terms with a large, cuddly dog looking up at you, you might be wondering “Central has a service animal?” Yes, in fact, it does.

Getting a therapy dog approved wasn’t easy.

McGurn had to jump through many hoops to finally get Holly into the classroom. “Holly Jo isn’t a service animal, I should be clear about that,” McGurn admits. “She’s a therapy dog, which is different.” For a while, Holly Jo was just the McGurn family’s dog, until he recognized a need at Central for a therapy dog. “She is great with people, and she’s used to working every day,” he explains. “[It’s] what she’s born to do. [We] thought that she would be an ideal therapy animal because of that.”

McGurn was first introduced to the Leader Dogs For The Blind organization by a coworker.

28 // BGQ // November 2022

This organization breeds and trains dogs to become seeing-eye dogs, and then matches dogs to visually impaired people once the dogs complete their obedience training. “Once a year has passed, dogs like Holly Jo are returned to the organization to either be bred or matched with people who need seeing eye dogs. After Holly went through training, the organization decided that instead of her being a seeing-eye dog, they wanted to breed her because they liked her genetics and her temperament,” he elaborates.

McGurn was asked by his colleague if he would be interested in taking care of Holly Jo during this process. With young kids at home and busy careers, they initially leaned towards no. “The kicker [was that] you get to keep the dog after it’s all over for free. It’s like this perfectly trained yellow lab with impeccable breeding. So we said yes [and she] came to live with us,” he recounts.

“She became our family dog.” Then, they needed to decide what to do with Holly Jo. After all, she was just two years old and still a young dog, yet trained and already used to being a working dog.

“What can we do?” asked McGurn. “She can’t be a seeing eye dog because we don’t want to give her away, but we’d like her to do something, so

how can she be useful?”

McGurn landed on making her a therapy dog at Central. In order to do this, he went to the head principal, Jessie Houghton. “[McGurn] really saw the benefits of it. He approached me and [asked] ‘How can we make this happen?’” remembers Houghton. “I [didn’t] know if it [would be] a policy or procedure [that] Holly Jo would need to have…there’s some insurance and liability she has to have on her in case something were to happen. Once Mr. McGurn could prove the training, the insurance piece of it, and the vaccination part of it, he had to have a plan for how he plans some of the basic stuff like where she is going to go to the bathroom [and] how they are going to function,” Houghton states. “The biggest thing is that Mr. McGurn is responsible for her at all times… he and I talked about a plan.”

But before he could finally bring her into the classroom, there was one more thing left to do. In order to be a therapy dog, Holly Jo needed to actually be trained and certified as such. “[I] found [an organization] called the Alliance of Therapy Dogs,” explains McGurn. “I [got] her certified through that organization…[they made] sure she had all of her vet checks and shots. They needed to observe her, so they needed to meet with me three times in different public places to make sure she could be a therapy dog. She had the right temperament, she was fine and liked crowds, and she was fine on a leash…Holly Jo jumped through all those hoops really easily because she had been trained to be a seeing-eye dog,” McGurn

explains. After a lot of back and forth with TCAPS’ superintendent and higher-ups, she was finally ready to be put in the building. Holly Jo officially became a therapy dog in Mr. McGurn’s class during the 2021-2022 school year.

Going about school life with a therapy dog, McGurn notes the solely positive environment Holly Jo has helped shape in his class. “[Students] have had no issue with Holly being in the room and haven’t expressed any concerns, and I always try to put it out there. I’m open to people letting me know or contacting me if my students have a genuine fear or severe allergy and they think that’s going to be an issue to reach out,” McGurn notes. “I have had a student that wasn’t a student of mine that had a significant fear of dogs, and the counseling staff emailed me and said ‘Hey, we have this student with a severe fear of dogs, what do you think about seeing if this student wants to meet Holly Jo, to kind of confront this fear a bit?’ and the student was able to come in and meet Holly several times and even to the point she could pet Holly Jo and not be uncomfortable around dogs. Holly was able to help this student not to overcome the fear [at least], but manage it in a way. And that was pretty powerful,” McGurn reflects.

Despite the long endeavor to bring a therapy dog to Central, the result of Holly Jo in the classroom is beyond worth it. If you take a walk by F104, you might notice a new name affixed to the window to celebrate Central’s newest addition to the staff. //

Sam Speaks

by Samuel Elkins staff writer

On the first day of school, everyone noticed the change. The one change that rose over technology addicts like the plague: the new cell phone policy. Everyone in all my classes was in uproar over the unfairness, exclaiming, “They can’t do that!” or “That’s illegal!” But eventually, everyone submitted. Thinking about this policy, I decided to gather information. But not just any random information: real quotes from real students with real opinions. So I set out on my journey. Going throughout the halls of Central, I decided to get the raw, unedited views from our students and peers. I set up shop in the lower C Atrium with a poster reading “Tell the BGQ your views on the cellphone policy” and sat down to conduct interviews. And after a lot of waiting and a lot of patience, I got them. Here’s what the staff and students of Central had to say.

“

[It’s] definitely different from past years, and I’m not a big fan of it to be honest….I get they want us off our phones and stuff, but I think we are old enough to regulate that ourselves. I liked last year’s policy, just keep it in your bag, and if the teachers see it, they take it, but you can keep it on your person at least.

”

- Mack Shane ‘23

“

I think the phone policy is okay in the classroom. I have no problem giving up my phone at the start of class anyways, but I think that in the hallways may be a little over the top. Going to the bathroom and checking a call or a text doesn’t affect our learning at all. [Although, I do] think it’s good in actual class, since more students are involved.

”

- Ivy Coe ‘24

“

I think [so far] it seems to be limiting usage in the hallways during class and from an observation, most kids are placing them in sleeves. [I’ve] heard some basic grumbling from students but an understanding as to why, nothing more than that so far.

” - Assistant Prinicipal Ben Berger

30 // BGQ // November 2022

the gallery

Photo credits: Bridget Belden Photo credits: Isaiah Johnston

Photo credits: Trinity Stringer

Photo credits: Liam Faunce Photo credits: Eliana Hermel

Photo credits: Elizabeth Phillips

Graphics courtesy of: E. Hermel

Poetry And The Art Of Living

by Trinity Stringer staff writer

It has always been hard for me to finish reading a book over two hundred pages. I’ve tried getting myself interested in more adventurous books; however, they become boring because of the over-extended climax of a character’s conflicts.

Focusing instead on the art of poetry dials down the amount of words I need to read, yet it still feels like I have read a whole book. The imagery a poem can present allows your thoughts to wander. Two small sentences of poetry can become so much more in someone’s mind.

Poetry is the definition of expression, using the power of words which are made by emotions. Poetry has been around for generations, trailing way back to when kings of royalty ruled over their people. The importance of poetry is no secret. Storytelling was the main idea of this fixed literature. Today, poetry’s purpose is to understand one’s thoughts, to escape to a place where speaking from the mind comes naturally.

Seeing how people can get invested into reading and writing poetry can be very unexpected. “ The book Mostly Collected Stories And Drawings by 32 // BGQ // November 2022

The power of a truthful poet can reveal more than what we recognize on our own

Brian Andreas hooked me in,” says an anonymous interviewee. “My mom gave it to me, so I would say she got me into poetry.” Because his mom introduced him to Andreas, he learned about poems with unique art.

Kathryn Shelley-Barnes, an English teacher at Central, loves poetry and has learned a lot about this writing style since she was a child. “My family got me interested in poetry. I was read to as a child from Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Gardens of Verses. And lots of poetry was read to me as a child. As I became a reader, I was introduced to war poetry by the librarian of the public library that I went to,” Shelley-Barnes says.

When reading books, looking for the emotion of the characters is sometimes hard to find. “I kind of write it out of all of my emotions. I would say a lot of my poetry can be interpreted pretty openly,” the anonymous interviewee adds. “…a lot of the times I write it, it can be for sadness and anger as a way to vent. Ultimately, it depends on who’s reading it and how they think of it.” Thinking about something you have a passion for makes

it easier to know what your next poem might look like. “I did a whole series on growing up with my family members. I have a poem about my dad, my mother, and my little sister. I have quite a few on my husband,” Shelley-Barnes shares. “I think love is a major theme in my poetry and the different kinds of love, and how love expresses itself. Most[ly] physically, as well as emotion[ally].”

Every poet starts somewhere. Without having any knowledge or experience with the art of writing, we are all bound to find our passion. With the way most students are feeling today, emotions get the best of us. Therefore, writing and reading poetry can transform these negative feelings into something beautiful. “[It] depends on what mood I’m in. If I’m feeling creative, I’ll write, or if I need more inspiration, I’ll read,” the anonymous interviewee admits. Getting inspiration from other poets can also boost your knowledge and understanding on what others think on a daily basis. “I think I’m better at reading poetry than I am writing poetry, but I do write, and I wrote quite a bit this summer,” ShelleyBarnes reveals.

Most people avoid poetry because they may feel that it is something that would have to be taught. When an idea comes to mind, poetry shouldn’t have to be stressful; it can come naturally when in the midst of a thought. “Don’t be overly literal, have fun with it,” the anonymous interviewee advises. However, there can be steps to writing poetry if you are someone who is more methodical. “Really just kind of look around and think about it, because the fun things to write about are the things that nobody writes about or even thinks of which are the little details. Find two

things that aren’t really related and make them have a conversation with each other,” the anonymous interviewee suggests.

Shelley-Barnes thinks that poetry should be taught, but that most students are afraid of it.

“They’re afraid they don’t understand it. They don’t understand why they put the words on the line the way that they did, and it looks so different than a short story or a fiction piece, or even a non-fiction piece,” Shelley-Barnes explains. “I will say that the kids who are musically inclined tend to take to it much faster because they can hear it,” she acknowledges.

Our bodies themselves play a big role in what we are able to create with words. For some people, writing is preferred to be transformed into music.

“When I write music I end up choosing the kind of sound I want to hear and then create the story that sounds fit,” Reagan Sills ‘24 interprets. If we think about rap artists and other song artists in general who use a wide range of vocabulary, we can find that in a way they are expressing themselves through another form of writing. “I feel like every artist has their own type of poetry they like to create.” Sills adds.

For many artists, writing always comes first. It is formed as a poem, then translated into a masterpiece of sound. “I have disliked a lot of projects, but I kept them for future songs if I ever get better with my skills as a writer,” Sills divulges. Although poetry is often seen as stuffy or complicated, it’s the perfect way to vent, teach, or acknowledge others. All of the choices we make and how we feel when we learn something can all be expressed with the world in only a few words. //

Without having any experience or knowledge of the art of writing, we are all bound to find our passion.

Back to Class

by Lucy Poppleton content editor

Three members of Central’s staff share their high school experiences, from homecoming to school traditions

Photos courtesy of: S. Elkins

Mrs. Becky Harvey teaches business and accounting classes here at CHS. She went to high school in a small town in Indiana and graduated in 1994.

Mr. Ben Lantz teaches U.S. History and English as a Second Language (ESL).

He attended Central High School back in the day, graduating in 1994!

Photos courtesy of: A. Ream

Amy Ream (known to one and all as just Amy) is Central’s own beloved athletic trainer. Her high school is located downstate near Battle Creek, and she graduated in 1983.

34 // BGQ // November 2022

Describe your high school homecoming experience.

Any other high school traditions or activities?

Amy: “All four years, our float won [the competition during] homecoming,” recalls Ream. “And, all four years, we won the activity night as well. I actually hula hooped for two and a half hours. I won the hula hoop part all four years.”

Mr. Lantz: “We had more pep assemblies back then,” he compares. “There was a lot more class competition involved in the pep assemblies, too. You’d see activities where freshmen were competing against seniors down on the gym floor.”

Mr. Lantz: “I enjoyed it. It was a chance to get together with friends,” explains Lantz. “I just really enjoyed everybody coming together at one time.”

Do you have any advice for high school students?

Did you enjoy going to football games? Why?

Amy: “Just get involved and enjoy it because it goes by really fast!”

Mrs. Harvey: “After every home football game, we had a dance, and everybody went to the dances,” says Harvey with enthusiasm. “Everybody loved going to the football games because there was a dance right afterwards.”

Mr. Lantz: “The student section was pretty fun,” reflects Lantz. “I don’t think it was as organized as it is now. We didn’t necessarily have student leaders stepping up to lead cheers….It was more…like we all just sat together and cheered for the team.”

Describe school spirit at your high school.

Mrs. Harvey: “We had theme days like you guys do….Teachers had to count how many students were dressed up in their classes, and it was a big competition between the seniors and the juniors especially,” remembers Harvey. “They would announce at the end of [each] day, and at the end of the week, one class would win. They [were the ones who] dressed up more.”

Graphics courtesy of: E. Hermel

Mr. Lantz: “Be a part of something. Have some sort of extracurricular of some kind,” encourages Lantz.

“If it’s not athletics, find a club, but it’s those relationships, those friendships, those experiences that you’re going to remember about high school.” //